WO2006020715A1

WO2006020715A1 - Memory card connector

Info

Publication number: WO2006020715A1
Application number: PCT/US2005/028427
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jin Song Tian; Hui Gao
Original assignee: Molex Incorporated
Priority date: 2004-08-10
Filing date: 2005-08-10
Publication date: 2006-02-23
Also published as: CN2746584Y

Abstract

A memory card connector is provided for mounting on a printed circuit board and includes an insulative housing mounting a plurality of conductive terminals and having a bottom board-mounting face. A cover is pivotally mounted on the housing for pivotal movement between an open position to allow the memory card to be positioned in the connector and a closed position biasing contacts on the memory card into engagement with the terminals on the housing. The cover includes a pivot projection at one end thereof, and the housing includes a pivot socket at one end thereof for receiving the pivot projection. The pivot socket includes a pivot portion and a latch portion communicating with the pivot portion to allow the cover to slidably move from its closed position to a latched position. An open mouth communicates with one of the pivot portion or the latch portion to allow the pivot projection to be inserted into the pivot socket. The mouth is open at the bottom board-mounting face of the housing, whereby the mouth becomes closed when the housing is mounted on the printed circuit board to prevent the pivot projection from coming out of the pivot socket.

Description

MEMORY CARD CONNECTOR

Field of the Invention:

This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, particularly, to a memory card connector.

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, PDA's, 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.

The memory card, itself, writes or reads via the connector and can transmit between electrical appliances, such as a word processor, personal computer, personal data assistant or the like. The card may be used in applications such as mobile or cellular telephones which are actuated and permit data access after identifying an identification code stored on a SIM (subscriber identification module) card. The SIM card has a conductive face with an array of contacts, and the mobile phone has a SIM card connector with terminals for electrical connection with the contacts of the SIM card to ensure the subscriber identification confirmation. The SIM card connector typically is mounted on a printed circuit board within the phone.

FIGS. l(a) and l(b) show a prior art memory or SIM card connector, generally designated 10, as might be seen in U.S. Patent No. 5,996,891. The connector includes an insulative or plastic housing 12 which mounts a plurality of conductive terminals having contact portions 14 projecting upwardly from the housing. A metal cover 16 is pivotally mounted on the housing for pivotal movement between an open position shown in FIG. l(a) to allow a memory or SIM card to be inserted into the cover, and a closed and latched position shown in FIG. l(b) whereat contacts of the memory card are brought into engagement with the contact portions 14 of the terminals on the housing. The housing has a pair of mounting portions 12(a) at one end thereof. The outside face of each mounting portion 12a is provided with a two-part pivot socket which includes a pivot recess 18a, a latch recess 18b and a detent ridge 18c therebetween. Metal cover 16 has a pair of spring arms 16a at opposite sides thereof, with each spring arm formed with an inwardly projecting pivot projection 20.

In the operation of prior art connector 10, metal cover 16 is pivoted to its open position shown in FIG. l(a) and a SIM card is inserted or mounted within the underside of the cover. The cover and SIM card then are pivoted downwardly to a closed position, with pivot projections 20 disposed within pivot recesses 18a. This brings the contacts on the SIM card into engagement with contact portions 14 of the terminals mounted on housing 12. The cover then is slidingly moved in the direction of arrow "A" (Fig. l(b)) as pivot projections 20 move over detent ridges 18c and into latch recesses 18b. The detent ridges create an audible and/or tactile indication that the cover has moved from its closed position to its latched position whereat appropriate latch means, such as at 22, prevent the cover from pivoting back upwardly away from its latch position.

Although SIM card connectors 10 of the prior art may be satisfactory for some purposes, the pivot connections between the cover and the housing often are inadequate, and the cover is easily displaced from the housing, particularly if the connector is subjected to shock, such as dropping a mobile telephone onto the ground. The reason for these problems is that spring arms 16a are too resilient or pivot projections 20 are too small, either of which can cause the pivot projections to jump out of the pivot sockets in the housing. If the spring arms are made more stiff or the pivot projections are made longer, it becomes difficult to assemble the cover to the housing. In order to solve these problems, upwardly opening mouths have been provided, leading to the pivot sockets, such as leading to the latch recesses 18b of the sockets, and the cover is mounted to the housing by inserting the pivot projections into the upwardly-opening mouths and then into the pivot sockets. Unfortunately, the upwardly-opening mouths, themselves, can cause the cover to become dislodged from the housing, because the projections tend to move outwardly through the mouths should the mobile telephone, for instance, be dropped onto the ground. The present invention is directed to providing further improvements which solve these problems.

Summary of the Invention: An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved memory card connector of the character described.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, a memory card connector is provided for mounting on a printed circuit board. The comiector includes an insulative housing mounting a plurality of conductive terminals and having a bottom board-mounting face. A cover is pivotally mounted on the housing for pivotal movement between an open position to allow the memory card to be positioned in the connector and a closed position biasing contacts on the memory card into engagement with the terminals on the housing. The cover includes a pivot projection at one end thereof, and the housing includes a pivot socket at one end thereof for receiving the pivot projection. The pivot socket includes a pivot portion and a latch portion communicating with the pivot portion to allow the cover to slidably move from its closed position to a latched position. An open mouth communicates with one of the pivot portion or the latch portion to allow the pivot projection to be inserted into the pivot socket. The mouth is open at the bottom board- mounting face of the housing, whereby the mouth becomes closed when the housing is mounted on the printed circuit board to prevent the pivot projection from coming out of the pivot socket. As disclosed herein, the open mouth extends between the latch portion of the pivot socket and the bottom board-mounting face of the housing. The pivot socket is in a mounting arm projecting from the housing, and the pivot projection is on a pivot arm projecting from the cover. A pair of the mounting arms and respective pivot sockets are provided at opposite sides of the housing, and a corresponding pair of the pivot arms and respective pivot projections are provided at opposite sides of the cover.

According to one feature of the invention, the housing includes a mounting portion, such as a mounting arm, at one end thereof. A metal bracket is positioned about the mounting arm. The metal bracket has a pivot socket coincident with the pivot socket in the housing and includes a corresponding pivot portion, latch portion and open mouth. In the preferred embodiment, the pivot socket of the housing is in a side wall of the mounting arm, and the pivot socket of the metal bracket is in a side wall thereof juxtaposed over the side wall of mounting arm of the housing.

According to another feature of the invention, the metal cover includes a single latch member operatively associated with latch means on the housing to perform a dual function of preventing the cover from pivoting away from the housing in the latched position of the cover, as well as preventing the cover from sliding from its latched position back to its closed position. In the preferred embodiment, the dual-function latch means includes a latch flange on the metal, cover which slides under a latch shoulder on the housing as the cover moves to its latched position to prevent the cover from pivoting away from the housing in the latched position. The latch flange has a latch projection which slidably moves into a latch recess on the housing to prevent the cover from sliding from its latched position back to its closed position.

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:

FIGS. l(a) and l(b) are side elevational views of a memory card connector according to the prior art and described in the Background, above;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a memory card connector according to a first embodiment of the invention, with the cover in its open position; FIG. 3 is a perspective view the housing and conductive terminals in the first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cover moved to its latched position in the first embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a memory card connector according to a second embodiment of the invention, with the cover in its open position; and FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the metal brackets in the connector of the second embodiment.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments: Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and first to FIG. 2, the invention is embodied in a SIM or memory card connector, generally designated 30, for receiving a SIM or memory card (not shown) having a plurality of conductive contacts. The connector includes an insulative body or housing, generally designated 32, which mounts a plurality of signal terminals, generally designated 34. A cover, generally designated 36, is pivotally mounted to the housing by a pair of pivot means, generally designated 38. Generally, and as described in greater detail hereinafter, the pivot means are operatively associated between the cover and the housing to mount the cover for pivotal movement between an open position (Fig. 2) to allow the memory card to be positioned in the connector and a closed position whereafter the cover is slidably moved to a latched position shown in FIG. 4. The housing may be molded of dielectric material such as plastic or the like. The cover may be stamped and formed of sheet metal material.

Referring to FIG. 3 in conjunction with FIG. 2, housing 32 includes a top face 32a and a bottom board-mounting face 32b for mounting the housing and, thereby, the connector on a printed circuit board (not shown). Signal terminals 34 are mounted in slots 40 in the housing, and contact portions 34a of the terminals project upwardly from top face 32a of the housing for engaging contacts on the memory card. A notch 42 is formed in each side of the housing. A downwardly facing latching shoulder 44 is formed within each notch. A rounded detent 46 leads from the notch to a latch recess 48. The latching shoulder, the rounded detent and the latch recess all cooperate with the cover to hold the cover in its latched position as described hereinafter. Referring to FIG. 4 in conjunction with FIG. 2, metal cover 36 includes a pivot end 36a and a memory card insertion end 36b. The cover includes a top wall 36c and a pair of side walls 36d. A latch flange 36e is bent inwardly from each side wall generally parallel to the top wall of the cover. A latch projection 50 projects inwardly from each latch flange 36e. Finally, a pair of spring arms 52 are stamped and formed out of top wall 36c of the cover and are bent inwardly to bias the memory card toward contact portions 34a of terminals 34 when the cover is in its closed or latched positions. Pivot means 38 generally are provided between a pair of mounting portions or arms 54 at the rear of housing 32 and a pair of spring arms 56 at pivot end 36a of the stamped and formed sheet metal cover 36. Therefore, the cover is pivotally mounted to the housing for pivotal movement between its open position shown in FIG. 2 to allow a memory card to be mounted between top wall 36c and flanges 36e of the cover, and to a closed position (not shown) bringing the contacts of the memory card into engagement with contact portions 34a of terminals 34 on housing 32. The pivot means then allows the cover to slidably move from its closed position to a latch position shown in FIG. 4. The cover is slidably moved on the housing from its closed position to its latched position in the direction of arrows "A" (Fig. 4). The cover is slidably moved back in the direction of arrows "B" to its closed and pivotal position.

More particularly, each pivot means 38 includes a pivot projection 58 formed in each spring arm 56 of cover 36 to project inwardly toward the respective mounting portion 54 of housing 32. As best seen in FIG. 3, the outside face of each mounting portion 54 is provided with a pivot socket, generally designated 60, which receives the respective pivot projection 58 at the adjacent side of the cover. Each pivot socket 60 includes a pivot portion 60a and a latch portion 60b communicating with the pivot portion. This allows cover 36 to slidably move from its closed position to the latched position of FIG. 4. An open mouth 60c communicates with latch portion 60b of the pivot socket to allow the respective pivot projection 58 of the cover to be inserted into the pivot socket. It should be noted that mouth 60c is open at the bottom board- mounting face 32b of the housing. Therefore, it can be understood that the mouth becomes closed when the housing is mounted on the printed circuit board. The result is that there is no "escape" of the respective pivot projection 58 from pivot socket 60 once the mouth is closed by the printed circuit board. As a result of this unique structural configuration, the transverse length or size of pivot projections 58 and/or the stiffness of spring arms 56 can be increased to prevent the projections from becoming dislodged from pivot sockets 60 if the connector is subjected to shock, as by dropping a mobile telephone onto the ground.

In assembly and operation, cover 36 is mounted to housing 32 by inserting pivot projections 58 through mouths 60c and into pivot sockets 60 of housing 32. The assembled housing and cover then are mounted to a printed circuit board which, in effect, closes mouths 60c to prevent the pivot projections from coming out of the pivot sockets. With pivot projections 58 positioned within pivot portions 60a of the pivot sockets, the cover is pivoted to its open position shown in FIG. 2. A memory card then can be inserted into the cover. With pivot projections 58 still in pivot portions 60a of the pivot sockets, the cover is pivoted downwardly in the direction of arrow "C" (Fig. 2) to bring the contacts of the memory card into engagement with contact portions 34a of terminals 34. As the cover pivots to its fully closed position, latch flanges 36e of the cover move into notches 42 in the outsides of the housing. The cover then is slidably moved in the direction of arrows "A" (Fig. 4) to the latched position shown in FIG. 4, as pivot projections 58 of the cover move from pivot portions 60a into latch portions 60b of pivot sockets 60.

As cover 36 slidably moves to its latched position of FIG. 4, latch flanges 36e perform a unique dual function. First, the latch flanges slide under latching shoulders 44 (Figs. 1 and 2) of the housing to prevent the cover from pivoting upwardly away from the housing. Second, latch projections 50 on the flanges ride over the rounded detents 46 and into latch recesses 48 of the housing to prevent the cover from inadvertently sliding back from its latched position to its closed position. The rounded detents 46 give an audible and/or tactile indication of the cover "snapping" into its latched position. When it is desired to open cover 36, the cover is slidably moved back in the direction of arrows "B", overcoming rounded detents 46, to its closed position as pivot projections 58 move back from latch portions 60b to pivot portions 60a of the pivot sockets.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the invention. As in the first embodiment, cover 36 includes a pair of spring arms 56 having inwardly directed pivot projections 58. In the second embodiment, these pivot projections will be considered the "outside" pivot projections. The cover also has a pair of inside pivot projections 70 which project into pivot sockets 60 at the inside faces of mounting arms 54 of housing 32.

Referring to FIG. 6 in conjunction with FIG. 5, a metal bracket, generally designated 72, is positioned about portions of each mounting arm 54 of the housing. Each metal bracket is generally U-shaped in cross-section and includes a bottom wall 72a and a pair of inside and outside side walls 72b and 72c, respectively. The bracket may be stamped and formed of sheet metal material. Inside wall 72b forms a fixing tab for insertion into an appropriate mounting hole (not shown) in the bottom of the respective mounting arm 54 of the housing. Bottom wall 72a can be welded to an appropriate grounding pad on the printed circuit board. A pivot socket, generally designated 74, is formed in outside wall 72c of each bracket. Like each pivot socket 60 of housing 32, pivot socket 74 in the bracket includes a pivot portion 74a, a latch portion 74b and a bottom-opening mouth 74c which leads to the latch portion. When the bracket is mounted to the housing, pivot portion 74a, latch portion 74b and mouth 74c align with pivot portion 60a, latch portion 60b and mouth 60c, respectively, of the respective pivot socket 60 at the outside of the respective pivot arm 54 of the housing.

Metal brackets 74 perform dual functions. First, the metal brackets engage spring arms 56 and pivot projections 58 of metal cover 36 to provide a metal-on-metal interengagement between the cover and the plastic housing to prevent wear and tear on the plastic material of the housing about pivot sockets 60. Second, with bottom walls 72a of brackets 72 being connected, as by soldering, to the grounding pads on the printed circuit board, the brackets are effective to ground metal cover 36 to the printed circuit board and provide EMI protection for connector 30. 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 top face and bottom board-mounting face; a metal cover for receiving a memory card; a plurality of conductive terminals mounted on the housing and including contact portions projecting from the top face thereof for engaging appropriate contacts on the memory card; and pivot means operatively associated between the cover and the housing to mount the cover for pivotal movement between an open position to allow the memory card to be positioned on the cover and a closed position bringing the contacts of the memory card into engagement with the terminals on the housing and including a pivot projection at one end of the cover, and a pivot socket at one end of the housing for receiving the pivot projection, the pivot socket including a pivot portion and a latch portion communicating with the pivot portion to allow the cover to slidably move from said closed position to a latched position, and an open mouth communicating with one of the pivot portion or the latch portion to allow the pivot projection to be inserted into the pivot socket, the mouth being open at the bottom board- mounting face of the housing whereby the mouth becomes closed when the housing is mounted on the printed circuit board to prevent the pivot projection from coming out of the pivot socket.

2. The memory card connector of claim 1 wherein said open mouth extends between the latch portion of the pivot socket and the bottom board-mounting face of the housing.

3. The memory card connector of claim 1 wherein said pivot socket is in a mounting arm projecting from the housing and said pivot projection is on a pivot arm projecting from the cover.

4. The memory card connector of claim 3, including a pair of said mounting arms and respective pivot sockets at opposite sides of the housing and a corresponding pair of said pivot arms and respective pivot projections at opposite sides of the cover.

5. The memory card connector of claim 1 wherein said housing includes a mounting portion at said one end thereof, and including a metal bracket about the mounting portion, the metal bracket having a pivot socket coincident with the pivot socket in the housing and including a corresponding pivot portion, latch portion and open mouth.

6. The memory card connector of claim 5 wherein the pivot socket of the housing is in a side wall of said mounting portion, and the pivot socket of the metal bracket is in a side wall thereof juxtaposed over the side wall of mounting portion of the housing.

7. The memory card connector of claim 5 wherein said metal bracket includes a bottom wall portion for connection to an appropriate grounding circuit on the printed circuit board.

8. The memory card connector of claim 1 wherein said metal cover includes a latch flange which slides under a latching shoulder on the housing to prevent the cover from pivoting away from the housing in the latched position of the cover, the latch flange having a latch projection which slidably moves into a latch recess on the housing to prevent the cover from sliding from its latched position back to its closed position.

9. The memory card connector of claim 1 wherein said metal cover includes a latch member operatively associated with latch means on the housing to perform a dual function of preventing the cover from pivoting away from the housing in the latched position of the cover as well as preventing the cover from sliding from its latched position back to its closed position.

10. A memory card connector for mounting on a printed circuit board, comprising: an insulative housing mounting a plurality of terminals and having a bottom board- mounting face and a bracket mounting portion; a metal cover; pivot means operatively associated between the cover and the housing to mount the cover for pivotal movement between an open position to allow the memory card to be positioned in the connector and a closed position biasing contacts of the memory card into engagement with the terminals on the housing and including a pivot projection at one end of the cover, and a metal bracket about the mounting portion of the housing and including a pivot socket for receiving the pivot projection of the cover, the pivot socket including a pivot portion and a latch portion communicating with the pivot portion to allow the cover to slidably move from said closed position to a latched position, and an open mouth communicating with one of the pivot portion or the latch portion to allow the pivot projection to be inserted into the pivot socket, the mouth being open at the bottom board-mounting face of the housing whereby the mouth becomes closed when the housing is mounted on the printed circuit board to prevent the pivot projection from coming out of the pivot socket.

11. The memory card connector of claim 10 wherein said mounting portion of the housing includes a side wall, and the pivot socket of the metal bracket is in a side wall thereof juxtaposed over the side wall of mounting portion of the housing.

12. The memory card connector of claim 10 wherein said metal bracket includes a bottom wall portion for connection to an appropriate grounding circuit on the printed circuit board.

13. A memory card connector, comprising: an insulative housing mounting a plurality of conductive terminals; a metal cover; pivot means operatively associated between the cover and the housing to mount the cover for pivotal movement between an open position to allow the memory card to be positioned in the connector and a closed position biasing contacts of the memory card into engagement with the terminals on the housing, the cover being slidably movable from the closed position to a latched position; and a latch member on the metal cover operatively associated with latch means on the housing to perform a dual function of preventing the cover from pivoting away from the housing in the latched position of the cover as well as preventing the cover from sliding from its latched position back to its closed position.

14. The memory card connector of claim 13 wherein said latch member comprises a latch flange which slides under a latching shoulder on the housing to prevent the cover from pivoting away from the housing in the latched position of the cover the latch flange having a latch projection which slidably moves into a latch recess on the housing to prevent the cover from sliding from its latched position back to its closed position.

15. A memory card connector for mounting on a printed circuit board, comprising: an insulative housing mounting a plurality of conductive terminals having bottom board- mounting face; a cover; and pivot means operatively associated between the cover and the housing to mount the cover for pivotal movement between an open position to allow the memory card to be positioned in the connector and a closed position biasing contacts of the memory card into engagement with the terminals on the housing and including a pivot projection at one end of the cover, and a pivot socket at one end of the housing for receiving the pivot projection, the pivot socket including an open mouth to allow the pivot projection to be inserted into the pivot socket, the mouth being open at the bottom board-mounting face of the housing whereby the mouth becomes closed when the housing is mounted on the printed circuit board to prevent the pivot projection from coming out of the pivot socket.