Circuit board ejector and guide

Claim 1

A circuit board ejector for facilitating removal of a circuit board from a circuit board connector, said circuit board having an end edge, a plurality of conductive strip terminals adjacent the end edge, shoulder portions adjacent the end edge defining first and second abutment surfaces parallel to and spaced from said end edge, and first and second side edges extending from respective abutment surfaces and substantially perpendicular thereto, said connector forming a slot and having a plurality of contacts within said slot for frictionally engaging said strip terminals, said ejector comprising an elongate body and a base rigid with said body, means for affording attachment of said base adjacent on end of said connector, said body defining a channel groove for alignment with said connector slot, said channel groove having a width sufficient to slidably receive said first side edge therein so as to guide said circuit board therein, said channel groove having a depth less than said abutment surface, said body having an offset portion adjacent said base so as to form a clear space between said base and the inner end of said channel groove, a lever having a bifurcated portion defining two furcations that are spaced apart so as to flank said offset portion, said furcations having extremities, means including a pivot extending through said furcations remote from said extremities for mounting said lever to said body for pivoting movement about a pivot axis in said offset portion, a pin mounted on said furcations at said extremities and spanning the space there between to define an engaging portion remote from said pivot axis and disposed in said clear space in alignment with said channel groove for engagement with said first abutment surface, said lever having a handle portion opposite said engaging portion and accessible from the side of said elongate body opposite said channel groove so that application of force on said handle portion in a direction substantially parallel to said channel groove and toward said base causes said engaging portion to contact said abutment surface within said clear space and move said circuit board along said channel away from said connector slot.