Card connector

A card connector includes an insulating housing defining a receiving room for receiving an electronic card, a cover coupled on the insulating housing, and a monitoring member having a base plate disposed in the insulating housing, a monitoring means extending along the insertion direction of the card, and a connecting arm perpendicularly connecting the monitoring means to the base plate. The connecting arm is inclined upward into the receiving room to make the monitoring means locate in the receiving room. One end of the monitoring means is higher than the other end thereof for electrically abutting against the cover, wherein the lower end of the monitoring means is adapted for being pressed downward by the card to make the connecting arm move downward and further make the upper end thereof disconnect from the cover so as to monitor whether the card is fully inserted in the card connector or not.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a card connector, and more particularly to a card connector capable of monitoring whether an electronic card is fully inserted therein or not.

2. The Related Art

With the development of electronic technology, various electronic cards are widely used in electronic products, such as digital cameras, personal digital assistants (PDA) and mobile phones etc. The conventional electronic product defines a card connector so as to receive an electronic card therein. The card connector includes an insulating housing, a plurality of electrical terminals and a monitoring assembly disposed in the insulating housing respectively. The monitoring assembly includes a rigid first monitoring member and a flexible second monitoring member adapted for being pressed by the card to electrically contact the first monitoring member so as to monitor whether the card is fully inserted in the card connector or not. However, the achievement of the monitoring function of the card connector must depend on the cooperation between the first and second monitoring members. As a result, two kinds of molds are needed to shape the monitoring members respectively when manufacturing the card connector so that takes a relatively high manufacture cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a card connector adapted for receiving an electronic card therein and including an insulating housing, a plurality of electrical terminals disposed in the insulating housing and electrically contacting the card, a cover coupled on the insulating housing, and a monitoring member disposed in the insulating housing behind the electrical terminals. The insulating housing has a base board and two sidewalls extending upward from two opposite side edges of the base board. A receiving room is defined by the base board and the sidewalls for receiving the card therein. The cover has a top board covered on the receiving room. The monitoring member has a flat base plate disposed in a rear of the base board, a monitoring means extending along the insertion direction of the card, and a connecting arm perpendicularly connecting the monitoring means to the base plate. The connecting arm is inclined upward into the receiving room to make the monitoring means locate in the receiving room. A rear end of the monitoring means far away from the electrical terminals is higher than a front end thereof adjacent to the electrical terminals for electrically abutting against a bottom surface of the top board of the cover, wherein the front end of the monitoring means is adapted for being pressed downward by the card to make the connecting arm move downward and further make the rear end thereof disconnect from the top board of the cover so as to monitor whether the card is fully inserted in the card connector or not. Therefore, only one mold is needed to shape the monitoring member when manufacturing the card connector of the present invention so that takes a relatively low manufacture cost.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIG. 1andFIG. 3, a card connector in accordance with the present invention includes an insulating housing1, a plurality of electrical terminals2, an ejecting device3, a monitoring member4and a cover5.

Referring toFIG. 3again, the insulating housing1has a rectangular flat base board11. Two opposite side edges of the base board11extend upward to respectively form a restricting sidewall12and an accommodating sidewall13each extending longitudinally. A receiving room14is formed among the base board11and the sidewalls12,13for receiving a card6shown inFIG. 4therein. The accommodating sidewall13defines an accommodating recess131extending longitudinally to face the restricting sidewall12and communicating with the receiving room14for receiving the ejecting device3therein. A front of the base board11defines a plurality of terminal passageways111arranged at regular intervals along a transverse direction thereof and each extending longitudinally to communicate with the receiving room14. An outside of each of the sidewalls12,13protrudes outward to form a locking rib121at a rear end thereof, and is further provided with a fastening groove122and a receiving groove123at a bottom thereof, wherein the receiving groove123is located between the locking rib121and the fastening groove122.

The restricting sidewall12is further severed by a notch15between the locking rib121and the receiving groove123. A rear of the base board11defines a receiving cavity16extending transversely behind the terminal passageways111and vertically passing therethrough to communicate with the receiving room14. A top of one end of the receiving cavity16further extends transversely to form a holding fillister17connected with the notch15. Two opposite sides of a bottom of the holding fillister17oppositely extend sideward into the base board11to form a pair of fixing slots18. A top of the other end of the receiving cavity16far away from the notch15oppositely extend sideward to form a pair of receiving fillisters19aligned longitudinally with each other and communicating with the receiving room14.

InFIG. 3, the monitoring member4has a rectangular flat base plate41. A middle of one side edge of the base plate41is bent downward and then extends sideward to form a soldering tail42opposite to the base plate41. A middle of the other side edge of the base plate41extends toward an opposite direction to the soldering tail42and is inclined upward to form a connecting arm43. A monitoring means46is perpendicularly connected to a free end of the connecting arm43and extends longitudinally to have two opposite ends levelly higher than two opposite side edges of the connecting arm43. A front end of the monitoring means46is arched upward to form a pressing arm45, and a propping apex451is protruded upward across an arched portion of the pressing arm45. A rear end of the monitoring means46is inclined upward and then bent downward to form a monitoring arm44higher than the pressing arm45. A contact apex441is protruded upward across a bent portion of the monitoring arm44.

InFIG. 3again, the cover5has a rectangular flat top board51. Two opposite side edges of the top board51extend downward to form two side boards52. Each of the side boards52defines a locking slit53at a rear end thereof, and an opening551at a front thereof. A rear edge of the opening551extends forward and is inclined inward to form an elastic strip55. A bottom edge of each of the side boards52is bent inward to form a soldering foot54between the locking slit53and the elastic strip55.

Referring toFIG. 1andFIG. 2, in assembly, the electrical terminals2are received in the corresponding terminal passageways111of the insulating housing1. The ejecting device3is mounted in the accommodating recess131for withdrawing the card6from the card connector. The base plate41of the monitoring member4is held in the holding fillister17of the insulating hosing1and two opposite sides thereof are inserted in the respective fixing slots18. The soldering tail42stretches into the notch15for being soldered to a printed circuit board (not shown). The connecting arm43is partially received in the receiving cavity16and partially stretches into the receiving room14to make the monitoring arm44and the pressing arm45locate in the receiving room14and respectively hanged above the corresponding receiving fillisters19. The cover5is coupled on the insulating housing1. The locking ribs121are snapped in the respective locking slits53and the elastic strips55are buckled in the respective fastening grooves122. The soldering foot54is held in the receiving groove123for being soldered to the printed circuit board. The contact apex441of the monitoring arm44of the monitoring member4elastically abuts against a bottom surface of the top board51of the cover5for forming an electrical connection between the monitoring member4and the cover5.

Referring toFIG. 4andFIG. 5, in use, the card6is inserted into the receiving room14of the card connector to electrically contact the electrical terminals2. Moreover, the card6presses the propping apex451to make the pressing arm45and the connecting arm43pressed downward respectively into the corresponding receiving fillister19and the receiving cavity16that further drives the monitoring arm44to move downward partially into the corresponding receiving fillister19. As a result, the contact apex441of the monitoring arm44is disconnected from the top bard51of the cover5with the monitoring arm44moving downward such that disconnects the electrical connection between the monitoring member4and the cover5. At this moment, the card6is fully inserted in the card connector.

As described above, the pressing arm45of the monitoring member4can be pressed by the card6to make the connecting arm43move downward so as to drive the monitoring arm44to move downward and further make the contact apex441of the monitoring arm44disconnected from the top board51of the cover5to monitor whether the card6is fully inserted in the card connector or not. Therefore, only one mold is needed to shape the monitoring member4when manufacturing the card connector of the present invention so that takes a relatively low manufacture cost.