Patent Publication Number: US-7914330-B2

Title: Card connector with a metal shell

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to a card connector adapted for receiving a subscriber identity module (SIM) card. 
     2. The Related Art 
     In recent years, with the ever-improving miniaturization and multifunction of consumer electronic products, such as mobile phones, digital cameras and the like, a large quantity of internal components mounted in the consumer electronic products are designed to be much smaller and thinner, and much more reliable. A card connector mounted in the consumer electronic products for electrically connecting with a SIM card has a compact size and a light weight and has been used popularly. The conventional card connector has an insulting housing, a plurality of connecting terminals mounted in the insulating housing and a metal shell coupled with the insulting housing to form a chamber receiving a part of the SIM card for reducing the occupied space thereof. However, such structure can not be assured to remain a steady connection between the connecting terminals and the SIM card when affected by an unexpected force and shock. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a card connector having a biggish receiving chamber for receiving a card with a small volume. 
     A card connector adapted for receiving a SIM card includes an insulating housing having a front surface and two opposite lateral surfaces. The front surface has at least one receiving recess extending rearward. Each of the lateral surfaces has a propping portion showing in a form of a recess which passes through a top surface of the insulating housing. A plurality of connecting terminals is received in the insulating housing. A metal shell coupled with the insulating housing has a covering plate and two lateral plates extending downwards from two opposite sides of the covering plate. A front edge of the covering plate extends downwards and bends rearwards to form at least one first mating portion of L shape of which a bottom is received in the receiving recess. A bottom of the lateral plate curves inwards to form a resistive portion resting against the propping portion for forming a chamber for receiving the SIM card. 
     As described above, the resistive portion is located on the propping portion to form the chamber of which a height can be adjusted and which can substantially completely receive the inserted SIM card. Furthermore, the bottom of the first mating portions are received in the receiving recesses, which is able to fix the metal shell to the insulating housing firmly and reduce the occupied space of the card connector and then form the biggish receiving chamber for receiving the inserted card with a small volume so as to remain the steady connection between the connecting terminals and the inserted card when affected by an unexpected force and shock. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an assembled view of a card connector in a first embodiment according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the card connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an assembled view of a card connector in a second embodiment according to the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the card connector shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a card connector  1  of an embodiment according to the present invention is shown. The card connector  1  includes an insulating housing  10 , a plurality of connecting terminals  20  and a metal shell  30 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the insulating housing  10  is substantially a rectangular flat-board shape and defines a front surface  12 , two opposite lateral surfaces  13 , a top surface  14  and a bottom surface  15 . The bottom surface  15  of the insulating housing  10  has a plurality of terminal recesses  11  reaching the top surface  14  of the insulating housing  10  for receiving the connecting terminals  20 . The front surface  12  of the insulating housing  10  is protruded frontward to form two first engaging portions  121  apart from each other. The first engaging portion  121  extends leftward and rightward to show a substantial bar shape. A top of the first engaging portion  121  is flush with the top surface  14 . A portion of the front surface  12  under the first engaging portion  121  is recessed rearward to form a receiving recess  122 . The receiving recess  122  passes through the bottom surface  15  and has a buckling groove  123  at an upper wall thereof. The front surface  12  further has a second engaging portion  124  of substantially rectangular shape protruded frontward therefrom and located between the two first engaging portions  121  and two first propping portions  125  respectively connecting with two opposite sides of the second engaging portion  124 . The first propping portion  125  has a top surface connected to a substantially middle portion of the second engaging portion  124 , and a front surface exceeding that of the second engaging portion  124  with a predetermined distance. 
     The lateral surface  13  has a stopping groove  131  at a middle thereof. The stopping groove  131  reaches the bottom surface  15  of the insulating housing  10 . One end of the lateral surface  13  is concaved inwards to form a second propping portion  132 , showing in the form of a recess and passing through the top surface  14  and the front surface  12 . The other end of the lateral surface  13  is protruded outwards to form a stopping portion  133 . The stopping portion  133  is substantially an inverted-L shape with respect to the stopping groove  131 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the connecting terminal  20  has a U-shaped basic portion  21 , a soldering portion  22  extending obliquely and downwards from one end of the basic portion  21 , and a contacting portion  23  extending upwards from the other end of the basic portion  21 . The basic portion  21  is received in the terminal recess  11 . The soldering portion  22  exceeds the bottom surface  15  for being soldered on a printed circuit board (PCB, not shown). The contacting portion  23  is substantially a dome shape and extends resiliently above the top surface  14  for electrically connecting with an inserted SIM card (not shown). 
     With reference to  FIG. 2 , the metal shell  30  coupled with the insulating housing  10  defines a covering plate  31  and two lateral plates  32  which extend downwards from two opposite sides of the covering plate  31  and flank the two lateral surfaces  13  of the insulating housing  10 . The covering plate  31  is substantially an oblong shape. A front edge  314  of the covering plate  31  extends downwards and then bends rearward to form two first mating portions  311  and a second mating portion  312  between the first mating portions  311 . The first mating portions  311  and the second mating portion  312  are all L shape with respect to the covering plate  31 . A bottom at the free end of the first mating portion  311  may be punched inwards to form a buckling piece  3111  corresponding to the buckling groove  123 . The second mating portion  312  includes a first section  3121  extending upwards and downwards and a second section  3122  intersecting with the first section  3121 . The second section  3122  is narrower than the first section  3121 . Both lower sides of the first section  3121  are narrowed to form a first resistive portion  3123 , respectively, located on the first propping portion  125 . A rear edge of the covering plate  30  defines an indentation  313  of semi-circle shape for conveniently inserting or extracting the SIM card. 
     Each of the lateral plates  32  has a second resistive portion  321  at a front end thereof. The second resistive portion  321  is curved inwards as a hook shape and located on the second propping portion  132 . A rear end of the lateral plate  32  defines a fixing groove  322  at a lower portion thereof for mating with the stopping portion  133  of the insulating housing  10  for preventing the metal shell  30  from moving rearwards and downwards. Two fixing pieces  323  are extended inwards from a bottom of the lateral plate  32  and adjacent to the second resistive portion  321  and the fixing groove  322 , respectively. The fixing pieces  323  are disposed at the same level as the second section  3122 . A portion of the lateral plate  32  between the fixing pieces  323  may be punched inwards to form a buckling latch  324  of strip shape corresponding to the stopping groove  131 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , in assembly, the connecting terminals  20  are respectively received in the terminal recesses  11  of the insulating housing  10 . The insulating housing  10  is inserted into the metal shell  30  from a rear direction. The bottom of the first mating portions  311  are received in the receiving recesses  122 , and the second section  3122  and the fixing pieces  323  all button the bottom surface  15  of the insulating housing  10  to prevent the metal shell  30  from separating from the insulating housing  10 . The buckling pieces  3111  and the buckling latches  324  are inserted in the corresponding buckling grooves  123  and stopping grooves  131 . The stopping portions  133  are mated with the fixing grooves  322  for preventing the metal shell  30  from moving with respect to the insulating housing  10 . Moreover, the first engaging portions  121  and the second engaging portion  124  rest against the first mating portions  311  and the second mating portion  312  for further fastening the metal shell  30  and the insulating housing  10  together. The first resistive portions  3123  and the second resistive portions  321  are respectively located on the first propping portions  125  and the second propping portions  132  for supporting the metal shell  30  and forming a chamber  40  for receiving the SIM card. 
     Please referring to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , a card connector  1 ′ in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. In comparison with the first embodiment of the present invention, the structure of the card connector  1 ′ is same as that of the card connector  1  except for the second mating portion  312 ′ and the first propping portion  125 ′. The second mating portion  312 ′ has the rectangular first section  3121 ′ and the second section  3122 ′ bent inwards from a bottom end of the first section  3121 ′. The first resistive portion  3123 ′ is connected with a side of the first section  3121 ′ and shows an L shape with respect to the covering plate  31 ′, with a bottom thereof higher than the second section  3122 ′. The insulating housing  10 ′ has a portion adjacent to the second engaging portion  124 ′ concaved inwards and through the top surface  14 ′ to form the first propping portion  125 ′. The first propping portion  125 ′ supports the first resistive portion  3123 ′ for forming the chamber  40 ′ to receive the inserted SIM card and preventing the metal shell  30 ′ from moving downwards when affected by an unexpected force. 
     As described above, the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions are respectively located on the first propping portions and the second propping portions to form the chamber of which a height can be adjusted and which can substantially completely receive the inserted SIM card. Furthermore, the first mating portions are received in the receiving recesses, the second section and the fixing pieces all button the bottom surface of the insulating housing, and the buckling pieces and the buckling latches are inserted in the corresponding buckling grooves and stopping grooves, and the stopping portions are mated with the fixing grooves, which is able to fix the metal shell to the insulating housing firmly and reduce the occupied space of the card connector.