Abstract:
A card connector comprises an insulating housing ( 1 ), at least a first set of contacts ( 2 ) and a second set of contacts ( 3 ) retained in the insulating housing ( 1 ) and a defend mechanism ( 6 ); the insulating housing ( 1 ) defines a card receiving space with a card inserting direction; the defend mechanism ( 6 ) disposes in the housing and comprising a step portion protruding into the card receiving space and a restorable portion extending from the step portion; the step portion divides the card receiving space into at least two card cavities according to external dimensions of the different cards and deflects between the two card cavities and protruding into one card cavity once a card inserted into the other card cavity; the restorable portion for urging the step portion 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. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   With development of consuming products, such as portable telephones, digital cameras, PDA (Personal Digital Assistance), portable audio and the like, a lot of different kinds of cards, such as an SD (Super Density, Secure Digital) card, an MMC (Multi-Media Card), an SM (Smart Media) card, an MS (Memory Stick) card and an XD (XD-picture) card, are widely used in the field of the consuming products. Therefore, different card connectors are needed to load different cards. However, one card connector only loads one corresponding card, the above consuming product needs to be designed with different card connectors which occupy too much space and increase cost of the consuming product. Thus, a card connector which can load some different cards is required. 
   At present, a card connector which can load different cards has a plurality of inserting cavities for receiving different cards. In such situation, we must face to another problem which is to avoid accepting the different cards at a time. Because the card connector is needed to design special softwares and add inspecting contacts to expand its functions, thus, certainly encountering a lot of difficulties in design and manufacture. 
   Hence, an improved card connector is required to overcome the problems 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 different kinds of cards and only loads one card at a time. 
   Accordingly, to achieve above-mentioned object, a card connector comprises an insulating housing, at least a first set of contacts and a second set of contacts and a defend mechanism; the insulating housing defines a card receiving space with a card inserting direction; the first set of contacts and the second set of contacts are retained in the insulating housing and exposed into the card receiving space for electrically connecting with corresponding cards; the defend mechanism disposes in the housing and comprising a step portion protruding into the card receiving space and a restorable portion extending from the step portion; the step portion divides the card receiving space into at least two card cavities according to external dimensions of the different cards and deflects between the two card cavities and protruding into one card cavity once a card inserted into the other card cavity; the restorable portion for urging the step portion 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 in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the card connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a partially assembled, perspective view of the card connector shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the card connector along line  4 — 4  of  FIG. 1 , showing a defend mechanism assembled in an insulating housing; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the defend mechanism of the card connector in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a front elevational view of the card connector in accordance with the present invention, showing an XD card inserted therein; 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view along line  7 — 7  of  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a front elevational view of the card connector in accordance with the present invention, showing an SD card inserted therein; 
       FIG. 9  a cross-sectional view along line  9 — 9  of  FIG. 8 ; 
       FIG. 10  is a front elevational view of the card connector in accordance with the present invention, showing an MMC card inserted therein; 
       FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view along line  11 — 11  of  FIG. 10 ; 
       FIG. 12  is a front elevational view of the card connector in accordance with the present invention, showing an MS card inserted therein; 
       FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view along line  13 — 13  of  FIG. 12 ; 
       FIG. 14  is a front elevational view of the card connector in accordance with the present invention, showing an SM card inserted therein; and 
       FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional view along line  15 — 15  of  FIG. 14 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 5 , a card connector in accordance with the present invention is adapted for insertion of different kinds of cards and only accepts one card at a time. The card connector comprises an insulating housing  1 , a plurality of sets of contacts including a first set of contacts  2 , a second set of contacts  3 , a third set of contacts  4  and a fourth set of contacts  5  for electrically connecting with an XD card, an MS card, an SD/MMC card and an SM card respectively, a defend mechanism  6  and a shell  7 . 
   The insulating housing  1  is approximately box-liked and comprises a top wall  10 , a pair of opposite sidewalls  12 ,  13 , a bottom wall  14  and a rear wall  15 , which commonly define a card receiving space (not labeled). The insulating housing  1  further defines a card inserting opening  11  recessed inwardly from a front face thereof to communicate with the card receiving space. The top wall  10  is formed with an opening  100  communicating with the card receiving space and spaced from the card inserting opening  11  along a card inserting direction, and the top wall  10  is formed with a cut  101  adjacent to the front face of the housing  1 . A longitudinally recessed cavity  133  and a transversely recessed notch  132  are defined in the sidewall  13  of the housing  1  adjacent to the card inserting opening  11  along a card inserting direction and communicating with each other. The cavity  133  communicates with the card receiving space at front end thereof. The shell  7  is disposed on the top wall  10  of the housing  1  and formed with a holding piece  76  at front end thereof to lock in the cut  101  of the housing  1 . 
   The card connector is further provided with a first and a second holding plates  8 ,  8 ′. The first holding plate  8  and the second holding plate  8 ′ are approximately plate configuration and disposed on the top wall  10  of the housing  1  to cover the opening  100  and face to the card receiving space. The first holding plate  8  is assembled on the second holding plate  8 ′. 
   The first set of contacts  2  are arranged in the first holding plate  8  and each comprises a contacting portion  21  exposed in the card receiving space adjacent to the card inserting opening  11  and a soldering portion  22  extending rearward from the contacting portion  21  beyond the rear wall  15  of the housing  1 . 
   The second set of contacts  3  are disposed in contacting channels (not labeled) formed in the rear wall  15  of the housing  1 . Each contact  3  comprises a contacting portion  31  exposed in the card receiving space and a soldering portion  32  extending through the rear wall  15  from the contacting portion  31  to expose outside. 
   The third set of contacts  4  are received in the second holding plate  8 ′ and each comprises a contacting portion  41  exposed in the card receiving space and a soldering portion  42  extending rearward from the contacting portion  41  and exposed outside the rear wall  15 . The soldering portions  42  are divided into two groups to leave a space therebetween. The contacting portions  31  of the second set of the contacts  3  are located in the space. In addition, the third set of contacts  4  further comprise a sensor switch  43  disposed at a distal end thereof with the contacting portion  41  thereof differed from those of the other contacts  4 . A grounding contact  44  and a protecting contact  45  are further included in the third set of contacts  4  and respectively disposed in the sidewall  12 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  6 , the fourth set of contacts  5  are disposed on the bottom wall  14  and comprise two rows of contacting members with different lengths and arranged alternately. The contacting members comprise contacting portions  51 ,  51 ′ exposed in the card receiving space  130  and soldering portions  52 ,  52 ′ extending forwardly from the contacting portions  51 ,  51 ′ to expose outside the front face of the housing  1 . The length of the contacting portion  51  is longer than that of the contacting portion  51 ′. A sensor contact  53  and a grounding contact  54  are disposed in the sidewall  12  of the housing  1  adjacent to the rear wall  15  and read/written contacts  55 ,  56  are disposed in the sidewall  13  of the housing  1  adjacent to the front face of the housing  1 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 7 , the contacting portions  21 ,  41 ,  51  and  31  are arranged in turn along the card inserting direction. A rectangular holding member  9  is assembled to the rear wall  15  of the housing  1  in the card inserting direction to separate and hold the soldering portions  22 ,  32  and  42  of the corresponding contacts  2 ,  3  and  4  in position. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 3 to 5 , the card connector comprises a defend mechanism  6  assembled in the housing  1 . The defend mechanism  6  is approximately L-shaped and comprises a head portion  61 , a tail portion  62  and an intermediate portion  60  connecting the head portion  61  and the tail portion  62 . The tail portion  62  is locked in the notch  132  and the intermediate portion  60  is cantilevered in the recess  133  of the sidewall  13  of the housing  1 . The tail portion  62  comprises a protruding block  65  protruding backward from the distal end thereof and a pair of locking arms  63  disposed at opposite sides of the protruding block  65  and extending backward with distal ends extending beyond a rear face of the protruding block  65 . A gap  66  is formed between the distal ends of the protruding block  65  and the locking arms  63  for receiving a positioning portion  81  extending from one side of the first holding plate  8  (referring to  FIG. 4 ). Each locking arm  63  locks in the notch  132  for positioning the defend mechanism  6 . The head portion  61  is exposed in the card receiving space adjacent to the card inserting opening  11  and comprises a step portion including an upper step section  611  extending toward the sidewall  12  of the housing  1  from one side of the header portion  61  and a lower step section  612  extending from lower side of the upper step section  611  toward the sidewall  12 . For illustrating the different card cavities conveniently, thus defining these cavities associated with corresponding cards inserted therein. Therefore, the upper step section  611  and the lower step section  612  divide the card receiving space into an XD card cavity  111  as a first card cavity (referring to  FIG. 7 ), SD/MMC card cavities  112  and  113  as second and third card cavities (referring to  FIGS. 9 and 11 ), an MS card cavity  114  as a fourth card cavity (referring to  FIG. 13 ) and an SM card cavity  115  as a fifth card cavity (referring to  FIG. 15 ) in turn along a vertical direction according to external dimensions of the corresponding different cards. The upper step section  611  and the lower step section  612  are further for guiding insertion of the different cards. The different contacts  2 ,  3 ,  4  and  5  are exposed in the corresponding different card cavities  111 ,  114 ,  112 / 113  and  115  respectively. The header portion  61  can deflect into the different card cavities along the vertical direction as different cards inserted into the card connector. The tail portion  62  and the intermediate portion  60 , served as restorable portion, can urge the header portion  61  return to its original position. The header portion  61  is formed with a slanted face  610  at front end thereof, and the upper step section  611  and the lower step section  612  are also formed with corresponding inclined faces (not labeled) all for guiding insertion of card. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 6 to 15 , the XD card cavity  111 , the SD/MMC card cavities  112 ,  113  and the MS card cavity  114  communicate with and overlap one another. The SD/MMC card cavities  112 ,  113 , the MS card cavity  114  and the SM card cavity  115  also communicate with and overlap one another. The XD card cavity  111  and the SM card cavity  115  are independent card cavities and the XD card cavity  111  is defined between the top wall  10  of the housing  1  and the header portion  61 . 
   When only the XD card is inserted into the XD card cavity  111 , the XD card will force the head portion  61  into the SD/MMC card cavities  112 ,  113  and the SM card cavity  115 . When only the SM card is inserted into the SM card cavity  115 , the header portion  61  will rotate about the intermediate portion  62  and the tail portion  62  and then be forced into the XD card cavity  111  and the SD/MMC card cavities  112 ,  113 . Thus, when either card of the XD card, the MS card, the SD/MMC card or the SM card is inserted into the corresponding card cavities  111 ,  112 / 113 ,  114  and  115  to electrically connect with the corresponding contacts  2 ,  3 ,  4  and  5 , other cards can&#39;t be inserted into the card receiving space at the same time. That is to say, the card connector can accept one card at a time. 
   While a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention has been shown and described, equivalent modifications and changes known to persons skilled in the art according to the spirit of the present invention are considered within the scope of the present invention as described in the appended claims.