Title: Multipurposes memory card connector
Abstract: A multipurpose memory card connector includes an electrically insulative housing defining a front-open receiving open chamber, the housing having a first set of terminals disposed at the rear side inside and second and third sets of terminals disposed near the front open side of the receiving open chamber, and a slide slidably mounted inside the receiving open chamber, the slide having a first stop face disposed at a rear bottom side thereof and second and third stop faces respectively spaced from the first stop face at a distance adapted to receive insertion force from one of a number of memory cards for enabling the slide to be moved in the receiving open chamber at a distance subject to the type of the memory card being inserted into the receiving open chamber.
Patent Number: 6,900,982 Issued on 05/31/2005 to Chang, et al.
| Inventors:
|
Chang; Cheng-Tsai (Yungho, TW);
Huang; Chun-Chih (Tainan, TW);
Chien; Yu-Hui (Chungho, TW);
Huang; Yi-Fen (Sanchung, TW)
|
| Assignee:
|
Teconn Electronics Inc. (Taipei Hsien, TW)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
694856 |
| Filed:
|
October 29, 2003 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
361/685; 235/441; 361/818; 439/326 |
| Intern'l Class: |
G06F 001/16 |
| Field of Search: |
361/724-727,677-687,737,816
439/630,377,325,326,377.1
235/441
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Duong; Hung Van
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Bacon & Thomas PLLC
Claims
1. A multipurpose memory card connector comprising an electrically insulative
housing and a slide mounted inside said electrically insulative housing and adapted
to receive one of a set of memory cards, wherein:
said electrically insulative housing comprises a receiving open chamber, said
receiving open chamber having a front open side for the insertion of one of said
memory cards and a plurality of guide grooves symmetrically disposed at two sides
of said front open side and adapted to guide one of said memory cards into said
receiving open chamber, a first set of terminals disposed at a rear side inside
said receiving open chamber for the contact of one said memory card, and at least
one second set of terminals disposed near said front open side of said receiving
open chamber for the contact of one said memory card respectively;
said slide is mounted inside said receiving open chamber of said electrically
insulative housing and movable in said receiving open chamber upon insertion of
one said memory card, having a first stop face disposed at a rear bottom side thereof
and at least one second stop face respectively spaced from said first stop face
at a distance, said first stop face and said at least one second stop face being
adapted to receive insertion force from one said memory card for enabling said
slide to be moved in said receiving open chamber at a distance subject to the type
of the memory card being inserted into said receiving open chamber.
2. The multipurpose memory card connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
electrically insulative housing comprises a plurality of sliding tracks; said slide
comprises a push block disposed at an inner side thereof, said push block having
a plurality of top projecting rods respectively inserted into said sliding tracks
of said electrically insulative housing and adapted to guide movement of said slide
in said receiving open chamber, and two compressible spring members bilaterally
backwardly extended from said push block and respectively stopped against a rear
part of said electrically insulative housing.
3. The multipurpose memory card connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
at least one second stop face includes one second stop face disposed at two sides
of one set of terminals of said electrically insulative housing near said front
open side of said receiving open chamber.
4. The multipurpose memory card connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
at least one second stop face includes two second stop faces respectively disposed
at two sides of two sets of terminals of said electrically insulative housing near
said front open side of said receiving open chamber.
5. The multipurpose memory card connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
electrically insulative housing further comprises two sliding grooves bilaterally
disposed above said guide grooves inside said receiving open chamber; said slide
further comprises two sliding faces respectively coupled to said sliding grooves
of said electrically insulative housing and adapted to guide movement of said slide
in said receiving open chamber along said sliding grooves.
6. The multipurpose memory card connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
terminals of said first set of terminals and said at least one second set of terminals
each have a contact end disposed inside said receiving open chamber for the contact
of one said memory card, and a bonding end extended out of said electrically insulative
housing for soldering to an external circuit board.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a memory card connector adapted to connect a
memory card to a circuit board and, more particularly, to a multipurpose memory
card connector, which is compatible to any of a variety of memory cards.
2. Description of the Related Art
Following fast development of computer technology, various high operation
speed computers with multiple functions have been developed. Further, various electronic
cards including memory cards, network cards, modern cards, SCSI (hard disk, scanner)
cards may be used with a computer to add functions to the computer. Typically,
an electronic card has a PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association)
interface. Adapters to connect PCMCIA interface to other interfaces, for example,
PCMCIA to SCSI, PCMCIA to IDE, etc. are commercially available. These adapters
enable a notebook computer to use peripheral apparatus for PC. Regular notebook
computers support plug-and-play, and have a hot plug function. There are commercially
available electronic cards for use in a PDA or palm-top electronic dictionary.
Except PCMCIA type memory cards, there are MMCs (Multimedia Cards), CFs (CompactFlash
Cards), SMCs (Smart Media Cards), MSs (Memory Sticks), SDs (Secure Digital Memory
Cards) available on the market.
Further, for receiving an electronic card, a circuit board is provided with
a card connector. Because different electronic cards have different sizes, different
card connectors shall be used to receive different electronic cards. However, providing
a circuit board with different card connectors for receiving different electronic
cards greatly increase the installation space of the circuit board. Further, the
terminals of a conventional card connector are alternatively arranged at different
elevations. This terminal arrangement design requires much installation space.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a memory card connector that eliminates the
aforesaid drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view.
It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide a multipurpose
memory card connector, which fits any of a variety of electronic cards. It is another
object of the present invention to provide a multipurpose memory card connector,
which quickly holds the electronic card in position upon its insertion and, automatically
ejects the inserted electronic card when pressed by the user. To achieve these
and other objects of the present invention, the multipurpose memory card connector
comprises an electrically insulative housing and a slide mounted inside the electrically
insulative housing and adapted to receive one of a set of memory cards, wherein
the electrically insulative housing comprises a receiving open chamber, the receiving
open chamber having a front open side for the insertion of one of the memory cards
and a plurality of guide grooves symmetrically disposed at two sides of the front
open side and adapted to guide one of the memory cards into the receiving open
chamber, a first set of terminals disposed at a rear side inside the receiving
open chamber for the contact of one the memory card, and at least one second set
of terminals disposed near the front open side of the receiving open chamber for
the contact of one the memory card respectively; the slide is mounted inside the
receiving open chamber of the electrically insulative housing and movable in the
receiving open chamber upon insertion of one the memory card, having a first stop
face disposed at a rear bottom side thereof and at least one second stop face respectively
spaced from the first stop face at a distance, the first stop face and the at least
one second stop fa ce being adapted to receive insertion force from one the memory
card for enabling the slide to be moved in the receiving open chamber at a distance
subject to the type of the memory card being inserted into the receiving open chamber.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a multipurpose memory card connector according
to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the multipurpose memory card connector according
to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a top view of the present invention before insertion of a MS memory card.
FIG. 3A is a side view of FIG. 3.
FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 but showing the MS memory card inserted into the housing.
FIG. 4A is a side view of FIG. 4.
FIG. 5 is a top view of the present invention before insertion of a SD memory card.
FIG. 5A is a side view of FIG. 5.
FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 5 but showing the SD memory card inserted into the housing.
FIG. 6A is a side view of FIG. 6.
FIG. 7 is a top view of the present invention before insertion of a XD memory card.
FIG. 7A is a side view of FIG. 7.
FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7 but showing the XD memory card inserted into the housing.
FIG. 8A is a side view of FIG. 8.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIGS. 1 through 3, a multipurpose memory card connector in
accordance with the present invention is shown comprising an electrically insulative
housing
1, and a slide
2.
The electrically insulative housing
1 comprises a holder shell
11
and a cover plate
12. The holder shell
11 comprises a receiving open
chamber
110 having a set of terminals
10 disposed at the rear side
(remote from the front open side of the receiving open chamber
110), two
guide rods
1112 disposed at two sides of the set of terminals
10
and horizontally extended forwards in direction toward the front open side of the
receiving open chamber
110, a plurality of guide grooves
111 disposed
in the front open side of the receiving open chamber
110, and two sliding
grooves
1111 bilaterally disposed above the guide grooves
111. The
cover plate
12 is covered on the holder shell
11, having a plurality
of sliding tracks
121 on the bottom surface and two sets of terminals
10
mounted therein.
The slide
2 is mounted in the receiving open chamber
110 inside
the electrically insulative housing
1, having two sliding faces
21
symmetrically disposed at two sides and respectively coupled to the sliding grooves
1111 to guide movement of the slide
2 in the housing
1, a
first stop face
22 disposed at the inner side, a second stop face
23
and a third stop face
24 respectively disposed remote from the first stop
face
22, a push block
25 disposed at the inner side, the push block
25 having a plurality of top projecting rods
251 respectively inserted
into the sliding tracks
121, and two spring members
26 bilaterally
backwardly extended from the push block
215 and respectively sleeved onto
the guide rods
1112 and stopped; against the rear part of the holder shell
11 inside the receiving open chamber
110. The spring members
26
impart a forward pressure to the slide
2. Thus, any of a variety of memory
cards
3 can be inserted into the electrically insulative housing
1
to contact the terminals
10 in the holder shell
11, and automatically
ejected out of the holder shell
11 when desired. The stop faces
22,
23 and
24 are adapted to alternatively stop a respective specific
memory card in the holder shell
11.
The aforesaid terminals
10 each have a contact end
101 and a bonding
end
102. The contact ends
101 of the terminals
10 are respectively
suspended in the receiving open chamber
110 inside the electrically insulative
housing
1. The bonding ends
102 of the terminals
10 are respectively
extended out of the electrically insulative housing
1 for soldering to a
circuit board (not shown). The bonding ends
102 of the terminals
10
in the inner side inside the receiving open chamber
110 of the electrically
insulative housing
1 are respectively extended out of the rear side of the
electrically insulative housing
1 and soldered to respective contacts at
the circuit board. The bonding ends
102 of the terminals
10 near
the front open side of the receiving open chamber
110 of the electrically
insulative housing
1 are respectively extended out of the front and two
opposite lateral sides of the electrically insulative housing
1 and soldered
to respective contacts at the circuit board.
Referring to FIGS. 3,
3A,
4 and
4A, the multipurpose
memory card connector is compatible to MS memory card. When inserted a MS memory
card
3 from the guide grooves
111 into the inside of the slide
2,
the MS memory card
3 touches the first stop face
22 and pushes the
slide
2 backward, thereby causing the sliding faces
21 to be moved
with the slide
2 along the sliding grooves
1111 into position. When
set into position, the contacts
31 of the MS memory card
3 are maintained
in contact with the contact ends
101 of the terminals
10 at the rear
side inside the receiving open chamber
110, and at the same time the spring
force of the spring members
26 holds the top projecting rods
251
of the push block
125 positively in the sliding tracks
121 in position.
When pressing the MS memory card
3 again, the top projecting rods
251
of the push block
25 are released and allowed to move in the sliding tracks
121, and the spring members
26 immediately push the MS memory card
3 backwards toward the outside of the receiving open chamber
110
of the electrically insulative housing
1 when the user released the hand
from the MS memory card
3. Therefore, two continuous presses at the MS memory
card
3 form a cycle of automatically loading and unloading of the MS memory
card
3.
Referring to FIGS. 5,
5A,
6 and
6A, the multipurpose
memory card connector is compatible to SD memory card. When inserted a SD memory
card
3 from the guide grooves
111 into the inside of the slide
2,
the SD memory card
3 touches the second stop face
231 and pushes
the slide
2 backward, thereby causing the sliding faces
21 to be
moved with the slide
2 along the sliding grooves
1111 into position.
When set into position, the contacts
31 of the SD memory card
3 are
maintained in contact with the contact ends
101 of the corresponding terminals
10 at the rear side inside the receiving open chamber
110, and at
the same time the spring force of the spring members
26 holds the top projecting
rods
251 of the push block
25 positively in the sliding tracks
121
in position. When pressing the SD memory card
3 again, the top projecting
rods
251 of the push block
25 are released and allowed to move in
the sliding tracks
121, and the spring members
26 immediately push
the SD memory card
3 backwards toward the outside of the receiving open
chamber
110 of the electrically insulative housing
1 when the user
released the hand from the SD memory card
3. Therefore, two continuous presses
at the SD memory card
3 form a cycle of automatically loading and unloading
of the SD memory card
3.
Referring to FIGS. 7,
7A,
8 and
8A, the multipurpose
memory card connector is compatible to XD memory card. When inserted a XD memory
card
3 from the guide grooves
111 into the inside of the slide
2,
the XD memory card
3 touches the third stop face
24 and pushes the
slide
2 backward, thereby causing the sliding faces
21 to be moved
with the slide
2 along the sliding grooves
1111 into position. When
set into position, the contacts
31 of the XD memory card
3 are maintained
in contact with the contact ends
101 of the corresponding terminals
10
at the rear side inside the receiving open chamber
110, and at the same
time the spring force of the spring members
26 holds the top projecting
rods
251 of the push block
25 positively in the sliding tracks
121
in position. When pressing the XD memory card
3 again, the top projecting
rods
251 of the push block
25 are released and allowed to move in
the sliding tracks
121, and the spring members
26 immediately push
the XD memory card
3 backwards toward the outside of the receiving open
chamber
110 of the electrically insulative housing
1 when the user
released the hand from the XD memory card
3. Therefore, two continuous presses
at the XD memory card
3 form a cycle of automatically loading and unloading
of the XD memory card
3.
A prototype of multipurpose memory card connector has been constructed with the
features of FIGS.
1˜
8. The multipurpose memory card connector
functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.
Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in
detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may
be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly,
the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.
*
