TWI430520B - Cap member for card edge connector - Google Patents

Description

Cover for card edge connector

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a cover for a card edge connector, and more particularly to a cover for a card edge connector for pick and place operation.

Electronic devices have become a necessity in our daily lives. In order to meet the huge number of electronic devices, the speed at which the electronic devices are manufactured is often an important issue, and automated production techniques are often an effective solution to the above issues.

In the case of thin and small components, when the components are assembled, the adsorbers are often used to pick up the components during transport. However, a card edge connector having an upward opening or a card slot cannot be transported by the adsorber without a pickup plate being provided on the opening or the card slot. A card edge connector having a vertically disposed flat pickup member is disclosed in US Patent No. 2009/0,191,736 A1. The picking member comprises a connecting portion, a picking portion horizontally disposed on the connecting portion, and a pair of holding portions respectively disposed at opposite ends of the connecting portion. The vertically disposed and flat-shaped pickup member is not easy to maintain vertical so that the pickup portion is kept horizontal to allow the adsorber to be picked up, so that it is necessary to provide a rib member on the holding portion thereof to abut against the inner wall of the latch portion. .

However, the interference contact between the ribs and the inner wall of the latch may cause deformation of the housing, which in turn causes the tails of the terminals to be non-coplanar. Moreover, since the picking portion is higher than the latching portion of the holding portion and the card edge connector, the stability of assembly of the pick-up member and the card edge connector during pick-and-place operation is affected. In addition, the pickup disclosed in the US patent US 2009/0,191,736 A1 cannot Cover the center card slot of the card edge connector. Therefore, the terminals arranged along the central card slot are easily contaminated after the card edge connector is placed on the printed circuit board and during soldering and transport.

In summary, a novel cover member that does not cause deformation of the card edge connector housing, can be stably operated during pick and place, and can protect the terminals assembled in the housing from contamination is still expected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved cover member that does not cause deformation of a card edge connector housing, facilitates stability of pick and place operations, and can protect terminals assembled into the housing. Avoid contamination.

To achieve the above object, an embodiment of the present invention discloses a cover member for a card edge connector, the card edge connector including a housing and a pair of latch members. The housing includes two oppositely disposed ends and a card slot extending between the ends. The latch member is pivotable within the corresponding end portion. Each latch member includes an exit portion adjacent the bottom of the card edge connector and a latch portion opposite the exit portion. The cover member includes a bottom surface, a top surface and a pair of side panels. The bottom surface is configured to be placed over the card slot and to shield the card slot thereunder. The top surface is opposite the bottom surface and is configured to mate with a vacuum nozzle. The side panels are respectively adjacent to and opposite the two opposite sides of the bottom surface. Each side panel includes a side edge and an extension section, wherein the extension section protrudes beyond the bottom surface to abut the exit portion, thereby pivoting the latch member and allowing the bottom surface to be disposed on the card slot The side edge of the side panel is located between the corresponding latch portion and the corresponding exit portion.

The embodiments of the invention are hereinafter described in conjunction with the drawings to illustrate the details. Referring to Figures 1 to 4, an embodiment of the present invention provides a cover member 1 that is constructed to be disposed on a card edge connector 2 such that the card edge connector 2 can be used with a vacuum nozzle or a suction head. It is automatically picked up and placed so that it does not need to be clamped by mechanical clamps.

Referring to FIG. 4, the card edge connector 2 of an embodiment of the present invention may include an elongated housing 21, a plurality of terminals 22, and a plurality of latch members 23. The elongated housing 21 includes a pair of oppositely disposed end portions 211 and a card slot 212 formed on a mating surface 213. The elongate housing 21 extends longitudinally between the end portions 211. The terminals 22 are spaced apart along the longitudinal sides of the card slot 212. The terminal 22 includes a contact portion 221 that protrudes into the card slot 212 to contact a contact pad disposed on a printed circuit board (not shown) inserted into the card slot 212. The latch 23 is pivotable within the corresponding end 211. Each end portion 211 can include a card slot 214 that faces inwardly and is aligned with the card slot 212. In addition, the housing 21 can include a plurality of slots 215 formed in the mating surface 213 , which are disposed opposite to each other along the card slot 212 . Each slot 215 is in communication with a corresponding terminal receiving slot for receiving the corresponding terminal 22, respectively.

Furthermore, each terminal includes a tail portion 222 that extends downwardly and outwardly relative to the insulative housing 21 to form a surface mount structure. In other embodiments, each of the terminals 22 can include a tail portion 222 that can extend downwardly beyond the insulative housing 21 to form a consistent perforated pin structure for insertion into a corresponding printed circuit board. In the hole.

Referring to FIG. 4, each of the latch members 23 is pivoted within the corresponding end portion 211 with respect to the pair of pivots 231. The pair of pivots 231 are separately disposed on the latch member On the opposite side of 23. Each latch member 23 includes an exit portion 232 and a latch portion 233. The exit portion 232 is configured to move closer to the bottom of the card edge connector 2, and the latch portion 233 is disposed opposite the exit portion 232.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 , the cover member 1 can be disposed on the mating surface 213 and cover or shield the card slot 212 and the slot 215 on the mating surface 213 . The cover member 1 has a horizontally disposed top surface 111 that can be mated with a vacuum nozzle or a suction head. Since the card slot 212 can be shielded, the cover member 1 of the embodiment of the present invention can be used not only for pick-and-place operation, but also when the card edge connector 2 is disposed on a printed circuit board, and It is contaminated during the welding process. In this embodiment, the mating surface 213 may be entirely covered or shielded by the cover member 1. However, in other embodiments of the present invention, the cover 1 covers only a plurality of terminals 22 of the card slot 212. Part of it.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5 , the cover member 1 includes a top surface 111 , a bottom surface 121 , and a pair of side plates 13 . The top surface 111 and the bottom surface 121 can be similar but face different directions and are disposed in a substantially parallel manner. The bottom surface 121 is configured to be disposed on the card slot 212 and at least shields a portion of the card slot 212 that is circumferentially disposed. In other words, the bottom surface 121 has a width in the transverse direction which is larger than the width of the card slot 212; the bottom surface 121 has a length which is larger than the setting range of the terminal 22 which is spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the housing 21. long. In another embodiment, the bottom surface 212 can cover the entire mating surface 213 of the card edge connector 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, the side plates 13 are respectively adjacent to the longitudinally opposite side edges 122 of the bottom surface 121, and the side plates 13 are vertically disposed with the bottom surface 12, And corresponding to the ends 211. Referring to Figure 6, each side panel 13 includes a side edge 131 and an extension portion 132 that is configured to extend through the corresponding card slot 214 such that its side edge 131 can be received in the corresponding end portion 211, such as Figure 2 shows. Each of the extensions 132 protrudes beyond the bottom surface 121 such that when the cover member 1 is disposed on the mating surface 213 , the extension 132 is located within the housing 21 and below the mating surface 213 .

Specifically, the cover member 1 can include, but is not limited to, a top plate 11 and a bottom plate 12, wherein the top surface 111 is located on the top plate 11, and the bottom surface 121 is located on the bottom plate 12. on. For example, the top plate 11 and the bottom plate 12 can be substantially identical and disposed in a parallel manner and aligned in a vertical direction. As shown in FIGS. 3, 13, and 14, a plurality of ribs 14 and ridges 15 are provided for connecting the top plate 11 and the bottom plate 12, and may be configured to increase the strength of the cover member 1. Specifically, the ridge 15 may be disposed at a central position and extend along the longitudinal direction of the top plate 11 or the bottom plate 12 as shown in FIG. Referring back to FIG. 3, the ribs 14 are symmetrical, equally spaced and extend laterally from opposite sides of the rib 14. The outer surfaces of the opposing ribs 14 may be flush with the edges of the top panel 11 and the bottom panel 12 to form the edge surface 16. Each side panel 13 is joined to a corresponding edge surface 16 and is secured by a pair of corner supports 17.

Referring back to FIG. 3, the top surface 111 can be disposed adjacent to the bottom surface 121 to reduce the overall height of assembly of the cover member 1 and the card edge connector 2, thereby increasing the stability of operation during pick and place. In this embodiment, the top surface 111 can be disposed at any position lower than the upper edge 133 of the side plate 13 along the direction perpendicular to the bottom surface 121. In order to increase the protrusion of the side plate 13 beyond the A portion of the strength of the top surface 111, a plurality of corner supports 17 may be disposed at a corner between the surface of the side panel 13 and the top surface 111.

Referring to Figure 7, on the top surface 111, a central indicator 112 and a direction indicator 113 can be provided. The direction indicator 113 is indicative of to prevent the cover 1 from being installed in an incorrect orientation. The central indicator 112 is for indicating the center of gravity or intermediate position of the cover member 1 and the card edge connector 2. The direction indicator 113 is disposed adjacent to the side of the long bay on which the card edge connector 2 is inserted.

Referring to Figure 8, the cover member 1 further includes a projection 114 that is formed to be inserted into the card slot 212, as shown in Figure 14. When the cover member 1 is placed in an incorrect orientation, the projection 114 and the fixed rib 216 (Fig. 3) will interfere with each other.

Referring to Figures 9 and 10, the extension 132 is configured to abut the exit portion 232 of the latch member 23. When the cover member 1 is mounted on the mating surface 213 of the card edge connector 2, the extension portion 132 abuts the exit portion 232 of the latch member 23, and pivots the latch member 23 to make the latch The portion 233 moves toward the cover member 1. The extension 132 is constructed to continuously abut and downward when the latch member 23 is pivoted from an unlatched position (shown in FIG. 9) to a latched position (as shown in FIG. 10). The exit portion 232 is pushed up.

Specifically, referring to FIGS. 9-12, when the cover member 1 is placed on the card edge connector 2, the bottom edge 134 of the extension portion 132 will abut the exit portion 232 of the latch member 23. The exit portion 232 moves along and abuts the bottom edge 134 before the cover member 1 is fully seated. At the same time, the locking portion 233 is moved toward the corresponding side plate 13 until the side edge 131 is located at the locking portion 233. And between the exit portion 232, that is, the latch portion 233 is located above the upper edge 133 of the side plate 13, as shown in FIG. As such, the cover member 1 can be locked and can be used for pick and place operations. In addition, when the cover member 1 is to be removed, the operation portion 234 can be applied, thereby rotating the latch member 23 so that the lock portion 233 can leave the cover member 1, and the exit portion 232 The cover member 1 can be moved upward. When the locking portion 233 is moved away from the upper edge 133 of the side panel 13, the cover member 1 can be taken out.

Referring to Figures 4 and 12, the card edge connector 2 can further include a pair of post members 24 that are respectively disposed within the end portion 211. The post members 24 prevent the cover member 1 from moving in the longitudinal direction of the housing 21 when the cover member 1 is mounted. In this embodiment, the side edges 131 of each side panel 13 can extend adjacent to the corresponding post member 24 to ensure that the cover member 1 is securely retained on the card edge connector 2.

Referring to Figures 13 and 16, when the cover member 1 is placed, each side panel 13 extends through a corresponding card slot 214, as shown in Figure 1. In general, the thickness of the side panel 13 is smaller than the width of the card slot 214 such that there is no interference between the side panel 13 and the sidewall defining the card slot 214. Therefore, the cover member 1 does not cause the tail portion 222 of the terminal 22 to be non-coplanar.

In addition, since the width of the card slot 212 is wider than the width of the card slot 214, as shown in FIG. 15, the cover member 1 can be easily shaken. As such, a pair of projections 135 are provided on the corresponding sides of the extension 132, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 15. The protrusion 135 is disposed on the extension 132 and is located on a portion of the card slot 212. When the cover member 1 is installed, each of the protruding portions 135 can extend to the upper edge 133 and exceed the bottom surface of the cover member 1 121. The pair of protrusions 135 are similarly not interfered with the side walls defining the card slot 212 such that the housing 21 is not stressed by it.

Referring to Fig. 12, as described above, no interference occurs between the side plate 13 and the casing 21. When the cover member 1 is placed, there may be a small gap between the locking portion 233 and the upper edge 133, so that the cover member 1 can be slightly shaken when the two latch members 23 are locked.

In summary, the present invention provides a cover member for a card edge connector such that the card edge connector can be accessed. The cover member does not mechanically interfere with the card edge connector, and deformation of the card edge connector can be avoided. The cover member includes a bottom surface that shields the card slot such that terminals located within the card edge connector are protected from contamination. The top surface for adsorption is accessible to the bottom surface to enhance the operational stability of the combination of the cover member and the card edge connector.

The technical and technical features of the present invention have been disclosed as above, and those skilled in the art can still make various substitutions and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be construed as being limited by the scope of the appended claims

1‧‧‧Cleaning pieces

11‧‧‧ top board

111‧‧‧ top surface

112‧‧‧Central marking

113‧‧‧ Directional indication

114‧‧‧Bumps

12‧‧‧floor

121‧‧‧ bottom

122‧‧‧ side

13‧‧‧ side panel

131‧‧‧ side

132‧‧‧Extension

133‧‧‧Upper edge

134‧‧‧ bottom edge

135‧‧‧Protruding

14‧‧‧ ribs

15‧‧‧ ridge

16‧‧‧Edge surface

17‧‧‧ corner support

2‧‧‧ card edge connector

21‧‧‧ housing

211‧‧‧ end

212‧‧‧ card slot

213‧‧‧Materials

214‧‧‧ card slot

215‧‧‧Slots

216‧‧‧ oriented ribs

22‧‧‧ Terminal

221‧‧‧Contacts

222‧‧‧ tail

23‧‧‧Latch

231‧‧‧ pivot

232‧‧‧Exit Department

233‧‧‧Locking Department

234‧‧‧Operation Department

24‧‧‧column

1 is a schematic view showing a cover member disposed on a card edge connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a cover member disposed on a card edge connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is an exploded view of FIG. schematic diagram; 4 is an exploded perspective view of a card edge connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a bottom surface of a cover member according to an embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. FIG. 7 is a plan view of a cover member according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 8 is a front view of a cover member according to an embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 9 is a partial portion of a side plate and a latch member according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a partial enlarged view of a side panel lock on a latch member according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the assembly of the cover member and the card edge connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 13 is a front view of Fig. 11; Fig. 14 is a sectional view taken along line ZZ of Fig. 13; Fig. 15 is a sectional view taken along line YY of Fig. 13; and Fig. 16 is a section along line XX of Fig. 13. Figure.

1‧‧‧Cleaning pieces

11‧‧‧ top board

111‧‧‧ top surface

12‧‧‧floor

13‧‧‧ side panel

133‧‧‧Upper edge

14‧‧‧ ribs

16‧‧‧Edge surface

17‧‧‧ corner support

2‧‧‧ card edge connector

212‧‧‧ card slot

213‧‧‧Materials

214‧‧‧ card slot

215‧‧‧Slots

216‧‧‧ oriented ribs

23‧‧‧Latch

24‧‧‧column

Claims (22)

A cover member for a card edge connector, the card edge connector comprising a housing having opposite ends, a card slot extending between the ends, and a shaft movement disposed at the corresponding end portion Two latch members each having an exit portion adjacent to the bottom of the card edge connector and a latch portion opposite the exit portion, the cover member including: a bottom surface configured to be disposed on the card a slot on the slot and covering the card slot; a top surface of the bottom surface is configured to cooperate with a vacuum nozzle; and a pair of side panels adjacent to the opposite sides of the bottom surface respectively Relative to the end portion, each side panel includes a side edge and an extension portion, wherein the extension portion protrudes beyond the bottom surface to abut the exit portion to pivot the latch member and when the bottom surface is disposed When the card slot is located, the side edge of the side panel is located between the corresponding latch portion and the corresponding exit portion; wherein the cover member does not mechanically interfere with the card edge connector; wherein the top surface is A direction perpendicular to the bottom surface is lower than an upper edge of the side panel. The cover member of claim 1, wherein the card edge connector comprises a plurality of terminals disposed along a length of the card slot along a side of the card slot, the bottom surface shielding at least the card slot, The parts of the terminals are set weekly. The cover member of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a mating surface formed on the card slot, and a plurality of slots formed on the mating surface and disposed opposite the card slot, wherein the housing The bottom surface shields the slots. The cover member of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of protrusions, wherein each protrusion is disposed on a side of the corresponding extension, and when the cover is installed, the protrusion is located in the card slot, wherein the cover is located in the card slot The protrusion does not interfere with the sidewall defining the card slot. The cover member of claim 1 further comprising a bump disposed on the bottom surface, wherein the housing includes an orientation rib disposed in the card slot, the projection mating with the orientation rib to avoid the cover The pieces are placed in an incorrect orientation. The cover member of claim 1, wherein the card edge connector further comprises a pair of post members, the post members being respectively disposed within the ends, wherein each side plate extends adjacent to the corresponding post member. The cover member according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a top plate and a bottom plate, wherein the top surface is located on the top plate, and the bottom surface is located on the bottom plate. The cover member of claim 7, further comprising a ridge and a plurality of ribs extending laterally from the ridge, wherein the ridge and the plurality of ribs connect the top plate and the bottom plate. According to the cover of claim 8, further comprising a direction indicator disposed on the top surface for indicating the installation direction. According to the cover of claim 9, further comprising a central indication disposed on the top surface for indicating the center of gravity of the cover member. According to the cover member of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of corner supports disposed at a corner between the surface of the side panel and the top surface. A cover member for a card edge connector, the card edge connector comprising a housing having opposite ends, a card slot extending between the ends a latching member disposed in the corresponding end portion, wherein each latch member has an exit portion adjacent to the bottom of the card edge connector and a latch portion opposite to the exit portion, the cover member comprising: The bottom plate includes a bottom surface, the bottom surface is configured to be disposed on the card slot and shields the card slot therebelow; and a top plate includes a top surface opposite to the bottom surface, the top surface being constructed to be vacuumed And a pair of side plates respectively adjacent to the opposite sides of the bottom surface and disposed opposite to the end, each side plate includes a side edge and an extension segment, wherein the extension segment protrudes beyond the bottom surface to abut The exit portion pivots the latch member and when the bottom surface is disposed on the card slot, the side edge of the side panel is located between the corresponding latch portion and the corresponding exit portion. The cover member of claim 12, wherein the card edge connector comprises a plurality of terminals disposed along a length of the card slot along a side of the card slot, the bottom surface shielding at least the card slot, The parts of the terminals are set weekly. The cover member of claim 12, wherein the housing comprises a mating surface formed on the card slot, and a plurality of slots formed on the mating surface and disposed opposite the card slot, wherein the housing The bottom surface shields the slots. The cover member of claim 12, wherein the top surface is lower than the upper edge of the side panel in a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface. According to the cover of claim 12, a plurality of protrusions are further included, wherein each protrusion is disposed on a side of the corresponding extension, and the protrusion is located in the card slot when the cover is installed. According to the cover of claim 12, further comprising a convex disposed on the bottom surface a block, wherein the housing includes an orientation rib disposed in the card slot, the projection mating with the orientation rib to prevent the cover member from being placed in an incorrect orientation. The cover member of claim 12, wherein the card edge connector further comprises a pair of post members, the post members being disposed within the ends, wherein each side plate extends adjacent the corresponding post member. The cover member of claim 12, further comprising a ridge and a plurality of ribs extending laterally from the ridge, wherein the ridge and the plurality of ribs connect the top plate and the bottom plate. According to the cover of claim 12, a direction indicator disposed on the top surface is further included for indicating the installation direction. According to the cover of claim 12, a central indication is provided on the top surface for indicating the center of gravity of the cover member. According to the cover of claim 12, a plurality of corner supports disposed at a corner between the surface of the side panel and the top surface are further included.