JPH07281792A - Coming-out preventive cover for disk card - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain structure which has a secure a coming-out preventing function irrelevantly to whether the device card has a cable or not and causes no problems as to outward appearance and dust prevention even when the device card is replaced as to the cover for an opening part where the device card as an option is mounted on a portable computer, etc. CONSTITUTION:The cover 10 provided at the opening part 4 for device card insertion is equipped with a master cover 2 which is fitted in a housing 1 and a slave cover 3 which freely opens and closes part of the panel surface of the master cover. The master cover 2 is detached by sliding at right angles to the mounting direction of the device card 7, and the opening width F of a opening 33 for cable insertion which is opened by the slave cover 3 is a little narrower that the width C of the device card 7. The slide direction of the master cover 2 at the time of extraction is perpendicular to the surface of the mounted device card and the slave cover 3 is opened and closed by swinging around the width-directional side of the mounted device card.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cover for an opening provided in a housing of a portable computer for mounting an optional device card called a memory card or a modem card, The present invention relates to a cover having a function of preventing a mounted device card from coming off.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, a PCMCIA standard device card in which a memory, a modem, or various kinds of software are mounted on a card having a predetermined size and a predetermined contact arrangement is used as an option for a notebook type or laptop type computer. Is becoming widely used as a device for When using such a device card, a connector for a card is built in the housing of a notebook computer or the like so that the card can be mounted as needed, and the device card is inserted into this connector. An opening is provided on the side surface of the housing, for example. A cover is provided in this opening in order to maintain the appearance of the device and prevent dust and the like from entering the device.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a conventional structure of a device card mounting portion, in which a card connector 8 is inserted in a case 1 of a notebook computer so that its insertion port 8a faces the side surface of the case 1. The housing 1 is provided with an opening 4 for inserting the device card 7 into the connector 8. A cover 40 having pivot pins 41 on both lower sides of the opening and locking claws 42 on both upper ends of the opening fits the pivot pins 41 into pivot holes 43 provided at both ends of the side surface of the opening 4. , Is mounted so that it can be opened and closed by rotating vertically.
The closed state of the cover 40 is maintained by engaging the locking claws 42 of the cover with the recesses 14 provided on the side surface of the opening 4.

When mounting a memory card or a device card on which various software is mounted, the cover 40 is used.
Is opened, the device card 7 is inserted through the opening 4 and mounted on the card connector 8, and then the cover 40 is closed.
In this case, as a matter of course, the dimension A of the opening 4 in the card width direction is wider than the dimension B of the cover 40 in the width direction by an amount of play.
The width dimension C of the device card 7 is smaller than the width dimension B of the cover 40. In the closed state, the cover 40 is in a state in which the inner surface of the cover 40 abuts on the front side of the mounted device card or faces the device card with a slight play, and the device card falls off due to shock or vibration during transportation. It has a function to prevent

On the other hand, in the case where the device card to be mounted is a modem card or the like having a connection cable pulled out integrally from the card, the cable extending from the mounted device card is pulled out from the opening 4, so that the cover 40 is It remains open. When the device card is a card with a cable, in order to prevent the cover 40 from being left open, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the cover 45 can be formed by breaking the cable insertion opening. It is in practical use. This structure has a panel portion 47 integrally connected to a panel surface of a cover 45 by a plurality of small-area connecting portions 46, and the area of this panel portion is set as an area necessary for inserting a cable of a device card. When mounting a device card with a cable on the device, connect the panel portion 47 to the connecting portions 4 at a plurality of locations.
The cover 45 is used by closing the cover 45 with the cable pulled out from the opening formed by being folded at 6.

[0006]

The above-mentioned covers 40 and 4 are to be solved.
Although 5 has a function of preventing the device card from coming off in the closed state, there is a danger that the locking claw 42 will come off and the cover 40 will open if a large impact is applied to the device in the direction in which the device card will come off due to its own weight. Therefore, the reliability of the pullout prevention function is not sufficient.

In addition, when a device card equipped with a connection cable is mounted, an operator may hook his or her hand on the cable to apply a great pulling force to the mounted device card. The device does not have a sufficient function of preventing the device card from slipping out when a large force is applied to the device card.

In particular, if the cover 40 is left open when the cable is pulled out as shown in FIG. 5, the function of preventing the cover from coming off is not exerted at all. Further, in the case where the cable insertion opening as shown in FIG. 6 is formed by folding off the panel portion 47 of the cover, the device card retaining function is exerted as such, but instead of the device card with a cable, a cable without a cable is used. When the device card is replaced with another device card, an opening for inserting the cable remains in the cover 45, which is unsightly, and there is a risk that dust may enter the device through the opening.

The present invention has been made in order to solve these problems, and has a reliable disconnection prevention function for both a device card with a cable and a device card without a cable. It is an object to obtain a device card mounting structure that does not cause problems in appearance and dust prevention even when changing from the one with a cable to the one without a cable.

[0010]

According to the present invention, a cover 10 for closing an opening 4 for inserting a device card is provided in a housing 1.
The parent covers 2 and 2a that are inserted into and removed from the parent cover and the child covers 3 and 3a that are provided by partially opening and closing the panel surface of the parent cover are provided. The parent covers 2 and 2a are configured to slide in the housing 1 by sliding in the direction orthogonal to the loading / unloading direction of the device card 7, and the opening of the cable insertion opening 33 opened by the child covers 3 and 3a. The width is set to an opening width F slightly narrower than the width C of the device card 7.

In this case, the sliding direction of the parent covers 2 and 2a at the time of fitting into and removing from the housing 1 is the direction perpendicular to the plane of the device card mounted in the device, and the child covers 3 and 3a are mounted in the device. It is preferable that the device card is structured so that it can be opened and closed by swinging around the side in the width direction of the device card. Furthermore, the parent cover 2,
As a fitting / removing structure of 2a, a plurality of projecting pieces 2 in the sliding direction that are engaged with the receiving portions 11 and 13 of the housing 1 in the parent covers 2 and 2a.
It is possible to adopt a structure in which 1, 23 are provided. The parent covers 2, 2a and the child covers 3, 3a are provided with locking claws 22, 32 for holding the respective closed states.

The parent cover 2a and the child cover 3a may be integrally formed of a flexible synthetic resin. In this case, one side 34 of the child cover 3a is integrated with the parent cover 2a via a linear thin portion, and the child cover 3a is opened and closed by bending the linear thin portion.

[0013]

In the structure of the present invention, the housing 1 to the parent cover 2,
2a is removed and the device card 7 is mounted in the housing. When the mounted device card is a device card having no connection cable, the parent covers 2, 2a are fitted to the housing 1 with the child covers 3, 3a kept closed,
The opening 4 for inserting the device card is closed. Since the opening width F of the opening 33 opened by the child covers 3 and 3a is narrower than the width C of the mounted device card 7,
The mounted device card 7 has the parent covers 2 and 2 at both corners on the front side at both ends of the opening 33 formed by the child covers.
It is locked by the back surface of the panel of a and prevents falling off. Therefore, even if the child covers 3 and 3a are structured to open and close in the loading / unloading direction of the device card 7, there is no problem in the device card removal prevention function, and the parent covers 2 and 2a are in the device card insertion / removal direction. Since it is slid in the direction orthogonal to and is fitted into the housing 1, even if a large pulling force is applied to the mounted device card due to an impact or the like, the device card can be reliably prevented from falling off.

When the device card has a connection cable, the parent cover is removed and the device card is mounted, and then the parent covers 2 and 2a are fitted to the housing 1 with the child covers 3 and 3a opened. Then, the cable of the device card is pulled out from the opening 4 formed by opening the child covers 3 and 3a. In this case, the child covers 3 and 3a remain open, but as described above, the width F of the opening opened by the child covers 3 and 3a is narrower than the width C of the device card. Also in the case of a device card, the panel back surface of the parent cover locks both ends of the front side of the device card to prevent the device card from falling off. As described above, even when a strong withdrawal force is applied to the device card via the connection cable, the detachment can be reliably prevented.

Since the connection cable extending from the device card is flat in the width direction of the device card, if the child covers 3 and 3a are swung around the side 34 parallel to the surface of the device card to open and close. , Child covers 3, 3a
The amount of protrusion of the child covers 3 and 3a in the state in which the child cover is left open is small, and the child covers 3 and 3a in the opened state do not get in the way. The child covers 3 and 3a are the parent covers 2 and 2a.
Since it is not removed from the cover, there is no risk of losing the child covers 3 and 3a.

As a sliding fitting structure of the parent covers 2 and 2a,
With the protrusions 21 and 23 provided, the sliding stroke when the parent covers 2 and 2a are fitted and removed can be reduced, and the parent covers 2 and 2a and the housing 1 can be easily molded. Further, the structure in which the parent covers 2, 2a and the child covers 3, 3a are integrally molded with flexible resin can reduce the number of parts and can provide the cover of the present invention at low cost.

[0017]

1 and 2 show a first embodiment of a device card removal prevention cover according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 shows a structure of a cover mounting portion of the present invention in a notebook computer. Is.

A casing 1 of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3 is a casing of a keyboard portion of a notebook computer, and an opening 4 for inserting a device card is provided on the side surface thereof. Figure 3
Although not shown in FIG. 5, a card connector 8 as shown in FIG. 5 is mounted on the back side of the opening 4. The opening 4 is formed in a state in which a part of the side surface of the housing 1 is cut out, and the end portion 15 of the bottom plate of the housing 1 faces below the opening 4. A state in which a positioning slit 11 into which a projection piece of a parent cover, which will be described later, is inserted, and two engaging slits 12 into which locking claws of the parent cover are inserted are vertically penetrated through an end portion 15 of the bottom plate. It is provided in. A receiving portion 13 is provided inside the upper edge of the opening 4, into which a projecting piece provided on the upper side of a parent cover, which will be described later, is inserted. A recess 14 is formed for inserting a fingertip when opening the.

The cover 10 has an L-shaped side surface (see FIG. 2), and the front shape is a rectangular shape elongated to the left and right. The cover 10 is formed of a parent cover 2 and a child cover 3, and the child cover 3 is provided so as to close a cable insertion opening 33 formed by partially cutting out a panel surface of the parent cover 2. The child cover 3 has pivot pins 31 projecting from both ends of its lower side in a direction parallel to the bottom side, and locking claws 32 projecting to the left and right outside are integrally provided on the back sides of both ends of its upper side. ing.

The rectangular cable insertion opening 33 formed on the panel surface of the parent cover 2 has such a size that the child cover 3 is just fitted inside, and the pivot pins 31 of the child cover are inserted into both ends of the lower side thereof. A pivot hole 24 is provided. Further, the pull-out preventing protrusions 25 project inward at the left and right ends of the cable insertion opening 33, and the distance F between the tips of the pull-out preventing protrusions 25 is the width C of the device card shown in FIG. The spacing is slightly narrower. More precisely, the width F of the cable insertion opening defined by the tip of the pull-out preventing projection 25 is given by the following formula C where C is the width of the device card and α is the radius of the arc portion of the front side both ends 7a of the device card. The dimensional relationship is expressed by -2α> F.

The child cover 3 is opened and closed by pivoting around its pivot pin 31 with respect to the parent cover 2, and the locking claw 32 on the upper side.
Engages with the rear surface of the panel surface of the parent cover, so that the closed state is maintained.

The parent cover 2 is provided with a projecting piece 23, which is engaged with the receiving portion 13 on the upper side of the opening of the housing, at one location on the upper side thereof. Further, at the tip of the L-shaped extending portion of the lower side, a projection piece 21 engaged with a positioning slit 11 provided at an end portion of the bottom plate of the housing, and two locking pieces inserted into the engagement slit 12 are provided. The claws 22 are integrally projecting upward.

The parent cover 2 is provided with a protruding piece 23, which extends from the lower side to the upper side of the notch portion forming the opening 4 of the housing 1.
21 is the receiving portion 13 of the housing and the positioning slit 11
It is fitted by being slidably contacted with, and its locking claw 22 penetrates through the engaging slit 12 on the housing side and engages with the upper surface of the bottom plate end 15 to be locked.

As described above, when inserting the device card into the casing 1, the parent cover 2 is removed from the casing 1, and after insertion, the parent cover 2 is fitted to the casing 1. Mounting. When the mounted device card does not have the connection cable, the child cover 3 is kept closed, and when it has the connection cable, the parent cover 2 is opened with the child cover 3 open. , And pull out the connection cable from the cable insertion opening 33.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the device card removal prevention cover according to the present invention. In the second embodiment, the child cover 3a and the parent cover 2a have flexibility. It is integrally molded of resin such as polypropylene. Both sides of the child cover 3a are parent covers 2a.
Is separated from the panel surface of the parent cover 2a, and the lower side 34 is integrally connected to the panel surface of the parent cover 2a in a state where the thickness thereof is linearly thin along the lower side. The other structure is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, and the same portions as those in FIG. 1 displayed in FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG.

In the second embodiment, the child cover 3a is used.
Has a structure which can be opened and closed by rotating around the lower side 34 thereof by utilizing the flexibility of the linear thin portion.
Since the child cover 3a and the child cover 3a are integrally formed, the number of forming steps and the number of assembling steps can be reduced as compared with the first embodiment.

[0027]

According to the structure of the present invention, the device card mounted on the device is removed from the connector by the parent cover which is slid in the direction orthogonal to the inserting / removing direction of the device card and fitted into the housing. Since it is prevented from falling off, the function to prevent the device card from coming off is reliable, and even if the device card has a connection cable, the connection cable can be pulled out with the parent cover closed. You can surely prevent the card from coming off.

By opening the child cover with the parent cover closed, the connection cable of the device card can be pulled out to the outside of the apparatus, and the gap between the cable drawing opening and the cable at this time is minimized. Therefore, it is possible to prevent dust from entering the device even when the cable is connected. Further, since the child cover is a small one for forming the opening for inserting the cable, it does not greatly impair the appearance when the cable is pulled out in the open state.

Further, since the child cover is structured to open and close without being separated from the parent cover, there is no possibility of losing the child cover while using the apparatus with the child cover opened. Even if the device card to be mounted is changed from one with a connection cable to one without a connection cable, it is possible to prevent the useless opening from being left in the housing only by closing the child cover.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a portion of a housing to which a cover is attached.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a conventional cover structure, a device card and its connector.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing another example of a conventional cover.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Case 2,2a Parent cover 3,3a Child cover 4 Opening 7 Device card 11 Receiving part 13 Receiving part 21 Projection piece 22 Locking claw 23 Projecting piece 32 Locking claw 33 Cable insertion opening C Device card width F opening width

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A cover having a device card removal prevention function for closing a device card insertion opening (4) provided in a housing (1) of an electronic device, the cover being fitted into and removed from the housing (1). A parent cover (2,2a) and a child cover (3,3a) that is provided by partially opening and closing the panel surface of the parent cover, and the parent cover (2,2a) is a device card (7). The width of the cable insertion opening (33) opened by the child covers (3, 3a) that slides in the direction perpendicular to the loading and unloading direction and is inserted into and removed from the housing (1) is the same as that of the device card (7). Device card removal prevention cover, which has an opening width (F) slightly narrower than the width (C). 2. The parent cover (2, 2a) slides in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the device card mounted on the device to be inserted into and removed from the housing (1), and the child cover (3, 3a) is mounted on the device. The device card removal prevention cover according to claim 1, which is opened and closed by swinging around the side of the formed device card in the width direction. 3. The parent cover (2,2a) is a receiving part (11,1) of the housing (1).
3) A plurality of protrusions (21, 23) in the sliding direction that are connected to the above, and the parent cover (2, 2a) and the child cover (3, 3a) are locking claws that hold their respective closed states. The device card removal prevention cover according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising (22, 32), respectively. 4. The parent cover (2a) and the child cover (3a) are integrally formed of a flexible synthetic resin, and one side (34) of the child cover (3a) has a linear thin portion interposed therebetween. The device card removal prevention cover according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the cover is integrated with the parent cover (2a), and the child cover (3a) is opened and closed by bending the linear thin portion.