Memory card connector

A memory card connector includes a housing with a base, a cover, multiple electric terminals installed on the top surface of the base. The base has a left fixing hole and a right fixing hole penetrating its surface. Both sides of the base extend upwards to form a first wall and a second wall. The first wall has a left passageway at its back. The second wall has a right passageway at its back. The cover has a left back board with a left rivet and a left fixing arm. A right back board has a right rivet and a right fixing arm. The cover and the housing are assembled after the rivets are received in the corresponding passageways respectively. After the cover is opened, the fixing arms are inserted into the corresponding fixing holes respectively so that the cover can't come off the housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a memory card connector, and more particularly to a memory card connector having a compact structure designed to prevent the cover from coming off the housing.

2. The Related Art

A memory card is connected to an electric device via a memory card connector. A conventional memory card connector was disclosed in Taiwanese Patent No. M253124. The memory card connector includes an insulation body, a cover and a plurality of insertion terminals. The insulation body has at least one bulge at its outside. The cover has two flank boards. Each flank board is defined at least one hole. When the cover mates with the insulation body, the bulge is jammed in the hole.

However, if the memory card is ejected from the insulation body, the user must make sure that the cover will be off the insulation body, so the above design isn't convenient to use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A memory card connector according to the present invention includes a housing, a cover, a plurality of front electric terminals and a plurality of back electric terminals. The housing has a base. The front terminal troughs receiving the front electric terminals are formed in front of the base, and the back terminal troughs receiving the back electric terminals are formed at the back of the base. The base has a left fixing hole and a right fixing hole at its back. Both sides of the base extend upwards to form a first wall and a second wall. The first wall and the second wall are parallel with the terminal troughs. A left passageway is formed at the back of the first wall. A right passageway apposed to the left passageway is formed at the back of the second wall. The cover has an upper base. The left side of the upper base extends downwards to form a left front board and a left back board. The right of the upper base extends downwards to form a right front board, a right middle board and a right back board. The left back board has a left rivet at its outside and a left fixing arm extending from its back. The right back board has a right rivet at its outside and a right fixing arm extending from its back. The cover and the housing are assembled after the rivets are received in the corresponding passageways respectively. When the cover is opened, the left fixing arm is inserted into the left fixing hole and the right fixing arm is inserted into the right fixing hole, so the cover can't come off the housing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference toFIG. 1, a memory card connector100which is used to receive a memory card includes a housing10, a cover20, a plurality of front electric terminals30and a plurality of back electric terminals40.

With reference toFIG. 2andFIG. 3, the housing10has a base11. A plurality of front terminal troughs111and a plurality of back terminal troughs112are formed side by side on the top surface of the base11for receiving the front electric terminals30and back electric terminals40. A left fillister113is formed at the back of the base11. A left fixing hole114is formed at the back of the left fillister113. A right fixing hole115opposed to the left fixing hole114is formed at the back of the base11. Both sides of the base11extend upwards to form a first wall12and a second wall14. The first wall12is adjacent to the left fillister113. The first wall12has a left corner portion120at its right surface thereof to prevent erroneous insertion. The first wall12also has two L-shaped notch formed at its outside. The first L-shaped notch includes a left lateral slot121, a first left stopping portion122, a left mating portion123and a left upright slot124. The left lateral slot121connects to the left upright slot124. The left mating portion123is formed at the bottom of the left lateral slot121. The second L-shaped notch includes a lateral guide slot125, a second left stopping portion126and an upright guide slot127. The lateral guide slot125connects to the upright guide slot127. The first wall12has a left passageway128adjacent to the second notch. The distal portion of the first wall12extends rightwards to form a left protecting portion129. The second wall14has a third L-shaped notch formed at its outside. The third L-shaped notch includes a right lateral slot141, a right stopping portion142, a right mating portion143and a right upright slot144. The right lateral slot141connects to the right upright slot144. The right mating portion143is formed at the bottom of the right lateral slot141. The right fillister145is formed in the middle of the second wall14, and the right fillister145is a little lower than top surface of the base11. The second wall14has a right passageway146opposed to the left passageway128. The distal portion of the second wall14extends leftwards to form a right protecting portion147. The base11has a front wall13at its front. The front wall13has a front corner portion131at its back surface thereof to prevent erroneous insertion. There is a square hole132connecting with the left end of the front electric troughs111.

With reference toFIG. 4, the cover20includes an upper base21. The left side of the upper base21extends downwards to form a left front board22and a left back board23. A left cantilever221in accordance with the first L-shaped notch is formed in front end of the left front board22. A guide board222is formed at a distal end of the left front board22to correspond to the second L-shaped notch. The bottom of the left back board23extends rightwards to form a left bracket board231. The left back board23has a left rivet232to correspond to the left passageway128. The back of the left back board23extends backwards to form a left fixing arm233. The right of the upper base21extends downwards to form a right front board24, a right middle board25and a right back board26. The right front board24has a right cantilever241to correspond to the third L-shaped notch. The bottom of the right middle board25extends leftwards to form a right bracket board251. The right back board26has a right rivet261at its outside to correspond to the right passageway146. The back of the right back board26extends backwards to form a right fixing arm262.

With reference toFIGS. 1 to 5, when the cover20mates with the housing10, the left passageway128receives the left rivet232, and the right passageway146receives the right rivet261. The length of the left passageway128and the right passageway146is longer than that of the left rivet232and the right rivet261, while the left rivet232is received in the left passageway128and the right rivet261is received in the right passageway146, the left rivet232and the right rivet261move freely in the left passageway128and right passageway146. The left fixing hole114and the right fixing hole115receive the left fixing arm233and the right fixing arm262respectively so that the cover20doesn't come off the housing10even if the cover20is opened.

With reference toFIGS. 6 to 10, when a MCC card50including multiple MCC signal terminals51and a MCC cut-off52is inserted into the memory card connector100. First of all, the MCC signal terminals51are positioned at the bottom of the cover20. At this time, the left fixing arm233and the right fixing arm262prevent the MCC card50from coming off the cover20in the lateral direction, the left bracket board231and the right bracket board251prevent the MCC card50from coming off the cover20in the upright direction. After the cover20is pivoted downwards to abut the housing10, two sides of the cover20touch the first wall12and the second wall14. The guide board222is accepted in the upright guide slot127. The left bracket board231is accepted in the left fillister113, and the right bracket board251is accepted in the right fillister145, the left cantilever221arrives at the left upright slot124. The right cantilever241arrives at the right upright slot144. The left protecting portion129and the right protecting portion147protect the cover20from coming off the housing10in the lateral direction. Secondly, the cover20is pushed forward along the housing10. The left cantilever221touches the left lateral slot121. The right cantilever241touches the right lateral slot141. The guide board222contacts with the lateral guide slot125, and the first left stopped portion122and the right stopped portion142prevent the left cantilever221and the right cantilever241from moving in the upright direction, the second left stopped portion126prevents the left guide board222from moving in the upright direction. The MCC cut-off52contacts with the left corner portion120, so the MCC card50is successfully located in the memory card connector100. When the MCC card50is ejected from the housing10, the cover20moves backwards, the left cantilever221is received in the left upright slot124, and the right cantilever241is received in the right upright slot144. The guide board222is received in the upright guide slot127. After the cover20is rotated upwards, the left fixing arm233is inserted in the left fixing hole114, and the right fixing arm262is inserted in the right fixing hole115. So the cover20doesn't come off the housing10even if the cover20is opened. And then the MCC card50can be taken out from the memory card connector100.

With reference toFIG. 11, a T-Flash card60includes multiple T-Flash signal terminals61and a T-Flash cut-off62, when the T-Flash card60is inserted into the memory card connector100, the T-Flash signal terminals61are positioned on the top of the cover20. Using the above way of covering, the T-Flash card60is inserted into the memory card connector100, after the T-Flash card60is successfully inserted into the memory card connector100, the T-Flash card60contacts with the front corner portion131. Using the above way of opening, the T-Flash card60is ejected from the memory card connector100.