JP2002203622A - Memory card connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a memory card connector which can mount a memory card sideways in free demounting. SOLUTION: With the memory card connector 200 for mounting a memory card 100 in free demounting, a contact 230 incorporated in the connector is arranged with its axis direction orthogonal to the mounting/demounting direction of the memory card, and at same time, a protruded guide piece 232 is arranged at the mounting/demounting side of the contact 230 with the memory card. This guide piece 232 allows the connector to get in a smooth contact with the memory card.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a memory card connector to which a memory card is removably mounted.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, memory cards have been used in various electronic devices. On the memory card side, predetermined electric elements and circuits are incorporated, and on the front side, electric contacts are arranged appropriately. On the other hand, a connector for a memory card is mounted on the electronic device side on which the memory card is mounted, and the contacts (metal contacts) built into the connector are electrically connected to the contacts of the memory card when the memory card is mounted. It has become so.

In the case of a memory card having such a function, various sizes are provided. Restriction factors regarding this size include a restriction from a technical point of view of incorporating an electric element and a circuit, and moreover, a restriction from a portable side of a user side.

[0004] For example, considering that a user carries a memory card, it is generally considered that the memory card is often inserted into a wallet or a business card holder. A card pocket (storage section) such as a wallet or a business card holder generally has a large business card size, and other cards have a business card size in accordance with this.
For this reason, there are many business cards in memory cards. With this business card size, the same handling as other cards can be performed, and good convenience can be obtained.

[0005]

However, as is well known, the size of a business card is considerably large and rectangular in view of recent electronic component sizes. For this reason,
In the case of electronic devices that cannot take up a deep (long) space due to the relationship between miniaturized electronic devices and other built-in components, the memory card must be placed sideways on the electronic device side (in the longitudinal direction of the card). (Width direction perpendicular to the width direction). Furthermore, due to space restrictions on the electronic device side, there are cases where the contacts of the memory card connector must be arranged so that the axial direction thereof is orthogonal to the direction in which the memory card is attached and detached.

[0006] Under such circumstances, if the contact of the memory card connector is only a simple mere straight plate-like contact, the card edge (edge portion) may be caught when the memory card is inserted. Was. If such a scratch occurs, there is a problem that the contact itself is deformed or broken, or the edge of the memory card or the contact surface side is scratched. Of course, such a problem occurs when the memory card has a rectangular shape, even in cases other than the business card size.

The present invention has been made in view of such a situation. Basically, a protruding guide piece is provided on a contact side of a contact with a memory card, so that a smooth contact with the memory card can be achieved. An object of the present invention is to provide a connector for a memory card that enables contact.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a memory card connector to which a memory card is removably mounted. And a projection-like guide piece is provided on a side of the contact that is attached to and detached from the memory card.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the memory card connector according to the first aspect, wherein the projecting guide pieces are provided on the opposite side of the memory card from the removable side. It is in.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, at least a distal end of the guide piece is curved in a direction opposite to a contact surface of the memory card.
Or the memory card connector according to 2.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, at least an end portion of the guide piece which is in contact with the contact surface side of the memory card is an inclined surface. In the connector for memory card.

[0012]

FIG. 1 shows an example of a memory card connector according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows an enlarged state of its contacts. In the figure, 100 is a memory card, and 200 is a memory card connector assembled on the electronic device 300 side.

Although not shown, predetermined electrical elements and circuits are built in the memory card 100, and electrical contacts connected to the electrical elements and circuits are provided on the front side (bottom side in the figure) of the memory card 100. 110 are arranged. The shape is, for example, a rectangular shape of a business card size.

On the other hand, the memory card connector 200
The main body 210 is made of an insulator such as a resin, and a slit-shaped insertion opening 220a of a card storage unit 220 in which the memory card 100 is stored is opened on one side.

Further, a contact 230 made of a metal plate having a high spring property such as phosphor bronze is provided inside the bottom surface of the card storage portion 220 so as to correspond to the contact 110 of the memory card 100. The axial direction of the contact 230 is
Due to restrictions on the electronic device side, the memory card 100 is perpendicular to the attachment / detachment direction (insertion direction).

The contact portion 231 of the contact 230 that contacts the contact point 110 of the memory card 100 has its axial direction gently curved so as to be opposite to the contact surface side of the memory card 100. is there. Further, a protruding guide piece 232 is provided on the attachment / detachment side of the contact portion 231 with respect to the memory card 100. Also,
At least the tip side 232 a of the guide piece 232 is curved in the opposite direction to the contact surface side of the memory card 100.

With this configuration, in the case of the memory card connector 200 of the present invention, even when the memory card 100 is inserted from the side perpendicular to the axial direction of the contact 230, the memory card 100 is caught by the projecting guide piece 232. It is guided smoothly without any trouble. Thereby, the deformation and damage of the contact 230 can be prevented well. That is, the life of the connector can be extended. Of course, there is no possibility that the edge of the memory card 100 or the contact surface side is damaged, and the card can be protected. further,
Due to the presence of the projecting guide pieces 232, the contact area of the memory card 100 with the contacts 110 can be increased, so that stable connection performance can be obtained.

As shown in FIG. 3, the protruding guide piece 232 can be provided not only on the side of the contact portion 231 of the contact 230 that is attached to and detached from the memory card 100, but also on the opposite side. When the guide pieces 232 are provided on both sides of the contact 230, the left and right are symmetrical. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, when two rows of left and right contacts 230 are arranged, there is no distinction between left and right.
The same contact can be used. That is, the cost of parts can be reduced. Accordingly, the contact area of the memory card 100 with the contact 110 is further increased. However, although the width between adjacent contacts is increased by that amount, it is possible to cope well by appropriately adjusting the length of the projection of the guide piece.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show an enlarged state of a contact in another example of the memory card connector according to the present invention. In this contact 230 ′, at least the distal end of the guide piece 232 is
The edge portion of the sheet No. 00 that comes into contact with the contact surface side is formed as an inclined surface (slope) 232b by a chamfering process shown in FIG. 4A or a bending process shown in FIG. 4B.

Also in this configuration, the inclined surface 232b allows the memory card 10 to be moved similarly to the case of FIGS.
Even if 0 is inserted from the side orthogonal to the axial direction of the contact 230 ', it is smoothly guided without being caught.

In the above example, the memory card 10
Although 0 is a business card size rectangular shape, the same effect can be obtained even if the memory card 100 used in the present invention has another rectangular shape.

[0022]

As described above, according to the memory card connector of the present invention, since the protruding guide piece is provided on the contact side, smooth contact with the memory card becomes possible. As a result, (1) the deformation and damage of the contact are favorably prevented, and the life of the connector is extended. In addition, since damage to the memory card side can be prevented,
It also provides card protection. In particular, a better guide can be obtained by curving the guide piece downward or providing an inclined surface on the tip side. (2) Further, since the contact area with the memory card can be increased by the projecting guide pieces, stable connection performance can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a memory card connector and a memory card according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an enlarged state of a contact of the memory card connector of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an enlarged state of another example of the contact of the memory card connector according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an enlarged state of a contact of still another example of the memory card connector according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Memory card 110 Contact point 200 Memory card connector 210 Main body 220 Card storage part 220a Slit-shaped insertion port 230 Contact 231 Contact part 232, 232 'Projected guide piece 232a Tip side 232b Inclined surface 300 Electronic device

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A connector for a memory card to which a memory card is removably mounted, wherein a contact built in the connector is arranged so that an axial direction thereof is orthogonal to a direction in which the memory card is mounted and removed, and the contact is provided. A connector for a memory card, wherein a protruding guide piece is provided on the side of attaching and detaching the memory card. 2. The memory card connector according to claim 1, wherein the projecting guide pieces are provided on the opposite side of the memory card from the detachable side of the memory card. 3. The memory card connector according to claim 1, wherein at least a front end side of the guide piece is curved in a direction opposite to a contact surface side of the memory card. 4. The connector for a memory card according to claim 1, wherein an edge portion of at least a tip side of the guide piece, which is in contact with a contact surface side of the memory card, is an inclined surface.