Memory card adapter

[0001] a) Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a memory card adapter, and more particularly to an adapter mechanism for adapting an MS DUO(Memory Stick Duo) memory card to an MS(Memory Stick) memory card, which can have low impedance and be applied quickly to electronic consumer products.

[0003] b) Description of the Prior Art

[0004] As the popularity of electronic consumer products using expansion cards, such as notebook computers, digital cameras, mobile phones, and palm computers, with a plurality of various kinds of corresponding expansion cards, and the general requirement of compact size for the consumer electronic products, most expansion cards on the market become smaller as well. However, an adapter card also arises such that old-type products can share with smaller expansion cards. After inserting a smaller expansion card into an adapter card, the adapter card can be directly inserted into an electronic consumer product for use. As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional adapter card a comprises a circuit board a2 with adapting function installed inside a casing a1. A print circuit a21 is installed on the circuit board a2, with one end of the print circuit a21 connected with an electronic consumer product b, while the other end connected with a smaller expansion card c, thereby achieving the function of adapting. However, it is easy to increase unnecessary manufacturing costs due to higher cost of using the print circuit a21, higher impedance of print circuit a21, and the necessity of welding the print circuit a21 onto adequate position of the casing a1.

[0005] The primary object of the present invention is to provide an adapter card to adapt an MS DUO memory card into an MS memory card, with easiness of assembly and maintenance, lower manufacturing cost, and improvement of signal transmission via direct connection.

[0006] Accordingly, the present invention comprises primarily a terminal assembly frame and its associated terminals installed at an adequate position inside a casing, consisting of an upper and a lower casing with a plurality of terminal holes in the central part of the terminal assembly frame. The terminals can directly pass through and be fixed into the terminal holes, and then latched into an adequate position of the upper and lower casing.

[0007] Accordingly, the terminal assembly frame has a simple structure, and the terminals can be inserted into manually or automatically, without welding, such that the terminals can be quickly installed and fixed into the terminal holes of the terminal assembly frame. Therefore, the memory card adapter structure can be quickly and easily assembled, with fewer compartments necessary for maintenance and convenience of replacement, thereby achieving the purpose of lowering manufacturing cost, and improving signal transmission by extremely low impedance due to directly using good conducting metal as the terminals for adapting.

[0008] To enable a further understanding of the said objectives and the technological methods of the invention herein, the brief description of the drawings below is followed by the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

[0013] Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the present invention comprises primarily a terminal assembly frame 20 and its associated terminals 30 installed at an adequate position inside a casing 10. The casing 10 consists of an upper casing 11 and a lower casing 12, with latching part 11b at two sides of the upper casing 11, and a latching hole 11a in front of one side. A plurality of connecting holes 11c are located at the top of upper casing 11, and a positioning column 11d is installed at an adequate position inside the upper casing 11. The lower casing 12 consists of a front lid 12a and a frame 12b, wherein the shape of the front lid 12a is manufactured to be the same as that of the front end of the upper casing 11, and a latching hole 12a1 is also located at one side corresponding to the latching hole 11a of the upper casing 11. When emplacing the front lid 12a in front of the frame 12b, the front lid 12a and the frame 12b can be fixed together via latching button holes 12b1 at two sides of the frame 12b with the latching part 11b of the upper casing 11. A plurality of terminal holes 21 are located at the central part of the terminal assembly frame 20 such that the terminal 30 can directly pass through and be fixed into the terminal holes 21. A positioning hole 22 is located at one side of the terminal assembly frame 20 to serve as positioning purpose when latching the terminal assembly frame 20 with the upper and lower casing 11, 12.

[0014] Referring to FIG. 4, upon applying, an MS DUO card 2 is inserted into an adapter 1 of the present invention, such that a gold finger 2a of the MS DUO card 2 can be in contact with the terminal 30 inside the adapter 1, to constitute the status of an MS card, and then proceed data transmission via connecting the terminal 30 with a connecting port 3a of an electronic consumer product 3.

[0015] Accordingly, the present invention uses a terminal assembly frame to integrate the terminal with fixing structures, in order to achieve the purpose of easy assembly and maintenance, thereby lowering the manufacturing cost, and improving signal transmission due to direct connection.

[0016] It is of course to be understood that the embodiments described herein is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that a wide variety of modifications thereto may be effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.