Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-11
2001-05-08
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227873
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an IC card connector apparatus, and particularly to an IC card connector apparatus which has a pair of electrical sockets respectively mounted on upper and lower surfaces of a circuit board for connecting the IC card connector apparatus to the circuit board.
Notebook computers are becoming increasingly popular due to their unique advantages. Nowadays almost all notebook computers are provided with an IC card connectors for connecting an IC card to a circuit board. Some mechanisms are adapted to connect the IC connector to the circuit board, such as the disclosures of Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 82210513, 84206175, and 84206176.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a conventional IC card connector
10
includes an insulative housing
12
having a front face
14
and a rear face
16
opposite the front face
14
, a space
18
adjacent to the rear surface
16
for receiving an IC card (not shown) therein, and two arrays of contacts
20
retained in the housing
12
. Each contact
20
forms a mating end
22
and a mounting end
24
opposite the mating end
22
. Two arrays of the mating ends
22
of the contacts
20
extend beyond the rear face
16
and into the space
18
for engaging with an IC card, and the mounting ends
24
extend beyond the front face
14
of the housing
12
. Each mounting end
24
forms a curved portion which provides the mounting end
24
with resiliency. A circuit board
26
is inserted into a space between the two arrays of mounting ends
24
of the contacts
20
. The mounting ends
24
abuts against upper and lower surfaces of the circuit board
26
and electrically contact circuits formed thereon. However, if the IC card connector
10
cannot be securely retained at a predetermined position, signal transmission through the IC card connector
10
will be adversely affected.
FIG. 2
shows an IC card connector
28
which contacts a circuit board
30
by means of a flexible printed circuit
32
. One end of the flexible printed circuit
32
engages with contacts
34
of the IC card connector
28
, and the other end engages with a connector
36
mounted on the circuit board
30
. Since the flexible printed circuit is expensive, such a device cannot be competitively priced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, a main object of the present invention is to provide an IC card connector apparatus which can reliably connect with a circuit board.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an IC card connector apparatus which can be easily manufactured and maintained.
To fulfill the above-mentioned objects, an IC card connector apparatus of the present invention comprises a header connector and a pair of electrical sockets respectively mounted on upper and lower surfaces of a circuit board edge. The header connector includes an insulative housing defining a space for receiving an IC card therein. The housing has a mating face adjacent to the space and a mounting face opposite the mating face. Two arrays of terminals are retained in the housing and extend through the mating face and the mounting face. Each socket includes an insulative housing and a plurality of contacts. Each contact is soldered to the circuit board by surface mounting technology. In installation, the terminals of the header connector are inserted into the sockets and mate the corresponding contacts thereof. Thus, signals are reliably transmitted between the IC card received in the header connector and the circuit board.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5688130 (1997-11-01), Huang
patent: 5692912 (1997-12-01), Nelson et al.
patent: 5692913 (1997-12-01), Takano et al.
Chung Wei Te
Duverne J. F
Hon Hai - Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
Sircus Brian
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