JP2009104968A - Card connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a card connector installed with a thin card in which a memory chip or the like is housed, in which a detection mechanism to detect the state of the card can be arranged in a narrow region. <P>SOLUTION: A level difference section 6b of inclined form is installed at the rear end of a guide groove 6 at the side part of a card C1. In the card connector, a detection mechanism 80 is installed at the side part of a housing region of the card and a movable detection member 81 consisting of a plate spring is supported in free deformation in width direction with a base portion 81a as a fulcrum. A movable contact portion 81e is installed at the tip of the movable detection member 81, and a fixed electrode 30 is installed at the inner face on the side face of a case opposed to this. When the movable detection member 81 is deformed by the level difference section 6b of the card C1, the movable contact portion 81e contacts the fixed electrode 30 and connection state of the contact is switched over. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a card connector to which a card in which an electronic circuit such as a memory chip is housed in a small and thin case, and more particularly to a card connector having an insertion detection mechanism for detecting insertion of a card.

  Digital cameras, digital video cameras, personal computers, and the like are used with a small and thin electronic function card called a memory card. In this electronic function card, an IC chip that functions as a memory chip, a memory controller, or the like is housed in a small and thin case (sometimes referred to as a housing) formed of a synthetic resin material. A plurality of external connection portions that are electrically connected to an internal electronic circuit are provided on the surface of the case.

  This type of electronic function card is inserted and inserted into the card connector storage area in a direction parallel to the surface of the card. In the card connector, there is provided a holding portion formed by a leaf spring or the like for holding a concave portion provided on the side portion of the card, and the card is connected to the card connector by fitting the concave portion and the holding portion. It is held so as not to be easily detached. At this time, the external terminal provided in the storage area of the card connector is electrically connected to the external connection portion provided on the card.

  Further, the card connectors described in the following Patent Documents 1 to 3 are provided with an identification detection mechanism inside the housing into which the card is inserted, and the state of the inserted card, for example, the type of the card and the write protection. The card status such as whether or not is set can be detected.

  In the card connectors described in Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2, an identification portion (step portion) including a concave portion or the like is provided on the side portion of the card, and when the card is inserted, the identification portion on the side portion of the card is inserted. The contact is pushed to the side by this, and the contact of this contact with another contact makes the switch of the identification detection mechanism conductive.

In the card connector described in Patent Document 3, when the card is inserted, the contact is pushed up in the thickness direction of the card by the identification portion provided on the card, and this contact comes into contact with other contacts. The switch of the identification detection mechanism becomes conductive.
JP 2001-135424 A JP 2001-338729 A JP 2002-216906 A

  In the conventional card connector shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2, when a card is inserted, a contact point provided at the tip of the leaf spring on the side of the card storage area is rotated largely with the base end side as a fulcrum. It is a structure pushed out to the side. Therefore, it is necessary to secure a movable area composed of a wide space for operating the contact in the lateral direction on the side of the card storage area. For this reason, there is a limit in reducing the width dimension of the housing.

  Moreover, since the thing of patent document 3 operates in the direction which leaves | separates from the surface of a card | curd in the thickness direction of a card | curd, the contact provided in the identification detection mechanism operates when a card | curd is inserted. A thickness dimension becomes large, and becomes a factor which obstructs thickness reduction of a card connector.

  Further, in the switch mechanism in which the stationary contact contacts the movable contact as described above to form a conductive state, an oxide film is easily formed on the surface of the contact, which causes a contact failure.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems. For example, a detection mechanism for detecting whether or not a card is inserted or a write protection is housed in an infinitely small space and the dimensions in the width direction are reduced. An object of the present invention is to provide a card connector having a structure in which the body can be miniaturized and the detection mechanism can be reliably operated by removing the oxide film.

The present invention provides a card connector to which a card having an electronic circuit stored in a case is mounted.
A housing area into which the card is inserted, a connection terminal that is located in the housing area and is connected to an external connection section provided in the card, and a guide groove provided in a side portion of the card. And a detection mechanism that is operated,
The detection mechanism includes a detection movable member that faces the side surface of the card and is provided so as to be deformable, and a contact portion that is switched according to a deformation operation of the detection movable member.
The detection movable member includes at least a base end portion, a contact portion capable of contacting a stepped portion formed in the guide groove of the card, and a movable contact portion provided on a tip side of the contact portion. Have
The base end portion is at a position outside the storage area, and a portion from the base end portion to the contact portion is bent toward an inner direction of the housing, so that the contact portion and the movable contact portion are It is projected inside the storage area.

  In the present invention, the detection movable member is formed by bending a part of the lid on the side surface of the case, and the leading end side of the detection movable member reaches the inside of the storage area through the opening 2 formed in the case main body. As a result, the card connector can be reduced in size. Further, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary to secure a wide space for the detection movable member to operate in the thickness direction of the case 21 away from the surface of the card, so that a thin card connector can be obtained.

  In the above, the housing includes a housing body in which the housing area is formed in a concave shape, and a lid provided with a metal plate ceiling plate and a side surface that covers the housing area of the housing body. The detection movable member is preferably a leaf spring integrally formed on the side surface of the lid.

With the above means, the detection movable member can be formed easily and with a small number of parts.
In the above, it is preferable that an opening is formed in the casing main body, and a tip of the detection movable member formed integrally with the lid through the opening protrudes into the storage area.

  In the above means, a space for moving the detection movable member can be provided in the storage area on the back side of the opening. For this reason, the detection movable member does not protrude outside the case, and a small card connector can be obtained.

  Further, in the above, the contact portion includes the movable contact portion provided on the detection movable member and the fixed electrode provided on the housing side, and the step portion provided on the card is in contact with the contact portion. It is preferable that the movable contact portion contacts the fixed electrode and the movable contact portion slides on the surface of the fixed electrode when the detection movable member is deformed by hitting the portion.

  In the above means, the oxide film formed on the surface of the movable contact portion and the surface of the fixed electrode can be automatically removed. For this reason, it can always be a good connection contact.

  Further, in the above, when the movable contact portion comes into contact with the fixed electrode, the movable contact portion comes into contact with a bent portion that is bent between the base end portion and the contact portion, and the detection movable member is deformed in the width direction. It is preferable that a regulating portion for regulating is provided in the housing body.

  In the above means, since the distance when the movable contact portion slides on the fixed electrode can be extended, the oxide film formed on the movable contact portion and the fixed electrode can be more effectively removed. Become.

  In the present invention, the detection mechanism can be efficiently stored in a narrow space in the casing, and the casing can be reduced in size and thickness even if the detection mechanism is provided. In addition, in the detection mechanism, the detection movable member can reliably operate at a position on the side of the housing, and an erroneous detection operation is less likely to occur. Further, when contacting, the movable contact has a self-cleaning function that slides on the fixed electrode, so that the oxide film on the surface of the movable contact and the fixed electrode can be removed, so that a good contact state can always be maintained. It becomes possible.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the card connector 20, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the card connector 20 with a lid removed, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the card connector 20. FIG. 4 is a front view of the card connector 20 with no card attached as viewed from the front. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the card connector 20 with the cover removed, FIGS. 6 and 7 are plan views showing the card mounted state with the cover of the card connector 20 removed, and FIG. 8 is a direction different from FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the card connector 20 when viewed from above, FIG. 9 is an enlarged plan view of a lid showing the detection mechanism, and FIGS. 10A to 10C are partial enlarged planes showing the operation state of the detection mechanism in stages. FIG.

  In FIG. 11 and subsequent figures, a card to be attached to the card connector 20 is shown. FIG. 11 is a plan view of the card C1, FIG. 12 is a left side view of the card C1, and FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the card C1 obliquely from below.

(Card shape)
The card C1 shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 is used as a memory device such as a so-called multimedia card. The card C1 has a plastic case 1 in which a memory chip such as a flash memory and an IC chip that functions as a memory controller are stored.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the case 1 has a front surface 1a and a back surface 1b. The front surface 1a and the back surface 1b are planes parallel to each other, and the distance between the front surface 1a and the back surface 1b is the thickness dimension T of the card C1. As shown in FIG. 13, a plurality (13) of external connection portions 5 are exposed in front of the back surface 1b. The surface of the external connection portion 5 is substantially flush with the back surface 1 b of the case 1.

  Here, “front surface” and “back surface” are names for convenience to distinguish between the surface having the external connection portion 5 and the surface not having the external connection portion 5, even if the front surface 1 a is attached to the card connector 20. Alternatively, it may be mounted with the back surface 1b facing upward.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the case 1 has a front end 1 c and a rear end 1 d. It also has a right side 1e and a left side 1f.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the front end 1c is a plane perpendicular to the front surface 1a, and a front inclined surface 2 is formed at the corner between the front surface 1a and the back surface 1b. The rear end 1d is a plane perpendicular to the front surface 1a and the back surface 1b. The right side 1e and the left side 1f are planes perpendicular to the front surface 1a and the back surface 1b. As shown in FIG. 11, the boundary part between the front end part 1c and the right side part 1e and the boundary part between the front end part 1c and the left side part 1f, that is, the left and right side parts of the front end part 1c are a part of a cylindrical surface. Corner curved surfaces 3 and 3 are formed. The rear corner curved surface 4, which is a part of the cylindrical surface, is also formed at the boundary between the rear end 1d and the right side 1e and the boundary between the rear end 1d and the left side 1f, that is, both the left and right sides of the rear end 1d. 4 is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 11, in the plan view of the case 1 as viewed from the front surface 1 a side, the shape of the case 1 is symmetrical to the left and right via a center line OO extending forward and backward.

  In the front portion of the case 1, guide grooves 6 and 6 that are recessed from the right side 1 e and the left side 1 f toward the center line OO are formed. The guide grooves 6, 6 are parallel to the right side portion 1e and the left side portion 1f, and are located on the inner side surfaces 6a, 6a located on the inner side by a distance of the width dimension W1 from the right side portion 1e and the left side portion 1f toward the center line OO. The inner bottom surface 6c is parallel to the back surface 1b. Inclined step portions 6b and 6b are formed between the rear end portion of the right guide groove 6 and the right side portion 1e and between the rear end portion of the left guide groove 6 and the left side portion 1f, respectively. Has been. The step portions 6b and 6b are surfaces that gradually move away from the center line OO toward the rear, and the step portions 6b and 6b are flat surfaces or curved surfaces having a curvature. In addition, front corners 6d and 6d formed of a part of a cylindrical surface are formed at a portion where the front end 1c and the left and right inner side surfaces 6a and 6a intersect.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the guide grooves 6 and 6 are recessed from the front surface 1a of the case 1 toward the back surface 1b. The distance from the front surface 1a of the case 1 to the inner bottom surface 6c of the guide groove 6, that is, the depth dimension t1 from the front surface 1a to the rear surface 1b of the guide grooves 6, 6 is approximately 1 / th of the total thickness dimension T of the card C1. 2. Further, as a result of the guide grooves 6 and 6 being formed to be recessed from the front surface 1a, thin-walled portions 7 and 7 that are sandwiched between the back surface 1b and the inner bottom surfaces 6c and 6c are formed on the back surface side. Is formed. The thickness dimension t2 of the thin portions 7 and 7 is also approximately ½ of the entire thickness dimension T of the card C1.

  The guide grooves 6 and 6 are opened forward at the left and right sides of the front end 1c. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13, the thickness dimension of the front end 1c is T at most of the center thereof, but the thickness dimension is t2 on both sides. As shown in FIG. 11, the length dimension L1 before and after the guide grooves 6 and 6 is a distance from the front end portion 1c of the case 1 to the rear end portions of the step portions 6b and 6b.

  The step portions 6b and 6b form a step between the guide grooves 6 and 6 and the surface 1a of the case 1, and the step portion functions as an identification portion for identifying the card C1.

  On the right side 1e and the left side 1f of the case 1, intermediate recesses 8 and 8 are formed at positions spaced apart from the rear ends of the guide grooves 6 and 6 by a distance L2. The longitudinal dimension L3 of the intermediate recesses 8, 8 is shorter than the longitudinal dimension L1 of the guide grooves 6, 6.

  The intermediate recesses 8 and 8 have inner ends 8a and 8a that are located closer to the center line OO than the right side 1e and the left side 1f and are parallel to the right side 1e and the left side 1f. The width dimension W2 from the right side 1e to the inner end 8a and the width dimension W2 from the left side 1f to the inner end 8a are substantially the same as the width dimension W1 of the guide grooves 6 and 6.

  The intermediate recesses 8, 8 have a front inner end 8b and a rear inner end 8c, and the distance between the front inner end 8b and the rear inner end 8c is the length dimension L3 of the intermediate recesses 8, 8. is there.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the intermediate recesses 8 and 8 have inner bottom ends 8d and 8d, and the inner bottom ends 8d and 8d are parallel to the back surface 1b. The dimension from the surface 1a to the inner bottom ends 8d, 8d is the depth dimension t3 of the intermediate recesses 8, 8, and this depth dimension t3 is larger than the depth dimension t1 of the guide groove 6.

  When the card C1 is attached to the card connector 20, the holding portion 53 (see FIGS. 2 and 5) that has passed through the guide groove 6 is fitted into the intermediate recess 8, so that the card C1 is inside the card connector 20. The slider 41 is held.

  As shown in FIG. 12, since the guide grooves 6 and 6 and the intermediate recesses 8 and 8 are both recessed from the front surface 1a to the back surface 1b to the middle of the thickness dimension T, The passed holding portion 53 can be fitted into the intermediate recesses 8 and 8 immediately after that. Moreover, since the step portions 6b and 6b are formed at the rear ends of the guide grooves 6 and 6, the holding member is guided to the step portions 6b and 6b and smoothly fits in the intermediate recesses 8 and 8.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 12, since the depth dimension t3 of the intermediate recesses 8 and 8 is larger than the depth dimension t1 of the guide grooves 6 and 6, the holding portion 53 that has passed through the guide grooves 6 and 6 is It becomes easy to enter the intermediate recesses 8, 8. Therefore, it is possible to position the card C <b> 1 on the slider 41 in the card connector 20 by securely fitting the holding portion 53 to the intermediate recesses 8 and 8.

  As shown in FIG. 11, a knob recess 9 that is recessed from the surface 1 a is formed slightly inside the rear end 1 d of the case 1. As shown in FIG. 1, when the card C <b> 1 is attached to the card connector 20, the rear end portion having the knob recess 9 protrudes from the card connector 20. The card C1 can be pulled out from the card connector 20 by putting a fingernail on the knob recess 9 or the like.

(Structure of card connector)
Next, the structure of the card connector 20 to which the various cards are mounted will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the card connector 20 has a case (housing) 21. The case (housing) 21 is composed of a synthetic resin case main body (housing main body) 22 and a lid 23 formed of a metal plate and placed over the case main body 22.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 and 8, the case body 22 has a frame shape. The case body 22 includes a front wall portion 24, a rear wall portion 25, a right wall portion 26, a left wall portion 27, and a bottom wall portion 28 that are integrally formed. The upper surface 25a of the rear wall portion 25, the upper surface 26a of the right wall portion 26, and the upper surface 27a of the left wall portion 27 are flush with each other. As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 8, the ceiling plate 23 a of the lid body 23 is installed so as to be in close contact with the upper surfaces 24 a, 25 a, 26 a, and 27 a of the case body 22. The lid body 23 is provided with a rear side plate 23b, a right side plate 23c and a left side plate 23d, which are bent at a right angle from the ceiling plate 23a. The rear side plate 23b is installed on the outer surface of the rear wall portion 25 of the case body 22, and the right side plate 23c and the left side plate 23d are installed on the outer surface of the right wall portion 26 and the outer surface of the left wall portion 27 of the case main body 22, respectively. Yes. As will be described later, a detection movable member 81 constituting a detection mechanism 80 is provided on the left side plate 23d.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the thickness dimension of the case 21 is determined by the height dimension from the lower surface 28 a of the bottom wall portion 28 of the case body 22 to the upper surface of the ceiling plate 23 a of the lid body 23. Further, the height dimension Ta of the storage area for guiding and storing the card is determined by the height dimension from the upper surface 28 b of the bottom wall portion 28 of the case body 22 to the lower surface of the ceiling plate 23 a of the lid 23. The height dimension Ta is substantially the same as the thickness dimension T of the entire card C1 or slightly larger than the thickness dimension T.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, etc., the inner surface of the left wall portion 27 of the case body 22 is a guide reference surface 27b, and the card C1 has a case in which the left side portion 1f slides on the guide reference surface 27b. 21 is inserted toward the back side (side (a)). A right guide surface 24b is formed on the front wall portion 24 of the case body 22, and the right side portion 1e of the card C1 is guided along the right guide surface 24b.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the distance between the guide reference surface 27b on the inner surface of the left wall portion 27 and the right guide surface 24b of the front wall portion 24 is the width dimension Wa of the storage area. 11 is almost the same as or slightly larger than the width C0 of the card C1 shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, an insertion port 29 having an opening area of Ta × Wa is opened at the front end of the case 21, and the card C <b> 1 is inserted from the insertion port 29 toward the inside of the case 21.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the left wall portion 27 of the case main body is formed by cutting the upper portion in the height direction in the middle of the left wall portion 27 into a substantially rectangular shape having a narrow width. An opening 27e is provided. A distal end side of a detection movable member 81 formed on a lid, which will be described later, is inserted into the opening 27e.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 5, etc., on the right side of the case body 22, a guide portion 34 is formed on the upper surface 28 b of the bottom wall portion 28 so as to extend in the front-rear direction ((a)-(b) direction). The guide portion 34 is a groove extending in the longitudinal direction having a concave cross section formed in the upper surface 28b. A slider 41 is provided inside the right wall portion 26 of the case main body 22, and the slider 41 is supported along the guide portion 34 so as to be linearly reciprocable in the front-rear direction.

  An inner side surface 41 a is formed on the left side of the slider 41. The inner side surface 41a is at the same position as the right guide surface 24b formed on the front wall portion 24 or slightly outside in the rearward direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the width dimension between the guide reference surface 27b formed on the left wall 27 and the inner side surface 41a is Wa or slightly wider than Wa. Similarly to the right guide surface 24b described above, the card C1 can be guided between the guide reference surface 27b and the inner surface 41a.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an urging member S <b> 1 such as a coil spring is provided between the slider 41 and the case body 22, and the slider 41 is on the near side toward the front wall portion 24. (B side) is urged.

  Between the slider 41 and the case 21, a lock mechanism 35 for locking the slider 41 on the back side ((a) side) is provided. The lock mechanism 35 includes a groove cam 42 formed on the upper surface of the slider 41 and a lock pin 36 provided on the case 21.

  The lock pin 36 has a proximal end portion 36a and a distal end portion 36b bent at a right angle. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the base end portion 36 a of the lock pin 36 is rotatably supported in a holding recess 24 c formed in the upper portion of the front wall portion 24 of the case body 22. The distal end portion 36 b of the lock pin 36 is slidably inserted into the groove cam 42. As shown in FIG. 1, a lock plate spring 37 is integrally formed on the right front side of the ceiling plate 23a of the lid body 23 formed of a metal plate. The lock leaf spring 37 is a cantilever support spring formed by cutting out a part of the ceiling plate 23a. The lock pin 36 is pressed by the lock plate spring 37, and the tip 36 b is pressed against the groove bottom of the groove cam 42.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the groove cam 42 includes a lock release portion 42a located at the end on the back side ((a) side), and a front side ((b) side) of the lock release portion 42a. It has the lock part 42b located in this. Between the lock release part 42a and the lock part 42b, a forward groove 42c is formed on the left side, and a return groove 42d is formed on the right side. Inside the groove cam 42, steps are formed at the boundary portions of the lock release portion 42a, the forward groove 42c, the lock portion 42b, and the return groove 42d, and the tip portion 36b of the lock pin 36 is connected to the lock release portion 42a → It is possible to slide only in the order of forward groove 42c → lock portion 42b → return groove 42d → lock release portion 42a, and the reverse process cannot be followed.

  In FIG. 5, the slider 41 is moved to the near side ((b) side) by the urging member and is abutted against the front wall portion 24 of the case main body 22. At this time, the distal end portion 36 b of the lock pin 36 is located in the lock release portion 42 a of the groove cam 42. When the card C1 is inserted from the insertion slot 29 and the slider 41 moves to the back side ((a) side) together with the card C1, the tip 36b of the lock pin 36 passes through the forward groove 42c of the groove cam 42, and thereafter As shown in FIG. 7, the tip end portion 36b reaches the lock portion 42b of the groove cam 42, and the slider 41 is locked so as not to return to the front side ((b) side).

  Thereafter, when the card C1 is pushed and the slider 41 is moved to the rear side ((a) side) by a short distance, the tip end portion 36b of the lock pin 36 comes out of the lock portion 42b of the groove cam 42 and is guided to the return groove 42d. As a result, the slider 41 is unlocked. Therefore, the slider 41 returns to the initial position shown in FIG. 6 by the force of the urging member S1, and during this time, the tip end portion 36b of the lock pin 36 returns from the return path groove 42d to the lock release portion 42a.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the slider 41 is provided with an upper guide wall 43 that is formed integrally with the inner wall surface 41 a and extends into the storage area. Further, a stopper portion 44 is provided at the end of the slider 41 in the (a) direction so as to project integrally in the left direction. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the surface facing the front side ((b) side) of the stopper portion 44 is a stopper surface 44a.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the height dimension Tb from the upper surface 28b of the bottom wall portion 28 to the lower surface of the upper guide wall 43 is substantially the same as the thickness dimension t2 of the thin portion 7 of the card C1 shown in FIG. It is slightly wider than that. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, when the card C1 is inserted in a normal orientation with the front end 1c facing forward and the surface 1a facing upward, the right thin portion 7 is placed under the upper guide wall 43. The card C1 can be inserted to the back of the case 21.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, when the card C1 is inserted into the insertion slot 29 in a normal orientation, the thin wall portion 7 on the right side of the card C1 enters the lower side of the upper guide wall 43, and the card C1 The front end portion 1c contacts the stopper surface 44a of the stopper portion 44, and the slider 41 is moved in the direction (a) while resisting the urging force of the urging member S1 by the insertion force of the card C1.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a holding recess 41c is formed on the upper surface of the front side ((b) side) of the slider 41, and functions as a holding member in the holding recess 41c formed in the slit shape. The base end portion of the holding plate spring 52 is fixed. The holding leaf spring 52 is formed of a metal plate that functions as a leaf spring material.

  A holding portion 53 is integrally formed at the free end of the holding plate spring 52, and the holding portion 53 protrudes into the storage area on the left side of the slider 41 from the inner side surface 41 a. The holding portion 53 is bent in a V shape, and a portion facing the front side ((b) side) is an inclined guide portion 53a. The inclination guide part 53a is inclined so as to gradually move away from the card toward the front side ((b) side). A portion of the holding portion 53 that faces the back side ((a) side) is a locking portion 53b, and this locking portion 53b is in a direction substantially orthogonal to the front-rear direction ((a)-(b) direction). Is formed.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the holding portion 53 is located on the upper surface 24 a of the front wall portion 24. The holding portion 53 protrudes leftward from the inner side surface 41a of the slider 41, but the height dimension from the upper surface 28b of the bottom wall portion 28 of the case body 22 to the lower edge of the holding portion 53 is substantially the same as Tb. It is set to be the same or slightly wider than Tb.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 7, a connection terminal 55 is provided on the back side ((a) side) of the case body 22. The connection terminals 55 are arranged in the same number and the same pitch as the external connection portions 5 exposed on the back surface 1b of the card C1 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the base end side of each connection terminal 55 is fixed in a cantilever state molded to the lower surface 28a of the bottom wall portion 28, and the tip end side in the (a) direction is the vertical direction. A free end that is elastically deformable is formed. The surface of the connection terminal 55 is formed of a conductive metal plate plated with a low resistance noble metal material such as gold.

(Detection mechanism structure)
As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 9, and the like, a detection mechanism 80 that detects whether a card is inserted is provided on the left side of the case 21.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, 8, etc., the left wall 27 of the case body 22 is formed with a wide portion 27 </ b> A that protrudes slightly leftward from the left wall 27. An opening 27e is formed in the upper portion of the wide portion 27A, and a detection movable member 81 constituting one side of the detection mechanism 80 is accommodated in the opening 27e. A thin portion 28B formed thinner than the thickness of the left wall portion 27 is integrally provided at a position on the back side (a) side of the opening portion 27e. And as shown in FIG. 8, the fixed electrode (contact part) 30 which comprises the other of the detection mechanism 80 is provided in the inner surface corresponded to the right side surface of this thin part 28B.

  The detection movable member 81 is integrally provided on the left side plate 23 d of the lid body 23. That is, a part of the left side plate 23d is cut out, and a part of the metal plate forming the left side plate 23d is cut out as an elongated cantilever plate spring at the notched part, thereby being formed integrally with the left side plate 23d. ing. The elongated detection movable member (detection leaf spring) 81 has a base end portion 81a on the (b) side continuing from the left side plate 23d, and a tip on the (a) side.

  As shown in FIG. 9 in an enlarged manner, the detection movable member 81 includes a base end portion 81a, an inclined portion 81b that is obliquely bent from the base end portion 81a toward the storage area in the right direction, and a terminal end of the inclined portion 81b. A contact portion 81c formed by bending the contact portion 81c, an intermediate portion 81d extending linearly in the direction (a) from the contact portion 81c, and a movable contact portion (contact portion) 81e provided at the further end of the intermediate portion 81d. Have. A bent portion between the base end portion 81a and the inclined portion 81b is a bent portion 81f.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the contact portion 81c is formed in a substantially arc shape that protrudes to the left. Of the detection movable member 81, the tip portion in the (a) direction from the contact portion 81c enters the inside of the left side plate 23d of the lid 23, that is, the lower surface of the ceiling plate 23a. The movable contact portion 81e is also formed of an arcuate curved surface that protrudes to the right. In such a movable detection member 81, the movable contact portion 81e on the distal end side is elastically deformable in the lateral width direction (left-right direction) with the base end portion 81a as a fulcrum.

  As shown in FIG. 9, in the state where the case main body 22 is covered with the lid body 23, the detection movable member 81 is positioned inside the left wall portion 27, and the movable contact portion 81 e is located on the case main body 22 side. It faces the fixed electrode 30 formed on the inner surface of the thin portion 27B. When the card C1 is not inserted, the movable contact portion 81e is located on the right side away from the fixed electrode 30.

  In the movable detection member 81, the contact portion 81c, the intermediate portion 81d, and the movable contact portion 81e located at the tip of the inclined portion 81b protrude to the right side of the guide reference surface 27b that is the inner surface of the left wall portion 27. . Of these, the contact portion 81c protrudes further to the right side than the inner side surface 6a that forms the left guide groove 6 of the card C1 (see FIG. 10A). That is, in the movable detection member 81, the contact portion 81c, the intermediate portion 81d, and the movable contact portion 81e are inserted into the storage area through the opening 27e formed on the upper side of the wide portion 27A. The position is set to be the same as the left guide groove 6 formed on the card C1 or slightly higher than the left guide groove 6.

(Card loading operation)
Next, a card mounting operation to the card connector 20 will be described.

  2, 6 and 7 show the operation when the card C1 is mounted in the normal orientation.

  When the card is not loaded, the slider 41 moves to the insertion port 29 side ((b) side) as shown in FIG.

  When the card C1 is inserted through the insertion slot 29 in a normal posture with its front end 1c facing forward and the surface 1a facing upward, the thin portion 7 formed on the right side of the case 1 of the card C1 is Then, it passes below the holding portion 53 formed by the holding leaf spring 52 provided on the front side of the slider 41, and moves in the region of the height dimension Tb shown in FIG.

  When the card C1 is further pushed in the direction (a), the right guide groove 6 passes through the lower surface side of the upper guide wall 43 of the slider 41, and the front end 1c of the card C1 comes into contact with the stopper portion 44.

  Meanwhile, on the right side of the card C1, the holding portion 53 of the holding leaf spring 52 provided on the slider 41 passes through the inside of the guide groove 6 on the right side of the card C1, that is, passes over the thin portion 7 to guide It hits the stepped portion 6b behind the groove 6. Since the holding portion 53 is pushed rightward by the step portion 6 b, the holding leaf spring 52 is deformed and the holding portion 53 is temporarily retracted into the slider 41. Then, when the holding portion 53 slides the right side 1e of the card C1 by the distance L2 and reaches the intermediate concave portion 8, the holding portion 53 is brought into the right intermediate concave portion 8 by the elastic restoring force of the holding leaf spring 52. Fit (see FIG. 6).

  At this time, since the inclined guide portion 53a facing the front side of the holding portion 53 slides on the step portion 6b inclined in the same direction, the card C1 is pushed into the case 21 with a light force, and the holding portion 53 is moved. The intermediate recess 8 can be fitted. And after fitting, since the latching | locking part 53b formed in the direction substantially orthogonal with respect to the insertion direction of a card | curd in the holding | maintenance part 53 is latched by the front inner end 8b of the intermediate | middle recessed part 8, card C1 It becomes difficult to escape in the front direction (direction (b)).

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10A, the front corner 6d abuts on the inclined portion 81b of the detection movable member 81 on the left side of the card C1. When the card C1 is further pushed in the direction (a), as shown in FIG. 10 (B), the left front corner portion 6d and the inner side surface 6a following it push the contact portion 81c leftward, so that the detection movable member 81 as a whole is bent and deformed leftward (α direction in FIG. 10B) with the base end portion 81a as a fulcrum. At this time, the movable contact portion 81 e at the tip of the detection movable member 81 contacts the fixed electrode 30. As a result, the movable contact portion 81e and the fixed electrode 30 are conductively connected.

  As shown in FIG. 10C, when the card C1 is further pushed in the direction (a), the contact portion 81c slides on the inner side surface 6a of the left guide groove 6 of the card C1, and the guide groove 6 It relatively moves inside and hits the stepped portion 6b located behind the guide groove 6. Since the contact portion 81 c is pushed leftward by the step portion 6 b, the detection movable member 81 is further deformed and pushed out of the guide groove 6.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, the facing distance dw1 between the fixed electrode 30 and the left side 1e of the card C1 is equal to the fixed electrode 30 and the movable contact in a state where the card C1 does not hit the detection movable member 81. It is narrower than the facing distance dw2 in the width direction between the left side surface of the part 81e. And the detection movable member 81 pushed out of the guide groove 6 is arrange | positioned in this narrow opposing space | interval dw1. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 10C, when the detection movable member 81 is pushed out of the guide groove 6 to the left by the step portion 6b, the radius of curvature of the arc-shaped portion of the contact portion 81c is large. Thus, the contact portion 81c is deformed linearly. At this time, the entire length of the detection movable member 81 extends in the (a) direction, and the movable contact portion 81e slides on the surface of the fixed electrode 30 by the sliding distance Ls in the (a) direction. Therefore, it is possible to provide a self-cleaning function that automatically removes the oxide film formed on the surface of the movable contact portion 81e and the surface of the fixed electrode 30.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10C, the restricting portion 31 that contacts the bent portion 81f that is the boundary between the base end portion 81a and the inclined portion 81b and restricts the deformation of the bent portion 81f is provided on the case main body 22. You may make it set it as the structure provided in the inner surface of the left wall part 27. FIG. In this case, if the facing distance dw3 between the regulating portion 31 on the lid 23 side and the left side 1e of the card C1 is set to be approximately the same as the facing distance dw1, the movable contact on the front end side of the detection movable member 81 The part 81e and the bent part 81f on the base end side are detected by the fixed electrode 30 and the restricting part 31, respectively, and the middle contact part 81c of the detection movable member 81 is detected by the left side part 1e of the card C1 so as to be sandwiched from both the left and right sides. The movable member 81 can be pressed down. For this reason, the length dimension of the detection movable member 81 can be further extended in the direction (a), and the distance that the movable contact portion 81e slides on the fixed electrode 30 can be extended. Therefore, the oxide film formed on the surface of the movable contact portion 81e and the surface of the fixed electrode 30 can be more effectively removed.

  Moreover, since it is possible to prevent the bent portion 81f between the base end portion 81a and the inclined portion 81b from projecting to the outside of the case 21, the dimension in the width direction of the case 21 does not increase. A small card connector 20 can be obtained.

  When the card C1 is ejected, the abutting portion 81c extended in a straight line is restored to the original arc shape, so that the entire length dimension of the detection movable member 81 is reduced in the (b) direction. At this time, the length of the detection movable member 81 is reduced while the movable contact portion 81e slides on the surface of the fixed electrode 30 in the direction (b). Therefore, even when the card C1 is discharged, the oxide film formed on the surface of the movable contact portion 81e and the surface of the fixed electrode 30 can be automatically removed.

  Thus, in the present invention, the detection mechanism 80 bends a part of the lid 23 on the side surface of the case 21 to form the leaf spring-like detection movable member 81, and the distal end side of the detection movable member 81 is formed on the case body 22. The card connector 20 can be reduced in size because the detection movable member 81 that is elastically deformed does not protrude to the outside of the case 21 with the simple configuration of reaching the inside of the storage region through the opening 27e. Further, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary to secure a space for the leaf springs to operate in the thickness direction of the case 21 away from the surface of the card C1. For this reason, the thin card connector 20 can be obtained.

  When the card C1 is pushed in after the holding portion 53 is fitted in the intermediate recess 8, the stopper surface 44a formed on the slider 41 is pushed by the front end 1c of the card C1, and the card C1 and the slider 41 are integrated. Move to the back. When the card C1 reaches the mounting completion position shown in FIG. 7, the lock portion 42b of the groove cam 42 formed on the slider 41 is engaged with the tip end portion 36b of the lock pin 36, and the slider 41 is at that position. Locked.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 14, each of the connection terminals 55 provided on the back side of the case main body 22 is pressed and connected to each of the external connection portions 5 exposed on the back surface 1b of the card C1.

  A control unit (not shown) monitors whether or not the fixed electrode 30 and the movable contact portion 81e are in a conductive state. Then, for example, when the fixed electrode 30 and the movable contact portion 81e are not conductive, the control unit determines that the card C1 is not inserted. Further, the control unit determines that the card C1 is inserted into the case 21 when the fixed electrode 30 and the movable contact portion 81e are in a conductive state.

  Then, the control unit accesses the memory in the case main body 22 via the connection terminal 55 of the case main body 22 and the external connection portion 5 exposed on the back surface 1b of the card C1, thereby writing information in the memory. Or the information written in the memory is read out.

  In the above embodiment, the detection mechanism for detecting whether or not the card C1 has been inserted into the card connector 20 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it can be used as a mechanism for detecting the state of the card such as the type of the card, the wrong insertion of the card, or the presence / absence of the write protection setting by detecting unevenness formed on the side surface of the card.

The perspective view which shows the external appearance of the card connector of this invention, The perspective view which shows the card connector which removed the cover body, Exploded perspective view of the card connector, Front view of the card connector with no card installed, as seen from the front, A plan view of the card connector 20 with the lid removed; The top view which shows the state by which a card is mounted | worn by removing the cover body of a card connector, The top view which shows the state by which a card is mounted | worn by removing the cover body of a card connector, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the card connector when viewed from a direction different from FIG. 3. An enlarged plan view of the lid showing the detection mechanism, (A) thru | or (C) are the partial expanded plan views which show the operation state of a detection mechanism in steps, Top view of the card, Left side view of the card, Perspective view showing the card from below,

Explanation of symbols

C1 card 1, 11 case 1a case surface 1b case back surface 1c front end 1d rear end 1e right side 1f left side 5 external connection 6 guide groove 6b step 7 thin portion 8 intermediate recess 20 card connector 21 case (housing) body)
22 Case body 23 Lid 23a Ceiling board 27 Left wall 27b Guide reference surface 27e Opening 30 Fixed electrode (contact part)
31 Restriction part 35 Lock mechanism 36 Lock pin 41 Slider 42 Groove cam 52 Holding plate spring 53 Holding part 55 Connection terminal 80 Detection mechanism 81 Detection movable member (detection plate spring)
81a Base end part 81b Inclined part 81c Abutting part 81d Intermediate part 81e Movable contact part (contact part)
81f bent part

Claims (5)

In a card connector to which a card containing an electronic circuit is installed in a case,
A housing area into which the card is inserted, a connection terminal that is located in the housing area and is connected to an external connection section provided in the card, and a guide groove provided in a side portion of the card. And a detection mechanism that is operated,
The detection mechanism includes a detection movable member that faces the side surface of the card and is provided so as to be deformable, and a contact portion that is switched according to a deformation operation of the detection movable member.
The detection movable member includes at least a base end portion, a contact portion capable of contacting a stepped portion formed in the guide groove of the card, and a movable contact portion provided on a tip side of the contact portion. Have
The base end portion is at a position outside the storage area, and a portion from the base end portion to the contact portion is bent toward an inner direction of the housing, so that the contact portion and the movable contact portion are A card connector, wherein the card connector is protruded inside the storage area.   The housing includes a housing body in which the housing area is formed in a concave shape, and a lid provided with a ceiling plate made of a metal plate and a side surface covering the housing area of the housing body, The card connector according to claim 1, wherein the detection movable member is a detection plate spring integrally formed on a side surface of the lid.   The card connector according to claim 1, wherein an opening is formed in the housing body, and a tip of the detection movable member formed integrally with the lid through the opening protrudes into the storage area. .   The contact portion includes the movable contact portion provided on the detection movable member and a fixed electrode provided on the housing side, and the step portion provided on the card hits the contact portion and the detection movable portion. 4. The card connector according to claim 1, wherein when the member is deformed, the movable contact portion comes into contact with the fixed electrode, and the movable contact portion slides on a surface of the fixed electrode.   When the movable contact portion comes into contact with the fixed electrode, a regulating portion that abuts on a bent portion that is bent between the base end portion and the abutting portion and regulates deformation in the width direction of the detection movable member. The card connector according to claim 4, wherein the card body is provided on the housing body.

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