Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Nonconducting pusher
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-20
2003-12-30
Prasad, Chandrika (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
Nonconducting pusher
C439S157000, C439S630000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06669493
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card connector unit for accommodating a small memory card or what is known as an SD card and connecting a group of external connection terminals provided on this card to an electronic circuit provided in an electronic device such as a personal computer (PC), and more particularly to a card connector unit compatible with cards extended in length to be adaptable to multiple functions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cards that can be freely inserted or withdrawn from an electronic device such as a PC or an electronic camera and permits writing or reading of information (hereinafter known as SD cards) are already known according to the prior art. This kind of card is substantially rectangularly shaped, and at one end of one side are arrayed a plurality of external connection terminals. The electronic device to accommodate such SD cards is provided with a circuit board on which are mounted required electronic circuits and a card connector unit for connecting the group of external connection terminals mounted on the SD card to the electronic circuits.
Such a card connector unit is provided with a housing having an accommodating space into which the SD card is to be inserted through an inlet, a plurality of terminal pieces fixed to this housing and exposed in the accommodating space, and a discharging mechanism for discharging an accommodated SD card.
The housing is usually configured by combining a frame made of an insulating material and a cover made of a metallic material or an insulating material, and an SD card accommodating space is formed between the frame and the cover. Each terminal piece is provided with a contact exposed within the accommodating space to be able to come into contact with the connection terminals of an SD card and a soldering portion to be soldered onto an electronic circuit provided in an electronic apparatus such as a personal computer (PC). It is so designed that, when an SD card inserted into the accommodating space is placed in a prescribed position, the group of its external connection terminals come into contact with the contact of each terminal piece.
A discharging mechanism of a known configuration, for instance, comprises a slider capable of reciprocating in engagement with an SD card, coil springs elastically energizing this slider in the direction of discharging the card, and engaging pins guided along a heart-shaped cam groove. When the operator presses with fingers the SD card placed in a prescribed position, on the edge toward him or her (rear edge), this configuration, by causing the slider and the engaging pin to work in conjunction, enables the card to move together with the slider outward to the operator's side to be readily discharged. Another known configuration is such that, by operating a member for discharging action to release the SD card engaged in a prescribed position, the card can be discharged.
Incidentally, in connection with a recently rising call for the usability of an SD card not only as a mere recording medium but also as a communication device by providing it with a transmitter/receiver circuit or the like, the emergence of a new type SD card extended in length but the same in terminal specification as the conventional SD card is expected. A well conceivable use of such a new type SD card is, for instance, to arrange an antenna circuit for short range radio communication toward the rear end of an SD card of an extended length, keep the SD card in only a shallowly inserted position in the connector unit only when this antenna circuit is to be used, and insert the SD card deep into the connector unit when the antenna is not to be used.
However, since the conventional card connector unit does not have a structure to accommodate such a long SD card, it may allow the SD card to be inserted to a prescribed extent and electrically connected, but, for instance when the antenna circuit is not to be used, it is impossible to insert the SD card deeply and keep it there. Thus, if a card connector unit for a conventional card is to be adapted to a longer-than-usual SD card, the SD card will have to kept substantially protruding outward from the inlet of the accommodating space of the housing, not only will the appearance be awkward but also it will result in serious inconvenience of use because the electronic apparatus such as a laptop PC will have to be carried with the SD card kept inserted in the connector unit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been attempted to obviate these disadvantages of the prior art, and to provide a more convenient card connector unit allowing selective placement of an SD card of an extended length in any of positions differing in insertion depth.
In order to achieve the object noted above, a card connector unit according to the invention has a configuration comprising a housing having an accommodating space into which a card provided with a group of external connection terminals (SD card) is inserted from a side of an inlet and permitting the card to be selectively placed within the accommodating space in a first accommodating position in which an insertion depth is smaller or a second accommodating position in which an insertion depth is greater; terminal sections fixed to the housing to be exposed in the accommodating space and being in contact with the group of external connection terminals at least when the card is in the first accommodating position; and a shifting mechanism for driving the card inserted in the accommodating space to be shifted at least from the second accommodating position to the first accommodating position.
Since a connector unit of such a configuration not only allows a shorter SD card to be inserted and placed in the first accommodating position but also a longer SD card to be placed either in the first accommodating position or the second accommodating position, if the longer SD card is placed in the first accommodating position, for instance an antenna circuit built into that SD card can be exposed to enable it to be used as a communication device. Or if the longer SD card is inserted deep into the second accommodating position, it can be used as a recording medium or stowed in a state convenient for carrying. If the longer SD card placed in the first accommodating position is pressed by the operator deeper inward with fingers, the SD card can be easily shifted to the second accommodating position, and the longer SD card placed in the second accommodating position can be shifted to the first accommodating position using the shifting mechanism. Thus the longer SD card can be easily shifted from one accommodating position to the other.
Further in the above-described configuration according to the invention, the shifting mechanism may be provided with sliding members capable of reciprocating along an inserting/discharging direction of the card while being kept engaged with the card, engaging pins shifting along a heart-shaped cam groove along with shifting of the sliding members, and energizing members for elastically energizing the sliding members in a discharging direction of the card. If it is so arranged that, when the card is placed in the second accommodating position, the engaging pins may be engaged with pin engaging portions of the heart-shaped cam groove to inhibit shifting of the sliding members and, by pressing the card deeper in the accommodating space in such a state and thereby disengaging the engaging pins from the pin engaging portions, the card can be shifted in the discharging direction from the second accommodating position via the sliding members, the operator can press the SD card placed in the first accommodating position further inward to a prescribed extent to engage the engaging pins with the pin engaging portions of the heart-shaped cam groove to bring to halt the SD card in the second accommodating position. Or the operator can press the SD card placed in the second accommodating position to disengage the engaging pins from the pin engag
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Beyer Weaver & Thomas LLP.
Prasad Chandrika
LandOfFree
Card connector unit provided with first accomodating... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Card connector unit provided with first accomodating..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Card connector unit provided with first accomodating... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3099001