Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1997-06-27
2001-08-21
Thompson, Gregory (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C257S722000, C361S720000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06278609
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic device having an IC card slot into which an IC card is removably inserted, and particularly to a technique for cooling an IC card inserted into the IC card slot of the electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A portable electronic device such as a note-type personal computer has been required to be reduced in size and weight along with enhanced/expanded functions, and to meet these incompatible requirements, there has been adopted a structure having an IC card slot into which an IC card prepared under a standard of PCMCIA, etc. is removably inserted. The IC card, which is prepared for each extension function (expansion memory, communication modem, hard disk unit, etc.), is produced, for example by a method wherein a printed wiring board mounted with electronic parts such as an LSI is covered with a resin material by resin molding in the form of a card-shape or it is contained in a box-like metal card housing. The IC card is inserted into an IC card slot by a user, as needed.
An IC card slot provided in an electronic device has guide rail portions for guiding both side portions of an IC card and a connector to which a connector provided at a leading end portion of the IC card is fittingly connected. The guide rail portions, generally made of a resin material, are fixed on a mother board (printed wiring board) by screws, and the mother board in such a state is contained in a housing of the electronic device. A housing of the electronic device has at a portion corresponding to the IC card slot an opening through which the IC card is to be inserted. The IC card is introduced through the opening, and further inserted along the guide rail portions until the connector provided at the leading end portion of the IC card is fitted to the connector of the IC card slot, to be thus mounted in the electronic device.
The recent tendency toward higher integration of such an IC card increases an amount of heat generated from the IC card, and further, it is being examined to mount a CPU having an extremely large amount of heat generation on the IC card. However, since the related art electronic device has failed to take any special measure for cooling an IC card, there have arisen problems that the IC card suffers malfunction or failure due to heating of the IC card by self-heat generation thereof, obstructing the higher integration of the IC card, and that it is difficult to mount an electronic part having a large amount of heat generation such as a CPU. In addition, there has arisen a further problem that since heat generated from an IC card makes the IC card hot even though it does not cause any malfunction, the hot IC card gives a discomfort feeling to a user when he takes it from an electronic device after use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device having an IC card slot, which enables high integration of an IC card by cooling the IC card at a high efficiency and also enables mounting of an electronic part having a large amount of heat generation such as a CPU on the IC card.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device having an IC card slot into which an IC card is removably inserted, the IC card slot including: a pair of guide rail members for guiding the IC card; and a heat receiving member for receiving heat generated from the IC card inserted along the guide rail members.
In the electronic device having an IC card slot according to the present invention, since the IC card slot includes the heat receiving member, heat generated from an IC card inserted into the IC card slot is received by the heat receiving member and is radiated therefrom, whereby the IC card is prevented from being heated at a high temperature by self-heat generation thereof. This makes it possible to realize higher integration of the IC card, and to mount an electronic part having a large amount of heat generation such as a CPU on the IC card. In addition, it is possible to reduce the degree of discomfort feeling given to a user by a hot IC card when he takes it out of the electronic device after use.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention and the manner of realizing them will become more apparent, and the invention itself will best be understood from a study of the following description and appended claims with reference to the attached drawings showing some preferred embodiments of the invention.
REFERENCES:
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patent: 4785379 (1988-11-01), Goodrich
patent: 4853828 (1989-08-01), Penn
patent: 4953058 (1990-08-01), Harris
patent: 5521792 (1996-05-01), Pleitz et al.
patent: 5815371 (1998-09-01), Jeffries et al.
patent: 1-165198 (1989-06-01), None
patent: 3250697 (1991-11-01), None
patent: 7-45981 (1995-02-01), None
Suzuki Masumi
Ueda Akira
Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland & Naughton LLP
Fujitsu Limited
Thompson Gregory
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