Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Nonconducting pusher
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-21
2001-11-13
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
Nonconducting pusher
C439S953000, C361S726000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06315587
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a card connector for receiving and holding a card containing stored data, so as to allow data to be transmitted to and from the card.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
One such card of this kind has planar contacts formed on its surface so that when the card is inserted into the connector, planar contacts on the card come into contact with terminals provided to the connector, allowing data to be transmitted to and from the card via the card connector. Conventional card connectors used for connecting cards of this type are designed such that the card is inserted fully inserted into the connector so as to prevent the inserted card from inadvertently coming out from the connector during data transmission, or prevent accidental removal thereof by the hand. However, this makes it difficult to remove the card once data transmission has been completed. For this reason, some connectors are equipped with an ejection mechanism for ejecting the card from the connector, allowing it to be removed.
Card connectors of this kind are typically designed so that with a card inserted, contacts provided to the connector come into contact with planar contacts on the card to create electrical connection; during this time, the card is held in place pinched by the connector contacts. This arrangement necessitates that the ejection mechanism can generate force sufficient to push out the card in opposition to the pinching force exerted by the connector contacts, creating the problem of a need for a larger ejection mechanism. Existing ejection mechanisms include those employing spring force to push out (or pull out) the card, and those in which the card is transported by means of an electric motor or the like, but such arrangements necessitate strong spring force or require a rather large motor to provide the needed rotary driving force. Thus, each has the drawback of contributing to larger size of the device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a card connector that, while designed to prevent an inserted card from inadvertently coming out so as to ensure successful data transmission, can be provided in a compact device.
The card connector herein comprises a connector element for removably holding a card containing stored data so as to allow data to be transmitted to and from said card; and a case for supporting said connector element so as to enable sliding thereof in said card insert/eject direction; wherein said card is inserted into or removed from said connector element with said connector element situated at a card insert/eject position to which said connector element has slid from said case in the eject direction; and wherein data transmission is carried out with said card received and held by said connector element situated at card service position to which said connector element has slid into said case in the insert direction.
In a card connector of this design, the connector element is not fixed to the case but is rather supported thereby so as to enable sliding thereof in the card insert/eject direction; when a card is to be inserted, the connector element situated at the card insert/eject position is moved in the card insert direction to a card service position by means of the force of inserting the card therein. Once reaching the card service position, data transmission to and from the card received and held by the connector element is performed via the card connector. In this way, the card is accommodated at a card service position situated fully inserted into the case during data transmission to and from the card, thus preventing inadvertent card insertion/ejection or coming out during data transmission. To eject the card, the connector element is extended outwardly to the card insert/eject position, allowing the card to be removed easily by picking the outwardly extended card with the hand.
In conventional arrangements that rely on an urging member to push out (or pull out) the card in order to eject it, the urging member must be able to produce urging force adequate to push out (or pull out) the card in opposition to the pinching force exerted on the card by the contacts. With the connector element herein, however, the card, held in the connector element, is extended outwardly by sliding the connector element to the card insert/eject position, and since little force is required to slide the card extended outward, the card ejection mechanism can be made more compact.
In a card connector of the above arrangement, the connector element may comprise an urging member for normally urging the connector element in the direction of card ejection (e.g., springs SP
1
, SP
2
described in the embodiments); locking means for locking the connector element at the card service position (e.g., locking member
143
and locked portion
125
formed in the connector element mounting member
120
described in the embodiments); and unlocking means for unlocking the locking means (e.g., the solenoid
140
described in the embodiments).
In a card connector of this design, the connector element is not fixed to the case but is rather supported thereby so as enable sliding thereof in the card insert/eject direction, and is furthermore normally urged in the card eject direction by an urging member, whereby the connector element per se may be pushed in the insert direction by the card insertion force created during insertion of the card, and then locked in place at the card service position by locking means. Thus the card may be accommodated fully inserted into the case, preventing the card from inadvertently coming out during data transmission so as to assure successful data transmission. When ejecting the card, the lock is unlocked by unlocking means, and the connector element per se moves in the card eject direction to the card insert/eject position under the urging force of the urging member, preventing difficulty in ejecting the card and avoiding impediments to the operation of ejecting the card.
In conventional arrangements that rely on an urging member to push out (or pull out) the card in order to eject it, the urging member must be able to produce urging force adequate to push out (or pull out) the card in opposition to the pinching force exerted on the card by the contacts. The urging member herein, however, need only produce force sufficient to move the connector element in the card eject direction, and as such can be made smaller in size, making the device more lightweight and compact overall. With this mechanism, card ejection is accomplished by the recovery force of the urging member once the lock has been unlocked, and thus, in contrast to mechanisms in which the card is forcibly pushed out in the eject direction, there is no risk of damage to the eject mechanism in the event that the card should be mistakenly pushed in the insert direction during a card eject operation. Safer operation is afforded thereby.
In preferred practice, the urging member herein will consist of a compression or extension helical spring extending in the card insert/eject direction and linking the case with the connector element. With this arrangement, the urging member can be situated on the case exterior, allowing the space within the case to be made smaller. Alternatively, the urging member may consist of a helical torsion spring arranged extending between the case inner wall and the end of the connector element proximate to the case wall when moving in the card insert direction. With this arrangement, the urging member can be housed compactly within the case, making it useful in cases where the urging means cannot be situated outside the case and must be situated inside the case.
In preferred practice, the locking means will be designed so that a detaining member provided to the case (e.g., locking member
143
in the embodiments) and a detained member provided to the connector element (e.g., the connector element mounting member
120
in the embodiments, and particularly the locked portion
125
formed on this member
120
) can inter
Ikemoto Shinichi
Mogami Tomoyuki
KEL Corporation
Patel Tulsidas
Usher Robert W. J.
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