Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-15
2002-04-09
Gandhi, Jayprakash N. (Department: 2841)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S753000, C361S801000, C439S946000, C211S041170
Reexamination Certificate
active
06370028
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Most typical IC cards are PC cards constructed in accordance with PCMCIA (Personal Memory Card International Association) standards that specify a card width of 54 mm and a maximum card thickness of 5 mm (for Type II Cards which are the most common), with a front region having 68 contact positions and a maximum thickness of 3 mm. Another popular IC card is a compact flash card having a width of about 43 mm and only 50 contact positions. Each PC card includes a circuit board, a front connector at the front end of the circuit board, and top and bottom cover halves. The cover halves include sheet metal cover parts that lie respectively above and below the circuit board. The connector has flat top and bottom surfaces with a projecting ridge at the front end. The front ends of the sheet metal parts lie substantially against the flat surfaces, behind the ridges.
The sheet metal cover parts are fixed to each other at the sides of the card, but are generally not held down between their opposite sides. This can lead to the front end of the sheet metal parts bending upwardly at their middles, above the connector ridges, resulting in a condition called “smiling”. If the sheet metal cover part were to project by a plurality of millimeters beyond a front connector ridge, then this could cause interference with parts of the host that receives that PC card. However, customers have generally rejected a PC card if there is any noticeable “smiling”. A similar “smiling” condition can appear at the rear of a PC card.
“Smiling” can be avoided by adding an adhesive tape to hold down an end of the sheet metal part to a front connector or rear end part. Also, glue can be used instead of tape. The attachment of adhesive tape by the manufacturer adds to the card cost, while the need for the customer to remove the tape backing and assure alignment before the adhesive tape on the sheet metal touches the connector, adds labor to the customer who must assemble the parts of the PC card. The applying of glue by the customer is messy and difficult. A way for avoiding “smiling” in a manner that is of minimal cost to the manufacturer and which avoids extra steps by the customer who must assemble the PC card parts, would be of value.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an IC card is provided, of the type which has top and bottom sheet metal cover parts with ends each lying behind an upstanding ridge of a front connector or rear end cap, where the end of the sheet metal cover part is constructed to minimize “smiling”. The end of the sheet metal cover part is downwardly deformed into a beam of a thickness greater than the sheet metal, with the increased thickness of the beam allowing the beam to resist deflection that would cause “smiling”.
The beam of increased thickness can be formed by bending over the front or rear edge part of the sheet metal. In another construction, a laterally-extending strip of the sheet metal end portion is downwardly deformed to form a strip-shaped area which is slightly spaced from an extreme edge of the cover part.
The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Seeley Gregory Alan
van Beers Franciscus Cornelis
Gandhi Jayprakash N.
ITT Manufacturing Enterprises Inc.
Turner Roger C.
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