Electrical card connector

An electrical card connector includes an insulating housing (2) having a base section (21) and a pair of lateral offsets (22) extending from the opposite ends of the base section, a shell (1) mounted on the insulating housing to define a card slot (5) therebetween for insertion of a card, a terminal module (321) retained in the insulating housing and comprising a plurality of terminals protruding into the card slot, and a pair of elastic pieces (6) mounted on the opposite lateral offsets of the insulating housing, respectively. Wherein each elastic piece protrudes into the card slot and a distance between the elastic pieces is smaller than a width of the inserted card.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electrical card connector, and more particularly to an electrical card connector capable of receiving a card more stably.

2. Description of Prior Arts

Recently, card-in operation type electronic devices have rapidly prevailed for being used on the electronic device to increase the storage, such as a camera, a personal computer, a recording machine or the like so that information from such an electronics device is recorded in the card or information from the card is given to such an electronic device.

In the conventional art, a memory card as mentioned above connects with the electronic device by an electrical card connector placed in the electronic device. The memory card includes a contact or terminal array for connecting electrically with the electrical card connector. Accordingly, the electrical card connector primarily includes a number of terminals for electrically engaging with corresponding contacts of the card, and an insulating housing for retaining the terminals. Therefore, a card slot is defined by the insulating housing for insertion of a card. In many prior arts, a pair of lateral walls of the insulating housing are used as a pair of side rulers to guide the card insertion.

U.S Pat. No. 6,609,919, for example, discloses a card connector in which a card is inserted as described above. However, when the card is inserted completely, a gap is presented between the card and the lateral walls of the insulating housing, if the card connector moves fierily, the card may move away form the right position where the card contacts with the terminals properly. Thus, it is hard to transform information exactly between the card and the card connector.

So, it is an object of the present invention to solve the above described problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide an electrical card connector to confirm a card located in a right position where the card contacts with terminals of the electrical card connector properly.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, an electrical card connector includes an insulating housing having a base section and a pair of lateral offsets extending from the opposite ends of the base section, a shell mounted on the insulating housing to define a card slot therebetween for insertion of a card, a terminal module retained in the insulating housing and comprising a plurality of terminals protruding into the card slot, and a pair of elastic pieces mounted on the opposite lateral offsets of the insulating housing, respectively. Wherein each elastic piece protrudes into the card slot and a distance between the elastic pieces is smaller than a width of the inserted card.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described going withFIG. 1toFIG. 4.

As shown inFIG. 1toFIG. 2, an electrical card connector in accordance with present invention comprises an insulating housing2, a shell1mounted on the insulating housing2, a terminal module3retained in the insulating housing2, and an ejecting mechanism4fixed on a lateral side of the insulating housing2. The insulating housing2associates with the shell1defining a card slot5for a card insertion. On each lateral side of the insulating housing2, a pair of elastic pieces6are mounted.

Referring now toFIG. 2, the shell1of an approximately elongated configuration comprises a body plate10and a pair of lateral walls13extending downwardly from the body plate10. On the body plate10, a pair of pressing pieces110are formed integrally thereof and arranged in an up-to-down direction. Each pressing piece110has two ends in the card inserting direction connecting with the body plate10and a lever surface projecting into the card slot5for engaging with an inserted card. Regarding to the lateral walls13, each has a plurality of locking holes131. Near to the rear end and the front end of each lateral wall13, a plurality of position plates132are formed, respectively, to place the shell1on a printed circuit board (not shown).

The insulating housing2has a base section21, a pair of lateral offsets22extending forwardly from the opposite ends of the base section21, and a bottom plate (not labeled) connecting the lateral offsets22with each other. The bottom plate defines a first bottom plate23and a second bottom plate24. The upper surface of the first bottom plate23is higher than that of the second bottom plate24. On the first bottom plate23, a receiving hollow230is defined according to the configuration of the terminal module3. Corresponding to the locking hole131of the shell1, a plurality of embossments222are formed on each lateral offsets22.

Each lateral offset22forms a plurality of guiding plates223for card inserting. The guiding plates223each protrudes into the card slot5horizontally, and a space (not labeled) is defined according to a card height between two opposite guiding plates223. Thus, the card can be inserted and guided by the guiding plate223. Each lateral offset22further has two pairs of receiving channels221. The receiving channels221, communicating with the card slot5, each has a gap224extending outwardly therefrom.

As shown inFIG. 3, the terminal module3, received in the receiving hollow230, comprises a plurality of terminals32, a detecting switch33and34for detecting a card inserted completely or not, and a fixing body30for assembling the terminals32and the detecting switch33and34. On the opposite sides of the fixing body30, a pair of position pieces31are located to allow the terminal module3to be located on the printed circuit board. The terminals32are retained in the fixing body30and project into the card slot5. Each terminal32includes an engaging portion321for engaging with an insertion card, a fastening portion (not labeled) buried in the fixing body30, and a soldering portion322protruding beyond the end surface of the fixing body30for soldering on the printed circuit board.

As shown inFIG. 4, each elastic piece6, made of metallic material and capable of distortion subject to the card inserted or ejected, comprises a spring part61, a colliding part62extending from one end of the spring part61for engaging with the card, and a fixing part63extending outwardly from the other end of the spring part61according to the configuration of the gap224of the receiving channel221.

Together withFIG. 1toFIG. 4, the relationship of the elements of the electrical card connector as mentioned above will be illustrated in following segments. The terminal module3is located in the receiving hollow230of the first body plate23with the upper surface of the fixing body30in a same level or face with that of the first body plate23. The embossments222of the insulating housing2lock with corresponding locking holes131of the shell1to retain the shell1on the insulating housing2, thereby the card slot5is defined by the insulating housing2and the shell1. Then the terminals32and the detecting switch33project into the card slot5, the switch34partially placed under the switch33rightly. Nicely, the pressing pieces110of the shell1is located rightly above the terminal module3to press on the insertion card in order to achieve a reliably connection between the card and the terminals32. Normally, the detecting switch33and34is separated with each other, when a card is inserted completely, the switch34moves down to engaging with the other switch33by pressure of the insertion card.

FIG. 4shows the relationship between the elastic pieces6and the insulating housing2more detaildly. The elastic pieces6are received resiliently in corresponding receiving channels221in such way that the fixing part63is retained in the gap224of the receiving channel221, and the colliding part62projects into the card slot5for engaging with a card. For making the insertion card retained stably, two elastic pieces6placed on one lateral offset22are opposite to corresponding elastic pieces6placed on the other lateral offset22. In addition, with respect to the card insertion direction, a transverse direction is defined. The transverse distance between the opposite colliding part62is smaller than the width of the card. When the card is inserted, the elastic piece61is pressed by the card and moves outwardly, till completely insertion, the elastic piece61is completely received in the receiving channel221, and the card engages with the terminals32and the switch33. Then both lateral sides of the card engage with each colliding part62and the card is clasped between the two pairs of elastic pieces6, keeping a steady situation, regardless of the electrical card connector shaking.