The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 15, 2002
Filed:
Jan. 08, 2001
Toru Nishioka, Miyagi-ken, JP;
Alps Electric Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
The present invention provides an inexpensive IC card connector having a mechanism for ejecting an IC card and having an emergency function, wherein, even if a means for automatically unlocking a locking member for ejecting an IC card is disabled due to a fault, the locking member can be unlocked with a simple construction. The IC card connector includes a slide member that is slidable in a direction in which an IC card loaded in and unloaded from a housing is inserted and ejected; a return spring for energizing the slide member in the direction in which the IC card is ejected; a locking member for holding the slide member in the position in which the IC card is loaded, against an energizing force of the return spring; and an unlocking member for unlocking the locking member to move the slide member in the IC card eject direction, wherein the unlocking member abuts the locking member at one end thereof by pressure from the other end thereof to break the engagement between the locking member and the slide member, and returns to its initial position in accordance with the movement of the slide member in the IC card eject direction.