Memory card, and receptacle for same

• US 6,199,756 B1
• Filed: 01/14/2000
• Issued: 03/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Okaue, Takumi, Sassa, Akira, Kobayashi, Toshiharu, Kondo, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Viet Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/483,115
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/382, 235/487, 235/492, 257/693, 257/730, 361/728
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/0856 the locking arrangement comprising a notch in the card and a complementary locking means in the card reading station
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/0893 the arrangement comprising means for cleaning the card upon insertion
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/041 Constructional details G06K19/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07732 the record carrier having a housing or construction similar to well-known portable memory devices, such as SD cards, USB or memory sticks housings for electrical equipment in general, see H05K5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07739 comprising a first part capable of functioning as a record carrier on its own and a second part being only functional as a form factor changing part, e.g. SIM cards type ID 0001, removably attached to a regular smart card form factor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07743 External electrical contacts
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0021 for reading/sensing record carriers having surface contacts
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0047 for reading/sensing record carriers having edge contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0254 High voltage adaptations; Electrical insulation details; Overvoltage or electrostatic discharge protection electrostatic discharge protection for electric apparatus in general H05K9/0067, H05K9/0079; Arrangements for regulating voltages or for using plural voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/117 Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/946 Memory card cartridge

Abstract

A memory card is disclosed which has a card body (2) having a concavity (9) formed at the forward end thereof in the inserting direction and in which terminals (5) are disposed and projections (10) are formed between the terminals (5) to prevent the terminals (5) from being touched or accessed from outside. A receptacle for the memory card is also disclosed. The memory card has a simple structure designed to positively protect the terminals and easily let out dust or the like from inside, thereby permitting to assure a positive connection with the receptacle.

Claims

1. A memory card comprising:

a substantially rectangular card body having first and second surfaces;

electrical terminals disposed proximate an edge of said first surface and positioned in recesses that open to said first surface;

a storage device disposed in said card body for storing data;

a control circuit disposed in said card body for controlling writing data supplied from said terminals into said storage device and reading stored data from said storage device to said terminals; and

said card body having four corners, three of which are of substantially the same shape and the fourth of which is of a different shape to prevent incorrect insertion of said memory card into a receptacle therefor.

3. The memory card of claim 1, wherein said terminals comprise an array of terminals including a ground terminal, a voltage supply terminal, a status terminal, a digital input/output terminal and a clock terminal.

4. The memory card of claim 3, wherein two of said terminals disposed at opposite ends of said array are ground terminals.

5. The memory card of claim 3, wherein said terminals further include an insertion terminal for indicating when said memory card is inserted into and removed from a receptacle therefor.

6. The memory card of claim 5, wherein said insertion terminal is located substantially at a center of said array.

7. The memory card of claim 5, wherein two of said terminals disposed at opposite ends of said array are ground terminals;

and wherein said insertion terminal is located substantially at a center of said array.

8. The memory card of claim 3, wherein said array comprises nine terminals.

9. The memory card of claim 3, wherein said array comprises ten terminals.

2. A memory card comprising:

a substantially rectangular card body having first and second surfaces;

electrical terminals disposed proximate an edge of said first surface;

a storage device disposed in said card body for storing data;

a control circuit disposed in said card body for controlling writing data supplied from said terminals into said storage device and reading stored data from said storage device to said terminals;

said card body having four corners, three of which are of substantially the same shape and the fourth of which is of a different shape to prevent incorrect insertion of said memory card into a receptacle therefor; and

wherein said terminals are offset from a center line of said rectangular shape toward a first longitudinal edge of said card body and said fourth corner is provided along a second, opposite longitudinal edge of said card body.