Connector which can be reduced in size

In a card connector to be connected to a card, An ejecting member is provided so as to be movable along a predetermined plane for ejecting the card in an ejecting direction. The ejecting member has a card contacting portion to be contacted with the card and a cam-operated portion. The ejecting member is urged towards the ejecting direction by a urging member. A cam mechanism is provided so as to movable along the predetermined plane in a direction intersecting the ejecting direction. The cam mechanism is elastically supported by a supporting member so that it is disposed at a predetermined position. The cam mechanism has a cam portion for controlling a position of the ejecting member in cooperation with the cam-operated portion.

This application claims priority to prior Japanese patent application JP 2005-101847, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a card connector for use in connecting a card.

At present, various types of cards generally called an IC card or a memory card are used in an electronic apparatus. Typically, the card is removably inserted into a card connector mounted or connected to the electronic apparatus.

For example, a card connector of the type is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2001-267013. The card connector is adapted to be mounted to an electronic apparatus and comprises an insulator of a generally rectangular shape, a plurality of contacts held by the insulator, an eject lever coupled to the insulator to be slidable in inserting and removing directions for ejecting a card, and a spring for continuously urging the eject lever in an ejecting direction, namely, the removing direction. The eject lever is provided with a heart cam. On the other hand, the insulator is provided with a cam follower to be engaged with the heart cam. The heart cam has a cam groove.

The cam groove has a bottom provided with a plurality of steps in order to prevent reverse or backward running of the cam follower and a slope in front of each step in order to allow normal or forward running of the cam follower. As a consequence, the heart cam is inevitably increased in thickness in correspondence to the steps.

In addition, a spring for pressing the cam follower to the heart cam is required. Therefore, it is difficult to reduce the total thickness of a cam mechanism comprising the heart cam, the cam follower, and the spring.

When the card is inserted, a rotation torque is applied to the eject lever. With this structure, friction is produced between the lever and other elements during operation to impair an operation feeling.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a card connector which can be reduced in thickness of a cam mechanism.

It is another object of this invention to provide a card connector which can be reduced in friction between elements to enhance an operation feeling.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a card connector which can be reduced in spring force to assure a sufficient margin in strength of a housing and to reduce deformation of each element so that friction with another element is suppressed and an operation feeling is not impaired.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a card connector in which a collision sound upon operation can easily be increased so as to enhance an operation feeling.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a card connector to be connected to a card, the card connector comprising an ejecting member movable along a predetermined plane for ejecting the card in an ejecting direction, the ejecting member having a card contacting portion to be contacted with the card and a cam-operated portion, an urging member urging the ejecting member towards the ejecting direction, a cam mechanism movable along the predetermined plane in a direction intersecting the ejecting direction, and a supporting member elastically supporting the cam mechanism so that the cam mechanism is disposed at a predetermined position, the cam mechanism having a cam portion for controlling a position of the ejecting member in cooperation with the cam-operated portion.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a card connector to be connected to a card, the card connector comprising an ejecting member to be contacted with the card for ejecting the card, an elastic member urging the ejecting member towards a card ejecting direction, and a cam mechanism having a cam portion to be engaged with a cam-operated portion of the ejecting member, the cam portion being operable to lock the ejecting member at a card fitting position when the card is inserted and to unlock the ejecting member when the card is ejected, the cam mechanism further comprising a rotation shaft and a supporting member, the cam mechanism being rotatably held by the rotation shaft, the supporting member urging the cam mechanism so that the cam mechanism is disposed at a predetermined position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 5, description will be made of a structure of a card connector according to an embodiment of this invention.

The card connector illustrated in the figures is depicted by a reference numeral102. The card connector102is mounted on a substrate110built in an electronic apparatus and is used for connecting a memory card100. The card connector102comprises a base portion101automatically mounted at a predetermined position on the substrate110, and a frame portion20coupled to the base portion101and fixed to the substrate110. The base portion101comprises a number of base contacts2made of metal and soldered to the substrate110, and a base housing1made of resin and fixedly holding the base contacts2by press-fitting.

The frame portion20covers the base portion101mounted to the substrate110and comprises a locator3made of resin, a plurality of contacts5made of metal, a housing30made of resin, a cover40made of metal, a heart cam50made of resin and serving as a cam portion, a lever60made of metal and serving as an ejecting member for ejecting the card100, a first spring6of an elastic member, and a second spring7as a supporting member. The housing30has a protrusion which serves as a rotation shaft24. A combination of the heart cam50, the rotation shaft24fitted to a rotation hole51of the heart cam50, and the second spring7forms a cam mechanism. As illustrated inFIG. 4, the locator3has left and right protrusions3apress-fitted to a U-shaped portion21aof the housing30to be fixed.

The contacts5has press-fit portions5aand5bpress-fitted to holes (not shown) of the housing30so that the contacts5are fixed to the housing30. The rotation hole51of the heart cam50is fitted over the rotation shaft24of the housing30so that the heart cam50is rotatable.

The second spring7is a coil spring having a coil body7c. The coil body7chas one end provided with a hook7aengaged with a protrusion26of the housing30and the other end provided with a hook7bengaged with a protrusion52of the heart cam50. In this state, the heart cam50is continuously applied with a pulling force from the second spring7to be kept at an uninclined or untilted position (i.e., a position substantially parallel to an ejecting direction or a removing direction depicted by an arrow A).

The lever60has a hole61fitted over a rotation shaft27of a cylindrical protrusion of the housing30to be rotatable in a predetermined plane. The lever60has a card contacting or ejecting portion62to be engaged or contacted with the memory card100when the memory card100is ejected and inserted.

The first spring6comprises a tension coil spring and has hooks6aand6bformed at opposite ends thereof. The hook6ais engaged with a spring attaching portion63comprising a protrusion at a rotating end of the lever60. The hook6bis engaged with a cylindrical protrusion28of the housing30. The lever60is continuously applied with a pulling force from the first spring6to be urged in the ejecting direction A around the rotation shaft27. Thus, the first spring6serves as an urging member for urging the lever60in the ejecting direction A.

The heart cam50comprises a depressed portion50ahaving a bottom surface parallel to the predetermined plane and having no step, and a protruding portion50bdisposed on the depressed portion50aand defining a generally heart-like contour. The protruding portion50bhas a recess58formed at an end portion near to the protrusion52.

The cover40has left and right holes41and a guiding portion42. The left and right holes41are fitted over protrusions29of the housing30and the guide portion42is fitted to a slit portion31so that the cover40is fixed.

The lever60has a card ejecting portion62formed on a side near the rotation hole51formed near a forward end of a recess25of the housing30. The positional relationship at that portion may be represented by a leverage or lever ratio given by:
g×e=h×f(1),
where g represents a card removing force, e, a distance between the rotation shaft27and a card ejecting position62, h, a force exerted by the first spring6to urge the lever60in the ejecting direction A, and f, a distance between the rotation shaft27and the spring attaching portion63. Actually, in order to eject the card100, the relationship must be:
g×e<h×f.
Thus, the rotation torque for ejecting the card100is increased.

Referring toFIGS. 6 to 13B, description will be made of an operation of the card connector illustrated inFIG. 3.

InFIGS. 6 and 6A, the memory card100is inserted. In this state, the lever60is applied with a force by the first spring6in the ejecting direction A around the rotation shaft27of the housing30. However, since a protrusion64of the lever60as a cam follower is fitted to the recess58of the heart cam50, the card ejecting portion62of the lever60can not rotate any further in the ejecting direction A. Therefore, the memory card100can be held at its initial position. At this time, the heart cam50is applied with a rotation force by the second spring7in a clockwise direction C.

Referring toFIGS. 7 and 7A, the memory card100is going to be ejected. From the state illustrated inFIGS. 6 and 6A, the memory card100is pushed in a inserting direction B to an innermost position. When the memory card100is pushed inward in the inserting direction B, the card ejecting portion62of the lever60is pushed so that the lever60is rotated in the inserting direction B around the rotation shaft27of the insulator30. Then, the protrusion64of the lever60is disengaged from the recess58of the heart cam50and moves over a protrusion57. However, since the heart cam50is pulled by the second spring7, the heart cam50is rotated in the clockwise direction C to take the untilted position. The protrusion64of the lever60collides with a wall55of the heart cam50. At this time, a collision sound is generated and rotation of the heart cam50is stopped.

Referring toFIGS. 8 and 8A, the memory card100is ejected. Specifically, from the state illustrated inFIGS. 7 and 7A, the memory card100collides with a wall32of the housing30and the pushing force of the memory card100is weakened. At this time, the lever60is applied with a force by the first spring6in the ejecting direction A and rotated around the rotation shaft27of the housing30to eject the memory card100via the card ejecting portion62. The heart cam50is pulled by the second spring7to rotate in the clockwise direction C so that the heart cam50takes the untilted position. The protrusion64of the lever60passes over a left side of the protrusion57of the heart cam50. When the lever60is moved in the ejecting direction A, the heart cam50is pushed by the protrusion64of the lever60and is rotated in the clockwise direction C.

Referring toFIGS. 9 and 9A, the memory card100is completely ejected. The lever60applied with the force by the first spring6in the ejecting direction A collides with the wall32of the housing30and the rotation of the lever60is stopped. The memory card100is also stopped. At this time, the heart cam50is rotated in a counterclockwise direction D under the force from the second spring7and takes the untilted position.

Referring toFIGS. 10 and 10A, the memory card100is inserted. When the memory card100is inserted, the lever60is rotated via the card ejecting portion62around the rotation shaft27of the housing30in the inserting direction B. At this time, the protrusion64of the lever60collides with a wall59of the heart cam50so that the heart cam50is rotated around the rotation shaft24of the housing30.

Referring toFIGS. 11 and 11A, the memory card100is inserted in the manner similar toFIGS. 10 and 10A. In this state also, the protrusion64collides with the wall59of the heart cam50. The heart cam50is rotated around the rotation shaft24to have a maximum displacement in the counterclockwise direction D.

Referring toFIGS. 12 and 12A, the memory card100is in the state immediately before it is completely inserted. InFIGS. 11 and 11A, when the protrusion64of the lever60passes over a protrusion56of the heart cam50, the heart cam50is rotated around the rotation shaft24in the counterclockwise direction D with the maximum displacement. Since the heart cam50is pulled by the second spring7to take the untilted position, the heart cam50is rotated in the clockwise direction C. Then, a wall54of the heart cam50collides with the protrusion64of the lever60to generate a collision sound.

Referring toFIGS. 13 and 13A, the memory card100is completely inserted immediately before it is returned to the initial position. When the memory card100in the state illustrated inFIGS. 12 and 12Ais pushed in the inserting direction B, the memory card100collides with the wall32of the housing30. When operator's hold is loosened, the memory card100is moved in the ejecting direction A. This is because the lever60is continuously pulled by the first spring6in the ejecting direction A around the rotation shaft27of the insulator30and, therefore, the memory card100is pushed via the card ejecting portion62of the lever60in the ejecting direction A. Consequently, the lever60colliding with the wall54of the heart cam50is rotated in the ejecting direction A. Since the heart cam50is rotated in the clockwise direction C under the force of the second spring7, the protrusion64of the lever60then collides with the protrusion57of the heart cam50to generate a collision sound. The lever60moves in the ejecting direction A into the state illustrated inFIGS. 6 and 6A. Thus, the memory card100is moved to the initial position.

With the above-mentioned structure, no step is formed on the bottom of the cam and the lever is required to perform rotational movement alone. Therefore, no spring for pressing a cam follower is necessary. Accordingly, the card connector can be designed to have a reduced thickness.

The moment applied to the lever includes a rotation torque applied by the spring and a rotation torque applied by the memory card. Each of the torques is generated around the rotation support point of the lever. Therefore, a moving path of the lever is stable and friction between the lever and other elements is reduced. Thus, the operation feeling is not impaired.

As described in conjunction withFIG. 5, the lever has the card ejecting portion on the side near the rotation support point and the spring attaching portion formed outside the card ejecting portion to continuously urge the lever in the ejecting direction. At this portion, the relationship in the above equation (1) is produced. From the equation (1):
h=g×e/f(2).

Since e/f is smaller than 1, h<g. Thus, h is designed to be small.

Thus, the spring force can be designed to be small so that a sufficient margin is assured in strength of the insulator. By reducing the spring force, deformation or warp of the lever or the insulator is suppressed so that friction with other elements is reduced and the operation feeling is not impaired.

One of the factors determining the operation feeling is a magnitude of the collision sound generated upon collision between the wall of the heart cam and the protrusion of the lever. When the magnitude of the collision sound is large, the operation feeling is good. In the above-mentioned card connector, the heart cam is pulled by the use of the spring so that the protrusion of the lever collides with the wall of the heart cam to generate the collision sound. In a case where the insulator is sufficient in strength, it is possible to increase the strength of the spring. In this event, the rotation force of the heart cam can be enhanced so that the collision sound upon collision with the protrusion of the lever can simply be increased.

Although this invention has been described in conjunction with the preferred embodiment thereof, this invention may be modified in various other manners within the scope of the appended claims. The above-mentioned card connector is applicable to a memory card connector for an electronic apparatus or an electric apparatus such as a digital camera, a portable terminal, and a notebook-type personal computer.