CN102544817B - Connector for memory card - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a connector for a memory card, wherein the connector does not require size enlargement of an insulating housing and can be provided with a mounting detection mechanism of the memory card. A switch sheet is formed through branching from the central part of an elastic contact sheet of one contact, which is supported by a suspension arm, so that the elastic contact sheet contacts with a conductive gasket of the memory card which is accommodated in a card accommodation part. Furthermore the elastic contact sheet is pressed down through the memory card, thereby causing the switch sheet to contact with an opposite switch pattern, and outputting a card mounting signal which represents a fact that the memory card is accommodated in the card accommodating part to the switch pattern.

Description

Connector for memory card

technical field

The present invention relates to a memory card connector for connecting a memory card accommodated in a card accommodating portion to an electronic device, and more specifically, to a memory card connector having a card installation detection mechanism for detecting installation of a memory card.

Background technique

Connectors for memory cards are designed to connect memory cards such as SD cards to electronic devices such as mobile phones and digital cameras. Facing the inside of the card housing, it is connected to the conductive pad exposed on the back of the memory card.

Among such connectors for memory cards, there is known a connector provided with a card installation detection mechanism for detecting whether or not a memory card is accommodated in a card accommodating portion in order to recognize that a memory card is connected on the electronic device side. Generally, the installation detection mechanism consists of a first switch contact that abuts and moves on the memory card inserted into the card accommodating portion, and a second switch contact that is separated from or in contact with the first switch contact. The switch is configured such that the memory card inserted into the card accommodating portion abuts against the first switch contact and contacts the second switch contact to detect installation of the memory card.

However, the first switch contact and the second switch contact constituting the installation detection mechanism need to be separately arranged on the housing from the contacts connected to the memory card, especially because the first switch contact needs to be elastically deformable. The space in the housing of the head increases the size of the housing, and the number of components also increases. Therefore, the following memory card connector is proposed: the ground contact connected to the grounding conductive pad of the memory card among the contacts connected to the memory card is also used as the first switch contact, and the first switch contact It bends in the movable region of the ground contact and makes contact with the second switch contact (Patent Document 1).

Hereinafter, this conventional memory card connector 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 . As shown in Figure 7, the memory card connector 100 is equipped with a plurality of signal contacts 103, 103..., a ground contact 104 that doubles as a first switch contact, and is set as A second switch contact 105 of a predetermined potential, the insulating housing 102 is provided with a card receiving recess 101 for receiving the memory card 50 on the plane side.

By fixing the base end side of each contact on the insulating case 102, its front end side is elastically deformable and faces in the card receiving recess 101, and is connected to the corresponding conductive pad 51 of the memory card 50 accommodated in the card receiving recess 101. , 51 ... elastic contact. Among them, the ground contact 104 and the second switch contact 105 are installed in such a way that their front ends face each other with a predetermined interval. As shown in FIG. The head 104 and the second switch contact 105 are in contact with the short-circuit conductive pad 51 . Therefore, the second switch contact 105 set to a predetermined potential is connected to the ground contact 104 through the short-circuit conductive pad 51a, so that its potential drops, and the voltage signal of the potential drop is sent from the second switch contact 105 to the card installation signal as a card installation signal. The electronic device to which the memory card connector 100 is attached outputs the output, and the electronic device recognizes the attachment of the memory card 50 .

According to this memory card connector 100, since one of the contacts connected to the conductive pad 51 is also used as any one of a group of switch contacts for detecting the installation of the memory card 50, the number of parts is reduced, and because the second The first switching contact and the second switching contact are movable in the movable area of the dual-purpose contact, so that no additional space is provided in the housing for the elastic deformation of the switching contact, so that the short of the housing is not enlarged. The width in the side direction (the width in the vertical direction in FIG. 7 ).

prior art literature

patent documents

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-258101

However, in order to detect the installation of the memory card 50 in the existing memory card connector 100, any one of a group of switch contacts (the second switch contacts 105 in FIG. Since the installation space is provided in the body 102, since the length of the insulating case 102 in the longitudinal direction becomes longer, the problem of increasing the installation area on the printed circuit board due to the installation of the detection mechanism cannot be solved.

In addition, since the front ends of the first switch contact 104 and the second switch contact 105 are disposed on the insulating case 102 so as not to enlarge the width of the insulating case 102 in the short side direction, the memory card 50 is insulated from the In the memory card connector in which the side of the case 102 is accommodated in the card accommodation recess 101, the front end of the memory card 50 in the insertion direction collides with the switch contacts 104, 105, and the switch contacts 104, 105 are plastically deformed. Danger.

In addition, in the memory card connector that does not require a mounting detection mechanism for the memory card 50, since the second switch contact 105 is not used, the mounting process to the insulating case 102 can be omitted, but if a common insulating case is used 102, the flux during mounting on the printed circuit board penetrates into the card receiving recess 101 through the gap generated by the mounting space of the second switch contact 105, and becomes the cause of contact failure. Therefore, it is necessary to separately manufacture a memory card connector having a different insulating case.

Contents of the invention

The present invention has been made in consideration of these conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector for a memory card that can provide a memory card attachment detection mechanism without increasing the size of the insulating case.

Another object is to provide a connector for a memory card that can be manufactured using common components and a common manufacturing process regardless of the presence or absence of a memory card attachment detection mechanism.

In order to achieve the above object, the memory card connector described in Claim 1 includes: a housing formed with a card housing portion for housing a memory card; Each protruding elastic contact piece is in contact with the corresponding parts of the plurality of conductive pads of the memory card accommodated in the card accommodating portion; and accompanies the action of the memory card accommodated in the card accommodating portion, and will indicate that the memory card is The main feature of this memory card connector is that the card installation signal accommodated in the card accommodation recess is output to the switch pattern on the printed circuit board installed with the housing. In terms of one contact, the elastic contact piece is The cantilever is supported on the fixed part fixed on the housing, and the switch piece is formed by branching from the middle of the elastic contact piece in such a way that it faces the switch pattern on the printed circuit board with a predetermined interval in the free state of the contact, When the memory card is accommodated in the card accommodating portion, the elastic contact piece of the contact is in contact with the conductive pad and elastically deformed, so that the switch piece is in contact with the switch pattern.

If the memory card is accommodated in the card accommodating part, the elastic contact piece abuts against the conductive pad of the memory card and is pressed down, and the switch piece branched from the middle of the elastic contact piece also descends, and contacts with the corresponding switch pattern. In the state where the memory card is not accommodated in the card housing portion, the switch piece is separated from the switch pattern because it is in a free state where no external force is applied to the branched contacts of the switch piece. Therefore, the installation of the memory card can be detected by detecting the card installation signal output from the switch plate on the side of the switch pattern.

In addition, the memory card connector described in the second scheme is characterized in that the contact that is branched to form the switch piece is connected to the grounding conductive pad of the memory card, and the switch piece is brought into contact with the switch pattern, which will change the potential of the switch pattern. The voltage signal is used as the card installation signal.

The ground contact that is part of the power supply line that is in contact with the conductive pad for ground of the memory card and that supplies power to the memory card is used as a contact that branches to form a switch piece.

The potential of the switch pattern is changed to a different potential with respect to the ground potential of the contact branching the switch piece, and a card mount signal that changes in potential when the memory card is mounted in the card housing portion is output to the switch pattern.

The effects of the present invention are as follows.

According to the invention of Scheme 1, it is possible to make the switch piece branch from any elastic contact piece in the plurality of contacts, and form a simple structure of a switch pattern on the printed circuit board opposite to the switch piece, and it is provided with the installation detection of the memory card. mechanism.

Since the switch contacts for mounting detection are not separately attached to the housing, the housing does not become larger and the mounting area on the printed circuit board does not expand.

In addition, according to the necessity of the installation detection mechanism of the memory card, it is possible to use the wiring on the printed circuit board side whether to form the switch pattern without changing the structure of each component on the memory card connector side, so it is possible to use a common connector for the memory card.

According to the invention of scheme 2, since the switch sheet is not formed on the signal contacts for outputting or inputting the data stored in the memory card, it is possible not to cause interference between the switch sheet and the contact or separation of the switch pattern and the output and input signal. The installation detection mechanism of the memory card is provided overlappingly.

In addition, static electricity countermeasures for discharging static electricity charged on the memory card can be performed by initially bringing the elastic contact piece of the ground contact into contact with the ground conductive pad of the memory card housed in the card housing.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a cover 2 of a memory card connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is opened.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the memory card connector 1 with the cover 2 removed.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of main parts of the printed circuit board 15 on which the memory card connector 1 is mounted.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the ground contact 5 branching off the switch blade 4 .

5 shows the operation of the memory card connector 1, FIG. 5(a) is a cross-sectional view of main parts showing the standby state before the memory card 50 is connected, and FIG. 5(b) shows that the memory card 50 is arranged on the card housing portion 10 5 (c) is a sectional view of main parts showing a state in which the memory card 50 is accommodated in the card accommodating portion 10, and FIG. 5 (d) shows that the memory card 50 is accommodated in the card accommodating portion 10. A cross-sectional view of the main part of the state.

FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram showing the attachment detection circuit 11 of the memory card 50 .

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a conventional memory card connector 100 .

FIG. 8 is a side view of main parts of a conventional memory card connector 100 .

In the picture:

1-Memory card connector, 3-housing, 4-switch piece, 5-ground contact, 6-power contact, 7-signal contact, 5a, 6a, 7a-fixing part, 5b, 6b, 7b -Elastic contact piece, 5c, 6c, 7c-leg part, 10-card receiving part, 15-printed circuit board, 15a-ground pattern, 15b-power pattern, 15c-signal pattern, 15d-switch pattern, 50-memory card , 51-conductive gasket.

Detailed ways

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

The casing 3 includes a metal frame body 32 formed by bending a metal plate into a rectangular frame shape surrounding the outer periphery of the memory card 50 attached from above, and a rectangular plate-shaped frame body fixed inside surrounded by the metal frame body 32 and mounted thereon. The insulating bottom 31. Therefore, the metal frame body 32 surrounds the periphery of the insulating bottom 31 to form the card receiving portion 10 for accommodating the memory card 50. On the insulating bottom 31 constituting the bottom surface of the card containing recess 10, the grounding contact 5, the power contact 6 and Four signal contacts 7 .

Each contact 5, 6, 7 is a structure in which a conductive metal plate is punched and bent into a shape shown in the drawing by press forming, and is integrally fixed on the insulating bottom 31 by insert molding. The fixed parts 5a, 6a, 7a on the bottom 31; the elastic contact pieces 5b, 6b, 7b supported obliquely upward by the cantilever from the fixed parts 5a, 6a, 7a in the way facing the card receiving part 10; , 6a, 7a protruding leg portions 5c, 6c, 7c along the bottom surface of the insulating bottom 31.

Eight conductive pads 51 are exposed on the bottom surface of the memory card 50 accommodated in the card holder 10 in a matrix of two rows and four columns, and each contact 5, 6, 7 is connected to the elastic contact piece 5b, 6b supported by the cantilever. The conductive pads 51 corresponding to the tops of , 7b are installed on the housing 3 in such a way that they face each other. That is, if the memory card 50 is accommodated in the card accommodating portion 10, the elastic contact piece 5b of the ground contact 5 is in elastic contact with the grounded conductive gasket 51, and the elastic contact piece 6b of the power contact 6 is electrically conductive with the power input. The pads 51 are in elastic contact, and the elastic contact pieces 7 b of the four signal contacts 7 are in elastic contact with the four conductive pads 51 for inputting or outputting data in the memory card 50 .

In addition, as shown in FIG. 3 , on the printed circuit board 15 on which the memory card connector 1 is mounted, the printed wiring is grounded at the position facing the leg portions 5c, 6c, and 7c of the contacts 5, 6, and 7. The pattern 15a, the power supply pattern 15b for setting the action potential of the memory card 50, and the signal pattern 15c are electrically connected by soldering each leg portion 5c, 6c, 7c to the corresponding pattern 15a, 15b, 15c.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 , a switch piece inclined downward toward the free end side is branched from the middle of the elastic contact piece 5 b supported obliquely upward toward the free end side of the ground contact 5 and integrally formed. 4. The lower end of the switch piece 4 is at the position where each leg portion 5c, 6c, 7c is welded on the graphics 15a, 15b, 15c, and the memory card connector 1 is installed on the printed circuit board 15, and the printed circuit board is connected with the printed wiring. The switch pattern 15d on 15 faces each other with a prescribed insulating interval.

As will be described later, the switch piece 4 is configured to be pressed down when the elastic contact piece 5b abuts against the conductive pad 51 of the memory card 50, thereby elastically contacting the opposite switch pattern 15d, thereby forming the switch pattern shown in FIG. The mounting detection circuit 11 of the memory card 50 . The switch pattern 15d is set to maintain a constant detection potential in a non-contact state with the switch piece 4, and when the leg portion 5c is connected to the ground pattern 15a and contacts the switch piece 4 at the ground potential, the detection potential drops. That is, as for the potential of the switch pattern 15d, if the memory card 50 is accommodated in the card accommodating portion 10, it will drop from the detection potential to the ground potential, and the voltage signal of the potential change will be sent to the built-in printed circuit as a card installation signal. An unillustrated electronic device of the board 15 outputs, and the electronic device recognizes that the memory card 50 is connected.

The elastic contact pieces 6b, 7b of other contacts 6, 7 are made of a pair of elastic pieces branched into two strands from the fixed parts 6a, 7a in order to be more reliably electrically connected to the corresponding conductive pads 51 respectively. At least any one elastic sheet is in elastic contact with the conductive pad 51 .

In the insulating bottom 31, a window hole is formed at the positions of the elastic contact pieces 5b, 6b, 7b and the switch piece 4 of the eight contacts 5, 6, 7, so that the elastic contact pieces 5b, 7b, 6b, 7b and the switch piece 4 are bent in the vertical direction without interfering with the insulating bottom 31 . In addition, the positions of the leg portions 5c, 6c, and 7c where the eight contacts 5, 6, and 7 are arranged are cut, and the welding state of the leg portions 5c, 6c, and 7c can be visually confirmed from above through the cutout.

In FIG. 2 , the cover 2 is rotatably connected to the front of the metal frame 32 formed along the left and right sides of the card accommodating portion 10 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. In addition, on the metal frame bodies 32 on the left and right sides, a locking portion 8 is formed outwardly in a U-shape. The locking position at the bottom of the center) cooperates with the matching part 2a of the cover 2 to lock the rotation of the cover 2.

Also, when it is not necessary to recognize the connection of the memory card 50 on the electronic device side, the memory card connector 1 having the same structure is mounted on the printed circuit board 15 on which the switch pattern 15d is not formed. Thereby, the memory card connector 1 manufactured in the same process can be shared irrespective of the presence or absence of the mounting detection circuit 11 . In addition, if the card installation signal flowing to the switch pattern 15d is ignored on the side of the electronic device, it can also be shared without changing the structure of the printed circuit board 15 .

Hereinafter, the operation when the memory card 50 is connected to the thus configured memory card connector 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 5 . As shown in Figure 5 (a), in the standby state before the memory card 50 is connected, the elastic contact pieces 5b, 6b, 7b of the contacts 5, 6, 7 protrude into the card accommodating portion 10, and the lower end of the switch piece 4 is positioned at In the window hole of the insulating bottom 31 separated from the printed circuit board 15 by a predetermined interval. Therefore, the switch piece 4 is insulated from the switch pattern 15d, and the mounting detection circuit 11 shown in FIG. 6 is turned off.

In this standby state, the cover 2 is opened, and the memory card 50 can be accommodated from above the card accommodating portion 10. When installing the memory card 50, as shown in FIG. 5( b), the memory card 50 is inserted into the metal frame from above Inside the card housing portion 10 surrounded by the body 32.

After that, as shown in FIG. 5( c ), when the cover 2 is closed, the elastic contact pieces 5 b , 6 b , 7 b of the contacts 5 , 6 , 7 come into elastic contact with the corresponding conductive pads 51 of the memory card 50 .

In addition, as shown in Figure 5(d), if the cover 2 is rotated to a horizontal position parallel to the plane of the memory card 50, the elastic contact piece 5b of the ground contact 5 abuts against the conductive pad 51 of the memory card 50 and When pressed, it bends downward around the fixed portion 5a, and the switch piece 4 branched from the middle of the elastic contact piece 5b also descends in conjunction with it. As a result, the lower end of the switch piece 4 comes into elastic contact with the opposite switch pattern 15d of the printed circuit board 15, and the mounting detection circuit 11 shown in FIG. Install Signal.

In this state, if the horizontally closed cover 2 is slid to the locked position along the plane of the memory card 50, the rotation of the cover 2 covering the memory card 50 accommodated in the card accommodating portion 10 is restricted, and the contacts 5, The memory card 50 in which the elastic contact pieces 5b, 6b, 7b of 6 and 7 are electrically connected to the conductive pad 51 will not be pulled out from the card accommodating portion 10 inadvertently, so that the connected state can be maintained.

If the cover 2 is operated in the reverse order to the above and opened at the rotational position, the memory card 50 can be pulled out from the card accommodating portion 10, and if the memory card 50 is pulled out, the elastic contact pieces of the contacts 5, 6, 7 will 5b, 6b, 7b are reset to the state shown in Fig. 5(a). Therefore, the switch piece 4 is also separated from the switch pattern 15d, and the attachment detection circuit 11 shown in FIG.

In the above embodiment, the memory card 50 is mounted from above the card housing 10 , but a memory card connector for inserting the memory card 50 into the card housing 10 in the horizontal direction from the side of the case 3 may also be used.

In addition, the switch piece 4 branches from the middle of the elastic contact piece 5b to the free end side along the elastic contact piece 5b, but may be formed toward the fixed end side opposite to the elastic contact piece 5b.

In addition, the switch piece 4 is branched from the elastic contact piece 5 b of the ground contact 5 , but may be formed by branching from the elastic contact pieces 6 b, 7 b of the other contacts 6 , 7 . When branching from the elastic contact piece 6b of the power contact 6, the switch pattern 15d can be set at a potential different from that of the power contact 6, and a voltage signal of potential variation can be used as a card installation signal. In addition, when branching from the elastic contact piece 7b of the signal contact 7, the signal flowing to the signal contact is used as a card installation signal, so that the connection status of the memory card 50 can be output to an electronic device.

Industrial applicability is as follows.

The present invention is applicable to a memory card connector for connecting the memory card to electronic devices such as mobile phones.

Claims (1)

1. a connector for memory card, possesses:

Be formed with the housing of the card accommodation section that holds storage card;

With elastic contact chip, to card, be arranged on housing in accommodation section outstanding mode mutual insulating, and a plurality of contacts of contacting with the corresponding position that is contained in a plurality of conductive spacers of the storage card in card accommodation section of each outstanding elastic contact chip; And

Follow the storage card action that is contained in card accommodation section, and will represent that storage card is accommodated in card that card holds recess the switch plate that signal is exported to the switch figure being provided with on the printed circuit board (PCB) of housing is installed, this connector for memory card is characterised in that,

With regard to a contact, elastic contact chip by cantilever support on the fixed part being fixed on housing, switch plate forms from the medial fascicle of elastic contact chip to be separated with switch figure on printed circuit board (PCB) mode that predetermined distance ground is relative under the free state of this contact

In the time of in storage card is contained in to card accommodation section, the elastic contact chip by this contact contacts with conductive spacer and strain, and switch plate contacts with switch figure;

Branch is formed to the contact of switch plate and the earthy conductive spacer of storage card is connected, and switch plate is contacted with switch figure, will make the voltage signal of the potential change of switch figure, as card, signal is installed;

From the free end side to contact obliquely upward by the medial fascicle of the elastic contact chip of cantilever support and form the switch plate that tilts to free end side downwards.