Connector for memory card and mobile phone with the connector

• US 20050239333A1
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JST Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: JST Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Watanabe, Satoru, Konishi, Yuichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,056,153 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/630
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0021 for reading/sensing record carriers having surface contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/716 Coupling device provided on the PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/24 resilient; resiliently-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2442 with a single cantilevered beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/26 Pin or blade contacts for sliding co-operation on one side only for modular jack type connectors H01R24/62
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/639 Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices

Abstract

The present invention is intended to detachably retain a memory card (1) and connect a terminal formed on a terminal surface (1a) of the memory card (1) to the terminal on a substrate (21) so as to be capable of data exchange. There are provided a housing (2) having a terminal surface abutting portion (3) to be abutted to the terminal surface (1a) of the memory card (1) and guiding walls (4), (4) extending upward from lateral ends of the terminal surface abutting portion (3) for laterally positioning the memory card (1); and tabs (10) having resilient supporting strips (12), (12) on top and bottom and being attached to the respective guiding walls (4) by being fitted from the outside so as to clamp the tops and bottoms of the guiding walls (4), (4) for pushing the lateral ends of the memory card (1) against the terminal surface abutting portion (3) by the supporting strips (12).

Claims

1. A memory card connector for detachably retaining a memory card and allowing a terminal formed on a terminal surface of the memory card to be connected to the terminal on a substrate so as to be capable of data exchange comprising:

a housing having a terminal surface abutting portion to be abutted to the terminal surface of the memory card and guiding walls extending upward from lateral ends of the terminal surface abutting portion for laterally positioning the memory card; and

tabs having resilient supporting strips on top and bottom and being attached to the respective guiding walls by being fitted from the outside so as to clamp the tops and bottoms of the guiding walls by these supporting strips for pushing the lateral ends of the memory card against the terminal surface abutting portion by the supporting strips.

2. The memory card connector according to claim 1, wherein the ends of the supporting strips are inclined from the proximal side to the free end so as to be reduced in length.

3. The memory card connector according to claim 1, wherein the tab is formed so that the supporting strips are symmetrical top and bottom.

4. The memory card connector according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the supporting strips of the tabs located on the lower sides of the guiding walls are fixed to the substrate by soldering.

5. The memory card connector according to claim 4, wherein the outer surfaces of the supporting strips of the tab are formed with mesh patterns.

6. The memory card connector according to claim 1, wherein the tab has a locking window opening from the upper supporting strip to the lower supporting strip, and the guiding wall has a locking member formed so that the top and bottom portions are situated upwardly of the upper supporting strip and downwardly of the lower supporting strip in the locking window, respectively.

7. The memory card connector according to claim 6, wherein the locking member is provided with bevels inclining from the outer surface toward the top and bottom portions.

8. The memory card connector according to claim 6, wherein the locking members are arranged side-by-side at a plurality of positions, and the supporting strips are formed with projections for clamping the guiding wall between the locking members on the side of the locking window thereof.

9. The mobile phone provided with the memory card connector according to claim 1.