Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Nonconducting pusher
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-14
2002-07-16
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
Nonconducting pusher
Reexamination Certificate
active
06419508
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
For example, the connector shown in
FIG. 12
is such a card connector equipped with an ejection mechanism. This connector is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. H 11-119861. Card connector
100
equipped with an ejection mechanism consists of a header
110
which is mounted on a printed circuit board, a plurality of electrical contacts
112
attached to an insulating housing
111
, and a shell assembly
120
equipped with an ejection mechanism, which is attached to the header
110
.
BACKGROUND
Conventionally, card connectors equipped with ejection mechanisms used for the electrical connection of cards such as memory cards, communications cards and HDD packages, to circuit boards have been used in laptop and notebook type personal computers.
For example, the connector shown in
FIG. 12
is such a card connector equipped with an ejection mechanism. This connector is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. H 11-119861. Card connector
100
equipped with an ejection mechanism consists of a header
110
which is mounted on a printed circuit board ( ), a plurality of electrical contacts
112
attached to an insulating housing
111
, and a shell assembly
120
equipped with an ejection mechanism, which is attached to the header
110
.
The shell assembly
120
equipped with an ejection mechanism consists of a part with a flat angular shape which is formed an upper-side shell
121
and a lower-side shell
122
which abut each other along left and right side walls. The shell
121
surrounds a card receiving cavity which accommodates two memory cards or communications cards (not shown in the figures) or one HDD package (not shown in the figures). Furthermore, independent ejection mechanisms
123
which are used to eject the accommodated cards are attached to either side wall. Each of these ejection mechanisms
123
consists of an ejection bar
124
and an arm
125
. Each ejection bar
124
is installed so that it can move in a mating direction along a side wall. Furthermore, each arm
125
is installed so that it can pivot in the direction indicated by the arrows on the inside surface of the end of the upper shell
121
or lower shell
122
. The end of each ejection bar
124
is connected to one end of the corresponding arm
125
.
When either ejection bar
124
is urged by an ejection button
126
attached to this ejection bar
124
, the arm
125
pivots and engages with the end portion of the inserted card to eject the card.
Furthermore, the card connector
100
is mounted on the circuit board as follows. The shell assembly
120
equipped with an ejection mechanism is first attached to the header
110
. The entire card connector
100
is then attached to the circuit board by soldering the electrical contacts
112
of the header
110
to conductive pads on the circuit board. Attaching brackets
127
extending from the left and right side walls of the shell assembly
120
are screwed to the circuit board.
Several problems have been encountered in this conventional card connector
100
. Specifically, the ejection bars
124
attached to the left or right side walls of the upper shell
121
and lower shell
122
are not interchangeable. For example, it is possible not move the ejection bars
124
attached to the right side walls of the upper shell
121
and lower shell
122
(as shown in
FIG. 12
) to the opposite left side walls since there is no member to which the ejection bars
124
can be attached on the left side walls. If attachment members for receiving the ejection bars
124
are installed on both the left and right side walls the width of the shell assembly
120
is increased beyond the requirement for compactness.
Furthermore, since the card connector
100
is mounted on the circuit board after being equipped with an ejection mechanism, it can not be easily replaced after the electrical contacts
112
of the header
110
have been soldered to the conductive pads of the circuit board
SUMMARY
Accordingly, the present invention was devised in order to solve the above-mentioned problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a card connector having an ejection bar that can be attached on the left or right using a minimal number of parts, while maintaining a small width dimension.
Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide a card connector in which the frame assembly equipped with an ejection mechanism can be simply and easily replaced even after the electrical contacts of the header have been soldered to the conductive pads on the circuit board.
Accordingly the invention provides a card connector having a header and an eject mechanism. The card connector features a pair of interchangeable guide arms disposed on right and left sides of the header, attached to a frame, and configured to selectively receive an ejection bar.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5290174 (1994-03-01), Woratyla et al.
patent: 5297966 (1994-03-01), Brennian, Jr. et al.
patent: 5389001 (1995-02-01), Broschard, II et al.
patent: 5871365 (1999-02-01), Kajiura
patent: 6048214 (2000-04-01), Hirata et al.
patent: 6095830 (2000-08-01), Hirata et al.
patent: 6132243 (2000-10-01), Hirata et al.
patent: 6174192 (2001-01-01), Watanabe et al.
patent: H 11-119861 (1997-10-01), None
Nguyen Son V.
Sircus Brian
Tyco Electronics AMP K.K.
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