JP2011249049A - Card connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To smoothly insert and extract a card medium into and from a card connector with a simple structure.SOLUTION: A card medium 201 is inserted into an opening 105 of a housing 102. The card medium 201 is slid and inserted with a first side face 205 in a back side in an insertion direction A along a second side face 204. The housing 102 holds a lock member 110 movably. A first part 116 is provided in a back side of the lock member 110 in the insertion direction A. A second part 117 of the lock member 110 extends in a direction crossing the first part 116. A third part 118 of the lock member 110 extends in a direction crossing the second part. When the first side face 205 of the card medium 201 comes into contact with the first part 116, the lock member 110 swivels, and the second part 117 and the third part 118 come into contact with the card medium 201. A restraint part 123 restrains the third part 118 having moved in a direction crossing the insertion direction A and leaving from the opening 105.

Description

  The present invention is attached to a device such as a mobile phone, a telephone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistance), a portable audio, and a camera, and can smoothly insert and remove card media such as an IC card, a PC card, an SD card, and a SIM card. The card connector.

  In recent years, devices such as a cellular phone, a telephone, a PDA, a portable audio, and a camera are equipped with a card medium (IC card, PC card, SD card, SIM card, etc.) including an IC chip for CPU and memory. Built-in card connector.

  One surface of the card medium is provided with a pad portion for electrical connection to an IC chip housed in the card medium. Also, a contact portion that contacts the pad portion is provided on one of the inner planes of the card connector. Conventionally, an invention of a card connector that prevents the card medium from being inserted into the card connector by turning it over has been disclosed (for example, Patent Document 1).

  The card connector 1 described in Patent Document 1 is configured by combining a lower housing member 2 and an upper housing member 3 and includes a flat housing. In this housing, a flat hollow space for storing the card 20 is formed. An eject mechanism 4 is provided in a space formed in the housing. The eject mechanism 4 is for ejecting the card 20. The ejection mechanism 4 includes an ejection member 8 that is slidable along one side wall 13 of the lower housing member 2 and that is pushed by the spring member 9 and moves toward the outside of the housing. The eject member 8 has a card abutting portion 35 projecting inward in a direction substantially perpendicular to the sliding direction of the eject member 8, and the card abutting portion 35 abuts on the tip end portion of the card 20. The card 20 is ejected by sliding.

  A notch 21 is provided at one corner of the card 20. On the other hand, the card abutting portion 35 is inclined with respect to the sliding direction, and forms a contacted surface that satisfactorily engages with the notched portion 21 of the inserted card 20. When the card 20 is inserted upside down, corners other than the notch 21 in the card 20 are caught by the contact surface formed by the card contact portion 35, and a part of the card 20 is not stored in the housing. Patent Document 1 describes this point as “erroneous operation preventing means”.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2004-095449 (paragraphs 0037 to 0038, FIGS. 5 and 6)

  FIG. 12 is a rear view showing an example of the card medium 901. In recent years, a card medium 901 in which a pad portion 902 is arranged at a central position without being adjacent to an edge portion has become widespread. An example of such a card medium 901 is a SIM card. When considering a card connector (not shown) to which the card medium 901 is mounted, a contact part (not shown) that contacts the pad part 902 is opened more than the deepest part of the storage space of the card medium 901 formed in the card connector. It will be arranged at a position according to the side. For this reason, when a card connector for mounting the card medium 901 is incorporated into a device such as a cellular phone, and when the card connector 1 described in Patent Document 1 is incorporated, various components (not shown) in the device are included. The layout is very different.

  In addition to this, there is a demand for a card connector that has a low profile, a small size, a strength sufficient for insertion and removal of the card, and a structure that can easily eject the inserted card.

  Therefore, the inventor fundamentally reviewed the conventional design concept of mounting the card medium 901 on the card connector with the notch 903 provided at one corner of the card medium 901 facing the back side. Based on the premise that the card medium 901 is mounted with the notch 903 facing toward the front side, utilization of the notch 903 was also considered. And it came to create the technical idea of the card connector which is advantageous to both insertion and removal of the card medium, and can hold the card medium inserted in the normal direction so as not to drop off.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to realize smooth insertion and extraction of a card medium in a card connector with a simple structure.

  The card connector of the present invention slides a flat card medium formed by arranging the first side surface, the second side surface, and the third side surface in this order in the insertion direction along the second side surface with the first side surface at the back side. A card connector that is inserted and held; (i) a housing that forms an opening for inserting the card medium and a storage space that extends from the opening and stores the card medium; and (ii) the first A first portion that contacts one side surface; a second portion that extends in a direction intersecting the first portion; and a second portion that contacts the second side surface; and a third portion extending in a direction intersecting the second portion. A locking member that is held by the housing so as to be movable with respect to the housing by positioning at least the first portion in the housing space. Having a restraining portion that restrains the third portion moves in a direction away from the opening intersects the direction.

  According to the present invention, when the first side surface of the card medium inserted from the opening pushes the first portion, the connecting portion between the first portion and the second portion comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the housing, and the lock member is in the storage space. The third portion moves inward of the opening and moves away from the restraining portion, and the third portion contacts the third side surface. Therefore, smooth insertion and removal of the card medium in the card connector can be realized with a simple structure. Furthermore, it is possible to hold a card medium inserted in a normal orientation.

It is a perspective view of a card connector. It is a disassembled perspective view of a card connector. It is a perspective view of a card connector in the state where a card medium was loaded. It is a top view which shows the internal structure of a connector main body. It is a front view which shows the internal structure of a connector main body. It is a perspective view of a locking member. It is a perspective view of the lock member positioned in the lock member holding area. It is a top view of the restraint part of the state which is restraining the 3rd part of a lock member. It is a top view of the card connector of the state which has begun to insert a card medium in storage space. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the card connector in a state where the card medium has been inserted into the storage space. It is a top view of a restraint part in the state where it has separated from the 3rd portion of a lock member. It is a rear view which shows an example of a card medium.

  One embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the card connector 101. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the card connector 101. The card connector 101 is incorporated in devices such as a mobile phone, a telephone, a PDA, a portable audio, and a camera. A card medium 201 is attached to the card connector 101. The card medium 201 includes a CPU and a memory IC chip. Examples of the card medium 201 are an IC card, a PC card, an SD card, a SIM card, and the like. In the present embodiment, a case where the card medium 201 is a SIM card will be described. The structure of the card medium 201 is the same as that of the card medium 901 described above with reference to FIG. In other words, the card medium 201 is a flat shape having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view and an appropriate thickness, and has an IC chip (not shown) and a pad portion 202 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). A notch 203 as a third side is formed at one corner. The IC chip is stored in the card medium 201. The pad part 202 is electrically connected to the IC chip.

  The card connector 101 includes a flat housing 102 having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and the card medium 201 is accommodated and held in the card connector 101. The housing 102 is configured by covering a connector main body 103 formed of an insulating material such as a synthetic resin material and covering a cover 104 formed by pressing a sheet metal. The housing 102 is provided with an opening 105 on one side of the long side. In the housing 102, a flat storage space 106 that extends from the opening 105 and has a “U” shape in plan view is formed. A contact portion 107 is disposed on the bottom surface 106 a of the storage space 106. In the storage space 106, the card medium 201 slid and inserted from the opening 105 is stored. At this time, the card medium 201 has the notch 203 facing the front side in the insertion direction A of the card medium 201 with the surface from which the pad section 202 is exposed facing down. As a result, the pad portion 202 of the card medium 201 stored in the storage space 106 contacts the contact portion 107. Here, a side surface of the card medium 201 that is parallel to the insertion direction A and continues to the notch 203 is referred to as a second side surface 204. In addition, a side surface connected to the second side surface 204 on the back side in the insertion direction A is referred to as a first side surface 205. That is, the card medium 201 is flat, and the first side face 205, the second side face 204, and the notch 203 are arranged in this order.

  The contact portion 107 is a metal strip and has a spring property, and pushes the card medium 201 upward. Further, the cover 104 is formed with a card medium 201 and a card pressing portion 108 for pressing downward. For this reason, the upper and lower sides of 201 stored in the storage space 106 are sandwiched between the contact portion 107 and the card pressing portion 108. Further, the side surface of the card medium 201 is held by the inner side surface of the connector main body 103 and the ejection mechanism 109 and the lock member 110 (both will be described below).

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the card connector 101 with the card medium 201 mounted. In FIG. 3, the cover 104 is omitted. Please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. The card connector 101 includes an eject mechanism 109 and a lock member 110. The eject mechanism 109 realizes smooth insertion and removal of the card medium 201 with respect to the storage space 106. The lock member 110 contacts and holds the card medium 201 stored in the storage space 106. Specifically, the lock member 110 contacts the first side surface 205, the second side surface 204, and the cutout portion 203 of the card medium 201 inserted into the housing 102, and locks the movement of the card medium 201. The eject mechanism 109 and the lock member 110 are provided on both the left and right sides of the inner surface of the storage space 106 as viewed from the opening 105 side. In the present embodiment, the ejection mechanism 109 is provided on the right side with respect to the opening 105, and the lock member 110 is provided on the left side with respect to the opening 105. The eject mechanism 109 may be provided on the left side with respect to the opening 105, and the lock member 110 may be provided on the right side with respect to the opening 105.

  FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the connector main body 103. FIG. 5 is a front view showing the internal structure of the connector main body 103. First, the eject mechanism 109 will be described. The eject mechanism 109 includes an eject member 111, a spring 112, and a cam lever 113. The eject member 111 is slidable in the insertion direction A in a plan view crank shape. A heart-shaped cam 114 is formed on the eject member 111. A circumferential cam groove 115 is formed around the heart-shaped cam 114. One end of the cam lever 113 is restrained by the connector main body 103. The other end of the cam lever 113 enters the cam groove 115 and is in contact with the bottom surface of the cam groove 115 with pressure. A step portion is provided on the bottom surface of the cam groove 115 so that the cam lever 113 moves only in a predetermined circumferential direction. Further, the spring 112 pushes the eject member 111 toward the opening 105 along the insertion direction A.

  When the card medium 201 is pushed into the insertion space A in the storage space 106, the first side surface 205 pushes the eject member 111 toward the insertion direction A. When the push of the card medium 201 is released, the spring 112 pushes the eject member 111 back toward the front side in the insertion direction A. At this time, the cam lever 113 is caught by the heart-shaped cam 114, and the eject member 111 stops at a position where the card medium 201 does not protrude from the opening 105 (see FIG. 10). In this state, when the card medium 201 is pushed again in the insertion space A in the storage space 106, the cam lever 113 and the heart-shaped cam 114 are separated. When the pushing of the card medium 201 is released, the spring 112 pushes the eject member 111 toward the front side in the insertion direction A, and the eject member 111 ejects the card medium 201 from the opening 105 (see FIG. 9).

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the lock member 110. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the lock member 110 positioned in the lock member holding region 106b. In FIG. 7, the cover 104 is omitted. Next, the lock member 110 will be described. The lock member 110 is formed by bending a plate-like long metal member. The lock member 110 is positioned in the lock member holding region 106b. The lock member holding region 106 b is a region that forms a part of the storage space 106, is formed one step lower than the bottom surface 106 a of the storage space 106, and extends in the insertion direction A along the inner side surface of the storage space 106. .

  The lock member 110 includes a first portion 116, a second portion 117, and a third portion 118 that are connected in this order. The first portion 116 is located at one end of the lock member 110. The lock member 110 is bent in a U shape in plan view and has a spring property. The first portion 116 is positioned on the back side of the storage space 106. The first side 116 (see FIG. 2) of the card medium 201 inserted from the opening 105 is in contact with the first portion 116. The second portion 117 extends in a bar shape in a direction intersecting the first portion 116. Here, the connecting portion 116a between the first portion 116 and the second portion 117 forms a curved surface. The second side 117 (see FIG. 2) of the card medium 201 inserted from the opening 105 is in contact with the second portion 117. The third portion 118 is located at the other end of the lock member 110 and extends in a direction intersecting the second portion 117. The third portion 118 is bent in a triangular shape and has a spring property. The third portion 118 is positioned in the vicinity of the end of the opening 105 and has a shape that opens to the side away from the opening 105. The third portion 118 contacts the notch 203 (see FIG. 2) of the card medium 201 inserted from the opening 105 as the lock member 110 turns inside the storage space 106.

  By the way, the connector main body 103 and the cover 104 (see FIG. 2 etc.) form a retaining space 106c. The retaining space 106c is located on the back side of the storage space 106 in the lock member holding region 106b. In the lock member holding region 106b, a communication space 106d is provided on the front side in the insertion direction A with respect to the retaining space 106c. The communication space 106d is narrower than the retaining space 106c and extends in the insertion direction A. The lock member 110 includes the connector main body 103 and the cover 104 in a state where the first portion 116 is disposed in the retaining space 106c and the second portion 117 is disposed in the communication space 106d so as to extend in the insertion direction A. And is held by the housing 102 so as to be movable with respect to the housing 102 with play.

  The lock member 110 has a protrusion 119 and a claw 119a. The protrusion 119 protrudes from the side surface of the second portion 117 of the lock member 110 to the side opposite to the storage space 106. The claw portion 119 a protrudes upward from the upper surface of the second portion 117 of the lock member 110.

  Please refer to FIG. A fulcrum part 121 is formed in the connector main body 103. The fulcrum part 121 is positioned on the inner surface of the storage space 106 on the opposite side of the storage space 106 with the second portion of the lock member 110 interposed therebetween. The fulcrum portion 121 protrudes in a square shape from the inner side surface of the storage space 106 toward the inner side of the storage space 106.

  A first guide part 122 is formed in the connector main body 103. The first guide portion 122 is formed on the inner surface of the storage space 106 and extends in a direction inclined with respect to the insertion direction A so as to widen the storage space 106 from the fulcrum portion 121 toward the opening 105 side.

  FIG. 8 is a plan view of the restraining portion 123 in a state in which the third portion 118 of the lock member 110 is restrained. A restraining portion 123 is formed on the cover 104. The restraining portion 123 has a substantially triangular shape in plan view and protrudes from the cover 104 toward the opening 105. A third portion 118 having a shape opened to the side away from the opening 105 is caught by the restraining portion 123. A protrusion 124 is provided on the front side surface of the restraining portion 123 in the insertion direction A. A stepped portion 118 a formed on the third portion 118 is caught on the protrusion 124.

  A guide groove 125 is formed in the cover 104. The guide groove 125 extends inward from the edge of the cover 104 in plan view, and then extends toward the back side in the insertion direction A. A claw portion 119a protruding upward from the lock member 110 enters the guide groove 125 from below. When the lock member 110 moves, the guide groove 125 regulates the movement of the claw portion 119a. Thereby, the lock member 110 moves along a predetermined movement locus. That is, the claw portion 119a and the guide groove 125 constitute a second guide portion 126, and the lock member 110 is slidably engaged with the housing 102 to guide the lock member 110. As another embodiment, the second guide portion 126 is configured by engaging a rail portion (not shown) protruding from the cover 104 with a recess (not shown) formed in the lock member 110. May be.

  FIG. 9 is a plan view of the card connector 101 in a state in which the card medium 201 has started to be inserted into the storage space 106. In the card connector 101 configured as described above, the eject member 111 is pushed by the spring 112 and positioned on the near side in the insertion direction A. Further, the third portion 118 of the lock member 110 is hooked on the restraining portion 123. For this reason, the lock member 110 does not move in the insertion direction A.

  When the card medium 201 is attached to the card connector 101, the card medium 201 is inserted from the opening 105 toward the back side in the insertion direction A. At this time, the surface of the card medium 201 that exposes the pad portion 202 is directed downward. Further, the notch 203 is directed to the front side in the insertion direction A. As a result, both the lock member 110 and the eject member 111 are pushed into the back side of the storage space 106, and the pad portion 202 contacts the contact portion 107. Hereinafter, such an orientation of the card medium 201 may be referred to as a “regular orientation”.

  The eject member 111 is pushed by the first side surface 205 of the card medium 201 and moves toward the back side of the storage space 106. The eject member 111 stops at a predetermined position on the back side of the storage space 106 by the function of the eject mechanism 109.

  FIG. 10 is a plan view of the card connector 101 in a state where the card medium 201 has been inserted into the storage space 106. The first portion 116 of the lock member 110 is pushed by the first side surface 205 of the card medium 201 and moves toward the back side of the storage space 106. At this time, the connecting portion 116 a between the first portion 116 and the second portion 117 is in contact with the inner wall surface of the connector main body 103. Thereby, the lock member 110 turns in the storage space 106 and moves in the turning direction R shown in FIG. The second portion 117 and the third portion 118 approach the card medium 201. When the third portion 118 approaches the card medium 201 and moves toward the inside of the opening 105, the third portion 118 is separated from the restraining portion 123. As a result, the lock member 110 can move in the insertion direction A.

  Here, when the lock member 110 turns, the fulcrum part 121 interferes with the turning lock member 110 and reliably turns the lock member 110. Further, the first guide portion 122 guides the protrusion 119 provided on the lock member 110 and reliably brings the second portion 117 and the third portion 118 close to the card medium 201.

  Note that when the card medium 201 is inserted in the direction other than the normal direction from the opening 105 toward the back side in the insertion direction A, the cutout portion 203 of the card medium 201 becomes the first part of the lock member 110. It is located at a location away from the three portions 118. For this reason, even if the lock member 110 tries to turn in the turning direction R, the third portion 118 is interfered with the side surface of the card medium 201 and cannot be separated from the restraining portion 123. Here, when the third portion 118 is restrained by the restraining portion 123, the lock member 110 cannot move in the insertion direction A. That is, even if the card medium 201 is inserted from the opening 105 in a direction other than the normal direction, the lock member 110 does not move and the card medium 201 is not stored in the card connector 101. As described above, in the card connector 101 according to the present embodiment, the reverse insertion prevention of the card medium 201 having a shape in which one corner is notched as in the SIM card is realized.

  FIG. 11 is a plan view of the restraining portion 123 in a state where the card medium 201 has been inserted into the storage space 106. When the lock member 110 turns, the claw portion 119 a provided on the lock member 110 is guided by the guide groove 125. As a result, the lock member 110 moves along a predetermined movement locus, the third portion 118 is reliably separated from the restraining portion 123, and the second portion 117 and the third portion 118 are surely close to the card medium 201.

  The card medium 201 is discharged from the card connector 101 by releasing the pushing after the card medium 201 is pushed in the insertion direction A. At this time, the first side surface 205 of the card medium 201 pushes the eject member 111 into the back side in the insertion direction A. When the push is released, the spring 112 pushes the eject member 111 toward the front side in the insertion direction A. As a result, the card medium 201 is discharged from the opening 105. The eject member 111 can be moved to a position where the card medium 201 is ejected from the storage space 106 by the function of the eject mechanism 109 as shown in FIG.

  Here, the third portion 118 of the lock member 110 is pushed by the notch 203 of the card medium 201 and moves to the near side in the insertion direction A. Thereby, the whole lock member 110 moves to the near side in the insertion direction A. Then, when the card medium 201 protruding from the opening 105 is held and pulled out to the near side in the insertion direction A, the third portion 118 is pushed by the notch portion 203 and is aligned side by side with the restraining portion 123, and further the third portion 118 moves in a direction away from the opening 105 and fits into the restraining portion 123, and the stepped portion 118 a is caught by the protrusion 124. At this time, the claw portion 119a moves along the guide groove 125, and the lock member 110 moves along the same locus as that at the time of insertion. For this reason, the nail | claw part 119a is restrained by the guide groove 125 reliably.

  As described above, according to the card connector 101 of the present embodiment, the first side surface 205 of the card medium 201 inserted from the opening 105 presses the first portion 116, thereby causing the first portion 116 and the second portion 117 to move. The connecting portion 116 a comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the housing 102, the lock member 110 turns in the storage space 106, the third portion 118 moves inward of the opening 105, and moves away from the restraining portion 123. Contacts the notch 203. Therefore, smooth insertion and extraction of the card medium 201 in the card connector 101 can be realized with a simple structure.

  Furthermore, the card connector 101 of the present embodiment is compatible with a SIM card. In this case, the pad portion 202 is provided not at the edge portion of the card medium 201 but at the central portion according to the standard. For this reason, even if the entire card medium 201 (SIM card) is not stored in the storage space 106 with the notch portion 203 facing toward the front side in the insertion direction A, the pad portion can be inserted only by inserting a part of the card medium 201. 202 can be positioned in the storage space 106. That is, the card connector 101 can be miniaturized by making the depth length of the storage space 106 in the insertion direction A shorter than the length of the card medium 201 in the insertion direction A.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Card connector 102 Housing 105 Opening 106 Storage space 110 Lock member 116 1st part 117 2nd part 118 3rd part 119 Protrusion part 121 Supporting part 122 1st guide part 123 Restraint part 126 2nd guide part 201 Card medium 203 Notch Part (third side)
204 Second side 205 First side A Insertion direction

Claims (5)

A card connector that holds a flat card medium formed by arranging the first side surface, the second side surface, and the third side surface in this order by slidingly inserting them in the insertion direction along the second side surface with the first side surface at the back side. Because
A housing that forms an opening for inserting the card medium, and a storage space that extends from the opening and stores the card medium;
A first portion that contacts the first side surface; a second portion that extends in a direction intersecting the first portion; and a third portion that extends in a direction intersecting the second portion. A lock member that is held by the housing so as to be movable with respect to the housing with at least the first portion positioned in the storage space.
With
The housing includes a restraining portion that restrains the third portion that has moved in a direction that intersects the insertion direction and moves away from the opening.
Card connector. A fulcrum portion that is formed on the inner wall surface of the housing on the opposite side of the storage space across the second portion and protrudes toward the inside of the storage space;
The card connector according to claim 1. The lock member further includes a protrusion protruding from the second portion to the opposite side of the storage space,
The housing includes a first guide portion that guides the protrusion so that the second portion that moves when the first side surface of the card medium inserted from the opening pushes the first portion is directed to the storage space. In addition,
The card connector according to claim 1 or 2. A second guide portion for slidably engaging the lock member with the housing and guiding the lock member;
The card connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The restraint portion protrudes toward the opening,
The third portion is hooked to the restraining portion in a shape that is open on the side away from the opening.
The card connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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