Connector device for cards permitting insertion of different types of cards

• US 6,700,788 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kuroda, Yoshimasa, Matsushita, Toshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Levi, Dameon E.
• Application Number:
  US10/323,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20030137819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 361/726, 361/728, 361/736, 361/737, 361/741, 361/752, 361/756, 361/802, 361/807, 174/50, 235/492, 439/59, 439/60, 439/61, 439/62, 439/67
• US Class Current: 361/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0021 for reading/sensing record carriers having surface contacts
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/003 means for pressing the connector contacts in the direction of the card contacts to assure trustworthy electrical connection between card and connector

Abstract

A pressing member is provided in an accommodating section of a housing to suppress first connector terminals to press down contacts towards a bottom of the accommodating section; when a first card is inserted, a pressing member is not displaced but brings the contacts of the first connector terminals into contact with a contact terminal section of a first card; when a second card is inserted, a bottom face of the second card and the pressing member come into contact with each other to displace the pressing member; and the contacts of the first connector terminals are pressed down by that displacement to a position in which they do not come into contact with the bottom face of the second card.

Claims

1. A connector device for cards provided with a housing having an accommodating section permitting insertion of both a short and thin first card and a second card longer and thicker than the first card, a plurality of first connector terminals to be connected to the contact terminal section of the first card, and a plurality of second connector terminals to be connected to the contact terminal section of the second card, the first and second connector terminals being respectively arranged towards an inlet and towards a deep end in a card inserting direction in the accommodating section, wherein the first connector terminals are made up of elastic pieces each having a contact supported on one end side by a bottom of the accommodating section in a cantilever way and protruding into the accommodating section on another end side;

wherein the accommodating section is provided with a pressing member to suppress the first connector terminals to press down the contacts towards the bottom of the accommodating section;

wherein when the first card is inserted, the pressing member is not displaced but the contacts of the first connector terminals and the contact terminal section of the first card come into contact with each other; and

wherein when the second card is inserted, a bottom face of the second card and the pressing member come into contact with each other to displace the pressing member, the displacement causing the contacts of the first connector terminals to be pressed down to a position in which they do not come into contact with the bottom face of the second card.

2. The connector device for cards according to claim 1, wherein the housing is provided with a card insertion slot arranged in a front face of the housing and guides arranged on two sides of the card insertion slot to guide the first and second cards into the accommodating section;

wherein a first guide face to guide, in contact with a flank of the first card, insertion of the first card and a second guide face to guide, in contact with a flank of the second card, insertion of the second card are formed on each of the guides; and

wherein the second guide face is formed in a position lower than the first guide face so that the bottom face of the second card to be inserted into the accommodating section is positioned lower than a bottom face of the first card to be inserted into the accommodating section.

3. The connector device for cards according to claim 2, wherein the pressing member is provided with a suppressor displaceable in a vertical direction to suppress the first connector terminals and a driver to displace downwards the suppressor by its contact with the bottom face of the second card;

and wherein the driver is arranged in a position higher than the bottom face of the second card to be inserted into the accommodating section and lower than the bottom face of the first card to be inserted into the accommodating section.

4. The connector device for cards according to claim 3, wherein one end part of the pressing member, which is a part closer to the inlet, is rotatably borne by the accommodating section in the card inserting direction in the accommodating section;

wherein the suppressor is formed on the deep end of the pressing member in the card inserting direction; and

wherein the suppressor is held in a state of being energized upwards by elasticity of the first connector terminals.

5. The connector device for cards according to claim 1, wherein the first connector terminals are arranged closer to the inlet in the card inserting direction in the accommodating section than the second connector terminals, one end side of each being made up of an elastic piece supported in a cantilever way by an under side of the accommodating section into which the first card and the second card are to be inserted;

wherein the pressing member is provided with a suppressor displaceable in the vertical direction to suppress the first connector terminals and a driver to displace downwards the suppressor by its contact with the bottom face of the second card;

wherein the driver is formed protruding higher than a position of the bottom face of the second card to be inserted into the accommodating section; and

wherein when the first card is inserted, the driver is accommodated into a contact terminal section forming concave formed on a forward edge on an inserting side of the first card.

6. The connector device for cards according to claim 5, wherein the first connector terminals, pivoting on a closer-to-the-inlet side in the card inserting direction, are extended deeper inside in a cantilever way;

wherein towards a tip of each is formed the contact to come into contact with the contact terminal section of the first card;

wherein the pressing member, pivoting for its rotation on the deep end in the card inserting direction, has towards its tip the suppressor to press the tips of the first connector terminals; and

wherein the driver is formed protruding in the vicinity of the suppressor in a direction opposite the suppressor.

7. The connector device for cards according to claim 6, wherein a guide member to guide the second card to a position in which it comes into contact with the driver is arranged on the closer-to-the-inlet side of the pressing member in the card inserting direction.

8. The connector device for cards according to claim 7, wherein the suppressor is energized upwards by the elasticity of the first connector terminals;

wherein the guide member is extended, pivoting for its rotation on a deeper side in the card inserting direction; and

wherein its tip is engaged with an upper face of the suppressor.