JP2002343505A - Card detection switching mechanism for card connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a card detection switching mechanism for a connector used for IC card like SMC card, which can be constructed with a simple structure without making the size of the connector big. SOLUTION: SMC card 31 is inserted to the card connector so that the face of the card faces a base plate 41 on which, electronic parts are mounted. Card detection pieces 23, 24, which is pushed by the SMC card 31 when the SMC card 31 is inserted into the ordinary mounting position or near to thereof, and detects the insertion by electric conduction, are installed at the position facing the card, and a touching member 25 made of insulating material, is molded and fixed to at least one part of the card detection piece 24 to be pushed by the card so as to make the touching member 25 touch the SMC card 31.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a card connector for mounting a card on which electronic components are mounted to another card, a board, or the like, and to a switch mechanism for detecting that the card is mounted.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards storing subscriber information, U.S. Pat.
A mobile phone service is provided in which an IC card called a SIM (Universal Subscriber Identity Module) card or a UIM (User Identity Module) card is mounted on one mobile phone to enable use of a plurality of subscribers. ing. In such an IC card, a plurality of conductive contact pieces for connection are exposed on one surface of the card, and when attached to the card connector, these conductive contact pieces and the contact piece of the card connector are connected. By contact, the electronic components in the IC card and the control circuit of the device are connected. FIG. 7 shows a contact surface 3 of a SIM card 31 as an example of an IC card.
1a is shown. Contact surface 3 of SIM card 31
1a includes a conductive land group 33 (a plurality of conductive lands 331).
To 336) are provided. The card connector to which the SIM card 31 is attached is provided with a group of contact pieces that contact and conduct with these groups of conductive lands 33 and a card detection unit that detects that the SIM card 31 is attached. In order to reduce the size of the card connector, it is desirable that the card detecting means be provided on the same surface as the contact contact piece group that comes into contact with the conductive land group 33. However, the maximum shape and position of the conductive land group 33 are not specified. The SIM cards 31 have different shapes and sizes of the conductive land groups 33. Therefore, when the conductive contact piece of the card detecting means is provided on the same surface as the contact contact piece group, when the SIM card 31 is attached or detached, the conductive contact piece comes into contact with any of the conductive land groups 33 and malfunctions, There is a possibility that electronic components such as an IC built in the SIM card 31 may be damaged.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a card detection switch mechanism for a connector for an IC card such as a SIM card which can be constructed with a simple structure without increasing the size of the connector.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention, which achieves this object, is a card connector for detachably holding a card having a built-in electronic component so as to face a circuit board on which the electronic component is mounted. A card detection contact which is pressed by the card when the card is mounted at a regular mounting position or a position in the vicinity thereof at the card connector and changes the electrical connection state to detect that the card is mounted. Is provided at a position facing the surface of the card, and an insulating member is interposed in at least a part of the card detecting contact pressed by the card, so that the card detecting contact is pressed via the insulating member. It has features. The present invention can be applied to an IC card such as a SIM card, a USIM card or a UIM card. The card detection contact is formed by a pair of card detection contacts that are separated when not pressed by the card, and the insulating member is attached to one of the card detection contacts, and the one card detection contact is It is preferable that the bent card detection contact piece comes into contact with the other card detection contact piece when is bent by being pushed by the card via the insulating member.

[0005]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of a card connector provided with a detection switch mechanism to which the present invention is applied. The card connector main body 11 is for the SIM card 31.

The card connector main body 11 includes a base portion 12 formed of an insulating material such as a synthetic resin, and a base portion 12.
Frame parts 13 and 15 formed integrally with the frame part for positioning and holding both corners at the front end of the SIM card 31 and a frame part 1 for positioning and holding the rear edge part of the SIM card 31
4 is provided. Corner support surface 13 of frame portion 13
a, 13b, the short edge support surface 14a of the frame portion 14, the oblique side support surface 15a and the side edge support surface 15b of the frame portion 15 form a card storage space 11s for storing the SIM card 31.

[0007] A contact group 21 (contacts 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 21) which contacts a conductive land group 33 provided on a contact surface 31 a of the SIM card 31 is provided on a base portion 12 of the card connector main body 11.
6) are arranged in three rows in parallel at a constant interval, with two lines arranged at a predetermined interval as one row. Each contact 211
216, the intermediate portion is molded and fixed to the base portion 12, both end portions protrude from the base portion 12, and one end portions are card contact portions 211a, 212a, and 213.
a, 214a, 215a, 216a
And protrudes in the front direction (inside the card accommodating portion) from the opening formed in the substrate contact portions 211b and 212.
b, 213b, 214b, 215b, and 216b protrude from the base portion 12 in the rear direction (substrate direction). Each of the contacts 211 to 216 is formed of an elastic conductive metal.

Further, the SIM card 3 is
Card detecting contact piece 2 as a card detecting means for detecting that 1 is mounted at a regular position in card storage space 11s
3. The card detection contact piece 24 has contacts 215 and 216.
Is provided in the vicinity of. The card detecting contact piece 23 and the card detecting contact piece 24 have contact portions 23a and 24 each having an intermediate portion molded and fixed to the base portion 12 and one end portion of which comes into contact with and separate from each other.
A protrudes from the opening formed in the base portion 12 in the front direction (in the card accommodating portion) as a, and the other end protrudes in the back direction of the base portion 12 (substrate direction) as the substrate contact portions 23b and 24b. The contact portions 23a and 24a are separated from each other in a natural state where the card is not mounted. That is, it is in the off state. Substrate contact part 23
b, 24b, the card connector body 11 is the circuit board 41
When mounted above, it is soldered and fixed to the detection lands 43a and 43b. Detection land 43a, 43b
Is connected to a control circuit mounted on the circuit board 41 or another board, and the control circuit
SIM card 31 depending on whether or not a and 43b conduct.
It is detected whether or not is mounted.

The one contact portion 24a is a SIM card 31
Is installed at the regular position in the card storage space 11s,
The contact surface 31a of the SIM card 31 is
And the card detecting contact piece 24 is elastically bent by being pressed, and the contact portion 24a contacts the other contact portion 23a. That is, it is turned on. In an embodiment of the present invention,
A contact member 25 made of an insulating material is molded and fixed to the card detection piece 24 so that the card detection piece 24 does not directly contact the contact surface 31a. That is, the SIM card 31 is moved from the contact surface 31 a side to the card storage space 11.
2 (FIG. 2), the conductive lands 331 to 336 of the contact surface 31a contact and press the corresponding card contact portions 211a to 216a, and then the contact surface 31a contacts the contact member 25. The card detection contact piece 24 is pressed via the contact member 25. Then, when the SIM card 31 is settled to a regular position in the card storage space 11a or in the vicinity thereof, the contact portion 24a is connected to the other contact portion 23.
a, the card detection contact piece 24, the card detection contact piece 23
Is conducted, and the SIM card 31 is connected to the card connector body 1.
1 is detected (FIG. 3).

As described above, the card connector main body 11 of the present embodiment includes the card detecting contact 23 for detecting the SIM card 31 and the card detecting contact 24 for the contacts 211 to 21.
6 allows the SIM card 31 to be attached and detached without enlarging the outer shape of the card connector main body 11. Further, the card detecting contact piece 24 pressed by the contact surface 31a insulates the contact surface 31a from the contact surface. Since the contact member 25 is provided as an insulating member, the card detecting contact piece 24 is connected to the conductive lands 331 to 336 of the contact surface 31a.
There is no possibility of conduction with the like.

The card connector body 11 is mounted on a predetermined position of the circuit board 41, and each of the board contact portions 211
b to 216b and the substrate contact portions 23b and 24b are fixed to the corresponding lands in a state where they are in contact and conduction. Normal,
Each of the substrate contact portions 211b to 216b and the substrate contact portions 23b and 24b are soldered to corresponding lands.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show a SIM card 31.
1 shows an embodiment of an attaching / detaching mechanism for attaching / detaching to / from a card connector main body 11. This attachment / detachment mechanism is a SIM card 31
Is provided with a card holder 17. The configuration of the card connector main body 11 other than the card holder 17 is shown in FIG.
Since the embodiment is the same as those described in the embodiments 2 and 3, the members having the same structure are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The card holder 17 has a SIM card 31
The end opposite to the insertion / removal opening 18 for inserting / removing is rotatably connected to the shaft hole 14b of the frame portion 14 via the shaft 19, and can swing between the storage position and the insertion / removal position. Is pivoted to. When the card holder 17 is at the insertion / removal position, the SIM card 31 holds the lid 17 a and the card holder 1.
7 is inserted into the holder space regulated by the guide rails 17b formed on both edges of the holder 7. The guide rail portion 17b is configured such that the contact surface 31a is
The contact surface 31a is formed to have a narrow width capable of supporting the vicinity of both longitudinal edges of the contact surface 31a so as to be able to contact the contact surfaces 11b to 216b and 24b. When the end of the SIM card 31 is inserted to the holder storage position where the end of the SIM card 31 contacts the positioning surface 17c and the lid 17a is pressed, the card holder 17 is
9, the contact surface 31a approaches the card contact portions 211a to 216a and the contact member 25, and firstly the card contact portions 212a, 214a, 216a, and then the card contact portions 211a, 213a, 215a.
Touch in order. Then, when the card holder 17 is rotated to the storage completion position or a position in the vicinity thereof, the contact portion 24a pressed by the contact member 25 against the contact surface 31a comes into contact with the contact portion 23a, and the SIM card 31 is mounted. Is detected.

The card holder 17 is locked by a lock mechanism (not shown) at the storage completion position (FIG. 5). The lock mechanism has a lock release mechanism. When the lock release mechanism is operated and the lock is released, the card holder 17 is rotated by a biasing member (not shown) for rotating the card holder 17 toward the card insertion / removal position. The holder 17 rotates to the card insertion / removal position.

The attachment / detachment mechanism for attaching / detaching the SIM card 31 to / from the card connector main body 11 is not limited to the two illustrated embodiments. For example, a slide for sliding the SIM card 31 in a direction substantially parallel to the card connector main body 11 is provided. A detachable mechanism may be used.

In the illustrated embodiment, the card detecting contact 24
Although the contact member 25 is shown as a member that insulates the above, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an insulating coating may be applied to the surface on the side of the card detection contact piece 24 facing the contact surface 31a, or an insulating material may be attached. Further, the insulating piece is formed integrally with the base portion 12 so as to be interposed between the card detecting contact piece 24 and the contact surface 31a, so that the contact surface 31a presses the card detecting contact piece 24 via the insulating piece. Alternatively, an insulating piece formed separately may be fixed to the base portion 12 or the card detecting contact piece 24.

[0017]

As apparent from the above description, the present invention provides
An insulating member is interposed in at least a part of the card detection contact pushed on the mounted card, and the card detection contact is formed so as to be pushed through the insulation member. It is possible to provide a card detection switch mechanism of a card connector which is unlikely to come into contact with the card connector.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a card connector to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the same embodiment, taken along section line II-II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line II-II in FIG. 1 in a state where the SIM card is mounted.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 of an embodiment including a card folder in a card insertion / removal position.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 of the embodiment including the card folder in a state where a card is completely mounted.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment including the card folder in a card insertion / removal state.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an example of a contact surface of a SIM card.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 Card Connector Body 11s Card Storage Space 12 Base 13 Frame 13a Corner Supporting Surface 13b Corner Supporting Surface 14 Frame 14a Short Edge Supporting Surface 14b Shaft Hole 15 Frame 15a Oblique Side Supporting Surface 15b Side Edge Supporting Surface Reference Signs List 17 Card holder 17a Lid 17b Guide rail 17c Side edge support 18 Insertion / extraction opening 19 Axis 21 Contact group 211 212 213 214 215 216 Contact 23 Card detection contact 23a Contact 24 Card detection contact 24a Contact 25 Contact 31 SIM card 31a Contact surface 33 Conductive land group 331 332 333 334 335 336 Conductive land 41 Circuit board

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H01R 12/16 H01R 23/68 D 303C F term (Reference) 2C005 NA23 NA24 NB34 PA05 5B058 CA13 5E021 FA05 FA11 FB18 FC38 KA09 MA20 5E023 AA04 AA16 AA18 AA21 AA29 BB19 BB22 CC02 CC23 CC26 DD18 DD28 DD29 EE10 EE19 EE27 GG09 HH01 HH27

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A card connector for detachably holding a card containing electronic components in a state of facing a circuit board on which the electronic components are mounted, wherein the card connector includes the card. A card detection contact, which is pressed by the card when the card is mounted at a regular mounting position or a position in the vicinity thereof, changes the electrical connection state, and detects that the card is mounted, faces the surface of the card. The card connector is provided at a position, wherein an insulating member is interposed in at least a part of the card detection contact pushed by the card, and the card detection contact is pushed through the insulation member. Card detection switch mechanism. 2. The card detection switch mechanism of a card connector according to claim 1, wherein said card is an IC card such as a SIM card. 3. The card detection contact is formed by a pair of card detection contacts which are separated when not pressed by the card, and one of the card detection contacts is provided with the insulating member. 2. The bent card detection contact comes into contact with the other card detection contact when the card detection contact is bent by being pushed by the card via the insulating member.
Or a card detection switch mechanism of the card connector according to 2.