Abstract:
A card connector includes an insulating housing defining at least two adjacent card cavities; a number of card contacts are retained in the housing and divided into at least two groups to expose to corresponding card cavities; and at least one controlling member is disposed on the housing between the two card cavities, and a stopper is deflected between the two car cavities and protruding into one card cavity once a card inserted into the other car cavity, and a resilient portion is for urging the stopper to resume its original position once the card withdrew from the other cavity.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a card connector, especially to a card connector which is adapted for insertion of cards of different types and can only loads one card one time. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   With development of electrical appliances such as portable telephones, telephones, PDA (personal digital assistance), portable audio, cameras and the like, a lot of different kinds of cards such as a SD (super density, secure digital) card, a CF (compact flash) card, a SM (smart media) card, a MS (memory stick) and an XD (xd-picture) card are widely used in the field of the electronics. Thus a lot of different card connectors are needed loading different cards. However, if one card connector only load one corresponding card, more cards are needed more card connectors to load, thus occupying a lot of areas of the electrical appliances and interfering with downsizing of the electrical appliances. Thus a card connector which can load some different cards simultaneously is required. 
   At present, a card connector which can load some different cards simultaneously has a plurality of inserting cavities for receiving different cards, that is to say, when the card connector loads a card such as CF card, it can load else card or cards simultaneously. Though the card connector can load different cards simultaneously, it inspects and recognizes one card one time. In order to inspect and recognize all the cards when the card connector load different cards at the same time, it is needed to design corresponding softwares and add corresponding inspecting contacts to expand functions of the card connector, thus certainly encountering a lot of difficulties in designing and manufacturing. 
   Hence, an improved card connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An object of the present invention is to provide a card connector which is adapted for insertion of five different kinds of cards and only loads one card one time. 
   Accordingly, to achieve above-mentioned object, a card connector comprises an insulating housing defining at least two adjacent card cavities; a plurality of card contacts retained in the housing and divided into at least two groups to expose to corresponding card cavities; and at least one controlling member disposed on the housing between the two card cavities, and comprising a stopper deflected between the two car cavities and protruding into one card cavity once a card inserted into the other car cavity, and a resilient portion for urging the stopper to resume its original position once the card withdrew from the other cavity. 
   The detailed features of the present invention will be apparent in the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an assembled perspective view of a card connector and some cards in accordance with the present invention, without controlling members; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the card connector of  FIG. 1 , not showing a top plate of the card connector; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the card connector shown in  FIG. 2 , but taken from another aspect; 
       FIG. 4  is a bottom plane view of the card connector in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a front plane view of the card connector in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a first resilient member and a second resilient member of the card connector in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  7 — 7  of  FIG. 2  of the card connector in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  7 — 7  of  FIG. 2  showing CF card being inserted into the card connector; 
       FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  7 — 7  of  FIG. 2  showing SD/MMC card being inserted into the card connector; 
       FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  10 – 10  of  FIG. 2  showing MS card being inserted into the card connector; 
       FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  10 — 10  of  FIG. 2  showing XD card being inserted into the card connector; 
       FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  12 — 12  of  FIG. 5  of the card connector in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  12 — 12  of  FIG. 5  showing SD/MMC card being inserted into the card connector; 
       FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  12 — 12  of  FIG. 5  showing MS card being inserted into the card connector; and 
       FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  12 — 12  of  FIG. 5  showing XD card being inserted into the card connector. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 6 , a card connector in accordance with the present invention is adapted for insertion of some different kinds of cards and only loads one card one time. The card connector comprises an insulative housing  1 , CF card contacts  2 , SD/MMC card contacts  3 , MS card contacts  4 , XD card contacts  5 , a pair of first resilient members  6  and a second resilient member  7 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 , the insulative housing  1  of the card connector comprises a top plate  100 , a pair of side plates  101 , a middle plate  102  and a bottom plate  103 . The housing  1  defines a CF card cavity  11  among the top plate  100 , the middle plate  102  and upper side plates  111  of the side plates  101  for receiving the CF card, and defines a SD/MMC card cavity  12 , a MS card cavity  13  and an XD card cavity  14  between the middle plate  102  and the bottom plate  103 . The MS card cavity  13  and the XD card cavity  14  are located in a same space (not shown) and are in a position relation of upper and lower sides (referring to  FIG. 3 ). The SD/MMC card cavity  12  is arranged side by side with the MS card cavity  13  and the XD card cavity  14 . The housing  1  has a partition wall  104  between the SD/MMC card cavity  12  and the MS card cavity  13  and the XD card cavity  14  for separating the card cavity  12  with the card cavity  13  and the card cavity  14 . The housing  1  is provided with a pair of springs  112  and a sliding block  113  disposed at laterals and front of the CF card contacts  2  separately and two locking contacts  114  are formed on front of the upper side plates  111  of the side plate  101 . The CF card contacts  2  are located on end of the CF card cavity  11  along the CF card insertion direction and one end of the contacts  2  are received in holes of the sliding block  113 . When the CF card inserted, the CF card moves along the upper side plates  111  and abuts against the sliding block  113  to electrically connect with the CF card contacts  2 . The SD/MMC card contacts  3  are located on front of the SD/MMC card cavity  12 . The MS card contacts  4  are located on end of the MS card cavity  13 . The XD card contacts  5  are disposed on front of the XD card cavity  14 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , the MS card cavity  13  and the XD card cavity  14  are in the position relation of upper and lower sides and communicate each other, and the MS card cavity  13  and the XD card cavity  14  are overlapped partially. Thus when the MS card is inserted into the MS card cavity  13 , the XD card can&#39;t be inserted into the XD card cavity  14  because the MS card occupies a part of the card cavity  14 , and the MS card can&#39;t be inserted into the MS card cavity  13  also when the XD card is inserted into the XD card cavity  14 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , each of the first pair of resilient members  6  is of a sheet and comprises a securing portion  60 , a resilient portion  61  extending perpendicularly from the securing portion  60  and a first stopper (not shown) formed at a free end of the resilient potion  61 . The stopper comprises an upper protrusion  62  and a lower protrusion  63  on its opposite two sides. The upper protrusion  62  and the lower protrusion  63  are both approximately triangular. In conjunction with  FIG. 2 , the housing  1  defines a pair of grooves  1021  through the middle plate  102  adjacent to two laterals (not shown) of the partition wall  104 . A pair of locking slots  1022  are formed on fronts of the two laterals of the partition wall  104 . The securing portion  60  is secured in the locking slot  1022 , the resilient portion  61  is abutted against the lateral of the partition wall  104  and the first stopper with the upper protrusion  62  and the lower protrusion  63  is disposed in the groove  1021 . In conjunction with  FIG. 8 , when the CF card is inserted into the CF card cavity  11 , the CF card will engage with the upper protrusions  62  and press the upper protrusions  62  downwardly along the corresponding grooves  1021 , thus the lower protrusions  63  will move downwardly along movement of the upper protrusions  62  and finally expose in the SD/MMC card cavity  12  and the MS card cavity  13  and the XD card cavity  14  separately in virtue of elastic distortion of the resilient portion  61 . At this rate, the lower protrusion  63  blocks off insertion of the SD/MMC card, the MS card or the XD card. The SD/MMC card, the MS card or the XD card can&#39;t be inserted into the corresponding card cavity unless the CF card is drawn out from the CF card cavity  11 . In conjunction with  FIGS. 9 ,  10  and  11 , when the SD/MMC card, the MS card or the XD card is inserted into the corresponding card cavity, it will press the lower protrusion  63  upwardly and finally make the upper protrusion  62  expose in the CF card cavity  11 , thus the upper protrusion  62  blocks off insertion of the CF card and the CF card can&#39;t be inserted into the CF card cavity  11  unless the SD/MMC card, the MS card or the XD card is drawn out from the corresponding card cavity. 
   Referring to  FIG. 6 , the second resilient member  7  is of a sheet and comprises a securing portion  70 , a resilient portion  71  extending perpendicularly from the securing portion  70  and a second stopper (not shown) formed at a free end of the resilient potion  71 . The second stopper comprises a first protrusion  72  protruding from one side of free end thereof, a second protrusion  73  protruding from another side of the free end thereof and a third protrusion  74  protruding from thereon and formed behind the second protrusion  73 . The first, second and third protrusions  72 ,  73  and  74  are all approximately echelon and distance of the third protrusion  74  protruding from the second stopper is longer than that of the second protrusion  73 . In conjunction with  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  12 , the partition wall  104  defines a securing slot  1041  adjacent to end of the housing  1 , a rectangular slot  1042  extending forwardly from the securing slot  1041  along card detachment direction and an aperture  1043  extending from the rectangular slot  1042  along card detachment direction. A part of the SD/MMC card cavity  12  communicates with a part of the space (not shown) composed by the MS card cavity  13  and the XD card cavity  14  because of the aperture  1043 . The securing portion  70  of the second resilient member  7  is securing into the securing slot  1041 , the resilient portion  71  is abutting against the rectangular slot  1042  parallel and width of the rectangular slot  1042  is wider than that of the resilient portion  71  and the second stopper with the protrusions  72 ,  73  and  74  of the second resilient member  7  is disposed in the aperture  1043 . The first protrusion  72  protrudes into the SD/MMC card cavity  12  partly and the second protrusion  73  and the third protrusion  74  protrude into the mutual part of the MS card cavity  13  and the XD card cavity  14 . In conjunction with  FIGS. 13 ,  14  and  15 , when SD/MMC card is inserted into the SD/MMC card cavity  12 , the SD/MMC card will press the first protrusion  72  into the aperture  1043  and make the resilient portion  71  distort elastically, thus the second protrusion  73  and the third protrusion  74  are pressed into the MS card cavity  13  and the XD card cavity  14 . At this rate, the second protrusion  73  or the third protrusion  74  blocks off insertion of the XD card or the MS card respectively, the MS card or the XD card can&#39;t be inserted into the corresponding card cavity unless the SD/MMC card is drawn out from SD/MMC card cavity  12 . Because the MS card and the XD card are different in outer shape, the MS card will engage with the third protrusion  74  of the second resilient member  7  and the XD card will engage with the second protrusion  73  when the MS card or the XD card is inserted into corresponding card cavity separately. Finally, the MS card or the XD card will press the third protrusion  74  or the second protrusion  73  into the aperture  1043  and make the first protrusion  72  protrude into the SD/MMC card cavity  12  and block off insertion of the SD/MMC card. The SD/MMC card can&#39;t be inserted into the SD/MMC card cavity  12  unless the MS card or the XD card is drawn out from the corresponding card cavity. 
   It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.