Since there is a need for improvement in the above techniques, new types of connectors are being sought after by Video Game engineers.
In the first video cartridge game to reach the market, Fairchild Exetron Division established the need for a rotating connector to achieve their goals. The techniques Burndy incorporated in the design of this connector are discussed in the remainder of this paper. Specifics concerning Fairchild's mechanism design will not be discussed in detail, since it is the intent of this paper to focus on the connector considerations and technology involved rather than specific design or manufacturing preferences of the game or connector. The following, therefore, is only a brief description to introduce the basic system and establish the connector requirements:
CARTRIDGE CONNECTOR SYSTEM
In the Fairchild Video Entertainment System a cartridge is inserted with a straight-in motion through a swing away protective door in the console. As the cartridge travels through a chute assembly, bosses cam away the cartridge's protective door to reveal the programming p.c. board. The p.c. board then enters the card slot in the connector and is aligned by the connector key and p.c. board slot. (See Figure 4)
As the cartridge travels further, the p.c. board clears the contact springs and bottoms at the rear of the card slot in the connector while rotating the connector backward. The contact springs simultaneously rotate upward to meet the p.c. board, and the cartridge locks in place.
The connector was originally preloaded forward 15 degrees by extension springs before the cartridge was inserted. In the locked-in position of the cartridge, the connector is angled 15 degrees backward, giving 30 degrees total travel of the connector. This travel is against the force of the preload springs, which cause the rear of the card slot to rest against the edge of the p.c. board.
To remove the cartridge, a bar is depressed which unlocks it from the chute. The cartridge is then automatically ejected since the preload springs cause the connector to push backward on the p.c. board.
Since a rotating connector was required, conventional wave soldered contacts could not be used to make connection to the mother board in the console. Instead, flat cable was used to achieve a flexible transition. (See Figure 5) The flat cable interconnects with the mother board through two Burndy FLEXLOK™ connectors which use separable Gas Tight High-pressure (GTH) contacts. The FLEXLOK™ connectors are wave soldered to the mother board prior to cable insertion. In the cartridge connector, similar flat cable connections are made with GTH contacts.
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