JP2006164955A - Card connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a structure for surely preventing a card to be inserted into a card connector, when the card is inserted (incorrect insertion) with irregular direction (longwise direction), or a card with smaller width than a regular size is inserted (incorrect insertion), without influence of the thickness or tilt of the card to be inserted, or the ourter force to be added to the card. <P>SOLUTION: The card connector 1 has a card inserting space, a housing 3 having a terminal connected to the socket of a card, and a shell member 4 fixed to the housing 3, and a card incorrect insertion preventing means for preventing a card to be incorrectly inserted into a card slot 2. The card incorrect insert preventing means has a first insert prevention means for preventing the card to be inserted when the card is incorrectly inserted, and a second insertion prevention method for preventing a card to be inserted when the card is failed to be inserted by the first insert prevention means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector for a memory card (hereinafter referred to as a card) such as an IC card or a magnetic card, and more particularly to a card connector having a card misinsertion prevention mechanism.

The card connector has a plurality of pin-shaped terminals (contact group) inside, and the card inserted from the card insertion slot is electrically coupled to these terminals, thereby writing information to the card. Alternatively, reading is performed.
Such cards have different vertical and horizontal lengths, and when the card insertion direction at the card insertion slot is the vertical direction, the card is inserted in the horizontal direction in the normal direction.
However, the card can be inserted into the card connector from the card insertion slot even when it is in a portrait orientation different from the normal orientation. In such a portrait orientation card insertion (erroneous insertion), the card socket And the pin-shaped terminal of the card connector may not be in the correct positional relationship, and the wall portion of the card may contact the pin-shaped terminal and deform or damage the terminal.
If such deformation or damage of the terminal occurs, when the card is inserted in the normal landscape orientation (normal insertion), the correct connection between the card socket and the pin-shaped terminal is hindered, and information is written to the card. Or reading becomes impossible. For this reason, the card erroneous insertion prevention mechanism is indispensable in the card connector.

Examples of the card connector having such a card erroneous insertion prevention mechanism are those described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-216905 (card connector erroneous insertion prevention device) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-62500 (card socket). Has already been proposed.
As shown in FIG. 15, the card connector 50 described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-216905 (Patent Document 1) has a connector main body 51 fixed on a substrate 60, and this connector main body 51. Are formed with left and right insertion grooves 52 and 52 that support both end portions of the horizontally oriented card 63. The plane connecting the left and right insertion grooves 52, 52 constitutes a regular insertion plane for the card 63. A contact group 54 is supported on a back wall 53 located in the back of the insertion grooves 52 and 52. The lower surface (surface on the board 60 side) of the connector body 51 is opened except for the insertion grooves 52 and 52, and a notch 55 is formed on the upper surface.
A cover member 56 made of a leaf spring material fixed on the substrate 60 is put on the connector main body 51. The cover member 56 is formed with a misinsertion prevention spring 57 and a play-removing spring 58 that enter the connector main body 51 from the notch 55 as cut-and-raised pieces. The misinsertion prevention spring 57 and the play-removal spring 58 have their respective leading ends protruding into the card insertion plane defined by the insertion grooves 52, 52 of the connector body 51.

With respect to the card connector 50 described in Patent Document 1, the card 63 is inserted into the left and right insertion grooves 52, 52 of the connector main body 51 in a state in which the card 63 is in a normal horizontally long state (shown by a chain line in FIG. 15A). When the both end portions are inserted, the card 63 moves correctly in the card insertion plane, so that the erroneous insertion prevention spring 57 and the play-off spring 58 whose tip ends project in the card insertion plane are pressed by the card 63. And elastically deformed. In other words, the normal horizontally oriented card 63 can be correctly inserted into the insertion grooves 52, 52, and the contact group 54 is correctly inserted into the contact insertion hole, and electrical conduction is made.
On the other hand, when the card 63 is inserted into the connector main body 51 in a vertically long state (indicated by a solid line in FIG. 15A), the vertically long card 63 is inserted into one of the insertion grooves 52 and 52. Although they can be engaged, they cannot be engaged at the same time. For this reason, the erroneous insertion prevention spring 57 between the insertion grooves 52 and 52 is always in contact with the upper surface of the card 63 to displace the card 63 from the correct card insertion plane (not allowing entry into the card insertion plane). By preventing the card 63 from reaching the contact group 54, the contact group 54 can be prevented from being damaged (see FIG. 15B).
In FIG. 15A, reference numeral 59 denotes a seesaw lever that rotates about a shaft 61 and ejects the card, and reference numeral 62 denotes an eject lever that rotates the seesaw lever 59.

  Further, the card socket (card connector) described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-62500 (Patent Document 2) includes a housing 90 including a housing body 80 and a cover 88, as shown in FIG. The housing body 80 has a bottom surface portion 81, side surface portions 82 and 83, and a back surface portion 84. The bottom surface portion 81 has a rectangular plate shape, and includes an erroneous insertion preventing member insertion hole 81 b and a plurality of contact insertion holes 85. The erroneous insertion preventing member insertion hole 81b is formed in the front portion of the bottom surface portion 81, and has a pair of spring portion insertion portions 81c and a stopper portion insertion portion 81d. The pair of spring portion insertion portions 81c are formed in the divided portions of the keys 82a and 83a, respectively, and extend in the length direction of the side portions 82 and 83. The stopper portion insertion portion 81d extends in a direction orthogonal to the length direction of the side surface portions 82 and 83, and is connected to the pair of spring portion insertion portions 81c.

  The card misinsertion preventing member 70 has a pair of fixing portions 71, a pair of spring portions 72, and one width direction stopper portion 73. The pair of fixing portions 71 are fixed to the front end portions of the keys 82a and 83a of the side surface portions 82 and 83, and the pair of spring portions 72 are respectively connected to the fixing portion 71 and extend in the length direction of the side surface portions 82 and 83. The spring portion insertion portion 81c is located above. The width direction stopper portion 73 extends in a direction orthogonal to the length direction of the side surface portions 82 and 83, and is connected to the pair of spring portions 72. The width direction stopper portion 73 is located above the stopper portion insertion portion 81d when the spring portion 72 is not elastically deformed.

When a card 65 having a predetermined size is inserted into the card insertion slot 75a with respect to the card socket described in Patent Document 2, the pair of spring portions 72 is moved downward by the step surfaces 67 on both sides of the card 65. Pressed and elastically deformed by a predetermined amount. As a result, the spring portion 72 is pushed out of the card track 75 c and enters the notch 66. Along with this, the width direction stopper portion 73 is also pushed out of the card track 75c and enters the stopper portion insertion portion 81d (see FIG. 16B). For this reason, the card | curd 65 is inserted to the back of the card | curd accommodation space 75b, without the width direction stopper part 73 not approaching the card | curd 65, without contacting the card | curd 65. FIG.
On the other hand, when a narrow card that does not reach the predetermined size is inserted into the card insertion slot 75a, the spring portion 72 does not contact the card, so that the spring portion 72 remains on the card track 75c without elastic deformation, and the width direction stopper. The portion 73 also remains on the card track 75c. For this reason, when such a card is to be inserted toward the back of the card accommodation space 75b, the width direction stopper 73 comes into contact with the front end surface of the card and prevents further card entry, so that a predetermined size is required. It is possible to prevent erroneous insertion of a narrow card that does not reach the limit.
Note that reference numeral 87 in FIG. 16A denotes a contact fixed to the back surface portion 84.

JP 2002-216905 A JP 2004-62500 A

The card erroneous insertion prevention mechanism (see FIG. 15) of the card connector 50 described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 presses the card 63 inserted in the portrait orientation (erroneous insertion) downward by the leaf spring 57. The card is brought into contact with the wall of the connector main body 51 to prevent further card entry.
However, when the thickness of the card inserted through the card insertion slot is thin, the interference range with the member that prevents the card from entering is narrowed, and the card is inserted obliquely or an external force is applied to the card. In some cases, the card may move in a regular insertion plane, and it may not be possible to prevent erroneous insertion of the card by slipping through a member that stops the entry of the card.

Further, the card connector incorrect card insertion prevention mechanism (see FIG. 16) described in Patent Document 2 described above, when a narrow card that does not reach a predetermined size is inserted into the card insertion slot 75a, the spring portion 72 is elastically deformed. In this case, the card stops on the card track 75c, and the width direction stopper 73 also stays on the card track 75c, thereby preventing insertion of such a narrow card.
However, even in the card connector described in Patent Document 2, a phenomenon similar to that in Patent Document 1 may occur, and erroneous card insertion may not be prevented.

  Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, in which the card is inserted in a non-normal orientation (longitudinal orientation) (erroneously inserted), or has a width narrower than a specified dimension. When a card is inserted (erroneously inserted), it is possible to reliably prevent the card from entering the card connector without being affected by the thickness or inclination of the inserted card or the external force applied to the card. It is to devise a wrong insertion prevention mechanism for the card so that it can be done.

  The present invention provides a card connector comprising an entry preventing means for preventing the entry of a card erroneously inserted into the card insertion slot (inserted in a portrait orientation). It is based on ensuring that the entered card is prevented from entering.

(1) A card connector according to the present invention has a housing having a card insertion space and a terminal coupled to a socket of the card, a shell member fixed to the housing, and a card erroneously inserted into the card insertion slot. On the premise of a card connector comprising a card misinsertion prevention means to block,
The erroneous card insertion preventing means includes a first entry blocking means and a second entry blocking means,
The first entry blocking means includes an arm provided on the shell member and elastically deformable in the thickness direction of the card by the inserted card.
The second entry blocking means is provided on the shell member, and is a tongue-like projecting piece that is elastically deformable in the thickness direction of the inserted card;
An eject plate that is slidably supported in the card insertion direction with respect to the shell member, holds the inserted card, and is locked by the tongue-like protrusion in the card insertion direction;
A swing plate that is swingable with respect to the eject plate and that is slidably supported in the card insertion direction, and that releases the lock of the eject plate by the tongue-shaped protrusion by movement in the card insertion direction. And
When the card is erroneously inserted into the card insertion slot, the first entry blocking means blocks entry of the card, and when the card cannot be blocked by the first entry blocking means, the second entry The blocking means prevents the card from entering.

According to such a configuration, when the card is erroneously inserted into the card insertion slot (inserted in the portrait orientation), the arm of the shell member is not deformed in the thickness direction of the card. No. 1 entry blocking means) and the entry is blocked.
If for some reason an erroneously inserted card slips through the arm of the shell member and enters further, the card will swing the swing plate, but the eject plate lock by the tongue-shaped protrusion of the shell member will continue. And the eject plate cannot be moved.
Thus, the card that has passed through the arm (first entry prevention means) of the shell member is operated by the tongue-shaped projecting piece, the eject plate, and the swing plate (second entry prevention means) of the shell member. The entry is surely prevented.

Further, when the card is properly inserted into the card insertion slot (inserted in the landscape orientation), the arm of the shell member (first entry prevention means) is deformed in the thickness direction by the inserted card and the card is inserted. The inserted card can enter the arm without colliding with the arm.
In this way, the card that has passed through the first entry blocking means slides the swing plate in the card insertion direction, and releases the lock of the eject plate by the tongue-shaped protrusion of the shell member. The eject plate can be moved in the card insertion direction. As a result, the properly inserted card can be further advanced while being held by the eject plate, and the socket of the card can be accurately coupled to the terminal of the card connector.

(2) The tongue-like protrusion of the shell member includes a protrusion and a locking piece,
The eject plate includes an engaging projection that locks the movement of the eject plate by contacting the locking piece of the tongue-shaped projecting piece, a pair of lock pieces that hold the inserted card, and a pair of spring pieces. And a pair of holes,
The swing plate is formed at an end of the pair of leg portions, an engagement piece that engages with the pair of spring pieces of the eject plate, a pair of leg portions that are inserted into the pair of holes of the eject plate, and the pair of leg portions. A pair of abutting pieces facing the pair of locking pieces of the eject plate, and a center where the tongue-like protruding pieces come into contact with the protruding portions of the shell member and elastically deform the tongue-like protruding pieces to unlock the eject plate And a piece.

According to such a configuration, when a card that has been erroneously inserted passes through the first entry blocking means (the arm of the shell member) and further enters for some reason, the card is inserted into the pair of contact pieces of the swing plate. It will abut only one or neither. In the case of contact with only one of the contact pieces, the swing plate swings and does not move in the card insertion direction. Further, the swing plate is not moved in the card insertion direction even when it does not contact any of the contact pieces. In any case, since the swing plate does not move in the card insertion direction, the central piece does not push the protrusion of the tongue-like protrusion on the shell member, and the tongue-like protrusion cannot be deformed. It is impossible to unlock the eject plate by the tongue-like protrusion.
Therefore, an erroneously inserted card pushes the lock piece of the eject plate and tries to enter further, but the eject plate remains locked, so that further entry of the card can be prevented. .

When the normally inserted card passes through the first entry preventing means (the arm of the shell member), the card simultaneously contacts the pair of contact pieces of the swing plate, and the swing plate is inserted into the card. Move in the direction. Then, the tongue piece can be elastically deformed by the central piece of the swing plate pushing the projection of the tongue piece on the shell member, so that the eject plate is locked by the tongue piece. It can be canceled.
Therefore, a properly inserted card can be moved further into the back together with the swing plate and the eject plate by pushing the lock piece of the eject plate through the pair of contact pieces of the swing plate. The socket can be accurately coupled to the terminal of the card connector.

(3) The shell member may include a guide groove for guiding the eject plate in the card insertion direction.
According to this configuration, the mechanism for guiding the eject plate in the card insertion direction with respect to the shell member can be simplified, and the entire configuration can be reduced in thickness and size.

(4) The arm of the shell member may have a channel shape formed integrally with the shell member.
According to this configuration, since the arm is formed integrally with the shell member, the number of parts and the number of assembly steps can be reduced.

According to the present invention, the wrong card insertion preventing means for preventing the card erroneously inserted into the card insertion slot (inserted in the portrait orientation) from the first entry blocking means and the second entry blocking means. Therefore, even if the entry of a card that is erroneously inserted cannot be prevented by the first entry prevention means for some reason, the entry of the card can be reliably prevented by the second entry prevention means. is there.
Further, even when a thin card is mistakenly inserted or when a card is mistakenly inserted into the card insertion slot at an angle, the first entry prevention means or the second entry prevention means prevents the entry of the card. It can be reliably prevented.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the description of this embodiment, for the sake of convenience, the upper and lower sides of each member shown in the assembly perspective view of FIG. 1 and the exploded perspective view of FIG. 2 are referred to as “front side” and “back side”, and the near side and the back side are “ They are called “front” and “rear”, and right and left are called “right” and “left” as they are.

[Outline of card connector]
An outline of the card connector 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is an assembled perspective view seen from the front side of the card connector, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view thereof. 3 is an assembly perspective view seen from the back side, and FIG. 4 is a plan view and a cross-sectional view seen from the back side.
The card connector 1 is compatible with both a thin card and a thick card (for example, a CF card type I (thin card) and a CF card type II (thick card) conforming to the CFA standard), and the rear side. A housing 3 having a pin-like terminal 28 at the part and fixed to the base B, a shell member 4 fixed to the housing 3, and a front-rear direction with respect to the shell member 4 (in a card insertion / ejection direction) A slidable eject plate 5, a swing plate 6 that can swing and slide back and forth with respect to the eject plate 5, an eject lever 7 that ejects a card, and an operation that operates the eject lever 7 And a rod 8.
In this card connector 1, when the card is inserted into the card insertion slot 2 in the normal landscape orientation (normal insertion), the card can enter the back part of the card connector 1 and is provided in the card. A socket can be coupled to the pin-shaped terminal 28.
On the other hand, when the card is inserted into the card insertion slot 2 in a vertically long direction (incorrect insertion), the card is blocked in the middle so that it does not enter the back part of the back of the card connector 1. The terminal 28 is prevented from being damaged.

[Configuration of card connector]
First, in order to explain the configuration of the card connector 1, the housing 3, the shell member 4, the eject plate 5, the swing plate 6, and the eject mechanism that constitute the card connector 1 will be described, and then these are assembled. The entire card connector will be described.

(Configuration of housing 3)
The configuration of the housing 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 4.
As shown in the figure, the housing 3 has a substantially “U” shape and is composed of side members 31 and 32 on both the left and right sides and a rear member 33 on the rear side. A pin-shaped terminal 28 is attached. The inside of each of the side members 31 and 32 has a space slightly larger than the width dimension (long side of the card) of the card in the landscape direction, and when the card is inserted in the landscape direction (regular insertion), A card insertion space is formed so as to guide the movement of the card in the front-rear direction. When the housing 3 is fixed on the base B and the shell member 4 is fixed on the front side, the card insertion slot 2 is formed between the side members 31 and 32.

(Configuration of shell member 4)
Next, the configuration of the shell member 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a plan view and a sectional view of the shell member.
As shown in the figure, the shell member 4 extends from a substantially rectangular substrate 9 having side walls 9a, 9b formed by vertically bending both left and right sides, and a front edge near the left and right sides of the substrate 9. A substantially channel-shaped arm 10 in plan view, a pair of stopper pieces 11 and 11 rising from the rear edges near the left and right sides of the substrate 9, a front guide groove 12 a and a rear guide vertically perforated in the center of the substrate 9 A groove 12b (a guide groove for guiding the eject plate 5) and a tongue-like protrusion 14 extending in a tongue shape along the front guide groove 12a and having a protrusion 13a and a locking piece 13b are provided.
The arm 10 includes a pair of vertical pieces 15 and 15 and a horizontal piece 16 at the tip thereof, and has a pair of coupling portions 17 and 17 that connect the pair of vertical pieces 15 and 15 and the horizontal piece 16. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 and 12, the distance between the pair of vertical pieces 15 and 15 is such that when the card 18 is inserted in a landscape orientation (normal insertion), the pair of vertical pieces 15 and 15 are pushed up simultaneously. In addition, the interval between the inner edges of the pair of vertical pieces 15 and 15 is configured to be slightly wider than the width dimension of the card 18 in the longitudinal direction (the short side of the card). Further, recesses 12a ′ and 12b ′ are formed on both side edges of the front guide groove 12a and the rear guide groove 12b, respectively.

(Configuration of eject plate 5)
Next, the configuration of the eject plate 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 and 6. FIG. 6 is a plan view and a sectional view of the eject plate.
As shown in the figure, the eject plate 5 is formed of a substantially rectangular plate member, and is formed at a rear edge at a pair of lock pieces 19 and 19 that rise from the vicinity of both left and right sides of the rear edge, and at the center in the left-right direction. A guide tongue piece 20 having a stepped portion, an engagement protrusion 22 formed by a cut and raised piece in the middle of the central portion, and a pair of guide protrusions formed by a cut and raised piece on the front side of the central portion. A pair of rectangular holes 21 and 21 formed near the left and right sides of the center portion in the front-rear direction, and a pair of cantilever spring pieces 23 and 23 extending from the left and right sides to the center at the front edge portion; Be prepared.
The distance between the inner edges of the pair of lock pieces 19, 19 is made narrower than the longitudinal dimension of the card 18 (the short side of the card). Further, the guide tongue piece 20 has a pair of side edge portions 20 a and 20 a that move along the front side surface of the substrate 9 of the shell member 4, and is guided by the rear guide groove 12 b of the substrate 9. . The pair of guide protrusions 27, 27 have respective bent portions 27 a, 27 a that move along the front side surface of the substrate 9 of the shell member 4, and guide to the front guide groove 12 a of the substrate 9. Is done. The engaging protrusion 22 is in contact with the locking piece 13b of the tongue-like protruding piece 14 of the shell member 4 to prevent the eject plate 5 from moving backward.

(Configuration of swing plate 6)
Next, the configuration of the swing plate 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 and 7. FIG. 7 is a plan view and a sectional view of the swing plate.
As shown in the figure, the swing plate 6 is composed of a substantially gate-shaped plate member having a pair of leg portions 29, 29 on both the left and right sides, and the rear edges of the pair of leg portions 29, 29 on the left and right sides are perpendicular to each other. Contact pieces 24, 24 bent in a pair, stepped portions 29a, 29a formed on the pair of leg portions 29, 29, and a relationship formed at the front edge at the center in the left-right direction of the gate-type plate member. It comprises a combination piece 25 and a central piece 26 which is also formed at the rear edge of the central portion.
The distance between the contact pieces 24, 24 formed at the rear edges of the pair of leg portions 29, 29 is such that the card 18 is simultaneously inserted into the pair of contact pieces 24, 24 when the card 18 is inserted in the landscape orientation (normal insertion). The distance between the inner edges of the pair of contact pieces 24, 24 is such that the width of the card 18 in the longitudinal direction (the short side of the card) ) It is configured slightly wider.
The pair of leg portions 29, 29 are inserted into the pair of holes 21, 21 of the eject plate 5, and the engagement piece 25 is engaged with the pair of cantilever spring pieces 23, 23 of the eject plate 5. The center piece 26 is also guided by a pair of guide protrusions 27, 27 of the eject plate 5.

(Eject mechanism)
Next, the configuration of the ejection mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in the figure, the eject mechanism includes an eject lever 7 pivotally supported on a base plate 9 of the shell member 4 and an operating rod 8 which is also slidably attached to the side wall 9a of the shell member 4 in the front-rear direction. Consists of.
One end (right end) of the eject lever 7 is in contact with the guide tongue piece 20 of the eject plate 5, and the other end (left end) is engaged with the end of the operation rod 8. , The eject lever 7 is rotated to move the eject plate 5 forward (in the card ejection direction).

(Relationship between members)
Next, the relationship among the housing 3, the shell member 4, the eject plate 5, and the swing plate 6 will be described.

<Relationship between eject plate 5 and swing plate 6>
First, the relationship between the eject plate 5 and the swing plate 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, 6, 7, 13, and 14.
The pair of leg portions 29, 29 of the swing plate 6 are inserted from the front side to the back side with respect to the pair of holes 21, 21 of the eject plate 5, and pointed from the step portions 29 a, 29 a of the pair of leg portions 29, 29. Protrudes on the back side of the eject plate 5. Further, the engagement piece 25 of the swing plate 6 is engaged with the central part of the pair of cantilever spring pieces 23, 23 of the eject plate 5. At this time, the contact pieces 24, 24 of the pair of leg portions 29, 29 face each other with a slight gap in front of the pair of lock pieces 19, 19 of the eject plate 5. The central piece 26 of the swing plate 6 is positioned between the pair of guide protrusions 27 and 27 of the eject plate 5 and is guided with a little play.

  In the “eject plate assembly I” in which the swing plate 6 is incorporated in the eject plate 5 as described above, when a rearward force is simultaneously applied to the pair of contact pieces 24, 24 of the swing plate 6, The cantilever spring pieces 23, 23 are bent, and the swing plate 6 is translated backward (in the card insertion direction) with respect to the eject plate 5 (FIG. 14). On the other hand, when a backward force is applied to only one of the pair of contact pieces 24, 24, the swing plate 6 swings with respect to the eject plate 5 (FIG. 13A).

<Relationship between eject plate assembly I and shell member 4>
Next, the relationship between the “eject plate assembly I” in which the swing plate 6 is incorporated into the eject plate 5 and the shell member 4 will be described with reference to FIGS.
The pair of guide protrusions 27 and 27 and the guide tongue 20 of the eject plate 5 in the eject plate assembly I are fitted into the front guide groove 12a and the rear guide groove 12b of the shell member 4, and the eject plate assembly I Are assembled so as to translate the back side surface of the shell member 4 in the front-rear direction.
When the eject plate assembly I is assembled in the shell member 4 as described above, the bent portions 27a and 27a of the pair of guide protrusions 27 and 27 of the eject plate 5 and the side edges 20a of the guide tongue piece 20 are provided. , 20a pass through the respective recesses 12a ′, 12a ′, 12b ′, 12b ′ of the front guide groove 12a and the rear guide groove 12b of the shell member 4, and are positioned on the front surface of the substrate 9 of the shell member 4. The

  Thus, in the “shell member assembly II” in which the eject plate assembly I is incorporated in the shell member 4, most of the swing plate 6 of the eject plate assembly I (excluding the pair of leg portions 29, 29). Part) is sandwiched between the eject plate 5 and the shell member 4, but the swing plate 6 can move and swing within a predetermined range between the eject plate 5 and the shell member 4. It has become. The central piece 26 of the swing plate 6 is sandwiched between the eject plate 5 and the tongue-like projecting piece 14 of the shell member 4 between the pair of guide projecting pieces 27 and 27 of the eject plate 5.

<Relationship Between Shell Member Assembly II and Housing 3>
Next, the relationship between the “shell member assembly II” in which the eject plate assembly I is incorporated in the shell member 4 and the housing 3 will be described with reference to FIGS.
A card connector is configured by attaching the shell member assembly II to the front side of the housing 3. The shell member assembly II is attached to the housing 3 by, for example, fixing the left and right side walls 9a and 9b of the shell member 4 in the shell member assembly II to the pair of left and right side members 31 and 32 of the housing 3. This can be done.

[Operation of cord connector]
Hereinafter, the operation relating to the cord connector 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS.
(The state before the card is inserted)
In a state before the card 18 is inserted into the cord connector 1, the shell member 4, the eject plate 5, the swing plate 6, the eject lever 7, and the operating rod 8 constituting the cord connector 1 are shown in FIGS. It is in such a positional relationship.
That is, the position of the swing plate 6 with respect to the eject plate 5 is determined by the state in which the pair of cantilever spring pieces 23, 23 of the eject plate 5 are opened. At this time, the pair of contact pieces 24, 24 of the swing plate 6 are opposed to the lock pieces 19, 19 at a predetermined interval in front of the pair of lock pieces 19, 19 of the eject plate 5. Yes.

Further, the position of the eject plate 5 and the swing plate 6 (eject plate assembly I) with respect to the shell member 4 is such that the engaging projection 22 of the eject plate 5 is a locking piece 13b on the tongue-like projecting piece 14 of the shell member 4. Since the central piece 26 of the swing plate 6 is located on the front side that does not interfere with the protrusion 13a on the tongue-like protrusion 14, the eject plate 5 is provided with a tongue-like protrusion. 14 is in a state of being locked to the shell member 4 by the locking piece 13b on the state 14 (a state in which it cannot move backward). (See Figures 3 and 4)
At this time, the front edge of the horizontal piece 16 of the arm 10 in the shell member 4 is positioned in front of the pair of contact pieces 24, 24 of the swing plate 6, and the pair of lock pieces 19, 19 of the eject plate 5. The lateral piece 16 of the arm 10 in the shell member 4 is positioned slightly forward from the tip of the pin-like terminal 28 provided in the housing 3.

(When the card is inserted in portrait orientation)
Next, the operation when the card 18 is inserted into the card insertion slot 2 of the cord connector 1 in the vertically long direction (erroneous insertion) will be described with reference to FIGS. 8, 9, and 11 to 13.
Thus, even when the card 18 is inserted in the portrait orientation, when the card 18 is inserted into the center of the front of the card insertion slot 2 (FIGS. 8 and 12A), Since there is a case where it is inserted in either direction (FIG. 12B), these will be described separately.

<When inserted in the center of the card slot>
First, a case where the card 18 is inserted in the center of the front of the card insertion slot 2 in a portrait orientation (an example of erroneous insertion) will be described with reference to FIGS. 8, 11 (a) and 12 (a). .
In this case, the width dimension of the card 18 (the short side of the card) is narrower than the distance between the inner edges of the pair of vertical pieces 15 and 15 in the arm 10 of the shell member 4, so that the card 18 is located at the center of the card insertion slot 2. When inserted, the pair of vertical pieces 15 and 15 of the arm 10 are inserted without being deformed at all. However, when the card 18 is inserted halfway, the tip corners of the arm 10 (first The contact of the pair of connecting portions 17 and 17 of the entry prevention means) prevents further entry of the card (FIG. 8). Thereby, the collision between the tip of the card 18 and the pin-shaped terminal 28 provided on the back member 33 of the housing 3 is avoided.
Thus, the user notices the erroneous insertion of the card 18 and reinserts the card 18 in the normal landscape orientation.

<When inserted from the center of the card slot>
Next, a case where the card 18 is vertically oriented and is inserted with a deviation from the center of the opening of the card insertion slot 2 (another example of erroneous insertion) will be described with reference to FIG.
Also in this case, the width dimension of the card 18 (the short side of the card) is narrower than the distance between the inner edges of the pair of vertical pieces 15, 15 in the arm 10 of the shell member 4, so that the card 18 extends from the center of the card insertion slot 2. When inserted side by side, only the vertical piece 15 on one side of the arm 10 is deformed to the thickness side (front side) of the card 18, and the vertical piece 15 on the other side is not deformed. The side piece 16 of the entry preventing means) is twisted and the tip corner of the card 18 abuts on the other side (the side not deformed), preventing further entry of the card. Thereby, the collision between the tip of the card 18 and the pin-shaped terminal 28 provided on the back member 33 of the housing 3 is avoided.
Thus, the user notices the erroneous insertion of the card 18 and reinserts the card in the normal landscape orientation.

<When an incorrectly inserted card cannot be blocked by the arm 10>
A case where the card 18 inserted in the card insertion slot 2 in the vertically long direction (erroneously inserted) cannot be blocked by the operation of the arm 10 (first entry blocking means) will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 13. .
When the card 18 is inserted into the card insertion slot 2 in the portrait orientation (erroneous insertion), normally, as described above, the insertion of the card 18 erroneously inserted by the connecting portion 17 or the lateral piece 16 of the arm 10 is prevented. However, there may be a case where it is impossible to prevent the card 18 that has been erroneously inserted from being inserted for some reason. The main reasons that cannot be prevented are as follows, for example.

As shown in FIGS. 14B and 14C, the card connector 1 includes two types of cards 18a and 18b having different thicknesses (for example, a thin card 18a is a CF card type I, and a thick card 18b is a CF card type. II), but in particular, the thin card 18a has a narrow range of interference with the coupling portion 17 and the lateral piece 16 of the arm 10, so that the erroneously inserted card 18 can be It is conceivable that, without colliding with the piece 16, it passes through this and enters further backward (in the card insertion direction).
Further, when the card 18 is inserted in the vertically long direction from the card insertion slot 2 slightly obliquely, both the left and right side edges of the card bend both the pair of vertical pieces 15 and 15 of the arm 10 or add to the card 18. There is a possibility that the pair of vertical pieces 15 and 15 is bent by the applied external force, and the erroneously inserted card 18 can enter further backward without colliding with the coupling portion 17 or the horizontal piece 16 of the arm 10. Conceivable.

When the entry of the erroneously inserted card 18 cannot be blocked by the arm 10 (first entry blocking means), the leading end of the card 18 is either of the pair of contact pieces 24, 24 of the swing plate 6. Either one of the contact pieces (FIG. 9, FIG. 13A) or no contact piece 24, 24 is contacted.
When the front end of the card abuts one of the abutment pieces 24, the swing plate 6 swings around the engagement piece 25 as shown in FIG. Although the contact piece 24 contacts the lock piece 19 of the eject plate 5 (FIG. 13A), the entire swing plate 6 does not move backward (in the card insertion direction), and the tongue-like protrusion of the shell member 4 Since the piece 14 is not deformed, the lock by the locking piece 13b of the tongue-like protruding piece 14 that restrains the rearward movement of the engaging protrusion 22 of the eject plate 5 is not released ( FIG. 13 (b) (c)). Thus, since the eject plate 5 remains constrained at that position, the card 18 that has been erroneously inserted is prevented from entering further by the lock piece 19 of the eject plate 5 being constrained.

If the tip of the card 18 does not come into contact with any of the contact pieces 24, 24, the tip of the card 18 collides with the pair of lock pieces 19, 19 of the eject plate 5. Since the plate 5 is constrained at that position as described above, further entry of the erroneously inserted card 18 is prevented.
As described above, even if there is a case where the insertion of the erroneously inserted card 18 cannot be prevented by the connecting portion 17 or the lateral piece 16 (first entry prevention means) of the arm 10 for some reason, the ejection is performed. Due to the action of the plate 5, the swing plate 6, etc. (second entry blocking means), the entry can be reliably blocked.

(When the card is inserted in landscape orientation)
Next, with reference to FIGS. 10, 11 (b), 12 (c), and 14, the operation when the card 18 is inserted into the card insertion slot 2 of the cord connector 1 in the landscape orientation (normal insertion) will be described. While explaining.
In this case, the width dimension of the card 18 (the long side of the card) is substantially equal to the distance between the outer edges of the pair of vertical pieces 15 and 15 in the arm 10 of the shell member 4. When inserted, the pair of vertical pieces 15 and 15 of the arm 10 are bent toward the substrate 9 (front side), and the pair of connecting portions 17 and 17 and the horizontal piece 16 of the arm 10 are retracted from the card moving path. Therefore, the inserted card can enter further backward (in the card insertion direction) without colliding. (See Figure 10 and Figure 12 (c))
As a result, the tip of the card 18 abuts against the pair of abutment pieces 24, 24 of the swing plate 6 and simultaneously pushes them backward, so that the entire swing plate 6 is moved rearward and the pair of abutment pieces Reference numerals 24 and 24 abut against the pair of lock pieces 19 and 19 of the eject plate 5. (See Figs. 14 (b) (c))

At this time, the central piece 26 of the swing plate 6 moves rearward (in the card insertion direction) while being sandwiched between the tongue-like projecting piece 14 of the shell member 4 and the eject plate 5. The portion 13a is pushed to push up the tongue-like protruding piece 14 (bend in the front side direction). As a result, the locking of the engaging protrusion 22 of the eject plate 5 by the locking piece 13b of the tongue-like protruding piece 14 is released. (See FIGS. 14 (b) to (d))
By such an operation, the eject plate 5 can be moved rearward, and the normally inserted card is moved rearward together with the eject plate 5 so that the socket of the card 18 is provided on the rear member 33 of the housing 3. Then, the card is accurately coupled to the pin-shaped terminal 28, and the setting of the card into the predetermined insertion position is completed. (See Fig. 11 (b))

(When ejecting the card)
Next, the case where the card 18 is taken out from the card connector 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.
The card 18 is taken out by operating the rod 8 to rotate the eject lever 7 counterclockwise and pushing the guide tongue 20 of the eject plate 5 forward (in the card ejection direction). When the guide tongue piece 20 is pushed forward, the eject plate 5 moves forward along the front guide groove 12a and the rear guide groove 12b of the shell member 4. As a result, the engaging protrusion 22 of the eject plate 5 is also moved forward. At this time, the swing plate 6 is displaced rearward with respect to the eject plate 5 (FIGS. 14B to (B)). see d)). That is, the central piece 26 of the swing plate 6 is in a state where the protrusion 13 a of the tongue-like protrusion 14 is pushed up to retract the locking piece 13 b from the movement path of the engagement protrusion 22. For this reason, when the eject plate 5 is moved forward (in the card ejection direction), the locking piece 13b of the tongue-like protrusion 14 does not hinder the movement of the engagement protrusion 22 of the eject plate 5.
In this way, the card 18 can be smoothly taken out by operating the rod 8, and the eject plate 5 and the swing plate 6 return to the initial state before the card is inserted into the shell member 4. be able to.

It is an assembly perspective view of the card connector by an embodiment of the invention. It is an exploded perspective view of a card connector similarly. It is the assembly perspective view which similarly looked at the card connector (except a housing) from the back side. It is explanatory drawing of a card connector similarly, (a) is the top view seen from the back side, (b) is AA sectional drawing of (a). Similarly, it is explanatory drawing of the shell member of a card connector, (a) is a top view, (b) is BB sectional drawing of (a). It is explanatory drawing of the eject plate of a card connector similarly, (a) is a top view, (b) is CC sectional drawing of (a). It is explanatory drawing of the swing plate of a card connector similarly, (a) is a top view, (b) is DD sectional drawing of (a). Similarly, in the card connector, it is a plan view for explaining the case of erroneous card insertion at the middle position of the card insertion slot. Similarly, in the card connector, it is a plan view for explaining a case of erroneous card insertion at a position offset to one side of the card insertion slot. Similarly, in the card connector, it is a plan view for explaining the case of regular insertion of the card. Similarly, it is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the 1st entry prevention means of a card connector, and a 2nd entry prevention means, (a) is a case where a card is inserted incorrectly and (b) is a case where a card is inserted normally. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the 1st approach prevention means of a card connector similarly, Comprising: It is the front view seen from the card insertion port side. (a) is when the card is incorrectly inserted at the middle position of the card insertion slot, (b) is when the card is erroneously inserted at one side of the card insertion slot, and (c) is inserted into the card insertion slot. It is explanatory drawing in the case of regular insertion. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the second entry preventing means when a card is erroneously inserted into the card connector, wherein (a) is a plan view showing the state of the swing plate relative to the eject plate, and (b) is the card connector. (C) is the principal part enlarged view of (b). FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the second entry preventing means when the card is normally inserted into the card connector, wherein (a) is a plan view showing the state of the swing plate relative to the eject plate, and (b) is a thin card. FIG. 4C is a side sectional view of the card connector when a card is inserted, FIG. 5C is a side sectional view of the card connector when a thick card is inserted, and FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the conventional card connector, (a) is a top view, (b) is EE sectional drawing of (a). It is explanatory drawing of another conventional card connector, (a) is a perspective view of the state which removed the cover, (b) is FF sectional drawing of (a).

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Card connector 2 ... Card insertion slot 3 ... Housing 4 ... Shell member 5 ... Eject plate 6 ... Swing plate 9 ... Board | substrate 10 ... Arm (1st entry prevention means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Stopper piece 12a ... Front guide groove 12b ... Back guide groove 13a ... Projection part 13b ... Locking piece 14 ... Tongue-like projection piece 15 ... Vertical piece 16 ... Horizontal piece 17 ... Joint part 18 ... Card 19 ... Lock piece 20 ... Guide tongue piece 21 ... hole 22 ... engagement protrusion 23 ... cantilever spring piece 24 ... contact piece 25 ... engagement piece 26 ... center piece 27 ... guide protrusion 28 ... terminal (contact group)
29 ... Leg

Claims (5)

A housing having a card insertion space and a terminal coupled to a socket of the card, a shell member fixed to the housing, and a card erroneous insertion preventing means for preventing an erroneously inserted card from being inserted into the card insertion slot. In card connector,
The card wrong insertion preventing means is a first entry blocking means for blocking the entry when a card is erroneously inserted;
A card connector, comprising: a second entry blocking means for blocking the entry of a card that has been erroneously inserted by the first entry blocking means. A housing having a card insertion space and a terminal coupled to a socket of the card, a shell member fixed to the housing, and a card erroneous insertion preventing means for preventing an erroneously inserted card from being inserted into the card insertion slot. In card connector,
The erroneous card insertion preventing means includes a first entry blocking means and a second entry blocking means,
The first entry blocking means includes an arm provided on the shell member and elastically deformable in the thickness direction of the card by the inserted card.
The second entry blocking means is provided on the shell member, and is a tongue-like projecting piece that is elastically deformable in the thickness direction of the inserted card;
An eject plate that is slidably supported in the card insertion direction with respect to the shell member, holds the inserted card, and is locked by the tongue-like protrusion in the card insertion direction;
A swing plate that is swingable with respect to the eject plate and that is slidably supported in the card insertion direction, and that releases the lock of the eject plate by the tongue-shaped protrusion by movement in the card insertion direction. And
When the card is erroneously inserted into the card insertion slot, the first entry blocking means blocks entry of the card, and when the card cannot be blocked by the first entry blocking means, the second entry A card connector, wherein the blocking means prevents the card from entering. The tongue-like protrusion of the shell member includes a protrusion and a locking piece,
The eject plate includes an engaging projection that locks the movement of the eject plate by contacting the locking piece of the tongue-shaped projecting piece, a pair of lock pieces that hold the inserted card, and a pair of spring pieces. And a pair of holes,
The swing plate is formed at an end of the pair of leg portions, an engagement piece that engages with the pair of spring pieces of the eject plate, a pair of leg portions that are inserted into the pair of holes of the eject plate, and the pair of leg portions. A pair of abutting pieces facing the pair of locking pieces of the eject plate, and a center where the tongue-like protruding pieces come into contact with the protruding portions of the shell member and elastically deform the tongue-like protruding pieces to unlock the eject plate The card connector according to claim 2, further comprising a piece.   4. The card connector according to claim 2, wherein the shell member includes a guide groove that guides the eject plate in a card insertion direction. 5. The card connector according to claim 2, wherein the arm of the shell member has a channel shape formed integrally with the shell member.

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