Expandable and collapsible peripheral device
AssigneeSanDisk Corporation
InventorsJonathan Hubert, Jason P. Hanlon, Kevin M. Conley
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Abstract
An expandable and collapsible peripheral device is disclosed, along with methods of manufacturing same. When in an expanded state, the peripheral device may have a length which conforms to the ExpressCard standard, and when in a collapsed state, the peripheral device may have a form factor approximating that of a CompactFlash card. Peripheral devices of the present invention may operate according to standards other than the ExpressCard standard, and may have sizes in the expanded and collapsed positions unrelated to ExpressCards and/or CompactFlash cards.
Claims37
A peripheral device capable of operation within one or more host devices, the peripheral device capable of being positioned in a first physical configuration having a first length, and capable of being positioned in a second physical configuration have a second length, the first length being different than the second length.
A peripheral device capable of operation within one or more host devices, the peripheral device comprising:
- a card including an integrated circuit;
- a sheath slidably coupled to the card, the sheath capable of being in a first position with respect to the card where the sheath and card together have a first length, and a second position with respect to the card where the sheath and card and together have a second length, the first length being different than the second length;
- and
- an actuation system at least partially coupled between the card and sheath for moving the sheath from the first position to the second position.
A peripheral device capable of operation within one or more host devices, the peripheral device comprising:
- a card including an integrated circuit;
- a sheath movably coupled to the card, the sheath capable of being in a first position collapsed over the card, and the sheath capable of being in a second position extended partially away from the card;
- and
- an actuation system at least partially coupled between the card and sheath for moving the sheath from the first position to the second position.
A peripheral device capable of operation within one or more host devices, the peripheral device comprising:
- a sheath defining a hollow interior space;
- a card including an integrated circuit mounted to the sheath within the hollow interior space to move between first and second positions with respect to the sheath;
- one or more springs within the interior space for biasing the sheath away from the card;
- a release mounted to one of the card and sheath for releasably holding the card in the first position with respect to the sheath;
- and
- a locking mechanism engaging the sheath and card when the card is in the second position with respect to the sheath, the locking mechanism releasably holding the card in the second position with respect to the sheath.
A portable memory device capable of occupying first and second physical configurations, the first configuration differing from the second configuration at least with respect to a length of the respective first and second configurations, the portable memory comprising a single electrical interface capable of mating with a host device with the portable memory device in the first and/or second configurations.
A portable memory device having at least one dimension smaller than defined in the ExpressCard standard and including an interface compatible with the standard PCI-Express interface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.