Connector card housing with a slider restraining protrusion

An electrical card connector (100) for insertion of an electrical card (200) includes an insulative housing (1) defining a receiving space (14) for insertion of the electrical card. The insulative housing includes a bottom wall (10) and a side wall (12) extending from a lateral side of the bottom wall. A number of terminals (3) are retained in the insulative housing and extend into the receiving space for electrical connection to the electrical card. An ejecting mechanism (4) includes a slider (41) movable along card-insertion or card-withdraw directions, a coil spring (42) for urging the slider, and a connecting rod (43) having an one-end bend portion retained in the insulative housing and an other-end bend potion movable in a heart-shaped cam groove (412) formed in the slider. The side wall of the insulative housing has a protrusion (125) extending from an upper side thereof to abut downwardly against the slider (41).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to an electrical card connector for receiving an electrical card and more particularly to an electrical card connector having an ejecting mechanism for ejecting the electrical card.

2. Description of Related Art

With constant development of communications and computer technology, more and more electrical cards are being designed to meet various requirements. Electrical card connectors are used to connect these electrical cards with corresponding mainframes. A conventional electrical card connector usually comprises an insulative housing, a plurality of terminals coupled thereto, an ejecting mechanism retained in the insulative housing for ejecting the electrical card out of the insulative housing and a shell attached to the insulative housing. The ejecting mechanism includes a slider movable with the electrical card, a coil spring for giving the slider an elastic force to realize ejecting the memory card, and a connecting rod having an one-end bend portion retained in the insulative housing and an other-end bend portion movable in a heart-shaped cam groove formed in the slider. When the shell is assembled to the insulative housing, the shell can prevent Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI), furthermore, the shell abuts downwardly against the slider so as to retain the slider in the insulative housing.

However, in assembly, the slider may get away from the insulative housing under the elastic force of the coil spring before the shell assembled to the insulative housing, thereby making the assembly process unconvenient.

Hence, an improvement over the prior art is required to overcome the problems thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention, an electrical card connector for insertion of an electrical card comprises an insulative housing defining a receiving space for insertion of the electrical card. The insulative housing comprises a bottom wall and a side wall extending from a lateral side of the bottom wall. A plurality of terminals are retained in the insulative housing and extend into the receiving space for electrical connection to the electrical card. An ejecting mechanism comprises a slider movable along card-insertion or card-withdraw directions, a coil spring for urging the slider, and a connecting rod having an one-end bend portion retained in the insulative housing and an other-end bend potion movable in a heart-shaped cam groove formed in the slider. The side wall of the insulative housing has a protrusion extending from an upper side thereof to abut downwardly against the slider.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a push-push type electrical card connector comprises an insulative housing comprising a rear wall, a side wall extending from a lateral side of the rear wall, and a receiving space formed therebetween for insertion of an electrical card. The side wall has a protrusion extending from an inner side thereof. A plurality of terminals are retained in the insulative housing and extend into the receiving space for electrical connection to the electrical card. An ejecting mechanism comprises a slider movably moving with the electrical card. The slider has a lower standoff extending from a lateral side thereof to be abutted downwardly against by the protrusion.

These and additional objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the appended drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail.

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, an electrical card connector100for insertion of an electrical card200according to the present invention, comprises an insulative housing1, a plurality of terminals3coupled to the insulative housing1, an ejecting mechanism4, a pair of switch contacts5retained in the insulative housing1and a shell2attached to the insulative housing1. In the preferred embodiment, the memory card connector100is a MicroSD card connector for receiving a corresponding MicroSD.

Referring toFIGS. 2 and 3, the insulative housing1defines a receiving space14for insertion of the electrical card200. The insulative housing1comprises a bottom wall10, a rear wall11extending upwardly from a rear end of the bottom wall10, a side wall12extending upwardly from a lateral side of the bottom wall10and connecting with the rear wall11, and a stopping portion13extending upwardly from a front end of the bottom wall10and connecting with the side wall12. The bottom wall10has a plurality of passageways101for retaining the terminals3and a slot102on a right side of the passageways101. A through hole103under the slot102passes through the bottom wall10and communicates with the slot102. The rear wall11has a plurality of grooves112for retaining the switch contacts5, an aperture113and a first post114extending forwardly therefrom. The side wall12has a protrusion125extending inwardly from an inner and upper side thereof. A pair of projections15are formed on two lateral sides of the insulative housing1.

Each terminal3has a connecting portion32retained in the passageways101, a contacting portion31extending backwardly from a rear end of the connecting portion32and protruding upwardly into the receiving space14for electrical connection to the electrical card200, and a tail portion33extending forwardly from a front end of the connecting portion32for electrical connection to a printed circuit board (not shown).

Referring toFIGS. 2-4, the ejecting mechanism4is located on a right side of the bottom wall10and comprises a slider41movable along card-insertion or card-withdraw directions, a connecting rod43, a coil spring42for urging the slider41, a first spring member44fixed to the slider41and a second spring member45insert molded into the slider41. The slider41is movably received in the slot102and has a block418on a lower face for movably received in the through hole103. A heart-shaped cam groove412and a cavity414are formed on a an upper face of the slider41. The first spring member44includes a U-shaped retaining portion441retained in the cavity414, a cantilevered locking arm442extending inwardly from the retaining portion441and protruding into the receiving space14for locking in an notch201of the electrical card200, a sideward dimple443formed on the retaining portion441, and a pair of legs445extending downwardly from the retaining portion441to be fixed in the slider41. A second post413extending backwardly from the slider41. The slider41has a standoff415extending from a right side thereof and having a top face lower than the upper face of the slider41. The standoff415has a depression416recessed downwardly from the top face. In assembling the slider41to the slot102of the bottom wall10, the depression416on the standoff415will accommodate the protrusion125, and the standoff415will not have an interfering engagement with the protrusion125. Therefore, the slider4will be easily assembled to the slot102of the bottom wall10. The second spring member45includes a cantilevered resisting arm452for abutting against a right lateral side of the electrical card200to prevent a rear end of the electrical card200from rotating in a clock direction.

The coil spring42is assemble between the first and second posts114,413. The coil spring42gives the slider41elastic force to realize ejecting the memory card200from the memory card connector100.

The connecting rod43has an one-end bend portion retained in the aperture113and an other-end bend portion movably received in the heart-shaped cam groove412. The memory card connector100is so-called push-push type card connector and the working theory of the card ejecting mechanism4is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, so the detailed description is omitted hereinafter. When the slider41has been assembled into the slot102of the insulative housing1, the protrusion125abuts downwardly against the standoff415so as to prevent the slider41from moving upwardly away from the insulative housing1under the elastic force of the coil spring42. Therefore, the slider41could be retained in the slot102firmly without the shell2. In this way, the shell2could be assembled onto the insulative housing1conveniently.

Referring toFIGS. 2-4, the switch contacts5are retained in the grooves112of the rear wall11and located at a rear of the receiving space14. The switch contacts5include a first contact51and a second contact52. The first contact includes a first mating portion512and the second contact52includes a second mating portion522in condition that the first and the second mating portion512,522can be selectively on/off determined by the insertion position of the memory card200.

The shell2has a pair of openings23for receiving the projections15. The shell2has a pair of spring tabs22formed on the shell5and extend backwardly into the receiving space14, and a slit24on right side of the spring tabs22and extending along the card-insertion direction for the sideward dimple443movably received therein.