Patent Publication Number: US-7713091-B2

Title: Adaptor device for connecting and accessing data card and computer device incorporating the adaptor device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to an adaptor device, and in particular to an adaptor device that is used in a computer device for connecting and accessing various data cards. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) is an international standard that defines and promotes PC Card (formerly known as “PCMCIA card”). PCMCIA interfaces are commonly used in regular desktop computers or notebook computers to serve as a data card reading device. The PCMCIA interfaces have very broad applications and are commonly used with an adaptor interface device to read data cards or memory cards of various specifications or to serve as an externally connected wireless networking card or a transmission interface for other external devices. 
     FIG. 1  of the attached drawings shows a conventional dual-slot computer card adaptor device. As shown, a notebook computer  100  is provided, at a side wall thereof, with an adaptor device  1  that meets PCMCIA specifications. The adaptor device  1  comprises a data card insertion structure  10 , which is of a dual-slot configuration, including a first insertion slot  11  having an associated first ejection button  110  and a second insertion slot  12  having an associated ejection button  120 . The first insertion slot  11  and the second insertion slot  12  are each for the insertion of a computer card  13  for accessing and supplying the data of the computer card  13  to the notebook computer  100 . 
   In respect of known techniques that use a PCMCIA interface to read data cards of various formats, Taiwan Utility Model M246731 discloses a seven-in-one PCMCIA interface, wherein a connection circuit is provided in a cartridge that mates a slot of the PCMCIA interface. A front end of the cartridge is provided with a connector for the insertion of a memory card of one of the following seven specifications: CF, MD, MMC, MS, SD, SM and XD and for access, exchange, and transmission of data of the various memory cards via the connection circuit. Thus, an electric/electronic appliance that is provided with a PCMCIA interface is allowed to read/write a memory card of at least the previously mentioned seven specifications. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   However, in the known technology of the data card adaptor device, adapting and accessing a data card in a one-to-one fashion is generally based on an originally existing PCMCIA interface, together with an external cartridge-like adaptor device, to realize access of data cards of various specifications. With the rapid progress and development of the modern information technology, the innovation and development of new specifications for data cards are so fast and frequent that the one-to-one architecture for data card adaptation is of an unacceptable efficiency of use. 
   For a one-to-multiple data card adaptor device, as shown in the previously mentioned applications, to be used in a dual-slot computer card adaptor device, since the external cartridge-like adaptor device is connected to a data card reading device via a PCMCIA insertion card, when the data card reading device is of a bulky size, the use of the other insertion slot of the dual-slot adaptor device is often interfered with, making it impossible to use the other slot, whereby the design spirit of two individually usable slots is all in vain. 
   Thus, an objective of the present invention is to provide an adaptor device that is capable to access data cards of various specifications, wherein a carrier board and a cover board can be made to mate with various desired specifications for simultaneous access of data cards of the various specifications. 
   Another objective of the present invention is to provide an adaptor device that has a design for saving the required amount of space of occupation so that the use of the adaptor device in a dual-slot computer card adaptor device does not interfere with the use of the other slot, allowing full exploitation of the dual-slot computer card adaptor device. 
   The solution that the present invention adopts to overcome the problems of the prior art technology is to provide a data card insertion structure that meets PCMCIA specifications and that forms a first insertion slot and a second insertion slot. A cover board is mounted to a top surface of the data card insertion structure. The cover board has at least one signal contact element arranged at a predetermined position on the underside of the cover board. A carrier board having a data card carrying section is also provided for receiving and carrying a data card. The carrier board carrying the data card is insertable into the first insertion slot of the data card insertion structure to have the signal contact element of the cover board corresponding and engaging a signal contact section of the data card, such as a chip of a chip card. The data of the data card is accessible via the signal contact element of the cover board and is output through a signal connection port of the cover board, or is alternatively supplied to a computer device sequentially via a signal transfer port that is in connection with the data card insertion structure and a signal connection port of the data card insertion structure. 
   In view of the above description, the solution of the present invention allows for simultaneous access of data cards of various specifications. Thus, purchasing several one-to-one data card adaptor devices is not necessary and investment can be reduced. Further, the trouble that adaptor devices of different specifications must be interchanged when different data cards are used, and thus, operation efficiency of the data card adaptor device can be improved and time is saved. 
   Based on the solution of the present invention, together with a dual-slot computer card adaptor device, the use of the adaptor device does not interfere with the use of other slot, so that simultaneous use of the two slots of the dual-slot computer card adaptor device is ensured for carrying out different operations. For example, when transmission is carried out with a data card, a wireless network card of PCMCIA specification can be used in the other slot to effect simultaneous computer data transmission and network surfing. As such, the practicability of the adaptor device is remarkably improved. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description of preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  shows a conventional computer card adaptor device featuring dual slots; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view showing an adaptor device constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing the adaptor device in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating an application of the adaptor device of the first embodiment of the present invention to a chip card; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view demonstrating a chip card carried on a carrier board of the adaptor device of the present invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view illustrating the carrier board of  FIG. 5  inserted into a data card insertion structure of the adaptor device of the present invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the adaptor device of the first embodiment of the present invention connected to a computer main board; 
       FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view illustrating an adaptor device constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention connected to a computer main board; 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view illustrating an application of an adaptor device constructed in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention to a memory card; 
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view demonstrating a memory card carried on a carrier board of the adaptor device of the third embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view illustrating the carrier board shown in  FIG. 11  inserted into a data card insertion structure of the adaptor device of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  13 - 13  of  FIG. 12 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   With reference to the drawings and in particular to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , which respectively show an exploded view and a perspective view of an adaptor device constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, generally designated with reference numeral  1   a , which is provided for connecting and accessing a data card, the adaptor device  1   a  comprises a data card insertion structure  10 , a cover board  2 , and a carrier board  3  and is connectable with a computer device, such as a notebook computer or a desktop computer to serve as an interface for accessing the data card. 
   The data card insertion structure  10  comprises a first insertion slot  11  and a second insertion slot  12 . The second insertion slot  12  is located below the first insertion slot  11 . Both the first insertion slot  11  and the second insertion slot  12  meet the specifications of PCMCIA to allow insertion of computer cards of the specifications. The data card insertion structure  10  has an end forming a connection base  14  having upper and lower sets of pins  140  corresponding in position to the first insertion slot  11  and the second insertion slot  12 . Also referring to  FIG. 8 , the data card insertion structure  10  further comprises a signal connection port  141  for output of a signal read by the pins  140 . Formed on opposite edge portions of the data card insertion structure  10  are mounting projections  15  for mounting the cover board  2 . 
   The cover board  2  corresponds to and is mounted to a surface of the first insertion slot  11  and comprises at least one set of signal contact elements  20 , which in the embodiment illustrated, includes a set of first signal contact elements  21  and a set of second signal contact elements  22 , respectively arranged on predetermined positions on the cover board  2  and adjacent to the first insertion slot  11 . The cover board  2  further comprises a signal connection port  23  and also forms a plurality of mounting holes  24 . The signal connection port  23  is arranged at one end of the cover board  2  for output of signals accessed by the first signal contact elements  21  and the second signal contact elements  22 . The locations of the mounting holes  24  correspond to the mounting projections  15  of the data card insertion structure  10  for fixing the cover board  2  and data card insertion structure  10  together. 
   The carrier board  3  has a size in accordance with the PCMCIA specifications and is insertable into the first insertion slot  11  or the second insertion slot  12  of the data card insertion structure  10 . The carrier board  3  forms a data card carrying section  31  to carry a selected data card so as to fix the data card on a selected position on the carrier board  3 . 
   Also referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , which are respectively a perspective view illustrating an application of the adaptor device of the first embodiment of the present invention to a chip card and a perspective view demonstrating the chip card carried on the carrier board, in the instant embodiment, the data card carrying section  31  of the carrier board  3  is of a configuration for carrying a chip card  4  so as to have the chip card  4  positioned on the carrier board  3 ′ with a signal contact section  41  of the chip card  4  exposed. 
   Also referring to  FIG. 6 , which shows a perspective view illustrating the carrier board of  FIG. 5  inserted into the data card insertion structure, the chip card  4  is first positioned in the data card carrying section  31  of the carrier board  3  and then inserted into the first insertion slot  11  of the data card insertion structure  10 . 
   Also referring to  FIG. 7 , which is a cross-sectional view taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 , with the carrier board  3  inserted into the first insertion slot  11  of the data card insertion structure  10 , the signal contact section  41  of the chip card  4  is set at a location corresponding to and engaging with the first signal contact elements  21  of the cover board  2  so that data stored in the chip card  4  can be read through the first signal contact elements  21 . 
   Also referring to  FIG. 8 , which is a cross-sectional view illustrating the adaptor device of the first embodiment of the present invention connected to a computer main board, which is generally designated at  5 , included in a computer device, the signal connection port  23  of the cover board  2  is connected, via a connection flat cable  25 , to the computer main board  5  of the computer device. The connection flat cable  25  has opposite ends respectively forming a first plug connector  250  and a second plug connector  251 . The first plug connector  250  is connected to the signal connection port  23  of the cover board  2 , while the second plug connector  251  is connected to a socket connector  51  of the computer main board  5 , whereby the data of the chip card  4  can be supplied to the computer main board  5  via the signal connection port  23  of the cover board  2  to allow the computer device to access the data of the chip card  4  via the signal connection port  23  of the cover board  2 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 9 , which is a cross-sectional view illustrating an adaptor device constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention connected to a computer main board, the adaptor device of the second embodiment is substantially similar to the first embodiment and those components/members that constitute in part the adaptor device of the second embodiment and that are similar to the counterparts of the adaptor device of the first embodiment will not be repeatedly described. A difference between the adaptor devices of the first and second embodiments is that the connection base  14  of the data card insertion structure  10  in accordance with the second embodiment forms a signal transfer port  142 , whereby the cover board  2  is electrically connectable to the data card insertion structure  10  for output of a signal read by the signal contact elements  20  through the signal connection port  141  of the data card insertion structure  10 . 
   The cover board  2  is connected to an interconnection cable  26  and an interconnection plug connector  261  of the interconnection cable  26  is plugged into the signal transfer port  142  of the data card insertion structure  10 . The first plug connector  250  of the connection flat cable  25  is then connected to the signal connection port  141  of the data card insertion structure  10  and the second plug connector  251  of the connection flat cable  25  is connected to the socket connector  51  of the computer main board  5 . When the cover board  2  that carries the chip card  4  is inserted into the data card insertion structure  10 , the first signal contact elements  21  of the cover board  2  are set to correspond to and engage with the signal contact section  41  of the chip card  4 , whereby the data of the chip card  4  can be supplied to the computer main board  5  of the computer device via the signal transfer port  142  of the data card insertion structure  10 . 
     FIGS. 10 and 11  are respectively a perspective view illustrating an application of an adaptor device in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention to a memory card and a perspective view demonstrating the memory card carried on the carrier board, and in the instant embodiment, the components/members are similar to the counterparts thereof in the previously described embodiments so that repeated description is eliminated. A difference between the adaptor devices of the third embodiment and the previous embodiments is that the carrier board  3  forms a data card carrying section  32  that is of a configuration for receiving and carrying an SD memory card  6 . (The SD memory card  6  is taken as an example for explanation and can be replaced or interchangeable with a CF memory card, an XD memory card, an MD memory card, an MS memory card, an SM memory card, or an MMC memory card, which are all known and available in the current market so that further description and definition of these memory cards are not necessary.) The SD memory card  6  has a signal terminal section  61 . The SD memory card  6  is first positioned in the data card carrying section  32  in such a way that the signal terminal section  61  is exposed. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 12 and 13 , which are respectively a perspective view illustrating the carrier board shown in  FIG. 11  inserted into the data card insertion structure and a cross-sectional view taken along line  13 - 13  of  FIG. 12 , the carrier board  3  that carries the SD memory card  6  is inserted into the first insertion slot  11  of the data card insertion structure  10 . The signal terminal section  61  of the SD memory card  6  is thus set to engage the second signal contact elements  22  of the cover board  2  for reading data of the SD memory card  6 . Signal transmission of the SD memory card  6  is similar to what described above and thus no repeated description is needed herein. 
   Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims.