Compact flash card

Details Compact flash card Compact flash card

2002-04-15

2004-07-27

Martin, David (Department: 2841)

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...

For electronic systems and devices

C235S492000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06768644

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a CF (compact flash) card to be loaded into a personal computer, a video camera, and other suitable electronic devices(“compact flash” is a registered trademark).
2. Description of the Related Art
CF cards are broadly classified into two types, Type 1 and Type 2.
FIG. 5
is an example of a Type-1 CF card
1
, and
FIG. 6
is an example of a Type-2 CF card
2
. The shapes and sizes of such Type-1 and Type-2 CF cards
1
and
2
are determined by a standard. The Type-1 CF card
1
and the Type-2 CF card
2
have completely different thicknesses, and the thickness D2 of the Type-2 CF card
2
is greater than the thickness D1 of the Type-1 CF card
1
. The Type-1 and Type-2 CF cards
1
and
2
have substantially equal width W and length L.
A circuit board (not shown) with electronic components mounted thereon is included in such CF cards
1
and
2
. A plurality of socket portions
3
and
4
are provided at the front end portion of the CF cards
1
and
2
so as to be electrically connected to the circuit on the built-in circuit board. The socket portions
3
and
4
are arranged in upper and lower rows. The heights h1 and h2 of the upper and lower rows from bottom surface B
1
and B
2
are equal to each other.
Such CF cards
1
and
2
can be used as PC cards by loading them in a PC card adapter.
FIG. 4A
is a schematic plan view of an example of a PC card adapter
6
, and
FIG. 4B
is a schematic sectional view of the PC card adapter
6
, taken along line A—A in FIG.
4
A.
The PC card adapter
6
is shaped like a card, and has a CF-card storage section
7
. An opening
7
a
is provided at the rear end portion of the CF-card storage section
7
to define a CF-card insertion slot. An opening
7
b
is also provided in the upper surface of the CF-card storage section
7
on the card insertion side.
A plurality of connecting terminal pins
8
protrude from a front end surface
7
c
of the CF-card storage section
7
. The connecting terminal pins
8
are arranged corresponding to the rows of the socket portions
3
of the CF card
1
, and are fitted in the socket portions so as to electrically connect the circuit of the CF card
1
and the circuit of the PC card adapter
6
.
Top and bottom plates
10
and
11
are provided on the upper and lower sides of the connecting terminal pins
8
at a distance therefrom so as to protect the connecting terminal pins
8
from being damaged.
In order to load the CF card
1
into such a PC-card adapter
6
, for example, the front end portion of the CF card
1
(that is, a portion where the socket portions
3
are provided) is inserted into the rear opening
7
a
of the CF-card storage section
7
of the PC card adapter
6
, and the CF card
1
is slid into the CF-card storage section
7
. Consequently, the front end portion of the CF card
1
enters the space
12
between the top plate
10
and the bottom plate
11
disposed on the upper and lower sides of the connecting terminal pins
8
, and the socket portions
3
at the front end portion of the CF card
1
are fitted to the connecting terminal pins
8
of the PC card adapter
6
, such that the CF card
1
is placed inside the CF-card storage section
7
with its upper surface exposed. In this way, the CF card
1
is loaded in the PC card adapter
6
.
The shape and size of the PC card adapter
6
are determined by a standard, and the thickness d of the PC card adapter
6
is substantially equal to the thickness D2 of the Type-2 CF card
2
. For this reason, the distance between the top plate
10
and the bottom plate
11
in the PC card adapter
6
is less than the thickness D2 of the Type-2 CF card
2
, and the front end portion of the Type 2 CF card
2
cannot enter the space
12
between the top plate
10
and the bottom plate
11
. Consequently, the Type-2 CF card
2
cannot be loaded in the PC card adapter
6
shown in FIG.
4
. That is, the PC card adapter
6
is used exclusively for the Type-1 CF card
1
.
Accordingly, a PC card adapter has been proposed in which not only a Type-1 CF card
1
but also a Type-2 CF card
2
can be loaded. In this adapter, since the connecting terminal pins
8
are not protected by the top plate
10
and the bottom plate
11
when the Type-2 CF card
2
is loaded, the PC card adapter for both Type-1 and Type-2 is provided with a special mechanism for protecting the connecting terminal pins
8
.
For example, in a PC card adapter
14
shown in
FIG. 7A
, a CF-card storage section
15
is open at the upper and lower sides, and is also open at the rear end portion so as to define a card insertion portion. A plurality of connecting terminal pins
16
are arranged at the front end portion of the CF-card storage section
15
, and a pin-protecting cover
17
is provided to protect the connecting terminal pins
16
. The PC card adapter
14
has a mechanism that retracts the pin-protecting cover
17
and exposes the connecting terminal pins
16
when a CF card
2
(1) is slid into the CF-card storage section
15
, as shown in FIG.
7
B. The CF card
1
or
2
can be loaded in the PC card adapter
14
by exposing the connecting terminal pins
16
with the mechanism.
In a manner similar to that in the above-described PC card adapter
14
, in a PC card adapter
20
shown in
FIGS. 8A and 8B
, a CF-card storage section
21
is open at the upper and lower sides and is also open at the rear end portion to define a card insertion portion, a plurality of connecting terminal pins
23
are arranged at the front end portion of the CF-card storage section
21
, and a pin-protecting cover
22
is provided to protect the connecting terminal pins
23
. In the PC card adapter
20
, the pin-protecting cover
22
is retracted and the connecting terminal pins
23
are exposed by operating an operating portion
22
a
. As a result, the CF card
1
or
2
can be loaded into the PC card adapter
20
.
Some Type-1 and Type-2 CF cards have a so-called extended shape, as shown in the side view of FIG.
3
. An extended type CF card
1
′ or
2
′ is provided with an extended portion
25
that protrudes rearward from the CF-card storage section
7
,
15
, or
21
when the CF card
1
′ or
2
′ is loaded in the PC card adapter
6
,
14
, or
20
. Since the size of the extended portion
25
is not limited by a standard, the extended portion
25
can be made thicker (taller) than other portions such that taller electronic components can be provided therein.
Since the Type-2 CF card
2
is thicker (in other words, taller) than the Type-1 CF card
1
, taller electronic components can be mounted on the internal circuit board than in the Type-1 CF card
1
. For this reason, in the extended Type-2 CF card
2
′, the size of the extended portion
25
is reduced, and thus the size of the CF card is reduced.
However, such a Type-2 CF-card
2
or
2
′ can be used as a PC card only when used with the above-described PC card adapter
14
or
20
having a complicated mechanism. Since the PC card adapter
14
or
20
has a complicated mechanism, these PC card adapters
14
and
20
are expensive and failure-prone.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to overcome the problems described above, preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a CF card that can be loaded in a PC card adapter for a Type-1 CF card having a simplified structure and that can incorporate therein taller electronic components than the Type-1 CF card.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a CF card to be loaded in a PC card adapter in which an upper surface on a card insertion side of a CF-card storage section has an opening from which the card is exposed, and a connecting terminal pin disposed at the front end portion of the CF-card storage section is protected by a top plate and a bottom plate provided on the upper and lower sides at a distance from the connecting terminal pin, wherein a front portion of the CF card having a socket portion to be fitted to the connecting terminal pin of the PC c

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Compact flash card does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Compact flash card, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Compact flash card will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3257963