Retention mechanism for memory cards

A card securing mechanism for retaining a card in a card reader and releasing same therefrom, comprising:

• guide arms associated with opposite side edges of a card and mounted in the card reader and spaced apart so as to define a card-receiving channel aligned with an electrical connector traversing an inward end of the channel and said guide arms extending at least toward a card-engageable surface of a card ejection mechanism located at the inward end of the channel;
• a cam pivotally mounted at a pivot to said one of said arms proximate an entrance to the channel such that a first portion thereof can be rotated into and out of the card-receiving channel, said cam having a notch in said first portion thereof dimensioned to receive and secure a corner of said card when said card is fully within said reader and said first portion of said cam is rotated into the channel;
• a plate at least affixed to the card reader adjacent said cam and including a slot into a cam-adjacent surface thereof defining a path including a first path portion parallel to said card-receiving channel and a second path portion extending at an angle from an inner end of said first path portion toward said card-receiving channel, said plate being movable parallel to said card-receiving channel by said card ejector mechanism, and
• said cam further including a cam follower spaced from said pivot and extending into said path and adapted to follow said first path portion and said second path portion as said plate is moved in a first direction upon card insertion to rotate said cam into a card engaging position capturing said card corner, and upon ejection of said card from said card reader by activation of said card ejector mechanism, said plate is moved in an opposed second direction and said cam follower exits said second path portion and enters said first path portion rotating said cam to a card releasing position as the said card is urged outwardly of the channel by the card ejection mechanism.

A card securing mechanism for retaining a card in a card reader and releasing same therefrom, comprising:

• guide arms associated with opposite side edges of a card and mounted in the card reader and spaced apart so as to define a card-receiving channel aligned with an electrical connector traversing an inward end of the channel and said guide arms extending at least toward a card-engageable surface of a card ejection mechanism located at the inward end of the channel;
• a push button slidably mounted within a housing along one of said guide arms at an entrance to said card-receiving channel, said push button being movable alongside said card and adapted to activate the card ejection mechanism upon being pushed into said housing;
• a cam pivotally mounted to said one of said arms at the channel entrance proximate and beside said push button for a first portion thereof to be rotated into and out of the card-receiving channel, said cam having a notch in said first portion thereof dimensioned to receive and secure a corner of said card when said card is fully within said reader and said first portion of said cam is rotated into the channel;
• a plate at least affixed to the card reader adjacent said cam and including a slot into a cam-adjacent surface thereof defining a path including a first path portion parallel to said card-receiving channel and a second path portion extending at an angle from an inner end of said first path portion toward said card-receiving channel, said plate being movable parallel to said card-receiving channel by said push button, and
• said cam further including a cam follower spaced from said pivot and extending into said path and adapted to follow said first path portion and said second path portion as said plate is moved in a first direction upon card insertion to rotate said cam into a card engaging position capturing said card corner, and upon ejection of said card from said card reader by depressing said push button, said plate is moved in an opposed second direction and said cam follower exits said second path portion and enters said first path portion thereby rotating said cam to a card releasing position as the said card is urged outwardly of the channel by the card ejection mechanism activated by said push button.

A card securing mechanism for retaining a card in a card reader and releasing same therefrom, comprising:

• guide arms associated with opposite side edges of a card and mounted in the card reader and spaced apart so as to define a card-receiving channel aligned with an electrical connector traversing an inward end of the channel and said guide arms extending at least toward a card-engageable surface of a card ejection mechanism located at the inward end of the channel;
• a cam pivotally mounted to said one of said arms proximate an entrance to the channel such that a first portion thereof can be rotated into and out of the card-receiving channel, said cam having a notch in said first portion thereof dimensioned to receive and secure a corner of said card when said card is fully within said reader and said first portion of said cam is rotated into the channel;
• said cam further having an embossment along an opposed second portion thereof adapted to be engaged by a cam actuation member activated by said card ejection mechanism upon card insertion such that upon full insertion of the card into the card-receiving channel said embossment is engaged by said actuation member and said cam is pivoted to a card engaging position capturing said card corner and upon ejection of said card from said card reader by activation of said card ejector mechanism, said actuation member is disengaged from engagement with said embossment thus enabling said cam to be pivoted by said card from a card engaging position to a card releasing position as the said card is urged outwardly of the channel by the card ejection mechanism.

A card securing mechanism for retaining a card in a card reader and releasing same therefrom, comprising:

• guide arms associated with opposite side edges of a card and mounted in the card reader and spaced apart so as to define a card-receiving channel aligned with an electrical connector traversing an inward end of the channel and said guide arms extending at least toward a card-engageable surface of a card ejection mechanism located at the inward end of the channel;
• a push button slidably mounted within a housing along one of said guide arms at an entrance to said card-receiving channel, said push button being movable alongside said card and adapted to activate the card ejection mechanism upon being pushed into said housing;
• a cam pivotally mounted to said one of said arms at the channel entrance proximate and beside said push button for a first portion thereof to be rotated into and out of the card-receiving channel, said cam having a notch in said first portion thereof dimensioned to receive and secure a corner of said card when said card is fully within said reader and said first portion of said cam is rotated into the channel;
• said cam further having a push button engageable embossment along an opposed second portion thereof adapted to be received in a slot along a channel proximate side of said push button defined between opposed actuation and rearward surfaces, upon full insertion of the card into the card-receiving channel said embossment is engaged by said actuation surface and said cam is pivoted to a card engaging position capturing said card corner, and further adapted such that upon depressing said button, said actuation surface is disengaged from engagement with said embossment enabling said cam to be pivoted from a card engaging position to a card releasing position by said corner of said card as the said card is urged outwardly of the channel by the card ejection mechanism activated by the push button.