Abstract:
A card connector comprises an insulating housing defining a card receiving space for accommodating two kinds of different cards in size; a plurality of contacts retained in the housing, and comprising a plurality of different contacting portions for electrically connecting with the different cards respectively; and at least a anti-misinsertion appliance disposed in the housing, and comprising a shutter member and an actuator member for controlling the shutter member to open and close so that the different cards are led into the correct contacting areas.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a card connector, especially to a card connector which has anti-misinserting appliances. This application relates to two contemporaneously filed applications each having the same applicants, the same title and the same assignee with the instant application. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   With development of electrical appliances such as portable telephones, digital cameras, PDA (personal digital assistance), portable audio 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 MMC (multimedia card), a MS (memory stick) card, a MS Duo (memory stick duo) card and an XD (xd-picture) card are widely used in the field of the electronics. Because different cards have different external dimensions, thus different card connectors are needed loading corresponding different cards. However, if one card connector can only load one 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 accomplished. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,920 discloses a card connector which can load some different cards. The connector defines a card receiving space which is divided into some different card cavities for receiving an SM card, a MMC, an SD card and a MS card. That is to say, though the SM card, the MMC, the SD card and the MS card have their own card cavity, these card cavities are in a card receiving space. Especially, the MMC and the SD card have same length and width and height of the SD card is higher than that of the MMC, thus the MMC is easily inserted into the inserting cavity of the SD card because of misinsertion, then damaging the card connector. 
   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 can prevent misinsertion of cards. 
   Accordingly, to achieve above-mentioned object, A card connector comprises an insulating housing defining a card receiving space and the card receiving space defining a first card cavity and a second card cavity along a vertical direction for accommodating two kinds of different cards in size; a plurality of contacts retained in the housing, and comprising a first and second contacting portions exposed in the card receiving space for electrically connecting with the different cards respectively; at least an anti-misinsertion appliance disposed in the housing, and comprising a shutter member and an actuator member for controlling the shutter member to open and close and a connecting member connecting the actuator member and the shutter member; and when the actuator member is moved out from the card receiving space because of an outer force, the shutter member can open the card receiving space completely for receiving the corresponding card. Moreover, each of the contacts is provided with a first and second contacting portion spaced each other along a card insertion direction and exposed in the card receiving space and a soldering portion extending out of the housing. 
   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 exploded perspective view of the card connector in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of an anti-misinserting appliance of the card connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is an assembled perspective view of the anti-misinserting appliance of the card connector shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a part assembled perspective view of the card connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the card connector shown in  FIG. 1 , showing original status of insertion of a small card; 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the card connector shown in  FIG. 1 , showing status after the small card collides with a stopper; 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the card connector shown in  FIG. 1 , showing final status of insertion of the small card; 
       FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the card connector shown in  FIG. 1 , showing status after a large card collides with a protruding portion; 
       FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the card connector shown in  FIG. 1 , showing status after the large card collides with the stopper; and 
       FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view of the card connector shown in  FIG. 1 , showing final status of insertion of the large card. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 10 , the card connector  1  of the present invention can be used commonly for a thin, short, small card such as a MS Duo card and a thick, long, large card such as a MS card. The present invention, however, is not limited to the use of these cards but also be applied satisfactorily to other memory cards such as SD cards and IC cards. 
   The card connector  1  of the present invention comprises an insulating housing  2 , a shielding member  3 , a plurality of electrical contacts  4 , an ejector  5  and an anti-misinsertion appliance  6 . 
   The housing  2  is approximately box-shaped and the shielding member  3  is used in combination with the housing  2 . The housing  2  defines a card receiving space (not labeled) among an end wall  22 , a pair of side walls  23 , a top wall  24  and a bottom wall  25  thereof. The top wall  24  is approximately formed on rear part of the housing  2 . The housing  2  is opened at a front face  21  thereof to form a card insertion opening  7  and defines a card insertion direction along a front-end direction. The housing  2  is formed with a step portion  27  therein to divide the card receiving space into a small card cavity  28  served as a first card cavity and a large card cavity  29  served as a second card cavity which are aligned along a vertical direction perpendicular to the card insertion direction. An echelon slot  26  is formed on the bottom wall  25  adjacent to the card insertion opening  7 . 
   On both side walls  23  of the housing  2  adjacent to the card insertion opening  7 , the anti-mininserion appliance  6  is arranged to face each other with the card insertion opening  7  interposed therebetween. The anti-misinsertion appliance  6  comprises an actuator member  61 , a connecting member  65  and a shutter member  62  together performed a switching operation according to a difference in size, such as thickness, width or length, between a small card and a large card. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , the contacts  4  are assembled into the housing  2  from the end wall  22  thereof. Each of the electrical contacts  4  comprises a horizontal portion  41 , a first contacting portion  42  extending toward the card insertion opening  7  from one end of the horizontal portion  41 , a soldering portion  44  extending perpendicularly beyond the end wall  22  of the housing  2  from another end of the horizontal portion  41  and a second contacting portion  43  punched from the horizontal portion  41 . The second contacting portion  43  is located between the first contacting portion  42  and the soldering portion  44  and extends slantways toward the bottom wall  25  from the horizontal portion  41 . The first contacting portions  42  are exposed in the small card cavity  28  and together define a first contacting area and the second contacting portions  43  are exposed in the large card cavity  29  and together define a second contacting area. The first contacting portion  42  and the second contacting portion  43  are electrically connected with the small card such as the MS Duo card and the large card such as the MS card respectively. 
   The ejector  5  is secured at a rear corner  201  of the housing  2  adjacent to one side wall  23 . A column (not labeled) is formed on the end wall  22  and protrudes into the slot  201 . The ejector  5  comprises a base body  51  and the ejector  5  is secured in the housing  2  in virtue of one end of a spring  55  set on the column (not labeled) of the housing  2  and opposite end thereof disposed in the ejector  5 , and one end of a pin  54  locked on the base portion  51  and another end thereof locked on the side wall  23 . A protruding portion  52  and a T-shaped protruding portion  53  are formed on the base body  51  along the front-rear direction. The protruding portion  52  is formed on end of base portion  51  adjacent to the end wall  22  and protrudes into the card receiving space. The stopper  53  is disposed on opposite end of the base portion  51  and protruding into the small card cavity  28 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , The actuator member  61 , the shutter member  62  and the connecting member  65  are received in a first apertures  231 , a second apertures  232  and passages  223  defined on the side walls  23  of the housing  2 , respectively. The actuator member  61  of the anti-misinsertion appliance  6  has a protruding piece  612  away from the card receiving space, a protruding portion  611  protruding into the large card cavity  29  defined as an original position and a pivoting axis  614  formed on top thereof. A locking hole  613  is formed on end of the protruding piece  612 . The shutter member  62  comprises a stopper  621  protruding into the large card cavity  29  defined as an original position, a receiving hole  622  and a pivoting axis  624  formed on top thereof. One end of the connecting member  65  is freely inserted into the receiving hole  622  and another end thereof is locked securely in the locking hole  613 . When the large card in inserted, it will press the protruding portions  611  to pivot outward from the card receiving space, then draw the connecting members  65  out of the receiving holes  622  to release the shutter member  62 . Each of the anti-misinsertion appliances  6  has a pair of springs  63  and a pair of locking members  64 . The locking members  64  are provided with pivoting holes  641  and securing portions  642  extending downward from lateral sides thereof. The pivoting holes  641  are connected with the pivotal axes  614  and  624  respectively. The springs  63  are set on upper parts  615  and  623  of the moveable portions  61  and  62  respectively and one end of the springs  63  are secured on the locking members  64  and another end are secured on the moveable portions  61  and  62  respectively. 
   The locking members  64  are secured in rectangular slots  234  defined on top of the first apertures  231  and the second apertures  232  in virtue of securing portions  642 . The protruding portions  611  and the stoppers  621  are arranged in turn along the card inserting direction and distance between the pair of protruding portions  611  is longer than that of the stoppers  621 , that is to say, distance of the stoppers  621  protruding into the large card cavity is longer than that of the protruding portions  611 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  6 , the small card such as MS Duo card has a width shorter than a normal distance between the pair of protruding portions  611  and the pair of stoppers  621  protruded into the large card cavity  29 , so, when the small card is inserted along the small card cavity  28  from the card insertion opening  7 , it can be inserted smoothly without any interference. Finally, the T-shaped protruding portion  53  of the ejector  5  engages with a corresponding concave (not labeled) of the small card and the small card electrically connects with the first contacting portion  42  of the contacts  4 . 
   When the small card is inserted along the large card cavity  29  by mistake. Because the width of the small card is shorter than the normal distance between the pair of protruding portions  611 , so, when the small card is inserted firstly, it does not contact the protruding portions  611 . The small card advances further inward until it contacts the stopper  621 . The small card has a width larger than distance between the pair of stoppers  621 , so, it contacts the stoppers  621  certainly. Because the small card does not contact the protruding portions  611 , the protruding portions  611  do not pivot to open outwardly from the large card cavity  29  and do not draw the connecting members  65  out of the receiving holes  622  of the shutter members  62 . So, the stoppers  621  do not pivot outwardly but still protrude into the large card cavity  29  to prevent the small card from advancing inwardly along the large card cavity  29 . Thus, the small card then moves into the small card cavity  28  along a pair of guiding faces  625  formed on the pair of the stoppers  621  and connects with the first contacting portion  42  of the contacts  4  finally, and the small card is drawn out in virtue of the ejector  5 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 7 ,  8  and  9 ,  10 , the large card such as MS card has a width larger than the normal distance between the pair of protruding portions  611 , so, when the large card is inserted into the card connector  1  from the card insertion opening  7 , it engages and pushes the protruding portions  611 , causing the protruding portions  611  to pivot to open outwardly from the large card cavity  29 . Because the one end of the connecting members  65  are freely inserted into the receiving holes  622  of the shutter members  62  and another end thereof are locked securely in the locking holes  613  of the actuator members  61 , so, when the protruding portions  611  pivot outwardly, it drives the connecting members  65  and draw them out of the receiving holes  622  to release the shutter members  62 . The large card advances further inward until it contacts the stoppers  621 . The large card has a width larger than a normal distance between the pair of stoppers  621  and the connecting members  65  are already drawn out of the shutter member  62 , thus, the stoppers  621  pivot to open outwardly from the large card cavity  29  and do not prevent the large card from advancing along the large card cavity  29  when the large card contacts the stoppers  621 . Finally, the large card engages with the protruding portion  52  of the ejector  5  and a concave (no labeled) of the large card contacts a resilient piece  56  (shown in  FIG. 10 ) formed on the ejector  5  to position the large card. The large card electrically connects with the second contacting portions  43  of the contacts  4 . 
   After the large card is withdrawn, the protruding portions  611  of the actuator members  61  and the stoppers  621  of the shutter members  62  of the anti-misinsertion appliances  6  return to protrude into the card insertion space in virtue of elasticity of the springs  63  disposed on the anti-misinsertion appliances  6  for next insertion. Because the small card insertion cavity and the large card insertion cavity are overlapped each other, one card such as MS card or MS Duo card is inserted one 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.