Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Nonconducting pusher
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-18
2003-04-29
Feild, Lynn D. (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
Nonconducting pusher
Reexamination Certificate
active
06554627
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic card connectors and assembly thereof, and more specifically to electronic card connectors and methods for assembling electronic card connectors.
2. Prior Art
As electronics technology advances, electronic cards are being more widely used with electronic devices such as mobile phones, personal computers, notebooks, and personal digital assistants (PDAs). Electronic card connectors are adapted to connect electronic cards with the electronic devices, so that processing units in the devices can access information stored in the electronic cards.
A conventional electronic card connector includes an upper housing, a lower housing engaging with the upper housing by snap fastening, and a contact module having six contacts positioned side-by-side in the connector. To facilitate ejection of the electronic card, the connector further includes a card ejection mechanism. The card ejection mechanism generally has a heart-shaped configuration.
An example of a conventional electronic card connector is disclosed in Japan Patent Application No. 2000-2664. With reference to
FIG. 1
, the conventional electronic card connector comprises an upper housing (not shown), a lower housing
14
′, a plurality of contacts (not shown), and a card ejector
2
′. The card ejector
2
′ includes a spring
27
′, a slide arm
26
′, and a slide lever
24
′ attached to the slide arm
26
′. A heart-shaped block
200
′ and a corresponding heart-shaped groove
201
′ surrounding the block
200
′ are formed in the slide arm
26
′. The block
200
′ has a pit portion
203
′ and a tip portion
202
′. The slide lever
24
′ has an upper end
242
′ and a lower end
244
′. In operation of the ejector, the lower end
244
′ of the slide lever
24
′ slides in the groove
201
′. When an electronic card (not shown) is fully inserted into the connector, the lower end
244
′ engages in the pit portion
203
′. When the slide arm
26
′ is pushed, the lower end
244
′ exits the pit portion
203
′, and the spring
27
′ pushes the slide arm
26
′ rearward to drive the inserted card to also move rearward. Thus, the inserted card is ejected from the connector.
To assemble the two housings of the conventional electronic connector is laborious and complicated. Additionally, the contacts are positioned side-by-side. Therefore the connector has a relatively large width. This goes against the modem trend toward miniaturization of electronic devices. Finally, the heart-shaped block
200
′ and the corresponding heart-shaped groove
201
′ in the slide arm
26
′ cannot effectively position the slide lever
24
′ in a desired position. Therefore the heart-shaped block
200
′ and the heart-shaped groove
201
′ occupy a relatively large width.
An improved electronic card connector is desired to overcome the above-mentioned problems of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic card connector which has an simple structure and provides stable engagement between an electronic card and the connector.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for assembling an electronic card connector that has an simple structure and provides stable engagement between an electronic card and the connector.
To accomplish the above-mentioned objects, an electronic card connector of the present invention comprises an insulative housing, a card ejection mechanism, a contact module, and a detecting device for detecting whether an electronic card is fully inserted into the connector. The housing defines a receiving space therein for receiving the card, and further defines a receiving cavity for accommodating the ejection mechanism at a position adjacent a lateral side of the housing. The ejection mechanism includes a guiding structure, a lid, a slide rod, a slide block, an elastic element and a retaining assembly. The guiding structure is formed in the housing. The guiding structure includes a recess and an arcuate island formed in a middle of the recess. An end of the slide rod is slidably fitted in the recess. The contact module includes two contact elements mounted end-to-end in the housing. Each contact element has three contacts. The detecting device comprises two contacts for detecting whether the card is fully inserted into the connector.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the drawings and the following detailed description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5507658 (1996-04-01), Ho
patent: 6039238 (2000-03-01), Panaghe
patent: 6042402 (2000-03-01), Tung et al.
patent: 6071135 (2000-06-01), Obara
patent: 6113403 (2000-09-01), Oguchi
patent: 6115244 (2000-09-01), Chen et al.
patent: 6139340 (2000-10-01), Niitsu
patent: 6146164 (2000-11-01), Tung
patent: 6155853 (2000-12-01), Kajiura
patent: 6160717 (2000-12-01), Desousa et al.
patent: 6261113 (2001-07-01), Chen
patent: 6319028 (2001-11-01), Zhang et al.
Chung Wei Te
Dinh Phuong
Feild Lynn D.
Hon Hai - Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
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