Host device with memory card slot having a card gripping-extracting recess

• US 8,747,162 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2012
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sandisk Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Sherry, Leah
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THANH TAM T
• Application Number:
  US13/434,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20130260612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 439/629, 439/630, 439/635, 439/637, 439/638, 439/945, 439/946
• US Class Current: 439/630
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/08 Feeding or discharging cards
• 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 19/07743 External electrical contacts
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0021 for reading/sensing record carriers having surface contacts

Abstract

A host device with a memory card slot and an associated fingernail recess is provided. In one embodiment, a host device is provided comprising a housing with an outer surface, a memory card slot formed in the housing and accessible for memory card insertion through a slot opening in the outer surface, and a plurality of electrical contacts exposed in the memory card slot for engaging corresponding contacts on a memory card. The host device further comprises a recess in the outer surface associated with the slot opening, wherein the recess is sized to allow fingernail access to a fingernail grip of the memory card in the memory card slot. Other embodiments are possible, and each of the embodiments can be used alone or together in combination.

Claims

1. A host device comprising:

a housing with an outer surface;

a memory card slot formed in the housing and having an opening in the outer surface configured to receive a memory card for insertion into the memory card slot;

a plurality of electrical contacts exposed in the memory card slot for engaging corresponding contacts on a memory card when the memory card is inside the memory card slot;

a recess at the opening of the memory card slot, wherein the recess is sized to allow gripping and extraction access to a the memory card inside the memory card slot, and wherein a bottom surface of a part of the housing that forms the recess is above a portion of a top surface of the memory card when the memory card is inside the memory card slot; and

a processor configured to store data in or retrieve data from the memory card when the contacts on the memory card are engaged with the contacts in the memory card slot.

2. The host device of claim 1, wherein the memory card slot has a length sized to allow a rear surface of a housing of the memory card to be substantially flush with the outer surface of the housing.

3. The host device of claim 1, wherein a length of the memory card slot is about 22.4 mm.

4. The host device of claim 1, wherein the recess is perpendicular to a direction of insertion into the memory card slot.

5. The host device of claim 1, wherein the recess is in a plane above a direction of insertion into the memory card slot.

6. The host device of claim 1, wherein the recess is invisible when looking at a top surface of the housing.