Patent Publication Number: US-7588467-B2

Title: Electrical card connector

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to an electrical card connector, and more particularly to an electrical card connector capable of preventing a card from being damaged. 
   2. Description of Prior Arts 
   With the development of the technology of electronics, more and more mini-type electronic equipments turn up, such as PDA, digital cameras, music players, and so on. Accordingly, many kinds of memory cards for storing information of mini-type electronic equipments are appearing. 
   Generally, a memory card as mentioned above connects with the electronic equipment by an electrical card connector placed in the electronic equipment. The memory card includes a contact or terminal array for connecting electrically with the electrical card connector. Accordingly, the electrical card connector primarily includes a number of terminals for electrically engaging with corresponding contacts of the card, an insulating housing for retaining the terminals, and a metal shell mounted on the insulating housing. In many prior art shells, spiculate or sharp edges are present. When a card is inserted, the spiculate edge of the metal shell would contact with the card directly and may damage the card. So, it is an object of the present invention to solve the above described problem. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide an electrical connector which forms a plurality of embossments engaging with a card for preventing a card from broken. 
   In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, an electrical card connector includes an insulating housing, a shell mounted on the insulating housing, a plurality of terminals. The insulating housing includes a plurality of terminal rooms arranged in two rows along a card inserting direction and a middle part defined between the two rows of terminal rooms. The terminals retained in corresponding terminal rooms of the insulating housing. The shell mounted over the insulating housing to define a card slot, the shell comprising a main body, the main body having an embossment protruding into the card slot for engaging with the card, the embossment being situated rightly above the middle part of the insulating housing to press on an inserted card and to distance other portion of the main body from the card. 
   Other objects, advantages and novel features of the 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 DRAWING 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective, assembly view of an electrical card connector of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a shell and an insulating housing retaining a plurality of terminals; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the insulating housing and the terminals; and 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of one terminal shown in  FIG. 3 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   As shown in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 , an electrical card connector in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulating housing  2 , a metal shell  1  mounted on the insulating housing  2 , a plurality of terminals  3  retained in the insulating housing  2 , a card slot (not labeled) defined by the insulating housing  2  and the shell  1 , and a switch member  4  retained in the insulating housing  2 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , each terminal  3 , structured as a U shape, includes an upper portion  31 , a lower portion  32  and an U-shaped elastic portion  33  joining the upper portion  31  with the lower portion  32  together. The upper portion  31  has a body section  311 , an engaging section  312  protruding upwardly from the body section  311  and a tail section  313  extending horizontally and forwardly from the engaging section  312 . The width of the tail section  313  is wider than that of the engaging section  312 . Further more, the engaging section  312  protruding higher than the body section  311  comes to connect with a card more reliably. Correspondingly, the lower portion  32  has a nether body section  321 , a fixing section  322  extending outwardly from the lateral sides of the nether body section  321 , and a soldering section  325  tending downwardly and extending forwardly from a head of the nether body section  321 . Regarding to the fixing section  322 , it includes an elastic locking portion  324  and a situated device  323  located at a rear end of the locking portion  324 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the insulating housing  2  has a body plate  21  and a pair of lateral walls  22  opposite to each other extending upwardly from the body plate  21 . The body plate  21  includes a plurality of terminal rooms  23  arranged in two rows along the card insertion direction, so a middle part  24  is formed therebetween. Each terminal room  23  includes a receiving channel  231 , and a locking channel  232  expanding laterally from the receiving channel  231 . The width of the locking channel  232  is accordance with that of the fixing section  322  of the terminals  3 . At the rear end of the receiving channel  231 , a stopping portion  233  is formed. 
   Each lateral wall  22  of the insulating housing  2  comprises a first clasping tab  221 , a second clasping tab  222  and a first fastening channel  223 . The first fastening channel  223  extends in an up-to-down direction and is placed between the first clasping tab  221  and the second clasping tab  222 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the metal shell  1  and the insulating housing  2  define a card inserting opening (not labeled). The metal shell  1  comprises a main body  11  and a plurality of side walls  12  extending downwardly from the main body  11 . A recess  113  is defined at the head of the main body  11  allowing the card to be operated conveniently. The main body  11  has a plurality of first circle embossments  111  and second embossments  112  resembling a lath, each embossment protruding downwardly into the card slot. Substantially, the first embossment  111  and the second embossment  112  can be other configuration. The first embossments  111  are arranged in two rows at the lateral sides of the recess  113  in a card insertion direction, and the second embossment  112  is opposite to the recess  113 . At a front of the second embossment  112 , a row of testing holes (not labeled) are defined for testing whether the terminals are operating or not, the testing holes arranged in a transverse direction. Combining with the first embossments  111 , the recess  113  is surrounded by the testing holes and the first embossments  111 . 
   Each side wall  12  comprises a plurality of first clasping parts  121 , second clasping parts  122 , first fastening parts  124  and second fastening parts  125 . Each clasping part  121  and  122  defines a clasping hole  123 , and each fastening part  124  and  125  defines a tending foot  126  extending horizontally and outwardly for soldering the electrical card connector  100  on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB). 
   As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 4 , a switch member  4  comprises a first switch member  41  and a second switch member  42  partially located on the first switch member  41 . The structure of the first switch member  41  is the same as that of the U-shaped terminals  3 . Accordingly, the first switch member  41  is formed with an engaging section  412 , a tail section  413  and a soldering section  425 . So the first switch member  41  and the terminals  3  can be made of in a same way to save cost. The second switch member  42  has a colliding port  421  engaging with the trail section  413  and a soldering foot  422  for soldering with a cable. The switch member  4  is in a close state when the card is rejected. On the contrary, when the card is inserted, the engaging section  412  of the switch member  4  is pressed by the card, correspondingly, the trail section  413  detaching with the colliding port  421  of the second switch member  42 . Then the switch  4  is unclosed. 
   Going with the  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4 , the relationship of the elements as said above of the electrical card connector  100  is to be described in following segments. Firstly, the terminals  3  are retained in corresponding terminal rooms  23  of the insulating housing  2 , with each body section  311  and nether body section  321  located in corresponding receiving channel  231 , each fixing section  322  retained in corresponding locking channel  232  in an interference way, each elastic locking portion  324  retained in corresponding locking channel  232  elastically so that the terminals  3  retained in the insulating housing  2  stably, and the tail section  313  colliding with the stopping portion  233  for preventing the upper portion  31  from flipping beyond. 
   Finally, the shell  1  is mounted on the insulating housing  2  by each clasping hole  123  mating with corresponding first clasping tab  221  and second clasping tab  222  of the insulating housing  2 . Then the second embossment  112  is directly above the middle part  24  of the insulating housing  2  for pressing and preventing the card from inclining, achieving a believable connection between the card and the terminals  3 . When a card is inserted, the first embossments  111  and the second embossment  112  press on the card, then the upper surface of card is separated with the inner surface of the main body  11  of the metal shell  1 . In another word, the card insertion or ejection is safe and escaping from being damaged by the sharp edge of the metal shell  1 . Besides, one row terminals  3  are located under the testing holes rightly for a convenient operation of the terminals  3 . 
   In this invention, the insulating housing  2  is covered by the shell  1  partially. In other embodiments, if an insulating housing is covered by a shell fully, it is necessary to form a third embossment (not shown) opposite to the second embossment  112  of this invention, besides the second embossment  112  and the third embossment are rightly above corresponding row terminals  3  for pressing on a card and preventing one end of the card from cocking, making sure that the terminals and the card could connect with each other stablely. 
   As described above, an advancement of the electrical card connector is primly in the following segment: the card is inserted in such way that the inner surface of the main body  11  of the shell  1  is separated with the upper surface of the card, because the first embossment  111  projecting into the receiving room and pressing on the card. This structure allows the card go through the spiculate edge of the shell  1  safely. Besides, the second embossment  112  is located directly opposite to the middle part of the insulating housing  1  and adapted for pressing on the card, achieving a believable connection between the card and the terminals  3 . 
   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.