Insert and rotate connector with improved latching means

Claim 1

In an electrical connector for providing an electrical connection between a plurality of card contacts on a circuit card generally adjacent a first edge thereof and a plurality of board contacts on a circuit board, the circuit card being generally planar and having first and second faces, said first and second faces each having a row of card contacts generally parallel to and adjacent to the circuit card first edge, said connector including an insulative housing having a lower face for positioning adjacent said circuit board, an upper face having a card slot therein for receiving said circuit card first edge and a plurality of contact element receiving cavities spaced along the card slot and in communication therewith, said circuit card being first inserted into said card slot and rotated into engagement with said card slot, the connector further having means to latch said circuit card into engagement with said connector and to release at least a portion of said circuit card from said connector after said circuit card first edge has been rotated into engagement with said card slot, the improvement comprising, in combination: said means to latch and release said circuit card including at least one latch member disposed within one end of said connector housing, the latch member having a pair of interconnected arms separated by an intervening space, the distance between said arms being greater than the dimension of said connector end housing which receives said latch member such that said latch member is preloaded when in said connector housing end, said latch member further being movable between a first operative position wherein said latch member engages said circuit card and a second operative position wherein said latch member does not engage said circuit card, said latch member further including a circuit card-contacting portion stamped and formed in one of said latch member arms, the card-contacting portion extending outwardly from said latch member and having distinct first and second engagement members which engage separate, first and second portions of said circuit card, the circuit card portions lying in separate planes when said circuit card is inserted into said connector housing and rotated within said card slot and said latch member is in said first operative position, said latch member first engagement member including an arcuate projection which is received within a corresponding notch of said circuit card when said latch member is in said first operative position, said latch member second engagement member including at least one circuit card retention arm, the retention arm having two intersecting surfaces, one of said surfaces including a cam surface disposed thereon which guides said circuit card into engagement with said latch member on rotation thereof, said retention arm being separated from said arcuate projection by a blanked slot and overhanging said arcuate projection, the other of said retention arm intersecting surfaces being an abutment surface which opposes said projection.