WO2005017811A2 - Memory card connector with improved grounding system - Google Patents

Memory card connector with improved grounding system Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2005017811A2
WO2005017811A2 PCT/US2004/016215 US2004016215W WO2005017811A2 WO 2005017811 A2 WO2005017811 A2 WO 2005017811A2 US 2004016215 W US2004016215 W US 2004016215W WO 2005017811 A2 WO2005017811 A2 WO 2005017811A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
memory card
circuit board
side wall
printed circuit
section
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2004/016215
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
WO2005017811A3 (en
WO2005017811B1 (en
Inventor
Hao Qui Jin
Original Assignee
Molex Incorporated
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Molex Incorporated filed Critical Molex Incorporated
Publication of WO2005017811A2 publication Critical patent/WO2005017811A2/en
Publication of WO2005017811A3 publication Critical patent/WO2005017811A3/en
Publication of WO2005017811B1 publication Critical patent/WO2005017811B1/en

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
    • G06K7/00—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns
    • G06K7/0013—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns by galvanic contacts, e.g. card connectors for ISO-7816 compliant smart cards or memory cards, e.g. SD card readers
    • G06K7/0047—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns by galvanic contacts, e.g. card connectors for ISO-7816 compliant smart cards or memory cards, e.g. SD card readers for reading/sensing record carriers having edge contacts
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
    • G06K13/00—Conveying record carriers from one station to another, e.g. from stack to punching mechanism
    • G06K13/02—Conveying record carriers from one station to another, e.g. from stack to punching mechanism the record carrier having longitudinal dimension comparable with transverse dimension, e.g. punched card
    • G06K13/08—Feeding or discharging cards
    • G06K13/085—Feeding or discharging cards using an arrangement for locking the inserted card
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
    • G06K7/00—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns
    • G06K7/0013—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns by galvanic contacts, e.g. card connectors for ISO-7816 compliant smart cards or memory cards, e.g. SD card readers
    • G06K7/0034—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns by galvanic contacts, e.g. card connectors for ISO-7816 compliant smart cards or memory cards, e.g. SD card readers the connector being capable of simultaneously receiving a plurality of cards in the same insertion slot
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
    • G06K7/00—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns
    • G06K7/0013—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns by galvanic contacts, e.g. card connectors for ISO-7816 compliant smart cards or memory cards, e.g. SD card readers
    • G06K7/0056—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns by galvanic contacts, e.g. card connectors for ISO-7816 compliant smart cards or memory cards, e.g. SD card readers housing of the card connector
    • G06K7/0082—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns by galvanic contacts, e.g. card connectors for ISO-7816 compliant smart cards or memory cards, e.g. SD card readers housing of the card connector comprising an arrangement for protection against electrostatic discharge, e.g. by grounding part of the conductive housing
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R12/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
    • H01R12/70—Coupling devices
    • H01R12/71—Coupling devices for rigid printing circuits or like structures
    • H01R12/712—Coupling devices for rigid printing circuits or like structures co-operating with the surface of the printed circuit or with a coupling device exclusively provided on the surface of the printed circuit

Definitions

  • This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, particularly, to a memory card connector having improved grounding members.
  • Memory cards are known in the art and contain intelligence in the form of a memory circuit or other electronic program. Some form of card reader reads the information or memory stored on the card. Such cards are used in many applications in today's electronic society, including video cameras, digital still cameras, smartphones, music players, ATMs, cable television decoders, toys, games, PC adapters, multi-media cards and other electronic applications.
  • a memory card includes a contact or terminal array for connection through a card connector to a card reader system and then to external equipment.
  • the connector readily accommodates insertion and removal of the card to provide quick access to the information and program on the card.
  • the card connector includes terminals for yieldingly engaging the contact array of the memory card.
  • a typical memory card connector includes an insulating housing structure usually having a lateral terminal-mounting section across the rear of the connector.
  • the contacts or terminals of the connector are mounted on this lateral section.
  • the housing may have one or two legs projecting at right angles forwardly from one or both sides or ends of the lateral section.
  • the insulating housing of such connectors typically is molded of dielectric plastic material into the desired shape.
  • the terminals are stamped and formed of a sheet metal material having a high resiliency, such as phosphor bronze.
  • the connector often is mounted on the top surface of a printed circuit board, and solder tail portions of the terminals are connected, as by a reflow soldering process, to appropriate circuit traces on the board.
  • the connector includes a dielectric housing, generally designated 20, which includes a rear terminal-mounting section 22 and a pair of side wall sections 24 extending forwardly from opposite ends of the rear section to define a receiving space 26 for receiving a memory card 28 inserted thereinto in the direction of arrow "A".
  • the rear section 22 mounts a plurality of terminals 29 for engaging appropriate contacts on the memory card when inserted into the connector.
  • Some memory card connectors have grounding systems for grounding the memory card to the printed circuit board.
  • grounding clips which are mounted on the connector housing and establish an electrical connection from ground contacts on the memory card, through the grounding clips, to ground circuit pads on the printed circuit board.
  • grounding clips tend to cause various problems. For instance, the clips have a tendency to loosen on the connector housing and deteriorate the grounding connection. Also, even if the grounding clips are fixed rigidly to the connector housing, they often do not provide a good positive connection with the memory card or with the printed circuit board or both.
  • the present invention is directed to solving the various problems of such prior grounding systems.
  • An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a memory card connector with a new and improved grounding system which includes improved grounding members.
  • a memory card connector is provided for mounting on a printed circuit board.
  • the connector includes an insulative housing having a rear terminal-mounting section mounting a plurality of terminals for engaging appropriate contacts on a memory card and defining at least part of a receptacle for receiving a mating end of the memory card.
  • a side wall section extends forwardly from at least one end of the rear section.
  • a grounding member is mounted on the side wall section for grounding the memory card to the printed circuit board.
  • the grounding member includes an arm portion for engaging a ground contact on the memory card and a base portion sandwiched between the side wall section and the circuit board to hold the base portion into positive contact with an appropriate ground pad on the printed circuit board.
  • the arm portion of the grounding member has a protruding detent for establishing a more positive contact engagement with the ground contact on the memory card.
  • the base portion also has a downwardly protruding detent for establishing a more positive contact engagement with the ground pad on the printed circuit board.
  • the grounding member is L-shaped, with the base portion being generally parallel to the printed circuit board and the arm portion being generally perpendicular to the printed circuit board.
  • the arm portion is located inside a wall of the side wall section which acts as a back-up for the arm portion.
  • the side wall section is generally L-shaped in cross-section as defined by a bottom wall generally parallel to the printed circuit board and an upright wall generally perpendicular to the printed circuit board.
  • the base portion of the grounding member is located beneath the bottom wall of the side wall section.
  • the arm portion of the grounding member is located inside the upright wall of the side wall section.
  • the arm portion is located at least partially in a recess in an inside surface of the upright wall of the side wall section.
  • a pair of the side wall sections extend forwardly from opposite ends of the rear terminal-mounting member. At least one of the grounding members is mounted on each side wall section.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art memory card connector mounted on a circuit board for receiving a memory card, as described in the Background, above;
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the grounding members according to the invention;
  • FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a memory card connector according to the invention with the components thereof in disassembled condition;
  • FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to that of FIG. 2, with the connector in assembled condition;
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art memory card connector mounted on a circuit board for receiving a memory card, as described in the Background, above;
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the grounding members according to the invention;
  • FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a memory card connector according to the invention with the components thereof in disassembled condition;
  • FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to that of FIG. 2, with the connector in assembled condition;
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art memory card connector mounted on a
  • FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view similar to that of FIG. 2, on a reduced scale and including a cover for the connector;
  • FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the connector in conjunction with a pair of reduced-size memory cards and a circuit board;
  • FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the two memory cards of FIG. 6 inserted into the assembled connector;
  • FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the connector mounted on the circuit board and about to receive a single memory card;
  • FIG. 9 is a view similar to that of FIG. 8, but with the connector about to receive a single reduced-size memory card;
  • FIG. 10 is a bottom perspective view of the memory card shown in FIG. 8; and
  • FIG. 11 is a bottom perspective view of the reduced-size memory card shown in FIG. 9 and other selected views.
  • a first embodiment of a memory card connector includes an insulative housing, generally designated 32, having an elongated rear terminal-mounting section 34 defining a receptacle 36 for receiving a mating end of a memory card, as described hereinafter.
  • a plurality of conductive terminals 42 are mounted on rear section 34 of the housing for engaging appropriate contacts at the mating end of the memory card(s) when inserted into receptacle 36.
  • the terminals are divided into two groups on opposite sides of center wall section 40 as can be seen clearly in FIGS. 3 and 4.
  • Rear terminal-mounting section 34 is a one-piece structure molded of dielectric plastic material.
  • the rear section is elongated and includes a pair of end supports 34a.
  • a pair of end connecting fingers 34b project forwardly from end supports 34a, and a third or center connecting finger 34c projects forwardly from the rear section at a mid-point thereof.
  • a guide finger 36d projects forwardly from a mid-point of the rear section, aligned above center connecting finger 34c and within receptacle 36.
  • the housing is fixed to a circuit board, described hereinafter, by metal "fitting nails" 43 at opposite ends thereof.
  • Each side wall section 38 also is a one-piece structure and is molded of dielectric plastic material.
  • Each side wall section is generally L-shaped in cross section and includes an upright side wall 38a and an inwardly projecting bottom wall 38b. As viewed in the drawings, the side wall is generally vertical and the bottom wall is generally horizontal.
  • the side walls are guide walls for the memory card(s).
  • a pair of cut-outs or recesses 38c are formed in the inside surface of the vertical side wall.
  • a pair of chamfered latch bosses 38d project outwardly from the outside of the side wall.
  • a pair of positioning pins 38e project downwardly from the bottom of the horizontal bottom wall, and pairs of holes 38f are formed through the bottom wall.
  • a pair of mounting posts 38g project downwardly from bottom wall 38b for mounting the side wall section in a pair of holes in a printed circuit board, as will be seen hereinafter.
  • a rear positioning notch 38h is formed in the bottom wall immediately adjacent the inside surface of the side wall, and a similar notch 38i is formed at the front of the bottom wall. Notches 38i are card stabilizing notches.
  • Center wall section 40 is molded of plastic material and includes a pair of mounting posts 40a projecting from the bottom thereof for insertion into appropriate mounting holes in the printed circuit board.
  • a plurality of positioning pins 40b also project downwardly from the center wall section.
  • a front card stabilizing notch 40c and a rear notch 40d are formed in opposite ends of the center wall section.
  • a partition rib 40e runs the length of the center wall section.
  • the partitioning rib is a guide rib for the reduced-size memory cards, as will be seen hereinafter.
  • grounding members 46 are mounted in side wall sections 38. Two grounding members are shown, but four grounding members can be mounted in the side wall sections.
  • Each grounding member 46 is generally L-shaped and includes a generally horizontal base 46a and a vertical or upright arm 46b.
  • a pair of side wings 46c project upwardly from opposite side edges of the base.
  • a downwardly projecting detent 46d is embossed or formed from base 46a, and an inwardly projecting detent 46e is embossed or formed out of upright arm 46b.
  • Grounding members 46 are assembled to side wall sections 48 from bottom to top by pushing each grounding member upwardly through a hole into the bottom of a respective side wall section so that the upright arm 46b of the grounding member becomes inserted into a respective one of the recesses 38c in the side wall section. This can be seen in FIG. 4. When fully inserted, side wings 46c of the grounding member are press-fit into a pair of the holes 38f of the side wall section.
  • the inwardly projecting detents 46e on the upright arms will engage grounding contacts on the memory card(s).
  • Side walls 38a of the side wall sections within recesses 38c, provide rigid back up means for arms 46b and detents 46e of the grounding members.
  • the bottom walls 38b of the side wall sections lay on top of the bases 46a of grounding members 46.
  • the downwardly projecting detents 46d on the bases of the grounding members will engage grounding circuit pads on the printed circuit board. Therefore, the memory card(s) are grounded to the circuit board through grounding members 46 which are mounted on side wall sections 38, as described.
  • Inwardly protruding detents 46e and downwardly protruding detents 46d establish a more positive contact engagement with the memory card and the circuit board, respectively, with detents 46e being rigidly backed-up by side walls 38a and detents 46d being rigidly backed-up by bottom walls 38b.
  • the rear terminal-mounting section 34 of housing 32 is detachably assembled to side wall sections 38 and center wall section 40 as shown in FIG. 4. During assembly, end connecting fingers 34b of the rear section are press-fit into rear positioning notches 38h at the rear of the side wall sections. In addition, center connecting finger 34c of the rear section is press-fit into rear notch 40d of center wall section 40, as shown.
  • the cover for positioning onto housing 32 of the memory card connector.
  • the cover is stamped and formed of sheet metal material and includes a top wall 48a and a pair of side walls 48b.
  • the side walls overlie side wall sections 38 and end supports 34a of rear section 34 of the housing.
  • a pair of latch openings 48c are formed in each side wall.
  • a pair of grounding tabs 48d project outwardly from the bottom of each side wall.
  • a pair of latch arms 48e project forwardly from each side wall.
  • a pair of cantilevered grounding arms 48f are stamped and formed out of the top wall at opposite sides thereof.
  • FIGS. 3-6 show two linear groupings of circuit traces 64 on circuit board 54. These circuit traces are connected, as by soldering, to appropriate solder tails of the two groups of terminals 42. The solder tails of the terminals are not visible in the drawings.
  • FIGS. 6 and 7 show memory card connector 30 in conjunction with circuit board 54, with FIG. 7 showing the connector mounted to the board.
  • FIGS. 1 and 2 show a pair of reduced-size memory cards 66 for mounting in the connector.
  • mounting posts 38g of side wall sections 38 are inserted into mounting holes 52 of the circuit board, and positioning pins 38e of the side wall sections are inserted into positioning holes 68 in the circuit board.
  • Mounting posts 40a of center wall section 40 are inserted into mounting holes 62 in the circuit board, while positioning pins 40b are inserted into positioning holes 70 in the circuit board.
  • Detents 46d on bases 46a of grounding members 46 will engage a pair of ground pads 72 on the circuit board.
  • Grounding tabs 48d (Fig. 5) of cover 48 will engage ground pads 74 on the circuit board. Still referring to FIGS.
  • each reduced-size memory card 66 includes a recessed mating end 76 which contains appropriate contacts for engaging the two groups of te ⁇ ninals 42.
  • the sides of the memory cards include ground contacts 78 for engaging the embossed detents 46e on upright arms 46b of ground members 46.
  • Cantilevered grounding arms 48f of cover 48 engage the top edges of ground contacts 78.
  • the memory cards are provided with downwardly depending stabilizing projections 80 which are positioned into the front stabilizing notches 38i of side wall sections 38 and into forward stabilizing notch 40c of center wall section 40 to prevent the memory cards from shifting in the connector.
  • Each memory card also includes a notch 82 in each opposite side thereof near the front end of the memory card for receiving latch arms 48e of cover 48.
  • FIG. 8 shows a single, larger memory card 66A for insertion into memory card connector 30 mounted on circuit board 54.
  • the larger memory card has a recessed mating end 76 with arrays of contacts for engaging the two groups of terminals 42.
  • memory card 66A has ground contacts 78 on opposite sides thereof, as well as stabilizing projections 80 and notches 82.
  • FIG. 9 simply shows that memory card connector 30 can be used to receive a single reduced-size memory card 66 and does not necessarily have to receive two reduced-size cards. In other words, the connector can receive one or two reduced-size cards or one larger size card.
  • FIG. 9 simply shows that memory card connector 30 can be used to receive a single reduced-size memory card 66 and does not necessarily have to receive two reduced-size cards. In other words, the connector can receive one or two reduced-size cards or one larger size card.
  • FIG. 10 shows that the larger memory card 66A has a groove 94 in the underside thereof to accommodate the positioning rib 40e of center wall section 40 or the positioning ribs 40e' of the metal center wall section 40'.
  • FIG. 11 shows that the reduced-size memory cards 66 are provided with elongated notches 96 to accommodate the positioning rib 40e of center wall section 40 or the positioning ribs 40e' of metal center wall sections 40'.

Abstract

A memory card connector (30) is provided for mounting on a printed circuit board. The connector includes an insulative housing (32) having a rear terminal-mounting section (34) mounting a plurality of terminals for engaging appropriate contacts on a memory card and defining at least part of a receptacle for receiving a mating end of the memory card. A side wall section (38) extends forwardly from at least one end of the rear section. A grounding member is mounted on the side wall section for grounding the memory card to the printed circuit board. The grounding member (46) includes an arm portion (46b) for engaging a ground contact on the memory card and a base portion (46a) sandwiched between the side wall section and the circuit board to hold the base portion in positive contact with an appropriate ground pad (72) on the printed circuit board.

Description

Attorney Reference: A3-355PCT MEMORY CARD CONNECTOR WITH IMPROVED GROUNDING SYSTEM
Field of the Invention: This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, particularly, to a memory card connector having improved grounding members.
Background of the Invention: Memory cards are known in the art and contain intelligence in the form of a memory circuit or other electronic program. Some form of card reader reads the information or memory stored on the card. Such cards are used in many applications in today's electronic society, including video cameras, digital still cameras, smartphones, music players, ATMs, cable television decoders, toys, games, PC adapters, multi-media cards and other electronic applications. Typically, a memory card includes a contact or terminal array for connection through a card connector to a card reader system and then to external equipment. The connector readily accommodates insertion and removal of the card to provide quick access to the information and program on the card. The card connector includes terminals for yieldingly engaging the contact array of the memory card. A typical memory card connector includes an insulating housing structure usually having a lateral terminal-mounting section across the rear of the connector. The contacts or terminals of the connector are mounted on this lateral section. The housing may have one or two legs projecting at right angles forwardly from one or both sides or ends of the lateral section. The insulating housing of such connectors typically is molded of dielectric plastic material into the desired shape. The terminals are stamped and formed of a sheet metal material having a high resiliency, such as phosphor bronze. The connector often is mounted on the top surface of a printed circuit board, and solder tail portions of the terminals are connected, as by a reflow soldering process, to appropriate circuit traces on the board. FIG. 1 shows a memory card connector, generally designated 16, according to the prior art as described above and mounted on a printed circuit board 18. The connector includes a dielectric housing, generally designated 20, which includes a rear terminal-mounting section 22 and a pair of side wall sections 24 extending forwardly from opposite ends of the rear section to define a receiving space 26 for receiving a memory card 28 inserted thereinto in the direction of arrow "A". The rear section 22 mounts a plurality of terminals 29 for engaging appropriate contacts on the memory card when inserted into the connector. Some memory card connectors have grounding systems for grounding the memory card to the printed circuit board. Typically, this is accomplished by one or more metal grounding clips which are mounted on the connector housing and establish an electrical connection from ground contacts on the memory card, through the grounding clips, to ground circuit pads on the printed circuit board. These grounding clips tend to cause various problems. For instance, the clips have a tendency to loosen on the connector housing and deteriorate the grounding connection. Also, even if the grounding clips are fixed rigidly to the connector housing, they often do not provide a good positive connection with the memory card or with the printed circuit board or both. The present invention is directed to solving the various problems of such prior grounding systems.
Summary of the Invention: An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a memory card connector with a new and improved grounding system which includes improved grounding members. In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, a memory card connector is provided for mounting on a printed circuit board. The connector includes an insulative housing having a rear terminal-mounting section mounting a plurality of terminals for engaging appropriate contacts on a memory card and defining at least part of a receptacle for receiving a mating end of the memory card. A side wall section extends forwardly from at least one end of the rear section. A grounding member is mounted on the side wall section for grounding the memory card to the printed circuit board. The grounding member includes an arm portion for engaging a ground contact on the memory card and a base portion sandwiched between the side wall section and the circuit board to hold the base portion into positive contact with an appropriate ground pad on the printed circuit board. According to one aspect of the invention, the arm portion of the grounding member has a protruding detent for establishing a more positive contact engagement with the ground contact on the memory card. The base portion also has a downwardly protruding detent for establishing a more positive contact engagement with the ground pad on the printed circuit board. According to another aspect of the invention, the grounding member is L-shaped, with the base portion being generally parallel to the printed circuit board and the arm portion being generally perpendicular to the printed circuit board. The arm portion is located inside a wall of the side wall section which acts as a back-up for the arm portion. According to a further aspect of the invention, the side wall section is generally L-shaped in cross-section as defined by a bottom wall generally parallel to the printed circuit board and an upright wall generally perpendicular to the printed circuit board. The base portion of the grounding member is located beneath the bottom wall of the side wall section. The arm portion of the grounding member is located inside the upright wall of the side wall section. In the preferred embodiment, the arm portion is located at least partially in a recess in an inside surface of the upright wall of the side wall section. In the preferred embodiment, a pair of the side wall sections extend forwardly from opposite ends of the rear terminal-mounting member. At least one of the grounding members is mounted on each side wall section. Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings: The features of this invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with its objects and the advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements in the figures and in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art memory card connector mounted on a circuit board for receiving a memory card, as described in the Background, above; FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the grounding members according to the invention; FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a memory card connector according to the invention with the components thereof in disassembled condition; FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to that of FIG. 2, with the connector in assembled condition; FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view similar to that of FIG. 2, on a reduced scale and including a cover for the connector; FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the connector in conjunction with a pair of reduced-size memory cards and a circuit board; FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the two memory cards of FIG. 6 inserted into the assembled connector; FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the connector mounted on the circuit board and about to receive a single memory card; FIG. 9 is a view similar to that of FIG. 8, but with the connector about to receive a single reduced-size memory card; FIG. 10 is a bottom perspective view of the memory card shown in FIG. 8; and FIG. 11 is a bottom perspective view of the reduced-size memory card shown in FIG. 9 and other selected views.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments: Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and first to FIGS. 3 and 4, a first embodiment of a memory card connector, generally designated 30, includes an insulative housing, generally designated 32, having an elongated rear terminal-mounting section 34 defining a receptacle 36 for receiving a mating end of a memory card, as described hereinafter. A pair of longitudinal side wall sections, generally designated 38, extend forwardly from opposite ends of the rear section. A center wall section, generally designated 40, extends forwardly from a mid-point of the rear section to divide receptacle 36 into two portions for receiving a pair of reduced-size memory cards (described hereinafter) between the center wall section and the two side wall sections. A plurality of conductive terminals 42 are mounted on rear section 34 of the housing for engaging appropriate contacts at the mating end of the memory card(s) when inserted into receptacle 36. The terminals are divided into two groups on opposite sides of center wall section 40 as can be seen clearly in FIGS. 3 and 4. Rear terminal-mounting section 34 is a one-piece structure molded of dielectric plastic material. The rear section is elongated and includes a pair of end supports 34a. A pair of end connecting fingers 34b project forwardly from end supports 34a, and a third or center connecting finger 34c projects forwardly from the rear section at a mid-point thereof. A guide finger 36d projects forwardly from a mid-point of the rear section, aligned above center connecting finger 34c and within receptacle 36. The housing is fixed to a circuit board, described hereinafter, by metal "fitting nails" 43 at opposite ends thereof. Each side wall section 38 also is a one-piece structure and is molded of dielectric plastic material. Each side wall section is generally L-shaped in cross section and includes an upright side wall 38a and an inwardly projecting bottom wall 38b. As viewed in the drawings, the side wall is generally vertical and the bottom wall is generally horizontal. The side walls are guide walls for the memory card(s). A pair of cut-outs or recesses 38c are formed in the inside surface of the vertical side wall. A pair of chamfered latch bosses 38d project outwardly from the outside of the side wall. A pair of positioning pins 38e project downwardly from the bottom of the horizontal bottom wall, and pairs of holes 38f are formed through the bottom wall. A pair of mounting posts 38g project downwardly from bottom wall 38b for mounting the side wall section in a pair of holes in a printed circuit board, as will be seen hereinafter. A rear positioning notch 38h is formed in the bottom wall immediately adjacent the inside surface of the side wall, and a similar notch 38i is formed at the front of the bottom wall. Notches 38i are card stabilizing notches. Center wall section 40 is molded of plastic material and includes a pair of mounting posts 40a projecting from the bottom thereof for insertion into appropriate mounting holes in the printed circuit board. A plurality of positioning pins 40b also project downwardly from the center wall section. A front card stabilizing notch 40c and a rear notch 40d are formed in opposite ends of the center wall section. Finally, a partition rib 40e runs the length of the center wall section. The partitioning rib is a guide rib for the reduced-size memory cards, as will be seen hereinafter. Referring to FIG. 2 in conjunction with FIGS. 3 and 4, at least one, or more, grounding members, generally designated 46, are mounted in side wall sections 38. Two grounding members are shown, but four grounding members can be mounted in the side wall sections. Each grounding member 46 is generally L-shaped and includes a generally horizontal base 46a and a vertical or upright arm 46b. A pair of side wings 46c project upwardly from opposite side edges of the base. A downwardly projecting detent 46d is embossed or formed from base 46a, and an inwardly projecting detent 46e is embossed or formed out of upright arm 46b. Grounding members 46 are assembled to side wall sections 48 from bottom to top by pushing each grounding member upwardly through a hole into the bottom of a respective side wall section so that the upright arm 46b of the grounding member becomes inserted into a respective one of the recesses 38c in the side wall section. This can be seen in FIG. 4. When fully inserted, side wings 46c of the grounding member are press-fit into a pair of the holes 38f of the side wall section. When fully inserted, the inwardly projecting detents 46e on the upright arms will engage grounding contacts on the memory card(s). Side walls 38a of the side wall sections, within recesses 38c, provide rigid back up means for arms 46b and detents 46e of the grounding members. The bottom walls 38b of the side wall sections lay on top of the bases 46a of grounding members 46. The downwardly projecting detents 46d on the bases of the grounding members will engage grounding circuit pads on the printed circuit board. Therefore, the memory card(s) are grounded to the circuit board through grounding members 46 which are mounted on side wall sections 38, as described. Inwardly protruding detents 46e and downwardly protruding detents 46d establish a more positive contact engagement with the memory card and the circuit board, respectively, with detents 46e being rigidly backed-up by side walls 38a and detents 46d being rigidly backed-up by bottom walls 38b. The rear terminal-mounting section 34 of housing 32 is detachably assembled to side wall sections 38 and center wall section 40 as shown in FIG. 4. During assembly, end connecting fingers 34b of the rear section are press-fit into rear positioning notches 38h at the rear of the side wall sections. In addition, center connecting finger 34c of the rear section is press-fit into rear notch 40d of center wall section 40, as shown. FIG. 5 shows a cover 48 for positioning onto housing 32 of the memory card connector. Specifically, the cover is stamped and formed of sheet metal material and includes a top wall 48a and a pair of side walls 48b. The side walls overlie side wall sections 38 and end supports 34a of rear section 34 of the housing. A pair of latch openings 48c are formed in each side wall. A pair of grounding tabs 48d project outwardly from the bottom of each side wall. A pair of latch arms 48e project forwardly from each side wall. Finally, a pair of cantilevered grounding arms 48f are stamped and formed out of the top wall at opposite sides thereof. When cover 48 is assembled, latch openings 48c snap into latching engagement with the chamfered latch bosses 38d of side wall sections 38. Grounding tabs 48d of the cover form solder tails for fixing the cover to the circuit board and also grounding the cover to the board to provide good shielding and EMI protection for the connector. Cantilevered grounding arms 48f engage ground portions on top of the memory card(s) and latch arms 48e hold the memory card(s) in the connector. At this point, it should be noted that FIGS. 3-6 show two linear groupings of circuit traces 64 on circuit board 54. These circuit traces are connected, as by soldering, to appropriate solder tails of the two groups of terminals 42. The solder tails of the terminals are not visible in the drawings. FIGS. 6 and 7 show memory card connector 30 in conjunction with circuit board 54, with FIG. 7 showing the connector mounted to the board. These two depictions also show a pair of reduced-size memory cards 66 for mounting in the connector. When the connector is mounted onto circuit board 54, mounting posts 38g of side wall sections 38 are inserted into mounting holes 52 of the circuit board, and positioning pins 38e of the side wall sections are inserted into positioning holes 68 in the circuit board. Mounting posts 40a of center wall section 40 are inserted into mounting holes 62 in the circuit board, while positioning pins 40b are inserted into positioning holes 70 in the circuit board. Detents 46d on bases 46a of grounding members 46 will engage a pair of ground pads 72 on the circuit board. Grounding tabs 48d (Fig. 5) of cover 48 will engage ground pads 74 on the circuit board. Still referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, each reduced-size memory card 66 includes a recessed mating end 76 which contains appropriate contacts for engaging the two groups of teπninals 42. The sides of the memory cards include ground contacts 78 for engaging the embossed detents 46e on upright arms 46b of ground members 46. Cantilevered grounding arms 48f of cover 48 engage the top edges of ground contacts 78. The memory cards are provided with downwardly depending stabilizing projections 80 which are positioned into the front stabilizing notches 38i of side wall sections 38 and into forward stabilizing notch 40c of center wall section 40 to prevent the memory cards from shifting in the connector. Each memory card also includes a notch 82 in each opposite side thereof near the front end of the memory card for receiving latch arms 48e of cover 48. FIG. 8 shows a single, larger memory card 66A for insertion into memory card connector 30 mounted on circuit board 54. The larger memory card has a recessed mating end 76 with arrays of contacts for engaging the two groups of terminals 42. Like the reduced-size memory cards 66, memory card 66A has ground contacts 78 on opposite sides thereof, as well as stabilizing projections 80 and notches 82. FIG. 9 simply shows that memory card connector 30 can be used to receive a single reduced-size memory card 66 and does not necessarily have to receive two reduced-size cards. In other words, the connector can receive one or two reduced-size cards or one larger size card. FIG. 10 shows that the larger memory card 66A has a groove 94 in the underside thereof to accommodate the positioning rib 40e of center wall section 40 or the positioning ribs 40e' of the metal center wall section 40'. FIG. 11 shows that the reduced-size memory cards 66 are provided with elongated notches 96 to accommodate the positioning rib 40e of center wall section 40 or the positioning ribs 40e' of metal center wall sections 40'. It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.

Claims

CLAIMS: What is claimed is: 1. A memory card connector for mounting on a printed circuit board, comprising: an insulative housing having a rear terminal-mounting section mounting a plurality of terminals for engaging appropriate contacts on a memory card and defining at least part of a receptacle for receiving a mating end of the memory card, and a side wall section extending forwardly from at least one end of the rear section; and a grounding member mounted on said side wall section for grounding the memory card to the printed circuit board, the grounding member including an arm portion for engaging a ground contact on the memory card and a base portion sandwiched between the side wall section and the circuit board.
2. The memory card connector of claim 1 wherein said grounding member is generally L-shaped, with said base portion being generally parallel to the printed circuit board and said arm portion being generally perpendicular to the printed circuit board.
3. The memory card com ector of claim 1 wherein said arm portion of the grounding member has a protruding detent for establishing a more positive contact engagement with the ground contact on the memory card.
4. The memory card connector of claim 1 wherein said base portion of the grounding member has a downwardly protruding detent for establishing a more positive contact engagement with a ground pad on the printed circuit board.
5. The memory card connector of claim 1 wherein said arm portion is located inside a wall of the side wall section which acts as a back-up for the arm portion.
6. The memory card connector of claim 1 wherein said side wall section is generally L-shaped in cross-section as defined by a bottom wall generally parallel to the printed circuit board and an upright wall generally perpendicular to the printed circuit board.
7. The memory card connector of claim 6 wherein said base portion of the grounding member is located beneath the bottom wall of the side wall section.
8. The memory card connector of claim 6 wherein said arm portion of the grounding member is located inside the upright wall of the side wall section.
9. The memory card comiector of claim 8 wherein said arm portion is located at least partially in a recess in an inside surface of the upright wall of the side wall section.
10. The memory card connector of claim 1, including a pair of said side wall sections extending forwardly from opposite ends of the rear terminal-mounting section, and at least one of said grounding members mounted on each side wall section.
11. A memory card connector for mounting on a printed circuit board, comprising: an insulative housing having a rear terminal-mounting section mounting a plurality of teπninals for engaging appropriate contacts on a memory card and defining at least part of a receptacle for receiving a mating end of the memory card, and a side wall section extending forwardly from at least one end of the rear section, said side wall section being generally L- shaped in cross-section as defined by a bottom wall generally parallel to the printed circuit board and an upright wall generally perpendicular to the printed circuit board; and a generally L-shaped grounding member mounted on said side wall section for grounding the memory card to the printed circuit board, the L-shaped grounding member having a base portion generally parallel to the printed circuit board and an arm portion generally perpendicular to the circuit board, the arm portion being located inside the upright wall of the side wall section which acts as a back-up for the arm portion, the base portion being located beneath the bottom wall of the side wall section and sandwiched between the bottom wall and the circuit board, the arm portion having a protruding detent for establishing a more positive contact engagement with a ground contact on the memory card, and the base portion having a downwardly protruding detent for establishing a more positive contact engagement with a ground pad on the printed circuit board.
12. The memory card connector of claim 11 wherein said arm portion of the grounding member has a protruding detent for establishing a more positive contact engagement with the ground contact on the memory card.
13. The memory card connector of claim 11 wherein said base portion of the grounding member has a downwardly protruding detent for establishing a more positive contact engagement with a ground pad on the printed circuit board.
14. The memory card connector of claim 13 wherein said arm portion of the grounding member has a protruding detent for establishing a more positive contact engagement with the ground contact on the memory card.
15. The memory card connector of claim 11 wherein said arm portion is located at least partially in a recess in an inside surface of the upright wall of the side wall section.
16. The memory card connector of claim 11 , including a pair of said side wall sections extending forwardly from opposite ends of the rear terminal-mounting sections, and at least one of said grounding members mounted on each side wall section.
PCT/US2004/016215 2003-05-21 2004-05-21 Memory card connector with improved grounding system WO2005017811A2 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CN 03256976 CN2626085Y (en) 2003-05-21 2003-05-21 Earthing strip
CN03256976.9 2003-05-21

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WO2005017811A2 true WO2005017811A2 (en) 2005-02-24
WO2005017811A3 WO2005017811A3 (en) 2005-05-19
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WO (1) WO2005017811A2 (en)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN101453084B (en) * 2007-12-06 2011-09-07 富士康(昆山)电脑接插件有限公司 Connector for electronic card

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5357402A (en) * 1992-02-24 1994-10-18 Itt Corporation Card-receiving electronic device having grounding spring
US6219231B1 (en) * 1994-03-01 2001-04-17 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Card-shaped storage medium and information processing apparatus having guide portion for the same

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5357402A (en) * 1992-02-24 1994-10-18 Itt Corporation Card-receiving electronic device having grounding spring
US6219231B1 (en) * 1994-03-01 2001-04-17 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Card-shaped storage medium and information processing apparatus having guide portion for the same

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WO2005017811A3 (en) 2005-05-19
WO2005017811B1 (en) 2005-06-23

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