Rotatable Ejector Kicker Positioning for Card Edge Connector
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical connectors with rotatable ejectors interfere with outermost contacts during rotational ejection, requiring differently shaped contacts for manufacturability and ejection, which complicates design and functionality.
Innovation Solution
A card edge connector design featuring a pair of rotatable ejectors with a kicker tip that remains beside and above the outermost contacts when in the open/ejecting position, preventing interference and allowing standard contact configuration, utilizing a housing with side walls and towers to accommodate a card-type memory module without altering the contact shape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the ejector kicker tip is positioned between the outermost contacts during ejection, then the ejection function is achieved, but the outermost contacts must be differently shaped (elevated) to avoid interference
Solution Approach 1:
The ejector kicker tip is repositioned from a longitudinal position (between contacts) to a transverse position (beside contacts), utilizing the width dimension of the connector to resolve the interference issue without affecting ejection functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is divided into different functional zones: the kicking zone (transverse position beside contacts) and the contacting zone (standard contact positions), allowing each area to have optimized characteristics without compromising overall performance
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the outermost contacts are elevated to avoid interference with the ejector kicker, then interference is prevented, but manufacturability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By moving the kicker tip to the transverse dimension (beside contacts rather than between them), the design eliminates the need for vertical elevation of contacts, maintaining standard contact geometry and simplifying manufacturing processes
3Device complexity
If the ejector kicker tip is positioned beside the outermost contacts, then standard contact configuration can be used, but the ejection effectiveness must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The kicking function is extracted from the longitudinal space between contacts and relocated to the transverse space beside contacts, allowing independent optimization of both ejection effectiveness and contact configuration without mutual interference
Data Source
AI summary
A card edge connector includes an insulative elongated housing, a plurality of contacts disposed in the housing, and a pair of rotatable ejectors at two ends of the housing. The housing includes a pair of side walls extending along the longitudinal direction with a receiving slot therebetween in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and a pair of towers at two opposite ends of the housing in the longitudinal direction. The receiving slot is configured to receive a card type memory module. The pair of ejectors are disposed in the corresponding towers, respectively. Each ejector includes a kicker at the bottom wherein a tip of the kicker will not invade into the space between the pair of outermost contacts so as not interfere with the corresponding outermost contacts when the ejector is rotated to be at an open/ejecting position.