JP2000306070A - Card type information recording medium and recording and reproducing device therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a recording/reproducing device for a card type information recording medium, which can be constituted compact at low cost without requiring plural card slots or connectors, and the card-shaped information recording medium to be used for such a recording/reproducing device. SOLUTION: This device is provided with a main body 11 of card equipped with a memory means 12 inside, a terminal part 16 provided while being exposed so as to be a little protruded on at least both the front and rear sides of the card body, and connected with the memory means, an engage part and a part to be engaged which are respectively formed on the front and rear sides of the card body. Thus, by overlapping the plural main bodies of cards, the vertically continuously adjacent main bodies of cards can be mutually engaged while utilizing the engage parts and the parts to be engaged and the exposed terminals are mutually electrically connected.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a card type information recording medium connected to various information processing devices such as a computer as a card type memory.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a so-called IC card or IC memory card having a built-in integrated circuit (hereinafter referred to as "IC") and containing a CPU and a semiconductor memory in a card-shaped main body is, for example, as shown in FIG. Each card is used by being inserted into a card slot.

In FIG. 11, a plurality of card slots 3, 3, 3 are formed on the outer surface of the recording / reproducing apparatus 2, for example, in the vertical direction. Each of the card slots 3 is provided with a connector so that an end of each IC card 1 on which a terminal (not shown) is formed can be individually inserted. Thereby, the recording / reproducing device 2
Externally connect an IC card as a recording medium,
Information can be read and recorded from each IC card 1.

The recording / reproducing apparatus 2 can use each information of the IC cards 1, 1, 1 individually or simultaneously through a plurality of card slots 3, 3, 3, and Necessary types and amounts of information can be arbitrarily used.

[0005]

In such a recording / reproducing apparatus 2, since a plurality of IC cards 1 can be used, an advantage that information requiring a relatively large capacity can be recorded / reproduced. On the other hand, the recording / reproducing apparatus 2 needs to have as many card slots as the number of IC cards 1 to be used.

For this reason, the conventional recording / reproducing apparatus 2 has a problem that components are required for the connectors of a plurality of slots, and the manufacturing cost is increased. In addition, the recording / reproducing device 2 requires a space for providing a plurality of slots, and therefore, it is necessary to provide a space between the IC cards 1, 1, 1 as shown in FIG. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that the size of the device cannot be sufficiently reduced.

In view of the above, the present invention provides a recording / reproducing apparatus for a card-type information recording medium which can be constructed at a low cost and in a small size without the need for a plurality of card slots or connectors. It is an object of the present invention to provide a card-type information recording medium used for an apparatus.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a card body provided with a memory means therein, and the card body is exposed on at least both front and back surfaces of the card body.
And a terminal portion provided to be exposed so as to slightly project and connected to the memory means, and an engaging portion and an engaged portion formed respectively on the front and back surfaces of the card body.
This is achieved by a card-type information recording medium.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the card body includes the engaging portion and the engaged portion formed on the front and back surfaces of the card body, if a plurality of card bodies are stacked,
The card portions can be engaged with each other by utilizing the engaging portion and the engaged portion of the vertically adjacent card bodies. In this state, the terminal portions of each card body are provided so as to be exposed on at least the front and back surfaces of the card body and to be slightly projected so that the exposed terminals are electrically connected to each other. You.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a card body having a memory means therein, and an engaging portion and an engaged portion formed respectively on the front and back surfaces of the card body. The card-type information recording medium is provided, wherein the engaging portion and the engaged portion also serve as a terminal portion connected to the memory means in the card body.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, since the card body is provided with the engaging portion and the engaged portion formed on the front and back surfaces of the card body, if a plurality of card bodies are stacked,
The card portions can be engaged with each other by utilizing the engaging portion and the engaged portion of the vertically adjacent card bodies. In this state, since the engaging portion and the engaged portion also serve as the terminal portion, the card bodies are electrically connected via the engaging portion and the engaged portion in the engaged state. You.

Further, according to the present invention, the object is connected to one of an engaging portion and an engaged portion provided on a card body of at least one card type information recording medium. Means for accommodating a plurality of card-shaped recording media in a state where these card bodies are overlapped and engaged, and a card body of one of the plurality of card-shaped recording media engaged in a stacked manner is provided. This is achieved by an information recording and / or reproducing apparatus including a connection unit that is electrically connected to a terminal unit.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since a plurality of stacked card bodies are connected at one connection point, there is no need to provide a slot or connector for each card.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. still,
Since the embodiments described below are preferred specific examples of the present invention, various technically preferred limitations are added.
The scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments unless otherwise specified in the following description.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of a card-type information recording medium (hereinafter, referred to as "card medium") according to the present embodiment. In the figure, a card body 11 of a card medium (card type information recording medium) 10 is formed in a plate shape or a card shape by, for example, thin plastics or the like.

The card body 11 includes a memory means (storage device) 12 formed of, for example, a semiconductor memory, and a control circuit 1.
4. A signal modulation / demodulation device 15 is built-in. These memory means 12, control circuit 14, signal modulation / demodulation device 15
Are electrically connected by providing a necessary conductive pattern 13. The control circuit 14 includes a control unit main body 19, a power supply 17 for driving the circuit, and an oscillator 18.

A terminal 16 is connected to the modulation / demodulation device 15, whereby the terminal 16 is electrically connected to the control circuit 14 and the memory means 12 via the modulation / demodulation device 15 and the conductive pattern 13. ing. This terminal 16
Is provided to be exposed to the outside of the card body 11 as described later. The memory means 12 is a memory having a write area for predetermined recording, and may have an area in which necessary information is recorded in advance or an independent memory.

As shown in FIG. 2, the card medium 10
Can be stacked in the thickness direction. The terminal 16 described above is exposed at one end of the card body 11, and a plurality of card media 10 are stacked with their one ends aligned in the same direction.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a main part of a recording and / or reproducing apparatus 20 for reading out information recorded on the card medium 10 and / or recording information on the card medium 10. The recording and / or reproducing apparatus 20 (hereinafter, abbreviated as “recording / reproducing apparatus 20”) has an accommodating section 23 for accommodating a plurality of card media 10 as shown in the figure. In order to accommodate a plurality of the card media 10 in the accommodating portion 23, the card medium 10 has, for example, the following configuration. Before describing the configuration of the recording / reproducing apparatus 20, an example of the configuration of the card medium 10 will be described in detail. I do.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a part of FIG. 3 in an enlarged manner. Each terminal portion 16 of the card medium 10 is formed so as to slightly protrude in the thickness direction and cover an end of the card body 11 as shown in the drawing. This allows
When the card bodies 11 are stacked as shown in the figure,
The terminal portions 16 of the lower card body 11-2 and the upper card body 11-1 come into contact with each other.

The details of this contact state are shown in an enlarged scale in FIG. 5. The terminal portion 16 of the card body 11 has a large number of terminals 16a, 16b, 16, c, 16d.
And adjacent terminals are insulated by separating a space. When a plurality of card media 10 are stacked, the individual terminals of the lower card main body 11-2 and the respective terminal portions 16 of the upper card main body 11-1 come into accurate contact with each other. .

6 to 8 show a detailed configuration example of the card medium 10, FIG. 6 is a plan view thereof, and FIG.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 6, and FIG. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the engaging portion 3 is provided on the surface (upper surface) of the card body 11 of the card medium 10.
1 is provided. In the present embodiment, the engagement portion 31
Four are provided near the corners of the card body 11.
As shown in FIG. 7, the engagement portion 31 has a ring-shaped outer shape and is formed in a cylindrical shape with an open upper end. Then, as shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 9, the engaging portion 31 is divided into four divided portions 31a, 31a, 3 divided along the circumferential direction.
1, 31a and a gap 3 formed between these divided portions.
1b, 31b, 31b, 31b. Accordingly, each of the divided portions 31a, 31a, 31, 31a has elasticity by being slightly displaced in the direction indicated by each arrow.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, an engaged portion 32 is provided on the back surface (lower surface) of the card body 11 of the card medium 10. In the present embodiment, the same number of engaged portions 32 are formed at positions corresponding to the above-described engaging portions 31. The engaged portion 32 is configured as a receiving portion set to a size that allows the engaging portion 31 to be forcibly fitted, and is, for example, a concave portion or a bottomed hole. .

The terminal 16 is formed at one end of the card body 11 as described above. Terminal 16
Each terminal is formed by, for example, evaporating a metal such as gold, silver, or platinum in a pattern shown in the drawing, and is formed so as to slightly project in the thickness direction of the card body 11 as described above. .

As a result, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the upper card body 11 is placed on the lower card body 11-2.
When -1 is overlapped, the engaging portions 31 provided on the upper surface of the lower card body 11-2 are forcibly inserted into the engaged portions 32 on the lower surface of the upper card body 11-2. At this time, the gap 32 between the engaging portions 31 is slightly reduced, so that the engaging portion 31 is elastically engaged in the engaged portion 32.

Here, the engagement portion and the engaged portion may be configured to also serve as a terminal portion connected to the memory means in the card body. For this purpose, for example, the engaging portion 31 is provided with divided portions corresponding to the number of terminals of the terminal portion 16, and a terminal is assigned to each divided portion. Correspondingly, the engaged portion 32 also has a divided portion corresponding to the number of terminals as a shape that comes into contact so as to surround from the outside of the engaging portion 31, and a terminal is assigned to each divided portion. (Not shown).

Thus, it is not necessary to provide the terminal portion 16 at the end of the card body 11, and the card media 1 can be engaged simply by overlapping a plurality of card media 10.
There is an advantage that electrical continuity between zero can be achieved.

Next, the configuration of the recording / reproducing apparatus 20 will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, the recording / reproducing apparatus 20 has a function of recording and reproducing information on the card medium 10, and if the apparatus has such a function, for example, an information processing apparatus such as a computer It may be a part of the device or a single device such as a peripheral device. Further, the device may have a function of recording information only or a function of reading information only.

The recording / reproducing apparatus 20 includes a storage unit 2 that can store at least a plurality of card media 10 in a stacked state.
Three. The accommodating portion 23 has, for example, a right end portion and an upper portion opened as shown in FIG. 3, and has a step portion 22 on which a plurality of stacked card media 10 is to be placed.
A device-side terminal portion 22 is formed on the back side of the upper surface of the step portion 22. The device-side terminal portion 22 is provided at a position corresponding to the terminal portion 16 of the card body 11 of the lowermost card medium 10 of the plurality of stacked card media 10. It is the same as the terminal section 16.

An engaging portion (not shown) is provided on the upper surface of the step portion 22. The engaging portion is provided on the card body 11 of the lowermost card medium 10 of the plurality of stacked card media 10. Is engaged with the engaged portion 32. For this reason, the engaging portion of the step portion 22 has the same structure as the engaging portion 31 of the card body 11 described with reference to FIGS. Further, a wall portion 21 as a positioning portion is provided on one side (the left side in the figure) of the step portion 22, and the terminal portions 16 of the card media 10 to be superimposed are used to remove the sputum portion from the wall portion 21. The card media 10 can be aligned at the same time, and the engaged portion 32 of the card body 11 of the lowermost card media 10 of the plurality of card media 10 and the stepped portion can be aligned. The engagement portions 22 are aligned. At the same time, the terminal section 16 of the card body 11 of the lowermost card medium 10 of the plurality of card media 10 overlapped with the apparatus-side terminal section 22.
And are aligned.

More preferably, as shown in FIG.
The recording / reproducing apparatus 20 is provided with an opening / closing lid 24 as a support means. The opening / closing lid 24 can be opened and closed in the direction of the arrow with the depth side of the storage section 23 as a fulcrum (not shown) to close the storage section 23. When the opening / closing cover 24 is closed, a gap S is formed between the upper surface of the stacked card media 10 in the storage portion 23 and the lower surface of the opening / closing cover 24. A leaf spring 25 as an urging means is provided on the lower surface of the opening / closing lid 24 so as to enter the gap.

When the cover 24 is closed and a slight force is applied from above, the leaf spring 25 comes into contact with the vicinity of the terminal portion 16 of the uppermost card medium 10 of the plurality of stacked card media 10. This is urged downward in the thickness direction. For this reason, the terminal portions 16 of the stacked card media 10 are closely adhered to each other based on the urging force of the leaf spring 25, so that the electrical continuity between the terminal portions 16 of the card media 10 is ensured. And step 2
2, the engagement between the engaging portions and the engaged portions between the card media 10 can be ensured.

The present embodiment is configured as described above. The card media 10 are connected to each other by being superposed as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. , The upper card medium 10 and the lower card medium 10 are electrically connected.
The lowermost card medium 10 is connected to the terminal section 22 of the recording / reproducing device 20, so that all the card media 10 in the stacked state accommodated in the accommodating portion 23 are provided in the recording / reproducing device 20. Is connected. Thus, for example, when a control circuit (not shown) on the recording / reproducing apparatus 20 side designates a different address to each terminal section 16 of each card medium 10 shown in FIG.
The unique address information is assigned to the memory means 12 of FIG.

Next, the recording / reproducing apparatus 20 operates the individual card medium 1 specified based on the address information.
With respect to 0, all instructions can be issued via the terminal unit 22. That is, predetermined information is recorded in the memory means 12 of all the card media 10 superimposed,
Also, individual information can be read from each memory means 12.

In this case, the recording / reproducing apparatus 20 has a plurality of card media 10 in the accommodation section 23 in close contact with each other.
Therefore, the size in the thickness direction can be reduced as compared with the case where the connectors are individually formed as in the related art, and the configuration can be further reduced. Further, when exchanging information with a plurality of card media 10, the recording / reproducing apparatus 20 only needs to provide one terminal 22 as a connecting means with the card medium 10 located at the lowest position. As compared with the case where the connector is provided corresponding to each card medium, the manufacturing cost can be reduced accordingly. Further, each card medium 10 includes the engaging portion 31 and the engaged portion 3 as described above.
2 can be easily overlapped and engaged, so that attachment and detachment are easy and handling is convenient.

In the above-described embodiment, each card medium is detached and attached by the engaging means in the uneven state, but various other engaging means may be employed. In the present invention, various configurations of the above embodiments may be arbitrarily combined.

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a recording / reproducing apparatus for a card type information recording medium which can be constructed at low cost and in a small size without requiring a plurality of card slots or connectors. A card-type information recording medium used for a simple recording / reproducing apparatus can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a card-type information recording medium according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of card type information recording media of FIG. 1 are stacked.

FIG. 3 shows a plurality of card-type information recording media of FIG.
It is a principal part perspective view which shows the state accommodated in the information recording and / or reproducing apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing a part of FIG. 3 in an enlarged manner.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating electrical connection between the card media of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a configuration example of the card-type information recording medium of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a bottom view showing a configuration example of the card-type information recording medium of FIG. 1;

9 is a plan view showing a configuration of an engaging portion of the card-type information recording medium of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view showing an opening / closing structure of the information recording and / or reproducing apparatus of FIG. 3;

FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a conventional information recording and / or reproducing apparatus for a card-type information recording medium.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Card type information recording medium (card medium),
11: Card body, 16: Terminal part, 20:
Information recording and / or reproducing apparatus, 21 ... positioning unit,
Reference numeral 22: step portion, 23: accommodation portion, 24: openable / closable lid.

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Hidetoshi Torii 6-7-35 Kita Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Sony Corporation F-term (reference) 5B035 AA01 AA04 BA03 BA04 BB09 BC00 CA01 CA04 CA08 CA11 5B058 CA02 CA13 KA02 YA16

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A card body provided with a memory means therein, and a terminal part which is exposed on at least both front and back surfaces of the card body and is provided so as to be slightly projected and connected to the memory means. A card-type information recording medium, comprising: an engagement portion and an engaged portion formed on the front and back surfaces of the card body, respectively. 2. The card-type information recording medium according to claim 1, wherein said terminal portion is formed at one end of said card body. 3. The engaging portion is formed by a fitting portion projecting in a ring shape, and the engaged portion elastically surrounds the engaging portion of another card when the engaging portion is fitted. 3. The card-type information recording medium according to claim 2, wherein the card-type information recording medium is formed by a receiving portion that is in close contact with the card-type recording medium. 4. A card body having memory means therein, and an engaging portion and an engaged portion respectively formed on the front and back surfaces of the card body, wherein the engaging portion and the engaged portion are provided. Is a card-type information recording medium characterized in that it also serves as a terminal connected to the memory means in the card body. 5. The engaging portion is formed by a fitting portion projecting in a ring shape, and the engaged portion elastically surrounds the engaging portion of another card when the engaging portion is fitted. 5. The card-type information recording medium according to claim 4, wherein the card-type information recording medium is formed by a receiving portion that is in close contact with the card. 6. A means for connecting to at least one of an engaging portion and an engaged portion provided on a card body of at least one card type information recording medium, and these card bodies are overlapped and engaged. And a connecting means for electrically connecting to a terminal portion of one card body of the plurality of card-shaped recording media engaged in an overlapping manner. An information recording and / or reproducing apparatus for a card type information recording medium, characterized in that: