Card connector

The present invention is to provide a card connector, which comprises a shell body, an insulating main body, a card carrier for supporting an electric card, and a plurality of conductive terminals embedded within the insulating main body. The card connector further comprises a retreating-card apparatus, which comprises an actuator, a slider actuated by the actuator, and a linkage mechanism linked up with the slider. The linkage mechanism is disposed on a rear end of the card carrier. When the actuator is acted to push the slider moving along a first direction, the linkage mechanism is linked with the slider to push the card carrier in a second direction opposite to the first direction so that the card carrier and the electric card are removed from the insulating main body. Thus, the card connector according to the present invention reveals light-thin, compact-construct, sort-assembly time and lower-assembly cost.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a card connector, and in particular to a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card connector.

2. The Related Arts

A SIM card connector is widely applied in various kinds of the electronic communication equipments, such as a mobile phone. The SIM card connector is disposed on a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) and provided for a SIM card inserting therein to achieve a communicative transmission between the SIM card and PCB, thereby accomplishing data identification thereof.

FIG. 1shows a traditional SIM card connector50comprises a shell body51, a plurality of grooves511formed on a bottom wall of the shell body51, a plurality of electric conductive terminals512respectively embedded within the grooves511, and a plurality of electric conductive terminals512welded onto and electrically connected to a PCB (not shown). The SIM card connector50further comprises a fastener52mounted on the shell body51, wherein the fastener52, the bottom wall and side walls of the shell body51defines an inserting space for inserting a SIM card53.

With the present electronic communication equipment such as a mobile phone trending light, thin and ingenious, a development of the SIM card connector used in the mobile phone should comply toward a direction of light, thin and ingenious. However, the above mentioned traditional SIM card connector has a larger volume which occupies more space in the electronic communication equipment so that it can not be suited for the actual requirement at present. Besides, since the SIM card connector has no any retreating-card apparatus, it invokes inconvenient for users to manually remove the SIM card therefrom.

Therefore, there is a need for providing a card connector, to solve existing problems in the conventional technology.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To resolve the drawbacks of the above-mentioned prior art, an objective of the present invention is to provide a card connector, which reveals a light, thin and compact structure in assembly of saving both time and cost.

To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a card connector which comprises a shell body, an insulating main body, a card carrier for supporting an electric card, a plurality of conductive terminals embedded within the insulating main body, and a retreating-card apparatus, wherein the retreating-card apparatus comprises an actuator, a slider actuated by the actuator, and a linkage mechanism linked with the slider positioned at the rear end of the card carrier. While acted in a first direction, the actuator pushes the slider to slide along the first direction and thereby links up with the linkage mechanism to push the card carrier in a second direction opposite to the first direction so as to withdraw the card carrier and the electric card from the insulating main body.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the linkage mechanism comprises a cam, a fixed axle and a driven member, wherein the cam is actuated by the slider, and revolves round the fixed axle, so that the driven member pushed the card carrier.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the actuator is a pin. One end of the slider links up with the pin and the other end of the slider links up with the cam.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the insulating main body comprises a first installing portion used for supporting the card carrier, and a second installing portion used for setting the slider.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the insulating main body comprises a third installing portion used for disposing the cam thereon, and the fixed axle is fixed on the third installing portion.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the card connector further comprises a latching member used for locking the card carrier, and the latching member has an abutting portion used for abutting against a bottom of the card carrier.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the card connector further comprises a switch terminal embedded within a side of the insulating main body.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the card carrier forms in a frame-like, and the card carrier is formed with an installing groove for supporting the electric card.

As described above, the retreating-card apparatus of the card connector according to the present invention is disposed inside the card connector to construct lightly, thinly and compactly, so as to save an inner space of the electric equipment as a mobile phone with a volume progressively trending to light and thin, so that it can be well-suited for the light and thin electric equipment. Besides, the present invention is constructed simply and designed reasonably, so that it can shorten the time and lower the cost of assembling the card connector. Further, in the present invention, by the actuator actuating the slider, the linkage mechanism is linked up to push the card carrier, and thereby withdraws the card carrier and the card from the insulating main body. Thus, such a retreating-card method contributes greatly convenient, quick and reliable.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The foregoing objects, features and advantages adopted by the present invention can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the directional terms described in the present invention, such as upper, lower, front, rear, left, right, inner, outer, side and etc., are only directions referring to the accompanying drawings, so that the used directional terms are used to describe and understand the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Referring now toFIGS. 2-4, a card connector1according to the present invention comprises a shell body11, an insulating main body12, a card carrier13and a plurality of conductive terminals14embedded within the insulating main body12.

In this embodiment, the card connector1is provided for accommodating a SIM card20therein. When the SIM card20is inserted into the card connector1, a use-to-telecommunicate portion of the SIM card20contacts with the conductive terminals14so as to establish an electrical communication with a PCB thereoutside. A conception of the present invention is that: the card connector1further comprises a retreating-card apparatus (not indicated) disposed on the insulating main body12. The retreating-card apparatus can remove the SIM card20by using a lever principle, so as to conveniently dispose/withdraw the SIM card20. Since the retreating-card apparatus is disposed inside the card connector1, it can shorten the assembly time and lower the assembly cost thereof.

Referring now toFIGS. 4 and 5, the insulating main body12comprises a first installing portion121, a second installing portion122, and a third installing portion123. Specifically speaking, the first installing portion121is formed with a plurality of grooves in which the conductive terminals14are disposed, respectively. The retreating-card apparatus comprises an actuator151, a slider152, and a linkage mechanism153. The first installing portion121is used for supporting the card carrier13, the second installing portion122is used for disposing the slider152of the retreating apparatus thereon and the third installing portion123is used for disposing the linkage mechanism153of the retreating-card apparatus thereon.

As shown inFIG. 4, the card carrier13is formed as a frame-like with an installing groove131for placing the SIM card20. The card carrier13further has a through-hole132rearwardly defined beside a front end thereof and positioned correspondingly to the slider152.

Referring now toFIGS. 3 and 4, as above mentioned, the retreating-card apparatus comprises the actuator151, the slider152, and the linkage mechanism153. In this embodiment, the actuator151is equipped with a pin for actuating the slider152. At the time when the SIM card20does not need to withdraw, the pin151is accommodated within the end user's device, such as a shell of a mobile phone. The slider152and the linkage mechanism153are disposed on the insulating main body12. Specifically speaking, the slider152is disposed beside the card carrier13, and an end of the linkage mechanism153is abutted against an end of the slider152, besides the other end of the slider152is abutted against a rear end of the card carrier13.

As above mentioned, the slider152is disposed on the second installing portion122and the linkage mechanism153is disposed on the third installing portion123. When the pin of the actuator151pushes the slider152in a first direction31as directed by an arrow, the linkage mechanism153can be linked up with the slider152to facilitate the other end of the linkage mechanism153pushing the card carrier13in a second direction32opposite to the first direction31so that the card carrier13and the SIM card20can be removed from the insulating main body12.

Preferably, in this embodiment, the slider152is disposed with a convex post157, and the pin151pushes the convex post157to link up with the slider152. The linkage mechanism153is realized in a cam mechanism, which comprises a cam154, a fixed axle155and a driven member156. The cam154is actuated by the slider152to rotate on the fixed axle155and thereby to make the driven member156pushing the card carrier13. In this embodiment, the fixed axle155is disposed on the third installing portion123. Specifically speaking, the third installing portion123has a staged part124(as shown inFIG. 5) which positions the cam154thereon and is formed with the fixed axle155.

Referring now toFIGS. 4 and 5, the card connector1further comprises a latching member16used for tightly locking the card carrier13. The first installing portion121of the insulating main body12is formed with an opening groove125and a concave groove126. The latching member16has an abutting portion161. The latching member16is inserted into the concave groove126whereby the abutting portion161of the latching member16protrudes through the opening groove125to abut against a bottom of the card carrier13.

When the SIM card20and the card carrier13are located inside the insulating main body12, the latching member16ensures a firm and stable securement among the SIM card20, the card carrier13and an inside wall of the user's device. Preferably, the latching member16is made of a metallic material. The card connector1further comprises a switch terminal17embedded within a side of the insulating main body12, so as to detect if the card carrier13and the SIM card20are inserted to or removed from the insulating main body12.

As described above, the retreating-card apparatus of the card connector1according to the present invention is disposed inside the card connector1to construct lightly, thinly and compactly, and thereby save an inner space of the electric equipment such as mobile phone with a volume trending to light and thin, so that it can be suited for a light and thin electric equipment. Besides, the present invention is constructed simply and designed reasonably to shorten the time and lower the cost in assembling the card connector1. Further, in the present invention, by the actuator151actuating the slider152to link up with the linkage mechanism153to push the card carrier13, the card carrier13and the SIM card20can be removed from the insulating main body12. Thus, such a retreating-card method reveals convenient, quick and reliable.