Abstract:
A storage case has a base half and a slide half, the slide half moveably attached to the base half. The slide half can move along in continuous contact with the base half. A lid is integrally formed with the slide half, and opens and closes an opening in the slide half for the insertion or removal of objects. When the slide half is slid along in continuous contact with the base half, protrusions on the lid move along in continuous contact with cam grooves on the base half to permit the lid to open and close. The storage case can store a memory card, and protect the card from being smudged, dirtied or damaged from impact.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a storage case for use in enclosing memory cards, for example. 
     2. Brief Description of the Related Art 
     In recent years, memory cards are widely used as mass-storage recording mediums for storing data from electronic devices such as personal computers and digital cameras. 
     While a terminal portion of a memory card is being exposed, terminals at the terminal portion are unavoidably smudged by dusts, or the like and data cannot accurately be written in and read out from the memory card. Accordingly, the memory card is generally enclosed in its own case and protected from dusts. 
     A conventional storage case for a memory card is shaped like a bag formed of two stacked polyethylene sheets joined by heat sealing and is therefore generally simple in structure. 
     Such a conventional storage case cannot protect the enclosed memory card from being smudged by dusts which are easily entered from its opening portion. This opening portion of the storage case brings a risk that the memory card will be dropped from the opening portion unintentionally while a user is carrying the storage case. 
     To overcome the above shortcomings, there is proposed some storage case having a lid to open and close its opening portion to protect an enclosed object from dusts. Such proposed storage case is difficult to handle because it takes a lot of time and labor for users to open and close the lid. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the aforesaid aspect, it is an object of the present invention to provide a storage case in which an enclosed object can reliably be prevented from being smudged by dusts and the enclosed object can also reliably be prevented from being dropped unintentionally and which is easy to handle. 
     To solve the above-mentioned problem, a storage case according to the present invention comprises: 
     a base half, 
     a slide half slidablly combined with the base half 
     lid provided integrally with the slide half to open and close an opening portion for admitting or ejecting an enclosed object, wherein there is provided a structure in which 
     cam grooves provided on either side of the base half and the lid are engaged with protrusions on the other side, and when 
     the slide half is subjected to slide operation relative to the base half, the protrusions move along in continuous contact with the cam grooves to thereby open and close the lid. 
     With the storage case constituted in such a fashion according to the present invention, since the opening portion is firmly closed by the lid while the enclosed object is being enclosed in the storage case, the storage case can surely be prevented from being smudged by dusts and the enclosed object in the storage case can reliably be prevented from being dropped unintentionally. 
     In this storage case, since the lid opens and closes as the slide half is slid, a user can easily get the enclosed object in and out of the storage case by only sliding the slide half, and hence the storage case is considerably easy to handle. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a memory card; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a storage case according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a storage case according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a storage case according to the present invention with its lid being opened; 
     FIG. 5 is a partly cutaway plan view of a storage case according to the present invention, wherein (A) shows a base half and (B) shows a slide half; 
     FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a storage case according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of a base half, wherein (A) shows the storage case with its lid being closed and (B) shows the storage case with its lid being opened; 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of a base half to which reference will be made in explaining a structure of a protruded rail portion of the base half, wherein (A) shows the storage case with its lid being closed and (B) shows the storage case with its lid being opened; 
     FIG. 9 is a diagram to which reference will be made in explaining an angle of a slope; 
     FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the manner in which a user gets a memory card in and out of a storage case; and 
     FIG. 11 is a plan view illustrating another case for enclosing the storage case according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A preferred embodiment according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. 
     In this embodiment, a storage case for enclosing a memory card shown in FIG. 1 will be described. 
     A memory card  1  is a mass-storage capacity recording medium called a memory stick, and has a rectangular thin plate-like body  2  in which a memory of several megabytes to Several 10s of megabytes is incorporated. 
     The memory card  1  has a terminal portion  3  provided at one end of the body  2 . While the memory card  1  is being inserted into a card slot of an electronic device such as a personal computer and a digital camera, the terminal portion  3  is connected to terminals of the electronic device to write data or read out data in or from the memory card. 
     Reference numerals  4 ,  5 ,  6  denotes positioning recesses, reference numeral  7  denotes a label attachment area and reference numeral  8  denotes a mis-erase preventing switch. 
     FIGS. 2 to  9  show the structure of the inventive storage case for enclosing the memory card  1 . 
     As illustrated, as a whole a storage case  10  is shaped like a rectangular thin box and formed by joining a base half  11  and a slide half  12  which can slide along the longitudinal direction of the base half  11 , each of the base half and the slide half being made of a highly-rigid resin material. The above memory card  1  is enclosed as an enclosed object within a space between the base half and the slide half. 
     This storage case  10  is arranged such that the slide half  12  is joined to the base half  11  so as to become slidable. As shown in FIG. 6, slide rail portions  14  protruded on the outer side surfaces of two side plate portions  12   a ,  12   b  of the slide half  12  are engaged with protruded rail portions  13  protruded on the inside upper ends of the two side plate portions  11   a ,  11   b  of the base half  11 , whereby the joined state of the base half  11  and the slide half  12  can be retained. 
     On its upper surface portion, the slide half  12  has a plurality of small protrusions  15  to prevent user&#39;s fingers from slipping when a user moves the slide half  12  with fingers, as will be described later on, and a triangle mark  16  indicating the direction in which a user should move the slide half. 
     On its front portion, the slide half  12  has a lid  18  to open and close an opening portion  17  which admits or ejects the memory card as the enclosed object. 
     The lid  18  is integrally formed with the front of the slide half  12  and swings in the upper and lower direction with a thin hinge portion  19  being as a fulcrum to open and close the opening portion  17  at the front of the storage case. 
     In this storage case  10 , as for the material of the base half  11  a relatively hard resin material such as PC, ABS or GPS is used whereas a relatively soft and highly-durable resin material such as PP and the like is chosen for the slide half  12  because it has the such structure in which to have the above-mentioned hinge portion. 
     The storage case  10  uses a mechanism by which the lid  18  can open and close as the slide half  12  slides. 
     The mechanism for opening and closing the lid  18  will be described in detail. According to this embodiment, on the front of the base half  11 , cam grooves  20  are formed on the inner side walls of the both sides plate portions  11   a ,  11   b . On the outer side walls of both sides plate portions  18   a ,  18   b  of the lid  18 , pin-like protrusions  21  are protruded at the position near the hinge portion  19 . Those protrusions  21  are being engaged with the above-mentioned cam grooves  20 . 
     The cam grooves  20  are shaped as inclined grooves with an inclination angle which progressively decreases in the rear and increases in the front. While a user is moving the slide half  12  along in the continuous contact with the base half  11 , the protrusions  21  move along in the continuous contact with the cam grooves  20  to permit the lid  18  to open and close about the hinge portion  19 . 
     Specifically, as shown in FIG.  7 (A), when the slide half  12  is located at the rearmost position in which it is brought in contact with a rear side plate portion  11   c  of the base half  11 , the lid  8  is being closed. In this state, the protrusions  21  are engaged with the cam grooves  20  at their low positions of the rearmost end. 
     While a user slides the slide half  12  along the base half  11  forward as shown in FIG.  7 (B), the lid  18  also moves in unison with the slide half  2  and protrusions  21  slide along the inclinations of the cam grooves to the forward high position to enable the lid  18  to rotate about the hinge portion  19  to open. Hence, the opening portion  17  at the front of the storage case opens to enable a user to get the memory card in and out of the storage case. 
     When the user slides the slide half  12  rearward from this state, the lid  18  is closed according to the reverse operation. 
     With the above arrangement of the storage case  10  according to this embodiment, while the opening portion  17  is firmly closed by the lid  18  under the state that the memory card  1  is enclosed in the storage case as the enclosed object, the memory card can reliably be prevented from being smudged by dusts and also can reliably be prevented from being dropped unintentionally. 
     Since the storage case  10  is molded by a highly-rigid resin material and hence can reliably protect the memory card  1 , which is the enclosed object, from pressure applied from the outside and is excellent in durability. 
     In the storage case  10 , the lid  18  opens and closes as the user slides the slide base  12 , and hence the user can easily get the memory card in and out of the storage case. 
     The manner in which the user gets the memory card in and out of the storage case will be described with reference to FIG.  10 . 
     Specifically, as illustrated, while the user is holding the storage case  10  according to this embodiment with one hand, the user can slide the slide half  12  to open the lid  18  with a thumb and get the memory card  1  in and out of the storage case with the other hand. Therefore, the storage case is considerably easy to handle. 
     In the storage case with the above arrangement, when the user slides the slide half  12  in the direction in which the lid  18  opens, the front of the slide half  12  is urged to be raised with application of force as the lid  18  is opening upward. As a consequence, contact pressure at the engagement portion between the slide rail portions  14  of the slide half  12  and the protruded rail portions  13  of the base half  11  increases so that frictional resistance increases. As a result, the slide half  12  becomes difficult to slide smoothly and hence cannot slide smoothly. 
     To solve this problem, in particular, in the storage case  10  according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG.  8 (A), there is employed a structure such that the protruded rail portion  13  of the base half  11  has a slope  13 a formed at the engagement surface between it and the slide rail portion  14  of the slide body  12 . 
     This slope  13   a  is a straight-line inclined slope formed such that the thickness of the protruded rail portion  13  becomes gradually thin toward the front, e.g. the opening portion from the starting point of the position substantially corresponding to the leading front end portion of the slide rail portion  14  of the slide half  12  obtained when the lid  18  is placed in the closed state (c 1 &gt;c 2 ). An angle of this slope falls within a range of from approximately 1.5 to 2.0. 
     The slope  13   a  is not limited to the illustrated straight-line slope with inclination and may be formed as a curve-like slope. 
     With the above structure, in the storage case  10  according to this embodiment, while the user is sliding the slide half  12  in the direction in which the lid  18  opens, even when the front of the slide half  12  is urged to be raised as the lid  18  progressively opens upward as shown in FIG.  8 (B), the slide rail portion  14  of the slide half  12  moves along in the continuous contact with the slope  13   a  of the protruded rail portion  13  of the base half  11  so that contact pressure between the slide rail portion  14  of the slide half  12  and the protruded rail portion  13  of the base half  11  can be prevented from increasing. Consequently, the slide half  12  can be prevented from becoming difficult to move smoothly and hence the movement of the slide half  12  can be made smooth. 
     Besides the above arrangement, in the storage case  10  according to this embodiment, when the memory card  1 , which is the enclosed object, is enclosed in the storage case, the memory card is retained in the slide half  12  with pressure. 
     Specifically, in the inside of the storage case  10 , as shown in FIG.  5 (B), two sets of opposing arcuate protrusions  23 ,  26   b  are disposed on the inner side walls of the respective side plates  12   a ,  12   b  of the slide half  12  in parallel to each other. A size between the protrusions  23   a  and  23   b  on both sides (inside size) a is slightly smaller than a width b of the memory card  1  shown in FIG. 1 (in the size in actual practice, the size a between the protrusions  23   a  and  23   b  on both sides falls within a range of from 21.2 to 21.3 mm and slightly overlaps the width b of the memory card  1  within 21.45 (0.05 mm from a size standpoint). 
     Consequently, when the memory card  1  is inserted into the storage case, while the protrusions  23   a  and  23   b  are pressing against the respective sides of the memory card, the memory card is inserted into the slide half  12  with pressure and retained in that state. 
     In the storage case  10  according to this embodiment, since the memory card  1 , which is the enclosed object, is inserted into the slide half  12  with pressure and retained therein, whatever direction a user inserts the memory card  1  into the slide half (the user inserts the memory card into the slide half with the terminal portion  3  toward the user, the user inserts the memory card into the slide half in the direction opposite to the above direction and the user inserts the memory card into the slide half inside out), the memory card can be retained in the slide half  12  firmly. 
     Consequently, when the user slides the slide half  12 , the memory card also moves in unison with the slide half so that the user can get the memory card in and out of the storage case smoothly. 
     Specifically, when the user gets the memory card in the storage case, while the user is inserting the memory card into the storage case, the user should slide the slide half  12  in the direction in which the lid  18  closes so that the memory card can be moved in unison with the slide half  12  and smoothly enclosed in the storage case. 
     When the user gets the memory card out of the storage case, the user should slide the slide half  12  in the direction in which the lid  18  opens so that the memory card can be moved in unison with the slide half  12  and ejected from the opening portion  17 . Hence, the user can smoothly get the memory card out of the storage case. 
     In this manner, in the storage case  10  according to this embodiment, since the memory card is moved as the slide half  12  slides, the user can smoothly get the memory card in and out of the storage case, and hence the storage case becomes easier to handle. 
     Further, in the storage case  10  according to this embodiment, while the lid  18  is being opened, even when the user turns the opening portion  17  downward or lightly shakes the storage case in this state, the memory card is difficult to be dropped because the memory card is inserted into the slide half  12  with pressure and thereby firmly retained therein. 
     Therefore, the memory card can reliably be prevented from being lost. Memory cards are costly and are as expensive as thousands of yen to tens of thousands of yen, and hence the above effect for preventing memory cards from being lost is considerably effective. 
     Furthermore, in the storage case  10  according to this embodiment, when the lid  18  is closed, the lid  8  is locked in its closed state. 
     Specifically, on the front end of the lid  18 , the engagement protruded portions  24  are formed on the two side plate portions  18   a ,  18   b . When the lid  18  closes, the engagement protruded portions  24  are engaged with the recess-like portions  25  formed on the front end (both sides of the opening portion  17 ) of the two side plate portions  11   a ,  11   b  of the base half  11 . 
     As a consequence, since the lid  18  is locked so that its front end can be prevented from being raised, there is no risk that the lid  18  will be opened by other force than operating force. Therefore, the memory card can reliably be protected. 
     Further, the storage case  10  according to this embodiment includes a click mechanism to cause it to click when the movement of the slide half  12  is brought to an end while the user is sliding the slide half  12 . 
     To be more concrete, on its inner side walls of the two side plate portions  11   a ,  11   b , the base half  11  has click protrusions  26  and  27  formed with a predetermined space before and behind. When the user slides the slide half  12 , protruded portions  28  formed on the rear ends of the two side plate portions  12   a ,  12   b  of the slide half  12  pass over the click protrusions  26 ,  27  to cause the storage case to click. 
     Specifically, when the user slides the slide half  12  in the direction in which the lid  18  opens, just before the lid  18  opens fully, the protruded portions  28  pass over the preceding click protrusions  26  to cause the storage case to click. Conversely, when the user slides the slide half  12  in the direction in which the lid  18  closes, immediately before the slide half  12  comes in contact with the rear side plate portions  11   c  of the base half  11 , the protruded portions  28  pass over the succeeding click protrusions  27  to cause the storage case to click. 
     As described above, the storage case according to this embodiment can click when the movement of the slide half  12  is brought to an end, and hence this storage case is very comfortable for the user. 
     In particular, when the slide half is slid in the direction in which the lid  18  opens, immediately before the lid  18  opens completely, the storage case can click and hence the user can definitely recognize when the movement of the slide half is brought to an end. Therefore, it becomes possible to effectively avoid an accident such as when the storage case is broken after the user has moved the slide half along in continuous contact with the base half excessively until the protrusions  21  of the lid  18  are disengaged from the cam grooves  20 . 
     On its inner side walls of the two side plate portions  11   a ,  11   b , the base half  11  has stopper protrusions  29  located ahead of the click protrusions  26 . When the lid  18  opens completely, the protruded portions  28  abut against the stopper protrusions  29  to engage the slide half  12  with the base half so as not to move farther forward. 
     Further, in the storage case  10  according to this embodiment, on its outer side walls of the two side plate portions  11   a ,  11   b , the base half  11  has a plurality of engagement concave holes  30  disposed in parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction. 
     Those engagement concave holes are used to enclose the storage case according to this embodiment in another case. FIG. 11 shows an example of another case. 
     Specifically, a case  40  is a card-size case to enclose a plurality of storage cases  10  according to this embodiment in parallel. While the storage case  10  according to this embodiment is being enclosed in this case  40 , the engagement concave holes  30  of the storage case  10  according to this embodiment engage with convex portions  41  projected on two inner side walls of its compartment and hence the storage case of this embodiment can be retained in the fixed state. 
     When a plurality of storage cases  10  according to this embodiment are enclosed together in the card-size case  40 , the storage case according to this embodiment becomes more convenient to carry. 
     While the embodiment of the present invention has been described so far, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. 
     For example, while the cam grooves  20  are formed on the base half  11  and the protrusions  21  are formed on the lid  18  as the mechanism for opening and closing the lid  18  in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto, stated otherwise, the cam grooves  20  may be formed on the lid  18  and the protrusions  21  may be formed on the base half  11 . 
     The storage case according to the present invention is not limited to the storage case for use in enclosing the memory card and can be widely applied to storage cases for use in enclosing all sorts of products. 
     As described above, in the storage case according to the present invention, while the enclosed object is being enclosed in the storage case, since the opening portion is firmly closed by the lid, the storage case can reliably be prevented from being smudged by dusts and the enclosed object can reliably be prevented from being dropped unintentionally. 
     According to this storage case, since the user can open the lid by only sliding the slide half and can easily get the enclosed object in and out of the storage case, the storage case is considerably easy to handle. 
     According to this storage case, in its protruded portions on the insides of the two side plate portions of the base half which retains the slide base in the joined state, the engagement surface between the base half and the slide half includes a slope formed such that the thickness of the protruded portion progressively decreases in the opening portion. Consequently, when the user slides the slide half in the direction in which the lid opens, the slide half can be prevented from becoming difficult to move smoothly and hence the slide half can slide smoothly. 
     According to this storage case, since the enclosed object is inserted into the slide half with pressure and retained therein, regardless of the direction in which the user inserts the enclosed object into the storage case, the enclosed object can be firmly retained in the slide half. Moreover, since the enclosed object also is moved as the slide half is slid, the user can smoothly get the enclosed object in and out of the storage case. 
     Further, while the lid is being opened, the enclosed object can be inserted into the slide half with pressure and firmly retained therein, and hence the enclosed object is difficult to drop unintentionally. 
     According to this storage case, since the lid is engaged with a part of the base half and thereby locked when the lid is closed, the lid can be prevented from being opened by force, and hence the enclosed object can reliably be protected. 
     Further, according to this storage case, since the storage case can click when the movement of the slide half is brought to an end, the storage case becomes comfortable for the user. Furthermore, since the storage case can click, it becomes possible to prevent the user from moving the slide half excessively. There is then the effect that the storage case can be prevented from being broken. 
     Furthermore, since this storage case includes the engagement portions engaged with another case to retain another case in the fixed state when this storage case is enclosed in another case, when the user encloses a plurality of storage cases together in another case and carries the storage case, this storage case becomes convenient. 
     When the storage case according to the present invention with the above various characteristics are made commercially available on the market as accessories of products, it is possible to increase value of a product much more. 
     Having described preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments and that various changes and modifications could be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.