Electrical power/signal connection structure for single housing computer system

• US 5,822,181 A
• Filed: 08/30/1996
• Issued: 10/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, Hae-Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): FEILD, LYNN DIANA
• Application Number:
  US08/707,807
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 361/681, 361/682, 361/683, 361/686, 361/724-727, 364/708.1
• US Class Current: 361/679.6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/189 Power distribution

Abstract

A computer system has a unitary housing structure for containing a display unit, a power supply, and a docking bay receptacle to accommodate an insertion of a main computer body; and an electrical power/signal connection assembly installed to provide electrical power/signal connections between the power supply, the display unit and the main computer body. The electrical power/signal connection assembly includes a connector plug mounted on one side of the unitary housing structure and a corresponding connector socket mounted on the main computer body so that, when the main computer body is inserted into the docking bay receptacle of the unitary housing structure, the corresponding connector socket as mounted on said main computer body is visibly coupled to the connector plug mounted on one side of the unitary housing structure in order to prevent any misalignment that would cause damages to the connector plug.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a housing structure for housing a display unit, a power supply, and a docking bay receptacle for accommodating an insertion of a computer body, said housing structure having a front panel providing a visual display of information from said display unit and a back panel having mounted thereon a dual purpose connector plug for enabling electrical power and signal connections between said display unit, said power supply and said computer body;

said computer body having a front panel and a back panel, and including thereon said back panel a dual purpose connector socket for electrically communicating with said dual purpose connector plug, when said computer body is inserted into the docking bay receptacle of said housing structure; and

said dual purpose connector socket being integrally mounted on the back panel of said computer body so that, when said computer body is inserted into the docking bay receptacle of said housing structure, said dual purpose connector plug as plugged into said dual purpose connector socket remains visible to a person assembling said computer system.

2. The computer system of claim 1, further comprised of said connector plug comprising a plurality of pins for transmitting power from said power supply to said main computer body and for transmitting information data from said main computer body to said display unit.

3. The computer system of claim 2, further comprised of said connector socket comprising a plurality of pin holes for respectively accommodating the plurality of pins of said connector plug when said connector plug is coupled to said connector socket.

4. The computer system of claim 1, further comprised of said power supply including an alternating current cable for receiving electrical power from an external source.

5. The computer system of claim 1, further comprised of said computer body comprising a main board supporting a central processing unit, auxiliary memory devices including a 5.25 inch floppy disk drive, a 3.5 inch floppy disk drive, a hard disk drive, and a plurality of light emitting diodes installed thereon to indicate the operational status of the auxiliary memory devices.

6. The computer system of claim 1, further comprised of said display unit comprising a cathode-ray tube contained in said housing structure for providing a visual display of information on the front panel of said housing structure.

7. A computer system comprising:

a housing structure for housing a display unit, a power supply and a docking bay receptacle for accommodating an insertion of a computer body, said housing structure having a front panel providing a visual display of information from said display unit and a back panel having mounted thereon a dual purpose connector plug for enabling electrical power and signal connections between said display unit, said power supply and said computer body; and

said computer body having a front panel and a back panel, and including thereon said back panel a dual purpose connector socket for electrically communicating with said dual purpose connector plug, when said computer body is inserted into the docking bay receptacle of said housing structure, said connector socket being integrally mounted on a top panel extending from the back panel of said computer body so that, when said computer body is inserted into the docking bay receptacle of said housing structure, said connector plug as plugged into said connector socket remains visible to a person assembling said computer system.

8. An electrical power/signal connection assembly for an integrated computer system comprising a main housing structure containing therein a display unit, a power supply and a docking bay receptacle accommodating an insertion of a computer body, said electrical power/signal connection assembly comprising:

a dual purpose connector plug mounted on a back panel of said main housing structure for enabling electrical power and signal connections between said display unit, said power supply and said computer body, said dual purpose connector plug comprising a plurality of pins for transmitting power from said power supply to said main computer body and for transmitting information data from said main computer body to said display unit; and

a dual purpose connector socket mounted on a top panel extending from a back panel of said computer body for enabling electrical coupling with said dual purpose connector plug, when said computer body is inserted into the docking bay receptacle of said housing structure, said dual purpose connector socket comprising a plurality of pin holes for respectively accommodating the plurality of pins of said connector plug when said connector plug is visibly coupled to said connector socket as said computer body is inserted into the docking bay receptacle of said housing structure.

9. The electrical power/signal connection assembly of claim 8, further comprised of said power supply including an alternating current cable for receiving electrical power from an external source.

10. The electrical power/signal connection assembly of claim 8, further comprised of said display unit comprising a cathode-ray tube contained in said main housing structure for providing a visual display of information on the front panel of said housing structure.

11. The electrical power/signal connection assembly of claim 8, further comprised of said dual purpose connector socket being integrally mounted on said top panel extending from said back panel of said computer body so that, when said computer body is inserted into the docking bay receptacle of said main housing structure, said dual purpose connector plug as plugged into said dual purpose connector socket remains visible to a person assembling said integrated computer system.