Patent Application
20080188133
(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved mini card adapter structure, and more particularly to a structural assembly comprising an upper cover, a lower cover and a converter terminal set, which enables converting a micro memory card of relatively small size into a short memory card of relatively larger size to facilitate insertion into digital products having a short memory card circuit interface for use thereof, and provides a configuration having effectiveness to enable the terminals to realize stable contact, reduce costs, effectively control amount of force required for insertion/extraction of the entire connector, reinforce grounding, protect data stored within memory, isolate noise interference, improve memory card data access and increase frequency of use and facilitate design of the card adapter circuit and structure. Moreover, the present invention is applicable for use in various types of card adapter structures or similar structures.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
The current popularity of 3C (computer, communications and consumer electronics) digital products, such as digital cameras, PDAs (personal digital assistants), MP3 (media player) personal stereos, have driven the vigorous development of flash memory cards and the derivation of a variety of memory cards having different size, form and specifications. The current most common memory card specifications include SM (SmartMedia), xD-Picture Card, CF (CompactFlash), MD (MicroDrive), MS (Memory Stick) and SD (Secure Digital), MMC (MultiMedia Card). However, with the increasing miniaturization of 3C digital products, manufacturers have released mini memory cards having substantially smaller size specifications, including the MS and MS PRO extended Duo series, and the extended miniSD, RS-MMC and Transflash derived from the SD and MMC specifications. The Transflash card, however, is still the smallest memory card in the current market, and the MS and MS PRO camps are actively promoting a micro memory card (Memory Stick Micro, M2) similar to that of the Transflash card. Nevertheless, continuous miniaturization of memory cards occupies a small area of the core market, and size of each type of memory card having different structural form and specifications differs or configuration of circuit port contact points varies.
Referring to
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a mini card adapter structure that uses a structural assembly of an upper cover, a lower cover and a converter terminal set, wherein eight extended reverse bent contact pins of terminals of the converter terminal set extend outward toward a micro memory card (Micro SD) port, thereby enabling contact direction of each of the terminals to coincide with direction of card insertion, thereby achieving contact effectiveness while preventing the possibility of compressing and damaging the terminals. Moreover, strength requirements of each of the terminals is substantially reduced, enabling terminals to be made from 0.10 mm thick copper material, which, after inserting a memory card, does not result in an substantial increase in thickness of the entire configuration, and enables controlling amount of force required for insertion/extraction to within a substantially small range, thereby better ensuring long term stable usage of the connector, and providing a configuration having effectiveness to enable the terminals to realize stable contact, reduce costs, and effectively control amount of force required for insertion/extraction of the entire connector, which increase practicability and convenience of the entire configuration.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide the mini card adapter structure with a structural configuration wherein a large grounding area is disposed between No. three pin and No. six pin of the converter terminal set to provide the mini card adapter structure with a substantially large and stable grounding area between the two pins, which avoids the shortcomings of prior art whereby the conventional thin conductor easily breaks off or mistakenly touches other pins, resulting in damage to the circuit and memory structure, moreover, is able to effectively prevent unexpected signal surges and protect data stored within the memory, reinforces grounding effectiveness and isolates noise interference, thereby stabilizing speed of data transmission, improving memory card data access and increasing frequency of use. Moreover, the substantially larger and stable grounding area between the two pins facilitates design of the card adapter circuit and structure. Accordingly, providing a configuration having effectiveness to reinforce grounding, protect data stored within memory, isolate noise interference, improve memory card data access and increase frequency of use and facilitate design of the card adapter circuit and structure, which increase practicability, convenience and safety of the entire configuration.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide the mini card adapter structure with a structural configuration which enables converting a micro memory card of relatively small size into a short memory card of relatively larger size to facilitate insertion into digital products having a short memory card circuit interface for use thereof, thereby providing convenience of use, and substantially increasing practicability and convenience of the entire configuration.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide the mini card adapter structure with a structural configuration wherein the terminals of the converter terminal set supersede contact pins of the conventional circuit board, thereby reducing quality control problems caused by multi-operation assembly, and providing a substantial saving on costs.
In order to achieve the aforementioned objectives, the mini card adapter structure of the present invention comprises an upper cover, a lower cover and a converter terminal set. The upper cover has a structure designed to conform to short memory card (Mini SD) specifications, wherein an insertion slot is defined at a rear portion of the upper cover corresponding to the shape of a micro memory card (Micro SD). The lower cover has a structural disposition corresponding to that of the upper cover, including a port defined in a central portion of the lower cover to accommodate a micro memory card (Micro SD), and the upper cover is correspondingly joined to the lower cover. The converter terminal set is configured with eleven terminals, wherein an injection molded fixing mount fixedly covers each of the terminals of the converter terminal set, and eleven contact pins extend outward towards a short memory card (Mini SD) opening. No. three pin and No. six pin of the eleven contact pins are configured with a large grounding area, and eight extended reverse bent contact pins extend outward toward the micro memory card (Micro SD) port. Accordingly, the present invention is able to convert a micro memory card into a short memory card of relatively larger size to facilitate further use thereof, and provides a configuration having effectiveness to enable the terminals to realize stable contact, reduce costs, effectively control amount of force required for insertion/extraction of the entire connector, reinforce grounding, protect data stored within memory, isolate noise interference, improve memory card data access and increase frequency of use and facilitate design of the card adapter circuit and structure, thereby increasing practicability and convenience of the entire configuration.
To enable a further understanding of said objectives and the technological methods of the invention herein, brief description of the drawings is provided below followed by detailed description of the preferred embodiments.
Referring to
An upper cover 10 having a structure designed to conform to short memory card (Mini SD) specifications, wherein an insertion slot 11 is defined at a rear portion of the upper cover 10 corresponding to the shape of a micro memory card (Micro SD) 2, and a plurality of grooves 12 are defined on a bottom surface of the upper cover 10.
A lower cover 20 having a structure designed to conform to short memory card (Mini SD) specifications, wherein a short memory card (Mini SD) opening 21 is configured at a front portion of the lower cover 20, and a port 22 is defined in a central portion of the lower cover 20 to accommodate a micro memory card (Micro SD). A plurality of protruding pieces 26 are located on the lower cover 20 corresponding to the plurality of grooves 12 of the upper cover, thereby enabling the upper cover 10 to be joined to the lower cover 20 to form a solid structural configuration therewith. Moreover, the upper cover 10 covers and is disposed within the lower cover 20, thereby reducing thickness of the card adapter.
A converter terminal set 30 configured with eleven terminals 31, wherein an injection molded fixing mount 32 fixedly covers each of the terminals 31 of the converter terminal set 30, and eleven contact pins 31a extend outward towards the short memory card (Mini SD) opening 21. No. three pin and No. six pin of the eleven contact pins 31a are configured with a large grounding area 33. An embodiment of the large grounding area 33 of the converter terminal set 30 adopts a bendable large conducting strip (in actual use, method adopted can be a conventional layout of a printed circuit board, conducting coated material or conducting paint), and eight extended reverse bent contact pins 31b extend outward toward the micro memory card (Micro SD) port 22. Each of the eight extended reverse bent contact pins 31b extending outward toward the micro memory card (Micro SD) port 22 is provided with a flat portion 31c, a front end of which is reverse extended and forms an angled bend.
According to the aforementioned structural configuration of the mini card adapter structure of the present invention, as depicted in
According to the aforementioned detailed description, persons familiar with related art are able to easily understand that the present invention can clearly achieve the aforementioned objectives, and evidently complies with essential elements as required for a new patent application. Accordingly, a new patent application is proposed herein.
It is of course to be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that a wide variety of modifications thereto may be effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
