Patent Document

PRIORITY CLAIM 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/240,999, filed Sep. 9, 2009; the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The subject matter described herein relates to holders for portable memory cards. More particularly, the subject matter described herein relates to low profile holders for portable memory cards that attach to host devices and methods for manufacturing such holders. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Portable memory cards are increasingly being used to provide removable storage for host devices, including media players, mobile telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), smart phones, portable radios, global positioning system (GPS) devices, digital cameras, and combinations thereof. Most of these host devices typically hold a single removable, portable memory card. However, in some instances, a user may desire to carry additional portable memory cards. For example, portable memory cards that are preloaded with music are increasingly being used in portable media players. A user may desire to play the media on one portable memory card while carrying one or more additional portable memory cards with different media to which the user desires listen at a later time. One problem with this scenario is that portable memory cards have a very small form factor and are easily lost or damaged. 
     Enclosures exist for storing portable memory cards. For example, clam shell type enclosures for holding portable memory cards for GPS devices are currently available. However, such enclosures are cumbersome to carry and sometimes difficult to open. In addition, because such enclosures are separate from the host, they may not travel with the host and are subject to some of the same problems, e.g., loss or unavailability, as portable memory cards that are loosely carried separately from the host. 
     Accordingly, in light of these difficulties, there exists a need for improved holders for portable memory cards and methods for manufacturing such holders. 
     SUMMARY 
     Holders for portable memory cards and methods for manufacturing such holders are provided. A holder for a portable memory card described herein is configured to attach to a host device such that a portable memory card can travel with a host even when the portable memory card is not being used with the host. A holder for a portable memory card described herein may have a low profile design compatible with host electronic devices of increasingly small form factor, such as mobile phones and portable media players. A holder for a portable memory card may also include a lock for locking a portable memory card in a compartment formed by the memory card holder to prevent accidental removal of the portable memory card from the compartment. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Preferred embodiments of the subject matter described herein will now be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a holder for a portable memory card according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the memory card holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom perspective view of the memory card holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the memory card holder of  FIG. 1  and a portable memory card inserted therein; 
         FIG. 5A  is a top perspective view of a memory card holder illustrating locking of a portable memory card in the compartment according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein; 
         FIG. 5B  is a front perspective view of a memory card holder according to an alternate embodiment of the subject matter described herein; 
         FIG. 5C  is a front perspective view of a memory card holder according to yet another alternate embodiment of the subject matter described herein; 
         FIG. 6A  is a top view illustrating unitary structure used to form the memory card holder of  FIG. 1  and lines for bending the sidewall members and the end wall member to form the memory card holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6B  is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for manufacturing the memory card holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a front perspective view illustrating a holder for a portable memory card according to another embodiment of the subject matter described herein; 
         FIG. 8  is a bottom view of the memory card holder of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom perspective view of the memory card holder of  FIG. 7  with a portable memory card inserted therein; 
         FIG. 10  is a front perspective view of a memory card holder according to another embodiment of the subject matter described herein; 
         FIG. 11  is a top perspective view of the memory card holder of  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a front perspective view of the memory card holder of  FIG. 10  with a portable memory card inserted therein; 
         FIG. 13A  is a perspective view of memory card holders attached to a host according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein; 
         FIG. 13B  is a front view of a memory card holder and a paper clip to illustrate an exemplary size of a memory card holder according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein; 
         FIG. 13C  is a perspective view of a memory card holder with a portable memory card inserted therein according to another embodiment of the subject matter described herein; 
         FIG. 14  is a top view illustrating memory card holders arranged in a vane configuration according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein; 
         FIG. 15  illustrates a plurality of memory card holders that are arranged in a linear array and that are detachably coupled to each other according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein; 
         FIG. 16  is a bottom perspective view illustrating an adhesive backing for a memory card holder according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein; 
         FIG. 17  is a diagram of a memory card holder attached to a host where the memory card holder is substantially transparent according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein; 
         FIG. 18  illustrates a plurality of memory card holders with company logos on an outer-facing surface thereof according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein; and 
         FIGS. 19A and 19B  are memory card holders with displays on the backing surface that correspond to the memory card that is inserted therein according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Holders for portable memory cards and methods for manufacturing the same are disclosed. According to one aspect, a low profile holder for a portable memory card can be formed from sheet metal.  FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of such a memory card holder according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein. Referring to  FIG. 1 , memory card holder  100  includes first and second sidewall members  102  and end wall member  104  that frame a compartment  106  for receiving a portable memory card. Compartment  106  may be an opening, a slot, a niche, a gap, or any other suitable structure for receiving a portable memory card. Each of sidewall members  102  include a base portion  108  for attaching same to a host, such as a media player, a mobile phone, a smart phone, a PDA, a GPS device, a camera, a radio, or combinations thereof. Each of sidewall members  102  also include a sidewall portion  110  that extends outward from base portion  108 . In particular, sidewall portions  110  extend outward from ends  112  of base portion  108  that are closest to compartment  106 . Each sidewall member  102  also includes an overhanging portion  114  that extends from sidewall portion  110  over compartment  106  at an oblique angle for holding a portable memory card within compartment  106  and, if no backing is included, against a surface of a host, represented by reference numeral  116  in  FIG. 1 . Each overhanging portion  114  includes a 180° bend and a sloped portion  118  that extends over base portion  108 . Each sloped portion  118  also includes a 180° bend  120  that forms a rounded outer edge of each sidewall member  102 . 
     One or both sidewall members  102  may include a spring lock  122  that engages a structure formed in an edge of a portable memory card. Spring lock  122  may include a cantilever beam and a tip that protrudes into compartment  106  and engages the structure on an edge of a portable memory card when the portable memory card is inserted into compartment  106 . For example, some portable memory cards, such as micro secure digital (micro-SD) cards, include a slot formed in one of the card&#39;s lateral edges. The tip formed on the end of the cantilever beam of spring lock  122  may protrude into the slot when the card is fully inserted into compartment  106  to lock the card within compartment  106 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . In one example, both sidewall members  102  may include spring locks  122  so that a portable memory card can be inserted in orientations that are flipped 180° from each other and still be locked into compartment  106 . 
       FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of memory card holder  100  of  FIG. 1 , illustrating the structure of end wall member  104  in more detail. In the illustrated example, end wall member  104  includes a base portion  200  designed for being attached to a host, a sidewall portion  202  that extends outward from base portion  200 , and an overhanging portion  204  that extends from sidewall portion  202  over compartment  106  to retain a portable memory card within compartment  106 . Overhanging portion  204  includes a 180° bend. End wall member  104  further includes a sloped portion  206  that extends from the 180° bend over base portion  200  of end wall member  104 . End wall member  104  also includes a terminating portion  208  that extends over base portion  200 . Joints  210  may be located on opposite ends of end wall member  104  to join end wall member  104  with sidewall members  102 . 
       FIG. 3  is a bottom perspective view of memory card holder  100  of  FIG. 1 . In  FIG. 3 , the protrusions formed or located on the ends of spring locks  122  are shown on both side wall members  102  to allow locking with flipped orientations of a portable memory card. For example, portable memory cards, such as micro-SD cards, have asymmetric lateral edges. One lateral edge includes a structure that is engaged by the protrusion of spring lock  122 . By including spring locks  122  in both sidewall members  102 , a portable memory card can be inserted into compartment  106  with either of its major surfaces facing outward. In some examples, the major surface of a portable memory card may include a label that is indicative of the content of a portable memory card. If the user desires for the label to be displayed in holder  100  so that it can be viewed by the user or by others, the user may face the label outward. Alternatively, if privacy of the portable memory card content is desired, the user may desire to face the label inward towards the surface of the host device to which holder  100  attaches. By including spring locks  122  in both sidewall members  102 , the user can lock the portable memory card in holder  100  with the option of either displaying or not displaying the label. 
       FIG. 4  is a front view of memory card holder  100  of  FIG. 1  with a memory card  400  inserted therein. In  FIG. 4 , it can be seen that portable memory card  400  includes a structure on one of its lateral edges that is engaged by spring lock  122 . In this configuration, portable memory card  400  can be disengaged from spring lock  122  through application of force in the direction of arrow  404 . Such force may be generated by a user pulling memory card  400  with the user&#39;s finger in the direction of arrow  404 . 
     In  FIG. 4 , and in the remaining figures herein, portable memory card  400  is a micro secure digital (micro-SD) card. In the examples described herein, compartment  106  is configured to receive a micro-SD card. However, compartment  106  may be configured to receive other types of removable portable memory cards without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. 
       FIG. 5A  is a rear perspective view illustrating a memory card holder  100 A that differs from memory card holder  100  illustrated in  FIG. 1  in that sloped portions  118  of sidewalls  102  do not include outer 180° bends. The 180° bends in the outer portions of sidewalls  102  illustrated in  FIG. 1  reduce the likelihood of the portable memory card catching on an object and being separated from the host. However, the outer bends can be omitted, as illustrated in  FIG. 5A , without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. 
       FIG. 5B  is a front perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a memory card holder. Referring to  FIG. 5B , memory card holder  100 B includes sidewall members  102 A that extend outward from a backing member  406 . Each sidewall member  102 A includes a base portion  108  and a sidewall portion  110  that extends outward from opposite ends of backing member  406 . Each sidewall member  102 A also includes an overhanging portion  114  that extends over compartment  106 A. Compartment  106 A is framed by sidewall members  102 A. Spring lock  122  locks portable memory cards within compartment  106 A. 
     In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 5B . both ends of compartment  106 A are substantially open such that a memory card can be inserted or removed from either end of compartment  106 A, as illustrated by arrows  408  and  410 , because sidewall member  104  illustrated in  FIG. 1  is omitted. Spring lock  122  locks the portable memory card within compartment  106 A. Backing member  406  increases the structural rigidity of portable memory card holder  100 B and provides increased surface area for attaching to a host. 
       FIG. 5C  illustrates yet another embodiment of a memory card holder. Referring to  FIG. 5C , memory card holder  100 C includes sidewall members  102 A and backing member  406  as illustrated in  FIG. 5B . However, portable memory card holder  100 C includes endwall member  104 A. Endwall member  104 A includes overhanging portion  204 A that extends over compartment  106 A at an oblique angle to attain a portable memory card within compartment  106 A and a sidewall member  202 A that extends outward from backing member  406 . Like the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 5B , memory card holder  100 C provides increased surface area via backing member  406  for attaching to a host. 
     As stated above, in one exemplary implementation, memory card holder  100  illustrated in  FIG. 1  can be formed using a single sheet of rigid material, such as sheet metal.  FIG. 6A  illustrates a unitary structure punched out from a single sheet of metal used to form memory card holder  100 . In  FIG. 6A , a unitary structure  600  may be formed from a sheet of metal, for example, by punching or cutting unitary structure from the sheet of metal. In the illustrated example, unitary structure  600  includes sidewall members  102 , end wall member  104 , and joints  210 . The dashed lines in  FIG. 6A  correspond to bending locations used to form the various structures illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Spring locks  122  are also illustrated in  FIG. 6A . Spring locks  122  may be formed by cutting out on three sides a cantilever beam and then bending the end of the cantilever beam to form the protrusion that engages the structure in the edge of a portable memory card. 
       FIG. 6B  is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for manufacturing memory card holder  100  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Referring to  FIG. 6B , in step  601 , a unitary structure is formed from a sheet of rigid material where the structure includes sidewall and end wall members. For example, the structure illustrated in  FIG. 6A  may be punched or cut from a sheet of metal, such as cold rolled steel or aluminum. In step  602 , each sidewall member  102  is bent into a predetermined shape such that each sidewall member  102  includes a base portion for attaching to a host and an overhanging portion for holding a portable memory card against the surface of the host. For example, sidewall members  102  illustrated in  FIG. 6A  may be bent along the dashed lines of  FIG. 6A  to form the shape of each sidewall member  102  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     Returning to  FIG. 6B , in step  604 , the end wall member  104  is bent such that the end wall member includes a base portion for attaching to a host. The end wall member may also include an overhanging portion. For example, referring to  FIG. 6A , end wall member  104  may be bent along the dashed lines to form the shape of end wall member  104  illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
     In step  606 , joints  210  are bent such that the sidewall and end wall members frame a compartment for receiving a portable memory card. For example, sidewall members  102  may be bent radially inward about joints  210  (i.e., in a direction out of the page in  FIG. 6A ) to frame compartment  106  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     In the examples illustrated in  FIGS. 1-6B , a portable memory card is formed by bending a sheet of rigid material. In an alternate implementation, a portable memory card may be formed by a molding process, such as injection molding, and may be made of a plastic material. In yet another example, a memory card holder may be formed by a rapid prototyping process where the structure of the holder is made directly from CAD or other mechanical drawings using sheets or layers of a composite material.  FIG. 7  illustrates an example of a memory card holder that can be formed by a molding or rapid prototyping process according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein. Referring to  FIG. 7 , memory card holder  700  includes sidewall members  702  and end wall member  704  that frame a compartment  706 . Each sidewall member includes an overhanging portion  708  that holds a portable memory card against a surface of a host. In addition, each sidewall member  702  forms a tiered wall with an outer wall portion  710  that is of a lower height than overhanging portion  708 . Forming outer wall portion  710  of a lower height than overhanging portion  704  reduces the amount of material required to manufacture memory card holder  700 . 
       FIG. 8  is a bottom view of memory card holder  700  illustrated in  FIG. 7 . In  FIG. 8 , one of the sidewall members  702  includes spring lock  800  that engages the structure on an edge of the portable memory card to lock the portable memory card in compartment  706 , as illustrated in  FIG. 9 . In particular, in  FIG. 9 , spring lock  800  engages structure  802  that is found on one side of portable memory card  400 . In an alternate embodiment of the subject matter described herein, memory card holder  700  may include spring locks  800  in both sidewall members  702  such that portable memory card  400  can be inserted in the orientation illustrated in  FIG. 9  or in an orientation that is flipped 180° from the orientation illustrated in  FIG. 9 . 
       FIG. 10  illustrates yet another example of a memory card holder according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein. Referring to  FIG. 10 , memory card holder  1000  includes sidewall members  1002  and end wall member  1004  that form compartment  1006  for receiving a portable memory card. In addition, memory card holder  1000  includes a backing member  1008  that attaches to a host and that provides structural support for sidewall members  1002  and end wall member  1004 . Memory card holder  1000  further includes a spring lock  1100  illustrated by dashed lines in  FIG. 11  that engages a structure in an edge of a portable memory card in a manner similar to spring lock  122  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . That is, spring lock  1100  may include a cantilever beam with a protrusion on its tip that engages the structure in the edge of a portable memory card. In  FIGS. 10 and 11 , an actuator  1012  may be located on the opposite side of the cantilever beam from the protrusion that engages the structure and the edge of a portable memory card and may be accessible from an external surface of memory card holder  1000 . Actuator  1012  may be used to disengage spring lock  1100  from the structure in the edge of the portable memory card. Memory card holder  1000  may also include a plurality of parallel ridges  1014 . Ridges  1014  may increase the aesthetic appeal of memory card holder  1000  and may also increase the ability of a user to grasp memory card holder  1000 . 
     When a memory card is inserted into memory card holder  1000 , as illustrated in  FIG. 12 , a user may disengage spring lock  1100  by pulling actuator  1012  away from sidewall member  1002 , in the direction corresponding to arrow  1200 . Providing an externally accessible spring lock actuator facilitates removal of memory card  400  from memory card holder  1000 . 
       FIGS. 13A-13C  illustrate additional examples and uses of a memory card holder according to embodiments of the subject matter described herein. In  FIG. 13A , memory card holders  1300  are attached to host  1302 . Memory card holders  1300  may have the same configuration as any of the memory card holders described hereinabove or may have a slightly different configuration, as will be described with regard to  FIGS. 13B and 13C . Host  1302  may be a portable media player, a mobile phone, or any of the host devices mentioned herein. In  FIG. 13B , memory card holder  1300  is shown with a paper clip  1306  to illustrate the small size and low profile of memory card holder  1300 . For example, memory card holder  1300  may have a thickness of no more than about 2 millimeters. In addition, memory card holder  1300  may include at least one transparent surface. 
     In  FIG. 13C , memory card holder  1300  is shown with a memory card  400  inserted therein. Memory card holder  1300  includes sidewall members  1308  that hold memory card  400  against a backing member  1310  that attaches to the host device. A spring lock (not shown in  FIG. 13C , but similar in structure to spring lock  122 ) that engages a structure in an edge of portable memory card  400  may be disengaged from the structure in the edge of portable memory card  400  using spring lock actuator  1312 . Sidewall members  1308  and an end wall member  1314  may each include an overhanging portion that hold memory card  400  against backing member  1310 . 
     According to another aspect of the subject matter described herein, a plurality of memory card holders  1300  may be located on any surface and arranged in a vane configuration, as illustrated in  FIG. 14 . In  FIG. 14 , each memory card holder  1300  is arranged so that its compartment faces outward and does not face another memory card holder. This configuration is referred to herein as a vane configuration. In the example illustrated in  FIG. 14 , the vane configuration includes four memory card holders  1300  that extend radially outward from a common point or area such that memory cards can be slid radially outward from any of the memory card holders  1300 . In an alternate example, the vane configuration may include two memory card holders facing radially outward from a common point or area. 
     According to another aspect of the subject matter described herein, a plurality of memory card holders can be detachably coupled to each other for storage, removal, and distribution. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 15 , memory card holders  1300  are arranged in a linear array and are joined by perforations  1500  formed between adjacent sidewall members  1308  (shown in  FIG. 13C ). In the configuration illustrated in  FIG. 15 , the linear array of memory card holders  1300  may be owned by a distributor, such as an artist or a media rights holding company. As individual memory cards are sold or otherwise distributed to end users, the individual memory card holders  1300  may be torn from the linear array along perforations  1500  and distributed to the end users. 
       FIG. 16  illustrates an example of an adhesive backing on a memory card holder  1300  that may be used to attach the portable memory card to a host. In the illustrated example, portable memory card holder  1300  includes an adhesive material located on a back surface thereof and covered by a removable cover  1600 . When removable cover  1600  is removed, memory card holder  1300  can be attached to a host using the adhesive material that is deposited on its back surface. In an alternate example, the back surface of memory card holder  1300  may include either a sheet of hooks or loops to form a hook and loop fastener connection with the corresponding loop or hook material located on a surface of the host device in which it is desirable to attach the portable memory card. In yet another example, if both memory card holder  1300  and the surface to which the memory card holder  1300  is to be attached are made of thermoplastic materials, memory card holder  1300  can be welded to the surface of the host device, for example, using an ultrasonic welding procedure. In some embodiments, especially those that use hook and loop fasteners to connect to a host, memory card holder  1300  or any of the other memory card holder examples illustrated herein may be detachably couplable to a host device so that the memory card holder can be attached to one host device, detached from that host device, and attached to a second host device. 
     In  FIG. 16 , portable memory card holder  1300  has a backing surface between its sidewalls that attaches to a host device. However, as illustrated in some of the examples above, the backing surface between the sidewalls may be omitted without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. That is, a portable memory card holder may include a backless design, where the only surfaces that can attach to a host are the base portions of the sidewall and end wall members. 
     According to yet another aspect of the subject matter described herein, at least one surface of a memory card holder can be substantially clear or optically transparent, as illustrated in  FIG. 17 . In  FIG. 17 , each of backing member  1310 , sidewall members  1308 , and end wall member  1314  are formed of an optically transparent material, such as transparent plastic. As such, when memory card holder  1300  is attached to host device  1700 , the surface of host device  1700  to which memory card holder  1300  is attached is not obscured. 
     According to yet another aspect of the subject matter described herein, one or more surfaces of a memory card holder may include a display, as illustrated in  FIGS. 18 ,  19 A, and  19 B. In  FIG. 18 , an outward facing surface of backing member  1310  is branded with the company logo. In  FIG. 19B , the backing surface  1310  of memory card holder  1300  includes a graphical display that indicates the type of memory card that should be inserted. For example, in  FIG. 19B , backing surface  1310  indicates “The Guitar” for portable memory card  1900  illustrated in  FIG. 19A , which includes an image of a guitar. 
     As described above, the subject matter described herein includes holders for portable memory cards and methods for manufacturing same. According to one aspect, a holder for a portable memory card is provided. The holder includes first and second sidewall members framing a compartment for receiving a portable memory card. Each of the first and second sidewall members has a base portion designed for being attached to a host device, a sidewall portion extending outward from the base portion, and overhanging portion extending from the sidewall portion over the compartment at an oblique angle for retaining a portable memory card within the compartment. 
     According to another aspect of the subject matter described herein, another holder for a portable memory card is provided. The holder includes first and second sidewall members framing a compartment for receiving a portable memory card. Each of the first and second sidewall members includes a base portion designed for attaching same to the host and an overhanging portion extending over the compartment for retaining the portable memory card in the compartment and forming a tiered wall having an outer portion of lower height than the overhanging portion. 
     According to another aspect of the subject matter described herein, yet another holder for a portable memory card is provided. The holder includes first and second sidewall members framing a compartment for receiving a portable memory card. Each of the first and second sidewall members includes a base portion for attaching to the host, an overhanging portion extending over the compartment for retaining the portable memory card within the compartment, and at least one spring lock for engaging a structure in an edge of the portable memory card and locking the portable memory card within the compartment, where the at least one spring lock includes a lock actuator for disengaging the spring lock from the structure in the portable memory card. 
     According to yet another aspect of the subject matter described herein, a method for manufacturing a holder for a portable memory card is provided. The method includes forming a unitary structure from a sheet of rigid material, the unitary structure including first and second sidewall members, an end wall member, and joints between the sidewall members and the end wall member. The method further includes bending the sidewall members to form a base portion for attaching same to a host and an overhanging *lion for holding a portable memory card against a surface of the host. The method further includes bending the end wall member to include a base portion that attaches to the host. The method further includes bending the joints such that the sidewall members and the end wall member frame a compartment for receiving the portable memory card. 
     In the examples described above, different combinations and features are illustrated as being associated with different embodiments. However, any of the features of any embodiment can be combined with or omitted from the features of any other embodiment without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. 
     It will be understood that various details of the presently disclosed subject matter may be changed without departing from the scope of the presently disclosed subject matter. Furthermore, the foregoing description is for the purpose of illustration only, and not for the purpose of limitation.

Technology Category: 1