Card type electronic device

Details Card type electronic device Card type electronic device

2000-06-22

2003-06-10

Martin, David (Department: 2841)

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...

For electronic systems and devices

C361S740000, C361S756000, C439S076100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06577506

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a card-type electronic device adapted to be set in an information apparatus, such as a portable computer, and capable of receiving and providing information.
BACKGROUND ART
In order to add functions to or increase the data throughput of an information apparatus such as a portable computer, a card-type electronic device (PC card) is attached to a slot of the apparatus. This card-type electronic device is loaded with a cartridge that is composed of a disk-type storage medium rotatably stored in a shell.
A prior art example of the card-type electronic device described above will now be described with reference to
FIGS. 14
,
15
A and
15
B.
A card-type electronic device
1
comprises a casing
4
that has external dimensions based on Type II of the PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) standards. The casing
4
is formed by combining metallic upper and lower covers
6
and
7
and a frame
5
of a synthetic resin (see FIGS.
15
A and
15
B).
The casing
4
has a storage space for a cartridge
17
therein, and is stored with mechanical parts (not shown), such as a motor for driving a magnetic recording disk
52
and a motor for driving a recording/reproducing head, a circuit board (not shown) for controlling these motors, and the like.
The front end portion of the casing
4
is fitted with a connector
2
that can engage a connector attached to a computer (not shown). On the other hand, the rear end portion of the casing
4
is formed with a cartridge inlet slot
90
through which the cartridge
17
is inserted into the card-type electronic device
1
(i.e., into the cartridge storage space of the casing
4
).
The cartridge
17
is composed of a disk casing
95
and a magnetic recording disk
52
for use as a magnetic storage medium that is stored in the disk casing
95
and rotatably supported by means of the disk casing
95
.
As the card-type electronic device
1
is moved in the direction of arrow A of
FIG. 14
, it is inserted into a slot in the computer, and the connector
2
engages a pin on the computer. As the cartridge
17
is moved in the direction of arrow B of
FIG. 14
, moreover, it is loaded into the card-type electronic device
1
through the cartridge inlet slot
90
.
Since the card-type electronic device
1
is based on Type II of the PCMCIA standards, as mentioned before, its external dimensions (width by length by thickness) are 54.0 mm by 85.60 mm by 5.0 mm.
According to the PCMCIA standards, moreover, it is stipulated that the respective front end portions (connector storage portions
6
b
and
7
b
mentioned later) and left- and right-hand sides (insertion guide portions
6
d
and
7
d
mentioned later; the insertion guide portion
7
d
of the lower cover
7
is not shown in
FIG. 14
) of the upper and lower covers
6
and
7
that constitute the casing
4
should be formed with step portions that are 0.8 mm to 0.9 mm lower than central portions (internal component storage portions
6
a
and
7
a
mentioned later).
Further, the thickness (T
1
of
FIG. 15A
) of a collar portion
2
a
(mentioned later) of the connector
2
and the distance (equal to T
1
of
FIG. 15B
, that is, the distance between a connector storage portion
6
b
flush with the insertion guide portion
6
d
and the connector storage portion
7
b
flush with the insertion guide portion
7
d
) between the insertion guide portion
6
d
of the upper cover
6
and the insertion guide portion
7
d
of the lower cover
7
that serve as guides for the insertion into the slot of the computer are both 3.3 mm (standard).
In the PC card of this type, as is described in Registered Japanese Utility Model No. 3024721 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open 5-254286, stepped peripheral edge portions are formed individually on the respective peripheral portions of upper and lower covers by step drawing in order to form the aforesaid step portions, the respective inner surfaces of the peripheral edge portions are fixed individually to the upper and lower surfaces of a frame
5
by adhesive bonding, laser welding, or brazing, and the upper and lower covers and the frame
5
are assembled to form a casing, in general.
Since the cartridge
17
shown in
FIG. 14
has the magnetic recording disk
52
stored for rotation therein, moreover, it is expected to have a fixed thickness. In consequence, a satisfactory thickness must be given to the casing
4
in order to store the cartridge
17
with the fixed thickness in the casing
4
that is composed of the upper and lower covers
6
and
7
.
The satisfactory thickness can be given to the casing
4
by narrowing the areas of the lower-step portions (i.e., connector storage portions
6
b
and
7
b
and insertion guide portions
6
d
and
7
d
) that are formed on the respective front end portions and left- and right-hand side portions of the upper and lower covers
6
and
7
, thereby widening the areas of the elevated central portions (internal component storage portions
6
a
and
7
a
) correspondingly.
However, the lower-step portions at the respective front end portions and left- and right-hand side portions of the upper and lower covers
6
and
7
are utilized as areas for adhesive bonding with the frame
5
. If these areas are narrowed, therefore, the areas of adhesive bonding between the metallic covers (upper and lower covers
6
and
7
) and the synthetic resin frame
5
are reduced, so that bonding force between the metallic covers
6
and
7
and the synthetic resin frame is lowered inevitably. In consequence, the metallic covers
6
and
7
may is possibly separate from the frame
5
during use of the PC card.
In the PC card of the type that is loaded with the cartridge
17
storing the disk-type magnetic storage medium
52
therein, the mechanism is so complicated that the casing
4
must be opened for inspection, in some cases. If the metallic covers
6
and
7
and the synthetic resin frame
5
are fixed together by welding or brazing or bonded firmly, the metallic covers
6
and
7
cannot be removed, thus causing inconvenience.
If the metallic covers
6
and
7
are forced to be removed from the synthetic resin frame
5
, moreover, a great external force acts on the casing
4
, possibly destroying internal components.
Referring now to
FIGS. 15A and 15B
, there will be described an arrangement for bonding the connector
2
between the upper and lower covers
6
and
7
of FIG.
14
.
As mentioned before, the upper and lower covers
6
and
7
are obtained by pressing thin SUS sheets with a thickness t
1
of about 0.20 mm so that first flat portions (i.e., internal component storage portions
6
a
and
7
a
) are formed in their respective central portions, and second flat portions (i.e., connector storage portions
6
b
and
7
b
and insertion guide portions
6
d
and
7
d
), which are depressed toward the inner surface side from the first flat portions, are formed extending from the front portions to the opposite side portions.
The internal components, including a recording/reproducing head element, disk drive motor, etc., are stored between the respective first flat portions of the upper and lower covers
6
and
7
. Thus, the respective first flat portions of the upper and lower covers
6
and
7
constitute the internal component storage portions
6
a
and
7
a
, respectively.
As shown in
FIG. 14
, the respective second flat portions of the upper and lower covers
6
and
7
are composed, respectively, of the insertion guide portions
6
d
and
7
d
, which serve as insertion guides for the computer, and the connector storage portions
6
b
and
7
b
for storing the connector
2
. The insertion guide portions
6
d
and
7
d
and the connector storage portions
6
b
and
7
b
have no differences in level, and are formed flush with one another in pressing processes for forming the first and second storage portions individually on the upper and lower covers
6
and
7
.
On the other hand, that portion (collar portion
2
a
) of the connector
2
which is exposed outward from

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