Memory card

• US 5,061,845 A
• Filed: 04/30/1990
• Issued: 10/29/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Pinnavaia, Giuseppe
• Primary Examiner(s): Levy, Stuart S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/515,809
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 235/487, 235/88, 235/492, 361/392, 361/94, 361/395, 361/99, 439/76, 439/77, 439/152, 439/153, 439/492-499
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0269 Card housings therefor, e.g. covers, frames, PCB
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/946 Memory card cartridge

Abstract

A shell having symmetrical top and bottom parts form a chamber containing a substrate carrying package semiconductor devices and a connector. A cover fits in a hollow of the top part normally for its top surface to rest flush with the top surface of the top part. The packaged semiconductor devices on the substrate extend through apertures in the top part with the top surfaces of the packaged semiconductor devices resting substantially flush with the top surface of the top part. The cover flexes over the packaged semiconductor devices at those locations. Gripping means occur in the ends of the shell opposite the connector to aid removal of the memory card from a desired port and an interior wall and side pockets provide stress relief for removal and insertion of the connector in the desired port.

Claims

1. A memory card comprising:

A. a shell forming a substantially rigid frame of said memory card, said shell having first and second parts joined together at their margins and presenting an interior chamber between said margins and opening to one end of the shell, said first part including a substantially flat central portion and said first part presenting plural apertures opening through said central portion of said chamber;

B. a substrate carrying circuit leads contained within said chamber, said substrate also carrying packaged semiconductor devices electrically connected to selected circuit leads and a connector electrically connected to selected circuit leads, said packages of said semiconductor devices having a thickness at least as great as said first part central portion and extending into said apertures in said first part so that the top surfaces of said packages stand at least flush with the top surface of said first part, and said connector extending from said chamber to said one end through said opening; and

C. a cover mounted on said shell first part and enclosing said apertures.

2. The memory card of claim 1 in which the margins of said first and second parts include a tongue and groove arrangement for alignment.

3. The memory card of claim 1 in which said first part includes a hollow arranged and dimensioned relative to said cover for receiving said cover so that the top surface of said cover normally rests flush with the top surface of said shell first part.

4. The memory card of claim 1 in which said cover rests on said top surfaces of said packages.

5. The memory card of claim 1 including a wall upstanding from said shell into said chamber adjacent said opening, said wall being arranged relative to said substrate to retain said substrate and connector in said shell.

6. The memory card of claim 1 in which said shell includes opposed pockets adjacent said opening and said connector includes ears that fit into said pockets to retain said connector in said shell.

7. The memory card of claim 1 in which said shell includes gripping means for aiding in the removal of said memory card from a desired location.

8. The memory card of claim 7 in which said gripping means include at least one ridge on another end of said shell opposite said one end.

9. The memory card of claim 8 in which said gripping means include at least one ridge on each of said shell first and second parts.

10. The memory card of claim 7 in which said gripping means include plural ridges that are located on edges of said shell and that are located opposite said one end.

11. The memory card of claim 1 in which said cover is a thin sheet of flexible, insulative material adhesively mounted on said shell first part.

12. The memory card of claim 1 in which said shell first and second parts are molded plastic.

13. The memory card of claim 1 in which said substrate is a printed circuit board.

14. The memory card of claim 1 in which said shell includes a portion adjacent said connector that has a thickness less than the rest of said shell and of the same thickness as said connector.

15. The memory card of claim 1 in which said first part is a top part and said second part is a bottom part.

16. A memory card comprising:

A. a shell presenting an interior chamber opening to one end of the shell, said shell including plural apertures opening to said chamber;

B. a substrate carrying circuit leads contained within said chamber, said substrate also carrying packaged semiconductor devices electrically connected to selected circuit leads and a connector electrically connected to selected circuit leads, said packages of said semiconductor devices extending into said apertures in said shell and said connector extending from said chamber to said one end through said opening; and

C. a cover mounted on said shell and enclosing said apertures, said shell including a hollow arranged and dimensioned relative to said cover for receiving said cover so that the top surface of said cover normally rests flush with the top surface of said shell.

17. The memory card of claim 16 in which said hollow is centrally located between said margins of said first part.

18. The memory card of claim 16 in which said cover is flexible.

19. A memory card comprising:

A. a shell having first and second parts joined together at their margins and presenting an interior chamber between said margins and opening to one end of the shell;

B. a substrate carrying circuit leads contained within said chamber, said substrate also carrying packaged semiconductor devices electrically connected to selected circuit leads and a connector electrically connected to selected circuit leads, and said connector extending from said chamber to said one end through said opening; and

C. said shell including a wall upstanding from said shell into said chamber adjacent said opening, said wall being arranged relative to said substrate to engage and retain said substrate and connector in said shell.

20. The memory card of claim 19 in which said wall upstands from said first part.

21. The memory card of claim 19 in which said wall extends across said opening.

22. The memory card of claim 19 in which said wall upstands from said first part and said second part clamps said substrate between said wall and second part when said parts are joined.

23. A memory card comprising:

A. a shell having first and second parts joined together at their margins and presenting an interior chamber between said margins and opening to one end of the shell;

B. a substrate carrying circuit leads contained within said chamber, said substrate also carrying packaged semiconductor devices electrically connected to selected circuit leads and a connector electrically connected to selected circuit leads, and said connector extending from said chamber to said one end through said opening; and

C. said shell including opposed pockets adjacent said opening and said connector including ears that fit into said pockets to retain said connector in said shell.

24. The memory card of claim 23 in which said first part presents said pockets and said second part clamps said ears in said pockets when said first and second parts are joined together.

25. A memory card comprising:

A. a shell having an interior chamber opening to one end of the shell, said shell presenting generally planar top and bottom surfaces and circumferential edges extending between said top and bottom surfaces, and said shell including gripping means providing plural ridges formed in the material of the shell on opposed edges of said shell opposite said one end of the shell;

B. a substrate carrying printed circuit leads contained within said chamber, said substrate also carrying packaged semiconductor devices electrically connected to selected circuit leads and a connector electrically connected to selected circuit leads, and said connector extending from said chamber to said one end through said opening.

26. A memory card comprising:

A. a shell presenting an interior chamber opening to one end of the shell;

B. a substrate carrying printed circuit leads contained within said chamber, said substrate also carrying packaged semiconductor devices electrically connected to selected circuit leads and a connector electrically connected to selected circuit leads, and said connector extending from said chamber to said one end through said opening; and

C. said one end of said shell including a portion adjacent said connector that has a thickness less than the rest of said shell and that has a thickness the same as said connector.

27. An electronic system comprising:

A. an electronic apparatus using memory devices and having a fixed connector exposed to the exterior for receiving a matching connector, said fixed connector being connected to memory address and data leads internal of said apparatus; and

B. a memory card having a body presenting a matching connector that connects with said fixed connector, said memory card containing memory devices connected to said matching connector, said body having a certain thickness and having a thinned portion adjacent said matching connector that has a thickness less than said certain thickness and substantially the thickness of said connector.

28. The electronic system of claim 27 in which said body has apertures opening to an exterior surface and said memory devices extend through said apertures to have top surfaces that stand at least flush with said exterior surface of said body, said memory card including a flexible cover resting on said top surfaces and on said exterior surface.