Abstract:
An electrical card connector ( 100 ) includes an insulative housing ( 1 ), a plurality of contacts ( 2 ) retained in the insulative housing ( 1 ), and a mounting member ( 3 ) disposed on the insulative housing ( 1 ). The insulative housing ( 1 ) defining a receiving space ( 110 ). The mounting member ( 3 ) includes a first metal plate ( 31 ) defines an elastic plate ( 312 ) protruding into the receiving space ( 110 ) for abutting against the electrical card ( 200 ) when the electrical card ( 200 ) is inserted into the receiving space ( 110 ). The electrical card ( 200 ) can be fixed reliably and withdrawn from the electrical card connector ( 100 ) conveniently in virtue of the elastic plate ( 312 ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention generally relates to an electrical card connector and more particularly to an electrical card connector having a mounting member for positioning and locating the electrical card reliably and securely within the connector. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Chinese patent application publication No. CN101783453A, published on Jul. 21, 2010, discloses a conventional electrical card connector including an insulative housing, and a plurality of contacts retained in the insulative housing. The insulative housing comprises a receiving space and a step portion in a front of the receiving space, and a metal plate is attached upon the step portion to cover a top of the receiving space and extends backwardly from the step portion. The receiving space comprises a front receiving portion located below the step portion and a front accommodating portion located below the metal plate. The step portion abuts downwardly against the electrical card to prevent the electrical card from moving upwardly when the electrical card is inserted into the front receiving portion in a downward and aslantly manner. Then, the electrical card passes over the front receiving portion and is inserted into the front accommodating portion. The metal plate prevents the electrical card from moving upwardly and a rear of step portion prevents the electrical card from moving forwardly. But the electrical card connector abuts against the step portion with a non-obedient force, so the electrical card would be jammed unreliably and it may be inconveniently withdrawn from the electrical card connector. 
         [0005]    Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention provides an electrical card connector comprises an insulative housing having a receiving space for receiving an electrical card and a front wall located in front of the receiving space, a plurality of contacts retained in the insulative housing and a mounting member. Each of contacts comprises a contacting portion extending into the receiving space and a soldering portion extending out of the insulative housing. The mounting member comprises a first metal plate retained to the insulative housing, the first metal plate has an elastic plate disposed in a front of the receiving space and extending backwardly in the receiving space for resisting a front portion of the electrical card. 
         [0007]    Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is an assembled perspective view of an electrical card connector according to a presently preferred first embodiment of the present invention, showing an electrical card inserted in the electrical card connector; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is another perspective view of the electrical card connector and the electrical card as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  a top view of the electrical card connector as shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  an exploded view of the electrical card connector as shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a first metal plate of the electrical card connector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the electrical card connector, showing the electrical card aslant inserting into the electrical card connector. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is another cross-sectional view of the electrical card connector, showing the electrical card just horizontally put in the electrical card connector. 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the electrical card connector taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 1 , showing the electrical card arriving a final position in the electrical card connector. 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the first metal plate of a second embodiment of the electrical card connector. 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the electrical card connector of  FIG. 9 , showing interrelation among the electrical card, the resilient arm and the stationary abutment piece when the electrical card arrives at a final position in the electrical card connector. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail. Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , an electrical card connector  100  includes an insulative housing  1 , a plurality of contacts  2  integrally molded in the insulative housing  1 , a mounting member  3  disposed on the insulative housing  1  and a mounting plate  4 . 
         [0019]    The insulative housing  1  defines a receiving space  110  to receive an electrical card  200 . The insulative housing  1  has a front wall  11 , a rear wall  12 , a left side wall  13 , a right side wall  14  and a bottom wall  15 , which surround the receiving space  110 . The receiving space  110  has an opening for insertion of the electrical card  200 . The front wall  11  is located at a same height with the rear wall  12 . The bottom wall  15  connects the left and right side walls  13 ,  14 . A top of the front wall  11  comprises two mounting slots  111  symmetrically passing through the front wall  11  and the rear wall  12 , and extending along a front-to-back direction. A passageway slot  121  depresses downwardly from a middle of the rear wall  12  and connects with the receiving space  110 . User puts finger in the passageway slot  121  and pushes the electrical card  200  to eject the electrical card  200  therefrom. 
         [0020]    Please refer to  FIG. 6 , each of the contacts  2  comprises a retaining portion  22  integrally molded in the bottom wall  15 , a soldering portion  23  extending backwardly and located outside of the bottom wall  15 , and a contacting portion  21  extending forwardly from the retaining portion  22  and disposed in the receiving space  110  for contacting with a contact pad of the electrical card  200 . 
         [0021]    Please refer to  FIGS. 3-5 , the mounting member  3  comprises a first metal plate  31  covering a front of the receiving space  110  and a second metal plate  32  covering a rear of the receiving space  110 . The first metal plate  31  has a rectangular-shaped first top wall  310  which has the same height of the front wall  11 , a mating portion  311  extending downwardly and vertically from a front edge of the first top wall  310 , an arc-shaped elastic plate or spring/resilient arm  312  extending towards left from the mating portion  311  and forming a front accommodating space  300  with the top wall  310 , two symmetrical dowel beams  313  extending forwardly from the first top wall  310  and insert molded in the mounting slot  111  to retain the first metal plate  31 , and two first retaining arms  314  inclining downwardly from two sides of the first top wall  310  and insert molded in a front of the left and right side wall  13 ,  14  to fix the first metal plate  31 . 
         [0022]    The elastic plate  312  is disposed in the receiving space  110  and has a first pressing portion  3121  extending forwardly and deflect from the mating portion  311 , an arc-shaped elastic portion  3122  extending backwardly and bent from the first pressing portion  3121 , and a second pressing portion  3123  extending forwardly and bent from the elastic portion  3122 . The first and second pressing portions  3121 ,  3123  stretch forwardly beyond the mating portion  311  and abut against an inside of the front wall  11 . The first and second portions  3121 ,  3123  are located under the first top wall  310 . The front accommodating space  300  is located in a rear of the elastic plate  312  and in a bottom of the first top wall  310 . 
         [0023]    The second metal plate  32  has a back plate  320  insert molded in the rear wall  12 , a cutout  321  passing through a central of the back plate  320 , two second top walls  322  extending forwardly and vertically from two opposite ends of a top edge of the back plate  320 , and two second retaining arms  323  extending downwardly from two outsides of the second top walls  322 . 
         [0024]    The second top walls  322  cover the rear of the receiving space  110 . A bottom edge of the cutout  321  is hidden in the rear wall  12 . The second retaining arms  323  are insert molded in a rear of the left and right side walls  13 ,  14  to retain the second metal plate  32 . The second top wall  322  is at the same height of the rear wall  12  and forms a rear accommodating space  302  between them. 
         [0025]    The mounting plate  4  comprises a body portion  41  embedded in the bottom wall  15  and two soldering tails  43  extending outside from the left and right side walls  13 ,  14  respectively to connect with the grounding traces in a printed circuit board on which the electrical card connector to is mounted. The mounting plate  4  and the contacts  2  are formed from a same metal plate. 
         [0026]    Please refer to  FIGS. 6-8 , When the electrical card  200  is inserted into the electrical card connector  100 . At first, a front portion  201  of the electrical card  200  is inserted into the accommodating space  300  by fingers. The front portion  201  resists the elastic portion  3122  of the elastic plate  312  forwardly and cause deformation of the elastic portion  3122 , the first and second pressing portions  3121 ,  3123  lean against the front wall  11 . Then, the rear portion  202  of the electrical card  200  is pressed downwardly into the receiving space  110  to make the rear portion  202  to be inserted into the receiving space  110 . In the end, the electrical card  200  is backwardly pushed into the rear accommodating space  302  by fingers and resilience of the elastic portion  3122 . The first top wall  310  of the first metal plate  31  prevents the front portion  201  from moving upwardly and the elastic portion  3122  prevents the front portion  201  from moving forwardly. The second top wall  322  of the second metal plate  32  prevents the rear portion  202  from moving upwardly and the rear wall  12  prevents the rear portion  202  from moving backwardly. 
         [0027]    When the electrical card  200  is ejected from the electrical connector  100 . User pushes the rear portion  202  of the electrical card  200  forwardly until the rear portion  202  separates from the rear accommodating space  302  so as to eject the electrical card  200  out off the receiving space  110  with the help of the elastic force of the elastic plate  312 . 
         [0028]    The elastic plate  312  is bent downwardly from the first metal plate  31  to abut backwardly against the electrical card  200  during the insertion of the electrical card  200  into the receiving space  110  for positioning and locating the electrical card  200  and providing force when ejecting the electrical card  200  from electrical card connector  100 . 
         [0029]      FIGS. 9 and 10  disclose another embodiment in which the substitute first metal plate  31 ′ further includes an additional downward extending stationary abutment piece  315  by stamping for abutting against the front portion  201  of the electrical card  200  when the electrical card is located at the final position so as to solidly prevent the electrical card from forward moving. Understandably, compared with the first embodiment without this stationary abutment piece  315 , the second embodiment requires an affirmative downward force imposed upon the electrical card to disengage the front portion  201  of the electrical card  200  from the stationary abutment piece  315  during withdrawing the electrical card  200  from the receiving space  110 , thus preventing inadvertent withdrawal of the electrical card  200  from the connector  100  due to any unexpected external vibration 
         [0030]    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.