Sealed receptacle connector for PC card

Disclosed is an improved receptacle connector for an IC card, which includes a housing having terminal-receiving cavities with terminals mounted therein. Each terminal is fixed to a stopper and the terminal-and-stopper assembly is press-fit within the housing to provide a seal which prevents the ingress of foreign particles into the IC card to avoid contamination of and damage to the circuitry of the internal circuit board of the IC card in which the receptacle connector is assembled.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more 
particularly, to a receptacle connector for an IC card. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
FIG. 15 shows a conventional receptacle connector in an assembled IC card 
54. As shown in the drawing, receptacle terminals 52 are press-fit in 
terminal-receiving cavities 53 of a housing 51. Although cover members 58 
seal and protect the internal circuit board 56 of the IC card from 
contaminants and other foreign substances, some moisture and other small 
size foreign substances may enter the IC card 54 via the cavities 53, as 
indicated by arrows 55. Therefore there is a potential for contamination 
of or damage to the integrated circuitry 57 on the surface of internal 
circuit board 56 of the IC card. The portable nature of IC cards and the 
removal of the cards from relatively clean areas such as offices further 
increases the likelihood of the ingress of foreign substances into the IC 
card. 
In an attempt to solve the problem of contamination, it is proposed that 
housing 51 and terminals 52 are integrally or unitarily formed, such as in 
a single overmolding process to eliminate cavities 53. 
The receptacle connector would then be sealed to the environment except for 
the smaller inlet apertures 61 at the front mating edge thereof, which 
receive the contact pins of a mating connector (not shown). 
This type of solution however is complicated and costly in terms of design, 
manufacturing and ultimate cost of the connector. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object of the present invention is to provide a sealed receptacle 
connector for an IC card, which receptacle connector prevents the ingress 
of foreign contaminants into the IC card, and which does not add 
significantly to the cost of manufacturing and assembling such receptacle 
connectors. 
To achieve this object, a receptacle connector is provided, which includes 
an insulative housing, a plurality of inlet apertures at a first end of 
the housing for receiving contacts of a mating connector, the inlet 
apertures communicating with terminal-receiving cavities extending 
rearwardly therefrom, and a corresponding plurality of receptacle 
terminals inserted in the cavities. Each of the plurality of receptacle 
terminals is connected to an insulative stopper, and each stopper is 
adapted to be press-fit within the housing at an opposite end thereof, 
whereby, when the terminals and stoppers are inserted in the 
terminal-receiving cavities, the cavities are sealed from the environment 
by the stoppers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring first to FIGS. 1 through 8, a receptacle-type electrical 
connector according to a first embodiment is described. As shown in FIGS. 
1 and 2, the receptacle connector comprises an elongated insulative 
housing 1, a plurality of receptacle terminals 2 and a corresponding 
plurality of stoppers 3. 
The housing 1 is composed of an upper and a lower row of terminal-receiving 
cavities 4. The terminals 2a are inserted in the upper and lower 
terminal-receiving cavities 4 of the housing 1 and are adapted to be 
connected to electronic circuitry (not shown) formed on opposite surfaces 
of a circuit board 5 of an IC card, thereby permitting the circuitry of 
the circuit board to be connected to mating contact pins (not shown) when 
the contact pins are received through inlet apertures 6 of housing 1. The 
receptacle connector is adapted to be fixed to one end of the circuit 
board, as shown in FIG. 2. 
As best seen in FIG. 2, the terminal-receiving cavities 4 are sealed at 
their ends by stoppers 3, thereby preventing the ingress of foreign 
substances into the IC card through the inlet apertures and the 
terminal-receiving cavities, and preventing contamination of the internal 
circuitry of the circuit board. 
Looking now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the terminals are shown prior to assembly of 
the receptacle connector. The terminals 2 are arranged at a given spacing 
and connected by a carrier strip 7. Each terminal includes a terminal 
contact 2a at an end opposite the carrier strip, and a conductor extension 
2b which extends between the terminal contact 2a and the carrier strip 7. 
Guide pieces 8 are arranged between adjacent conductor extensions 2b, and 
also extend from carrier strip 7. 
During assembly of the receptacle connector, guide pieces 8 are cut and 
removed from carrier strip 7, and the terminal contacts 2a are arranged at 
predetermined spacing, for example at intervals of 1.0 mm. The terminals 
are then insert-molded with the stoppers to form a unitary 
terminal-and-stopper assembly. 
The terminal-and-stopper assembly is then press-fit into housing 1 from the 
rear end thereof by inserting terminal contacts 2a into terminal-receiving 
cavities 4 so that the stoppers are press-fit within a recess or opening 
11 of housing 1, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The fully assembled receptacle 
is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. 
As seen from these drawings, and in particular FIG. 8, the cavities 4 of 
housing 1 are completely sealed by the stopper 3, which otherwise would 
permit foreign contaminants into the IC card by way of the 
terminal-receiving cavities and expose the circuitry of the printed 
circuit board thereto. 
After press-fitting the terminal-and-stopper assembly into the housing, the 
carrier strip 7 is then cut and removed from the conductive extensions 2b, 
and then, as shown in FIG. 2, the free ends of the conductive extensions 
2b are formed divergently to facilitate the insertion of the circuit board 
5 between the rows of terminals 2 and the soldering of the free ends of 
the extensions 2b to the surface of the circuit board. 
Referring now to FIGS. 9 through 12, a receptacle connector is described 
according to a second embodiment of the invention. In the first 
embodiment, terminals 2 and associated stoppers 3 are insert-molded to 
form a single terminal-and-stopper assembly. In the second embodiment, the 
terminals 2 are simply press-fit within an associated stopper member 3 to 
provide the unitary terminal-and-stopper assembly. 
As in the first embodiment, the terminal-and-stopper assembly is then 
press-fit into housing 1 from the rear end thereof, as indicated by arrow 
20 in FIG. 10, until stopper 3 is positively fixed or press-fit into 
recess 11 of housing 1, to provide the receptacle assembly as shown in 
FIGS. 11 and 12. 
Next, and now referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, a receptacle connector is 
described according to a third embodiment of the invention. In the first 
and second embodiments, the receptacle connector is adapted to be fixed to 
the end of the circuit board 5 (FIG. 2), but in the third embodiment the 
receptacle is fixed to the surface of a circuit board 5 (FIG. 14(c)). 
As shown in FIG. 13, terminals 2 and associated stopper 3 are integrally 
connected by either method described above, and then, as shown in FIGS. 
14a and 14b, the terminal-and-stopper assembly is assembled within housing 
1. 
The receptacle is then adapted to be fixed to the surface of the circuit 
board 5 of an IC card as shown in FIG. 14c. Mating contact pins are 
adapted to be inserted into the receptacle in a direction transverse to 
the surface of circuit board 5. 
As understood from the above, a receptacle connector according to the 
present invention includes a housing whose terminal-receiving cavities are 
each sealed by a stopper to prevent the ingress of foreign particles 
therethrough and to avoid the potential contamination of and/or damage to 
the circuitry of the internal circuit board of an IC card in which the 
receptacle connector is assembled. 
It will be understood that the above invention may be embodied in other 
specific forms without departing from the spirit or central 
characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, 
are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, 
and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.