Patent Publication Number: US-2013237079-A1

Title: Card connector

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a card connector, and more particularly to a card connector capable of inserting two kinds of different cards therein. 
     2. The Related Art 
     Traditionally, a card connector capable of receiving two kinds of different cards, such as a SIM card and a micro SIM card, includes an insulating housing, a plurality of electrical terminals assembled in the insulating housing and a shielding shell enclosing the insulating housing together with the electrical terminals. The insulating housing defines a receiving chamber for receiving the SIM card and the micro SIM card therein. However, the receiving chamber is often opened in accordance with the SIM card. So, only the SIM card can be exactly inserted in the receiving chamber of the card connector, but the micro SIM card has a smaller shape than the size of the receiving chamber. As a result, the micro SIM card often fails to be located in the correct position of the receiving chamber to electrically connect with the corresponding electrical terminals. Therefore, a card connector capable of overcoming the foregoing problem is required. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a card connector, which is adapted for receiving a SIM card and a micro SIM card therein. The card connector includes an insulating housing of a substantially rectangular board shape with a receiving chamber opened along a front-to-rear direction in a top thereof and penetrating through a front side of the insulating housing. A pair of side walls forms at two opposite sides of the receiving chamber. A fool-proofing board is movably located in the receiving chamber, and a substantial middle of a front thereof is concaved rearward to form an inserting chamber. A pair of receiving fillisters is opened in two face-to-face inner sides of the side walls to connect with the receiving chamber and each extends along the front-to-rear direction in front of the fool-proofing board. A bottom side of the receiving chamber defines a plurality of terminal cavities. A plurality of electrical terminals is assembled in the terminal cavities of the insulating housing respectively and elastically stretches upward into the receiving chamber and the inserting chamber. Two restraining members each has a base strip disposed in a front of the corresponding receiving fillister of the insulating housing, and an elastic arm extending rearward from a rear end of the base strip and inclined inward to stretch into the receiving chamber. A shielding shell encloses the insulating housing together with the electrical terminals and the restraining members. In use, the elastic arms of the restraining members are pressed into the corresponding receiving fillisters when the SIM card is inserted in the receiving chamber to electrically contact with the electrical terminals. In the process of inserting the micro SIM card into the card connector, the elastic arms of the restraining members elastically resist against two opposite side edges of the micro SIM card so as to guide a rear of the micro SIM card to be smoothly inserted into the inserting chamber and further realize an electrical connection between the micro SIM card and the electrical terminals. 
     As described above, the card connector utilizes the elastic arms of the restraining members stretched in the receiving chamber, to elastically resist against the two opposite side edges of the micro SIM card and restrain the micro SIM card therebetween in the process of inserting the micro SIM card into the card connector, so as to ensure that the rear of the micro SIM card is smoothly inserted into the inserting chamber. So, an accurate electrical connection can be assured between the micro SIM card and the electrical terminals. 
    
    
     
       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 perspective view of a card connector in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a partially exploded view of the card connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a use perspective view of the card connector of  FIG. 1 , in which a SIM card is inserted; 
         FIG. 4  is another use perspective view of the card connector of  FIG. 1 , in which a micro SIM card is inserted; and 
         FIG. 5  is a partially exploded view of a card connector in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-5 , a card connector according to the present invention is adapted for receiving a SIM card  40  and a micro SIM card  50  therein. The card connector includes an insulating housing  10 , a plurality of electrical terminals  20 , two restraining members  33  and a shielding shell  30 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , the insulating housing  10  is of a substantially rectangular board shape, and has a receiving chamber  11  opened along a front-to-rear direction in a top thereof and penetrating through a front side of the insulating housing  10 . Accordingly, a pair of side walls  12  forms at two opposite sides of the receiving chamber  11 . A fool-proofing board  13  is movably located in the receiving chamber  11 , and a substantial middle of a front thereof is concaved rearward to form an inserting chamber  131 . A pair of receiving fillisters  121  is opened in two face-to-face inner sides of the side walls  12  to connect with the receiving chamber  11  and each extends along the front-to-rear direction in front of the fool-proofing board  13 . A bottom side of the receiving chamber  11  defines a plurality of terminal cavities  111 . The electrical terminals  20  are assembled in the terminal cavities  111  of the insulating housing  10  respectively and elastically stretch upward into the receiving chamber  11  and the inserting chamber  131 . Each of the restraining members  33  has a base strip  331  disposed in a front of the corresponding receiving fillister  121  of the insulating housing  10 , and an elastic arm  332  extending rearward from a rear end of the base strip  331  and inclined inward to stretch into the receiving chamber  11 . The shielding shell  30  encloses the insulating housing  10  together with the electrical terminals  20  and the restraining members  33 . 
     In use, the elastic arms  332  of the restraining members  33  are pressed into the corresponding receiving fillisters  121  when the SIM card  40  is inserted in the receiving chamber  11  to electrically contact with the electrical terminals  20 . In the process of inserting the micro SIM card  50  into the card connector, the elastic arms  332  of the restraining members  33  elastically resist against two opposite side edges of the micro SIM card  50  so as to guide a rear of the micro SIM card  50  to be smoothly inserted into the inserting chamber  131  and further realize an electrical connection between the micro SIM card  50  and the electrical terminals  20 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 5 , the shielding shell  30  has a top plate  31  covered on the insulating housing  10 , and two side plates  32  extending downward from two opposite side edges of the top plate  31  to abut against two opposite outer sides of the side walls  12 . A front edge of one side of the top plate  31  protrudes downward to form a holding plate  34  resisting against a front end of one side wall  12 . The two opposite outer sides of the side walls  12  and the front end of the one side wall  12  protrude outward to form a plurality of fastening blocks  122 . A plurality of buckling holes  321  is opened in the side plates  32  and the holding plate  34  for buckling the corresponding fastening blocks  122  therein. Bottom edges of the side plates  32  oppositely bend outward to form a plurality of soldering tails  322 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , it shows a first embodiment of the card connector. In the first embodiment, a front end of the base strip  331  of one restraining member  33  is connected with a side edge of the holding plate  34  with the base strip  331  and the elastic arm  332  being located under the top plate  31 . A front of the other side of the top plate  31  defines an opening  311  facing the corresponding receiving fillister  121 . A top edge of the base strip  331  of the other restraining member  33  is connected with a front of an inner edge of the opening  311  with the elastic arm  332  being located under the top plate  31 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , it shows a second embodiment of the card connector. In the second embodiment, the restraining members  33  are independent of the shielding shell  30 . Each base strip  331  of the restraining members  33  protrudes downward to form a fastening tail  3311 . A bottom side of the front of each receiving fillister  121  is concaved downward to form a fastening fillister  1211  fixing the fastening tail  3311  therein. 
     As described above, the card connector of the present invention utilizes the elastic arms  332  of the restraining members  33  stretched in the receiving chamber  11  of the insulating housing  10 , to elastically resist against the two opposite side edges of the micro SIM card  50  and restrain the micro SIM card  50  therebetween in the process of inserting the micro SIM card  50  into the card connector, so as to ensure that the rear of the micro SIM card  50  is smoothly inserted into the inserting chamber  131 . So, an accurate electrical connection can be assured between the micro SIM card  50  and the electrical terminals  20 .