JP2002008777A - Electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently accommodate a memory card in a small internal space in electronic equipment capable of mounting and demounting the memory card. SOLUTION: This electronic equipment capable of mounting and demounting a memory card, comprises a casing having an inlet and outlet for inserting and drawing out the memory card, and a connector mounted inside the casing, and having a connector terminal to be electrically connected with a connecting terminal of the memory card, and an approximately flat connector on which the connector terminal is mounted. The memory card is held in the internal space formed by at least a main face of the connector member and an inner peripheral face of the casing opposite to the main face.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic device in which, for example, a memory card, which is an external recording medium, is detachable from a device main body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in some electronic devices, a memory card as an external recording medium is detachable from a device main body. Such an electronic device includes a connector portion for mounting a memory card on the device main body inside a housing. In the electronic device, when the memory card is inserted into the housing, the connector portion holds the memory card, and the connector terminal provided in the connector portion is electrically connected to the connection terminal of the memory card. Will be.

[0003]

In recent years, there has been a remarkable reduction in the size of electronic equipment. In particular, various measures have been taken to make the size reduction possible in portable electronic equipment. Have been done.

However, in an electronic device in which the above-mentioned memory card is detachable from the device main body, it is burdensome to mount such a memory card in a small internal space inside the housing. This was very disadvantageous in reducing the size.

Specifically, in such an electronic device, the connector portion holds the memory card,
Since the connector portion is housed inside the housing, the connector portion occupies a large proportion inside the housing. Further, since the connector section is generally mounted directly on the motherboard inside the housing, it greatly imposes restrictions on the arrangement of other functional components mounted on the motherboard. Further, for example, when an eject mechanism for ejecting a memory card from the inside of the housing is provided in the connector section, the mechanism itself is complicated, which is extremely disadvantageous in miniaturizing the electronic device. Would.

Accordingly, the present invention has been proposed in view of such a conventional situation. In an electronic device in which a memory card is detachable from a device main body, the memory card can be efficiently installed in a small internal space. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultra-small electronic device that can be housed well and can be downsized.

[0007]

An electronic device according to the present invention that achieves this object is an electronic device in which a memory card is detachable from a device main body, and has an opening through which a memory card is inserted and removed. A housing having the same. The housing includes a connector portion having a connector terminal electrically connected to the connection terminal of the memory card, and a generally flat connector member to which the connector terminal is attached. The memory card is held in an internal space defined by at least a main surface of the connector member and an inner peripheral surface of the housing facing the main surface.

In this electronic device, an internal space for holding a memory card is constituted by at least a main surface of a substantially flat connector member and an inner peripheral surface of a housing facing the main surface. Therefore, there is no need to provide a member or the like for holding the memory card inside the housing. By using the housing itself as a member for holding the memory card, the size of the device body can be reduced. It is very effective in.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

A digital still camera 1 shown in FIG. 1 as an embodiment of the present invention captures a digital image and records the captured image data on a memory card 2 as an external recording medium. It is a digital still camera. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the inside of the housing of the digital still camera 1 as seen through.

The digital still camera 1 includes a camera unit 4, an image display unit 5, and a driving battery 6 in a device main body 3.

The device body 3 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole.
It is located on the side surface on one end side of the housing 7 serving as the exterior,
The device main body 3 is provided with a memory card slot 8 through which the memory card 2 is inserted and removed. Also,
The device main body 3 includes an ejection mechanism 9 for ejecting the memory card 3 stored in the housing 3 to the outside through the memory card slot 8. The device main body 3 is provided with operation buttons such as a shutter (not shown).

The camera section 4 converts an image captured through a lens section 10 provided at the front of the other end of the housing 7 into a CCD (Charge C) provided inside the housing 7.
An image sensor (not shown) called an “upled device” converts the signal into an electric signal and records the electric signal on the memory card 2 as image data.

The image display unit 5 is provided on the rear side of the housing 7 facing the lens unit 10. The image display unit 5 is a so-called color liquid crystal display, and displays image data from the camera unit 4 or image data recorded on the memory card 3.

The driving battery 6 serves as a power source for driving the apparatus main body 3 and is provided on the rear surface of the housing 7 adjacent to the image display unit 5. Also,
The driving battery 6 can be removed from the device main body 3.

The housing 7 is made of ABS resin or liquid crystal polymer (L
CP), a molded member such as a magnesium alloy, and is divided into an upper lid 11 and a lower lid 12. The memory card insertion / removal opening 8 is formed by cutting out a part of the upper lid 11 in the housing 7. In addition, a mother boat 13 on which various functional components and the like are mounted at high density is provided inside the housing 7.

By the way, inside the housing 7, a connector portion for mounting the memory card 2 inserted from the memory card slot 8 in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 14 are provided.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the connector portion 14 is provided on the motherboard 1 on the side of the memory card slot 8.
The connector member 15 has a connector terminal 15 and a leaf spring 17 attached to the connector member 15. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the inside of the housing 7 of the digital still camera 1.

The connector member 15 has a substantially flat plate shape as a whole, and is located at both ends in the insertion / removal direction A of the memory card 2, and has a rising peripheral wall 18 erected toward the motherboard 13 and a locking piece. 19, and a projection 20 which is located at the center of the end on the memory card insertion / ejection opening 8 side and stands up toward the motherboard 13 side.

In the connector section 14, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the rising peripheral wall 18 and the protruding section 20 of the connector member 15 are in contact with the motherboard 13, and the locking piece 19 is locked to the motherboard 13. Thus, a mounting space 21 is formed between the mother boat 13 and the connector member 15. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the mounting state of the memory card 2 with respect to the digital still camera 1 as viewed from the side, and FIG. 4 is the mounting state of the memory card 2 with respect to the digital still camera 1. It is the schematic sectional drawing seen from A.

That is, in the digital still camera 1, such a mounting space 21 is formed inside the housing 7, so that a new area effective for mounting each functional component on the motherboard 13 is provided. Which is very effective in reducing the size of the device main body 3.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the connector member 15 has a terminal provided on the end opposite to the memory card slot 8 toward the upper lid 11 of the housing 7. It has a fixing part 22. The terminal fixing portion 22 has a substantially rectangular shape, and a plurality of connector terminals 16 arranged side by side.
The connector terminal 16 and the leaf spring 17 are fixedly supported while sandwiching one end of the leaf spring 17 and one end of the leaf spring 17 respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the connector terminal 16 is for electrically connecting the memory card 2 to the main body 3 of the apparatus.
The other end is electrically connected to the terminal row 2 a of the memory card 2 while being connected to the terminal row 23 provided on the motherboard 13 on the side.

Here, openings 24 are formed in the connector member 15 at positions corresponding to the plurality of connector terminals 16 as shown in FIGS. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the memory card 2 is inserted into the housing 7, the connector terminals 16 are pushed down to the terminal row 2 a of the memory card 2 in the connector section 14. , One end of which enters the opening 24 of the connector member 15.

In this case, since the above-described mounting space 21 is formed below the connector member 15 in the connector portion 14, the amount by which the connector terminals 16 are pushed down into the terminal row 2a of the memory card 2 is considered. Therefore, there is no need to increase the internal space in which the memory card 2 is held, and the configuration is very advantageous in reducing the size of the device main body 3.

As shown in FIG. 5, the connector portion 16 is formed by bending the connector terminal 16 fixed to the terminal fixing portion 22 into a substantially U-shape through the opening 24. May be connected to the terminal row 23 on the motherboard 13. Also in this case, when the memory card 2 is inserted into the housing 7, the connector terminals 16 and the terminal row 2a of the memory card 2 can be electrically connected,
Also, taking into account the amount by which the connector terminal 16 is pushed down into the terminal row 2a of the memory card 2, the memory card 2
It is not necessary to take a large internal space in which the device is held, which is very advantageous in reducing the size of the device main body 3.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the leaf spring 17 holds the memory card 2 inserted into the housing 7 to the upper cover 11 facing the main surface 15 a of the connector member 15 of the housing 7. The connector member 15 is urged toward the inner peripheral surface 11a. A portion of a side end of the connector member 15 opposite to the ejection mechanism 9 is cut away so as to be aligned with the plurality of connector terminals 16 described above. Are located. Also, this leaf spring 1
7 has an engagement convex portion 17a formed by bending a tip portion thereof.

In the connector section 14, as shown in FIG. 4, when the memory card 2 is inserted into the housing 7, the leaf spring 17 holds the memory card 2 on the upper cover 11 as shown in FIG.
While pressing against the inner peripheral surface 11a of the
Are engaged with the engagement recesses 2b provided in the memory card 2.

As a result, the digital still camera 1
Thus, the memory card 2 attached to the connector 14 can be firmly held inside the housing 7.

On the other hand, as described above, the device main body 3 is provided with an ejection mechanism 9 for ejecting the memory card 2 housed in the housing 7 from the memory card slot 8 to the outside. I have.

The eject mechanism 9 is connected to the connector 1
5 is a rib 2 formed at the side end opposite to the leaf spring 17.
5 and a release button 26 having an engagement piece 26a that is slidably engaged with the rib 25 while only the release button 26 is exposed to the outer peripheral surface side of the housing 7. Has become.

In the eject mechanism 9, the release button 26 is manually slid in the direction of arrow B in FIG.
Is disengaged from the engaging projection 17a of the leaf spring 17 and the engaging recess 2b of the memory card 2 against the urging force of the leaf spring 17 while slidingly contacting the rib 25 of the connector member 15. Then, the memory card is pushed out.

Thus, the digital still camera 1
Then, the memory card 2 can be discharged from the memory card insertion / removal opening 8 to the outside of the housing 7. Note that the memory card 2 is inserted into the housing 7 through the memory card slot 8.
Is released, the release button 26 slides in the direction opposite to the above-described direction and returns to the original position.

As described above, the digital still camera 1
In this configuration, the connector unit 14 can be provided with the manual ejection mechanism 9 without providing a complicated mechanism, and the size of the device body 3 can be reduced.

In the digital still camera 1, when the memory card 2 is inserted into the housing 7,
This memory card 2 has at least the connector member 15
The inner space 27 formed by the main surface 15a of the housing 7 and the inner peripheral surface 11a of the upper lid 11 facing the main surface 15a.
Will be held.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the internal space 27 is formed between the main surface 15a of the connector member 15 and
Inner peripheral surface 1 of upper lid 11 of housing 7 facing main surface 15a
1a, and both inner peripheral surfaces 11b, 11 of the upper lid 11 of the housing 7 located on both sides with respect to the insertion direction A of the memory card 2.
c, and one side surface 22 a of the terminal fixing portion 22 facing the memory card 2. In this case,
The thickness of the memory card 2 is about 1.6 mm, and the internal space of the housing 7 has a thickness of about 3.6 mm as a whole.

As described above, the digital still camera 1
Unlike the conventional configuration in which the connector portion itself holds the memory card, three surfaces 11a, 11b, and 11c of the inner peripheral surface of the housing 7 hold the memory card 2 and the housing The device itself functions as a member for holding the memory card 2.

Therefore, this digital still camera 1
In this case, there is no need to provide a frame member or the like for holding the memory card 2 in the connector portion 14, and the small internal space of the housing 7 can be effectively used, and the size of the device body 3 can be reduced. It is possible.

In the above description, a micro digital still camera has been described as an example of electronic equipment to which the present invention is applied. However, the present invention is not limited to such a micro digital still camera. For example, the present invention can be widely applied to electronic devices in which a memory card, which is an external recording medium, is detachable from a device body.

[0040]

As described above in detail, according to the electronic apparatus of the present invention, the internal space for holding the memory card is formed by at least the main surface of the substantially flat plate-like connector member and the main surface. And the inner peripheral surface of the housing facing the housing, there is no need to provide a member or the like for holding the memory card inside the housing, and the housing itself is used to hold the memory card. By using as a member, the size of the device body can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the inside of a housing of a digital still camera to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the inside of the housing of the digital still camera.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a state in which a memory card is mounted on a device main body of the digital still camera as viewed from a side.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a state in which a memory card is attached to a device main body of the digital still camera, as viewed from a direction of an arrow A in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view showing another configuration of the connector terminal of the digital still camera.

[Explanation of symbols]

1. Digital still camera, 2. Memory card, 2a
Terminal row, 2b engaging recess, 3 device main body, 4 camera section, 5 screen display section, 6 driving battery, 7 housing, 8
Memory card slot, 9 Eject mechanism, 10
Lens part, 11 upper lid, 12 lower lid, 13 motherboard, 14 connector part, 15 connector member, 16 connector terminal, 17 leaf spring, 17a engaging convex part, 21
Mounting space, 24 opening, 25 rib, 26 release button, 26a engaging piece

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 5/225 H05K 7/14 N H05K 7/14 G06F 1/00 320E F-term (Reference) 2H054 AA01 5B058 CA13 5C022 AA13 AC61 AC69 AC78 5E021 FA05 FB02 FB18 FC40 HC09 HC36 5E348 AA03 AA25 EE06 EE09 EF04 EF52

Claims (8)

[Claims] An electronic device in which a memory card is detachably attached to an apparatus main body, wherein a housing having an insertion / removal opening through which the memory card is inserted / removed, and a connection of the memory card inside the housing. A connector part having a connector terminal electrically connected to the terminal and a connector member having a substantially flat plate shape to which the connector terminal is attached, wherein the memory card has at least a main surface of the connector member; An electronic device, wherein the electronic device is held in an internal space formed by a main surface and an inner peripheral surface of the housing facing the main surface. 2. The internal space includes at least a main surface of the connector member, an inner peripheral surface of the housing facing the main surface, and the housing positioned on both sides in a direction in which the memory card is inserted and removed. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is constituted by an inner peripheral surface of a body. 3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the connector portion forms a space between the connector portion and a board on which the connector member is mounted. 4. The connector member has an opening corresponding to the connector terminal, and the connector terminal is pressed down by a connection terminal of the memory card, so that at least a part of the opening is formed in the connector member. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is entered. 5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a spring means for urging the memory card toward an inner peripheral surface of the housing facing a main surface of the connector member. 6. The spring means is a leaf spring attached to the connector member, and an engaging projection provided at a tip portion of the leaf spring is engaged with an engaging recess provided on the memory card. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the electronic device is combined. 7. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a memory card ejection mechanism for ejecting the memory card held in the internal space from an insertion opening of the housing. 8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the memory card ejection mechanism is provided on the connector section and is manually operated.