Electrical connector with card-ejecting device

Abstract

An electrical connector includes a base plate with an accommodating groove, an integrated circuit board, and a card-ejecting device. The accommodating groove has an open front end and a closed rear end, and is adapted to receive a smart card therein. The smart card has a front end extending from the front end of the groove, and a rear end that is spaced apart from the rear end of the groove at a small distance. When the front end of the smart card is pressed inwardly to move the rear end of the smart card to the rear end of the groove, and is subsequently released, the card-ejecting device pushes the smart card outwardly relative to the connector. Accordingly, the smart card can be ejected with ease.

I claim:  
     
         1 . An electrical connector adapted for insertion of a smart card therein, the smart card having a front end and a rear end, said electrical connector comprising: 
 an elongated base plate having a first side surface, a front end, a rear end, a left side, a right side, and an accommodating groove that is formed in said first side surface of said base plate and that extends from said front end of said base plate to said rear end of said base plate, said groove having an open front end and a closed rear end and being adapted to receive the smart card therein in such a manner that the smart card is disposed at a retracted position, where the front end of the smart card extends from said open front end of said groove and where a space is present between the rear end of the smart card and said closed rear end of said groove;    an integrated circuit board connected fixedly to said base plate and including a first side surface, a second side surface that is opposite to said first side surface of said integrated circuit board and that abuts against said first side surface of said base plate in such a manner that said base plate and said integrated circuit board are adapted to be disposed generally parallel to the smart card, a plurality of pin holes that are formed through said integrated circuit board, and a plurality of terminal pins that are fastened to said first side surface of said integrated circuit board, said terminal pins extending through said pin holes and projecting from said second side surface of said integrated circuit board so as to be adapted to connect electrically with the smart card when the smart card is disposed at the retracted position; and    a card-ejecting device adapted to push the smart card outwardly relative to said groove to an extended portion in a longitudinal direction of said base plate when the front end of the smart card is pressed inwardly within said groove to move the rear end of the smart card to said closed rear end of said groove, and is subsequently released, said card-ejecting device including 
 a slide slot formed in said right side of said base plate and extending along length of said base plate;  
 a movable member, which is formed with an integral positioning element that is adapted to abut against the rear end of the smart card so as to move said movable member and the smart card synchronously when the smart card is pressed inwardly relative to said base plate, said movable member being retained at a first position, where the smart card is disposed at the retracted position, and being moved, when the front end of the smart card is pressed inwardly relative to said base plate to move the rear end of the smart card to said closed rear end of said groove and is subsequently released, to a second position, where the smart card is disposed at the extended position so as to disconnect electrically from said pins and where the front end of the smart card can be pressed inwardly once again relative to said base plate to move the rear end of the smart card to said closed rear end of said groove, and subsequently released, thereby biasing the smart card to the retracted position by means of said card-ejecting device, said movable member being disposed slidably within said slide slot and being slidable relative to said base plate in the longitudinal direction of said base plate, said movable member being formed with an integral first resilient arm;  
 a spring disposed between said movable member and said base plate for biasing said movable member to move forward on said base plate;  
 a link rod having a front end that is connected pivotally to said movable member, and a rear end with an integral tongue that extends perpendicularly therefrom, said first resilient arm of said movable member pressing against said link rod, thereby biasing said link rod to rotate in a predetermined direction; and  
 a guide slot formed in said first side surface of said base plate for receiving said tongue of said link rod slidably therein, said guide slot having an annular slot portion and a longitudinal front slot portion that extends forward from a portion of said annular slot portion and that has a rear end, and a closed front end, said tongue of said link rod being biased by said spring to said front end of said longitudinal front slot portion when said movable member is located at said second position, said annular slot portion having 
 a generally straight left slot portion extending rearward and leftward from said rear end of said longitudinal front slot portion and having a rear end,  
 a generally V-shaped rear slot portion extending rightward from said rear end of said left slot portion and having a left end, a right end, and a curved middle portion that is located midway between and in front of said left and right ends, said tongue of said link rod being disposed at said curved middle portion when said movable member is located at said first position, and  
 a generally straight right slot portion extending forwardly and rightward from said right end of said rear slot portion to said rear end of said longitudinal front slot portion, said tongue being movable from said curved middle portion of said V-shaped rear slot portion to said right end of said V-shaped rear slot portion by pressing inward the front end of the smart card so as to move the rear end of the smart card to said closed rear end of said groove, after which said tongue is biased, upon release of the smart card, by said spring and said first resilient arm to said front end of said longitudinal front slot portion via said right slot portion, said tongue being movable from said longitudinal front slot portion to said left end of said V-shaped rear slot portion via said left slot portion by pressing inward the front end of the smart card so as to move the rear end of the smart card to said closed rear end of said groove, after which said tongue is biased, upon release of the smart card, by said spring and said first resilient arm to said curved middle portion of said V-shaped rear slot portion.  
 
   
     
     
         2 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said movable member is made of metal, said positioning element being shaped as a plate, which is parallel to said base plate and which is formed with a pressed abutment portion that extends into said groove and that is adapted to abut against the rear end of the smart card.  
     
     
         3 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said movable member is formed with an integral second resilient arm, said first and second resilient arms abutting against two opposite sides of said link rod with no pressure being applied by said first and second resilient arms to said link rod when said movable member is disposed at said second position, in such a manner to direct said link rod toward a junction between said left slot portion and said longitudinal front slot portion, thereby guiding said tongue to move into said left slot portion when said movable member is moved from said second position to said first position.  
     
     
         4 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said right end of said V-shaped rear slot portion is generally in line with said longitudinal front slot portion, whereby, when said tongue moves along said left slot portion, said first resilient arm flexes relative to said positioning element so as to generate a restoration force, which biases said tongue to move from said left end of said V-shaped rear slot portion to said curved middle portion of said V-shaped rear slot portion, and subsequently from said curved middle portion of said V-shaped rear slot portion to said right end of said V-shaped rear slot portion.  
     
     
         5 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a cover plate, which is mounted fixedly on said base plate and which is parallel to said base plate so as to confine said integrated circuit board between said base plate and said cover plate, thereby preventing removal of said movable member from said slide slot in said base plate.  
     
     
         6 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said integrated circuit board is formed with a plurality of positioning holes therethrough, said first side surface of said base plate being formed with a plurality of integral projections that engage respectively said positioning holes in said integrated circuit board, thereby positioning said integrated circuit board relative to said base plate.  
     
     
         7 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said cover plate has a front side, which is formed with a trapezoid notch at a middle portion thereof that is adjacent to said open front end of said groove and that is adapted to facilitate insertion of the smart card into said groove.  
     
     
         8 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said base plate is generally rectangular, and has two long sides and two short sides, said front end of said base plate having a curved notch formed in one of said short sides, which is aligned with said trapezoid notch in said cover plate, thereby further facilitating the insertion of the smart card into said groove.  
     
     
         9 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said first side surface of said base plate has two inclined guiding faces, which are formed on said one of said short sides and which are located on two sides of said curved notch, thereby further facilitating the insertion of the smart card into said groove.  
     
     
         10 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said base plate is formed with two aligned integral limiting elements, which extend respectively from said left and right sides toward each other and which define said open front end of said groove between said base plate and said limiting elements.  
     
     
         11 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said integrated circuit board has a through hole that is formed therethrough, said cover plate being formed with an integral pressing arm that extends through said through hole in said integrated circuit board and that is adapted to press the smart card against said base plate.  
     
     
         12 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said base plate is formed with a plurality of retaining holes along an outer periphery thereof, said cover plate being formed integrally with a plurality of L-shaped clamping sheets that engage respectively said retaining holes so as to clamp said base plate and said board between said cover plate and said clamping sheets, thereby interconnecting said base plate and said cover plate fixedly.  
     
     
         13 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said integrated circuit board includes a ribbon cable that is attached thereto and that is in electrical contact with said pins for data transmission.