JP4224632B2 - Card connector - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a card connector that can be connected by inserting a card-like memory device such as a PC card or a hard disk drive (HDD).
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, this type of connector includes a connector main body that can be connected to a PC card or other memory device, and an eject mechanism for removing the memory device connected to the connector main body (for example, a special feature). (See Kaihei 9-237666). The eject mechanism for removing the memory device is installed so that it can be moved in the direction of the memory device on the side of the connector body for the pivot operation of the eject lever. Generally, it is composed of an eject rod. The eject lever is rotated through the movement of the eject rod, and the locking claw formed on the eject lever is engaged with the memory device. Some ejector levers are rotatably installed on the connector main body, and some ejector levers are provided on the inner surface of the metal shell so that the connector main body is provided with a metal shell for covering the memory device.
[0003]
The eject rod is directly operated by providing an operation button at the end, and is connected to an operation rod with an operation button and a cam mechanism (heart cam) in a rod case installed on the side of the connector body. A device that is operated via an operating rod is known. In any case, the operation button is arranged along the connection direction of the memory device on the side of the connector main body, and when the memory device connected to the connector main body is removed, the operation button is directed forward, that is, toward the connector main body. It is configured to push in.
[0004]
When the eject rod is housed in the rod case and connected to the operation rod, the force to push the operation button when removing the memory device is transmitted only to the eject lever, and the connector body and metal shell In order to prevent transmission, the rod case is fixed to the mounting board to which the card connector is attached by an L-shaped fixing leg or the like, or a metal shell integrated with the rod case is fixed to the L-shaped fixing leg or the like. Is fixed by. This is so that stress is applied to the soldering portions of the terminals constituting the connector main body and the circuit conductor of the mounting substrate, and the reliability of the solder connection is not impaired.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, in the card connector configured to fix the rod case or metal shell with the fixed legs, the fixed legs occupy a certain area on the mounting board. There was a problem that prevented use. That is, the portion connecting the fixed leg and the mounting board projects to the outside of the side wall of the rod case and the outside of the side wall of the metal shell (refer to the rear stays 71a and 71b in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-237666).
[0006]
Attempts have been made to place the connecting portion of the fixed leg with the mounting board within the standoff at the bottom of the memory device connected to the card connector so that it does not protrude outside. The off portion is also a portion that is desired to be used for arrangement of other circuit components for high-density mounting, and there are problems such as difficulty in assembling the fixed legs, which is not effective.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and is a card connector in which an eject rod is accommodated in a rod case, and the area occupied by the card connector on the mounting board is not increased. The object is to provide a case fixing structure.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention based on the above object effectively utilizes the space below the operation button for the eject rod.
[0009]
That is, the present invention includes a connector main body that can be connected to a PC card or other memory device, and an eject mechanism for removing the memory device connected to the connector main body, and the eject mechanism is installed in a rotatable manner. In the card connector comprising a lever and an eject rod installed on the side of the connector main body so as to be movable in the connecting direction of the memory device for the rotation operation of the eject lever, the eject rod is a rod An operation button accommodated in the case protrudes from the rod case toward the insertion side along the connecting direction, and is formed in a strip shape so as to be substantially flush with the bottom surface of the rod case. A fixing tab is provided facing the mounting substrate side of the operation button, and the operation tab is provided at the center of the fixing tab. Button (2) and the screw hole so as to face is formed, by inserting a screw inserted through the mounting substrate to the screw hole, a card connector, characterized in that to fix the rod case to the mounting substrate.
[0010]
In the first embodiment described below, a metal shell is provided on the card connector, and a rod case is assembled to the metal shell. However, both the metal shell and the rod case may be integrated. it can. Further, as in the second embodiment, the rod case can be directly assembled to the connector main body without providing a metal shell. The fixing tab may extend continuously from the rod case, or may extend continuously from the metal shell. The fixing tab thus provided can be formed with a screw hole by processing such as tapping the burring hole, and can be coupled with a screw inserted into the mounting substrate, or can be formed with a screw insertion hole. .
[0011]
[Action]
According to the card connector of the present invention configured as described above, the screw hole formed in the fixing tab provided for fixing the rod case can be accommodated in the projection surface of the operation button on the mounting board. It is possible to avoid an increase in the area occupied by the card connector on the mounting board.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an enlarged view of a main part of the card connector 1 according to the first embodiment shown in FIGS. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 2 denotes an operation button, and a fixing tab 3 is provided so as to face the lower side of the operation button 2 in the figure so that it can be fixed to a mounting board 4 such as a printed circuit board with a screw 5. It has become.
[0013]
The card connector 1 includes a connector body 6 (see FIG. 6), a metal shell 7, and an ejection mechanism 8. When the connector body 6 is described with reference to FIG. 6, the connector body 6 includes an insulating housing 9 and a plurality of terminals 10. The insulating housing 9 is formed in a shape in which a card guide portion 9b is connected to both ends of a central terminal mounting portion 9a at a substantially right angle. As shown in FIG. 3, the terminals 10 are mounted on the terminal mounting portion 9a in two rows up and down at a predetermined pitch in a side-by-side state, and in a direction in which the card guide portion 9b extends from the terminal mounting portion 9a. Is projected so that it can be connected to a socket terminal of a card-like memory device (shown by dotted line 11 in FIG. 2). On the side opposite to the pin terminal 10a, a solder tail 10b extends so that the conductive portion of the mounting substrate 4 can be soldered. The solder tails 10b of all the terminals 10 are aligned in a horizontal row.
[0014]
Positioning bosses 12 are provided on the bottom surface of the card guide portion 9b of the insulating housing 9, and metal nails 13 are provided on both sides of the bottom surface of the terminal mounting portion 9a.
[0015]
The metal shell 7 is configured so as to substantially cover the upper part of the region surrounded by the terminal mounting portion 9a and the card guide portion 9b of the insulating housing 9, and the card insertion slot 14 on the front side is aligned with the alignment portion of the pin terminal 10a. They are formed to face each other. A side wall 15 is suspended from the left edge of the metal shell 7 along the outer wall of the card guide portion 9b on the left side of the insulating housing 9. On the right edge, side walls 16a and 16b are suspended from the front side and the front side, respectively, along the outer wall of the card guide portion 9b on the right side of the insulating housing 9.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 5, the metal shell 7 and the insulating housing 9 are formed in the rectangular window holes 17 formed in the respective side walls 15, 16 a, 16 b in the corner projections formed on the outer wall of the card guide portion 9 b of the insulating housing 9. The two members are integrated so that 18 is inserted. Further, on both sides of the front end portion of the metal shell 7, a projecting piece 19 having a polygonal outer shape and a circular hole formed in the center thereof is provided, and the projecting piece 19 is provided on both sides of the upper surface of the terminal mounting portion 9a of the insulating housing 9. They are accommodated in receiving recesses 20 formed in the portions and engaged with each other.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 7, the eject mechanism 8 includes an eject lever 21 rotatably supported on the inner surface of the metal shell 7, an eject rod coupled to the rod case 22 via a cam mechanism, and an operation. It consists of a rod 23. The eject rod is accommodated in the rod case 22 and does not appear on the drawing. One end of the eject lever 21 is connected to the eject rod in the rod case 22. The operation button 2 is attached to an end of the operation rod 23 that protrudes toward the front side of the rod case 22, and is disposed on the side of the card insertion slot 14 formed by the metal shell 7.
[0018]
The eject rod and the operating rod 23 can be moved in the rod case 22 in the front-rear direction, that is, in the front-rear direction along the direction in which the memory device 11 is inserted from the card insertion slot 14 and connected to the connector body 6. ing. The cam mechanism can be operated between the state in which the operation button 2 attached to the projecting portion of the operation rod 23 is illustrated and the state in which the operation button 2 is further projected as indicated by a chain line in FIGS. When the operation button 2 protrudes as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the operation rod 23 and the eject rod are directly connected. When the operation button 2 is pushed in this state, the eject lever 21 connected to the eject rod rotates. It is like that.
[0019]
The eject lever 21 is formed with a locking claw 24 that can be engaged with the memory device 11 at the end, and is moved to a position indicated by a dotted line in FIGS. 6 is released.
[0020]
The rod case 22 is a metal plate formed in a substantially rectangular tube shape, and is connected to the metal shell 7 in a lateral direction without hanging down between the side walls 16a and 16b on the right edge of the metal shell 7. The pieces 16c and the connecting portion 25 are connected and integrated with each other. A locking structure generally employed in sheet metal processing, such as providing a protruding piece on the edge of the connecting piece 16c and making it protrude into the window hole of the protruding piece on the rod case 22 side, is employed.
[0021]
The rod case 22 is also connected to the connector body 6. A locking protrusion 26 provided extending in front of the bottom wall of the rod case 22 is locked to an engagement piece 13a raised from the metal nail 13 on the insulating housing 9 side.
[0022]
Further, the fixing tab 3 is provided on the front side of the rod case 22 so as to extend from the inner wall so as to be substantially flush with the bottom surface of the rod case 22. The operation button 2 is attached to the projecting portion of the operation rod 23, and the fixing tab 3 is arranged so as to face the lower side of the operation button 2. The fixing tab 3 has a strip shape with a width substantially equal to the width of the rod case 22, which is also substantially equal to the width of the operation button 2.
[0023]
As shown in FIGS. 1, 6, and 7, the center portion of the fixing tab 3 is tapped in a burring hole formed from the lower surface side toward the upper surface to face the operation button 2. As shown, a screw hole 27 is provided. As shown by the chain line in FIG. 1, the screw 5 inserted from the lower surface side of the mounting board 4 is connected to the screw hole 27 so that the fixing tab 3 can be easily fixed to the mounting board 4. It is.
[0024]
According to the card connector 1 of the embodiment configured as described above, the rod case 22 can be firmly fixed to the mounting substrate 4 via the fixing tab 3. The soldering portion of the solder tail 10b of the terminal 10 can be protected by preventing the force for operating the ejection mechanism 8 from being transmitted to the connector body 6.
[0025]
Moreover, since the screw hole 27 formed in the fixing tab 3 is provided in the projection surface of the operation button 2 so as to face the lower side of the operation button 2, the card connector 1 on the mounting substrate 4 occupies. It is possible to avoid an increase in area and contribute to high-density mounting of the mounting substrate 4. Further, since there is no member disposed in the stand-off space 28 (FIG. 3) below the memory card 11 connected to the connector main body 6, components are mounted on the mounting board 4 using the stand-off space 28. This also enables higher density mounting.
[0026]
The screw hole 27 of the fixing tab 3 can be a simple screw insertion hole. However, if the screw hole 27 is provided as in the embodiment, the fixing work from the lower surface side of the mounting substrate 4 can be performed. It is easy to improve efficiency.
[0027]
In the above-described embodiment, the metal shell 7 and the rod case 22 are assembled as separate components. However, the two can be configured integrally with a slight design change. The fixing tab 3 may also be extended continuously from the metal shell 7 side.
[0028]
FIG. 8 further shows a card connector 30 according to the second embodiment that does not include the metal shell 7. An eject lever 21 is rotatably attached to the insulating housing 9 of the connector body 6. A rod case 22 containing the eject rod and the operating rod 23 is also attached to the insulating housing 9 and assembled. The fixing tab 3 extends substantially flush with the bottom surface of the rod case 22, and a screw hole (not shown) formed in the fixing tab 3 is arranged to face the lower side of the operation button 2. .
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the screw hole formed in the fixing tab for fixing the rod case is provided facing the lower side of the operation button for operating the eject rod. Thus, it is possible to provide a card connector that avoids an increase in the area occupied by the card, thereby contributing to high-density mounting.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an enlarged side view showing a main part of a card connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the card connector.
FIG. 3 is a front view of the card connector.
FIG. 4 is a right side view of the card connector.
FIG. 5 is a left side view of the card connector.
FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the card connector.
FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the card connector with the connector body removed.
FIG. 8 is a plan view of a card connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 30 Card connector 2 Operation button 3 Fixing tab 4 Mounting board 5 Screw 6 Connector main body 7 Metal shell 8 Eject mechanism 11 Memory card 21 Eject lever 22 Rod case 27 Screw hole

Claims (6)

A connector main body (6) connectable to a PC card or other memory device (11); and an eject mechanism (8) for removing the memory device (11) connected to the connector main body (6). The mechanism (8) connects the memory device (11) to the side of the connector main body (6) for the pivoting operation of the eject lever (21) installed in a pivotable manner and the eject lever (21). In the card connector (1, 30) composed of an eject rod installed movably in the direction,
Said ejector rod, housed in the rod casing (22), protrudes into the insertion near side along the connecting direction from the operation button (2) is a rod case for moving the ejector rod (22), said A strip-shaped fixing tab (3) is provided to face the mounting substrate (4) side of the operation button (2) so as to be substantially flush with the bottom surface of the rod case (22), and the fixing tab ( 3) A screw hole (27) is formed so as to face the operation button (2) in the central portion, and a screw (5) inserted through the mounting substrate (4) is inserted into the screw hole (27). A card connector characterized by fixing the rod case (22) to the mounting substrate (4).     The connector body (6) is provided with a metal shell (7) for covering the memory device (11), and the metal shell (7) and a separate rod case (22) are assembled to the metal shell (7). The card connector according to claim 1, which is connected.     The connector main body (6) is provided with a metal shell (7) for covering the memory device (11), and the rod case (22) is formed integrally with the metal shell (7). Card connector.     The card connector according to claim 1, wherein the rod case (22) is directly assembled to the connector body (6).     The card connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fixing tab (3) extends continuously from the rod case (22).     The card connector according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the fixing tab (3) extends continuously from the metal shell (7).

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