CARD CONNECTOR WITH IMPROVED TRAY MEMBER AND METAL COVER

• US 20120129370A1
• Filed: 11/22/2011
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: ZHOU, JIAN-BO, TAN, SHI-JIE
• Granted Patent: US 8,439,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/188
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/08 Feeding or discharging cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0021 for reading/sensing record carriers having surface contacts

Abstract

A card connector (100) includes an insulative housing (2), a metal cover (1) attached to the insulative housing to jointly define a receiving space (10), a number of contacts (3) fixed in the insulative housing, and a tray member (4) slidably received in the receiving space. The metal cover includes a first locking arm (13) extending into the receiving space. Each contact includes a contacting section (32) protruding into the receiving space. The tray member includes a frame (41) and a metal piece (42) cooperative with the frame to define a card-receiving cavity (40). The metal piece includes a first tab (421) to make contact with the first locking arm (13) when the tray member is inserted into the receiving space (10) along a tray-insertion direction.

Claims

1. A card connector comprising:

an insulative housing having a bottom wall;

a metal cover attached to the insulative housing to jointly define a receiving space, the metal cover comprising a first locking arm sidewardly extending into the receiving space;

a plurality of contacts fixed in the bottom wall, each contact comprising a contacting section protruding into the receiving space; and

a tray member slidably received in the receiving space, the tray member comprising a frame and a metal piece cooperative with the frame to define a card-receiving cavity, the frame defining a side and the metal piece comprising a first tab exposed to the side to make contact with the first locking arm when the tray member is inserted into the receiving space along a tray-insertion direction.

2. The card connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the side of the frame defines a first cutout in which the first tab is exposed, and the first locking arm is lockable with the first cutout to prevent the tray member from escaping when the tray member is inserted into the receiving space at an ultimate position.

3. The card connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the metal cover comprises a top wall and a first side edge from which the first locking arm is integrally and downwardly bent, the first locking arm substantially extending along a tray-withdrawn direction opposite to the tray-insertion direction.

4. The card connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein the insulative housing comprises a first side wall defining a first side opening in communication with the receiving space, and the first locking arm is received in the first side opening.

5. The card connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein the frame comprises another side defining a second cutout opposite to the first cutout, the metal cover comprising a second side edge opposite to the first side edge and a second locking arm bent integrally and downwardly from the second side edge, the second locking arm being lockable with the second cutout when the tray member is located at the ultimate position.

6. The card connector as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first cutout and the second cutout are symmetrical with each other, and the first locking arm and the second locking arm are symmetrical with each other as well.

7. The card connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insulative housing comprises a front wall defining a front opening in communication with the receiving space, the metal cover comprising a front edge and a front switch arm integrally extending from the front edge, the front switch arm being received in the front opening and comprising a protrusion extending into the receiving space, the card connector further comprising a switch contact for engaging/disengaging with the front switch arm to form a switch unit.

8. The card connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the front switch arm normally makes contact with the switch contact before the tray member is inserted into the receiving space.

9. The card connector as claimed in claim 8, wherein the tray member defines a front notch corresponding to the protrusion of the front switch arm under condition that the protrusion is received in the front notch and the front switch arm constantly makes contact with the switch contact when the tray member is inserted into the receiving space without a card received in the card-receiving cavity, and the protrusion is driven by the card to disengage with the switch contact when the tray member is inserted into the receiving space with the card received in the card-receiving cavity.

10. The card connector as claimed in claim 8, wherein the tray member defines a front engaging block corresponding to the protrusion of the front switch arm under condition that the protrusion is driven by the front engaging block to disengage with the switch contact when the tray member is inserted into the receiving space with or without the card received in the card-receiving cavity.

11. A card connector comprising:

an insulative housing;

a metal cover attached to the insulative housing to jointly define a receiving space, the metal cover comprising a top wall and a pair of cantilevered first and second locking arms integral with the top wall, the first and the second locking arms sidewardly protruding into the receiving space;

a plurality of contacts fixed in the insulative housing, each contact comprising a contacting section protruding into the receiving space;

a tray member slidably received in the receiving space along a tray-insertion direction, the tray member defining a card-receiving cavity, a front notch in communication with the card-receiving cavity and a pair of first and second cutouts on opposite sides of the card-receiving cavity; and

a switch unit comprising an immovable switch contact and a movable switch contact for engaging/disengaging the immovable switch contact, the movable switch contact comprising a resilient arm protruding into the receiving space;

wherein

the tray member is clamped by the first and the second locking arms which are respectively lockable in the first and the second cutouts so as to prevent the tray member from escaping when the tray member is inserted into the receiving space at an ultimate position; and

wherein

(i) when the tray member is inserted in the receiving space at the ultimate position without a card received in the card-receiving cavity, the resilient arm is received in the front notch and status of the switch unit is unchanged;

(ii) when the tray member is inserted in the receiving space at the ultimate position with a card received in the card-receiving cavity and filling in the front notch, the resilient arm is driven by the card so as to change the status of the switch unit.

12. The card connector as claimed in claim 11, wherein the switch unit is normally closed with the movable switch contact engaging with the immovable switch contact, while the switch unit gets opened with the movable switch contact disengaging with the immovable switch contact when the tray member is inserted in the receiving space at the ultimate position with the card received in the card-receiving cavity.

13. The card connector as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first locking arm and the second locking arm are symmetrical with each other and each of the first locking arm and the second locking arm substantially extends along a tray-withdrawn direction opposite to the tray-insertion direction.

14. The card connector as claimed in claim 11, wherein the tray member comprises an insulative frame and a metal piece insert molding with the insulative frame, the insulative frame comprising a base and a pair of side walls with the first and the second cutouts formed thereon, respectively, the metal cover making contact with the metal piece when the tray member is located at the ultimate position.

15. The card connector as claimed in claim 11, wherein the movable switch contact is integrally formed with the metal cover.

16. A card connector comprising:

an insulative housing defining two opposite side walls in a transverse direction and an end wall in a front-to-back direction perpendicular to said transverse direction to commonly define a receiving space therein;

a plurality of contacts disposed in the housing with contacting sections extending into the card receiving space in a vertical direction perpendicular to both the transverse direction and the front-to-back direction;

a metallic shell assembled upon the housing to cooperate with the housing to enclose the receiving space therein;

a tray adapted to hold a card therein and back and forth movably received in the receiving space in the front-to-back direction, a cutout formed in a side portion of the tray corresponding to one of the side walls; and

a deflectable locking arm unitarily formed on the shell around said one of the side walls with a locking protrusion received in the cutout for holding the tray in position without inadvertent withdrawal from the receiving space.

17. The card connector as claimed in claim 16, wherein a pair of switches are located around the end wall, of which one stationary switch is retained by the housing and the other movable switch is unitarily formed with the shell.

18. The card connector as claimed in claim 17, wherein the shell includes at least one soldering portion around the corresponding side wall while spaced from the other moveable switch in the transverse direction for connecting to a printed circuit board on which the connector is mounted.

19. The card connector as claimed in claim 16, further including another deflectable locking arm unitarily formed on the shell around the other of the side walls to cooperate with said locking arm for providing opposite forces upon the tray in said transverse direction.

20. The card connector as claimed in claim 16, wherein the shell is equipped with a metal piece mechanically and electrically contacting said locking arm.