Electrical card connector

The present invention is related to an electrical card connector, in which a shielding member introduced therein includes a latch, and an against portion using for abutting against a guide rod of an ejector and a top of a fixing end of the guide rod respectively so as to limit upward displacement of the guide rod. This configuration can prevent the guide rod from shaking vertically; thereby the guide rod is fixed in a stable manner. Moreover, a guide groove of the slide rod mates with a guide rib of the insulating housing so as to make the slider slide on the insulating housing stable. Thereby, electrical cards can be inserted or ejected stably and smoothly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electrical card connector, and particularly to an electrical card connector mounted on a Print Circuit Board (PCB) for retaining an electrical card therein.

2. Description of Related Art

Recently, electrical cards have become widely used in the field of electronic appliances. As such, electrical card connectors are now adapted to connect electrical cards to appliances in which the electrical card connectors are mounted on the PCB of the appliance and retain electrical cards therein, allowing data to be transferred there between.

Referring toFIG. 1, a conventional electrical card connector is shown, which includes an insulating housing1, a plurality of conductive terminals2, and an ejector3. The insulating housing1has a base portion11, a first side arm12and a second side arm13extending parallel from two ends of the base portion11respectively so as to form a receiving cavity14for retaining an electrical card4.

The conductive terminals2are arranged in the base portion11of the insulating housing1. Each of the conductive terminals2includes a soldering portion extending from a bottom portion of the insulating housing1for connecting electrically with a PCB (not shown), and a contact portion extending through to the receiving cavity14for connecting electrically to the electrical card4introduced therein.

The ejector includes a slider31, a spring32, and a guide rod33fixed to the slider31, in which, the slider31can slide forwards and backwards on the insulating housing1. The insulating housing has a slide groove34therein, and one end (not labeled) of the guide rod33slides to mate with the slide groove34. The end of the guide rod33has two sliding tracks which slide in the slide groove34.

When inserting or ejecting, the electrical card4is pushed forward so that the electrical card4pushes the slider31. Then the electrical card4can be inserted or ejected by making the guide rod33slide along the slide groove34.

However, due to the configuration of the conventional electrical card connector, the slider31is likely to shake vertically while sliding along the slide groove34, thereby the slider31cannot engage with the insulating housing1stably. It is likely that this configuration becomes flexible while the shaking is enhanced, impacting upon the operation of the ejector3and the whole electrical card connector.

Moreover, the slider31is slideably disposed on the insulating housing1, the slider31is likely to shake while being pushed forwards or backwards. Thereby, the electrical card4cannot be inserted or ejected smoothly or connected electrically to the electrical card connector reliably.

Furthermore, when the electrical card4is inserted into the receiving cavity14, the electrical card is not fixed to the electrical card connector stably. Thereby, the electrical card cannot reliably connect electrically to the electrical card connector.

In addition, a front portion of the first side arm12and the second side arm13of the insulating housing1are formed as a free end. Then the first and second side arms12and13are likely to expand and distort when the electrical card4is inserted or ejected.

It is desirable to provide an improved electrical card connector for containing electrical cards that overcomes the above problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide an electrical card connector, which limits the upward displacement of the guide rod, and prevents the guide rod from shakingvertically, thus ensuring that the electrical card connector has a reliable configuration.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide an electrical card connector, which makes the slider slide on the insulating housing stably thus ensuring that the electrical card slides forwards and backwards smoothly.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide an electrical card connector, which ensures a reliable electronic connection with the electrical card.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide an electrical card connector which has a stable configuration.

In order to achieve the objectives set forth, an electrical card connector in accordance with the present invention includes an insulating housing having a receiving cavity, the insulating housing comprises a guide rib; a plurality of conductive terminals being retained in the insulating housing; an ejector having a slider, a spring, and a guide rod, the slider slideably mates with the insulating housing by moving forwards or backwards, the slider has a slide groove therein, and a guide groove in a bottom portion thereof, the guide groove slideably engages with the guide rib, the spring is introduced between the insulating housing and the slider, one end of the guide rod is fixed to the insulating housing, and the other end is movably mated with the slide groove; a shielding member is mounted on the insulating housing, the shielding member has a latch and against point for abutting against the guide rod and a top portion of the first end of the guide rod, respectively.

Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention will became more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIGS. 2–4, an electrical card connector used for receiving or ejecting an electrical card in accordance with the present invention is shown. The electrical card connector comprises an insulating housing5, a plurality of conductive terminals, an ejector7, a spring switch8, and a shielding member9. The insulating housing5is made of a plastic material, which includes a base portion51, a first side arm52and a second side arm53extending parallel from the two ends of the base portion51. They can also be convex. The base portion51, the first side arm52, and the second side arm53form a receiving cavity54therebetween for retaining electrical cards. The insulating housing5has a guide rib55adjacent to the first side arm52, and two longitudinal slots56disposed at opposite sides of the guide rib55respectively. The guide rib55and the longitudinal slots56extend along a direction that is relative to inserting or ejecting electrical cards. The first side arm52and the second side arm53have engaging holes, which are formed on a top of the side arms52and53adjacent to a front end thereof.

The conductive terminals6are made of a conductive elastic metal material, which are alternately located on the base portion51of the insulating housing5and extend along the same direction as an electrical card when it is inserted or ejected. Each of the conductive terminals6include a soldering portion61extending from a bottom portion of the insulating housing1for connecting electrically to a PCB (not shown), and a contact portion62extending through into the receiving cavity54for connecting electrically to the electrical cars introduced therein.

The ejector7is engaged with the insulating housing5. The ejector7includes a slider71, a spring72, and a guide rod73. The slider71slides forwards or backwards and mates with the first side arm52of the insulating housing5along a front-to-back direction. The slider71has a push button711extending from an inner side thereon and extending through into the receiving cavity54for abutting against the electrical card in order to push the slider7. The slider71includes a slider groove712formed on a top portion thereof for controlling the sliding track of the slider71. The slider71has a protrusion713formed at a front end thereof, and the insulating housing5has a groove58corresponding to the protrusion713for retaining the protrusion713(shown inFIG. 6). This configuration guides the slider71forwards and backwards stably.

Moreover, the slider71has a guide groove714(shown inFIG. 5andFIG. 7) formed on the bottom thereof, which corresponds to the guide rib55. Two protruding blocks715are disposed at both sides adjacent to the guide groove714corresponding to the longitudinal slots56respectively. The guide groove714and the protruding block715mate with the corresponding guide rib55and longitudinal slot56respectively so as to guide the slider71onto the insulating housing5stably.

Two ends of the spring72are retained and abutted against a retaining groove716of the slider71and a recess59of the first side arm52of the insulating housing5respectively. The spring72is arranged between the slider71and the insulating housing5in order to provide the force of the compressed spring72.

The guide rod73has a first free end fixed to the insulating housing5, and a second free end that movably mates with the slide groove712. The guide rod73has two sliding tracks which slide in the slide groove712so as to form a mechanism to control the insertion or ejection of electrical cards.

The spring switching8is made of an elastic metal material, which is L-shaped. The spring switching8has a fixing portion81and a contact portion82, in which the fixing portion81is engaged in an engaging groove717of the slider71so as to fix the spring switching8to the slider71. The contact portion82extends from the fixing portion81and extends through into the receiving cavity54. The contact portion82has a free end, and the free end can move elastically.

The shielding member9is made of a metal material, which is mounted on the insulating housing5. The shielding member has two side edges91extending from ends thereof respectively, and each of the side edges91includes a plurality of mating holes92. The insulating housing5further includes a plurality fastener501disposed outside both of the first and second side arms52and53corresponding to the mating holes92. The mating holes92fasten with the fastener501respectively so as to assemble the shielding member9and the insulating housing5.

The shielding member9has a latch93and an against point96disposed on a top portion corresponding to the guide rod73. The latch93has a free end, which extends down into an inner side of the shielding member9. After assembly, the latch93abuts against the top portion of the guide rod73(shown inFIG. 9). The against point96extends down so as to abut against the top portion of the guide rod73for limiting an upward or horizontal displacement thereof.

The shielding member9also has an L-shaped tab94disposed above the slider71. The tap94can elastically compresses the top portion of the slider71(shown inFIG. 9) for limiting an upward or horizontal displacement thereof.

The shielding member9further comprises two engaging tabs95extending down into an inner side of the shielding member9and engaging with the corresponding engaging hole57of the first and second side arms52and53so as to fully assemble the electrical card connector.

An electrical card (not shown) is inserted by pushing it forward into the receiving cavity54. The electrical card then compresses the push button711so as to push the slider71. Meanwhile, the guide rod73slides into the slide groove712so as to retain the electrical card. After that, the conductive portion of the electrical card is connected electrically to the PCB of the electrical card connector by connecting to the contact portions62of the conductive terminals6.

The electrical card is ejected by being pushed towards the insertion direction, the electrical card compresses the push button711and pushes the slider71. The guide rod73moves out of the guide groove712, and the slider71disengages the electrical card due to the force of the compressed spring switching8.

According to the foregoing description, compared with the conventional electrical card connector, the electrical card connector according to the present invention has the following advantages.

First, the shielding member9introduced therein includes a latch93, and an against portion96used for abutting against a guide rod73of an ejector7and a top of a fixing end of the guide rod73respectively so as to limit upward displacement of the guide rod73. This configuration can prevent the guide rod73from shakingvertically. Thereby the guide rod73is fixed in a stable manner.

Second, the guide rod73further includes a protrusion713slideably mating with a corresponding groove58of the insulating housing5, which makes the slider71slide along a front-to-back direction reliably. Moreover, the guide groove714of the slide rod73is mated with the guide rib55of the insulating housing5so as to make the slider71slide on the insulating housing5stably. The electrical cards can be inserted or ejected stably and smoothly.

Third, the contact portion82of the spring switching8abuts against the electrical card so as to fix the electrical card reliably. Thereby the electrical card is fixed in a stable manner.

Fourth, the shielding member9introduced therein includes a tab94, for abutting against a top of the guide rod73so as to limit an upward displacement of the guide rod73. Moreover, the guide groove714of the slide rod73is mated with the guide rib55of the insulating housing5so as to make the slider71slide on the insulating housing5stably. This configuration can prevent the guide rod73from shaking vertically. Thereby the electrical card can be pushed stably and smoothly according to the guide rod73.

Fifth, the shielding member has two engaging tabs thereon, which engage with the latching holes57of the side arms52and53. This assembly makes the electrical card connector have a stable configuration so as to prevent the side arms52and53from expanding or distorting while inserting or ejecting an electrical card.