Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Nonconducting pusher
Patent
1997-10-20
1999-03-09
Abrams, Neil
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
Nonconducting pusher
235479, H01R 1362
Patent
active
058791752
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a loading/unloading unit for card media or IC card (referred simply to as "card" hereunder) in a read/write device of a personal computer or the like, more specifically to an electrical powered loading/unloading unit for inserting or ejecting a card into or out of a connector within the read/write device by electrical power.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Generally, it is conventional to load (insert) and unload (eject) a card in a personal computer or the like by manual means. In the case of loading a card in a connector, a user uses fingers to push a card 41 into a connector 42 for making electrical connection as shown in FIG. 4. On the other hand, in the case of unloading the card 41, an ejection lever 43 is depressed in the direction of an arrow, which in turn pushes one end 46 of an ejection arm 45 by an end portion 44 of the ejection lever 43, which in turn causes the ejection arm 45 to pivot clockwise about a shaft 47. A projection 49 at the other end 48 of the ejection arm 45 abuts against an insertion edge 50 of the card 41, thereby pushing it in the direction to eject the card 41 from the connector 42 as shown by a double-chain line.
Unfortunately, however, such a conventional manual loading/unloading mechanism has a security problem because even a card containing data of confidential nature can be freely ejected by simply actuating the ejection lever by anybody and at any time. Also, the ejection may be effected while the computer is accessing the card, thereby destroying the data in the card and the computer. Additionally, the card loading stroke is large and there requires a relatively large insertion force to the connector. In other words, relatively poor feeling to the operator to indicate when the card is fully inserted or loaded along with a possible biased force to the card tends to accompany an unduly strong force to be applied to the card, which may break or damage the card. It is therefore a feature of the present invention to provide a unit capable of loading and unloading a card reliably and smoothly by electrical power.
EP-A-0,232,115 discloses an electrically powered loading/unloading unit including a feed roller and a card holder with a rack. The roller and rack are operated by a rotary driving means energized by a separate sensor. WO 94/27343 discloses the use of a solenoid to operate a locking means to secure a card in a manually operated loading/unloading unit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to achieve an electrically powered unit for reliably and smoothly loading and unloading a card, the present invention provides pushing arms pivotally disposed adjacent to a card moving path in an engagable relationship with a card, a feeding roller rotating in abutment against a side surface of the card, and an actuation lever pivotally supported to a shaft of a rotary driving means of the feeding roller and operating by resilient means to push the feeding roller against the side surface of the card and in ganged manner with a switch.
Further provided are a gear train to transmit an electrical driving force to the rotary driving means and a card holder slidable in the card moving direction. The card holder includes card support legs to abut against the card to be loaded, a rack to engage the gear train, and cam means in engagement with an extended portion of the rotary shaft of the feeding roller. Also provided is resilient means for biasing the card holder in the unloading direction. The pushing arms and the card holder are coupled to each other so that the pushing arms operate in accordance with the movement of the card holder.
Presently, at least the pushing arms, the feeding roller and the driving force transmission gear train are disposed at one side of the centerline of the card moving path, the direction of rotation of the feeding roller is chosen to be the same as that of the pinion to mate with the rack of the gear train, and the feeding roller is chosen to rotate faster than the pinion in the circumferential rotary spe
REFERENCES:
patent: 4833310 (1989-05-01), Shimamura et al.
Hamada Makoto
Handa Hiroto
Muramatsu Hidenori
Umezawa Hiroyuki
Abrams Neil
Nelson Katherine A.
Ness Anton P.
Standig Barry M. L.
The Whitaker Corporation
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