Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-21
2002-05-07
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S740000, C439S159000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06385040
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card-shaped storage medium which includes a storage medium in its inside and to an information processing apparatus in which to mount the card-shaped storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 1 and 2
are perspective views showing a related art. Referring to
FIG. 1
, a card-shaped storage medium
201
, which has a storage medium (not shown) in its inside, includes an electrode terminal portion
202
. The information processing apparatus (part of which is shown) includes a connector
204
for the card-shaped storage medium
201
, which is provided in the inside of the information processing apparatus employing the card-shaped storage medium
201
, guide portions
205
a
and
205
b
provided on the connector
204
, an electrode terminal portion
208
of the connector
204
, and a printed circuit board
209
on which the connector
204
is mounted and which is incorporated in the information processing apparatus. When a user is to use the card-shaped storage medium
201
, the user inserts the card-shaped storage medium
201
along the guide portions
205
a
and
205
b
of the connector
204
in the direction of the shown arrow and connects the electrode terminal portions
202
and
208
to each other. After the use of the card-shaped storage medium
201
, the user ejects the card-shaped storage medium
201
along the guide portions
205
a
and
205
b
of the connector
204
in the direction opposite to that of the arrow shown in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 2
shows the state in which the card-shaped storage medium
201
is in use. As shown in
FIG. 2
, during the use of the card-shaped storage medium
201
, the electrode terminal portion
202
of the card-shaped storage medium
201
and the electrode terminal portion
208
of the connector
204
are connected to each other, i.e., the card-shaped storage medium
201
and the internal electrical circuit of the information processing apparatus are electrically connected to each other.
However, the above-described related art has the following disadvantages.
(1) The card-shaped storage medium
201
, when mounted in the information processing apparatus, is held only by the electrode terminal portions
202
and
208
. As a result, if the electrode terminal portions
202
and
208
have a larger number of electrode terminals, a larger force will be needed to insert or eject the card-shaped storage medium
201
. Conversely, as the number of electrode terminals becomes smaller, the force with which the card-shaped storage medium
201
is held in the information processing apparatus becomes weaker, so that the card-shaped storage medium
201
will easily come off owing to a vibration or the like of the information processing apparatus.
(2) If the user accidentally takes his/her hand off the card-shaped storage medium
201
while it is being ejected, the card-shaped storage medium
201
will drop from the apparatus and be damaged.
(3) Since the user cannot obtain a distinct click touch when the card-shaped storage medium
201
is inserted into the apparatus, he/she cannot judge whether the card-shaped storage medium
201
has been completely mounted in the apparatus.
(4) The electrode terminal portion
202
of the card-shaped storage medium
201
contains not only signal terminals, a grounding terminal and a power source terminal but also a terminal through which to detect whether the card-shaped storage medium
201
has been mounted in the apparatus. Since the electrode terminal portion
202
needs such a large number of electrode terminals, it is difficult to reduce the entire size of the electrode terminal portion
202
and a large force is needed to insert or eject the card-shaped storage medium
201
.
(5) A plurality of electrode terminals are allocated for grounding and a power source to lower the contact resistance of the electrode terminal portion of the card-shaped storage medium
201
.
(6) After data stored in a first child storage medium has been read into the information processing apparatus, if data stored in a second child storage medium is to be read into the information processing apparatus, the user needs to perform the awkward operation of temporarily removing a storage medium adapter from the information processing apparatus, mounting the second child storage medium in the storage medium adapter in place of the first child storage medium, and inserting the storage medium adapter into the information processing apparatus.
(7) If the user frequently repeats the operation of mounting and removing the storage medium adapter onto and from the connector of the information processing apparatus, the reliability of the connector will be impaired.
(8) In the case of an arrangement which allows the child storage medium to be removed from the storage medium adapter without removing the storage medium adapter from the information processing apparatus, since there is no locking mechanism, load, such as twisting force, may be applied to and cause damage to the connector of the information processing apparatus. This leads to a decrease in the reliability of the electrical connection between the child storage medium and the connector of the information processing apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to solve the above-described problems.
To achieve the above-described object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage medium adapter which is capable of being inserted into a storage medium inserting portion provided in an information processing apparatus and which includes a holder portion arranged to hold at least one child storage medium in an electrically connectable state, and means for allowing the child storage medium inserted into the holder portion to access the information processing apparatus. The storage medium adapter is arranged so that the child storage medium can be ejected alone when it is inserted into the information processing apparatus in the state of being held by the storage medium adapter.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the information processing apparatus is provided with means for locking the storage medium adapter during ejection of only the child storage medium. The storage medium adapter has a cutout portion, and the information processing apparatus has a locking member to engage with the cutout portion. When the storage medium adapter is inserted into the information processing apparatus, the locking member engages with the cutout portion, thereby locking the storage medium adapter.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the information processing apparatus is provided with a storage medium ejecting mechanism, and the locking member is arranged to unlock the storage medium adapter in interlocked relationship to the operation of ejecting the storage medium adapter by the storage medium ejecting mechanism.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the information processing apparatus includes a storage medium guiding portion having a cutout portion, and the storage medium adapter has a locking member to engage with the cutout portion provided in the storage medium guiding portion of the information processing apparatus. The locking member is arranged to lock the storage medium adapter by engaging with the cutout portion.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the storage medium adapter has an ejecting mechanism for ejecting the child storage medium, and the storage medium adapter is locked in interlocked relationship to the operation of ejecting the child storage medium by the ejecting mechanism.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, the storage medium adapter has an ejecting-mechanism operating member for the child storage medium, and the information processing apparatus has a storage-medium ejecting mechanism operating member. The ejecting-mechanism operating member for the child storage medium and the storage-medium ejecting mechanism operating mem
Nabetani Hitoshi
Uchino Yoshihiro
Duong Hung Van
Picard Leo P.
Robin Blecker & Daley
LandOfFree
Card-shaped storage medium and information processing... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Card-shaped storage medium and information processing..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Card-shaped storage medium and information processing... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2831183