Card connector

• US 4,984,994 A
• Filed: 11/14/1989
• Issued: 01/15/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hosiden Electronics Co. Ltd. (Hosiden Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hosiden Electronics Co. Ltd. (Hosiden Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHIEM M
• Application Number:
  US07/435,971
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 439/259, 439/260, 439/261, 439/262, 439/263, 439/264, 439/267, 439/325, 439/326, 439/327, 439/328, 235/441, 235/475, 235/479, 235/482, 235/483, 235/486
• US Class Current: 439/267
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0021 for reading/sensing record carriers having surface contacts
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0026 the galvanic contacts of the connector adapted for landing on the contacts of the card upon card insertion
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/89 acting manually by moving connector housing parts linearly, e.g. slider

Abstract

In the card connector disclosed by the present invention, a movable member is disposed between left- and right-hand arms (8) of a U-shape slide (8) housed in a housing (15). The movable member (15) is movable between a first position where the contacts (13) of the contact pieces (13) held by the housing are separated from a card setting position and a second position where the contacts project into the card setting position. The movable member is displaced with the movement of the slider. When a card (8) is not being inserted and the slider (8) is located in the advance position, the movable member is held at the first position above-mentioned. When the card is inserted and at least the slider reaches the retracted position, the movable member is held at the second position. When the movable member is held at the second position, the contacts come in contact with external terminals of the card.

Claims

1. In a card connector in which a housing houses a slider normally biased in an advancing direction by a spring load, the slider being pushed to a retracted position against the spring load by a card inserted into the housing, and being positioned at the retracted position by a lock mechanism,

said card connector comprising:

said slider having an engagement portion with which the tip of a card inserted into said housing is adapted to engaged, and a pair of left- and right-hand arms for transversely positioning the card, said slider being formed in a U-shaped in plan elevation;

a support member extending between both lateral sides of said housing;

contact pieces held by said housing through said supporting member and having contacts;

a movable member disposed between said arms of said slider, and movable between a first position where said contact pieces are deformed against the resiliency thereof, causing said contacts to be separated from a card setting position, and a second position where said movable member is separated from said contact pieces, permitting said contacts to project into the card setting position;

cam mechanisms for connecting said arms of said slider to said movable member and for moving said movable member between said first position and said second position in association with the longitudinal movement of each slider;

a communication enabling switch for turning ON/OFF a signal communication between apparatus connected to said card connector and a card inserted thereinto;

a switching member longitudinally slidably disposed at a lateral side of the housing, and having an edge adapted to be inserted into the contacts of said communication enabling switch to open the same when said switching member is located in a forward position;

a guide groove formed in said switching member and inclined upward in the forward direction; and

a swing member swingingly supported on a lateral side of said housing, and provided at one end thereof with a pin adapted to be engaged with said guide groove of said switching member and at the other end thereof with a stopper, said stopper being adapted to face a card inserting and removing port when said pin is engaged with said guide groove at the front side thereof due to the forward sliding of said switching member, and adapted to be separated from said card inserting and removing port when said pin is engaged with said guide groove at the rear side thereof.

2. In a card connector in which a housing houses a slider normally biased in an advancing direction by a spring load, the slider being pushed to a retracted position against the spring load by a card inserted into the housing, and being positioned at the retracted position by a lock mechanism,

said card connector comprising:

said slider having an engagement portion with which the tip of a card inserted into said housing is adapted to engage, and a pair of left- and right-hand arms for transversely positioning the card, said slider being formed in a U-shaped in plan elevation;

a support member extending between both lateral sides of said housing;

contact pieces held by said housing through said supporting member and having contacts;

a movable member disposed between said arms of said slider, and movable between a first position where said contact pieces are deformed against the resiliency thereof, causing said contacts to be separated from a card setting position, and a second position where said movable member is separated from said contact pieces, permitting said contacts to project into the card setting position;

cam mechanisms for connecting said arms of said slider to said movable member and for moving said movable member between said first position and said second position in association with the longitudinal movement of said slider;

an actuator having a cam surface for restricting the upward movement of said engagement piece and for pushing said engagement piece against the spring load, causing said engagement piece to be lowered to a position where said engagement piece faces the guide groove ends;

a communication enabling switch for turning ON/OFF a signal communication between apparatus connected to said card connector and a card inserted thereinto;

a switching member longitudinally slidably disposed at a lateral side of the housing, and having an edge adapted to be inserted into the contacts of said communication enabling switch to open the same when said switching member is located in a forward position;

a guide groove formed in said switching member and inclined upward in the forward direction; and

a swing member swingingly supported on a lateral side of said housing, and provided at one end thereof with a pin adapted to be engaged with said guide groove of said switching member and at the other end thereof with a stopper, said stopper being adapted to face a card inserting and removing port when said pin is engaged with said guide groove at the front side thereof due to the forward sliding of said switching member, and adapted to be separated from said card inserting and removing port when said pin is engaged with said guide groove at the rear side thereof;

said lock mechanism including an engagement piece held, as normally spring-loaded upward, by the slider and adapted to be engaged with the rear end of the housing when said slider is forwardly moved, and guide grooves which extend from the rear end of said housing toward the front end thereof and into which said engagement piece is adapted to be fitted.

3. A card connector as set forth in claim 2, further comprising:

a forwardly projecting portion formed at the actuator;

a rearwardly projecting portion formed at the switching member and adapted to be engaged with said forwardly projecting portion of said actuator to prevent said actuator from being pushed when said switching member is rearwardly slided.

4. In a card connector in which a housing houses a slider normally biased in an advancing direction by a spring load, the slider being pushed to a retracted position against the spring load by a card inserted into the housing, and being positioned at the retracted position by a lock mechanism,

said card connector comprising:

said slider having an engagement portion with which the tip of a card inserted into said housing is adapted to engage, and a pair of left- and right-hand arms for transversely positioning the card, said slider being formed in a U-shaped in plan elevation;

a support member extending between both lateral sides of said housing;

contact pieces held by said housing through said supporting member and having contacts;

a movable member disposed between said arms of said slider, and movable between a first position where said contact pieces are deformed against the resiliency thereof, causing said contacts to be separated from a card setting position, and a second position where said movable member is separated from said contact pieces, permitting said contacts to project into the card setting position;

cam mechanisms for connecting said arms of said slider to said movable member and for moving said movable member between said first position and said second position in association with the longitudinal movement of said slider;

an actuator having a cam surface for restricting the upward movement of said engagement piece and for pushing said engagement piece against the spring load, causing said engagement piece to be lowered to a position where said engagement piece faces the guide groove ends;

a communication enabling switch for turning ON/OFF a signal communication between apparatus connected to said card connector and a card inserted thereinto;

a switching member longitudinally slidably disposed at a lateral side of the housing, and having an edge adapted to be inserted into the contacts of said communication enabling switch to open the same when said switching member is slidingly located in a forward position;

a guide groove formed in said switching member and inclined upward in the forward direction; and

a swing member swingingly supported on a lateral side of said housing, and provided at one end thereof with a pin adapted to be engaged with said guide groove of said switching member and at the other end thereof with a stopper, the stopper being adapted to face a card inserting and removing port when said pin is engaged with said guide groove at the front side thereof due to the forward sliding of said switching member, and adapted to be separated from said card inserting and removing port when said pin is engaged with said guide groove at the rear side thereof, wherein;

said lock mechanism includes an engagement piece held, as normally spring-loaded upward, by the slider and adapted to be engaged with the rear end of the housing when said slider is forwardly moved, and guide grooves which extend from the rear end of said housing toward the front end thereof and into which said engagement piece is adapted to be fitted;

the cam mechanisms comprise projections formed at the end surface of the movable member, and cam grooves which are formed in the arms of the slider and into which said projection are adapted to be fitted;

the movable member is movable between the first position and the second position along guides formed in the inner wall surfaces of the housing;

the movable member is movable between the first position and the second position along guides formed in the inner wall surfaces of the housing; and

when the contacts of the contact pieces are located in the first position the movable member is engaged with engagement pieces of said contact pieces formed at the side of the tips thereof with respect to said contacts, so that said contact pieces are deformed against the resiliency thereof.

5. A card connector as set forth in claim 4, further comprising:

a forwardly projecting portion formed at the actuator;

a rearwardly projecting portion formed at the switching member and adapted to be engaged with said forwardly projecting portion of said actuator to prevent the actuator from being pushed when said switching member is rearwardly slided.