An adapter base for receiving a cartridge memory

Abstract: An adapter base for receiving a cartridge memory is disclosed, in which a recess is defined in the adapter base by two opposed side walls, a bottom wall and an end wall contiguous with the side walls. A cartridge memory is inserted into the adapter base, and the assembly of the adapter base. The cartridge memory can be received in at least two devices with recesses dimensioned respectively according to the memo cartridge alone or the adapter base containing the memo cartridge.

Description: The present invention relates to a cartridge assembly comprising an adapter base for receiving a cartridge memory according to the preamble of patent claim 1. Information technology increasingly filters down from high technology applications to common, everyday devices, and consumer goods such as an electronic dictionary, microcomputer-controlled appliances and electronic game machinery are practical examples of applying the information technology. Presently, a recording watch has appeared on the market. In fact, techniques in digital audio and recording are well known in the art, but the know-how of the techniques exists in how to design a corresponding circuit to fit in such a small space as defined by a watch. Referring to the recording watch as described above, if the recording time is short, the audio data can be directly stored in a conventional internal memory on a circuit board, but, if the recording time required is long, the memory space of the conventional internal memory is not sufficient. Under this circumstance, a cartridge memory can be used to extend the memory capacity. As shown in Fig. 6, a cartridge memory 90 is externally inserted into a recording watch 80 to provide a larger memory space. The size of the cartridge memory 90 described above has to be greatly reduced to match with the dimensions of the recording watch 80, and although it is not difficult to modify the memory space of the cartridge memory 90 for the existing information industrial technology, a problem of being compatible in dimension has emerged. So far, the cartridge memory has been widely used, for example, a digital camera applies the same technology as a converting medium between itself and a computer. The configurations between the cartridge memory of the digital camera and the one that the recording watch uses are identical, but they have a remarkable distinction between their specifications. In addition to the memory capacity, they are also different in their sizes. Though they are both compact cartridge memories, they cannot be used compatibly since they are different in their dimensions. Therefore, there is a long and unfulfilled need for an adapter base which receives a cartridge memory whereby the cartridge memory can be received in at least two devices with recesses dimensioned respectively according to the memo cartridge only and the adapter base containing the memory cartridge. US 5,155,663 A discloses a cartridge memory assembly wherein the cartridge memory is accommodated by a recess of an adapter base. The recess is defined by two opposed spaced side walls and an end wall contiguous with and interconnecting the side walls at one end thereof. Two opposed resilient hooks are formed in chambers of the side walls. The cartridge memory has on one side surface a multisectional tenon and on the opposed side surface a groove. Tenon and groove cooperate with a groove and a multisectional tenon respectively on the opposite side walls of the adapter base. Thus, the cartridge memory can be slipped into the recess of the adapter base. The cartridge memory as further transverse slots on the opposed side surfaces into which the hooks snappingly grip when the cartridge memory is slipped into the recess. An objective of the present invention is to provide a cartridge memory assembly whereby the assembly of an adapter base and an cartridge memory conform to a uniform specification compatible with related application objects. This objective is solved by the features of claim 1. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an adapter base for receiving a cartridge memory including an adapter base having a recess defined by a pair of opposed side walls, a bottom wall and an end wall contiguous with the side walls formed thereon and a cartridge memory to be plugged into the adapter base. A lip is formed on an upper edge of the end wall of the adapter base and two opposed resilient hooks are respectively formed in two chambers correspondingly defined in the side walls of the adapter base. Each resilient hook may have an oblique top face and a shoulder defined below the oblique top face. In accordance with the other aspect of the invention, there is provided a pair of L-shaped buffers respectively formed on an end of the corresponding side wall thereof adjacent to the open front end of the recess and the cartridge memory has a pair of multisectional tenons respectively extending from two opposed side surfaces thereof which abut the L-shaped buffers, when the cartridge memory is completely inserted into the recess. The above objective, other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail a preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the attached drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows an exploded view of an adapter base for receiving a cartridge memory in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the combination structure when the cartridge memory is being inserted into the adapter base; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the combination structure after the cartridge memory has been inserted into the adapter base; Fig. 4 is another cross-sectional view showing the combination structure after the cartridge memory has been inserted into the adapter base; Fig. 5 shows the combination structure after the cartridge memory has been assembled into the adapter base; and Fig. 6 shows a cartridge memory being externally inserted into a conventional recording watch according to prior art. Referring to Fig. 1, the structure of a preferred embodiment includes an adapter base 10 and a cartridge memory 20 to be contained in the adapter base 10 for being compatible with other related application objects. A recess 11 is defined in the adapter base 10 by two opposed side walls, a bottom wall and an end wall contiguous with the side walls at one end of the side walls. An open front end is defined in the adapter base 10 opposite to the end wall. The recess 11 is configured to snugly receive a cartridge memory 20. The depth of the recess 11 is greater than the height of the cartridge memory 20. A semi-circular cutout is defined in a bottom wall partly defining the recess 11 and is in communication with the opening. In this embodiment, the cartridge memory 20 is downwardly pressed into the recess 11 against the bottom wall. A lip 12 is formed on a top edge of the end wall of the adapter base 10. Two opposed resilient hooks 14 are respectively formed in two chambers 13 correspondingly defined in the side walls of the adapter base 10, and near the open front end. Each resilient hook 14 has an oblique top face 140 and a shoulder 141 defined below the oblique top face 140. Each shoulder 141 faces the recess 11. The oblique top face 140 is apt to allow the cartridge memory 20 pass to the shoulder 141 of the resilient hook 14 when being installed. Two L-shaped buffers 15 are respectively formed on the end of the corresponding side wall adjacent to the open front end for preventing the cartridge memory 20 from being longitudinally slipped out of the recess 11 of the adapter base 10. A grip portion with ridges 16 formed thereon is provided at an end opposite the open end and adjacent to the end wall of the adapter base 10 for a user to hold the adapter base 10 when inserting or extracting the cartridge memory 20. A pair of multisectional tenons 22 respectively extend from two opposed side faces of the cartridge memory 20 and correspond to the side walls of the adapter base 10. Each tenon 22 is configured to be matingly received between the corresponding L-shaped buffers 15 and the end wall of the adapter base 10. A first end surface of the each multisectional tenon 22 abuts an upright portion of the corresponding L-shaped buffers and a second end surface of each tenon 22 abuts the end wall of the base 10. The cartridge memory 20 includes a front surface and a rear surface. A row of connectors 21 is disposed in the front surface of the cartridge memory 20 for providing a signal connection between the cartridge memory 20 and other application objects. In assembly, first, the cartridge memory 20 is inclined such that the rear surface thereof is hooked under the lip 12 of the adapter base 10 which is held at the grip portion by a user. The front surface of the cartridge memory 20 is swung down towards bottom wall and the L-shaped buffers 15 whereby the tenons 22 slide down the oblique top faces 140 of the resilient hooks 14, pushing the resilient hooks 14 into the chambers 13, as shown in Fig. 2. Once a top face of the cartridge memory 20 or the tenons 22 respectively have reached below each shoulder 141 of the resilient hooks 14, the resilient hooks 14 snap back to their original positions whereby the cartridge memory 20 is securely engaged in the adapter base 10, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Figure 5 shows a configuration after the above-described adapter base 10 and the cartridge memory 20 have been combined. To remove the cartridge memory 20, a user presses the resilient hooks 14 back into the chambers 13 and pushes upward against a portion of a bottom face of the cartridge memory 20 exposed by the cut-out of the base 10.

Claims: A cartridge memory assembly comprising: an adapter base (10) having a recess (11) defined by a pair of spaced based side walls, an end wall contiguous with and interconnecting the side walls at one end thereof, and by an open front end, two opposed resilient hooks (14) formed in chambers (13) in the side walls and a cartridge memory (20) configured to be snugly accommodated by the recess, the cartridge memory (20) having a rear surface facing the end wall when the cartridge memory is inserted into the recess, two opposed multisectional tenons (22) facing the side walls, an upper and a lower surface and a front surface with a plurality of connectors (21) disposed thereon, the cartridge memory (20) further having means which are snappingly engaged by the two resilient hooks (14) if the cartridge memory is inserted into the recess (11), characterized in that the recess (11) has a bottom wall extending between the side walls and the end wall and is adapted to lie adjacent to the lower surface of the cartridge memory (20), a lip (12) is formed on the upper edge of the end wall opposite to the bottom wall such that the rear surface of the cartridge memory can be hooked under the lip (12) if the cartridge memory (20) in an inclined position is inserted into the recess (11), the hooks (14) are designed to snapplingly engage the multisectional tenons (12) of the cartridge memory from above when the cartridge memory (20) is finally placed into the recess (11) by moving the lower surface thereof against the bottom wall and a pair of L-shaped buffers (15), respectively, are formed on the side walls adjacent to the front end of the recess (11) and are configured to abut the multisectional tenons (22) if the cartridge memory is finally inserted into the recess (11) for preventing the cartridge memory (20) from being slipped out of the recess (11). The cartridge memory assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the two opposed resilient hooks (14) of the adapter base has an oblique surface (140) and a shoulder (141) defined below the oblique top surface (140) so that the oblique top surface (140) is apt to allow the cartridge memory (20) pass to the shoulder (141) of the resilient hook (14) when the cartridge memory (20) is inserted into the recess (11). The cartridge memory assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein a grip portion is integrally formed on the adapter base (10) to be adjacent to the end wall and has ridges (16) formed on the grip portion, whereby the grip portion is able to facilitate detachment with an electronic appliance that is provided to attach with the adapter base (10).

Inventors: YAO LI-HO, YAO, LI-HO
Applicants: YAO LI-HO, YAO, LI-HO
Application year: 1997
Main classification: G11C5
IPC codes: G11C5