JP5117559B2 - Memory card connector - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a memory card connector for connecting a memory card accommodated in a card accommodating portion to an electronic device, and more particularly to a memory card connector having a card attachment detection mechanism for detecting that a memory card is attached.

  The memory card connector is mounted on a printed wiring board in an electronic device for the purpose of connecting a memory card such as an SD card to an electronic device such as a mobile phone or a digital camera, and is connected to a conductive pattern on the printed wiring board. Are exposed to the inside of the card housing and connected to the conductive pads exposed on the back of the memory card.

  This type of memory card connector is equipped with a card attachment detection mechanism that detects that a memory card has been received in the card receiving portion in order to recognize that a memory card has been connected on the electronic device side. Are known. In general, this attachment detection mechanism is constituted by a detection switch comprising a first switch contact that is movable when a memory card inserted into a card storage portion comes into contact with it, and a second switch contact that comes in contact with and separates from the first switch contact. The first switch contact comes into contact with the memory card to be inserted into the card and comes into contact with the second switch contact, thereby detecting the mounting of the memory card.

  However, the first switch contact and the second switch contact constituting the mounting detection mechanism must be arranged in the case separately from the contact connected to the memory card, and particularly in the case that accommodates the first switch contact in an elastically deformable manner. Therefore, the case becomes large and the number of components increases. Therefore, among the contacts connected to the memory card, the ground contact that connects to the conductive pad for grounding the memory card also serves as the first switch contact, and the second switch contact is bent by the movable area of the ground contact. A memory card connector to be brought into contact with the card has been proposed (Patent Document 1).

  Hereinafter, this conventional memory card connector 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 7, the memory card connector 100 includes a plurality of signal contacts 103, 103,... In an insulating case 102 having a card receiving recess 101 for receiving the memory card 50 on the flat side. A ground contact 104 also serving as one switch contact and a second switch contact 105 set to a predetermined potential are attached.

  Each contact is fixed to the insulating case 102 at the base end side, so that the tip end side thereof is elastically deformed and faces the card receiving recess 101, and the corresponding conductive pad 51 of the memory card 50 received in the card receiving recess 101, 51 .. Elastic contact. Among them, the ground contact 104 and the second switch contact 105 are attached so that their tips face each other with a predetermined interval, and when the memory card 50 is received in the card receiving recess 101 as shown in FIG. The ground contact 104 and the second switch contact 105 are in contact with the short-circuit conductive pad 51. Therefore, the second switch contact 105 set to a predetermined potential is connected to the ground contact 104 via the short-circuit conductive pad 51a, and the potential is lowered, and the voltage signal with the lowered potential is used as the card mounting signal. An output from the switch contact 105 to the electronic device on which the memory card connector 100 is mounted is made, and the attachment of the memory card 50 is recognized on the electronic device side.

  According to the memory card connector 100, one of the contacts to be connected to the conductive pad 51 also serves as one of a set of switch contacts for detecting the mounting of the memory card 50, so that the number of parts is reduced. At the same time, since the first switch contact and the second switch contact are movable in the movable region of the shared contact, it is not necessary to provide a space for elastically deforming the switch contact in the case, and the width of the case in the short direction ( In FIG. 7, the vertical width is not enlarged.

JP 2008-258101 A

  However, the conventional memory card connector 100 still needs to prepare one of a pair of switch contacts (second switch contact 105 in FIG. 7) for detecting the mounting of the memory card 50, and its mounting space. In the insulating case 102, the length of the insulating case 102 in the longitudinal direction becomes longer, so that the problem of increasing the mounting area on the printed wiring board by providing the detection mechanism cannot be solved. .

  In addition, since the leading ends of the first switch contact 104 and the second switch contact 105 face each other so as not to increase the width in the short direction of the insulating case 102, the memory card 50 is placed on the insulating case 102 side. In the memory card connector having a structure in which the card is received in the card receiving recess 101, the front end in the insertion direction of the memory card 50 may abut against the switch contacts 104 and 105, and the switch contacts 104 and 105 may be plastically deformed.

  Further, in the memory card connector that does not require the mounting detection mechanism of the memory card 50, the second switch contact 105 is not used, so that the step of attaching to the insulating case 102 can be omitted, but if the common insulating case 102 is used, Through the gap generated by the mounting space of the second switch contact 105, the flux when mounted on the printed wiring board enters the card housing recess 101, causing contact failure of the contact. Therefore, it is necessary to manufacture a memory card connector with a different insulation case.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such conventional problems, and provides a memory card connector capable of providing a memory card attachment detection mechanism without increasing the size of an insulating case. Objective.

  It is another object of the present invention to provide a memory card connector that can be manufactured in a common manufacturing process with a common component regardless of the presence or absence of a memory card mounting detection mechanism.

  In order to achieve the above object, a memory card connector according to claim 1 is insulated from a case in which a card housing portion for housing a memory card is formed and an elastic contact piece projecting into the card housing portion. A plurality of contacts that are attached to the case and contact each elastic contact piece projecting to the corresponding portion of the plurality of conductive pads of the memory card accommodated in the card accommodating portion and the memory card accommodated in the card accommodating portion. A memory card connector including a switch piece for outputting a card mounting signal indicating that the memory card is received in the card receiving recess to a switch pattern on the printed wiring board on which the case is mounted. In the contact of this type, the elastic contact piece is cantilevered by the fixed part fixed to the case, and the switch piece is free of the contact. The elastic contact piece is branched from the middle so as to face the switch pattern on the printed circuit board with a predetermined interval, and when the memory card is received in the card receiving portion, the elasticity of the contact is set. The most important feature is that the switch piece comes into contact with the switch pattern when the contact piece comes into contact with the conductive pad and elastically deforms.

  When the memory card is accommodated in the card accommodating portion, the elastic contact piece comes into contact with the conductive pad of the memory card and is pushed down, and the switch piece branched from the middle also descends and comes into contact with the opposing switch pattern. When the memory card is not accommodated in the card accommodating portion, the switch piece is separated from the switch pattern because an external force is not applied to the contact where the switch piece branches. Accordingly, by detecting the card mounting signal output from the switch piece on the switch pattern side, the mounting of the memory card can be detected.

  Further, in the memory card connector according to claim 2, the contact formed by branching the switch piece is connected to the grounding conductive pad of the memory card, and the switch piece is contacted to change the potential of the switch pattern. The voltage signal is a card mounting signal.

  A ground contact that is in contact with the grounding conductive pad of the memory card and is a part of a power supply line that supplies power to the memory card is a contact formed by branching a switch piece.

  By setting the switch pattern potential to be different from the ground potential of the contact formed by branching the switch piece, the card mounting signal whose potential fluctuates when the memory card is mounted in the card housing portion is switched. Output to the pattern.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the memory card has a simple configuration in which the switch piece is branched from one elastic contact piece of the plurality of contacts, and the switch pattern is formed on the printed wiring board facing the switch piece. A mounting detection mechanism can be provided.

  Since the switch contact for mounting detection is not separately attached to the case, the case does not increase in size and the mounting area on the printed wiring board does not increase.

  In addition, according to the necessity of the memory card attachment detection mechanism, it is possible to cope with wiring on the printed wiring board side whether or not to form a switch pattern without changing the structure of each component on the memory card connector side. A common memory card connector can be used.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since no switch piece is formed on the signal contact for inputting / outputting data stored in the memory card, noise generated by the contact and separation between the switch piece and the switch pattern is superimposed on the input / output signal. Without this, a memory card attachment detection mechanism can be provided.

  Further, by first bringing the elastic contact piece of the ground contact into contact with the grounding conductive pad of the memory card housed in the card housing portion, it is possible to take an electrostatic countermeasure for discharging static electricity charged in the memory card.

It is a perspective view which shows the state which opened the cover 2 of the connector 1 for memory cards which concerns on 1 embodiment of this invention. , 2 is a perspective view of the memory card connector 1 with a cover 2 removed. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of a printed wiring board 15 on which a memory card connector 1 is mounted. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a ground contact 5 from which a switch piece 4 is branched. The operation of the memory card connector 1 is shown, in which (a) shows a standby state before the memory card 50 is connected, (b) shows a state where the memory card 50 is arranged on the card accommodating portion 10, and (c). FIG. 4D is a cross-sectional view of the main part showing a state in which the memory card 50 is accommodated in the card accommodating part 10, and FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a mounting detection circuit 11 of a memory card 50. FIG. It is a top view of the conventional connector 100 for memory cards. It is a principal part side view of the conventional memory card connector 100. FIG.

  Hereinafter, a memory card connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the memory card connector 1 covers a case 3 in which eight contacts 5, 6, 7 are attached and insulated from each other, and an upper portion of the card housing portion 10 of the case 3. The cover 2 is comprised.

  The case 3 includes a metal frame 32 formed by bending a metal plate into a rectangular frame shape surrounding the outer periphery of the memory card 50 mounted from above, and a rectangular plate fixedly attached to the inner side surrounded by the metal frame 32. And an insulating base 31 in the form of a ring. Accordingly, the metal frame 32 surrounds the periphery of the insulating base 31 to form the card accommodating portion 10 that accommodates the memory card 50. The ground contact 5 and the power contact are connected to the insulating base 31 that forms the bottom surface of the card accommodating recess 10. Six and four signal contacts 7 are attached.

  Each contact 5, 6, 7 is formed by punching a single conductive metal plate by press molding and bending it into the shape shown in the figure, and is fixed to the insulating base 31 integrally by insert molding to the insulating base 31. Fixed contact portions 5a, 6a, and 7a, elastic contact pieces 5b, 6b, and 7b that are cantilevered and supported obliquely upward so as to face the card storage portion 10 from the fixed portions 5a, 6a, and 7a, and the fixed portions 5a, Leg portions 5c, 6c, and 7c projecting along the bottom surface of the insulating base 31 from 6a and 7a are provided.

Eight conductive pads 51 are exposed in a matrix of 2 rows and 4 columns on the bottom surface of the memory card 50 accommodated in the card accommodating portion 10, and the contacts 5, 6, 7 are cantilevered elastic contacts. It attaches to case 3 so that each top part of piece 5b, 6b, 7b may oppose the corresponding conductive pad 51. FIG. That is, when the memory card 50 is accommodated in the card accommodating portion 10, the elastic contact piece 5b of the ground contact 5 is connected to the conductive pad 51 to be grounded, and the elastic contact piece 6b of the power contact 6 is connected to the conductive pad 51 for power input. The elastic contact pieces 7b of the four signal contacts 7 are in elastic contact with the four conductive pads 51 for inputting / outputting data in the memory card 50, respectively.

  Further, on the printed wiring board 15 on which the memory card connector 1 is mounted, as shown in FIG. 3, a ground pattern 15a and a memory are formed at portions facing the legs 5c, 6c and 7c of the contacts 5, 6, and 7, respectively. The power supply pattern 15b set to the operating potential of the card 50 and the signal pattern 15c are printed and wired, and the legs 5c, 6c, and 7c are soldered to the corresponding patterns 15a, 15b, and 15c to be electrically connected.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a switch that is inclined downward from the middle of the elastic contact piece 5 b that is cantilevered upward to the free end side of the ground contact 5 toward the free end side. The piece 4 is branched and formed integrally. The lower end of the switch piece 4 is located on the printed wiring board 15 at a position where the respective leg portions 5c, 6c, 7c are soldered to the patterns 15a, 15b, 15c and the memory card connector 1 is mounted on the printed wiring board 15. The printed wiring switch patterns 15d face each other with a predetermined insulation interval.

  As will be described later, the switch piece 4 is configured to elastically contact the opposing switch pattern 15d when the elastic contact piece 5b abuts against the conductive pad 51 of the memory card 50 and is pushed down. A mounting detection circuit 11 for the memory card 50 shown in FIG. The switch pattern 15d is set so as to maintain a constant detection potential in a non-contact state with the switch piece 4. When the leg portion 5c is connected to the ground pattern 15a and contacts the switch piece 4 at the ground potential, the detection potential decreases. To do. That is, when the memory card 50 is accommodated in the card accommodating portion 10, the potential of the switch pattern 15d is lowered from the detection potential to the ground potential, and the voltage signal that changes the potential is used as a card mounting signal. Is output to an electronic device (not shown) that contains the memory card 50, the electronic device recognizes that the memory card 50 is connected.

  The elastic contact pieces 6b and 7b of the other contacts 6 and 7 are each composed of a pair of elastic pieces branched from the fixing portions 6a and 7a to be bifurcated so as to be electrically connected to the corresponding conductive pads 51 more reliably. At least one of the elastic pieces is in elastic contact with the conductive pad 51.

  A window hole is formed at the position where the elastic contact pieces 5b, 6b, 7b of the eight contacts 5, 6, 7 of the insulating base 31 and the switch piece 4 are disposed, and the elastic contact piece 5b facing the card accommodating portion 10 is formed. , 6b, 7b and the switch piece 4 are bent vertically without interfering with the insulating base 31. Further, the positions where the legs 5c, 6c, 7c of the eight contacts 5, 6, 7 are arranged are cut out, and the solder connection state of the legs 5c, 6c, 7c is visually observed from above through the notches. And confirm it.

  In FIG. 2, the cover 2 is connected to the front of a metal frame 32 formed along the left and right sides of the card accommodating portion 10 so as to be rotatable and slidable in the front-rear direction. Further, the left and right metal frame bodies 32 also serve as guide portions for guiding the cover 2 in the front-rear direction, and engage with the engaging portion 2a of the cover 2 at a lock position behind the cover 2 (downward in FIG. 2). And the lock | rock part 8 which locks rotation of the cover 2 is formed in the U shape outside.

  If there is no need to recognize that the memory card 50 is connected on the electronic device side, the memory card connector 1 having the same configuration is mounted on the printed wiring board 15 on which the switch pattern 15d is not formed. Thus, the memory card connector 1 manufactured in the same process can be shared regardless of the presence or absence of the attachment detection circuit 11. Furthermore, if the card mounting signal flowing in the switch pattern 15d is ignored on the electronic device side, the configuration of the printed wiring board 15 can be shared without changing.

  The operation when the memory card 50 is connected to the thus configured memory card connector 1 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 5A, in the standby state before the memory card 50 is connected, the elastic contact pieces 5b, 6b, 7b of the contacts 5, 6, 7 protrude into the card housing portion 10 and the switch piece 4 Is located in a window hole of the insulating base 31 spaced apart from the printed wiring board 15 by a predetermined distance. Accordingly, the switch piece 4 and the switch pattern 15d are insulated, and the mounting detection circuit 11 shown in FIG. 6 is opened.

  In this standby state, the cover 2 can be opened to accommodate the memory card 50 from above the card accommodating portion 10, and when the memory card 50 is mounted, as shown in FIG. The memory card 50 is inserted from above into the card housing portion 10 surrounded by.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5C, when the cover 2 is closed, the elastic contact pieces 5 b, 6 b, 7 b of the contacts 5, 6, 7 are brought into elastic contact with the corresponding conductive pads 51 of the memory card 50.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5 (d), when the cover 2 is rotated to a horizontal position parallel to the plane of the memory card 50, the elastic contact piece 5 b of the ground contact 5 contacts the conductive pad 51 of the memory card 50. The switch piece 4 that is pushed down in contact and bent downward about the fixing portion 5a and branched from the middle of the elastic contact piece 5b is also lowered in conjunction. As a result, the lower end of the switch piece 4 comes into elastic contact with the opposing switch pattern 15d of the printed wiring board 15, and the mounting detection circuit 11 shown in FIG. 6 is closed, and the detection potential is changed to the ground potential via the switch pattern 15d. Decreasing card insertion signal is output.

  In this state, when the horizontally closed cover 2 is slid to the lock position along the plane of the memory card 50, the rotation of the cover 2 covering the memory card 50 accommodated in the card accommodating portion 10 is restricted, and each contact The memory card 50 in which the elastic contact pieces 5b, 6b, and 7b of 5, 6, and 7 are electrically connected to the conductive pad 51 is maintained without being inadvertently pulled out from the card housing portion 10.

  When the cover 2 is operated in the reverse order as described above and opened in the rotating position, the memory card 50 can be extracted from the card accommodating portion 10, and when the memory card 50 is extracted, the elastic contact pieces of the contacts 5, 6, 7 are extracted. 5b, 6b, and 7b return to the state shown in FIG. Accordingly, the switch piece 4 is also separated from the switch pattern 15d, and the attachment detection circuit 11 shown in FIG. 6 is opened, so that the electronic device can recognize that the memory card 50 has been taken out.

  In the above-described embodiment, the memory card 50 is mounted from the upper side of the card housing portion 10. However, the memory card connector is used to insert the memory card 50 into the card housing portion 10 along the horizontal direction from the side of the case 3. May be.

  The switch piece 4 is branched from the middle of the elastic contact piece 5b toward the free end along the elastic contact piece 5b, but is formed toward the fixed end side opposite to the elastic contact piece 5b. May be.

  Further, although the switch piece 4 is formed by branching from the elastic contact piece 5b of the ground contact 5, it may be formed by branching from the elastic contact pieces 6b, 7b of the other contacts 6, 7. . When branching from the elastic contact piece 6b of the power contact 6, the switch pattern 15d can be set to a potential different from the potential of the power contact 6, and a voltage signal whose potential varies can be used as a card mounting signal. Further, when branching from the elastic contact piece 7b of the signal contact 7, the connection of the memory card 50 can be output to the electronic device using the signal flowing through the signal contact as a card mounting signal.

  Suitable for memory card connectors that connect memory cards to electronic devices such as mobile phones.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Memory card connector 3 Case 4 Switch piece 5 Ground contact 6 Power supply contact 7 Signal contact 5a, 6a, 7a Fixed part 5b, 6b, 7b Elastic contact piece 5c, 6c, 7c Leg 10 Card accommodation part 15 Printed wiring board 15a Ground pattern 15b Power supply pattern 15c Signal pattern 15d Switch pattern 50 Memory card 51 Conductive pad

Claims (2)

A case in which a card accommodating portion for accommodating a memory card is formed;
A plurality of elastic contact pieces that are attached to the case and insulated from each other so that the elastic contact pieces protrude into the card housing portion, and that contact each of the plurality of conductive pads of the memory card housed in the card housing portion. Contacts,
A switch piece that responds to the memory card accommodated in the card accommodating portion and outputs a card mounting signal indicating that the memory card is accommodated in the card accommodating recess to the switch pattern on the printed wiring board on which the case is mounted. A memory card connector comprising:
One contact has a resilient contact piece cantilevered by a fixed part fixed to the case, and the switch piece faces the switch pattern on the printed wiring board with a predetermined interval in a free state of the contact. Formed by branching from the middle of the elastic contact piece,
A connector for a memory card, wherein when the memory card is received in the card receiving portion, the elastic contact piece of the contact comes into contact with the conductive pad and elastically deforms, whereby the switch piece comes into contact with the switch pattern. The contact formed by branching the switch piece is connected to a grounding conductive pad of the memory card, and a voltage signal that changes the potential of the switch pattern by contacting the switch piece is used as a card mounting signal. Item 10. The memory card connector according to Item 1.

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