CARD EDGE CONNECTOR WITH COMPACT, ROBUST LATCH

Abstract

A card edge connector with a latch non-removably retained to a housing so as to improve the connector's reliability. The housing has a slot elongated in a longitudinal direction and is configured to hold conductive elements. Each conductive element has a contact portion exposed in the slot configured for mating with an electronic component, and a tail portion extending out of the housing configured for surface mounting to another electronic component. The housing has an end portion at an end of the slot in the longitudinal direction. The latch is installed to and extends around three sides of the end portion of the housing. The latch has a first retention feature, and the end portion has a second retention feature. When the first retention feature fully engages the second retention feature, the latch cannot be removed from the housing in a non-destructive manner. The latch and the housing may be made of different materials for respective functions.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, comprising: a housing comprising a slot extending in a longitudinal direction and an end portion at an end of the slot in the longitudinal direction; a plurality of conductive elements held in the housing, each of the plurality of conductive elements comprising a contact portion exposed in the slot and a tail portion extending out of the housing; and a latch comprising a body non-removably retained to the end portion of the housing, and a beam comprising a proximal end joining the body and a distal end.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein: the body of the latch comprises a first sidewall, a second sidewall, an end wall joining the first sidewall and the second sidewall, and a first retention feature; the end portion of the housing is at least partially enclosed by the first sidewall, second sidewall, and end wall of the body of the latch; and the end portion of the housing comprises a second retention feature configured to engage the first retention feature of the body of the latch so as to non-removably retain the body of the latch to the end portion of the housing.

3. The electrical connector of claim 2, wherein: the housing comprises a mating face and a mounting face, the slot opens through the mating face, and the tail portions of the plurality of conductive elements extend out of the mounting face; and the first retention feature of the latch comprises a rib protruding from the first sidewall and disposed above the mounting face, and the rib comprises a stepped portion disposed below the mating face.

4. The electrical connector of claim 3, wherein: the second retention feature of the housing comprises a groove configured to receive the rib of the first retention feature; and the rib of the first retention feature of the latch comprises a chamfered or rounded portion configured to guide the rib of the first retention feature of the latch into the groove of the second retention feature of the housing.

5. The electrical connector of claim 3, wherein: the first retention feature of the latch comprises a rib protruding from the second sidewall; and the rib protruding from the first sidewall and the rib protruding from the second sidewall are in reflection symmetry.

6. The electrical connector of claim 3, wherein: the first retention feature comprises a first platform protruding from the end wall; and the housing comprises a second platform protruding outward from the end portion and configured to engage the first platform of the first retention feature.

7. The electrical connector of claim 6, wherein: the first platform comprises a first stop face and a tab protruding from the first stop face; the second platform comprises a second stop face and a recess into the second platform from the second stop face; and the tab of the first platform and the recess of the second platform are configured to engage each other when the first stop face engages the second stop face.

8. The electrical connector of claim 3, wherein: the first retention feature comprises a first additional rib protruding from the first sidewall and aligned with the rib in a mating direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and a second additional rib protruding from the first sidewall and offset from the rib in the mating direction; and the second retention feature comprises matching additional grooves configured to receive the first additional rib and the second additional rib, respectively.

9. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein: the beam comprises a protrusion extending from a first side of the beam and having a chamfered face; and the beam comprises a curved face on a second side opposite the first side and extending between the proximal end and the protrusion.

10. The electrical connector of claim 9, wherein: the beam is a first beam; the latch comprises a second beam configured to protect the first beam from excessive deformation; and the second beam comprises a proximal end joining the body of the latch and a distal end aligned with the protrusion of the first beam in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

11. A method of manufacturing an electrical connector comprising a housing comprising a slot extending in a longitudinal direction and an end portion at an end of the slot in the longitudinal direction, a plurality of conductive elements held in the housing, each of the plurality of conductive elements comprising a contact portion exposed in the slot and a tail portion extending out of the housing, and a latch comprising a first sidewall, a second sidewall, an end wall joining the first sidewall and the second sidewall, and a beam comprising a proximal end joining the body and a distal end, the method comprising: aligning the latch with the end portion of the housing such that the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the end wall of the latch at least partially enclosing the end portion of the housing when the latch is installed to the housing; and engaging the latch with the end portion of the housing until that the latch cannot be removed from the end portion of the housing in a non-destructive manner.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein engaging the latch with the end portion of the housing comprises sliding the latch in a mating direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein engaging the latch with the end portion of the housing comprises engaging a first retention feature of the latch with a second retention feature of the end portion of the housing.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein engaging the first retention feature of the latch with the second retention feature of the end portion of the housing comprises sliding a chamfered portion of the first retention feature of the latch into the second retention feature of the end portion of the housing; and fitting a stepped portion of the first retention feature of the latch into a corresponding portion of the second retention feature of the end portion.

15. An electrical connector, comprising: a housing comprising a slot extending in a longitudinal direction and an end portion disposed at an end of the slot in the longitudinal direction; a plurality of conductive elements held in the housing, each of the plurality of conductive elements comprising a contact portion exposed in the slot and a tail portion extending out of the housing; and a latch comprising a body retained to the end portion of the housing, and a beam comprising a proximal end joining the body and a distal end, wherein the housing and the latch are made of different materials, a first material of the housing is more rigid than a second material of the latch, and both the first material and the second material have melting points no less than 260° C.

16. The electrical connector of claim 15, wherein: the first material has a flexural modulus of not less than 10 GPa; and the second material has a flexural modulus of not more than 7.5 GPa.

17. The electrical connector of claim 15, wherein: the second material has a tensile elongation of not more than 7%.

18. The electrical connector of claim 15, wherein: the tail portions of the plurality of conductive elements are configured for surface mount.

19. The electrical connector of claim 15, wherein: the second material is GF 20% reinforced PA46.

20. The electrical connector of claim 15, wherein: the body of the latch comprises a space configured to receive the end portion of the housing and a first retention feature protruding into the space; and the end portion of the housing comprises a second retention feature configured to engage the first retention feature so as to non-removably retain the latch to the housing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0061] The accompanying drawings may not be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures may be represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:

[0062] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic system, showing a card edge connector having a latch in a rest position to secure a first circuit board in a slot of the connector, according to some embodiments;

[0063] FIG. 2 is a partially exploded view of the electronic system of FIG. 1, showing the first circuit board removed from the card edge connector;

[0064] FIG. 3 is a front view of the card edge connector of the electronic system of FIG. 1;

[0065] FIG. 4 is a top view of the card edge connector of FIG. 3;

[0066] FIG. 5 is a rear view of the card edge connector of FIG. 3;

[0067] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a latch of the card edge connector of FIG. 3;

[0068] FIG. 7 is another perspective view of the latch of FIG. 6;

[0069] FIG. 8 is a yet another perspective view of the latch of FIG. 6;

[0070] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a circled portion of the latch marked “A” in FIG. 6;

[0071] FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of the card edge connector taken along a line marked “I-I” in FIG. 4;

[0072] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the card edge connector of FIG. 3, with the latch hidden;

[0073] FIG. 12 is another perspective view of the card edge connector of FIG. 11;

[0074] FIG. 13 is a partial top view of the card edge connector of FIG. 3, showing a primary beam of the latch in a rest position;

[0075] FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a circled portion of the card edge connector marked “B” in FIG. 13; and

[0076] FIG. 15 is another partial top view of the card edge connector of FIG. 3, showing the primary beam of the latch in a biased position.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0077] 1 electronic system [0078] 3 first circuit board [0079] 5 edge portion [0080] 7 first conductive portion [0081] 11 locking portion [0082] 11a first surface [0083] 11b notch [0084] 100 card edge connector [0085] 101 longitudinal orientation [0086] 103 insulative housing [0087] 103a first face [0088] 103b second face [0089] 103c, 103d end portion faces [0090] 103e third face [0091] 103f fourth face [0092] 105a, 105b end portions [0093] 107 mating direction [0094] 109 slot [0095] 111 second retention feature [0096] 113 lateral direction [0097] 115a first groove [0098] 115b second groove [0099] 117 second platform [0100] 117a second stop face [0101] 117b first recess [0102] 119a, 119b first additional groove [0103] 121 second additional groove [0104] 200 conductive element [0105] 201 contact portion [0106] 203 tail portion [0107] 300 latch [0108] 301 body [0109] 301a first side [0110] 301b second side [0111] 301c top face [0112] 301d bottom face [0113] 303 slot [0114] 303a first inner sidewall [0115] 303b second inner sidewall [0116] 303c end wall [0117] 303d access [0118] 305 first retention feature [0119] 307 first direction [0120] 309a first rib [0121] 309b second rib [0122] 311a leading end [0123] 311b trailing end [0124] 311c rib body [0125] 313 first platform [0126] 313a first stop face [0127] 313b first tab [0128] 315a, 315b first additional rib [0129] 317 second additional rib [0130] 319 primary beam [0131] 321 locking protrusion [0132] 321a protruding tip [0133] 321b first chamfered face [0134] 323 assistant beam [0135] S1 first receiving space [0136] S2 second receiving space.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0137] The Inventors have recognized and appreciated connector designs to enable more robust electronic systems. The Inventors have recognized and appreciated that conventional connectors have latches designed to be easily separable from housings to which the latches are attached. Conventional connectors, however, may often have latches inadvertently removed from the housings, leaving mating electronic components unsecured in the connectors. Such unsecured interconnections may lead to weaker signals or even loss of signals, for example, when systems having such connectors experience motions in a working environment such as vibration, shaking, etc.

[0138] The Inventors have recognized and appreciated connectors with latches non-removably retained to housings so as to improve connector reliability. A connector may include a housing having a slot elongated in a longitudinal direction and configured for receiving an electronic component, and an end portion at an end of the slot in the longitudinal direction. A latch may have a body non-removably retained to the end portion of the housing, a first beam configured to be movable between a rest position for securing the electronic component and a biased position for releasing the electronic component, and a second beam configured for preventing the first beam from over bias.

[0139] The body of the latch may extend around three sides of the end portion of the housing. The body of the latch may have a first retention feature extending into a space configured for receiving the end portion of the housing. The end portion of the housing may have a second retention feature configured to match the first retention feature of the body of the latch. The first retention feature and the second retention feature may be configured such that when they fully engage with each other, the latch may not be removed from the housing in a non-destructive manner. Such a configuration may enable a compact, robust latch and therefore reduce the risk of unsecured interconnection between the connector and the electronic component inserted therein.

[0140] In some embodiments, the first retention feature may include a rib extending from a first sidewall of the body of the latch into the space configured for receiving the end portion of the housing. The rib may include a first end configured for guiding the rib into a matching groove of the second retention feature of the end portion of the housing, and a stepped portion configured for preventing the rib from disengaging the matching groove when the stepped portion is fitted inside the groove. Such a configuration may therefore prevent the latch from being inadvertently separated from housing.

[0141] In some embodiments, the first retention feature may include first and second additional ribs extending from the first sidewall of the body of the latch into the space configured for receiving the end portion of the housing. The first additional rib may be aligned with the rib in a mating direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The second additional rib may be offset from the rib in the mating direction. Such a configuration may improve the strength of the latch in the mating direction and a lateral direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction and the mating direction.

[0142] In some embodiments, the first retention feature may include a first platform extending from an end wall that joins the first sidewall with a second sidewall away from the space configured for receiving the end portion of the housing. The first platform may have a tab configured for inserting into a matching recess of the end portion of the housing. Such a configuration may block movement of the latch in the mating direction due to forces generated during the initial installation of the latch and the repeated insertions and removals of electronic components into and from the connector.

[0143] The first beam of the latch may be configured to sustain repeated movements between the rest position and the biased position. In some embodiments, the first beam may include a protrusion extending from a first side of the first beam and configured to insert into a notch of the electronic component so as to secure the electronic component in the slot of the housing. The protrusion may include a chamfered face configured to reduce a distance needed to move the first beam to the biased position. The protrusion may include a curved face on a second side of the first beam opposite the first side and extending between the proximal end and the protrusion. Such a curved face may improve the ability of the first beam to sustain the repeated movements.

[0144] The connector may include conductive elements held in the housing. Each conductive element may have a contact portion exposed in the slot configured for mating with the electronic component inserted therein, and a tail portion extending out of the housing and configured for surface mounting to another electronic component. The Inventors have recognized and appreciated that while both the housing and the latch should sustain the temperature required for surface mounting the connector to the electronic component, the housing and the latch should be configured for respective functions. While the housing should be resistible to deformation, which may be caused by the repeatable insertions and removals of electronic components into and from the slot of the housing, the latch should be flexible and resilient such that it may sustain the repeated movements between the rest position and the biased position.

[0145] In some embodiments, the housing and the latch may be made of different materials for respective functions. For example, the housing may be made of a first material, and the latch may be made of a second material different from the first material. In some embodiments, the flexural modulus of the first material may be not less than 10 GPa, and the flexural modulus of the second material may be not more than 7.5 GPa. In some embodiments, the tensile elongation of the second material may be not higher than 7%. In some embodiments, both the first material and the second material may have melting points no less than 260° C.

[0146] FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically illustrate an electronic system 1 including a card edge connector 100 according to the present disclosure. The electronic system 1 includes a first circuit board 3 such as a daughter card, a second circuit board (not shown) such as a mother board, and the card edge connector 100 configured for establishing an electrical connection between the first circuit board 3 and the second circuit board. As shown in FIG. 2, the first circuit board 3 has a first conductive portion 7 on or near an edge portion 5 thereof. The first conductive portion 7 comprises, for example, a conductive trace or pad on the first circuit board 3.

[0147] FIGS. 3 to 5 further illustrate the card edge connector 100, wherein FIG. 3 is a front view of the card edge connector 100, FIG. 4 is a top view of the card edge connector 100, and FIG. 5 is a rear view of the card edge connector 100. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 and with further reference to FIGS. 3 to 5, the card edge connector 100 includes an insulative housing 103 extending along a longitudinal direction 101. The insulative housing 103 includes two opposite end portions 105a and 105b in the longitudinal direction 101, and a slot 109 recessed into the insulative housing 103 from a first face 103a (or referred to as a “top face”) of the insulative housing 103 along a mating direction 107 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 101 and extending between the two end portions 105a and 105b. Examples of insulative materials that are suitable for forming the insulative housing 103 include, but are not limited to, plastic, nylon, liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polyphenyline sulfide (PPS), high temperature nylon or polyphenylenoxide (PPO) or polypropylene (PP).

[0148] The slot 109 may be configured to receive the first circuit board 3. The slot 109 may be configured to receive the edge portion 5 of the first circuit board 3. The slot 109 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 as including two slot sections, i.e., a first slot section and a second slot section. The second slot section may receive another section of the edge portion 5 of the first circuit board 3 different from the section received by the first slot section. The first slot section and the second slot section may have different lengths along the longitudinal direction 101, and/or the first slot section and the second slot section may have different depths along the mating direction 107. This may provide a dummy-proof function to prevent intentional or unintentional operational errors. It should be appreciated that the slot 109 may include any other numbers of slot sections, such as one slot section or more than two slot sections.

[0149] With continuing reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, the card edge connector 100 may include a plurality of conductive elements 200. Each of the plurality of conductive elements 200 may include a contact portion 201, a tail portion 203 opposite to the contact portion 201, and an intermediate portion (not shown) extending between the contact portion 201 and the tail portion 203. Each of the plurality of conductive elements may be formed from a conductive material. The conductive material suitable for forming the plurality of conductive elements may be a metal (e.g., a copper) or a metal alloy (e.g., a copper alloy). The plurality of conductive elements 200 may be retained in the insulative housing 103. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the plurality of conductive elements 200 are arranged in two rows extending along the longitudinal direction 101, respectively, mutually opposed and spaced apart, with the contact portions 201 exposed in the slot 109 for establishing an electrical connection with the first conductive portion 7 of the first circuit board 3 when the first circuit board 3 is inserted in the slot 109, and with the tail portions 203 protruding out of the insulative housing 103 from a second face 103b (or referred to as a “bottom face”) of the insulative housing 103 opposite to the first face 103a. Although the second circuit board is not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it should be appreciated that the tail portions 203 may be used to establish an electrical connection with the second circuit board such as a motherboard. For example, the tail portions 203 may be a through-hole contact tail portions or surface mount contact tail portions for establishing an electrical connection with the second (corresponding) conductive portion (such as a conductive trace, pad or through-hole) of the second circuit board. The conductive elements 200 of the card edge connector 100 may electrically interconnect the first conductive portion 7 of the first circuit board 3 and the second conductive portion of the second circuit board by establishing an electrical connection with the first conductive portion 7 and the second conductive portion, respectively, via the conductive elements 200, so as to establish an electrical connection between the first circuit board 3 and the second circuit board. This enables signal transmission (e.g., differential signal transmission) and power transmission between the first circuit board 3 and the second circuit board.

[0150] The card edge connector 100 may include at least one latch 300 for locking and unlocking the first circuit board 3 when the first circuit board 3 is inserted into the slot 109. Each of the at least one latch 300 may be configured for mounting to the insulative housing 103 at a corresponding one of the two end portions 105a and 105b of the insulative housing 103 of the card edge connector 100. As illustrated, each of the at least one latch 300 may include a body 301. The latch 300 can be mounted and secured to the insulative housing 103 by the body 301. As illustrated, the body 301 includes a slot 303 (FIGS. 6 to 8) recessed into the body 301 from a first side 301a of the body 301, which may define a first receiving space 51, and a first retention feature 305 protruding into the first receiving space S1 from the body 301. The slot 303 may be configured to receive a corresponding one of the two end portions 105a and 105b of the insulative housing 103 in the first receiving space S1. The insulative housing 103 of the card edge connector 100 may include a second retention feature 111 formed at the corresponding end portion and configured to cooperate with the first retention feature 305 of the latch 300. The first retention feature 305 of the latch 300 and the second retention feature 111 of the insulative housing 103 may be configured to cooperate with each other to non-removably retain the latch 300 to the insulative housing 103 when the latch 300 is moved from the first face 103a of the insulative housing 103 along the mating direction 107 to cause the corresponding end portion to enter the slot 303 and slide a predetermined distance in the slot 303. As used herein, “non-removably” means that the latch 300 cannot be removed in a non-destructive manner, but can only be removed in a destructive manner. For example, the latch 300 being non-removably retained to the insulative housing 103 may mean that if the latch 300 is to be removed from the insulative housing 103, at least the latch 300 would be damaged enough that it would not work as well if tried to use it again. As another example, the latch 300 being non-removably retained to the insulative housing 103 may mean that the latch 300 is affixed to the insulative housing 103 with adhesive, and/or secured with latches. The latches may not be exposed in normal use. The latches may be configured such that if released and reattached, the latches would not hold the part as securely as before.

[0151] The above approach enables enhanced securing of the latch 300 to the insulative housing 103, thereby improving reliability of the card edge connector 100 for connecting the first circuit board 3, as will be described in detail below.

[0152] FIGS. 11 and 12 further illustrate the card edge connector 100, with the latch 300 hidden to show the end portions 105a and 105b of the insulative housing 103. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, and further as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the insulative housing 103 may include a second face 103b opposite to the first face 103a in the mating direction 107, two opposite end portion faces 103c and 103d (or referred to as “front face” and “rear face”) in the longitudinal direction 101 and located at the two end portions 105a and 105b, respectively, and a third face 103e and a fourth face 103f opposite to each other in a transverse direction 113 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 101 and the mating direction 107. The third face 103e and the fourth face 103f connect the two end portion faces 103c and 103d, the first face 103a and the second face 103b, respectively. The slot 109 may extend between the third face 103e and fourth face 103f. With reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, a corresponding end portion of the two end portions 105a and 105b may be defined by a corresponding end portion face of the two end portion faces 103c and 103d, a portion of the third face 103e proximate to the corresponding end portion face, and a portion of the fourth face 103f proximate to the corresponding end portion face. For example, the end portion 105a may be defined by the end portion face 103c, a portion of the third face 103e proximate to the end portion face 103c, and a portion of the fourth face 103f proximate to the end portion face 103c. In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 15, the second retention feature 111 is formed at the end portion 105a, and the latch 300 is mounted to the insulative housing 103 at the end portion 105a. However, it should be appreciated that the present application is not limited thereto.

[0153] Turning back to FIGS. 1 to 5, when the latch 300 is moved from the first face 103a of the insulative housing 103 along the mating direction 107, the end portion 105a may enter the slot 303 and slide a predetermined distance in the slot 303. Due to the mutual cooperation of the first retention feature 305 of the latch 300 and the second retention feature 111 of the insulative housing 103, the latch 300 may be non-removably retained to the insulative housing 103. In this case, the end portion 105a is received in the first receiving space S1, as illustrated in FIG. 4. That is, when the latch 300 is non-removably retained to the insulative housing 103, the end portion face 103c, the portion of the third face 103e proximate to the end portion face 103c, and the portion of the fourth face 103f proximate to the end portion face 103c, which may define the end portion 105a, may be surrounded by the slot 303. In this manner, the latch 300 can snap tightly onto the end portion 105a, such that the retention of the latch 300 to the insulative housing 103 may be improved, thereby improving the reliability of the card edge connector 100 for connecting the first circuit board 3.

[0154] FIGS. 6 to 10 schematically illustrate the latch 300, in which FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the latch 300, FIG. 7 is another perspective view of the latch 300, FIG. 8 is yet another perspective view of the latch 300, FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a circled portion A in FIG. 6, and FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of the card edge connector 100 along line I-I of FIG. 4. The slot 303 of the latch 300 may extend along a first direction 307 and include mutually opposed first and second inner sidewalls 303a and 303b, and an end wall 303c connecting the first inner sidewall 303a and the second inner sidewall 303b. The slot 303 may be configured to allow the end portion 105a to enter the slot 303 when the latch 300 is oriented with the first direction 307 being substantially parallel to the mating direction 107. The body 301 may include a top face 301c and a bottom face 301d opposite to each other in the first direction 307. In some examples, as shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 10, the slot 303 may extend through the body 301 from the top face 301c along the first direction 307 to the bottom face 301d.

[0155] With continuing reference to FIGS. 6 to 10, the first retention feature 305 includes a first rib 309a and a second rib 309b protruding into the first receiving space S1 from the first inner sidewall 303a and the second inner sidewall 303b, respectively. The first rib 309a and the second rib 309b extend parallelly to the first direction 307, respectively. Turning to FIGS. 11 and 12, the second retention feature 111 includes a first groove 115a and a second groove 115b recessed into the insulative housing 103 at the end portion 105a. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 and FIG. 10, when the end portion 105a enters the slot 303 and slides a predetermined distance in the slot 303, the first rib 309a is received in the first groove 115a and the second rib 309b is received in the second groove 115b, so as to form an upper stop for blocking the latch 300 from moving back in the mating direction 107. Also, this “rib-groove” fitting manner may provide a guiding feature to guide the latch 300 to advance in the mating direction 107 on the end portion 105a. In addition, this “rib-groove” fitting manner enables the latch 300 to snap tightly and securely onto the end portion 105a when the latch 300 is mounted to the insulative housing 103, thereby providing a non-removable connection between the latch 300 and the insulative housing 103.

[0156] As illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, each of the first rib 309a and the second rib 309b may include a leading end 311a, a trailing end 311b opposite to the leading end 311a, and a rib body 311c extending between the leading end 311a and the trailing end 311b. The leading end 311a is closer to an access 303d of the slot 303 than the trailing end 311b, such that when the end portion 105a enters the slot 303 and slides in the slot 303, the leading end 311a enters a corresponding groove of the first groove 115a and the second groove 115b before the trailing end 311b. The shapes of the trailing end 311b and the corresponding groove are configured to restrain the trailing end 311b from moving back out of the corresponding groove after the trailing end 311b enters the corresponding groove. In some examples, as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, the trailing end 311b may be configured to have stepped portions to cooperate with a grooved end of the corresponding groove of the first groove 115a and the second groove 115b, thereby restraining the trailing end 311b from moving back out of the corresponding groove after the trailing end 311b enters the corresponding groove. In some examples, as best illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, the leading end 311a may be configured to have a chamfered or rounded portion to facilitate entry into the corresponding groove. In addition, in some examples, the first rib 309a and the second rib 309b may be in reflection symmetry arranged at the first inner sidewall 303a and the second inner sidewall 303b, respectively. This symmetrical design may enable substantially the same force on both sides of the slot 303 for installing the latch 300.

[0157] As shown in FIGS. 7, 8, and 10, the first retention feature 305 may include a first platform 313 protruding into the first receiving space S1 from the end wall 303c. Turning to FIGS. 11 and 12, the end portion 105a includes a second platform 117 protruding outwardly from a portion of the end portion face 103c proximate to the second face 103b. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the first platform 313 and the second platform 117 may be configured to cooperate with each other when the end portion 105a enters the slot 303 and slides a predetermined distance in the slot 303, so as to form a lower stop for blocking further forward movement of the latch 300 in the mating direction 107.

[0158] The aforesaid upper and lower stops cooperate with each other such that when the end portion 105a enters the slot 303 and slides a predetermined distance in the slot 303, the latch 300 is fixed in position and can neither move backward in the mating direction 107 nor move further forward in the mating direction 107. In addition, as described above, the “rib-groove” fitting manner enables the latch 300 to snap tightly and securely onto the end portion 105a, thereby preventing the latch 300 from disengaging from the end portion 105a in a direction other than the mating direction 107. In this manner, the latch 300 is non-removably retained to the insulative housing 103.

[0159] As shown in FIG. 7, the first platform 313 includes a first stop face 313a, and as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the second platform 117 includes a second stop face 117a. When the first platform 313 and the second platform 117 cooperate with each other, the first stop face 313a and the second stop face 117a are mutually opposed to and in contact with each other to block the latch 300 from moving further forward in the mating direction 107. In some examples, the first platform 313 may include a first tab 313b protruding from the first stop face 313a, and the second platform 117 includes a first recess 117b recessed into the second platform 117 from the second stop face 117a. The first tab 313b and the first recess 117b are configured such that the first tab 313b is received in the first recess 117b when the first platform 313 and the second platform 117 cooperate with each other, so as to enhance retention of the latch 300 to the insulative housing 103. It should be appreciated that in some other examples, the first platform 313 may include a second recess (not shown) recessed into the first platform 313 from the first stop face 313a, and the second platform 117 may include a second tab (not shown) protruding from the second stop face 117a. The second tab and the second recess are configured such that the second protrusion is received in the second recess when the first platform 313 and the second platform 117 cooperate with each other, so as to enhance retention of the latch 300 to the insulative housing 103.

[0160] Alternatively or additionally, in some examples, the first retention feature 305 may include at least one first additional rib protruding into the first receiving space S1 from at least one of the first inner sidewall 303a and the second inner sidewall 303b, with each of the at least one first additional rib extending parallelly to the first direction 307. In such examples, the second retention feature 111 further comprises at least one first additional groove recessed into the insulative housing 103 at the end portion 105a. Each of the at least one first additional rib and a corresponding one of the at least one first additional groove may be configured to cooperate with each other when the end portion 105a enters the slot 303 and slides a predetermined distance in the slot 303, so as to enhance retention of the latch 300 to the insulative housing 103.

[0161] In one of such examples, as shown in FIGS. 6, 9, and 10, the at least one first additional rib includes two first additional ribs 315a and 315b protruding into the first receiving space S1 from the first inner sidewall 303a and the second inner sidewall 303b, respectively. The first rib 309a protrudes into the first receiving space S1 from a top of one 315a of the two first additional ribs, and the second rib 309b protrudes into the first receiving space S1 from a top of the other 315b of the two first additional ribs. In this example, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the at least one first additional groove includes two first additional grooves 119a and 119b, and the first groove 115a and the second groove 115b are recessed into the insulative housing 103 from a bottom of a corresponding additional groove of the two first additional groove 119a and 119b. This stepped rib combination may enable the first rib 309a and the second rib 309b to snap more deeply into the insulative housing 103 and provide a larger snap engagement area between the first rib 309a and the second rib 309b and the insulative housing 103, thereby further enhancing the retention of the latch 300 to the insulative housing 103.

[0162] Alternatively or additionally, in some examples, as shown in FIG. 8, the first retention feature 305 may include at least one second additional rib 317 protruding into the first receiving space S1 from at least one of the first inner sidewall 303a and the second inner sidewall 303b, with each of the at least one second additional rib 317 extending parallelly to the first direction 307. In such examples, the second retention feature 111 may include at least one second additional groove 121 recessed into the second platform 117. Each of the at least one second additional rib 317 and a corresponding one of the at least one second additional groove 121 are configured to cooperate with each other when the end portion 105a enters the slot 303 and slides a predetermined distance in the slot 303, so as to enhance the retention of the latch 300 to the insulative housing 103.

[0163] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 and 10, the latch 300 may include a primary beam 319, which may be configured to move between a rest position for locking a card and a biased position for removing the card. The primary beam 319 may be configured to be elastic. As illustrated, the primary beam 319 may be cantilevered from a second side 301b of the body 301 opposite to the first side 301a. The second side 301b of the body 301 and the primary beam 319 may together define a second receiving space S2. Turning back to FIG. 2, the first circuit board 3 includes a locking portion 11 having a first surface 11a, and a notch 11b recessed into the locking portion 11 from the first surface 11a. The locking portion 11 may be configured to be positioned in the second receiving space S2 with the first surface 11a facing the primary beam 319 when the first circuit board 3 is inserted into the slot 109.

[0164] The primary beam 319 of the latch 300 is illustrated in further detail in FIGS. 13 to 15. The primary beam 319 may include a locking protrusion 321 protruding into the second receiving space S2 from the primary beam 319. The primary beam 319 may be configured to be moved from a rest position (FIG. 13) to a biased position (FIG. 15) under a force F (as indicated schematically by the dashed arrow in FIG. 15), and to return back to the rest position from the biased position under the action of its own elasticity after the force is withdrawn. It should be appreciated that in the rest position as shown in FIG. 13, the locking protrusion 321 is positioned in the notch 11b, thereby cooperating with the notch 11b to block the first circuit board 3 from being pulled out of the slot 109 along the mating direction 107. In the biased position as shown in FIG. 15, the locking protrusion 321 is positioned to exit from the notch 11b, thereby allowing the first circuit board 3 to be pulled out of the slot 109 along the mating direction 107.

[0165] As shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 10, and 13 to 15, the locking protrusion 321 has a protruding tip 321a configured to exit from the notch 11b after remaining portions of the locking protrusion 321 when the primary beam 319 is biased from the rest position to the biased position, and to enter the notch 11b before the remaining portions of the locking protrusion 321 when the primary beam 319 returns to the rest position from the biased position. The protruding tip 321a is formed with a first chamfered portion, which may be defined by a first chamfered face 321b. The first chamfered face 321b is inclined relative to the first surface 11a (as shown in FIG. 2 and schematically indicated by the dashed line II-II in FIGS. 13 and 15). When the primary beam 319 is in the rest position, the first chamfered face 321b is substantially parallel to and coplanar with the first surface 11a. When the primary beam 319 is in the biased position, and the angle between the first chamfered face 321b and the first surface 11a gradually becomes smaller when the primary beam 319 is biased to the biased position from the rest position. With the use of the first chamfered portion, the angle of deflection of the primary beam 319 around the joint of the primary beam 319 and the body 301 when biased to the biased position from the rest position can be reduced as compared to conventional designs. The reduced deflection angle can in turn reduce the extent to which the primary beam 319 is biased, thereby increasing the service life of the primary beam 319.

[0166] In some examples, a section of the primary beam 319 between the body 301 and the locking protrusion 321 is curved in a direction away from the second receiving space S2, as schematically represented by the arc C shown in FIG. 14. In this manner, the flexibility of the primary beam 319 can be improved, thereby increasing the service life of the primary beam 319.

[0167] In some examples, the latch 300 further comprises an assistant beam 323 cantilevered from the second side 301b on a side of the primary beam 319 facing away from the second receiving space S2. The assistant beam 323 may be configured to restrain the primary beam 319 from being further biased after the primary beam 319 is biased to the biased position from the rest position. In this manner, it is possible to prevent the primary beam 319 from being over-biased, thereby increasing the service life of the primary beam 319.

[0168] In some embodiments, the body 301 and the primary beam 319 of the latch 300 may be formed of materials of similar properties, which may provide easier manufacturing process. In some embodiments, the body 301 and the primary beam 319 of the latch 300 may be formed of materials of different properties, which may be configured to be more suitable for their respective functions. For example, the body 301 may be formed of a first material, and the primary beam 319 may be formed of a second material. The first material may be more rigid than the second material to provide a reliable snap onto the insulative housing 103. The body 301 and primary beam 319 may be formed as an integral part by using a secondary injection molding technique with the first and second materials.

[0169] The rigidity of the insulative housing 103 may be greater than that of the latch 300. In other words, the latch 300 may be more flexible than the insulative housing 103. In this manner, the insulative housing 103 may be configured to be rigid enough to avoid excessive deformation during insertion of the first circuit board 3 into the slot 109 of the insulative housing 103, and the latch 300 may be configured to be flexible enough to be suitable for frequent operation (i.e., unlocking and locking) without damage. The rigidity of the insulative housing 103 being greater than that of the latch 300 may also help prevent the latch 300 from being loosen and thus disengaged from the insulative housing 103 due to excessive deformation of the insulative housing 103 during insertion of the first circuit board 3 into the slot 109 of the insulative housing 103. In some examples, the insulative housing 103 and the latch 300 may be formed from different materials. In some embodiments, the insulative housing 103 may be formed of a first material and the latch 300 may be formed of a second material, and the first material may have a greater rigidity than the second material. In other words, the second material may be more flexible than the first material. For example, the flexural modulus of the first material may be not less than 10 GPa (e.g., 10 GPa, 10.5 GPa, 11 GPa, or higher), and the flexural modulus of the second material may be not more than 7.5 GPa (e.g., 7.5 GPa, 7.3 GPa, 7 GPa, or lower). As used herein, the flexural modulus refers to the ratio of the flexural stress to the deformation caused by the flexural of the material during flexural deformation. The flexural modulus is an indicator used to characterize the rigidity of a material; the higher the flexural modulus of a material, the greater the rigidity. In addition, in some examples, the tensile elongation of the second material is not higher than 7% (e.g., 7%, 6%, or less). As used herein, the tensile elongation is a ratio in percentage of the amount of elongation of an original scale of a material after tensile breakage thereof to the original scale. The tensile elongation is an indicator used to characterize both elastic deformation and plastic deformation of a material. That is, the tensile elongation of the latch 300 is not higher than 7%, i.e., the ratio of the elongation of the original scale of the latch 300 after being elongated and broken to the original scale is not higher than 7%. It should be appreciated that, the insulative housing 103 and the latch 300 may also be manufactured in any other suitable manner known in the art, so that the rigidity of the insulative housing 103 is greater than that of the latch 300.

[0170] The inventor has also recognized that in the case where the card edge connector 100 is a surface mount connector, the card edge connector 100 with the latch 300 should be able to sustain the heat generated during mounting of the card edge connector 100 to the aforementioned second circuit board (not shown). As illustrated, the card edge connector 100 is configured to be mounted to the second circuit board through a surface mount technology, and the tail portions 203 of the plurality of conductive elements 200 are surface mount contact tails for establishing an electrical connection with a second (corresponding) conductive portion (such as a pad) of the second circuit board through, for example, a reflow soldering process. During the mounting, the second circuit board is heated to a temperature high enough to cause reflow of the solder. After the heating is finished, the card edge connector 100 is mounted to the second circuit board such that an electrical connection is established between the tail portions 203 of the plurality of the conductive elements 200 and the second (corresponding) conductive portion of the second circuit board. The relative high temperature of the second circuit board (typically may be 260° C. or higher) may cause the insulative housing 103 and the latch 300 to melt. In this case, both the insulative housing 103 and the latch 300 are configured to withstand a temperature of at least 260° C. to protect the insulative housing 103 and the latch 300 from melting during mounting of the card edge connector 100 to the second circuit board. For example, both the aforementioned first and second materials are materials that can withstand a temperature of at least 260 ° C.

[0171] In order to ensure that the latch 300 is suitable for frequent operation (i.e., unlocking and locking) without damage and to avoid melting during mounting of the card edge connector 100 to the second circuit board, the second material should meet the following conditions: (1) the flexural modulus thereof is not higher than 7.5 GPa; (2) the tensile elongation thereof is not higher than 7%; and (3) a temperature of at least 260° C. (i.e., melting point not lower than 260° C.) can be withstood. An example of such a material may be GF 20% reinforced PA46 (or referred to as “PA46 with 20 Glass fiber”), for example, Stanyl® HFX31S available from DSM. Such material is easy to be processed and therefore cost-effective. In addition, it should be appreciated that the second material may also be any other suitable material known in the art.

[0172] The present disclosure has been described through the above embodiments, but it should be understood that a variety of variations, modifications and improvements may be made by a person skilled in the art according to the teaching of the present disclosure, and these variations, modifications and improvements fall within the spirit of the present disclosure and the claimed scope of protection of the present disclosure. The scope of protection of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims and its equivalent scope. The above embodiments are for the purpose of illustration and description, and may not intend to limit the present disclosure to the scope of the described embodiments.

[0173] Various variations may be made to the structures illustrated and described herein. For example, although the latch is described in connection with the latch 300 mounted at the end portion 105a of the insulative housing 103, it should be appreciated that a latch may be similarly provided at the end portion 105b of the insulative housing 103.

[0174] As another example, although the plurality of conductive elements 200 are illustrated in the figures as being arranged in two rows, the present disclosure is not limited thereto and a connector may have one terminal row or more than two rows.

[0175] Moreover, as although many creative aspects have been described above with reference to a vertical connector, it should be understood that the aspects of the present disclosure may not be limited thereto. Any one of the creative features, whether alone or combined with one or more other creative features, may also be used for other types of electrical connectors, such as right-angle connectors or any other suitable type of connectors.

[0176] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, an expression of a singular form includes an expression of a plural form unless otherwise indicated. In addition, it should also be understood that when the terms “including” and/or “comprising” are used herein, it indicates the presence of features, steps, operations, parts, components and/or combinations thereof.

[0177] It should be noted that the terms “first”, “second” and the like in the description and claims, as well as the above accompanying drawings, of the present disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects, but not necessarily used to describe a specific order or precedence order. It should be understood that ordinal numbers used in this way may be interchanged as appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present disclosure described herein may be implemented in a sequence other than those illustrated or described herein.