Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Nonconducting pusher
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-02
2001-11-20
Luebke, Renee (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
Nonconducting pusher
C439S160000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06319029
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the construction of a card connector used with an IC card used as a storage medium of personal computers or the like and a CF (compact flash) card used in a digital camera and other electronic apparatuses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An IC card connector is commonly used as an additional storage unit of a personal computer. An IC card comes into widespread use as a storage medium of the IC card connector.
The IC card is loaded in the IC card connector to write and read necessary information. To increase operability in loading and unloading the IC card, some IC card connectors have an ejection mechanism for ejecting the IC card.
It is known that the conventional IC card ejection mechanism includes a slide member for carrying an IC card, a locking member for holding the slide member in an IC card loaded position, and a spring member for energizing the slide member in an eject direction when the locking member is unlocked, wherein when the IC card is ejected as the slide member moves in the eject direction, the IC card is pushed out in the eject direction by an energizing force of the spring member.
However, the above-described conventional IC card connector has the following problem in terms of construction. Since an IC card is energized in an eject direction along with a slide member for carrying the IC card, by an energizing force of a spring member for energizing the slide member in the eject direction, the energizing force of the spring member causes the IC card to pop out of the IC card connector.
Although an energizing force of the spring member can be weakened to prevent an IC card from popping out, the weakened energizing force of the spring member would make it difficult to obtain strokes required to eject the IC card, making it difficult to take out the IC card.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
For this reason, the present invention intends to solve the above problem by providing a card connector having a mechanism for ejecting a card, wherein, without weakening an energizing force of a spring member for energizing a slide member, the card connector can prevent the card from being popped out of the card connector by the energizing force of the spring member and allows the card to be easily taken out.
To solve the above problems, a card connector of the present invention, as a first means, includes: a slide member that is slidable in directions in which a card loaded in and unloaded from a housing is inserted and ejected; a return spring for energizing the slide member in the direction in which the card is ejected; a locking member for holding the slide member in the position in which the card is loaded, against an energizing force of the return spring; and a push rod, movably disposed between a standby position and a push-in position, for unlocking the locking member by a pressing operation to move the slide member to the position in which the card is ejected, wherein the push rod is provided with a stopper for blocking the slide member at the card eject position from moving in the card eject direction when the push rod is pressed up to the push-in position, wherein the stopper permits the slide member at a standby position to move in the card eject direction.
As a second means, a coil spring is provided which abuts one end of the slide member when the slide member moves in the card eject direction, and the slide member is held in the card eject position by the coil spring against an energizing force of the return spring.
As a third means, the push rod is returned from the push-in position to the standby position by the coil spring.
As a fourth means, the card is movable in the card eject direction along with the slide member, and the coil spring is compressed when the slide member has moved to the card eject position, whereby the slide member moves in the card eject direction and the card can be pulled out.
As a fifth means, the locking member is disposed so that it can turn in a direction perpendicular to a flat surface of the card loaded in and unloaded from the housing by a pressing operation of the push rod, and a spring piece for energizing the locking member is formed on a cover member of the housing.
As a sixth means, the push rod is formed by bending a thin metallic plate.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5984702 (1999-11-01), Nishioka
patent: 6017231 (2000-01-01), Yoshitsugu et al.
patent: 6033243 (2000-03-01), Kajiura
patent: 11-135192 (1999-05-01), None
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Beyer Weaver & Thomas LLP
Hammond Briggitte R.
Luebke Renee
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