Rotary-control memory card ejector

Details Rotary-control memory card ejector Rotary-control memory card ejector

2000-02-22

2001-01-30

Nguyen, Khiem (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

With coupling separator

Nonconducting pusher

Reexamination Certificate

active

06179635

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotary-control memory card ejector, and more particularly to such a rotary memory card ejector for use in an electronic apparatus for the ejection of the loaded memory card, such as SMC, MMC, Compact Flash Card, PCMCIA, etc.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 5
shows a digital camera
9
used with a SMC (Smart Media Card)
7
. The digital camera
9
comprises a side opening
92
, a hinged cover
90
for closing the side opening
92
, a receptacle
91
for receiving a SMC
7
, and a memory card ejector formed of an ejector button
81
, a drive bar
82
and a swivel rod
83
. The swivel rod
83
has a free end disposed in contact with one end of the loaded SMC
7
. When taking out the loaded SMC
7
, the cover
90
is opened, and then the ejector button
81
is depressed to push the drive bar
82
backwards, causing the swivel rod
83
to push the loaded SMC
7
out of the receptacle
91
, and the loaded SMC
7
can than be taken out of the digital camera
9
from the side opening
92
. This structure of memory card ejector has drawbacks. Because the ejector button
81
and the drive rod
82
are arranged to be moved horizontally within a distance, much installation space should be provided in the digital camera for the memory card ejector. This limitation causes the digital camera unable to be made smaller. Further, because the ejector button
81
protrudes from one side of the digital camera
9
when the memory card bears no load, the protruding part of the ejector button
81
destroys the sense of beauty of the digital camera
9
, and the ejector button
81
tends to be vibrated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished to provide a memory card ejector, which eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks. It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a memory card ejector, which requires less operation space. It is another object of the present invention to provide a memory card ejector, which does not vibration during operation. According to one aspect of the present invention, the rotary-control memory card ejector comprises a drive wheel turned about a fixed shaft, the drive wheel having an eccentric point far from the fixed shaft, and an actuating bar having a first end pivoted to the eccentric point at the drive wheel and a second end formed with a stop bar stopped at a front end edge of a memory card inserted into a receptacle in the housing of an apparatus. The inserted memory card is pushed out of the receptacle by the actuating bar upon rotary motion of the drive wheel. According to another aspect of the present invention, a guide structure is provided to guide movement of the actuating bar in pushing the inserted memory card out of the receptacle. According to still another aspect of the present invention, the guide structure comprises a longitudinal sliding slot formed on the actuating bar on the middle, and a fixed guide pin inserted into the longitudinal sliding slot to guide movement of the actuating bar. The guide pin and/or the shaft can be formed on the receptacle, the housing of the apparatus, or any other object capable of keeping the guide pin and the shaft in relative positions. According to still another aspect of the present invention, the drive wheel has a serrated periphery for positive rotation by hand.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5473505 (1995-12-01), Kessoku et al.
patent: 5784253 (2000-01-01), Ooka et al.
patent: 5879175 (1999-03-01), Muramatsu et al.
patent: 5967810 (1999-10-01), Spickler
patent: 6010344 (2000-01-01), Muramatsu et al.

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