Electrical connector

An electrical connector comprising:

• a rear structure having a card inserting/pulling port;
• a connector body having a contact group which is an assembly of contacts respectively formed on a plurality of contact pieces;
• a frame to which said rear structure and said connector body are attached such that said card inserting/pulling port and said contact group face each other with a distance provided therebetween;
• a slider longitudinally movably disposed, as overlapping said frame, between said card inserting/pulling port and said contact group;
• engagement pawls disposed at said slider and adapted to be engaged, only in the card insertion direction, with a card when the same is inserted through said card inserting/pulling port;
• a shaft provided at the intermediate portion thereof with a swing fulcrum, said shaft having one end connected to said slider and the other end which transversely extends outside of said frame;
• an operating knob connected, sideways of said card inserting/pulling port, to said other end of said shaft, said operating knob being swingable in the directions toward and away from said card inserting/pulling port;
• a spring for resiliently biasing said operating knob normally in the direction toward said card inserting/pulling port;
• and
• a holding portion disposed at the free end of said operating knob and adapted to project to and partially close the inlet of said card inserting/pulling port when said operating knob approaches said card inserting/pulling port.