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Electrical card connector with improved contact structureRelated Patent Categories: Electrical Connectors, With Insulation Other Than Conductor Sheath, Plural-contact Coupling Part, For Coupling To Edge Of Printed Circuit Board Or To Coupling Part Secured To Such Edge, Having Elongated Slot For Receiving Edge Of Printed Circuit BoardElectrical card connector with improved contact structure description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060116027, Electrical card connector with improved contact structure. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] This invention generally relates to a card connector designed for the connection between an electronic apparatus, such as digital cameras, mobile telephones or the like and an IC card, more particularly, to a contacting structure of the card connector. [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art [0004] In recent years, the greater compactness and the greater functional advance for the electronic apparatuses such as the digital cameras, mobile telephones or the like have been pursued and realized. It is commonplace to enlarge storage capacity or extend various functions by incorporating an IC card containing the built-in CPU and the memory IC. Conventionally, it is common practice that the IC card to be loaded into the conventional card connector which is designed for the connection between an electronic apparatus and the IC card. [0005] Generally speaking, the card connector is designed for permitting free insertion or removal of the IC card and is provided with a plurality of contacts, which are arranged therein for electrically contacting with the pads provided either on the surface or the back of the IC card, so that the IC card can be electrically connected with various signal processing circuit or the power source circuit on the side of the electronic apparatus. [0006] In order to confirm whether the IC card is securely inserted into the card connector or not, in many conventional cases, two separate contact cooperating to form a card identification switch are provided at farthest end of the card connector. Take U.S. Patent application publication No. 2004/0113249 A1 for an example, the patent publication discloses a conventional card connector providing an insulative housing, a metal shield enclosing the insulative housing and a plurality of contacts being arranged in parallel with one another within the housing. Among the plurality of the contacts, there are two contacts for connecting with power source, two grounding contacts, a detect contact which is disposed at farthest end thereof and a number of signal contacts. One of the two grounding contacts is adjacent to the detect contact, which is the shortest contact among the above all contacts, while the detect contact is the longest contact among the above all contacts. When an electrical card is inserted into the card connector, the grounding contact first contact with the pad of the electrical card, while the detect contact lastly come into contact with the corresponding pad of the electrical card. As a result, the shortest ground contact and the longest detect contact cooperate to form a detect switch. The detect switch is not closed until the detect contact electrically contact with the corresponding pad of the IC card. The power source on the electronic apparatus begins to provide power for the IC card unless the detect switch is closed. [0007] However, with the trend of miniaturization of electronic apparatus, the card connector must be more compact accordingly. Apparently, in the case where the card identification switch by arranging two respective contacts at farthest end of the card connector, such a composition tends not only to make the connector structure complex but also to increase the cost of the card connector accordingly. [0008] Hence, an improved contact structure of the electrical connector is desired to overcome the above problems. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide a card connector which has a compact contact structure. [0010] In order to attain the objective above, an electrical connector according to the present invention provides a contact structure for a card connector. The contact structure includes a plurality of contacts which are arranged in parallel with one another. Among the plurality of contacts, there is a detect contact which is the longest contact and disposed at one of the farthest ends of the card connector, a power contact at substantially center portion thereof, a ground contact adjacent to the power contact. Other contacts are the signal contacts for communicating signal. A connect contact, which is integrally formed with the power contact and transversely extends toward to the detect contact, is designed for connecting the detect contact and the power contact. The detect contact, the power contact and the connect contact cooperate to form a detect switch. When the electrical card is inserted into the card connector, the signal contacts, the power contact and the ground contact first contact with the pads of the electrical card, then the electrical card is further inserted into the card connector, the detect contact is urged to downwardly move to contact with the connect contact so that the detect switch is closed. [0011] Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0012] The features of this invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with its objects and the advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements in the figures and in which: [0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a card connector according to the present invention with the card being inserted into the card connector; [0014] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. 1; [0015] FIG. 3 is an another exploded view of the card connector from another perspective view; [0016] FIG. 4 is a partially assembled view of the card connector with the top cover being removed; [0017] FIG. 5 is another perspective view of the card connector from an bottom view with the card being inserted thereinto; [0018] FIG. 6 is a partially exploded view of the card connector; and [0019] FIG. 7 is a side view of the power contact and the detect contact of the card connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0020] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Continue reading about Electrical card connector with improved contact structure... Full patent description for Electrical card connector with improved contact structure Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Electrical card connector with improved contact structure patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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