Abstract:
In a card connector including a card guide for guiding movement of a card in a first direction, the card guide defines a fitting position and a releasing position of the card in the first direction. A slider is coupled to the card guide to be slidable in the first direction. The slider is continuously urged by an elastic member towards the fitting position. When the slider is slid against urging force of the elastic member, a butting portion of the slider is engaged with the card at the fitting position to transfer the card to the releasing position.

Description:
This application claims priority to prior Japanese application JP 2003-293556, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to a card connector having an ejecting mechanism for ejecting a card by moving a slider. 
   A connector of the type is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent (JP-B) No. 2800801 and comprises a guide portion for guiding a card, and an eject frame as a slider slidable along the guide portion. The eject frame has an engaging portion to be engaged with the card. By a sliding operation of the eject frame, the card is moved along the guide portion to be ejected from the connector. 
   Another connector of the type is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication (JP-U) No. H6-37914 and comprises a guide portion for guiding a card, and a tray portion as a slider slidable along the guide portion. The tray portion has an engaging portion to be engaged with the card. By a sliding operation of the tray portion, the card is moved along the guide portion to be ejected from the connector. 
   In each of the above-mentioned connectors, the card ejected from the connector overlaps the slider. In this state, the card is difficult to be clamped by fingers. Thus, a user suffers inconvenience when the card is removed from the connector. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a card connector which allows easy removal of a card after the card is ejected from the card connector. 
   Other objects of the present invention will become clear as the description proceeds. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a card connector for use in connecting a card, the card connector comprising a card guide for defining a fitting position and a releasing position of the card in a first direction and for guiding movement of the card, a slider coupled to the card guide to be slidable in the first direction, and an elastic member continuously urging the slider towards the fitting position, the slider having a butting portion to be engaged with the card at the fitting position to transfer the card to the releasing position when the slider is slid against urging force of the elastic member. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a card connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention together with a card; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the card connector illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the card connector illustrated in  FIG. 1  with the card inserted therein; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the card connector illustrated in  FIG. 1  upon completion of connection of the card; 
       FIG. 5A  is a perspective view for describing a first step of removing the card from the card connector illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5B  is a side view corresponding to  FIG. 5A ; 
       FIG. 6A  is a perspective view for describing a second step of removing the card from the card connector illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 6B  is a side view corresponding to  FIG. 6A ; 
       FIG. 7A  is a perspective view for describing a third step of removing the card from the card connector illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 7B  is a side view corresponding to  FIG. 7A : 
       FIG. 8  is a partial side view for describing a fourth step of removing the card from the card connector illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a card connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention as seen from a lower side; 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a card connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a card connector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a card connector according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention when a card insertion slot is closed by a tab of the card connector; 
       FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the card connector illustrated in  FIG. 12  when the card insertion slot is opened by the tab of the card connector; 
       FIG. 14  is a perspective view of a card connector according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention when a tab of the card connector is placed at a retracted position; and 
       FIG. 15  is a perspective view of the card connector illustrated in  FIG. 14  when the tab of the card connector is pulled out from the retracted position. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Now, description will be made of several embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawing. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a card connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. 
   The card connector  1  illustrated in the figure serves to connect a card  11  and comprises an ejecting mechanism which will later become clear. 
   The card connector  1  includes a connector body  2  comprising an insulator  3  and a card guide  4  with the insulator  3  fixed to its one end. The insulator  3  is provided with a plurality of conductive contact points (not shown) to be electrically connected to the card  11 . 
   The card guide  4  is a channel-like member and has a horizontal main plate portion  4   a  of a rectangular shape extending long in a first direction A 1 , and a pair of side plate portions  4   b  (only one being illustrated in the figures) bent downward from two long sides of the main plate portion  4   a , respectively, and faced to each other. Each of the side plate portions  4   b  has a protruding portion  4   c  formed by cutting and raising outward at an intermediate position in the first direction A 1 , and a guide portion  4   d  bent inward from a lower end of the side plate portion  4   b . The guide portion  4   d  is formed intermittently in the first direction A 1 . The main plate portion  4   a  has a pair of windows  4   e  formed in the vicinity of the side plate portions  4   b,  respectively, and extending in the first direction A 1 . 
   To the card guide  4 , a slider  5  is coupled to be slidable in the first direction A 1 . The slider  5  is a channel-like member and has a horizontal main plate portion  5   a  of a rectangular shape extending long in the first direction A 1 , and a pair of side plate portions  5   b  bent downward from two long sides of the main plate portion  5   a,  respectively, and faced to each other. The slider  5  is fitted over the outside of the card guide  4  from an upper side thereof. As a result, the main plate portion  5   a  of the slider  5  is faced to the main plate portion  4   a  of the card guide  4  and the side plate portions  5   b  of the slider  5  are faced to the side plate portions  4   b  of the card guide  4 , respectively. 
   Each of the side plate portions  5   b  of the slider  5  is provided with a protruding portion  5   c  formed by cutting and raising outward at an intermediate position in the first direction A 1  to protrude outward. The main plate portion  5   a  is provided with a pair of engaging pieces or butting portions  5   d  formed by cutting and raising in the vicinity of a first end  51  thereof in the first direction A 1  and protruding through the windows  4   e  of the card guide  4  to the inside of the card guide  4 . The slider  5  is provided with a pair of tab supporting portions  5   e  formed on opposite sides of a second end  52  of the slider  5  in the first direction A 1 . Each of the tab supporting portions  5   e  is provided with a shaft insertion hole  5   f.    
   To the tab supporting portions  5   e,  a tab  7  in the form of a rectangular plate is attached. Specifically, a shaft  8  is inserted through a pair of through holes  7   a  formed on the tab  7  in a second direction A 2  perpendicular to the first direction A 1 . Opposite ends of the shaft  8  are inserted into the shaft insertion holes  5   f,  respectively. Thus, the tab  7  is rotatable around the shaft  8  to close and open a card insertion slot  9  of the connector  1 . The card insertion slot  9  is generally defined by the main plate portion  4   a  and the guide portion  4   d  of the card guide  4 . 
   The card connector  1  further comprises an elastic member, namely, a coil spring  6  acting as a tension spring known in the art. The coil spring  6  has opposite ends engaged with the protruding portion  4   c  of the card guide  4  and the protruding portion  5   c  of the slider  5 , respectively. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  3 , and  4 , description will be made of a process of inserting the card  11  into the card connector  1 . 
   At first referring to  FIG. 1 , the card  11  is located in front of the card insertion slot  9  of the card connector  1 . Next, the card  11  is clamped by fingers and inserted into the card insertion slot  9 . Furthermore, the card  11  is pushed backward in the first direction A 1 . Thus, the card  11  is received in the card connector  1  as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . In this state, the card  11  is inserted between the main plate portion  4   a  and the guide portion  4   d  of the card guide  4 . Subsequently, the tab  7  is rotated rightward by about 90° to close the card insertion slot  9  as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . In this state, the card  11  is located at a fitting position and connected to the card connector  1 . The coil springs  6  are most relaxed. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 5A through 8 , description will be made of a process of ejecting the card  11  from the card connector  1 . 
   At first referring to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , the tab  7  is rotated leftward by about 90° to open the card insertion slot  9 . Next, the tab  7  is clamped by fingers and pulled. Then, the slider  5  slides forward in the first direction A 1  (leftward in the figure) and the butting portions  5   d  are engaged with a first end face ( 11   a  in  FIG. 1 ) of the card  11 . When the tab  7  is further pulled, the slider  5  slides forward together with the card  11  as illustrated in  FIGS. 6A and 6B . As a result, the card  11  is separated from the conductive contact points mentioned above. Thus, the card  11  is ejected and moved to a releasing position. At this time, the coil springs  6  are tightened or strained. Thereafter, when the tab  7  is released from the fingers, the slider  5  is pulled by the coil springs  6  to return an initial position illustrated in  FIGS. 7A and 7B . In order to prevent the card  11  from moving together with the slider  5  while the slider  5  returns to the initial position, the card guide  4  is preferably provided with a temporality holding portion such as a spring portion (not shown) for temporarily holding the card  11  as will later be described in conjunction with  FIG. 9 . 
   In the state illustrated in  FIGS. 7A and 7B , an end portion adjacent to a second end face  11   b  of the card  11  is exposed. Therefore, it is easy to clamp the card  11  by the fingers as depicted by white arrows in  FIG. 8  and to pull out the card  11  from the card connector  1 . After the card  11  is pulled out, the tab  7  is rotated rightward by about 90° to close the card insertion slot  9 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 9 , a card connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Similar parts are designated by like reference numerals and will not be described. 
   In the card connector  1  illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the tab  7  is attached to the card guide  4 . A lower part of each of the side plate portions  4   b  of the card guide  4  is bent inward to receive a plurality of temporary holding springs  12  formed at three positions. The temporary holding springs  12  press opposite sides of a lower surface of the card  11  towards the slider  5  (which is not shown in  FIG. 9  because the slider  5  is positioned above the card guide  4 ). Therefore, the card  11  is stably held in an ejected state without a play. 
   Referring to  FIG. 10 , a card connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Similar parts are designated by like reference numerals and will not be described. 
   In the card connector  1  illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the tab  7  is formed as a rectangular frame. In other words, the tab  7  has a window  13  formed at its center. With this structure, the second end face  11   b  of the card  11  is seen through the window  13 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 11 , a card connector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Similar parts are designated by like reference numerals and will not be described. 
   In the card connector  1  illustrated in  FIG. 11 , the tab  7  is formed into an extended U shape. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 12 and 13 , a card connector according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Similar parts are designated by like reference and will not be described. 
   In the card connector  1  illustrated in  FIGS. 12 and 13 , the tab  7  is received in a receiving portion  15  formed at a front portion  14  of the card guide  4  to be slidable up and down in a vertical direction. When the tab  7  in the state illustrated in  FIG. 12  is slid downward, the card insertion slot  9  is opened as illustrated in  FIG. 13 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 14 and 15 , a card connector according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Similar parts are designated by like reference numerals and will not be described. 
   In the card connector  1  illustrated in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , the tab  7  is supported by a pair of tab supporting portions  16  having a generally U-shaped section and formed on opposite sides of the slider  5  to be slidable forward and backward in the first direction A 1 . When the tab  7  in the state illustrated in  FIG. 14  is slid forward, the tab  7  is protruded as illustrated in  FIG. 15 . When the tab  7  is further moved forward, the tab supporting portions  16  are pushed forward by a pair of protruding portions  17  formed on left and right sides of an inner end of the tab  7 . As a consequence, the slider  5  is pulled out. 
   While this invention has thus far been described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be readily possible for those skilled in the art to put this invention into practice in various other manners.