Board edge connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11031708-B2
Application number	US-202016802548-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2020
Priority date	Feb 27, 2019
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A board edge connector is provided. The board edge connector includes an insulating housing, a plurality of terminals and a metal keycap. The insulating housing includes a board edge slot and at least one key integrally configured in the board edge slot. The key includes a top portion and two surfaces opposite to each other. A plate body receiving portion is provided alongside each of the two surfaces of the key. The plate body receiving portion includes a holding recess. The metal keycap includes plate bodies respectively received in the two-plate body receiving portions and an elastic holding arm positioned on at least one side of the plate body. The elastic holding arm latches to the holding recess of the plate body receiving portion. Therefore, the metal keycap can protect and prevent the key from being damaged or generating debris due to hit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A board edge connector comprising:
an insulating housing which has an elongated shape extending in a length direction and comprising a board edge slot extending in the length direction, two side walls extending in the length direction and forming the board edge slot and at least one key integrally configured in the board edge slot and extending in a width direction, the key comprising a top portion and two surfaces opposite to each other in the length direction, a plate body receiving portion being provided alongside each of the two surfaces of the key, and the plate body receiving portion comprising a holding recess;
a plurality of terminals which are mounted in the insulating housing; and
a metal keycap which sheathes the key along a downward direction facing the key and comprises a top surface covering the top portion of the key, plate bodies respectively received in the two plate body receiving portions and an elastic holding ann positioned on at least one side of the plate body, the elastic holding arm latching to the holding recess of the plate body receiving portion, wherein the holding recess of the plate body receiving portion comprises a holding shoulder positioned in the holding recess and facing downwardly and a holding end is a tip of the elastic holding arm and is latched to the holding shoulder in the holding recess of the plate body receiving portion.

2. The board edge connector of claim 1 , wherein
the elastic holding arm of the metal keycap is a single cantilever structure with a lower end connected to a side edge of the plate body of the metal keycap and extending obliquely upwardly.

3. The board edge connector of claim 2 , wherein
the plate body receiving portion of the insulating housing comprises guide grooves provided on the side walls,
two sides of the plate body of the metal keycap are respectively positioned in the guide grooves, and the holding recess of the plate body receiving portion is provided in the guide groove of the plate body receiving portion.

4. The board edge connector of claim 3 , wherein
the guide groove has an open end facing upwardly,
the open end comprises:
a first guide surface which is an oblique surface and is configured to guide the elastic holding aim of the metal keycap in the width direction; and
a second guide surface which is an oblique surface and is configured to guide the plate body of the metal keycap in the length direction.

5. The board edge connector of claim 4 , wherein the holding recess of the plate body receiving portion penetrates the side wall of the insulating housing.

6. The board edge connector of claim 1 , wherein
the plate body receiving portion of the insulating housing further comprises a fixing recess which is provided to a bottom portion of the plate body receiving portion of the insulating housing, and
the metal keycap of plate body comprises a fixed portion which interference fixes with the fixing recess of the plate body receiving portion.

7. The board edge connector of claim 6 , wherein
the board edge slot comprises an inner bottom surface, the fixing recess of the plate body receiving portion comprises a bottom edge, and the plate body of the metal keycap comprises a bottom edge,
the bottom edge of the fixing recess of the plate body receiving portion and the bottom edge of the plate body of the metal keycap extend beyond the inner bottom surface of the board edge slot.

8. The board edge connector of claim 7 , wherein the fixed portion comprises interference protrusions which interference fix with a wall surface of the fixing recess of the plate body receiving portion.

9. The board edge connector of claim 6 , wherein a total width of the fixed portion of the metal keycap in the width direction is smaller than a distance between the holding ends of the elastic holding arms on the two sides of the plate body.

Assignees

• Molex Llc

Inventors

• Teh Chien-Ching

Classifications

• H01R13/6456

  comprising keying elements at different positions along the periphery of the connector · CPC title

• H01R12/737

  Printed circuits being substantially perpendicular to each other (for printed connections H05K3/366) · CPC title

• G06F1/183 Primary

  Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for supporting printed circuit boards · CPC title

• H01R12/72

  coupling with the edge of the rigid printed circuits or like structures · CPC title

• G06F1/185

  Mounting of expansion boards · CPC title