Ejector for electrical card connector

Details Ejector for electrical card connector Ejector for electrical card connector

1999-05-06

2001-01-23

Abrams, Neil (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

With coupling separator

Nonconducting pusher

Reexamination Certificate

active

06176714

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ejectors for electrical card connectors for connecting cards, such as PC cards, to connectors within equipment and, particularly, to an ejector for an electrical card connector with a mechanism for preventing accidental ejection of a card.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such an electrical card connector is provided with an ejection mechanism for ejecting a card at will. The release mechanism comprises an ejector bar depressed by the user toward the equipment and an ejector lever for receiving the depressing force from the ejector bar and changing the direction of the force to push the card in the ejection direction.
The ejector bar is provided with a press button which projects from the equipment so that the user can push the press button to operate the ejector bar. Since the press button projects from the equipment, it can be depressed by accident to eject the card which is being used. Accordingly, a few mechanisms to prevent it have been proposed.
Japanese patent application Kokai No. 7-335317 discloses an accidental ejection preventive mechanism such as shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
. In FIG.
7
(A), an ejector bar
51
is depressed in the direction of an arrow
52
at a time of ejection of a card so that a press button
54
is provided at the rear end of a pressed section
53
. The press button
54
is movable laterally with respect to the pressed section
53
. In FIG.
7
(B), when a card C is inserted, the press button is moved laterally to an engagement position where it is abutted against the rear edge of the card C. Thus, it prevents an accidental ejection of the card C.
The above Japanese patent also discloses a rotatable press button. In FIG.
8
(A), a rotatable press button
57
is provided at the pressed section
55
of an ejector bar with a pin
56
. It is parallel to the pressed section
55
at a time of insertion or ejection of a card as shown in FIG.
8
(A) and at right angles with the pressed section
55
at a time of completion of the insertion as shown in FIG.
8
(B). It prevents ejection of the card at the right-angle position. The pressed section
55
and the press button
57
are provided with lock apertures
55
A and
55
B and lock projections
57
A and
57
B, respectively, so that the lock projections
57
A and
57
B engage the lock apertures
55
A and
55
B, respectively, to hold the parallel and right-angle positions of the press button in FIGS.
8
(A) and
8
(B), respectively.
In the above Japanese patent, by simply moving the press button to the operational position of the ejector bar it is possible to bring the card to the ejection position where the card is inserted or ejected at will.
When it is at the engagement position to prevent the card ejected, however, it is at the rear end of the card and projects from the equipment. It is so large that the user can depress with a finger. The projection of such a press button not only prevents miniaturization of the equipment but also causes accidental ejection of the card.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an ejector for an electrical card connector able to not only prevent accidental ejection of a card but also bring the press button to a front retreated position when it is not used.
An ejector for an electrical card connector according to the invention is provided with an ejector mechanism for ejecting from the connector body the card which is inserted in the slot of a housing and connected to the connector body. The ejector mechanism comprises an ejector bar for ejection operation and a press button for pushing forwardly the ejector bar.
According to the invention, the press button is connected to the pressed section at the rear end of the ejector bar so as to be rotatable from the operational position where the press button projects from the slot in the lengthwise direction of the ejector bar to the stand-by position at right angles with the operational position.
The ejector mechanism further comprises an engaging member which has a claw portion for engagement with the rear end of a card to prevent accidental ejection of the card. The engaging member is movable between a release position where the engaging member makes it possible to insert or eject the card and an engagement position where the engaging member prevents ejection of the card.
The press button and the engaging member are connected such that when the press button is at the operational position, the engaging member is at the release position while when the press button is at the stand-by position, the engaging member is at the engaging position.
Where the press button is projected into the operational position when a card is inserted or ejected, the engaging portion of the engaging member is brought into the release position to enable insertion or ejection of the card. Then, when the press button is rotated to the standby position upon completion of the card insertion, the engaging portion of the engaging member is brought into the engaging position to prevent ejection of the card. At this point, the press button is rotated to the stand-by position and moved forwardly so that the press button is hardly projected. Since the engaging portion can be a simple piece, such as a plate claw, which engages the front edge of a card, the amount of projection is very small.
The engaging member is a rotatable lever which is rotatably connected at one end to the pressed section or press button with a pin. The engaging member and the press button are linked with a slot and a pin.
The press button and the engaging member are rotatable in opposite directions on axes at right angles with the card surface.
Alternately, the engaging member is made flexible and, at the other end, is fixed with respect to the pressed section or housing and, when the press button is moved to the stand-by position, is flexed toward the engaging position by the press button. This makes the structure simple.
It is preferred that the press button is provided with a lock mechanism which allows the press button to maintain either of the operational and stand-by positions and move to the other position only when it receives a rotational force higher than a predetermined level.
The lock mechanism comprises a movable element provided on the press button and a spring for biasing the movable element toward the pressed section of the ejector bar such that when the press button is rotated, the movable element slides on the first and second pressed faces and receive the maximum biasing force at a transitional position between the first and second pressed faces.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5730610 (1998-03-01), Hsia et al.
patent: 6000958 (1999-12-01), Ishida et al.
patent: 6042402 (2000-03-01), Tung et al.
patent: 7-335317 (1995-12-01), None

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