Card-type storage device

• US 6,434,036 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2001
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Iwasaki, Hiroshi, Suzuki, Osami
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Viet Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/922,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20010046152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 365/63, 257/725, 257/726, 257/727, 361/728, 361/731, 361/732, 298/30, 298/32
• US Class Current: 365/63
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07745 Mounting details of integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49126 Assembling bases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 Manufacturing circuit on or in base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49172 by molding of insulating material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49176 with molding of electrically insulating material

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a small, thin card-type storage device is capable of easily manufacturing a frame for the storage device from a variety of resin materials without molding a very thin recessed bottom of the supporter. The method prepares a card-type support frame member from resin and a sheet material, cuts the sheet material into the size of the support frame member, to form a support sheet, bonds the support sheet to a bottom surface of the support frame member, to form a frame, and fits a memory module to be fixed in an opening of the support frame member in the frame, thereby completing the card-type storage device.

Claims

1. A card-type storage device, comprising:

a card-type support frame member including a first area having an opening comprising a recess formed convexly in a downward direction, a second area having at least one of a picture and characters, and a write-protect area having affixed thereto a write-protect seal indicating that writing data into a semiconductor memory is prohibited,

wherein at least a portion of said second area is prepared using a transparent or translucent material; and

a memory module including non-volatile semiconductor memory, a circuit board having an end portion fixed in the recess of the opening, and an exposed surface including a plurality of electrically isolated conductive areas.

2. The card-type storage device according to claim 1, wherein said conductive areas are individually isolated by a waveform pattern located in a central portion of the memory module.

3. The card-type storage device according to claim 1, wherein said write-protect area is substantially round in shape.

4. The card-type storage device according to claim 1, wherein said frame member is a resin containing polycarbonate.

5. The card-type storage device according to claim 1, wherein said characters identify music and said picture indicates a singer or a player of the music.

6. The card-type storage device according to claim 1, wherein the exposed surface of said memory module and the surface of said frame member are flat surfaces.

7. The card-type storage device according to claim 1, wherein said frame member is substantially rectangular having at least one portion shaped differently from another portion so that a direction of said frame member is detected.

8. A card-type storage device, comprising:

a card-type support frame member including a first area having an opening comprising a recess formed convexly in a downward direction and a second area having at least a portion thereof prepared using transparent or translucent material and a write-protect area having affixed thereto a write-protect seal indicating that writing data into a semiconductor memory is prohibited; and

a memory module including a circuit board having an end portion fixed in the recess of the opening, and a non-volatile semiconductor memory containing information associated with at least one of a picture and characters of the second area.

9. The card-type storage device according to claim 8, wherein said memory module further includes conductive areas that are individually isolated by a waveform pattern located in a central portion of the memory module.

10. The card-type storage device according to claim 8, wherein said write-protect area is substantially round in shape.

11. The card-type storage device according to claim 8, wherein said frame member is a resin containing polycarbonate.

12. The card-type storage device according to claim 8, wherein said characters identify music and said picture indicates a singer or a player of the music.

13. The card-type storage device according to claim 8, wherein an exposed surface of said memory module and a surface of said frame member are flat surfaces.

14. The card-type storage device according to claim 8, wherein said frame member is substantially rectangular having at least one portion shaped differently than another portion so that a direction of said frame member is detected.

15. A card-type storage device, comprising:

a card-type support frame member including a first surface having an opening comprising a first recess formed convexly in a downward direction and a second recess having affixed thereto a write-protect seal indicating that writing data into a semiconductor memory is prohibited, and a second surface having at least one of a picture and characters printed thereon and visible from the first surface,

wherein said second surface is prepared using transparent or translucent material; and

a memory module including non-volatile semiconductor memory and a circuit board having an end portion fixed in the recess of the opening.

16. The card-type storage device according to claim 15, wherein conductive areas of the memory module are isolated from each other by a waveform pattern located in a central portion of the memory module.

17. The card-type storage device according to claim 15, wherein a write-protect seal is substantially round in shape.

18. The card-type storage device according to claim 15, wherein said frame member is a resin containing polycarbonate.

19. The card-type storage device according to claim 15, wherein said characters identify music and said picture indicates a singer or a player of the music.

20. The card-type storage device according to claim 15, wherein an exposed surface of said memory module and a surface of said frame member are flat surfaces.

21. The card-type storage device according to claim 15, wherein said frame member is substantially rectangular having at least one portion shaped differently than another portion so that a direction of said frame member is detected.

22. A card-type storage device, comprising:

a card-type support frame member including a first surface having an opening comprising a first recess formed convexly in a downward direction and a second recess having affixed thereto a write-protect seal indicating that writing data into a semiconductor memory is prohibited, and a second surface made from a transparent or a translucent resin containing polycarbonate and having at least one of a picture and characters printed thereon and visible from the first surface,

wherein said frame member has a substantially rectangular shape at least a portion of said frame member is shaped differently from another portion so that a direction of said frame member is detected; and

a memory module including non-volatile semiconductor memory, a circuit board having an end portion fixed in the recess of the opening, conductive areas being individually isolated by a waveform pattern located in a central portion of the memory module, an exposed flat surface, and a write-protect area having a round shape wherein said characters identify music and said picture indicates a singer or a player of the music.