Edge card connector with latch/eject mechanism

A push/pull edge card connector for providing an electrical connection between a first plurality of contacts on a primary circuit member and a second plurality of contacts on a printed circuit card, the circuit card having the second plurality of contacts disposed on an edge thereof, the circuit card edge being insertable into and removable from the connector, said circuit card being generally planar in nature and having first and second circuit faces, each of the first and second circuit faces having a row of circuit card contacts generally parallel to and adjacent an edge of said circuit card, and wherein said connector includes means for mounting said connector to the circuit board, said connector comprising:

• a connector housing formed from an electrically insulative material, the connector housing having a lower face adapted for positioning adjacent said primary circuit board and an upper face spaced-apart therefrom having an elongated card slot disposed therein and extending between two opposing end portions of said connector, the card slot being adapted to receive said circuit card edge therein in an electrically operative relationship, the connector housing further including a plurality of contact element-receiving cavities spaced apart along said card slot and at least partially communicating with said card slot, said card slot having a predetermined longitudinal centerline;
• a resilient contact terminal disposed in each of said contact receiving cavities, each contact terminal including a tail for electrically and mechanically interconnecting said contact terminal to one of said first plurality of contacts of said primary member circuit portion, and a portion of each of said contact terminals protruding into said card slot for slidingly engaging one of said second plurality of contacts upon insertion of said circuit card into said card slot;
• and
• a latch/eject member rotatably positioned at one of said end portions of said housing and rotatably between a first position in which said circuit card is retained within said card slot and a second position in which at least a portion of said circuit card is ejected from said card slot, said latch/eject member including a pair of resilient, cantilevered arms for latching a circuit card in said card slot and an eject surface for at least partially ejecting said circuit card from said card slot, the resilient arms defining a card-receiving space therebetween, said resilient arms projecting away from a lower surface of said card slot when said latch/eject member is positioned at said first position and further including converging lead-in surfaces converging in an insertion direction of the printed circuit card which permits said circuit card to be inserted into said card slot when said latch/eject member is in either the first position or the second position.