Card connector

Abstract

Provided is a card connector in which a heat transfer part makes proper contact with an inserted card to enable efficient radiation of heat to the outside. Provided is a card connector comprising: a base member that accommodates an external card; a plurality of contacts that are attached to the base member and that, when the external card is accommodated, make contact with a terminal member of the external card; a cover member that forms an accommodation space for the base member and the external card; and a crosspiece part that defines the accommodation space together with the base member and the cover member. The cover member is provided with a top plate part. The top plate part is provided with a heat transfer part that, when the external card is accommodated in the accommodation space, makes contact with the external card. The heat transfer part is in the form of a spring having a cantilevered structure curved toward the accommodation space, and, when the external card is not accommodated, a portion of the surface of the free end of the cantilevered structure facing the accommodation space makes contact with the crosspiece part.

Description

Card Connectors

[0001] The present invention relates to a card connector, and more particularly to a card connector equipped with a heat dissipation mechanism.

[0002] In recent years, card connectors have become known for electronic devices such as mobile phones, into which memory cards or function expansion cards (hereinafter simply referred to as "IC cards") with built-in integrated circuits are inserted, electrically connecting the IC cards to the electronic devices. While there is a demand for smaller and thinner card connectors, there is also a demand for faster signal transmission between the electronic device and the IC card and larger memory capacities. Higher signal transmission speeds and larger memory capacities result in increased power consumption, which in turn generates heat in the IC card, leading to expansion, distortion, or damage to the molded IC card itself, or poor electrical connection between the IC card's external contacts and the contacts of the card connector.

[0003] For this reason, it is known to provide a heat dissipation member (heat transfer section) in the card connector, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, to dissipate heat generated by the card to the outside.

[0004] Patent No. 7376915

[0005] However, since the heat dissipation member (heat transfer section) of Patent Document 1 is configured to be disposed opposite the card with an air gap between them, the heat transfer efficiency is lower than that of contact transfer.

[0006] Furthermore, since the card will be inserted and removed from the connector many times, it is necessary to ensure that the heat transfer part of the card connector and the card make contact with each other. On the other hand, if the card is not inserted properly into the card connector's storage space, there is a risk of deforming the components inside the connector.

[0007] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a card connector in which a heat transfer section makes appropriate contact with an inserted card and can efficiently radiate heat to the outside.

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, one embodiment of the card connector according to the present invention comprises: a base member for accommodating an external card; a plurality of contacts attached to the base member and coming into contact with terminal members of the external card when the external card is accommodated; a cover member that forms a storage space for the external card with the base member; and a rib portion that, together with the base member and the cover member, defines the storage space; the cover member comprises a top plate portion, and the top plate portion comprises a heat transfer portion that comes into contact with the external card when the external card is accommodated in the storage space; the heat transfer portion is in the form of a cantilevered spring that is curved toward the storage space, and the free end of the cantilever structure has a surface that faces the storage space abutting the rib portion when the external card is not accommodated.

[0009] The present invention can provide a card connector in which the heat transfer portion is in proper contact with the inserted card and can efficiently radiate heat to the outside.

[0010] 1A is a perspective view of a card connector 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the card connector 100 with an IC card 500 inserted therein. FIG. 1C is an exploded view of the card connector 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a card connector 110 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1B is a front view of the card connector 110 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1C is an exploded view of the card connector 110 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a card connector 120 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1B is a front view of the card connector 120 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1C is a rear view of a cover member 320 of the card connector 120 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a card connector 130 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1B is a front view of the card connector 130 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1C is a rear view of a cover member 330 of the card connector 130 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1C is a perspective view of a card connector 140 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. (a) A top view of the card connector 110 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. (b) A cross-sectional view taken along line VIIb-VIIb in Fig. 7(a). (c) An enlarged view of part VIIc in Fig. 7(b). (a) A top view of the card connector 110 with an IC card 500 inserted. (b) A cross-sectional view taken along line VIIIb-VIIIb in Fig. 8(a). (c) An enlarged view of part VIIIc in Fig. 8(b). (d) A side view of the card connector 110 with an IC card 500 inserted and the heat transfer part 312 in contact with an external member 600.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0012] 1(a) is a perspective view of a card connector 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The card connector 100 includes a base member 200 having a plurality of contacts 202, a cover member 300, and a bridge portion 400.

[0013] 1(b), the card connector 100 can accommodate an external IC card (hereinafter simply referred to as an "IC card" or "card") 500 in the accommodation space V of the base member 200. The card connector 100 is fixed onto a printed circuit board (not shown) by soldering or the like, and electrically connects the accommodated IC card 500 to the printed circuit board.

[0014] 2 is an exploded view of the card connector 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Each component of the card connector will be described below in order.

[0015] (Base Member) The base member 200 includes a plurality of contacts 202 , and when the external IC card 500 is accommodated in the base member 200 , the plurality of contacts 202 come into contact with the terminal members 552 of the external IC card 500 .

[0016] The base member 200 of this embodiment includes a housing 201 , a plurality of contacts 202 , a spring 204 , a slider 206 , and a lock pin 208 .

[0017] In one embodiment, the housing 201 is molded from an insulating synthetic resin and includes a front wall 203 (the wall surface furthest from the insertion slot) facing the insertion slot for the IC card 500, and a pair of side walls 205 a and 205 b parallel to the insertion direction of the IC card 500.

[0018] The contacts 202 are fixed to the front wall 203 of the housing 201 so as to be arranged parallel to one another. For example, the contacts 202 may be fixed by press-fitting the contacts 202 into a plurality of elongated grooves (not shown) formed in the housing 201 and extending parallel to the card insertion direction.

[0019] Each of the plurality of contacts 202 has a cantilever shape that can come into contact with a terminal member of the external IC card 500. Therefore, the contact point 202a located at the free end of the contact 202 can be elastically displaced up and down, and can electrically contact the terminal member 552 of the inserted IC card 500 with a desired contact pressure. On the other hand, the end 202b on the fixed end side of the contact 202 is electrically connected to an external contact point (not shown) of the board on which it is mounted.

[0020] The spring 204, the slider 206, and the lock pin 208 constitute a push-push type ejection mechanism for facilitating the insertion and ejection of the IC card 500. Other ejection mechanisms may also be used as the mechanism for inserting and ejecting the IC card 500.

[0021] (Cover Member) The cover member 300, together with the base member 200, forms the storage space V for the external IC card 500. The cover member 300 has a top panel portion 301, and the top panel portion 301 has a heat transfer portion 302 that comes into contact with the external IC card 500 when the external IC card 500 is stored in the storage space V.

[0022] The heat transfer portion 302 has a cantilevered spring shape that curves toward the storage space V. Furthermore, when the card connector 100 does not store an IC card 500, the free end 302a of the cantilevered structure of the heat transfer portion 302 abuts against the crosspiece 400 (described later) at a portion of the surface facing the storage space V. Preferably, as described later, the heat transfer portion 302 is preloaded when abutting against the crosspiece 400.

[0023] The cover member 300 may be made of metal. For example, the cover member 300 can be formed by pressing a thin metal plate. The metal used for the cover member 300 preferably has high heat dissipation properties. As a metal with high heat dissipation properties, a copper alloy is preferable, and a Corson copper alloy is particularly preferable.

[0024] The heat transfer section 302 can be formed by cutting out the top plate section 301 of the cover member 300. In this way, the cover member 300 and the heat transfer section 302 are integrally molded, which eliminates the need to separately mount the heat transfer section 302 on the cover member 300 and makes manufacturing easier. The heat transfer section 302 may be a one-piece member, or may be formed from multiple pieces of member.

[0025] The heat transfer portion 302 may be cut out in any direction from the fixed end to the free end. For example, the heat transfer portion 302 may be formed by providing a groove-shaped notch from the opening of the storage space V parallel to the movement direction of the external IC card 500. In this case, as the IC card 500 is inserted, the heat transfer portion 302 moves in a direction in which the free end 302 a protrudes from the storage space V of the IC card 500 while a portion of the curved portion 304 contacts the IC card 500. When the IC card 500 is inserted, the free end 302 a may protrude beyond the top plate portion 301. Preferably, the free end 302 a of the heat transfer portion 302 is located on the opening side of the storage space V of the IC card 500. Furthermore, from the perspective of heat dissipation, it is preferable that the width of the heat transfer portion 302 in the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the IC card 500 be approximately the same as or slightly narrower than the width of the thermal pad 550 of the IC card 500.

[0026] (Ring portion) The rib portion 400, together with the base member 200 and the cover member 300, defines the storage space V for the IC card 500. When the external IC card 500 is not stored in the storage space V, the free end 302a of the heat transfer portion 302 abuts against the rib portion 400, as described above. Preferably, the rib portion 400, together with the base member 200 and the cover member 300, defines an opening of the storage space V for the IC card 500.

[0027] By defining the storage space V with the crosspiece 400 and abutting the free end 302a of the heat transfer portion 302 against the crosspiece 400, the IC card 500 can be appropriately guided into the storage space V when the IC card 500 is inserted. Furthermore, contact between the tip of the IC card 500 and the free end 302a can be avoided, which makes it possible to suppress undesired deformation (buckling) of the heat transfer portion 302 when the IC card 500 is inserted.

[0028] Preferably, the crosspiece is disposed on the base member or the cover member so as to cross the direction of movement of the IC card 500. For example, in this embodiment, the crosspiece 400 is installed between the side walls 205a and 205b of the base member 200. Hereinafter, first to fourth embodiments will be described, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0029] 3(a) to 3(c) show a card connector 110 according to a first embodiment. In this embodiment, the crosspiece 410 is a component independent of the base member 210, and is bridged between the side walls 215a and 215b of the base member 210 to define an opening for the storage space V for the external IC card 500.

[0030] The cover member 310 is formed by cutting out a top plate portion 311 and has a heat transfer portion 312 that curves toward the storage space V. The card connector 110 is assembled so that the cover member 310 covers the base member 210. At this time, the free end 312a of the heat transfer portion 312 abuts against the crosspiece portion 410, and a preload is applied to the heat transfer portion 312.

[0031] For example, the card connector 110 of this embodiment can be formed by fitting a metal crosspiece 410 to a base member 210 made of insulating synthetic resin, and then placing a metal cover member 310 on top of it. In this way, assembling the card connector 110 after integrating the crosspiece 410 with the resin base member 210 makes processing and assembly easier.

[0032] Second Embodiment A card connector 120 according to a second embodiment is shown in FIGS. 4( a) to 4(c). In this embodiment, the rib 420 is integrally formed with a portion of the cover member 320. For example, as shown in FIG. 4(c), the tip of the top panel 321 can be folded back toward the storage space V to provide the rib 420. In this case, the free end 322a of the heat transfer portion 322 abuts against the rib 420, applying a preload to the heat transfer portion 322. The rib 420, together with the base member 220 and the cover member 320, defines the opening of the storage space V for the external IC card 500.

[0033] In this embodiment, the cover member 320 is made of metal and is integrated with the crosspiece 420, so both ends of the crosspiece 420 are more firmly fixed, and deflection of the crosspiece 420 and the housing 221 due to preload can be suppressed. Also, because the crosspiece 420 is formed integrally with the cover member 320, the number of parts can be reduced. Furthermore, as in the first embodiment, the card connector 120 can be formed by placing the cover member 320 on the base member 220, making assembly easy.

[0034] 5( a ) to 5 ( c ) show a card connector 130 according to a third embodiment. In this embodiment, the crosspiece 430 is a component separate from the cover member 330, and is installed so as to cross between the notches in the top panel 331. At this time, the free end 332 a of the heat transfer portion 332 abuts against the crosspiece 430, applying a preload to the heat transfer portion 332.

[0035] Next, the cover member 330 is placed on the base member 230 to assemble the card connector 130. The crosspiece 430, together with the base member 230 and the cover member 330, defines the opening of the storage space V for the external IC card 500.

[0036] In this embodiment, both the cover member 330 and the crosspiece 430 are made of metal, and the metal members can be directly and firmly joined together, which further reduces deflection of the crosspiece 430 and the housing 231 due to preload. Also, as in the first embodiment, the card connector 130 can be formed by placing the cover member 330 on the base member 230, making assembly easy.

[0037] Fourth Embodiment In a fourth embodiment, a heat transfer section 342 is formed from a multi-piece member. A card connector 140 of the fourth embodiment is shown in FIG.

[0038] The free ends 342a of the heat transfer portion 342 are in contact with the crosspieces 440 and are preloaded. Because the heat transfer portion 342 is formed from multiple pieces of material, even if the IC card 500 is inserted in the wrong direction, the effects of distortion, such as unwanted deformation of the heat transfer portion 342, can be dispersed, thereby improving contact reliability. The fourth embodiment may be combined with the first to third embodiments.

[0039] 2. Contact between the heat transfer unit and the IC card Next, the contact between the card connector according to one embodiment of the present invention and an external IC card will be described. Note that the following description will be made using the card connector 110 of the first embodiment, but the same applies to the card connectors of the other embodiments.

[0040] Fig. 7(a) is a top view of the card connector 110 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 7(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIIb-VIIb in Fig. 7(a), and Fig. 7(c) is an enlarged view of part VIIc in Fig. 7(b).

[0041] 7B, the heat transfer portion 312 curves toward the storage space V, and the free end 312a abuts against the crosspiece 410. At this time, the position of the free end 312a has moved upward, that is, in a direction away from the storage space V, compared to when the crosspiece 410 is not present. Therefore, a preload corresponding to this movement is applied to the heat transfer portion 312, which is a cantilever spring. Here, "applying a preload" means that a load is applied in advance to the heat transfer portion 312, which is a cantilever spring, before the IC card 500 is inserted into the storage space V.

[0042] In other words, a force that moves the heat transfer part 312 in the direction of the storage space V is constantly acting on the heat transfer part 312, and the contact force of the heat transfer part 312 when the IC card 500 is inserted is higher and the contact reliability is improved compared to when no preload is applied. As a result, more stable contact between the IC card 500 and the heat transfer part 312 can be provided.

[0043] Figures 8(a) to 8(d) show the state in which an IC card 500 is inserted into the card connector 110. Figure 8(a) is a top view of the card connector 110 with the IC card 500 inserted, and Figure 8(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIIIb-VIIIb in Figure 8(a). Figure 8(c) is an enlarged view of part VIIIc in Figure 8(b). Figure 8(d) is a side view of the card connector 110 with the IC card 500 inserted and the heat transfer part 312 in contact with the external member 600.

[0044] In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C , when an IC card 500 is inserted into the storage space V, the heat transfer portion 312 protrudes beyond the top plate 311 of the cover member 310 and from the card connector 110, with the curved portion 314 in contact with the thermal pad 550 of the IC card 500. In FIG. 8C , D1 indicates the area of ​​the thermal pad, and d1 indicates the contact position of the heat transfer portion 312. Forming the curved portion 314 so that the contact position d1 of the heat transfer portion is wide is preferable in terms of heat dissipation and contact stability. Heat generated by the IC card 500 is dissipated from the thermal pad 550 through the heat transfer portion 312 of the card connector 110. Because the heat transfer portion 312 is integrated with the cover member 310, heat can be dissipated from the entire cover member 310.

[0045] In this embodiment, the thermal pad 550 is positioned away from the terminal members 552. If the side where the terminal members 552 are located is considered the leading edge, the range D1 of the thermal pad is located from the center to the rear edge of the IC card. In order for the heat transfer portion 312 to contact the range D1 of the thermal pad, it is preferable that the free end 312a be located on the opening side of the storage space V of the IC card 500. If the heat transfer portion 312 is cut out from the opening side of the top plate 311 toward the center, the free end 312a will be located near the center of the top plate 311, which may cause the contact position d2 of the heat transfer portion to not be located within the range D1 of the thermal pad.

[0046] If the heat dissipation pad 550 is located close to the terminal member 552, the heat transfer section 312 may be cut out from the opening side of the top plate 311 toward the center. Even in this case, by providing the crosspiece 410 and abutting a part of the surface of the free end 312a facing the storage space V against the crosspiece 410, a preload can be applied, thereby providing stable contact between the IC card 500 and the heat transfer section 312.

[0047] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8D , when the protruding heat transfer portion 312 comes into contact with the external member 600 , heat can be dissipated not only from the cover member 310 but also from the external member 600 .

[0048] Although various embodiments and modifications have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these. Other embodiments that are conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0049] Furthermore, one or more of the above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined as appropriate.

[0050] 100, 110, 120, 130, 140 Card connector 200, 210, 220, 230, 240 Base member 201, 211, 221, 231, 241 Housing 202, 212, 222, 232, 242 Contact 202a, 212a Contact point 202b, 212b Fixed end side 203 Front wall 204, 214 Spring 205a, 205b Side wall 206, 216, 226, 236 Slider 208, 218 Lock pin 300, 310, 320, 330, 340 Cover member 301, 311, 321, 331, 341 Top plate portion 302, 312, 322, 332, 342 Heat transfer portion 302a, 312a, 322a, 332a, 342a: Free end 304, 314: Curved portion 400, 410, 420, 430, 440: Bridge portion 500: External IC card 550: Heat dissipation pad 552: Terminal member 600: External member d1: Heat transfer portion contact position D1: Heat dissipation pad range V: Storage space

Claims

1. A card connector, comprising: a base member for accommodating an external card; a plurality of contacts attached to the base member and contacting a terminal member of the external card when the external card is accommodated; a cover member forming an accommodation space for the base member and the external card; and a crossbar defining the accommodation space together with the base member and the cover member, wherein the cover member includes a top plate portion, the top plate portion includes a heat transfer portion that contacts the external card when the external card is accommodated in the accommodation space, the heat transfer portion is in a spring form with a cantilever structure curved toward the accommodation space, and a free end of the cantilever structure abuts against a part of a surface facing the accommodation space of the crossbar when the external card is not accommodated. A card connector.

2. The card connector according to claim 1, wherein a preload is applied when the free end of the heat transfer portion abuts against the crossbar.

3. The card connector according to claim 1, wherein the crossbar defines an opening of the accommodation space together with the base member and the cover member.

4. The card connector according to claim 1, wherein the heat transfer portion is arranged such that the free end is located on the opening side of the accommodation space.

5. The card connector according to claim 1, wherein a part of the heat transfer portion protrudes from the cover member and contacts an external member when the external card is accommodated in the accommodation space.

6. The card connector according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is formed of metal.

7. The card connector according to claim 1, wherein the heat transfer portion contacts the external card at a part of the curved portion.

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