PC card connector assembly

• US 6,238,240 B1
• Filed: 08/20/1999
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yu, Hung-Chi
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Tulsidas
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEBB, BRIAN SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US09/378,613
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 439/541.5, 439/79, 439/108, 439/607, 439/60
• US Class Current: 439/541.5
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/716 Coupling device provided on the PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0265 of PCMCIA type
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0291 for multiple cards

Abstract

A PC card connector assembly comprises stacked upper and lower header connectors and an elongate spacer. Each header connector includes a row of upper terminals and a row of lower terminals. The upper terminals and the lower terminals have mounting portions which are staggered and arranged to lie in the same plane. A grounding plate mounted to a top surface of the lower header connector has a row of grounding fingers downwardly extending therefrom. The spacer defines three rows of passageways for accommodating the mounting portions of the terminals and the grounding fingers. The spacer is inserted into a connector mounted on a mother board.

Claims

1. An electrical card connector assembly for providing connection between a pair of electrical cards and a mother board, comprising:

an upper and a lower stacked shielded header connectors, each header connector including an insulative housing defining a space for receiving a corresponding electrical card;

a row of upper terminals and a row of lower terminals retained in the housing of each of upper and lower header connectors for engaging with a corresponding electrical card, each terminal being retained in a corresponding housing and having a mounting portion and a mating portion at opposite ends thereof, the mounting portion having a narrower cross-section than the part retained in the housing, the mounting portion of each upper terminal being disposed to be offset a distance relative to the mating portion of the same upper terminal toward one lengthwise side of the housing that the upper terminal is retained in, and the mounting portion of each lower terminal being disposed to be offset a distance relative to the mating portion of the same lower terminal toward an opposite lengthwise side of the the housing that the lower terminal is retained in, whereby tail portions of the upper and lower terminals in each housing are aligned in a same row and have a pitch between each other equal to half a distance of the pitch between the mating portions of the same terminals;

a first grounding plate mounted to a top surface of the lower header connector and having a plurality of grounding fingers;

a second grounding plate mounted to a top surface of the upper header connector and downwardly extending to electrically contact the first grounding plate;

a spacer defining a plurality of rows of passageways accommodating the mounting portions of the upper and lower terminals and a row of passageways to accomodate the grounding fingers of the first grounding plate between the rows of passageways accommodating the mounting portions of the upper and lower terminals; and

a receptacle connector mounted on a mother board and connected with the spacer, the receptacle connector including a plurality of mating contacts engaged with the terminals of the header connectors and a metal plate in contact with the grounding fingers of the first grounding plate.

2. The electrical card connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mounting portions of the upper and lower terminals of the upper header connector have a stepped structure.

3. The electrical card connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mounting portions of the upper and lower terminals of the lower header connector are U-shaped.

4. The electrical card connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper header connector has an insulative housing defining a pair of recesses with a latch formed in each recess, and wherein the spacer includes a base and a pair of mounting arms formed on opposite ends of the base, each mounting arm forming a projection for engaging with the latch of the upper header connector thereby securing the spacer to the upper header connector.

5. The electrical card connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each grounding finger of the first grounding plate has an arcuate contact portion.

6. The electrical card connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receptacle connector defines two rows of cavities and a groove between the two rows of cavities for respectively receiving the mating contacts and the metal plate therein.

7. The electrical card connector assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein each mating contact of the receptacle connector has a reversely bent contact section.

8. An electrical card connector assembly for providing

connection between an electrical card and a mother board, comprising:

an upper and a lower stacked shielded header connectors, each header connector including an insulative housing defining a space for receiving the electrical card,

at least one row of upper terminals and at least one row of lower terminals retained in each header connector for engaging with the electrical card;

a first grounding plate mounted to a top surface of the lower header connector and having a plurality of grounding fingers;

a second grounding plate mounted to a top surface of the upper header connector and downwardly extending to mechanically and electrically contact the first grounding plate;

a spacer defining a plurality of first passageways and a plurality of second passageways by two sides of the first passageways, said first passageways accommodating the mounting portions of the terminals, and said second passageways accommodating the grounding fingers of the first grounding plate; and

a receptacle connector mounted on a mother board and connected with the spacer, the receptacle connector including a plurality of mating contacts engaged with the terminals of the header connectors and a metal plate positioned between the mating contacts in contact with the grounding fingers of the first grounding plate.