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AssigneeThe Whitaker Corporation
InventorsRandolph L. Buchter, Michael A. Viselli, Jon A. Fortuna
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The present invention is directed to a ZIF card edge connector utilizing flexible film circuitry, where a daughter board, for example, may be electrically connected to a mother board upon which the connector is surface mounted. The connector preferably comprises an elongated housing consisting of a base, a pair of spaced apart side walls upstanding therefrom, and a pair of end walls to define the elongated slot. Placed therewithin is a U-shaped spring member where its arms upstand near the side walls. To effect opening and closing of the connector, a card release slide member is disposed within the U-shaped spring member in contact with the spring member arms, where the card release slide member is adapted to shift longitudinally to effect a lateral movement of the spring member arms. At least one release member is mounted in an end wall to effect the shifting of the card release slide member. However, a pair of cooperating slide members, one in each end wall, may be provided. Finally, a flexible film, having electrical circuitry interconnecting means thereon, is disposed in a loop between the arms of the spring member within the elongated slot, whereby a printed circuit board card, i.e., daughter board, having circuitry thereon for registration with the circuitry of the flexible film, may be inserted into the loop.
A zero insertion force card edge connector utilizing flexible film circuitry, comprising an elongated housing consisting of a base, a pair of spaced apart side walls upstanding therefrom, and a pair of end walls to define an elongated slot, a U-shaped spring member disposed within said elongated slot, where the spring member having spring member arms provided proximate the side walls, a card release slide member disposed within said U-shaped spring member in contact with said spring member arms, where said card release slide member is adapted to shift longitudinally to effect a lateral movement of said spring member arms, at least one release member mounted in an end wall to effect the shifting of said card release slide member, and a flexible film, having electrical circuitry interconnecting means thereon, disposed in a loop between the arms of said spring member within said elongated slot, whereby a printed circuit board card, having circuitry thereon for registration with the circuitry of said flexible film, may be inserted into said loop.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.