Patent Publication Number: US-2010120281-A1

Title: Card connector capable of detecting card insertion

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to card connectors, and more particularly, to a card connector capable of detecting card insertion. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A conventional card connector as disclosed by Taiwan Patent No. M326727 is detectable while an electronic card is inserted therein. The card connector includes two conductive pieces mounted to an insulated main body therein and located at one side of a card chamber. When the card is inserted into the card connector, one of the conductive pieces is pushed by the card to touch the other conductive piece for electric conduction and then a signal is generated by the electric conduction to detect whether the card is inserted or not. 
     It is necessary for the conventional card connector to install the two conductive pieces onto the insulated main body, such that the insulated main body must have corresponding ditches for receiving the conductive pieces. However, such design needs longer assembly time to take more labor. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a card connector, which is capable of detecting card insertion and of convenient assembly to shorten the assembly time and to lower the labor cost. 
     The foregoing objective of the present invention is attained by the card connector composed of a base frame, a cover member, and a plurality of terminals. The base frame is made of an insulated material. The cover member is made of electrically conductive material and is mounted onto the base frame, whereby a card chamber is formed between the cover member and the base frame and respective front ends of the base frame and the cover member jointly define an entrance. The terminals are mounted onto the base frame, extending into the card chamber. Among the terminals, a detectable terminal is insert-molded in the base frame and located at one side of the base frame. The detectable terminal includes a contact portion exposed outside. The cover member includes a standing sidewall extending downward from what corresponds to one side of the detectable terminal. The standing sidewall has a tongue extending toward the detectable terminal therefrom. The tongue has a working portion extending into the card chamber and a touch portion corresponding to the contact portion. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a part of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of a part of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of another part of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is another perspective view of a part of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  a schematic view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention having an inserted card therein. 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged view taken from A indicated in  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , a card connector  10  capable of detecting card insertion as constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is composed a base frame  11 , a cover member  21 , and a plurality of terminals  31 . 
     The base frame  11  is made of an insulated material, which is plastic in this embodiment. 
     The cover member  21  is made of an electrically conductive material, which is a metal in this embodiment, and is covered on the base frame  11 . A card chamber  12  is formed between the base frame  11  and the cover member  21 . Front ends of the base frame  11  and the cover member  21  jointly define an entrance  14  respectively. 
     The terminals  31  are mounted onto the base frame  11 , extending into the card chamber  12 . One of the terminals  31  is a detectable terminal  32 . The detectable terminal  32  is insert-molded in the base frame  11  and located at one side of the base frame  11 , extending forward from a rear end of the base frame  11 , having a part exposed outside to define a contact portion  321 . The contact portion  321  has a bottom edge partially embedded into the base frame  11 . 
     The cover member  21  includes a standing sidewall  22  extending downward from one side thereof and corresponding to the detectable terminal  32 . The standing sidewall  22  has a tongue  24  extending toward the detectable terminal  32 , a V-shaped working portion  241  extending from the tongue  24 , and a touch portion  243  corresponding to the contact portion  321 . After the cover member  21  is mounted onto the base frame  11 , the working portion  241  extends into the card chamber  12 . In this embodiment, the touch portion  243  contacts the contact portion  321  for normal close therebetween. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , when none of any electronic card is inserted into the card connector  10 , the tongue  24  contacts the contact portion  321  by the touch portion  243  thereof for normal close. Under the circumstance of the normal close, it can be detected that the card has not been inserted into the card connector  10 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , after an electronic card  99  is inserted through the entrance  99  and then into the card connector  10 , the card  99  enters the card chamber  12  and an edge of the card  99  works on the working portion  241  to force the tongue to lean outward; meanwhile, the touch portion  243  is away from the contact portion  321  for normal open in such a way that it can be detected that the card  99  has been inserted into the card connector  10 . 
     After the card  99  is extracted from the card connector  10 , the card  99  has not worked on the working portion  241  any longer, such that the tongue  24  is repositioned to contact the detectable terminal  32  for the normal close again. 
     In addition, when the tongue  24  contacts the detectable terminal  32 , the status of circuit can alternatively be normal open, and on the contrary, when the tongue  24  does not contact the detectable terminal  32 , the status of circuit is normal close. In this way, it can still be detected whether the card  99  is inserted or not by two different statuses of circuit. 
     As known from above, the detectable terminal  32  is insert-molded in the base frame  11 , such that the detectable terminal  32  is partially embedded inside the base frame  11  when the base frame  11  is formed. Besides, the tongue  24  is formed at the cover member  21 , such that when the cover member  21  is mounted to the base frame  11 , the detectable terminal  32  and the tongue  24  are set. Therefore, the present invention can do the convenient assembly to shorten the assembly time and lower the labor cost. 
     Although the present invention has been described with respect to a specific preferred embodiment thereof, it is no way limited to the details of the illustrated structures but changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.