Card type media holding device

Abstract

To provide a card type media holding device with which card insertion is easy and incorrect insertion can be suppressed.SOLUTION: A card type media holding device includes: an insertion / removal opening which is provided to a housing, and into which a card type medium is inserted; a connector formed on a substrate held to the housing, for holding the card type medium inserted from the insertion / removal opening; a notch part which is provided at one side of the insertion / removal opening that faces one principal surface of a card type medium when the card type medium is inserted into the insertion / removal opening, and the width along the one side of which is narrower than the width of the card type medium; and a recessed part which is provided along the other side of the insertion / removal opening that faces the other principal surface of a card type medium when the card type medium is inserted into the connector, the width along the other side of which is greater than or equal to the width of the notch, and which is recessed to the inside of the housing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a card-type media holding device that holds card-type media such as memory cards (SD cards / SIM cards), and in particular to the structure of an insertion / removal slot (hereinafter simply referred to as an insertion slot) in a device housing for inserting and removing card-type media. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, the card insertion slot of a card-type media holder has a through hole in the housing that is the same width and thickness as the card media. Also known is a card insertion slot structure in which the opening is oval-shaped at the top and bottom to make it easier for a person to insert their finger into the center of the slot, and recesses are formed at the top and bottom to ensure ease of insertion with a person's finger. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-059740 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, in the structure of the card insertion slot described in Patent Document 1, the oval insertion slot is designed to be expandable vertically so that a person's finger can easily push the memory card in, but even so, it is sometimes difficult to insert the card because it is not wide enough for a person's finger to push it in. Also, when inserting the card, there is an inconvenience that the memory card may get stuck in the gap below the insertion slot.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and has an object to provide a card-type medium holding device that allows easy card insertion and prevents erroneous insertion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The card-type media holding device according to the present invention is characterized in having an insertion / removal port provided in a housing and through which a card-type media is inserted, a connector formed on a substrate held in the housing and holding the card-type media inserted through the insertion / removal port, a cutout portion provided on one side of the insertion / removal port that faces one main surface of the card-type media when the card-type media is inserted into the insertion / removal port and having a width along the one side narrower than the width of the card-type media, and a recess portion provided along the other side of the insertion / removal port that faces the other main surface of the card-type media when the card-type media is inserted into the connector, a width along the other side that is greater than or equal to the width of the cutout, and recessed inwardly into the housing. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, a card-type medium holding device can be provided that allows easy insertion of a card-type medium and prevents erroneous insertion. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic partial perspective view showing a front portion of a card-type medium holder for electronic equipment according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic partial perspective view of a card-type medium holding device of a first embodiment with the front and top portions of a housing removed to show the inside of the device. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic partial perspective view of a card-type medium holding device of a first embodiment with the front and top portions of a housing removed to show the inside of the device. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a card-type medium holding device of a first embodiment with a bottom portion and a top portion of a housing removed to show the inside of the device. [Diagram 5] 1 is a partial front view showing the structure of a card insertion opening of a card-type medium holding device of a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic partial perspective view showing a state in which a card connector is normally inserted into a card-type medium holding device of the first embodiment; FIG. [Figure 7]1 is a schematic partial perspective view showing a state in which a card connector is erroneously inserted into the card-type medium holding device of the first embodiment; FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic partial perspective view showing a state in which a card connector is erroneously inserted into the card-type medium holding device of the first embodiment; FIG. [Figure 9] 11 is a schematic partial perspective view showing a front portion of a card-type medium holder for electronic equipment according to a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 10] 11 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a card-type medium holding device of a second embodiment with the bottom and top portions of the housing removed to show the inside of the device. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, a card-type medium holder according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments, components having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals and will not be described repeatedly.

[0010] (First embodiment) 1 is a schematic partial perspective view showing the front part of a card-type medium holding device 1 for electronic devices according to the present embodiment. For ease of explanation, the directions of the orthogonal XYZ coordinate axes as shown in the figure are defined as the XYZ directions, the direction from the front to the back of card-type medium holding device 1 is defined as the Z direction (i.e., forward and backward), and the left-right horizontal (X direction) and the up-down vertical (Y direction) are defined as seen from the front of card-type medium holding device 1.

[0011] The housing 2 of the card-type medium holding device 1 may be, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped made of sheet metal, but is not limited to this. An insertion slot 3, which is a rectangular through-hole, is provided on the front side of the housing 2. A printed circuit board 4 is housed behind this insertion slot 3. A memory card CDM is inserted through the insertion slot 3 of the housing 2.

[0012] 2 and 3 are schematic partial perspective views in which the front and top of the housing 2 have been removed to show the inside of the card-type medium holding device 1, and a memory card CDM having a substantially rectangular plate shape is being inserted into a card connector 5 (also simply called a connector). In addition to the printed circuit board 4 shown in the figures, electronic boards, power supply components, power cables, signal cables, etc. are stored inside the housing 2, and in addition to the card connector 5 on the printed circuit board 4, various electronic components are mounted to configure an electronic circuit, but these configurations are omitted in the figures to simplify the explanation.

[0013] The card connector 5 is a connection device that holds a memory card CDM inserted from its insertion opening 5a through the insertion opening 3 of the case 2. The card connector 5 has a housing 5b, which is a substantially rectangular metal box that houses the memory card CDM and whose insertion opening 5a opens to the front, and the housing 5b has a storage space of a size according to the width and thickness of the memory card CDM. The bottom surface of the storage space in the housing 5b is provided with a plurality of elastic contacts 5c that make pressure contact with a plurality of planar electrodes (not shown) that are insulated from each other and arranged at predetermined positions on the underside of the memory card CDM. When the memory card CDM is inserted to the innermost part of the housing 5b (see FIG. 3), the planar electrodes of the memory card CDM housed in the housing 5b are electrically connected to the elastic contacts 5c.

[0014] The housing 5b is provided with a plurality of surface mounting terminals (not shown) extending from the elastic contacts 5c. These surface mounting terminals are soldered to the printed circuit board 4, so that the card connector 5 is held on the upper surface of the printed circuit board 4 in a surface-mounted manner.

[0015] Since there is a possibility of high static voltage flowing through metal parts such as the insertion / removal port 5a of the metal card connector 5 that can be touched by the user of the memory card CDM, the housing 5b is grounded to prevent damage or malfunction of circuits, etc.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view in which the bottom and top portions of the housing 2 have been removed to show the inside of the card-type medium holding device 1, and shows the memory card CDM inserted into the card connector 5.

[0017] The printed circuit board 4 is held inside the housing 2 by a predetermined fixing means (not shown) such that an end face of the printed circuit board 4 on the side of the insertion / removal opening 5a of the card connector 5 above it is adjacent to the insertion opening lower notch 9b of the insertion opening 3 of the housing 2. Specifically, since the end face of the printed circuit board 4 on the side of the insertion / removal opening 5a of the card connector 5 above it is adjacent to the insertion opening lower notch 9b of the insertion opening 3 of the housing 2 across a gap GAP1, the proximal end of the memory card CDM is exposed from the insertion opening lower notch 9b when the memory card CDM is inserted into the card connector 5. The printed circuit board 4 is fixed inside the housing 2 such that a gap GAP2 is formed between the lower end of the insertion opening upper recess 9a and the upper surface of the insertion opening 5a (housing 5b) of the card connector 5.

[0018] The recess 9a above the insertion opening of the housing 2 is adjacent to the card connector 5 with a gap GAP2 narrower than the thickness of the memory card CDM.

[0019] FIG. 5 is a partial front view showing the structure of the card insertion opening of card-type medium holding device 1. As shown in FIG.

[0020] The structure of the card insertion slot of card-type media holding device 1 of this embodiment includes an insertion slot upper recess 9a and an insertion slot lower cutout 9b above and below insertion slot 3 on the front of housing 2. A vertical dimension 1d from the bottom surface of insertion slot 3 to the bottom surface of insertion slot lower cutout 9b is set to be no greater than the thickness of printed circuit board 4.

[0021] The insertion slot upper recess 9a is provided along the edge of the upper surface of the insertion slot 3 that faces the upper surface of the memory card CDM when the memory card CDM is inserted into the card connector 5, and its width along the upper surface is equal to or greater than the width of the insertion slot lower cutout 9b, and it is recessed inward toward the back of the housing 2. In other words, the insertion slot upper recess 9a has a depth DPT (see FIG. 4) that exposes the near end of the memory card CDM on the user side. As a result, when the memory card CDM is inserted into the card connector 5, the near end of the memory card CDM on the user side is exposed from the insertion slot 3.

[0022] The lower insertion slot notch 9b is provided on the edge of the lower surface of the insertion slot 3 that faces the lower surface of the memory card CDM when the memory card CDM is inserted into the insertion slot 3, and its width along the lower surface (lower insertion slot narrow dimension 2a) is narrower than the width of the memory card CDM (card width dimension 2c).

[0023] It would be easier to press it in with a finger if a lower recess was also provided on the lower side. However, card connector 5 is mounted on printed circuit board 4 (substrate), and there is a pattern (live part) of printed circuit board 4 on the opposite side of printed circuit board 4 from card connector 5, so a lower recess would be too close to the pattern, and so a lower recess should not be provided.

[0024] Also, while increasing the height between the top and bottom surfaces of the insertion slot 3 makes it easier to press with a finger, if it is made too high, the memory card CDM will get stuck in the gap between the front surface of the housing 2 and the printed circuit board 4, so it is not possible to increase the height between the top and bottom surfaces of the insertion slot 3. For these two reasons, the notch 9b at the bottom of the insertion slot was devised.

[0025] Here, the details of each dimension shown in FIG. 5 are shown. The narrow dimension 2a on the lower side of the insertion slot is the width of the lower notch 9b of the insertion slot, which is narrower than the wide dimension 2b of the insertion slot on the left and right sides of the insertion slot 3. The wide dimension 2b of the insertion slot is wider than the width of the memory card CDM. The card width dimension 2c is the width of the memory card CDM (approximately the width of the recess 9a at the upper part of the insertion slot). The vertical dimension 2d of the lower side of the card and the insertion slot is the distance from the lower surface of the insertion slot 3 to the lower surface of the memory card CDM when the memory card CDM is inserted. The maximum vertical dimension 2e of the insertion slot is the distance greater than the vertical dimension 2g of the insertion slot from the upper surface of the insertion slot 3 to the lower surface of the lower notch 9b of the insertion slot when the memory card CDM is inserted. The card thickness dimension 2f is the thickness of the memory card CDM. The vertical dimension 2g of the insertion slot is the height between the upper and lower surfaces of the insertion slot 3.

[0026] The insertion / removal opening 5a of the card connector 5 is arranged in parallel with the insertion opening 3, and is formed slightly smaller than the insertion opening 3. The thickness of the card connector 5 is smaller than the height of the insertion opening 3 (insertion opening vertical dimension 2g). The insertion / removal opening 5a is located below the insertion opening upper recess 9a.

[0027] Both side walls of insertion opening lower cutout 9b shield gap GAP1 (the gap between housing 2 and the end face of printed circuit board 4 on the insertion opening 5a side of card connector 5) other than insertion opening lower narrow dimension 2a.

[0028] (Explanation of operation) To fit the memory card CDM into the card connector 5 inside the housing 2, the user inserts the memory card CDM into the insertion slot 3 while holding it horizontally against the card connector 5, and pushes it into the card connector 5. As shown in Figure 6, the memory card CDM is inserted into the insertion slot 3 on the front side of the housing 2. The memory card CDM can be inserted into the insertion slot 3 because the insertion slot width dimension 2b is larger than the card width dimension 2c, and the insertion slot vertical dimension 2g is larger than the card thickness dimension 2f. The insertion slot has a recess 9a above it, so that the memory card CDM can be pressed in with a finger even though the card connector 5 is at the back of the housing 2.

[0029] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, even if a user mistakenly inserts a memory card CDM into the gap GAP1 between the insertion port 3 and the insertion / removal port 5a of the card connector 5, the insertion is prevented because both side walls of the insertion port lower cutout 9b are arranged in the gap GAP1.

[0030] (Explanation of effect) When the memory card CDM is inserted through the insertion slot 3, one can insert one's fingers all the way into the recess 9a at the top of the insertion slot and the notch 9b at the bottom of the insertion slot. This makes it easy to insert the memory card CDM into the card connector 5.

[0031] In addition, by making the narrow dimension 2a below the insertion port of the lower notch 9b of the insertion port smaller than the card width dimension 2c, the problem of erroneous insertion into the gap GAP1 between the front of the housing 2 and the printed circuit board 4 is prevented without compromising ease of insertion.

[0032] According to the card-type media holding device 1 of this embodiment, even if a memory card CDM is mistakenly inserted into the gap GAP1 between the insertion port 3 and the insertion / removal port 5a of the card connector 5, the erroneous insertion can be prevented by the side walls of the lower insertion port cutout portion 9b which cover the gap GAP1.

[0033] In addition, because the memory card CDM is prevented from being inserted by the lower cutout 9b of the insertion slot, the user can easily notice the incorrect insertion. Therefore, by reinserting the memory card CDM, it can be correctly inserted and attached through the insertion slot 5a of the card connector 5.

[0034] (Second Example) Fig. 9 is a schematic partial perspective view showing the front portion of a card-type medium holding device 1 for electronic equipment of the second embodiment. Fig. 10 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view with the bottom and top portions of the housing 2 removed to show the inside of the card-type medium holding device 1 of the second embodiment, showing a memory card CDM inserted into the card connector 5.

[0035] This embodiment is the same as the first embodiment, except for the structure in which the lower insertion slot notch 9b and the upper insertion slot recess 9a have a slit SLT that intersects at a right angle, for example. The slit SLT has a width on both sides narrower than the width of the lower insertion slot notch 9b. In addition, to improve dust resistance, a felt material FLT can be provided that covers the slit SLT from the inside, avoiding the printed circuit board 4 and the card connector 5. The card-type media holding device 1 of the second embodiment also has a structure in which the lower insertion slot notch 9b is widened downward at the insertion slot 3 of the memory card CDM, and the upper insertion slot recess 9a is recessed in a semicircular shape (concave surface) inside the housing 2.

[0036] (Explanation of effect) As described above, according to the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be achieved, and by pushing a coin into the vertical slit SLT, for example, the memory card CDM can be pushed into the connector more easily, reliably, and stably than by pushing it with a horizontal coin. If the card connector 5 has a card push-push mechanism for insertion / removal, the memory card CDM can also be removed from the card connector 5 by pushing it with a coin in the same manner when removing it. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1 Card-type media holder 2. Chassis 3 Insertion port 4. Printed circuit boards (substrates) 5 Card connector (connector) 5a Insertion / extraction port 9a Upper recess of insertion port 9b Lower notch of insertion port CDM memory card (card type media)

Claims

1. an insertion / removal port provided in the housing for inserting a card-type medium; a connector formed on a substrate held by the housing, the connector holding the card-type medium inserted through the insertion / removal opening; a notch that is provided on one side of the insertion opening that faces one main surface of the card-type medium when the card-type medium is inserted into the insertion opening and has a width along the one side that is narrower than the width of the card-type medium; a recessed portion that is provided along the other side of the insertion / removal opening that faces the other main surface of the card-type medium when the card-type medium is inserted into the connector, the width along the other side being equal to or greater than the width of the notch portion, and that is recessed inwardly into the housing; A card-type medium holding device comprising:

2. The card-type media holding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the end face of the substrate on the insertion / removal port side of the connector is positioned away from the notch by a gap, and when the card-type media is inserted into the connector, the near end of the card-type media is exposed from the notch.

3. 3. The card-type medium holder according to claim 2, wherein the gap from the notch has a size not exceeding a thickness of the substrate.

4. 3. The card-type medium holder according to claim 2, wherein the recess of the housing has a depth that exposes a near end of the card-type medium when the card-type medium is inserted into the connector.

5. 3. The card-type medium holder according to claim 2, wherein the recess of the housing is adjacent to the connector with a gap narrower than a thickness of the card-type medium.

6. 2. The card-type medium holder according to claim 1, further comprising a slit that intersects with the notch and the recess and has a width along the other side that is narrower than the width of the notch.

Images