JP2001250631A - Connector for ic card - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a structure of a connector for an IC card having a shutter mechanism, into which the IC card can be easily inserted, besides that a shutter member can be smoothly turned. SOLUTION: The connector comprising; a housing 1 installed with a plurality of connector terminal 2; guide frames 9 that are installed at the opposite of the both side parts of the hosing 1 and that have guide grooves 9a wherein an IC card 3 which is connected to the connector terminals 2 is inserted into and retained by the grooves; an insertion port 10e which is installed at the guide frame 9 and into which the IC card 3 is inserted; and a shutter member 11 which opens and closes an insertion port 103 of the IC card 3. The shutter member 11 is rotatably and axially supported to the insertion direction of the IC card 3 by a turning shaft 11a that is installed at both end parts a protrusive part 11c is formed which the front face end part of the IC card 3 abuts on when the IC card 3 is inserted into the shutter member 11 from the turning shaft 11a side and at the face of insertion side of the IC card 3 of the shutter member 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure of an IC card connector to which an IC card used for a storage medium of a personal computer or the like is attached and detached.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Some personal computers are provided with an IC card connector. An IC card is mounted on the IC card connector as a storage medium.

The IC card is inserted into an IC card connector to write and read necessary information. The IC card incorporates a semiconductor such as an IC (integrated circuit) and has a high frequency. Since the circuit is used, it is easy to affect electromagnetic noise and the like to the outside.
In order to take measures against (radiation noise), there is a type provided with a shield member such as a shield plate.

[0004] Further, there is known an IC card connector provided with a shutter mechanism at an IC card insertion opening of the IC card connector so as to prevent the inside from being seen when the IC card is not inserted. As an IC card connector equipped with this shutter mechanism, an IC card connector in which an openable and closable shutter member attached to the front surface of the IC card connector is integrally formed in a housing or a guide frame formed in the housing is used. Was common.

That is, as a structure of a conventional connector for an IC card having a shutter mechanism, a housing in which a plurality of connector terminals are provided, or a guide frame in which the IC card is inserted and held is made of a synthetic resin or the like. A support member for supporting the shutter member is integrally formed on the front side of the housing or the guide frame, that is, on the side where the IC card is inserted, which is formed of a conductive material such as an insulating material or a metal plate. The member is rotatably supported so that it can be opened and closed.

[0006]

However, in the structure of the conventional IC card connector described above, the IC
When the card is inserted, the front surface of the IC card contacts the entire front surface of the shutter member, and the center portion of the shutter member is also pressed. Since the pressure is concentrated and the sliding resistance at the time of opening and closing increases, there is a problem that the operability is poor and the shutter member cannot be rotated smoothly.

Accordingly, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and the structure of an IC card connector having a shutter mechanism allows the shutter member to be smoothly rotated and allows the IC card to be easily inserted. It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure of an IC card connector capable of performing the above.

[0008]

According to the present invention, as a first means for solving the above-mentioned problems, as a first means, a housing in which a plurality of connector terminals are arranged, and a housing provided opposite to both sides of the housing, A guide frame having a guide groove into which an IC card connected to the connector terminal is inserted;
An insertion slot provided in the guide frame into which the IC card is inserted, and a shutter member for opening and closing the insertion slot are provided, and the shutter member is moved in a direction in which the IC card is inserted by rotating shafts provided at both ends. A front end of the IC card when the IC card is inserted into the insertion slot, and is rotatably supported on the surface of the shutter member on the IC card insertion side and on the rotation shaft side. A protruding portion with which the portion abuts is formed.

As a second means, the rotating shaft is
While being axially supported on the upper edge side or lower edge side of the insertion port,
The protrusion is formed at a position closer to the center of the insertion port than a position where the rotation shaft is supported.

As a third means, there is provided a support frame provided on the front side of the guide frame, wherein the guide frame is formed with the guide grooves in two upper and lower stages, and the shutter member is provided with the shutter member. It is characterized by being rotatably supported by the support frame so that it can be individually opened and closed corresponding to the guide grooves.

As a fourth means, the projecting portion is
When the IC card is inserted into the insertion slot, the IC
A first protruding portion formed at both ends of the thin wall portion for preventing contact with a bulging portion bulging on the front surface or the back surface of the card, and a second protruding portion formed at both ends within the thin wall surface. Characterized in that it is composed of a projection portion.

5. The IC card connector according to claim 4, wherein as a fifth means, the second protruding portion is formed to have a lower protruding height than the first protruding portion.

[0013]

1 to 6 show an embodiment of the present invention. 1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the IC card connector of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the IC card connector of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof, FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view of the same.

In FIG. 1, a housing 1 is formed of an insulating material such as a synthetic resin. The housing 1 is provided with a housing 1a into which an IC card 3 is inserted. A plurality of connector terminals 2 made of a conductive metal material are juxtaposed at the inner bottom of the housing portion 1a. One end of the connector terminal 2 is led out of the housing 1 and will be described later. Connecting portion 2a connected to relay board 5
Are formed. Further, the other end of the connector terminal 2 is led out into the housing portion 1a of the housing 1 and is provided with an IC.
A contact portion (not shown) connected to the socket connector 3a of the card 3 is formed.

The shield plate 4 is made of a metal material such as a stainless steel plate or a steel plate, is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape, and is disposed so as to cover the upper surface side of the housing 1 on which the connector terminals 2 are arranged. Have been. This shield plate 4 has an IC
A plurality of contact pieces 4a formed of cut-and-raised pieces that come into contact with dimples (ground projections) (not shown) of the card 3 are formed side by side.

The relay board 5 is made of a laminated board made of phenol resin or the like, and a plurality of circuit patterns (not shown), the connector terminals 2 and the shield plate 4 are soldered to the surface thereof, and are electrically connected. A connection land portion (not shown) to be connected is formed. This relay board 5
Is disposed on the back side of the housing 1 and is inserted into a card edge connector mounted on the circuit board when the housing 1 is mounted on a circuit board (not shown). The card edge connector is a relay connector of a board insertion type.
a is electrically connected to a circuit pattern (not shown) of the main circuit board.

The eject knob 6 includes a slider 6a made of a metal plate and an operation knob 6b attached to one end of the slider 6a.
And a pair of guide frames 9, which will be described later, extending opposite to both side portions of the housing 1 slidably attached to one side portion. The other end of the eject knob 6 is engaged with an eject lever 7 also made of a metal plate.
When the eject knob 6 is pushed, the free end (not shown) of the housing 1 is rotated, and the free end presses the end of the IC card 3. 1a is pushed in the discharge direction, and the IC card 3 is pushed into the housing 1 of the housing 1.
a. The coil spring 8
A return spring for urging the eject lever 7 to an initial position.

The guide frame 9 is formed in a rectangular rod shape with an insulating material such as a synthetic resin. One end of the guide frame 9 is engaged with both sides of the housing 1,
The housing 1 and a pair of the guide frames 9, 9
The hollow area surrounded by the above is an IC card insertion portion for inserting and holding the IC card 3. A guide groove 9a into which the IC card 3 is inserted and held is formed on the inner side surface of the guide frame 9. The guide groove 9a
Are formed in two upper and lower stages facing each other. In the vicinity of the front side of the guide frame 9, there is formed a mounting hole 9b which is mounted to a circuit board (not shown) by a method such as screwing. A grounding piece 10g of the support frame 10, which will be described later, is mounted in the mounting hole 9b, and is connected to a ground pattern on a circuit board.

The support frame 10 is formed by bending a conductive material such as a metal plate. The support frame 10 includes an upper frame portion 10a and a lower frame portion 1
0b, and the upper frame portion 10a and the lower frame portion 10b are formed into a box shape having an opening portion 10e by engaging the side plate portions 10c and 10d with each other. . At both ends of the upper frame portion 10a, a pair of elastic mounting pieces 10f extending outward and being elastically deformable are formed, and at the tip end side of the elastic mounting piece 10f, A grounding piece 10g is provided in the mounting hole 9b of the guide frame 9 by a method such as screwing.

One end of the opening 10e, ie, IC
A pair of shutter members 11 made of an insulating material such as a synthetic resin is attached to a side serving as an insertion opening of the card 3. The shutter member 11 is connected to the support frame 10.
Shaft holes 10h, 10h provided in side plate portions 10c, 10d of
i and a rotation shaft 11a provided on the side surface of the shutter member 11, and are rotatably supported and attached so as to be openable and closable.

On the front side of the shutter member 11 into which the IC card 3 is inserted, a thin and thin wall portion 11b is formed. In addition, thick projecting portions 11c, 11c are formed on both opposite end sides of the thin surface portion 11b, respectively.
In this case, the protruding portions 11c, 11c are formed by square flat surfaces, but may be formed by columnar protruding surfaces. By forming the thin-walled surface portion 11b on the shutter member 11, it is possible to avoid contact with the bulging portion 3b provided on the IC card 3 when the IC card 3 is inserted into the insertion slot. Therefore, the thickness of the IC card connector in the thickness direction can be reduced, and it is possible to reduce the thickness.

Further, the thick-walled projections 11c, 11c are formed on both opposite end sides of the thin-walled surface portion 11b so that the IC card 3 can be inserted into the insertion slot when the IC card 3 is inserted into the insertion slot. The front portions of the projections 11c, 1c
1c, the central portion of the shutter member 11 is not pressed, so that the rotation shaft 1
The pressing force is not concentrated at a position distant from the shaft support position of 1a, the sliding resistance at the time of opening and closing is reduced, the operability is good, and the shutter member 11 can be smoothly rotated. . The rotating shaft 11a is rotatably supported by an upper edge side or a lower edge side of the insertion opening, and the protruding portions 11c, 11c are rotatable.
Since it is formed closer to the center of the insertion port than the position where it is pivotally supported, the portion separated in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the rotating shaft 11a is pressed first, so that it is more smoothly. Can be rotated.

Further, since no stress is applied to the thin wall portion 11b, deformation and breakage of the shutter member 11 can be prevented. Some IC cards 3 do not have the bulging portion 3b depending on the type. However, in this case, the IC card 3 can be inserted without any problem, and the components can be shared.

When the support frame 10 is installed on the front side of the guide frames 9, 9, the pair of shutter members 11, 11 are provided on the guide frames 9, 9, respectively. The guide grooves 9a, 9
The supporting frame 10 is supported by the support frame 10 so as to be able to open and close individually in response to a. For this reason, the upper and lower two guide grooves 9a, 9
a, the shutter member 11 on the side where the IC card 3 is not inserted,
Can be kept closed.

The support frame 10 is formed separately from the guide frames 9 and 9, and has a structure in which the elastic mounting pieces 10f and 10f elastically sandwich the guide frames 9 and 9. Therefore, the components can be shared between the IC card connector with the shutter mechanism and the IC card connector without the shutter mechanism because the mounting is easy and the mounting is possible. In addition, since the support frame 10 is formed by bending a metal plate so as to surround the peripheral surface of the opening 10e, which is an insertion port of the IC card 3, a great effect against EMI (radiation noise) is provided. Is obtained.

The cover member 12 is formed of a conductive material such as a metal plate into a flat plate shape, and is disposed so as to cover the housing 1 and the upper or lower surfaces of the guide frames 9 and 9. . By covering the insertion portion of the IC card 3 with the cover member 12, a further shielding effect can be obtained.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the IC card connector of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the IC card connector, and FIG. 6 is a front view of the same. The same components as those described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

The structure shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and the structure shown in FIGS.
The difference between the first and second embodiments is that the structure of the shutter member 11 is partially different. That is, the shutter member 13 disposed above the opening 10e, which is the insertion opening of the IC card 3, is formed with a thin, thin wall portion 13b. Also,
Thick first protrusions 13c, 13c are formed on both sides of the thin wall portion 13b opposite to each other, and the first protrusions 13c are formed on both ends in the thin wall portion 13b. Second protruding portions 13d, 13d having a lower protruding height than the portions 13c, 13c are formed. In this case, the second protrusions 13d, 13d are formed at both ends in the thin wall portion 13b, but need not necessarily be formed at both ends, and may be formed at either one.

As described above, the thin surface portion 13b of the shutter member 13 disposed above the opening 10e
By providing the second protruding portion 13d therein,
For example, even when the IC card 3 is of a type III with an HD (hard disk) mounted thereon, even when a thicker bulging portion 3b is inserted, the front end of the bulging portion 3b remains Because it comes into contact with the second protrusion 13d,
The central portion of the shutter member 13 is no longer pressed, the pressing force is not concentrated at a position distant from the pivotal support position of the rotating shaft 13a, the sliding resistance when opening and closing is reduced, and the operability is reduced. The shutter member 13 can be smoothly rotated.

Further, since no stress is applied to the thin wall portion 13b, deformation and breakage of the shutter member 13 can be prevented.

Further, since the second projecting portion 13d having a lower projecting height than the first projecting portion 13c is provided, the thickness of the shutter member 13 can be reduced.
The dimension in the thickness direction of the IC card connector can be reduced, and it is possible to reduce the thickness.

[0032]

As described above, the connector for an IC card according to the present invention is provided with the shutter member for opening and closing the insertion slot into which the IC card is inserted, on the surface on the IC card insertion side and on the rotating shaft side. , When the IC card is inserted into the insertion slot,
Since the front end portion of the C card is in contact with the protrusion, the front portion of the IC card contacts the protrusion when the IC card is inserted into the insertion slot. It is no longer pressed, and the pressing force is not concentrated at a position distant from the pivotal support position of the rotating shaft, so that sliding resistance when opening and closing is reduced, operability is good, and the shutter member is smoothly rotated. It becomes possible. In addition, since no stress is applied to the thin wall portion, deformation and breakage of the shutter member can be prevented.

Further, the rotating shaft is supported on the upper edge side or the lower edge side of the insertion port, and the protruding portion is formed on the center side of the insertion port from the position where the rotating shaft is supported. Since the portion separated in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the rotation shaft is pressed first, the rotation can be performed more smoothly.

A guide frame is provided on the front side of the guide frame. The guide frame has guide grooves formed in two upper and lower stages, and the shutter member can be individually opened and closed corresponding to the guide grooves. As described above, since the IC card is rotatably supported by the support frame, even when the IC card is inserted into one of the upper and lower guide grooves, the shutter member on the side where the IC card is not inserted is closed. Can be kept. Also, if the IC card is HD
The shutter member is supported by the supporting frame so that it can open and close easily even when a thick bulge such as Type III mounted on a (hard disk) is inserted. Can be inserted.

The projecting portions are formed at both ends of the thin-walled portion for preventing the IC card from coming into contact with the bulging portion bulging on the front surface or the back surface of the IC card when the IC card is inserted into the insertion slot. The IC card is of a type, since the first protrusion is formed and the second protrusions are formed at both ends in the thin-walled surface.
Even when a thick bulge is inserted as in III, the front end of the bulge abuts the second protrusion and the central part of the shutter member is pressed. And the pressing force is not concentrated at a position distant from the pivot support position of the rotating shaft, so that the sliding resistance when opening and closing is reduced, the operability is good, and the shutter member can be smoothly rotated. Become.

Further, since the second protruding portion is formed to have a lower protruding height than the first protruding portion, the thickness of the shutter member can be reduced, so that the thickness of the IC card connector in the thickness direction can be reduced. The dimensions can be reduced, and a reduction in thickness can be achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an IC card connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the IC card connector of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the IC card connector of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing the IC card connector of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an IC card connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing the IC card connector of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Housing 1a Storage part 2 Connector terminal 2a Connection part 3 IC card 3a Socket connector 3b Swelling part 4 Shield plate 4a Contact piece 5 Relay board 6 Eject knob 6a Slider part 6b Operation knob part 7 Eject lever 8 Coil spring 9 Guide frame 9a Guide groove 9b Mounting hole 10 Support frame 10a Upper frame 10b Lower frame 10c, 10d Side plate 10e Opening (insertion port) 10f Elastic mounting piece 10g Grounding piece 10h, 10i Shaft 11 Shutter 11a Rotating shaft 11b Thin wall Surface portion 11c Projection portion 12 Cover member 13 Shutter member 13a Rotating shaft 13b Thin wall portion 13c First projection portion 13d Second projection portion

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2C005 MB04 NA02 5B058 CA05 CA13 KA24 5E023 AA04 AA16 AA21 BB22 CC02 DD19 GG02 GG06 GG08 GG09 HH01 HH09 HH12 HH18 HH30 5E087 LL04 LL17 LL29 LL33 MM04 Q

Claims (5)

[Claims] A housing provided with a plurality of connector terminals, and provided on both sides of the housing to face each other;
A guide frame having a guide groove into which an IC card to be connected to the connector terminal is inserted; an insertion slot provided in the guide frame into which the IC card is inserted; and a shutter member for opening and closing the insertion slot. The shutter member is mounted on an IC by rotating shafts provided at both ends.
When the IC card is inserted into the insertion slot on the surface of the shutter member on the insertion side of the IC card and on the rotation axis side while being rotatably supported in the card insertion direction. A connector for an IC card, wherein a projecting portion is formed, with which a front end of the IC card contacts. 2. The rotation shaft is supported on an upper edge side or a lower edge side of the insertion port, and the protruding portion is closer to a center of the insertion port than a position where the rotation shaft is supported. 2. The IC card connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector is formed as follows. 3. A supporting frame provided on a front side of the guide frame, wherein the guide frame includes upper and lower
The guide groove is formed in a step, and the shutter member is rotatably supported by the support frame so that the shutter member can be individually opened and closed corresponding to the guide groove. 3. The IC card connector according to 1 or 2. 4. The thin-walled surface portion, which prevents the IC card from abutting against a bulging portion bulging on the front surface or the back surface of the IC card when the IC card is inserted into the insertion slot. The IC card according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a first protruding portion formed on both end sides and a second protruding portion formed on both end portions in the thin wall portion. Connector. 5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the second protrusion has a lower height than the first protrusion.
The IC card connector described in the above.