Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Coupling part for receiving edge of planar board moving...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-12
2001-05-08
Nguyen, Khiem (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Coupling part for receiving edge of planar board moving...
C439S910000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227893
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a connector for an integrated circuit (IC) card which is, in use, attached to a given electronic device such as a telephone set, a cash dispenser, a personal computer, a camera, or the like.
There is known a card connector, as discussed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication (Kokai) No. Hei 9-185973, which comprises a connector housing constituted by a base and a cover openable and closable with respect to the base, the base being provided with a plurality of contacts arranged thereon in such a manner as to be able to contact external terminals of an IC card received in the connector housing, and a lock mechanism for maintaining a closed position of the cover with respect to the base.
As the above lock mechanism, a lock pawl is raised from a side plate of the cover and this lock pawl, when the cover is closed with respect to the base, is snap fitted into a lock hole for a resilient lock piece provided on the base.
However, the above conventional card connector has the following shortcomings.
In order to cancel the snap fitting relation between the lock pawl and the lock hole, it is required to pull up the cover in the opening direction with the cover pinchingly held between the thumb and the index finger. This degrades a favorable operability when the cover is opened to insert or remove the IC card.
In addition, when the lock pawl or the lock piece is snap fitted to or detached from the lock hole, the lock pawl is liable to be permanently deformed or cut off, thus resulting in an incomplete locking condition.
The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above shortcomings inherent in the conventional devices.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a card connector which is small in design.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a card connector capable of providing a reliable connection between contacts thereof and terminals of an IC card.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a card connector in which a soldering state of a surface mounting terminal can be visually recognized.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed as being merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, other objects in a full understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention, the detailed description describing the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above objects, according to one version of the present invention, there is essentially provided a card connector comprising a connector housing formed by supporting a basal end of a cover on a basal end of a base through a pin such that the cover can open and close with respect to the base. A card insertion port is formed in a free end of the cover, and an IC card can be inserted into the cover through the card insertion port and then, the cover holding the IC card can be closed with respect to the base, so that external terminals of the IC card are brought into contact, under pressure, with contacts formed on the base. The card connector further comprises a lock bar extending in parallel to the card receiving port and resiliently held, in a locking direction, on the other end portion of the base such that the lock bar can be rotated in a locking direction and in an unlocking direction, the lock bar being brought into locking and unlocking relation with the free end of the cover to realize a locking and an unlocking state.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is essentially provided a card connector comprising a connector housing formed by supporting a basal end of a cover on a basal end of a base through a pin such that the cover can open and close with respect to the base, a pair of left and right guide rails extending from the basal end of the cover to a free end thereof along opposite left and right sides of a top plate of the cover. A card receiving port is formed by an opening, which opens at the free end of the cover, of a card receiving space defined within the cover by the left and right guide rails and the top plate. A plurality of contacts are arranged on the base in such a manner as to be able to contact external terminals formed on an IC card inserted into the card receiving space. The cover with the IC card inserted in the card receiving space can be closed with respect to the base thereby bringing the external terminals of the IC card inserted in the IC receiving space of the cover into contact, under pressure, with the contacts of the base. The card connector further comprises a lock bar extending in parallel to the card receiving port and resiliently held, in a locking direction, on the other end portion of the base such that the lock bar can be rotated in a locking direction and in an unlocking direction. One pair of locking portions are provided on longitudinally opposite ends of the lock bar, and one pair of opponent portions (lock engaging portions) provided on free ends of the one pair of guide rails, the one pair of lock portions being hooked to the one pair of opponent portions by the resilient force to retain a closed position of the cover with respect to the base, the lock bar, when the cover is closed with respect to the base, being allowed to extend forwardly of and in opposing relation to the card receiving port.
It is preferred that the free ends of the pair of guide rails are projected in an extending direction thereof to define the pair of opponent portions, upper surfaces of the opponent portions are stepped such that the stepped areas of the upper surfaces of the pair of opponent portions are lower than an upper surface of the top plate and the pair of lock portions of the lock bar are hooked to the stepped areas of the upper surfaces of the pair of opponent portions.
It is also preferred that the pair of lock portions of the lock bar are each provided with a first guide surface which, when the cover is closed with respect to the base, is pushed by a corresponding of the one pair of opponent portions of the cover to rotate the lock bar slightly in an unlocking direction against the resilient force, and the lock bar is provided on an inner surface thereof with a second guide surface which is slanted by rotation of the lock bar, thereby guiding an end edge of the IC card.
It is also preferred that the each of the contacts has a surface mount terminal projecting downwardly of the lock bar and the lock bar is provided with an opening through which the surface mount terminal can be viewed from above.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5211566 (1993-05-01), Bates et al.
patent: 5224873 (1993-07-01), Duffet et al.
patent: 5337220 (1994-08-01), Granitz
patent: 5933328 (1999-08-01), Wallace et al.
patent: 5996891 (1999-12-01), Braun
patent: 0 585 825 (1994-03-01), None
patent: 0 840 246 (1998-05-01), None
patent: 62-24491 (1987-02-01), None
patent: 62-219193 (1987-09-01), None
patent: 4-291692 (1992-10-01), None
patent: 8-241754 (1996-09-01), None
patent: 9-185973 (1997-07-01), None
patent: 10-171948 (1998-06-01), None
Nguyen Khiem
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
Yamaichi Electronics Co. Ltd.
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