Card connector with switch

• US 5,807,124 A
• Filed: 12/08/1997
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: C&K Market Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Valcher, Fabrice, Bricaud, Herve Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHIEM M
• Application Number:
  US08/986,857
• Time in Patent Office: 281 Days
• Field of Search: 439/65, 439/74, 439/76, 439/92, 439/489, 439/188, 439/260, 439/630, 200/51.09, 200/51.1, 200/51.11
• US Class Current: 439/188
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0021 for reading/sensing record carriers having surface contacts
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0069 including means for detecting correct insertion of the card, e.g. end detection switches notifying that the card has been inserted completely and correctly
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/7076 for connection between PCB and component, e.g. display
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/24 resilient; resiliently-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/641 by indicating incorrect coupling; by indicating correct or full engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7035 comprising a separated limit switch
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/16 for telephony

Abstract

A connector is provided for use with a microcircuit card that has contact pads on its lower face, which assures that connector contact blades fully engage the card pads when full insertion of the card is detected. The connector includes a body with a contact body portion that holds the card-engaging contacts and a switch body portion that holds a switch with an actuator. The body portions are integral and have coplanar upper faces which assures precision relative positioning of the card-engaging blades and the actuator that detects full insertion of the card. The switch body portion is preferably offset from the contact body portion, which facilitates routing of circuit board conductors when the connector is mounted on a circuit board, especially where the connector has surface mount terminals. The switch actuator has a fixed rear end and two forward arms, one for depression by a card and the other for depressing and releasing a snap dome. The body has recesses at its periphery, to facilitate heating of surface mount terminals.

Claims

1. An electrical connector for mounting on a read/write device, to connect to a microcircuit card that has a lower face with contact pads thereon, comprising:

a contact body portion which has an upper face with a plurality of slots therein;

a plurality of contacts mounted in said contact body portion, said contacts having resiliently deflectable blades that project above said contact body portion upper face, with said contacts having terminals for terminating to a circuit board;

a switch body portion which has an upper face;

a switch mounted on said switch body portion, said switch including an actuator with a portion projecting above said switch body portion upper face, and said switch including a plurality of terminals for terminating to the circuit board;

said contact body portion and said switch body portion being integrally molded with their upper faces being coplanar;

said contact body portion has a largely rectangular shape as seen in a plan view, with front and rear ends and first and second opposite sides, said contact body portion having an intersection location at the intersection of said front end and said second side;

said terminals of said contacts lying at said front and rear ends of said contact body portion and said switch terminals lying at a front end of said switch body portion;

said switch body portion projects forwardly and primarily beyond said second side of said contact body portion, from said intersection location, so said switch body portion is offset from said contact body portion, with said actuator lying forward and to one side of said contact blades.

2. Apparatus for mounting on a read/write device that connects to a microcircuit card that has a card front end, comprising:

a switch body which has an upper face;

a switch mounted on said switch body, said switch including a snap dome with a middle and an actuator in the form of a blade of resilient sheet metal, said blade having a rear end fixed to said body and having a first arm extending forwardly from said rear end and having a ramp portion projecting above said switch body portion upper face to be depressed by the front end of a fully inserted card;

said blade having a second arm, with a rear second arm portion that merges with said first arm, and with a front second arm portion that is separated from said first arm by a slot, said front second arm portion lying against said dome middle.

3. An electrical connector for mounting on a board of a read/write device that connects to a microcircuit card that has a lower face with contact pads thereon, comprising

a body which includes a contact body portion which has an upper face with a plurality of slots therein, and a switch body portion which has an upper face, with said body portions being integrally molded and being joined at an intersection location;

a plurality of contacts mounted in said contact body portion, said contacts having resiliently deflectable blades that project above said contact body portion upper face, with said contacts having terminals for terminating to said board;

said terminals are surface mount terminals with solderable ends that lie in substantially a horizontal plane when said contact body portion upper face lies in a horizontal plane;

said contact body portion has peripheral regions with a plurality of recesses (41) therein that have recess walls, and said terminal ends lie at least partially within said recesses as seen in a top view of said contact body portion;

a switch mounted on said switch body portion, said switch including an actuator with a portion projecting above said switch body portion upper face to detect the front end of a fully installed card;

said contact body portion has a largely rectangular shape as seen in a plan view, with front and rear ends and first and second opposite sides, said front and rear ends forming said peripheral regions that form said recesses, and said intersection location lies at the front end and second side of said contact body portion;

said switch body portion projects forwardly and beyond said second side of said contact body portion, from said intersection location;

said surface mount terminals lying at the front and rear of said contact body portion, and said switch includes a pair of switch surface mount terminals lying at the front of said switch body portion.

4. An electrical connector for mounting on a read/write device, to connect to a microcircuit card that has a lower face with contact pads thereon, comprising:

a contact body portion which has an upper face;

a plurality of contacts mounted in said contact body portion, said contacts having resiliently deflectable blades that project above said contact body portion upper face, with said contacts having terminals for terminating to a circuit board;

a switch body portion which has an upper face;

a switch mounted on said switch body portion, said switch including an actuator with a portion projecting above said switch body portion upper face, and said switch including a plurality of terminals for terminating to the circuit board;

said contact body portion and said switch body portion being integrally molded with their upper faces being coplanar;

said contact body portion has a largely rectangular shape as seen in a plan view, with front and rear ends and first and second opposite sides, said contact body portion having an intersection location at the intersection of said front end and said second side;

said switch body portion projects forwardly and primarily beyond said second side of said contact body portion, from said intersection location, so said switch body portion is offset from said contact body portion, with said actuator lying forward and to one side of said contact blades.

5. An electrical connector for mounting on a board of a read/write device that connects to a microcircuit card that has a lower face with contact pads thereon, comprising

a body which includes a contact body portion which has an upper face and a switch body portion which has an upper face, with said body portions being integrally molded and being joined at an intersection location;

a plurality of contacts mounted in said contact body portion, said contacts having resiliently deflectable blades that project above said contact body portion upper face, with said contacts having terminals for terminating to said board;

said terminals are surface mount terminals with solderable ends that lie in substantially a horizontal plane when said contact body portion upper face lies in a horizontal plane;

a switch mounted on said switch body portion, said switch including an actuator with a portion projecting above said switch body portion upper face to detect the front end of a fully installed card;

said contact body portion has a largely rectangular shape as seen in a plan view, with front and rear ends and first and second opposite sides, said intersection location lies at the front end and second side of said contact body portion;

said switch body portion projects forwardly and beyond said second side of said contact body portion, from said intersection location;

said switch includes a pair of switch surface mount terminals having solderable ends that lie substantially in said horizonal plane.

6. An electrical connector for mounting on a circuit board, where the circuit board lies in a horizontal board plane and has board conductors, where the electrical connector is designed for engaging card contact pads on a face of a card that lies in a horizontal card pad plane, comprising:

an insulative contact body portion which has a card-facing face;

a plurality of contacts mounted on said contact body portion, said contacts having pad-engaging parts projecting beyond said card-facing face to engage said card contact pads, and said contacts having board engaging parts for engaging said board conductors;

a switch body portion;

a switch mounted on said switch body portion, said switch including an actuator positioned to engage and be deflected by said card, said switch having a plurality of switch terminals with board engaging parts for terminating to said board conductors;

said contact body portion has front and rear ends and laterally-spaced first and second opposite sides;

said contact body portion and switch body portion are arranged with said switch body portion being offset in that said switch body portion extends laterally beyond said contact body second side in a direction away from said body first side and said switch body portion extends forwardly of said contact body portion forward end, whereby to provide more room for joining of said terminals to said board conductors.

7. The electrical connector described in claim 6 wherein:

said contacts are arranged in front and rear rows, with the board engaging parts of contacts of said front row lying at the front of said contact body portion and with the board engaging parts of contacts of said rear row lying at the rear of said contact body portion;

said board engaging parts of said switch terminals are laterally offset from said board engaging parts of said front and rear rows of contacts.