Patent Publication Number: US-8113887-B2

Title: Card connector and electronic apparatus including the same

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority of the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-219491, filed on Sept. 24, 2009, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD 
     The embodiments discussed herein are related to a card connector and an electronic apparatus including the same. 
     BACKGROUND 
     There is known a card connector mounted on a motherboard for electrically coupling the motherboard with a card inserted into the card connecter. Further, there is known a mechanism for preventing a card from incorrectly being ejected from a card connector. Several kinds of connectors for cards are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publications No. 2001-126791 and 2002-56910, and Japanese Publication of Unexamined Utility Model Application 07- 18387 . 
     SUMMARY 
     According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a card connector for electrically coupling a card with a motherboard. The card connector includes a housing to and from which a contact pad of the card is inserted and ejected, where the housing is mountable on the motherboard; a pair of contacts configured to hold the card between the pair of the contacts and to be electrically coupled with the contact pads of the card inserted into the housing, the pair of contacts extending in a first direction; and a pair of urging members configured in the housing to force the pair of the contacts toward the card, the pair of the urging members extending in a second direction opposite to the first direction. 
     The object and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a card and a card connector according to a first embodiment and  FIG. 1B  is a diagram illustrating an inner configuration of the card connector; 
         FIG. 2A  is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a card and a card connector having a structure different from the card connector illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 1B ,  FIG. 2B  is a diagram illustrating an inner configuration of the connector illustrated in  FIG. 2A ; and 
         FIGS. 3A to 3C  are diagrams illustrating inner configurations of card connectors according to second to fourth embodiments, respectively. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     As an existing mechanism preventing the card from incorrectly ejecting or dropping off is usually assembled not to the card connector but to the motherboard or the connector. Thus, assembling of the mechanism results in increase of the man-hour. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a card connector and an electronic apparatus including the same. 
     Several embodiments will be described with reference to the figures. 
     First Embodiment 
     A card connector according to the first embodiment will described with reference to  FIGS. 1A and 1B .  FIG. 1A  illustrates the relationship among the card connector  1  mounted on a motherboard  60  and the card  80  when the card  80  is inserted along the card insertion direction ID or drew along the card ejection direction PD from the card connector  1 . The card connector  1  includes a housing  10  by which the card connector  1  is fixed to the motherboard  60 . The housing is made of resin such as synthetic resin. An opening  12  is provided at a face of the housing  10  for the card  80  insertion and drawing into or from the card connector  1 . A size of the opening  12  is sufficient for inserting and drawing the card  80  with contact-pad groups  82 G and  83 G secured on the individual surfaces of the card  80 . 
     The contact-pad group  82 G is provided at a portion along an edge of the card  80 . The contact-pad group  83 G, which will be described in detail later, is also provided in a same way on the rear surface of the card  80 . The contact-pad group  82 G includes a plurality of contact-pads which are separated from each other. Each contact-pad of the contact-pad group  83 G contacts with a corresponding contact described later. The card  80  is a small size printed circuit board such as a memory card or a video card or the like. The card connector  1  and the motherboard  60  are mounted in an electronic apparatus such as a server or a personal computer or the like. The motherboard  60  in the first embodiment maintains a vertical position in normal usage of the electronic apparatus. Accordingly, the card  80  is inserted into or ejected from the card connector  1  along the direction perpendicular to the motherboard  60 . 
     The inner configuration of the card connector  1  is illustrated in  FIG. 1B , which depicts a state when the card  80  has been inserted into the card connector  1 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1B , on the respective surfaces of the card  80  disposed are the contact pads  82  and  83 , to which the contacts  20  and  30  provided in the housing  10  contact respectively. The plurality of the contact pads  82  and  83  are included in the card  80 , while the contact pads  82  and  83  each are illustrated as single in  FIG. 1A . The contacts  20  and  30  are also disposed as many as the contact pads  82  and  83 , respectively and secure the card  8  between the contact pads  82  and  83 . 
     In the housing  10 , there are provided urging members  40  and  50  for actuate the contacts  20  and  30  respectively toward to the card  80 , that is, in the direction of the thickness of the card  80 . The contacts  20  and  30  and the urging members  40  and  50  are made of metal, thus they are electrically conductive and resilient. Accordingly, the card  80  and the motherboard  60  may be electrically connected each other through the contacts  20  and  30  and the urging members  40  and  50 . The urging members  40  and  50  may be provided as may as the plurality of contact  20  and  30 , further single urging members  40  and  50  are preferably configured to actuate several contacts  20  and  30  respectively. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1B , the fixed end  21  of the contact  20  is secured at the tip end side or distal end side (portion) of the housing  10 , that is, at the far end of the housing  10  from the motherboard  60 . The fixed end  21  is pressed into a hole provided at the inner wall of the tip end side. The free end  22  of contact  20  is positioned at the base portion side or proximal portion side of the housing  10 , that is, at the motherboard  60  side. As illustrated in  FIG. 1B , the contact  20  extends from the fixed end  21  to the free end  22  toward to the motherboard  60 . That is, the contact  20  extends along the card insertion direction ID for inserting the card  80 . The contact  20  made of a thin plate has a plurality of contact portions such as contact portions  24  and  25  each formed in a curved shape like an arc. Both of the contact portions  24  and  25  contact to the contact pad  82 . 
     The contact  30  has a structure same to that of the contact  20 , and extends from the fixed end  31  to the free end  32  along the card insertion direction ID. The contact  30  has the contact portions  34  and  35  for contacting to the corresponding contact pads  83 . The distance between the contacts  20  and  30  is set so that the distance between the contact portions  24  and  34 , for example, is a little smaller than the thickness of the card  80  when the card is not inserted into the connector  1 . When the card  80  is inserted between the contacts  20  and  30 , the contacts  20  and  30  hold the card  80  therebetween by the resilient force of the contacts  20  and  30 . 
     The urging members  40  and  50  actuate the corresponding contacts  20  and  30  to move close to each other. The fixed end  41  of the urging member  40  is connected to the motherboard  60  through the base portion of the housing  10 . For detail, the fixed end  41  is fixed to the motherboard  60  by the fixing part  65  after to be passed through a hole provided to the motherboard  60 . The fixed end  41  is electrically connected to a wiring pattern formed on the motherboard  60 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1B , the free end  42  positions at the tip end side of the housing  10 . 
     The urging member  40  extends from the fixed end  41  to the free end  42  toward to the tip end side of the housing  10 , that is , the urging member  40  extends along the card ejection direction PD. A contacting portion  44  is formed in a curved shape like an arc and positioned at the free end  42  side on the urging member  40 . The contacting portion  44  contacts to the contact  20  at a portion between the contact portions  24  and  15  to urge the contact  20  in a direction toward the card  80 . The contact  20  and the urging member  40  extend in opposite directions each other. 
     The urging member  50  has a structure similar to that of the urging member  40 , extending in a direction along the card ejection direction PD. The urging member  50  includes the contacting portion  54  which makes contact with the contact  30  at a portion between the contact portions  34  and  35  to urge the contact  30  toward the card  80 . The fixed end  51  of the urging member  50  is electrically connected to the motherboard  60 . The urging member  50  and the contact  30  extend in opposite directions each other. 
     As described above, the urging members  40  and  50  urge the contacts  20  and  30  toward the card, respectively. Even in the case of vibrating in the direction ZD of thickness of the card  80 , the contact portions  24  and  25  and the contact portions  34  and  35  are forced toward the contact pads  82  and  83 , respectively, where the direction ZD is perpendicular to the both directions PD and ID. Accordingly, the contact pad  82  is allowed to continuously contact to the contact portions  24  and  25  as same as the contact pad  83  to the contact portions  34  and  35 . Therefore, the urging members  40  and  50  prevent the card  80  from being dropped off from the housing  10 . 
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  illustrate a card connector  1 X having a structure different from the card connector  1  according to the first embodiment. In  FIG. 2A , the card  80  is inserted into the card connector  1 X which has latch mechanisms  90 A provided at both sides of the housing  10 X. Each of the latch mechanisms engages with the card  80  to prevent the card  80  to be dropped off from the housing  10 X. The latch mechanisms  90 A are separately disposed from the housing  10 A such that the latch mechanisms  90 A are fixed to the housing  10 X after the housing  10 X has been assembled to the motherboard  60 X. 
     In  FIG. 2A , a fixing frame  90 B made of metal is illustrated other than the latch mechanisms  90 A. The fixing frame  90 B is assembled to the housing  10 X after the card  80  has been inserted into the housing  10 X. The fixing frame  90 B holds tightly the edge(s) of the card  80  to prevent the card  80  form being dropped off from the housing  10 X. The latch mechanism  90 A or the fixing frame  90 B is usually adopted for preventing the card  80  from being incorrectly drawing. 
     As described above, each of the latch mechanism  90 A and the fixing frame  90 B are provided as a separate part and assembled to the housing  10 X. Accordingly, the use of the latch mechanism  90 A or the fixing frame  90 B needs an operation for assembling one or both to the housing  1 X to obtain the card connector  1 X. 
     On the contrary, the urging members  40  and  50  are provided within the housing  10  according to the first embodiment, which functions to prevent the card  80  from being dropped from the housing  10  by the use of the urging members  40  and  50 . Therefore, the use of the card connector  1  do not need an operation to assemble to the housing  10  a separate part(s) for holding the card  80  to the housing  10 . As a result, the use of the card connector  1  saves man-hour necessary for an operation for assembling. 
     When adopting the card connector  1 X, a layout of the motherboard  60  should be designed with consideration of assembling the latch mechanism  90 A and/or the fixing frame  90 B. The consideration led to a decreasing area, of the motherboard  60 , allowable for mounting electronic components, or the like, because some area is necessary to assemble the latch mechanism  90   a  and/or the fixing frame  90 B. However, use of the card connector  1  according to the first embodiment do not need area for assembling the additional parts such as the latch mechanism  90 A or the fixing frame  90 B, because the drop preventing mechanism is provided within the card connector  1 . Therefore, the allowable area or space for mounting electronic elements or the like will be wider than that at the use of the card connector  1 X. 
     With reference to  FIG. 2B  which illustrates the inner structure of the housing  10 x, a detail of the card connector  1 X will be described. In the housing  10 x, there are provided contacts  20 X and  30 X which have single contact portions  24 X and  34 X, respectively. The fixing ends  21 X and  31 X are electrically coupled to the motherboard  60 , respectively. The contact  20 X has at the side of free end  22 X the contact portion  24 X which contacts to the contact pad  82 . The contact  30 X has a structure similar to that of the contact  20 X. 
     A case will be described where the card  80  vibrates in the direction ZD, that is, in the direction of the thickness of the card  80 . In this case, the contact portions  24 X and  34 X will slide on the contact pads  82  and  83 , respectively, which leads to a possibility that the card  80  will move in the card ejection direction PD to result in dropping off from the housing  10 X. The card  80  tends to vibrate in the direction ZD when the motherboard  60  positions in the vertical direction within an electronic apparatus. Thus, the present inventors have newly found that the card  80  tends to drop off from the connecter when the card  80  vibrates in the direction ZD perpendicular to the directions ID and PD, where the directions ZD, ID and PD are the direction of the thickness of the card  80 , the insertion direction and the drawing direction, respectively. 
     However, the card  80  may be prevented from dropping off from the card connector  1  according to the first embodiment due to the function of the urging members  40  and  50  which actuate the corresponding contacts toward the card  80 , respectively. 
     In detail will be described a mechanism of preventing the card  80  from dropping off from the card connector  1 . With reference to  FIG. 1B , the contacting portion  44  actuates toward contact pad  82  a portion of the contact  20  between the contact portions  24  and  25 . When the card  80  vibrates in the direction ZD, the contact  20  and the urging member  40  bend, which leads to a movement of the position of the contacting portion  44  relative to the contact  20 . However, the positions of the contact portions  24  and  25  on the contact pad  82  do not easily move, because the urging member  40  actuates the contact  20  toward the card  80 . In similar way, the positions of the contact portions  34  and  35  on the contact pad  83  are not easily move. Accordingly, the movement of the card  80  is prevented form moving in the card ejection direction PD, that is, the ejection direction of the card  80 , which results in preventing the card  80  from dropping off form the housing  10 . 
     In the present embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1B , the contacts  20  and  30  each includes a plural contact portions, such as contact portions  24  and  25  for the contact  20  and contacts portions  34  and  35  for the contact  30 . Since the increase of contacting portions may lead to increase of sliding resistance, the sliding resistance produced between the card  80  and the contacts  20  and  30  is greater than that between the card  80  and the contacts  20 X and  30 X of the card connector  1 X illustrated in  FIG. 2B  when the card  80  moves in the card ejection direction PD in each of  FIGS. 1B and 2B . Accordingly, the movement of the card  80  from the housing  10  may be prevented more securely that that of from the housing  10 X. 
     Further, there are provided a plural contacting portions between the contact  20  and the contact pad  82  and between the contact  30  and the contact pad  83 . Therefore, when one of the contact portions  24  and  25  and one of the contact portions  34  and  35  are contacting to respectively the contact pads  82  and  83 , the electrical connection is ensured between the card  80  and the motherboard  60 . Thus, the configuration of the card connector  1  may have an improved reliability of the electrical connection. 
     The distances from the fixed end  21  to the contact portion  24  and from the fixed end  31  to the contact portion  34  are short and the fixed ends  21  and  31  are fixed securely to the housing  10 . Therefore, the contacts  20  and  30  do not easily bend at portions from the fixed end  21  and  31  to the contact portion  24  and  34 , respectively. Accordingly, the contact portions  24  and  34  behave as a limiter for permitting little a range of the allowable movement of the card  80  in the direction ZD, that is, in the direction of thickness of the card  80 . Thus, the card  80  is prevented from dropping off from the card connector  1  or the housing  10 . 
     In addition, the contact portions  24  and  34  of the contacts  20  and  30 , respectively, are positioned at the end side of the housing  10 . That is, the contact portions  24  and  34  are holding the card  80  at the portion which is nearer to the gravity center of the card  80  than the portion of the card  80  held by the contact portions  25  and  35 . Accordingly, the vibration of the card  80  in the direction ZD is effectively prevented. 
     The contact  20  and the urging member  40  face oppositely each other and extend in the opposite directions as illustrated in  FIG. 2B . This relationship is applicable to the contact  30  and the urging member  50 . The more detail will be described. The fixed ends  21  and  31  are fixed at the tip end side of the housing  10 . When the fixed ends  21 ,  31 ,  41 , and  51  are all provided at the same side of the housing  10 , such as the tip end side or the end side close to the motherboard  60 , it is necessary to provide the holes for each fixed end at one of the end sides of the housing  10 . Providing the holes in this way may result in the housing  10  having a weaken portion. However, as illustrated in  FIG. 1B , the fixed ends  21  and  31  are provided at the tip end side and the fixed ends  41  and  51  are provided at the end side close to the motherboard  60 , which leads to prevent the strength of the housing  10  from being weaken partially. 
     Second Embodiment 
       FIG. 3A  illustrates the inner structure of the card connector  1 A according to the second embodiment. The same references for the first embodiment will be used for similar parts in the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the fixed end  21  of the contact  20 A and the fixed end  31  of the contact  30 A are fixed to the base side of the housing  10 A. The fixed end  41  of the urging member  40 A and the fixed end  51  of the urging member  50 A are fixed to the tip end side of the housing  10 A. The contacts  20 A and  30 A extend in the card ejection direction PD. The urging members  40 A and  50 A extend in the card insertion direction ID. The fixed end  21  of the contact  20 A and the fixed end  31  of the contact  30 A pass through the motherboard  60 A and are electrically coupled to the motherboard  60 A. The structure described above may prevent the card  80  from dropping off from the housing  10 A. 
     Third Embodiment 
       FIG. 3B  illustrates the inner structure of the card connector  1 B according to the third embodiment. The contact  20 A extends in the direction the card ejection direction PD and the contact  30  extends in the card insertion direction ID. The urging member  40 A extends in the card insertion direction ID and the urging member  50  extends in the card ejection direction PD. The contacts  20 A and  30  extend in the opposite directions each other. In addition, the contact  20 A and the urging member  40 A for actuating the contact  20 A extend also in the opposite directions each other. The contact  20 A and the urging member  50  are electrically coupled to the motherboard  60 B. As described above, in the third embodiment, the contacts  20 A and  30  extend in the opposite directions each other, while the contact  20 A and the urging member  40 A extend the opposite directions each other and the contact  30  and the urging member  50  extend also in the opposite directions each other. As a result, the structure described above prevents the housing  10 B from forming at the base end side or the tip end side of the housing  10 B the holes passed through by the contacts  20 A and  30  and the urging members  40 A and  50 . Accordingly, the structure according to the third embodiment avoids the decrease in the strength of the housing  10 B caused by the concentration of the holes at one side of the tip end or the base end sides of the housing  10 B. 
     Fourth Embodiment 
       FIG. 3C  illustrates the inner structure of the card connector  1 C according to the fourth embodiment. As illustrated in  FIG. 3C , the contacts  20 B and  30 B each have single contact portion  25  and  35 , respectively. The contact  20 B is forced by the urging member  40  through the contacting portion  44  which contacts a portion between the fixed end  21  and the contact portion  25 . Similarly, the urging member  50  forces the contact  30 B through the contacting portion  54  which contacts a portion between the fixed end  31  and the contact portion  35 . Thus, the urging members  40  and  50  actuate the contacts  20 B and  30 B toward the card  80 , respectively, to prevent the card  80  from dropping off from the card connector  1 C. 
     All examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions, nor does the organization of such examples in the specification relate to a showing of the superiority and inferiority of the invention. Although the embodiments of the present inventions have been described in detail, it should be understood that the various changes, substitutions, and alterations could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.