Abstract:
A card connector ( 1 ) includes a first insulating housing ( 30 ), a metal shell ( 21 ) associating with one side of the first insulating housing to define a first receiving space ( 140 ), a second insulating housing ( 22 ) cooperating with the first insulating housing to have the metal shell therebetween and assembled with the metal shell to define a second receiving space ( 220 ), a plurality of first terminals ( 4 ) retained in the first insulating housing, a plurality of second terminals ( 24 ) disposed in a terminal module ( 23 ), which is intimately associated with a face of the first insulating housing, and ejecting mechanisms ( 5, 6 ) equipped with the first insulating housing and protruding into the first and second receiving spaces respectively to eject the at least two cards, each ejecting mechanism can release the card from a lock position by pushing the card in the lock position along the insertion direction.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a card connector, and particularly to a card connector allowing two cards to fit/eject and comprising an ejecting mechanism. The present application relates to a copending application titled “STACKED CARD CONNECTOR HAVING EJECTING MECHANISM” with the same inventor and the same filing date. 
   2. Description of Prior Arts 
   Memory cards are known in the art and contain intelligence in the form of a memory circuit or other electronic program. Some form of card reader reads the information or memory stored on the card. Memory cards are used in many applications in today&#39;s electronic society, including video cameras, smartphones, music players, ATMs, cable television decoders, toys, games, PC adapters and other electronic applications. A typical memory card includes a contact or terminal array for connection through an electrical connector to a card reader system and then to external equipment. The connector readily accommodates insertion and removal of the card to provide quick access to the information and program on the card. The card connector includes terminals for yieldably engaging the contact or terminal array of the card. Additionally, the connector always has an ejecting mechanism for ejecting the insertion card out. 
   In one prior art, a card connector has a first connector and a second connector stacked with the first connector. Each connector has an ejecting mechanism mounted on a lateral side thereof, and each ejecting mechanism comprises a pushing bar operated by a user, and an ejecting bar engaging with a card directly for ejecting the card. 
   However, such card connector is mounted in an electronic equipment, the long pushing bar of the ejecting mechanism occupies a big space of the internal space of the electronic equipment. Moreover, the mechanism is disposed on the lateral side of the card connector, and there is no additional protecting member to cover thereon completely. Therefore, an interference will be encountered to the ejecting mechanism by another external equipments. 
   In another prior art, a card connector for receiving a Smart card comprises an insulating housing receiving a plurality of terminals and an ejecting mechanism for removing the Smart card retained in a card slot formed by the card connector. The ejecting mechanism is mounted on a fixing portion formed on one side of the insulating housing. With the fixing portion, an overall width of the insulating housing is increased. As a result, the card connector occupies more room. 
   Therefore, the present invention is directed to solving these various problems by providing a card connector which reduces the overall size of the connector and achieves a stable electrical mechanism. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a stacked card connector that can be reduced in size and prevent an interference between an ejecting mechanism and other external equipments. 
   In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, a card connector includes a first insulating housing, a metal shell associating with one side of the first insulating housing to define a first receiving space for a first card fitting/ejecting, a second insulating housing cooperating with the first insulating housing to have the metal shell therebetween and assembled with the metal shell to define a second receiving space for a second card fitting/receiving, a plurality of first terminals retained in the first insulating housing and extending into the first receiving space for engagement with the first card which is received in the first receiving room, a plurality of second terminals disposed in a terminal module, which is intimately associated with a face of the first insulating housing, and extending into the second receiving space for engagement with the second card which is received in the second receiving space, and an ejecting mechanism equipped with the first insulating housing and protruding into the second receiving space to eject the second card. 
   Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a card connector of present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded and top elevation view of the card connector of present invention as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the card connector as shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view of a first ejecting mechanism, a second ejecting mechanism and an insulating housing of the card connector according with present invention; 
       FIG. 5  is an exploded and top plan view of a second connector of the card connector according with present invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the insulating housing of the card connector; and 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a first card and a second card allowed to be received in the card connector of present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 7 , the present invention provides a card connector  1  which is used for a connection with two cards having mutually different transmission speeds, such as an Express card, and a Smart card. The card connector  1  comprises a first connector  10  defining a first receiving space  14  for receiving a first card A, a second connector  20  stacked with the first connector  10  and defining a second receiving space  220  for receiving a second card B, and an opening (not labeled) for a card inserting/ejecting. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the first connector  10  comprises a first metal shell  11 , an insulating housing  30  covered by the first shell  11 , a plurality of first terminals  4  protruding into the first receiving space  14  to engage with the first card A, a first ejecting mechanism  6  and a second ejecting mechanism  5  for ejecting the first card A and the second card B, respectively. 
   The first shell  11 , approximate a rectangular shape in a top plan view, and an U shape in a front view, comprises a first top wall  12 , and a pair of first lateral walls  13  extending downwardly from the opposite sides of the first top wall  12 . The first receiving space  14  is defined by the first top wall  12  associating with the first lateral walls  13  and is divided into an L-shape card slot  140  to receive the first card A and a rectangular space  141 , as a broken line shown in  FIG. 2 . When the first card A is received in the card slot  140 , the rectangular space  141  is rightly accommodated to a cut portion F (shown in  FIG. 7 ) of the first card A. The first top wall  12  has a pair of first elastic pieces  15 , a pair of second elastic pieces  16 , and a pair of first projecting portions  17 . A sharp angle is existed between each elastic pieces  15  and an insertion direction of the card. The elastic pieces  15  are used for pressing on a metal part C (shown in  FIG. 7 ) of the first card A acting as a grounding portion and a fastening portion. The first projecting portions  17  are provided to guide the first card inserted stably. The second elastic pieces  16  extend along the insertion direction of the card and located at the rectangular space  141 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 2  to  FIG. 4 , the first insulating housing  30 , structured as an L shape in a top elevation view, comprises a base section  31  and a base seat  33  extending laterally from the base section  31 . Getting along a transverse direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the card, a width D defined by the base section  31  associating with the base seat  33  is approximately equivalent to the width E of the first shell  11 . The base section  31  has a main portion (not labeled), an arm portion  39  at one end of the main portion, an engaging plate  32  extending from the main portion and parallel to the arm portion  39 . The first contacts  4  are received in the main portion and the engaging plate  32 , and each contact  4  comprises an engaging portion  40 , a soldering portion  43  and a connecting portion  41  joining the engaging portion  40  with the soldering portion  43 . 
   The base seat  33 , designed approximately in a rectangular shape and longer than the base section  31  along the insertion direction of the card, has a first sliding groove  330  and a second sliding groove  331  parallel to the first sliding groove  330 . The first sliding groove  330  and the second sliding groove  331 , respectively, have a post  333 ,  335  at one end thereof, and a position hole  334 ,  336  opposite to corresponding post  333 ,  335 . Particularly, the first sliding groove  330  and the second sliding groove  331  have a first sliding channel  332  and a second sliding channel  337 , respectively. The first sliding channel  332  is formed at one edge of the first sliding groove  330 , and the second sliding groove  337  is formed at the bottom of the second sliding groove  331  to communicating with the second receiving space  220 . Moreover, in this embodiment of the present invention, the base seat  33  has a triangle plate  34  extending therefrom forwardly and integrally to guide different card inserting. 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , the first mechanism  6  and the second mechanism  5  are structured almost the same as each other and operated by an inserting card, and comprise, respectively, a first ejecting member  60 , a second ejecting member  50  protruding into corresponding receiving space, a first spring member  62 , a second spring member  52  for moving the ejecting member  60 ,  50  towards the card ejecting direction, a first heart groove  63 , a second heart groove  53  and a first latch member  61 , a second latch member  51  sliding in the heart groove  63 ,  53  to overcome the spring member  62 ,  52  and take the ejecting member  60 ,  50  in a desirable position. The first ejecting member  60  and the second ejecting member  50 , respectively, have a first pushing portion  64  extending laterally from one side of the first ejecting member  60 , a second pushing portion  54  (shown in  FIG. 6 ) extending downwardly from a bottom of the second ejecting member  50 . 
   Together with  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 5 , the second connector  20  is placed under the first connector  10  respect to a printed circuit board (not shown) and comprises a second metal shell  21 , a terminal module  23  aligned with the second shell  21 , and a second insulating housing  22  associating with the second shell  21  to define the second receiving space  220 . 
   The second shell  21  is approximately a rectangular shape, and comprises a second top wall  210 , a pair of second side walls  211  extending downwardly from opposite sides of the top wall  210 . The second top wall  210  has a fixing hole  212  in alignment with the terminal module  23 , and a longitudinal groove  213  in accordance with the second slipping groove  337  of the second guiding groove  331 . 
   The second insulating housing  22  is constructed according to the second shell  21 , and comprises a recess  221  to receiving the terminal module  23 . In the terminal module  23 , a plurality of second terminals  24  is retained and protrudes upwardly into the second receiving space  220  to engaging with the second card B electrically. 
   Referring to  FIG. 4 , the relationship between the first ejecting mechanism  6 , the second ejecting mechanism  5  and the first groove  330 , the second groove  331  will be described in detail. The first ejecting mechanism  6  is mounted in the first groove  330  with the first pushing portion  64  protruding into the first receiving space  140 , one end of the spring member  62  connecting the ejecting member  60  and the other aligned with the post  333 , one end of the latch member  61  slipping in the heart groove  63  and the other end positioned in the position hole  334 . The second ejecting mechanism  5  is mounted in the second groove  331  in the same way as described of the first ejecting mechanism  6 , except that the second pushing portion  54  protrudes downwardly into the second receiving space  220  by going through the second slipping channel  337  and the longitudinal groove  213  of the second metal shell  21  orderly, as shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 6 . 
   According with present invention, the first ejecting mechanism  6  and the second mechanism  5  is mounted in the first sliding groove  330  and the second sliding groove  331 , more particularly, both the first sliding groove  330  and the second sliding groove  331  are formed on the base seat  33  side by side, and the base seat  33  is rightly fitted in the rectangular space  141 . On one hand, it is needless to design another module to couple with the ejecting mechanisms. So a simple, convenient assembly process is achieved, accordingly, to save cost. On the other hand, the base seat  33  allows more ejecting mechanisms to be designed thereon, but do not take additional room as before to save more space. Besides, the first mechanism  6  and the second mechanism  5  are covered by the first shell  14  completely avoiding to being disposed out thereof and interfered by other device. 
   In this embodiment of present invention, the card connector  1  is structured by vertically stacking two connectors that receive different cards. In another embodiment, a card connector is constructed by three connectors for receiving three cards, and one connector is designed as the first card connector  10  described above with two ejecting mechanisms mounted on a base seat  33  thereof, and the other two connectors are stacked vertically on opposite sides of said connector. The ejecting mechanisms protrude into corresponding receiving space upwardly or downwardly to engaging with cards. Such structure also reduces overall size of the card connector, and save more space. In a third embodiment, a card connector comprises two card connectors arranged in a transverse direction or in a level, and two ejecting mechanisms are placed on a base seat formed between the two connectors, particularly, one of the connector should be designed as the first connector  1 , and a base seat is rightly received in a rectangular space to couple with ejecting mechanisms. 
   It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.