Abstract:
A card connector includes an insulating housing, a plurality of terminals, a shell and an ejecting mechanism. The insulating housing defines a base, a corner portion juxtaposed with the base and a guiding plate extending forwardly from the corner portion. The terminals are received in the base of the insulating housing. The shell covers the insulating housing to define a card slot and a card insertion direction. The guiding plate of the insulating housing extends in the card slot in a particular direction intersecting the insertion direction. The ejecting mechanism has an ejecting member to be engaged with the card and move together with the card, a pushing member for moving the ejecting member towards the removing direction, a rotary member placed on the corner portion and having a rotation center and rotatable around the rotation center. The rotation center is disposed on the corner portion.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a structure of a card connector used for memory cards for use in various portable information terminals, such as a portable telephone or a PC, or memory support equipments such as a digital camera or a digital AV equipment. 
   2. Description of Prior Arts 
   A card connector is generally used as an expanded recording apparatus of an electronic equipment such as a personal computer or a digital camera. As a storage medium of the card connector, a PC card or a memory card has come into wide use. 
   For example, a card called an express card is used as an object to be connected to a card connector. The express card is produced in accordance with a card standard defined by PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) and has two types including a narrow card/34 module and a wide card/54 module. Therefore, a card connector used for connection of the express card is desired to be connectable to both of the two types of cards. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 7,090,537, for example, discloses a card connector which has a shell and an insulating housing receiving a plurality of terminals, the shell covering the insulating housing to define a receiving space. The receiving space defines a front portion allowing a card to be inserted and a back portion opposite to the front portion, and the front portion is wider than the back portion along a transverse direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the card. Accordingly, the shell of the card connector is structured as an L-shaped. However, since the shell is configured in such type, it is necessary to design another model for the shell. So it is an object of the present invention to provide a card connector that is more simple to design. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a card connector which is more simple to design. 
   In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, an card connector includes an insulating housing, a plurality of terminals, a shell and an ejecting mechanism. The insulating housing defines a base, a corner portion juxtaposed with the base and a guiding plate extending forwardly from the corner portion. The terminals are received in the base of the insulating housing. The shell covers the insulating housing to define a card slot and a card insertion direction. The guiding plate of the insulating housing extends in the card slot in a particular direction intersecting the insertion direction. The ejecting mechanism has an ejecting member to be engaged with the card and move together with the card, a pushing member for moving the ejecting member towards the removing direction, a rotary member placed on the corner portion and having a rotation center and rotatable around the rotation center. The rotation center is disposed on the corner portion. 
   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, assembly view of a card connector in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the card connector as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a first insulating housing and a second connector of the card connector in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a first ejecting mechanism and a second mechanism of the card connector in accordance with the present invention; and 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the first ejecting mechanism and the second mechanism of the card connector from another aspect as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Embodiments of the present invention will now be described going with  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 5 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 2 , a card connector  100  in accordance with the present invention, adapted to receive two different cards, comprises a first connector  8 , a second connector  9  located under the first connector  8 , a medium plate  7  mounted at the rear end of the card connector  100 , a first ejecting mechanism  5  and a second mechanism  5 ′ located on a lateral side of the first connector  8  and the second connector  9 , respectively. On the medium plate  7 , two rows terminal holes  70  are disposed in a transverse line. The card connector  100  further has a pair of standing portions  11  placed on the lateral sides thereof for loading the card connector  100  on a printed circuit board (not shown). 
   The first connector  8  comprises a first shell  1 , a first insulating housing  2  and a plurality of first terminals  23  going through the first insulating housing  2 . The first shell  1  is mounted on the first insulating housing  2 , thereby, a first card slot  80  is defined to guide a card insertion. The first card slot  80 , structured approximately as an L shape, is divided into a wider front portion (not labeled) and a narrower back portion (not labeled). 
   The first shell  1 , approximately a rectangular figure, comprises a body plate  10  and a pair of lateral walls  12  extending downwardly from the body plate  10 . Lean to one side of the body plate  10 , a position hole  101  is defined. A pair of side plates (not labeled) are disposed with a locking hole  120  near to the lateral wall  12 , respectively. At the opposite ends of the body plate  10 , a pair of tending plates (not labeled) are provided with a screw hole  13 , respectively. 
   As shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the first insulating housing  2  comprises a transverse base section  20 , an engaging plate  24  extending forwardly from the base section  20 , a corner portion  21  extending laterally from a side of the base section  20  and a guiding plate  22  extending forwardly from the corner portion  21 . In this case, the corner portion  21  and the base section  20  are juxtaposed with each other from an elevational view. The engaging plate  24  has a plurality of receiving holes  240 , the first terminals  23  go through the receiving holes  240 , thereafter, protrude into the first card slot  80  to engaging with an inserted card. Corresponding to the position hole  101  of the shell  1 , a combing section  210  is formed on the corner portion  21 . Near to the base section  20 , a groove  211  is disposed on the corner portion  21  extending in a card insertion or withdrawing direction, and one end thereof communicates with the first card slot  80 . According to the screw holes  13  of the shell  1 , a pair of holes (not labeled) are formed on the opposite ends of the base section  30 , respectively. In addition, an embossment  25  is formed on the lateral side of the base section  20  and the corner portion  21 , respectively. The base section  20 , the guiding plate  22  and the corner portion  21  are integral. Further, the guiding plate  22  extends in the card slot  80  in a particular direction intersecting the insertion direction. 
   Essentially, the first connector  8 , structured as a rectangular housing, the width of the housing is equivalent to that of the wider portion of the card slot  80 . Therefore, the first shell  1  can use a same module of a PC card connector. 
   Continuing with  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the second connector  9  will be described. The second connector  9  has a second shell  4 , a second insulating housing  3 , a terminal module  40  mounted on the second insulating housing  3  and a plurality of second terminals  41  retained in the terminal module  40 . The second insulating housing  3  combines with the second shell  4  defining a second card slot  90  for a second card insertion. The second terminals  41  are arranged in two rows along a card insertion direction, and protruding into the second card slot  90  to engaging with the second card. 
   The second shell  4  comprises an apart portion  44  and a pair of side walls  45  extending downwardly from the opposite sides of the apart portion  44 . Each side wall  45  has a plurality of holes (not labeled), accordingly, a plurality of embossments (not labeled) are formed on the opposite sides of the second insulating housing  3  to lock with the holes. Adjacent to one side of the terminal module  40 , a sliding channel  43  is defined extending along a card insertion direction. Corresponding to the screw hole of the first insulating housing  2 , a pair of screw holes  30  are defined on the opposite ends of the second insulating housing  3 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the structure of the first ejecting mechanism  5  and the second ejecting mechanism  5 ′ are almost the same. The first ejecting mechanism  5  and the second mechanism  5 ′ comprises, respectively, a bracket  50 ,  50 ′, a pushing member  51 ,  51 ′ surrounded by corresponding brackets  50 ,  50 ′, a subordinating member  52 ,  52 ′ actuated by corresponding pushing member, a rotary member  53 ,  53 ′ and an ejecting member  54 ,  54 ′. In the bracket  50 ,  50 ′, a limiting section (not shown) is formed, respectively, for dominating the push member  51 ,  51 ′ and the subordinating member  52 ,  52 ′ moving. A plurality of stabbing pieces  501 ,  501 ′ are provided on the upper portion and the lower portion of the bracket  50 ,  50 ′, respectively. On the rotary member  53 ,  53 ′, an axis part  530 ,  530 ′ is formed according with the combining section  210  of the first insulating housing, respectively. The ejecting member  54 ,  54 ′ has a pushing section  542 ,  542 ′ protruding into the first card slot  80  and the second card slot  90 , and a joining section  541 ,  541 ′ connecting the ejecting member  54 ,  54 ′ with the rotary member  53 ,  53 ′, respectively. The pushing member  542 ,  542 ′ are capable of engaging with corresponding card directly. 
   Together with  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 5 , the relationship of the elements of the card connector  100  as described above will be illustrated in flowing segment. The first ejecting mechanism  5  is placed at one side of the first insulating housing  2 , with the rotary member  53  fixed on the corner portion  21  rightly, the ejecting member  54  mounted in the groove  211 , thereafter, the pushing section  542  protruding into the first card slot  80 . Upon the setting manner, a rotation center (shown in  FIG. 1 ) is formed by the axis  530  of the rotary member  53  mating with the position hole  101  of the first shell  1  and the combining section  210  of the corner portion  21 , then the rotary member  53  is capable of rotating around the rotation center. When the first card is ejected, promoting the pushing member  51  in the card insertion direction, then the subordinating member  52  is actuated to make the rotary member  53  rotate with one end moving backwardly and the other engaging with the ejecting member  54  moving forwardly, so the pushing portion  542  moving forwardly. Therefore, the card is ejected. 
   The second ejecting mechanism  5 ′ is assembled at a side of the second connector  9  and under the first ejecting mechanism  5 , with the axis  530 ′ of the rotary member  53  retained in a corresponding position hole (not shown) formed on the bottom surface of the corner portion  21 . The pushing section  542 ′ goes through the channel  43  and projecting into the second card slot  90 . The second card is pushed in the same way of the first card as described above. So it is unnecessary to describe the ejecting process of the second card. 
   The first shell  1  is mounted on the first insulating housing  2  with the hole  120  locking with the embossment  25 , at the same time, the stabbing pieces  501  is locked in corresponding gap (not labeled) defined on the first shell  1 . The medium plate  7  is located at the rear end of the card connector  100  with the first terminals  23  and the second terminals  41  going through. Finally, the screws  6  go through the screws holes of the first shell  1 , the first insulating housing  2  and the second insulating housing  3  in turn to fasten the first connector  8  with the second connector  9  together. 
   The card connector in this embodiment is designed to receive two kinds of cards, accordingly with two ejecting mechanisms partially exposed out of the card connector. In other embodiment, a card connector, designed to receive one card, can also be fixed one of the ejecting mechanisms as described above. 
   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.