PATENT ABSTRACT
In a card connector for use in connecting a card, an eject mechanism is coupled to a housing for receiving the card. The eject mechanism is for executing an ejecting operation of ejecting the card from the housing. The card connector is provided with a retarding mechanism which cooperates with the eject mechanism to retard the ejecting operation. The retarding mechanism may include a braking mechanism for braking the card in response to an operation of the eject mechanism. Alternatively, the braking mechanism may be for braking an eject bar which is included in the eject mechanism and movable along the housing for ejecting the card.

PATENT DESCRIPTION
This application claims priority to prior Japanese patent application JP 2004-171271, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a card connector for use in connecting a card and, in particular, to a card connector capable of preventing a card from jumping out when the card is ejected. 
   Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2001-267013 discloses a card connector of a push-push type. The card connector comprises an insulator, a plurality of contacts fixed to the insulator, an eject bar mounted to a frame portion of the insulator, a compression coil spring continuously urging the eject bar in an ejecting direction, and a cam follower guided by a heart cam formed on the eject bar. 
   A card is inserted into the connector and ejected from the connector. When the compression coil spring pushes the eject bar upon ejecting the card, the card may undesirably jump out. In this event, the card is dropped and, in the worst case, damaged. 
   Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. H6-162281 discloses a connecting structure of an IC card to an external equipment. When the IC card is inserted into the external equipment, the IC card is placed on a sliding plate. The sliding plate is urged by a spring in an ejecting direction. In order to eject the IC card from the external equipment, a push button is pushed. Then, the IC card is released from a connector. The IC card and the sliding plates are ejected from the external equipment under an urging force of the spring. 
   The external equipment adapted to receive the IC card which is inserted therein and ejected therefrom is provided with a braking portion formed adjacent to a card slot at a position under the card slot. The braking portion is formed by a flat rubber plate of synthetic rubber or natural rubber and is fixedly attached by an adhesive. When the sliding plate is ejected from the external equipment, the sliding plate is contacted with the braking portion so that frictional resistance is produced. Therefore, the sliding plate is slowly ejected from the external equipment and the IC card is prevented from jumping out from the external equipment. With the above-mentioned structure, however, the frictional resistance between the sliding plate and the braking portion is unstable and weak. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a card connector which is capable of reliably preventing a card from jumping out when the card is ejected. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a card connector of the type described, which has a retarding mechanism for retarding an ejecting operation of the card. 
   Other objects of the present invention will become clear as the description proceeds. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a card connector for use in connecting a card, the card connector comprising a housing for receiving the card, an eject mechanism coupled to the housing for executing an ejecting operation of ejecting the card from the housing, and a retarding mechanism cooperating with the eject mechanism to retard the ejecting operation. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       FIG. 1  is a front view of a card connector according to a first embodiment of this invention when a card is inserted therein; 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of the card connector in  FIG. 1  during ejection of the card; 
       FIG. 3  is front view of the card connector in  FIG. 1  after the card is ejected therefrom; 
       FIG. 4  is a view for describing a shape of a heart cam included in the card connector in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a view for describing an operation of the heart cam of  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a front view of a card connector according to a second embodiment of this invention when a card is inserted therein although not shown in the figure; 
       FIG. 7  is a sectional view taken along a line VII—VII in  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 8A  is a sectional view of a modification of the card connector of  FIG. 6  when the card is inserted therein; and 
       FIG. 8B  is a sectional view similar to  FIG. 8A  when the card is ejected therefrom. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a card connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. 
   The card connector depicted at  1  in  FIGS. 1 through 3  comprises an insulating housing  2  made of synthetic resin, a plurality of conductive contacts  3  fixed to the housing  2 , an eject bar  4  made of synthetic resin and attached to a frame portion of the housing  2 , a compression coil spring  5  continuously urging the eject bar  4  in an ejecting direction A 1 , and a cam follower  6  having a first end  6   a  which is guided by a heart cam  7  formed on the eject bar  4 . A combination of the eject bar  4 , the compression coil spring  5 , the cam follower  6 , and a heart cam  7  is referred to as an eject mechanism  10 . 
   The contacts  3  are arranged in a single row and held inside the housing  2  of the card connector  1  in an area near the center of an inner portion  2   a  of the housing  2 . The eject bar  4  is held inside the housing  2  on a left side thereof to be slidable in a vertical direction in the figures. More particularly, the eject bar  4  is contained in the housing  2  to be movable in the ejecting direction A 1  and an inserting direction A 2  opposite to the ejecting direction A 1 . The compression coil spring  5  continuously urges the eject bar  4  towards an inlet portion  2   b  of the housing  2 , i.e., in the ejecting direction A 1 . Specifically, the compression coil spring  5  has one end and the other end kept in press contact with the eject bar  4  and an inner surface of the frame portion of the housing  2 , respectively. 
   The cam follower  6  is made of a metal material and has a second end  6   b  which is engaged with an axial hole formed on the frame portion of the housing  2  and which is rotatable by a predetermined angle. The first end  6   a  of the cam follower  6  is engaged with a groove of the heart cam  7 . 
   A card  11  is inserted into the connector  1  in the inserting direction A 2  and ejected from the connector  1  in the ejecting direction A 1 . The eject bar  4  has a protruding portion  4   b.  When the card  11  is inserted into the connector  1 , one corner of a forward end of the card  11  is brought into contact with the protruding portion  4   b.  Further, the housing  2  is provided with a rubber brake  8  fixed thereto on a left side of the inlet portion  2   b.  The rubber brake  8  is made of an elastically deformable rubber material known in the art. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the heart cam  7  will briefly be described. The heart cam  7  is formed on a protruding portion  4   c  of the eject bar  4 . The heart cam  7  is formed as an annular guide rail or a cam groove having a first point P 1 , a second point P 2 , a third point P 3 , a fourth point P 4 , and a fifth point P 5 . The first point P 1  is a start point of movement of the first end  6   a  of the cam follower  6 . The second point P 2  is located in a guide portion slightly inclined with respect to the ejecting and the inserting directions A 1  and A 2 . The third point P 3  is located in a heart-like recessed portion. The fourth point P 4  is located in a guide portion substantially parallel to the ejecting and the inserting directions A 1  and A 2 . The fifth point P 5  is an end point of the movement of the first end  6   a  of the cam follower  6 . The fifth point P 5  is identical with the first point P 1 . In a free state of the connector  1 , the first end  6   a  of the cam follower  6  is urged rightward in  FIG. 4  by elasticity of the cam follower  6 . 
   Following sliding movement of the eject bar  4 , the first end  6   a  of the cam follower  6  moves along the heart cam  7  in the order of the first point P 1 , the second point P 2 , the third point P 3 , the fourth point P 4 , and the fifth point P 5 . Depending upon a position of the first end  6   a  of the cam follower  6 , the connector  1  is changed from the free state into a mating state and vice versa, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
   Turning back to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , description will be made of insertion and ejection of the connector  1  into and from the card  11 . 
   When the card  11  is inserted into the housing  2  by operator&#39;s fingers, the one corner of the forward end of the card  11  pushes the protruding portion  4   b  of the eject bar  4 . Consequently, the eject bar  4  presses the coil spring  5  and slides in the inserting direction A 2  from the inlet portion  2   b  towards the inner portion  2   a.  Upon completion of insertion of the card  11 , a plurality of contact points (not shown) of the card  11  are connected to the contacts  3  of the card connector  1 . At this time, an operation or movement of the eject bar  4  is restricted by the cam follower  6 . 
   In order to eject the card  11  from the housing  2 , a push button (not shown) formed on the housing  2  or the card  11  itself is pushed. Then, the eject bar  4  is unlocked from the cam follower  6  and slides in the ejecting direction A 1  from the inner portion  2   a  towards the inlet portion  2   b  under restoring force of the coil spring  5  to reach a state illustrated in  FIG. 2 . At this time, the protruding portion  4   b  of the eject bar  4  pushes the forward end of the card  11 . Consequently, the card  11  reaches the state illustrated in  FIG. 2  together with the eject bar  4 . In this state, one end  4   a  of the eject bar  4  starts to compress the rubber brake  8  in a compressing direction, namely, the ejecting and the inserting directions A 1  and A 2 . Subsequently, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the rubber brake  8  is elastically deformed in a direction perpendicular to the compressing direction so that a butting portion  8   a  at an end of a triangular part of the rubber brake  8  is brought into press contact with one side of the card  11 . As a result, the card  11  is braked by friction between the card  11  and the rubber brake  8 . In other words, the rubber brake  8  makes the card  11  be slowed in an ejecting operation thereof. Therefore, the card  11  is prevented from undesirably jumping out from the housing  2 . At this time, the rubber brake  8  serves as a braking mechanism for braking the card  11  or a retarding mechanism for retarding ejection of the card  11 . 
   Preferably, the rubber brake  8  is provided with a hollow portion  8   b.  In this event, the rubber brake  8  is easily elastically deformed. At this time, the hollow portion  8   b  serves as an auxiliary mechanism for effectively causing elastic deformation of the rubber brake  8 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , description will be made of a card connector according to a second embodiment of this invention. Similar parts are designated by like reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted. 
   The card connector  1  uses an air spring instead of the rubber brake  8  in the card connector illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 3 . The air spring has a cylindrical portion  27  formed in the housing  2 . The cylindrical portion  27  is provided with an air-relief hole  28 . The air-relief hole  28  allows an inner space of the cylindrical portion  27  to communicate through a rear surface of the housing  2  with an outside. A part of the eject bar  4  is inserted into the cylindrical portion  27 . 
   The air-relief hole  28  has a sectional area extremely narrower than that of the cylindrical portion  27 . With this structure, when the card is ejected from the card connector  1 , air does not easily flow out from the cylindrical portion  27  through the air-relief hole  28  to the outside. Consequently, the eject bar  4  slides slowly. This means that a combination of the cylindrical portion  27  and the air-relief hole  28  serves to make the eject bar  4  be slowed in movement thereof in the ejecting direction A 1 . Accordingly, the card is prevented from undesirably jumping out from the housing  2 . At this time, a combination of the cylindrical portion  27  and the air-relief hole  28  serves as a braking mechanism for braking the eject bar  4  or a retarding mechanism for retarding ejection of the card. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 8A and 8B , an air valve  29  may be provided to open and close the air-relief hole  28 . In this case, the air valve  29  is made of an elastically deformable material. 
   When the card is inserted, the eject bar  4  is pushed by the card and moved in the inserting direction A 2  of  FIG. 8A . In this event, the air valve  29  opens the air-relief hole  28  as depicted by a lower white arrow  31  in  FIG. 8A  so that air flows through the air-relief hole  28  into the cylindrical portion  27 . 
   When operation is carried out to eject the card in the manner known in the art, the eject bar  4  slides in the ejecting direction A 1  of  FIG. 8B . In this event, air moves in the cylindrical portion  27  towards the air-relief hole  28  to make the air valve  29  be faced to the air-relief hole  28  as depicted by a lower white allow  32  in  FIG. 8B . As a consequence, the air is compressed in the cylindrical portion  27  in the ejecting and the inserting directions A 1  and A 2 . 
   Although the air valve  29  faces the air-relief hole  28 , the air is allowed to flow by little and little through the air-relief hole  28 . For example, a small gap is formed between the air valve  29  and the air-relief hole  28  or the air valve  29  is provided with a small hole or holes. Therefore, the eject bar  4  slides slowly and the card is prevented from undesirably jumping out from the housing  2 . 
   While the present invention has thus far been described in connection with the preferred embodiments thereof, it will readily be possible for those skilled in the art to put this invention into practice in various other manners. For example, a plurality of contacts are provided in each of the foregoing embodiments. However, this invention is also applicable to the case where only one contact is provided.