Card connector which can be connected to a plurality of kinds of cards different in width

In a card connector having a base member defining a receiving portion for receiving a predetermined card in a first direction, an eject mechanism including two eject plates arranged on the base member. The eject plates are adjacent to each other in a second direction and independently movable in the first direction. Each of the eject plates is for transmitting a removing force to the predetermined card. A support plate is engaged with the eject plates in the first direction and movable in the second direction. A plate support point portion is connected to the base member and adapted to be engaged with a part of the support plate in the first direction to serve as a support point of the support plate when the support plate is located on one side in the first direction. In addition, a plurality of contacts are held by the base member.

This application claims priority to prior Japanese patent application JP 2004-1222, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a card connector.

In recent years, cards such as IC cards are widely used in various fields. These cards are not uniform in size. A plurality of kinds of cards different, for example, in width are proposed and used.

In order to write and read information into and from a card of the type, a card connector is used. For example, an existing card connector comprises a base member defining a receiving portion for receiving the card, a plurality of contacts held by the base member, and an eject mechanism for removing the card from the receiving portion. The eject mechanism comprises an eject plate to be engaged with the card when the card is ejected, a support plate for operating the eject plate, and an eject lever for operating the support plate.

The existing card connector can be connect to only one kind of card. Therefore, in order to deal with a plurality of kinds of cards different in width, a plurality of kinds of card connectors are required. Thus, the existing card connector is inconvenient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a card connector which can be connected to a plurality of kinds of cards different in width.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a card connector adapted to connect a predetermined card, the card connector comprising a base member defining a receiving portion for receiving the predetermined card, a plurality of contacts held by the base member; and an eject mechanism for removing the predetermined card from the receiving portion in a first direction, the eject mechanism comprising two eject plates arranged on the base member to be adjacent to each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and independently movable in the first direction, the eject plates being for transmitting a removing force to the predetermined card, a support plate engaged with the eject plates in the first direction and movable in the second direction, and a plate support point portion connected to the base member and adapted to be engaged with a first part of the support plate in the first direction to serve as a support point of the support plate when the support plate is located on one side in the first direction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIGS. 1 through 3, description will be made of a card connector according to one embodiment of the present invention. The card connector is adapted to selectively use two kinds of IC cards different in width.

As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, a card connector comprises a generally U-shaped insulator1, two contact sets2and3held by the insulator1to be movable in a first direction A (including a card removing direction A1and a card inserting direction A2), a pair of eject plates4and5symmetrical in structure with each other for removing an IC card (not shown), a support plate6for moving the eject plates4and5in the card removing direction A1, an eject lever7for moving the support plate6in the card removing direction A1and a second direction B (including a rightward direction B1and a leftward direction B2) perpendicular to the first direction A, and a cover8.

The insulator1has opposite side portions1aand1band a linking portion1cconnecting the opposite side portions1aand1b. The linking portion1cis provided with a pair of semispherical protrusions1c1and1c2formed at two positions on its upper surface to serve as plate support point portions. The linking portion1cholds the two contacts sets2and3.

The eject plate4and5are arranged adjacent to each other in the second direction B. The eject plates4and5have generally L-shaped grooves4aand5aformed at their centers, respectively. The generally L-shaped grooves4aand5ahave long groove portions4a1and5a1extending in the second direction B, short groove portions4a2and5a2connected to the long groove portions4a1and5a1and extending in the first direction A, and inner portions4a3and5a3formed at inner ends of the short groove portions4a2and5a2, respectively. The eject plates4and5have pressing portions4band5bformed as bent portions on front sides thereof to press the card or cards at opposite ends thereof, respectively.

The support plate6extends in the second direction B on the eject plates4and5. The support plate6has a protrusion6aformed at the center of its upper surface and protrusions6band6cformed on its lower surface at positions near opposite ends, respectively.

The eject lever7has a hole7aformed near its one end. The eject lever7has a protrusion7bformed on its upper surface at a position slightly separate from the hole7ato serve as a lever support point portion.

The insulator1is covered with the cover8on its upper surface. As shown inFIG. 3, the cover8has a long hole8aextending in the second direction B. The long hole8ais provided with holding portions8a1,8a2, and8a3arranged at three positions thereof and aligned in the second direction B. Each of the holding portions8a1,8a2, and8a3is adapted to hold the protrusion7bwhich serve as the support point portion when the eject lever7is rotated. A combination of the cover8and the insulator1serves as a base member defining a receiving portion10for receiving the IC card.

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, description will be made of a method of assembling the card connector. At first, the eject plates4and5are fitted to the insulator1at a position illustrated inFIG. 1. At this time, the inner portions4a3and5a3of the generally L-shaped grooves4aand5aof the eject plates4and5are fitted over the protrusions1c1and1c2, respectively. Next, the protrusions6band6cof the support plate6are inserted into the long groove portions4a1and5a1of the generally L-shaped grooves4aand5aof the eject plates4and5, respectively, and are placed on the eject plates4and5to be bridged therebetween. Then, the hole7aof the eject lever7is fitted over the protrusion6aof the support plate6. Further, the cover8is put on the insulator1to cover the receiving portion10. In this event, the protrusion7bof the eject lever7is held by one of the holding portions8a1,8a2, and8a3at the three positions of the long hole8aof the cover8. The detail will later be described.

The IC card (not shown) is inserted by fingers of an operator into the card receiving portion10of the card connector. The IC card may be an IC card11having a predetermined size or an IC card12having a large size twice the predetermined size.

Referring toFIGS. 4A and 4Bin addition toFIGS. 1 through 3, description will be made of the case where the IC card12having a large size twice the predetermined size is dealt with.

InFIG. 4A, the IC card12is inserted into and connected to the card connector. In this state, the protrusion7bof the eject lever7is held by the holding portion8a2of the cover8as shown inFIG. 3.

In order to remove the IC card12from the card connector, the eject lever7is pushed in the card inserting direction A2to be rotated around the protrusion7b. Since the hole7aof the eject lever7is fitted over the protrusion6aof the support plate6, the support plate6is moved in the card removing direction A1. At this time, the protrusions6band6cof the support plate6are not brought into contact with the protrusions1c1and1c2of the insulator1. Therefore, the protrusions6band6cmove the eject plates4and5in the card removing direction A1so that the pressing portions4bof the eject plate4and the pressing portions5bof the eject plate5push an end portion of the IC card12in the card removing direction A2. Consequently, as illustrated inFIG. 4B, a connecting portion (not shown) of the IC card12is disconnected from connecting portions2aand3aof the contact sets2and3and the IC card12is ejected from the card connector.

Referring toFIGS. 5A,5B,6A, and6B in addition toFIGS. 1 through 3, description will be made of the case where the IC cards11having the predetermined size are dealt with.

FIG. 5Ashows a first state where the IC cards11are inserted into and connected to the card connector. In the first state, the protrusion7bis held by the holding portion8a3of the cover8.

Prior to an operation of removing the IC card11of the predetermined size inserted on a right side of the insulator1, the eject lever7is moved in the rightward direction B1, if necessary, to obtain the first state. The hole7aof the eject lever7is fitted over the protrusion6aof the support plate6. Therefore, when the eject lever7is moved in the rightward direction B1, the support plate6is also moved in the rightward direction B1. As a result, the protrusion6bis moved to a position allowing or causing the protrusion6bto be brought into contact with the protrusion1c1of the insulator1when the support plate6is moved in the card removing direction A1. In other words, the protrusion6bof the support plate6is faced to the protrusion1c1of the insulator1in the first direction A.

In order to remove the IC card11from the card connector, the eject lever7is pushed in the card inserting direction A2to be rotated around the protrusion7b. Since the hole7ais fitted over the protrusion6aof the support plate6, the support plate6is driven in the card removing direction A1. However, because the protrusion6bis brought into contact with the protrusion1c1, the support plate6is rotated around the protrusion6bin a clockwise direction inFIG. 5A. Therefore, the protrusion6cmoves the eject plate5in the card removing direction A1so that the pressing portions5bof the eject plate5push an end portion of the right-side IC card11in the card removing direction A1. Consequently, as illustrated inFIG. 5B, a connecting portion (not shown) of the right-side IC card11is removed from the connecting portion3aof the contact set3and the right-side IC card11is ejected from the card connector.

FIG. 6Ashows a second state where the IC cards12are inserted into and connected to the card connector. In the second state, the protrusion7bis held by the holding portion8a1of the cover8.

Prior to an operation of removing the IC card11of the predetermined size inserted on a left side of the insulator1, the eject lever7is moved in the leftward direction B2, if necessary, to obtain the second state. The hole7aof the eject lever7is fitted over the protrusion6aof the support plate6. Therefore, when the eject lever7is moved in the leftward direction B2, the support plate6is also moved in the leftward direction B2. As a result, the protrusion6cis moved to a position allowing or causing the protrusion6cto be brought into contact with the protrusion1c2of the insulator1when the support plate6is moved in the card removing direction A1. In other words, the protrusion6cof the support plate6is faced to the protrusion1c2of the insulator1in the first direction A.

In order to remove the IC card11from the card connector, the eject lever7is pushed in the card inserting direction A2to be rotated around the protrusion7b. Since the hole7ais fitted over the protrusion6aof the support plate6, the support plate6is driven in the card removing direction A1. However, because the protrusion6cis brought into contact with the protrusion1c2, the support plate6is rotated around the protrusion6cin a counterclockwise direction inFIG. 6A. Therefore, the protrusion6bmoves the eject plate4in the card removing direction A1so that the pressing portions4bof the eject plate4push an end portion of the left-side IC card11in the card removing direction A1. Consequently, as illustrated inFIG. 6B, a connecting portion (not shown) of the left-side IC card11is removed from the connecting portion2aof the contact set2and the left-side IC card11is ejected from the card connector.

An operation of simultaneously removing the two IC cards11of the predetermined size is similar to that described in conjunction withFIGS. 4A and 4Bwhere the IC card12of the large size twice the predetermined size is dealt with.

The above-mentioned card connector is adapted to connect two or three kinds of cards different in width. It is therefore possible to reduce the number of kinds of card connectors required to deal with various kinds of cards. Further, the card connector is convenient in that the two cards except the card having a largest width may be or may not be equal in width to each other and can be inserted and removed either individually or simultaneously. Since the card connector can be produced by slightly modifying an insulator, eject plates, the support plate, and an eject lever which have generally been used, the number of parts is not increased and the structure is simple without an increase in cost.

While this invention has thus far been described in connection with the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be readily possible for those skilled in the art to put this invention into practice in various other manners without departing from the scope set forth in the appended claims. In the foregoing, the IC card12has a width twice as large as that of the IC card11. Alternatively, the right-hand IC card11and the left-hand IC card11may be different in width from each other. For example, the widths of the IC card12, the right-hand IC card11, and the left-hand IC card11may have a ratio of 3:1:2 or 5:2:3. As the cover8, an existing shell may be used.