JP3546387B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connector using a card or the like as a connection target, and more particularly, to a connector having a function of detecting a connection target.
[0002]
[Prior art]
This type of connector is mounted on various electronic devices, and one example thereof is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 9-504402. The connector disclosed therein includes a housing for holding a signal contact and a cover for holding a card as an object to be connected. The cover is provided with a switch unit for detecting the presence or absence of a card.
[0003]
When the card is held on the cover, the switch section operates. When the cover is attached to the housing in a predetermined state in this state, the card is connected to the signal contact. At this time, information can be exchanged with the card through the signal contact.
[0004]
When the card is not held by the cover, the switch does not operate. Therefore, even if the cover is attached to the housing in a predetermined state, it is possible to prohibit the act of transmitting and receiving information based on the state of the switch unit.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As a special case, it is envisaged that the cover is incompletely mounted on the housing. Even in such a case, when the card is held by the cover, the switch section is in the activated state, so that the act of exchanging information becomes executable. If information transfer is performed in this state, there is a high possibility that an electronic device or the like malfunctions.
[0006]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector having a function of reliably detecting that an object to be connected is set in a predetermined state.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the present invention, a signal contact, a housing holding the signal contact, and a cover for holding an object to be connected are connected, and the object to be connected is connected to the signal contact with rotation of the cover. In the connector described above, the housing includes a switch unit having first and second switch terminals , the cover includes a spring piece that is elastically displaced by being pressed by the held connection target, and includes rotation and sliding. The spring piece has an action portion for pressing the first switch terminal by sliding the cover, and the first switch terminal is pressed by the action portion to be elastic. A connector is obtained which is displaced and comes into contact with the second switch terminal .
[0010]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The structure of the connector according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0011]
The illustrated connector comprises a plurality of conductive signal contacts 1, an insulating housing 2 holding these signal contacts 1 in place, and an openable / closable insulating cover 3 engaged with the housing 2. Contains. 1 and 2 show a state where the cover 3 is opened, and FIG. 3 shows a state where the cover 3 is closed.
[0012]
The housing 2 has a pair of outward recesses 4 in the second direction A2 perpendicular to the first direction A1 in the vicinity of one end in the first direction A1. Each recess 4 extends slightly longer in the first direction A1. On the other hand, the cover 3 has at one end thereof a pair of finger pieces 5 facing each other in the first direction A1. The finger piece 5 is provided with a shaft projection or an inward projection 6 having a circular cross section. The inward projections 6 are fitted in the recesses 4 slidably in the first direction A1. In this manner, the cover 3 is attached to the housing 2 so as to be rotatable about the inward projection 6 while being slightly movable in the first direction A1 within the range of the recess 4.
[0013]
At one end of the housing 2 in the second direction A2, a first switch terminal 7 and a second switch terminal 8 are provided. The first and second switch terminals 7 and 8 have spring properties, and one end is fixed to the housing 2. The other ends of the first and second switch terminals 7 and 8, that is, the contact portions, are spaced from each other in a third direction A3 orthogonal to the first and second directions A1 and A2, that is, in the thickness direction of the housing 2. And face each other. The first and second switch terminals 7 and 8 together form a switch unit.
[0014]
The cover 3 has a card insertion area 9 facing the housing 2, in particular, the signal contact 1 in the third direction A3 when closed. That is, the card insertion area 9 is an area that extends in the first and second directions A1 and A2 when the cover 3 is closed. In the card insertion area 9, a small memory card such as a SIM card, that is, an IC card 11 is inserted and held as an object to be connected.
[0015]
The cover 3 is provided with a spring piece 12 that is elastically displaced by being pressed by the IC card 11 inserted into the card insertion area 9. The spring piece 12 extends substantially parallel to the insertion direction of the IC card 11, and includes a fixing portion 13 at one end fixed to the cover 3, an operating portion 14 having entered the card insertion area 9, and a cover 3 for the housing 2. When the device is mounted in a predetermined state, an operating portion 15 that opposes the first switch terminal 7 in the third direction A3 is integrally provided.
[0016]
The operation of the above-described connector will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0017]
For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the IC card 11 is inserted into the card insertion area 9 of the cover 3 in the open state. At this time, the spring piece 12 is pushed by the IC card 11 and bends from the position shown by the broken line to the position shown by the solid line.
[0018]
When the cover 3 is closed in this state, the action portion 15 of the spring piece 12 faces the first switch terminal 7 as shown in FIG. However, in this state, it is not expected that the action section 15 presses the first switch terminal 7.
[0019]
Further, as shown in FIG. 4C, the cover 3 is slid to the left in the first direction A1 with respect to the housing 2. In the process of sliding, the action portion 15 gradually presses the first switch terminal 7.
[0020]
When the distal end 16 of the cover 3 is locked by the locking portion 17 of the housing 2 as shown in FIG. 4D, the opening of the cover 3 is reliably prevented. That is, the cover 3 is mounted on the housing 2 at a predetermined position. In this state, the action portion 15 of the spring piece 12 completely presses the first switch terminal 7 to contact the second switch terminal 8.
[0021]
Thus, the switch section is operated, and it is detected that the cover 3 is attached to the housing 3 in a predetermined state while holding the IC card 11. In this state, the connection terminal (not shown) of the IC card 11 contacts the signal contact 1. Therefore, information can be read from and written to the IC card 11 through the signal contact 1.
[0022]
If the cover 3 is not completely attached to the housing 2, the switch section does not operate, so that reading and writing of information from and to the IC card 11 through the signal contact 1 can be prohibited. Therefore, it is possible to reduce a possibility that an electronic device using the connector may malfunction.
[0023]
The description will be continued with reference to FIGS.
[0024]
When the cover 3 is attached to a predetermined position without holding the IC card 11, the action portion 15 of the spring piece 12 is separated from the first switch terminal 7, as shown in FIG. In this case, the action portion 15 of the spring piece 12 does not press the first switch terminal 7. Therefore, the switch does not operate.
[0025]
When the cover 3 is attached to a predetermined position while holding the IC card 11, the action portion 15 of the spring piece 12 presses the first switch terminal 7, as shown in FIG. Therefore, the switch section operates.
[0026]
The connector described above can be mounted as an IC card socket on various electronic devices.
[0027]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector having a function of reliably detecting that an object to be connected is set in a predetermined state.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view in a state where a cover of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention is opened.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the connector of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a front view of the connector of FIG. 1 with a cover closed.
FIG. 4 is a view for explaining the operation of the connector of FIG. 1;
5 is a cross-sectional view of only a part of the connector of FIG. 1 in a state in which a cover that does not hold an IC card is closed.
6 is a cross-sectional view of only a part of the connector of FIG. 1 in a state where a cover holding an IC card is properly closed.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Signal contact 2 Housing 3 Cover 4 Depression 5 Finger piece 6 Shaft projection or inward projection 7 First switch terminal 8 Second switch terminal 9 Card insertion area 11 IC card 12 Spring piece 13 Fixing part 14 Working part 15 Operation Department

Claims (1)

A connector including a signal contact, a housing holding the signal contact, and a cover for holding an object to be connected, wherein the object to be connected is connected to the signal contact with rotation of the cover, The housing includes a switch unit having first and second switch terminals, and the cover includes a spring piece that is elastically displaced by being pressed by the held connection object, and is fixed to the housing with rotation and sliding. Wherein the spring piece has an action portion for pressing the first switch terminal by sliding the cover, and the first switch terminal is elastically displaced by being pressed by the action portion and the second switch terminal is pressed. A connector characterized by contacting a switch terminal .

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