Abstract:
A card connector comprises an insulating housing defining a card receiving space for accommodating two kinds of different cards in size; a plurality of contacts retained in the housing, an anti-misinsertion appliance disposed in the housing, and comprising a shutter member and an actuator member for controlling the shutter member to open and close and the actuator formed with a locking hole for engaging with a mating portion of the shutter member and having a guiding slope extending from the second card cavity to the first card cavity; and when the actuator member is moved outwardly from the card receiving space because of an outer force, the shutter member can open the card receiving space completely for receiving the corresponding card.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a card connector, especially to a card connector which has anti-misinserting appliances. The instant application relates to two contemporaneously filed applications each having the same applicant, the same title and the same assignee with the instant application. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   With development of electrical appliances such as portable telephones, digital cameras, PDA (personal digital assistance), portable audio and the like, a lot of different kinds of cards such as a SD (super density, secure digital) card, a CF (compact flash) card, a MMC (multimedia card), a MS (memory stick) card, a MS Duo (memory stick duo) card and an XD (xd-picture) card are widely used in the field of the electronics. Because different cards have different external dimensions, thus different card connectors are needed loading corresponding different cards. However, if one card connector can only load one card, more cards are needed more card connectors to load, thus occupying a lot of areas of the electrical appliances and interfering with downsizing of the electrical appliances. Thus a card connector which can load some different cards simultaneously is accomplished. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,920 discloses a card connector which can load some different cards. The connector defines a card receiving space which is divided into some different card cavities for receiving an SM card, a MMC, an SD card and a MS card. That is to say, though the SM card, the MMC, the SD card and the MS card have their own card cavity, these card cavities are in a card receiving space. Especially, thus the MMC is easily inserted into the inserting cavity of the SD card because of misinsertion, then damaging the card connector. 
   Hence, an improved card connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An object of the present invention is to provide a card connector which can prevent misinsertion of cards. 
   Accordingly, to achieve above-mentioned object, a card connector comprises an insulating housing defining a card receiving space for accommodating two kinds of different cards in size; a plurality of contacts retained in the housing and comprising a first and second contacting portions exposed in the card receiving space for electrically connecting with the different cards respectively; an anti-misinsertion appliance disposed in the housing, and comprising a shutter member and an actuator member for controlling the shutter member to open and close and the actuator formed with an engaging hole for engaging with a mating portion of the shutter member and having a guiding slope extending from the second card cavity to the first card cavity; and when the actuator member is moved out from the card receiving space because of an outer force, the shutter member can open the card receiving space completely for receiving the corresponding card. 
   The detailed features of the present invention will be apparent in the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the card connector in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of an anti-misinserting appliance of the card connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is an assembled perspective view of the anti-misinserting appliance of the card connector shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a partly assembled perspective view of the card connector shown in  FIG. 1  with a shield member disassembled from the housing; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the card connector shown in  FIG. 1 , showing original status of insertion of a small card; 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the card connector shown in  FIG. 1 , showing status after the small card collides with a stopper; 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the card connector shown in  FIG. 1 , showing final status of insertion of the small card; 
       FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the card connector shown in  FIG. 1 , showing status after a large card collides with an actuator member; 
       FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the card connector shown in  FIG. 1 , showing status after the large card collides with the stopper; and 
       FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view of the card connector shown in  FIG. 1 , showing final status of insertion of the large card. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 10 , the card connector  1  of the present invention can be used commonly for a thin, short, small card such as a MS Duo card and a thick, long, large card such as a MS card. The present invention, however, is not limited to the use of these cards but also be applied satisfactorily to other memory cards such as SD cards and IC cards. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , the card connector of the present invention comprises an insulating housing  1 , an ejector  2 , an anti-misinsertion appliance  3 , a plurality of electrical contacts  4  and a shielding member  5 . 
   The housing  1  is approximately box-shaped and the shielding member  5  is used in combination with the housing  1 . The housing  1  defines a card receiving space (not labeled) among an end wall  16 , a pair of side walls  13 , a top wall  11  and a bottom wall  12  thereof. The top wall  11  is approximately formed on rear part of the housing  1 . The housing  1  is opened at a front face  15  thereof to form a card insertion opening  17  and defines a card insertion direction along a front-rear direction. The housing  1  formed with a step portion (not labeled) therein to divide the card receiving space into a small card cavity  132  served as a first card cavity and a large card cavity  131  served as a second card cavity, the small card cavity  132  and the large card cavity  131  are aligned along a vertical direction perpendicular to the card insertion direction. An echelon slot  14  is formed on the bottom wall  12  adjacent to the card insertion opening  17 . 
   On both side walls  13  of the housing  1  adjacent to the card insertion opening  17 , the anti-mininserion appliance  3  is arranged to face each other with the card insertion opening  17  interposed therebetween. The anti-misinsertion appliance  3  comprises an actuator member  32  and a shutter member  31  both performed a switching operation according to a difference in size, such as thickness, width or length, between the small card and the large card. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , the contacts  4  are assembled into the housing  1  from the end wall  16  thereof. Each of the electrical contacts  4  comprises a horizontal portion  40 , a first contacting portion  41  extending toward the card insertion opening  7  from one end of the horizontal portion  41 , a soldering portion  43  extending perpendicularly beyond the end wall  16  of the housing  1  from another end of the horizontal portion  41  and a second contacting portion  42  punched from the horizontal portion  41 . The second contacting portion  42  is located between the first contacting portion  41  and the soldering portion  43  and extends slantways toward the bottom wall  12  from the horizontal portion  40 . The first contacting portions  41  are exposed in the small card cavity  132  and the second contacting portion  42  are exposed in the large card cavity  131 . The first contacting portions  41  and the second contacting portion  42  are electrically connected with the small card such as the MS Duo card and the large card such as the MS card respectively. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4 , The ejector  2  is secured at a rear corner  144  of the housing  1 . A column  161  is formed on the end wall  16  and protrudes into the rear corner  144 . The ejector  2  comprises a base body  21  and the ejector  2  is secured in the housing  1  in virtue of one end of a spring  22  set on the column (not labeled) of the housing  1  and opposite end thereof disposed in the ejector  2 , and one end of a pin  214  locked on the base portion  21  and another end thereof locked on the side wall  13 . A first protruding portion  212  and a second protruding portion  211  are formed on the base body  21  along the front-rear direction. The first protruding portion  212  is formed on end of base portion  21  adjacent to the end wall  22  and protrudes into the card receiving space. The second protruding portion  211  is T-shaped, disposed on opposite end of the base portion  21  and protruding into the small card cavity  132 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4  and  8 , The actuator member  32  and the shutter member  31  are received in a first apertures  133  and a second apertures  134  both defined at the side walls  1 . 3  of the housing  1 , respectively. The anti-misinsertion appliance  3  comprises an actuator member  32  and a shutter member  31 . The actuator member  32  is a piece of metal sheet. It comprises a protruding portion  322  protruding into the large card cavity  131  defined as an original position, an engaging portion  321  extending toward the second aperture  134  from one end of the protruding portion  322  to receive in a passage  136  defined at the side walls  13  for communicating the first aperture  133  and the second aperture  134 , and a holding portion  324  extending from another end of the protruding portion  322  for securing in the housing  1  and the holding portion  324  is defined a hole  323 . The actuator member  32  is formed with a locking hole  325  on end of the engaging portion  321  thereof. The shutter member  31  comprises a stopper  313  protruding into the large card cavity  131  defined as an original position, a pivoting axis  311 , a spring  33 , a locking member  34  and a receiving hole  314  located between the stopper  313  and the pivoting axis  311 . A locking member  34  is provided with a pivoting hole  341  and a pair of securing portions  342  extending downward from lateral sides thereof. The pivoting hole  341  is connected with the pivot axis  311 . The spring  33  are set on upper parts of the axis  311  of the shuttle member  31  and one end of the spring  33  is secured on the locking member  34  and another end is secured on the shutter member  31 , and the shutter member  31  is provided with a mating portion  315  exposed in the pivoting hole  314 . The engaging portion  321  of the actuator member  32  is received in the pivoting hole  314  and the mating portion  315  of the shutter member  31  is freely, fittly received in the locking hole  325  of the actuator member  32 . When the large card in inserted, it will press the protruding portions  322  to pivot outward from the card receiving space, then make the mating portion  315  depart from the locking hole  325  to release the shutter member  31 . 
   The locking members  34  are secured in rectangular slots  137   135  which are defined on top of the first apertures  133  and the second apertures  134  in virtue of securing portions  342  thereof. The protruding portions  322  of the actuator members  32  and the stoppers  313  of the shutter members  31  are arranged in turn along the card inserting direction and distance between the pair of protruding portions  322  is longer than that of the stoppers  313 , that is to say, distance of the stoppers  313  protruding into the large card cavity is longer than that of the protruding portions  322 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7 , the small card such as MS Duo card has a width shorter than a normal distance between the pair of protruding portions  322  and the pair of stoppers  313  protrude into the large card cavity  131 , so, when the small card is inserted along the small card cavity  132  from the card insertion opening  17 , it can be inserted smoothly without any interference. Finally, the T-shaped protruding portion  211  of the ejector  2  engages with a corresponding concave (not labeled) of the small card and the small card electrically connects with the first contacting portion  41  of the contacts  4 . 
   When the small card is inserted along the large card cavity  131  by mistake. Because the width of the small card is shorter than the normal distance between the pair of fist protruding portions  322 , so, when the small card is inserted firstly, it does not contact the protruding portions  322 . The small card advances further inward until it contacts the stoppers  313 . The small card has a width larger than distance between the pair of stoppers  313 , so, it contacts the stoppers  313  certainly. Because the small card does not contact the protruding portions  322 , the protruding portions  322  do not move to open outwardly from the large card cavity  29 , thus not make the locking holes  325  depart with the mating portion  315 , that is to say, the mating portions  315  are still fitly received in the locking holes  325  to prevent the shutter members  31  from pivoting outwardly. So, the stoppers  313  do not pivot outwardly but still protrude into the large card cavity  131  to prevent the small card from advancing inwardly along the large card cavity  131 . Thus, the small card then moves into the small card cavity  132  along a pair of guiding slope (not labeled) formed on the stoppers  313  and extending from the second card cavity to the first card cavity, and connects with the first contacting portion  42  of the contacts  4  finally, and the small card is drawn out in virtue of the ejector  2 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 8 ,  9  and  10 , the large card such as MS card has a width larger than that of the small card cavity  132 , so the large card can only insert from the large card cavity  131 . In addition, the width of the large card is larger than the normal distance between the pair of protruding portions  322 , so, when the large card is inserted into the card connector from the card insertion opening  17 , it engages and pushes the protruding portions  322 , causing the actuator member  32  to move to open outwardly from the large card cavity  131 . In this situation, the locking hole  325  of the engaging portion  321  and the mating portion  315  located in the receiving hole  314  of the shutter member  31  are departed each other, thus nothing prevents the shutter member  31  from pivoting outwardly. The large card advances further inward until it contacts the stoppers  313 . The large card has a width larger than a normal distance between the pair of stoppers  313  and the locking holes  325  do not engage with the mating portions  315 , thus the stoppers  313  pivot to open outwardly from the large card cavity  131  and do not prevent the large card from advancing along the large card cavity  131  when the large card contacts the stoppers  313 . Finally, the large card engages with the first protruding portion  212  of the ejector  2  and a concave (no labeled) of the large card contacts a resilient piece  24  (shown in  FIG. 9 ) formed on the ejector  2  to position the large card. The large card electrically connects with the second contacting portions  42  of the contacts  4 . 
   After the large card is withdrawn, the protruding portions  322  of the actuator members  32  return to protrude into the card insertion space in virtue of their own elasticity and the stoppers  313  of the shutter members  31  return to protrude into the card insertion space in virtue of elasticity of the springs  33  disposed on the anti-misinsertion appliances  3 . Because the small card insertion cavity and the large card insertion cavity are overlapped each other, one card such as MS card or MS Duo card is inserted one time. 
   While a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention has been shown and described, equivalent modifications and changes known to persons skilled in the art according to the spirit of the present invention are considered within the scope of the present invention as described in the appended claims.