Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-09
2001-12-25
Gaffin, Jeffrey (Department: 2841)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S736000, C361S801000, C361S802000, C235S429000, C439S076100, C439S136000, C439S137000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06333854
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an auxiliary memory device for electronic devices and, particularly, to a small-sized detachable memory card suitably used for portable electronic devices such as digital cameras or others.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as an auxiliary memory device used for portable electronic devices such as digital cameras or others, a small-sized memory card capable of being detachably mounted to the bodies of the electronic devices has been known in the art. This type of memory card, which may be referred to as a flash memory, is structured by assembling a card-shaped hollow casing generally made of resin or metal, a circuit board carrying electronic parts thereon and a connector for forming terminals on the circuit board, the circuit board and the connector being incorporated within the casing.
A typical conventional memory card (i.e., a flash memory) is diagrammatically illustrated in
FIG. 9
, and includes a card-shaped hollow casing
1
which is divided into two halves generally at a center of a card thickness. Each of the two halves
2
and
3
of the casing
1
has, on a surface
4
thereof confronting the surface
4
of the other half, a section for securely arranging a connector
5
and a section for receiving a circuit board
6
carrying electronic parts (not shown) on the major surface thereof. The two halves
2
and
3
are fixed to each other and the connector
5
and the circuit board
6
are accommodated therein. Each half
2
,
3
also includes a rib
7
which is formed to project along an outer peripheral edge region of the surface
4
. The end face of the rib
7
of one half
2
is firmly fixed to the end face of the rib
7
of the other half
3
by a well-known fixing means such as ultrasonic welding.
In general, the circuit board
6
is mechanically and stably supported in the casing
1
by the connection of conductor ends (not shown) of the circuit board with the connector
5
. The conventional memory card includes such a laminated casing structure, and thus is provided with mechanical protection and electrical insulation properties for the electronic parts on the circuit board
6
as well as a desired level of rigidity of the entire structure of the memory card.
Recently, it has been required, for portable electronic devices, to have multiple functions and high performance, as well as to further reduce the size and weight of the body of the electronic devices. To satisfy such requirements, it has been also contemplated that the dimension of the memory card used as an auxiliary memory device is further reduced. Under such circumstances, the conventional memory card having a laminated casing structure may be deteriorated in the rigidity of the entire structure of the memory card due to the reduction of card size, particularly in the rigidity or durability against a destruction which may be caused, at the rib end faces fixed with each other, to the two halves of the card casing when the casing is twisted.
In order to prevent such a deterioration of rigidity, it is necessary to provide a sufficiently wide fixing area on the rib end face of each casing half, which may restrict the size reduction of the casing. That is, even if the circuit board is miniaturized to a minimum dimension while meeting the functional requirement thereof, the outside dimension of the casing (particularly, a two-dimensional size defined parallel to the major surface of the circuit board) tends to become considerably large, relative to the circuit board size, due to the wide fixing area of the rib end face of each casing half.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a memory card used as an auxiliary memory device of portable electronic devices, which permits the outside dimension of a card casing to be reduced while maintaining the mechanical and electrical performance of the memory card.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a memory card, as an auxiliary memory device, wherein the difference between the outside dimensions of a card casing and of a circuit board accommodated in the casing is minimized, without deteriorating the rigidity of the entire structure of memory card and the protection for the circuit board.
In order to achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a memory card comprising a circuit board; and a hollow casing for accommodating the circuit board; the hollow casing including: an envelope-shaped support member having an integrally molded structure, an opening being defined at an end of the support member for insertion of the circuit board into the support member; and a lid member fixed onto the end of the support member to close the opening; the support member cooperating with the lid member to securely support the circuit board in the casing.
In the above memory card, it is preferred that the support member includes an envelope-shaped receptacle defined inside the support member for receiving a major part of the circuit board.
Also, it is advantageous that the support member includes a guide portion for directing the circuit board to a proper position within the support member.
The guide portion may include a groove recessed in an inner wall surface of the support member to be engaged with an outer periphery of the circuit board.
In this arrangement, the support member may include opposed side walls, and the groove may be provided on each of the side walls.
In the preferred aspect of the invention, the lid member includes an inner surface adapted to be abutted to the circuit board when the lid member is fixed to the support member, the inner surface cooperating with an inner surface of the support member to securely support the circuit board in the casing.
In this arrangement, the inner surface of the lid member may be a slanted surface abutted to an edge of the circuit board.
Also, in the preferred aspect of the invention, the support member is provided with a plurality of slits penetrating through a wall of the support member, and the circuit board is provided on a major surface thereof with a plurality of conductors, the conductors being respectively aligned with the slits when the circuit board is located at a proper position inside the support member.
In this arrangement, the slits may be formed in an outer peripheral region of the support member.
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patent: 4887188 (1989-12-01), Yoshida et al.
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patent: 5282113 (1994-01-01), Kohama et al.
patent: 5397857 (1995-03-01), Farquhar et al.
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patent: 5924782 (1999-07-01), Park
patent: 6102715 (2000-08-01), Centofante
patent: 6109931 (2000-08-01), Yotsutani
Kiryu Koichi
Miyazawa Hideo
Sasaoka Chiharu
Dinh Tuan
Fujitsu Takamisawa Component Limited
Gaffin Jeffrey
Staas & Halsey , LLP
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