Compact PCI connector guide

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The compact PCI (peripheral component interconnect) connector guide 2 which forms the present invention is now disclosed while referring to the drawings.
As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the connector guide 2 has a configuration which is particularly sized and adapted to permit the blind mating of a female PCI connector (designated 52 and best shown FIGS.
6-9) carried on a detachable peripheral printed circuit board 50 to a male PCI connector 62 that is electrically connected to a main motherboard 60 and surrounded by connector guide 2.
The female PCI connector 52 having a plurality of recessed contacts (not shown) and the male PCI connector 62 having a plurality of elongated contact pins (designated 64 in FIG.
8) are conventional devices and will not be described further herein.
Moreover, the peripheral circuit board 50 on which the female PCI connector 52 is carried contains commercially available electronic components and circuits to perform one or more small computer functions in combination with the components and circuits of motherboard 60.
For example, the peripheral circuit board 50 may contain a repeater chip, such as that disclosed in pending patent application Ser.
No.
09/332,015 filed Jun.
14, 1999.
To this end, an interconnection of the female and male PCI connectors 52 and 62 causes the aforementioned repeater chip on peripheral circuit board 50 to be electrically connected to an external cable of the motherboard 60.
Turning initially to FIGS.
1-3 of the drawings, the PCI connector guide 2 includes a rectangular body 3 having a hollow interior 4 that is defined by front, back and opposite side walls 5, 6, 7 and 8.
Projecting upwardly from each wall 5-8 of the body 3 of connector guide 2 is an outwardly flared lip 10, 11, 12 and 13.
As an important advantage of this invention, the outwardly flared lips 10-13 of connector body 3 function to guide the incoming female PCI connector 52 from peripheral circuit board 50 into a reliable mating engagement with the stationary male PCI connector 62 that is affixed to motherboard 60