Data process medium connector with locking means

Claim 1

A connector apparatus for a card-like data processing medium comprising: a frame having opposing side rails spaced at an interval substantially equal to a width of the card-like data processing medium for guiding the card-like data processing medium during insertion into the connector apparatus; a header coupled to said frame and having a plurality of contact terminals arranged to connect with a card-like data processing medium inserted in the connector apparatus; a substantially planar slidable plate movably mounted on said frame in a plane substantially parallel to a plane defined by said frame, said slidable plate being operable to slide toward and away from said header and having a pawl adapted to engage a forward end face of the card-like data processing medium; a push rod slidably mounted on one of said side rails and being operative to slide lengthwise of said one side rail toward and away from said header; and a substantially planar pivotal lever rotatably mounted on said frame in substantially the same plane as the slidable plate, one end of said pivotal lever being coupled to said slidable plate and the other end of said pivotal lever being coupled to said push rod, whereby movement of the push rod in one direction is translated through rotation of said pivotal lever into movement of the slidable plate in an opposite direction; a lock button movably mounted on said one side rail adjacent said push rod and operable to move widthwise of said connector apparatus from a first position in which the lock button is disengaged from the push rod to a second position in which the lock button is engaged with said push rod, said lock button, after being moved widthwise of said connector apparatus to said second position, being further operable to move with said push rod lengthwise of said one side rail to a third position; and an abutment surface formed on said frame adjacent said lock button, the abutment surface engaging said lock button after said lock button is moved to said third position, said abutment surface maintaining said lock button in said third position and preventing said lock button from moving out of engagement with said push rod, whereby the push rod is locked in place to prevent inadvertent ejection of the card-like data processing medium.