Abstract:
An electrical card connector ( 1 ) includes an insulative housing ( 10 ) enclosed by a metallic shield ( 28 ). The housing ( 10 ) defines a receiving space ( 18 ) with first and second sets of contacts ( 22, 24 ) disposed in the housing ( 10 ) and communicating with the receiving space ( 18 ). A protection door ( 40 ) is pivotally mounted to the housing ( 10 ) in an entrance opening ( 19 ) blocking the receiving space ( 18 ) from an exterior. A moveable locking member ( 60 ) releasably locks the protection door ( 40 ). The protection door ( 40 ) defines a cutout to leave a small entrance opening ( 46 ) to allow a small sized card ( 300 ) to be guidably and snugly inserted into the receiving space ( 18 ) wherein the protection door ( 40 ) is equipped with another small pivotal anti-dust door ( 56 ) to cover that small entrance opening ( 46 ). Therefore, the card connector ( 1 ) can mutually exclusively receive the large sized card ( 200 ) and the small sized card ( 300 ) guidably and reliably.

Description:
The invention relates to IC card connectors, and particularly to the IC card connector equipped with anti-mismating means for assuring the different size/type cards will be correctly received in the correct positions through the respective doors which are associated with each other. This application relates to the copending application Ser. No. 11/001,261 filed Nov. 30, 2004. 
   It is popular to provide one single IC card connector with different sets of terminals at different locations to engage the different size/type IC cards which mutually exclusively enter the common receiving space defined in said IC card connector via the same entrance opening. Understandably, the housing of the IC card is provided some key/keyway in the guiding channels to guidably retain the inserted cards in position; anyhow, sometimes a small dimensioned card may be inadvertently inserted into the entrance opening in an improper tilted manner that it may be uncontrollably led to an incorrect position, thus either damaging the terminals or being damaged by the terminals. The safest way is to provide different spaces and/or different entrance openings in the IC connector, while it will increase the total thickness thereof that is opposite to the miniaturization trend. Accordingly, it is desired to provide a safe structure for the IC card connector to regulate different cards&#39; insertion. Some attempts might have been considered, including having a set of terminal module being moveably arranged relative to the other, either linearly or rotatably, while such attempts are so complicated that either no space in the notebook computer to compliantly allow such a movement, or reliability is doubtful. 
   In fact, in the electrical connector field, for the modular jack connectors there are several different workable approaches to prevent a small plug from incorrectly being inserted into a large sized modular jack which is basically fit for a large plug, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,257,935 and 6,319,070. Moreover, for the IC card connector as mentioned above, U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,633 specifically discloses a protection member which is located at the entrance opening of the IC card connector and can be moved either linearly or pivotally to allow the corresponding IC card to be inserted into the card connector for mating under a condition that the protection member is controlled by a locking member which moveably releasably locks the protection member while can be released by the inserted card when the correctly sized IC card is inserted into the card entrance opening. 
   Anyhow, sometimes a small sized card is still required to be inserted into the combo type card connector for mating with the corresponding contacts in the card connector. Therefore, it is expected to modify the protection member of the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,633 for providing an IC card connector with a modified protection device which is capable of retaining a small sized card in position when the small sized card is inserted into the receiving space for mating with the corresponding contacts while not obstructing insertion of a large sized card when the large sized card is inserted into the receiving space for mating with the corresponding contacts. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In an aspect, an electrical card connector includes an insulative housing enclosed by a metallic shield. The housing defines a receiving space with first and second sets of contacts disposed in the housing and communicating with the receiving space. A protection door is pivotally mounted to the housing in an entrance opening blocking the receiving space from an exterior. A moveable locking member releasably locks the protection door. The protection door defines a cutout to leave a small entrance opening to allow a small sized card to be guidably and snugly inserted into the receiving space wherein the protection door is equipped with another small pivotal anti-dust door to cover that small entrance opening. Therefore, the card connector can mutually exclusively receive the large sized card and the small sized card guidably and reliably. 
   Similar to the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,633, the protection door is equipped with the locking member to prevent movement of the protection door unless the correctly sized card is inserted into the receiving space. 
   Different from the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,633, the protection door is further equipped with the guiding rail structure on the back of the small entrance opening to guidably support insertion of the small card so that the large card can be guided and retained in position by the housing while the small card can be guided and retained in position by the guiding rail structure of the protection door without involvement of the housing. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1(A)  is perspective view of the card connector assembly having the electrical card connector mounted on the printed circuit board. 
       FIG. 1(B)  is a side view of the card connector assembly of  FIG. 1(A)  to show that the connector is essentially slightly oblique to the printed circuit board. 
       FIG. 2(A)  is a perspective view of a freely standing assembled card connector. 
       FIG. 2(B)  is another perspective view of the card connector of  FIG. 2(A)  arranged in a horizontal manner for easy illustration in the following drawings. 
       FIG. 3  is a roughly exploded perspective view of the card connector of  FIG. 3  by detaching the shield from the housing. 
       FIG. 4  is a relatively detailed exploded perspective view of the card connector of  FIG. 3  to show the insulative housing and the protection door, the pivotal door, and locking member associated therewith. 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged perspective view of the housing of  FIG. 4  including the associated contacts therein. 
       FIG. 6  is an enlarged perspective view of the metallic shield of  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 7(A)  is an enlarged front perspective view of the protection door and the associated pivotal door of  FIG. 4 , disassembled from each other. 
       FIG. 7(B)  is an enlarged rear perspective view of the protection door and the associated pivotal door of  FIG. 7(A) . 
       FIG. 8(A)  is an enlarged rear perspective view of the assembled protection door and pivotal door of  FIG. 7(B)  wherein the pivotal door is in a closed state. 
       FIG. 8(B)  is an enlarged rear perspective view of the assembled protection door and pivotal door of  FIG. 8(A)  wherein the pivotal door is in an open state. 
       FIG. 8(C)  is another enlarged rear perspective view of the assembled protection door and pivotal door of  FIG. 8(B)  to show the switch contact associated with the protection door. 
       FIG. 9  is an enlarged perspective view of the locking member of  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 10(A)  is a partially enlarged rear perspective view of the assembled housing and protection door of  FIG. 4  to show the two switch contacts on the housing and another switch contact on the protection door for illustrating operation therebetween, wherein the protection door is in the open position. 
       FIG. 10(B)  is a partially enlarged rear perspective view of the assembled housing and protection door of  FIG. 10(A)  to show the two switch contacts on the housing and another switch contact on the protection door for illustrating operation therebetween, wherein the protection door is in the closed position. 
       FIG. 11  is a partially enlarged front perspective view of the assembled housing and protection door of  FIG. 10(B)  to show how the protection door is rotated to expose the full entrance opening and have the guiding rail structure escaped and further upstanding from the receiving space. 
       FIG. 12(A)  is a front perspective view of the assembled connector of  FIG. 4  to show the pivotal door is rotated for exposing the small entrance opening for receiving a small card in the receiving space. 
       FIG. 12(B)  is a front perspective view of the connector assembly having the small card received in the receiving space through said small entrance opening of the connector of  FIG. 12(A) . 
       FIG. 12(C)  is a rear perspective view of the connector assembly of  FIG. 12(B) . 
       FIG. 12(D)  is a side view of the connector assembly of  FIG. 12(B)  with the associated printed circuit board of  FIG. 1(B) . 
       FIG. 13(A)  is a front perspective view of the assembled connector of  FIG. 4  to show the protection door is rotated upwardly for exposing the large entrance opening for receiving a large card in the receiving space. 
       FIG. 13(B)  is a front perspective view of the connector assembly having the large card received in the receiving space through the large entrance opening. 
       FIG. 14  is a plane view of the connector of  FIG. 4  to illustrate the locking member is in an actuated position by the large card so as to release the locked protection door. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   References will now be in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention. While the present invention has been described in with reference to the specific embodiments, the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Various modifications to the present invention can be made to the preferred embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by appended claims. 
   It will be noted here that for a better understanding, most of like components are designated by like reference numerals throughout the various figures in the embodiments. Attention is directed to  FIGS. 1 and 2  wherein an electrical card connector  1  is mounted on a printed circuit board  100 . Referring to  FIG. 2(A)  to  FIG. 9 , the card connector  1  includes an insulative housing  10  having opposite top wall  12  and bottom wall  14 , opposite two side walls  16 , and a rear wall  27  commonly define a receiving space  18  in the housing  10 . A first set of contacts  22  are disposed on the rear wall  27  and forwardly extending into the receiving space  18  for mating with a large card  200  ( FIG. 13(B) ). A second set of contacts  24  are disposed on the bottom wall  14  and upwardly extending above an tipper face  26  of the bottom wall  14  and into the receiving space  18  for mating with a small card  300  ( FIG. 12(B) ). A large entrance opening  19  is formed in a front end of the housing  10  and in front of and in communication with the receiving space  18 . A pair of boardlocks  23  are attached on an undersurface of the housing  10  for mounting the connector  1  to the printed circuit board  100 . 
   A metallic shield  28  encloses the housing  10  and includes opposite top plate  30  and bottom plate  32 , and opposite two side plates  34 . The top plate forms an large opening  36  therein and two resilient arms  37  thereon beside the large opening  36 , and each of the side plate  34  forms a resilient arm  38  thereon. 
   A protection door  40  having two opposite pivots  42  thereon, is pivotally mounted to a front end of the housing  10  to movably block the large entrance opening  19 . The protection door  40  includes a front plate  44  defining a cutout to form a small entrance opening  46  therein wherein in this preferred embodiment the small entrance opening  46  is essentially overlapped with a portion of the large entrance opening  19 . A pair of guiding rails  48  extend rearwardly from a back surface  50  of the front plate  44  at positions right beside the small entrance opening  46 . A supporting bottom plate  52  is integrally extends rearward from a bottom edge of the front plate  44  so as to cooperate with the pair of guiding rails  48  to hold the inserted small card  300  in position. A wedged stopper  54  is formed at the rear end of one of the guiding rails  48  for engagement with a wedged distal end of the small card  300 . 
   A pivotal door  56  having two pivots  58  thereon, is pivotally mounted to on the back surface  50  of the front plate  44  of the protection door  40  adjacent to the small entrance opening  46 . The pivotal door  56  moveably blocks the small entrance opening  46  on the back surface  50  of the front plate  44 . 
   The top wall  12  of the housing  10  defines therein an opening  13  located in alignment with the large opening  36  and cooperating with the large opening  36  to accommodate the protection door  40  therein when the protection door  40  is upwardly raised by the large card  200 . The bottom wall  14  of the housing  10  defines therein a recess  15  to accommodate the supporting bottom plate  52  when the protection door  40  is in the locked horizontal position where only the small card  300  can be inserted into the receiving space  18  through the small entrance opening  46 . A pair of cutoffs  17  are formed in front ends of the corresponding side walls  16 , respectively. A pair of locking members  60  (only one shown in  FIG. 4 ) having two pivots  62  thereon, are pivotally mounted in the corresponding cutoffs  17 , respectively. 
   Each of the locking member  60  includes a confrontation surface  64 , at the front, adapted to be actuated to move by a large card  200 , and a blocking surface  66 , at the back, adapted to block rearward movement of the protection door  40  if the locking member  60  is not actuated by insertion of the large card  200 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 11–13(B) , to the connector  1  when no card is received in the receiving space  18 , the protection door  40  is in a vertical or non-rotation position to cover the large entrance opening  19  under a condition that the pivotal door  56  is also in a vertical or non-rotation position to cover the small entrance opening  46 . Under this situation, when the correctly sized large card  200  is inserted into the receiving space  18  through the large entrance opening  19 , two side edges  202  of the card  200  confront and push away the confrontation surface  64  of the blocking member  60  to have the corresponding blocking member  60  outwardly rotated so as to have the blocking surface  66  disengaged from the protection door  40 . Therefore, the further rearward movement of the large card  200  further pushes and upwardly raises the protection door  40  under a pivotal manner to have the front plate  44  essentially located in a horizontal position. As mentioned above, under this condition the guiding rails  48  extends through both the opening  13  of the top wall  12  and the large opening  36  of the shield  28 . 
   Oppositely, if no large card  200  is available, a small card  300  is also allowed to be inserted into the receiving space  18  via the small entrance opening  46  wherein the pivotal door  56  is upwardly raised by the inserted small card  300  to a horizontal position under a condition that the protection door  40  is locked by the locking member  60 , and the inserted small card  300  is snugly retained by the pair of guiding rails  48  in the transverse direction, and by the supporting bottom plate  52  and the raised pivotal door  56  in the vertical direction. 
   Once the large card  200  is withdrawn from the housing  10  via a reverse procedure, the protection door  40  is pushed back to the original non-rotation position by the restoration force generated by the resilient arms  37  which are urged by the corresponding protrusions  51  on the back surface  50  of the front plate  44  of the protection door  40  when the large card  200  is received in the receiving space  18 . On the other hand, the locking members  60  are also pushed inward back to the original non-rotation position by the resilient arms  38 , respectively. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 8(C) ,  10 (A) and  10 (B), a moveable first switch contact  70  is associatively located on the protection door  40  having a first contact end  72  and a second contact end  74 . Stationary second switch contact  76  and third switch contact  78  are disposed in the housing  10  and electrically connected to the printed circuit board  100  wherein the second switch contact  76  includes a contact section  80  adapted to engage the first contact end  72  of the moveable contact  70  when the protection door  40  is in the non-rotation position, and the third switch contact  78  adapted to be engaged with the second contact end  74  of the moveable contact  70  when the protection door  40  is in the non-rotation position and a small size card  300  pushes rearwardly away the pivotal door  56  and is inserted into the small entrance opening  46 . 
   One feature of the invention is to provide a small entrance opening  46  within the moveable protection door  40  so as to allow insertion of the small card  300  into the receiving space  18  for mating with the corresponding contacts. Another feature of the invention is to provide the guiding rails  48  on the moveable protection door  40  for holding the inserted small card  300 . Yet another feature of the invention is to provide the pivotal door  56  to block the small entrance opening  46  so as to form the so-called door-in-door structure for not only dust protection of the connector  1  but also snug guidance of the small card  300 . 
   While the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Various modifications to the present invention can be made to the preferred embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim. Therefore, person of ordinary skill in this field are to understand that all such equivalent structures are to be included within the scope of the following claims.