PC card extendable interface
First Claim
1. A PC card with a rear portion for connection to a telephone or RJ type plug, wherein the PC card is constructed to fit into a slot of an electronic device so contacts of a front electrical connector of the PC card can connect to circuitry in the electronic device, wherein:
- said PC card includes a support structure having laterally-spaced sides and longitudinally-spaced front and rear end portions;
an adaptor which has an adaptor rear portion with a plurality of adaptor contacts for engaging terminals of an RJ type connector, wherein said adaptor is moveable between a stored position wherein said adaptor rear portion lies primarily within said support structure and an extended position wherein said adaptor rear portion lies primarily outside and rearward of said support structure;
an electrical coupling that couples said adaptor contacts to said contacts of said front connector;
said support structure rear end portion includes a plastic molded rear end cap that has a height of at least 90% of the height of said card rear portion and that has a width dimension in a lateral direction, with said rear support structure having a slot within which said adaptor moves between its withdrawn and extended positions, with said adaptor being closely slidably guided in sliding in forward and rearward directions solely by slot walls of said end cap;
said slot is smaller in width and in height than the width and height of said end cap, and said end cap has slot walls that extend 360°
around said slot, to thereby ruggedly support said adaptor in said extended position.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A PC card of limited height (5 or 10 mm) is constructed with an extendable connector at its rear end for connection to a tall plug such as an RJ (telephone-type) plug that is designed to fit into a receptacle of large height. The connector apparatus is formed by a plastic molded rear end cap (22) at the rear of the PC card, with the cap having a slot (102) and with an adaptor platform (52) being slidable in the slot between an extended position wherein a rear portion of the platform projects a plurality of millimeters rearward of the end cap, and a stored position wherein the platform rear end is about flush with the cap rear surface. A hold-down (54) is pivotally mounted on the platform, the hold-down being pivoted down into a platform recess in the stored position and being pivoted up above the top of the PC card (10) to form a receptacle for receiving the plug in the deployed position. The slot in the cap has cap slot walls extending 360° around the slot axis (104), to provide a rugged support for the platform. The hold-down has a middle portion that lies uppermost when receiving a plug, with the middle portion lying forward of the hold-down pivot axis in the stored position of the platform, and with the middle portion forming a handle (100) to help pull out the platform.
-
Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A PC card with a rear portion for connection to a telephone or RJ type plug, wherein the PC card is constructed to fit into a slot of an electronic device so contacts of a front electrical connector of the PC card can connect to circuitry in the electronic device, wherein:
-
said PC card includes a support structure having laterally-spaced sides and longitudinally-spaced front and rear end portions; an adaptor which has an adaptor rear portion with a plurality of adaptor contacts for engaging terminals of an RJ type connector, wherein said adaptor is moveable between a stored position wherein said adaptor rear portion lies primarily within said support structure and an extended position wherein said adaptor rear portion lies primarily outside and rearward of said support structure; an electrical coupling that couples said adaptor contacts to said contacts of said front connector; said support structure rear end portion includes a plastic molded rear end cap that has a height of at least 90% of the height of said card rear portion and that has a width dimension in a lateral direction, with said rear support structure having a slot within which said adaptor moves between its withdrawn and extended positions, with said adaptor being closely slidably guided in sliding in forward and rearward directions solely by slot walls of said end cap; said slot is smaller in width and in height than the width and height of said end cap, and said end cap has slot walls that extend 360°
around said slot, to thereby ruggedly support said adaptor in said extended position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A PC card for connecting to a telephone-type plug that is taller than the PC card, comprising:
-
a support structure having a longitudinal rear end portion forming a molded rear end cap with slot walls forming a longitudinal through slot therein of predetermined average height; an adaptor which includes a platform that is longitudinally slidable in said slot between a rearward extended position and a forward stored position, with said slot having slot walls that closely slidably guide said platform in longitudinal sliding, and a hold-down member for holding the plug to the platform when the platform lies in said extended position; said slot walls of said rear end cap extend longitudinally by at least twice said slot average height and surround said slot by 360°
as viewed in a forward direction, to thereby ruggedly support the platform. - View Dependent Claims (8)
-
-
9. Apparatus for incorporation in a PC card to hold and connect to a plug, comprising:
-
a molded rear end cap for mounting at the rear of the PC card, said end cap having a cap rear end surface and having a slot extending forwardly into said cap rear end surface; a platform with front and rear end portions, that is moveably mounted on said end cap between a stored position wherein substantially all of said platform lies forward of said cap rear end surface and an extended position wherein said platform extends a plurality of millimeters rearward of said cap rear end surface; a hold-down on said platform for holding down said plug against said platform when said platform lies in said extended position and said hold-down lies in a deployed position, said hold-down being moveable to a stowed position wherein said hold-down lies primarily within said platform and forms handle means for pulling said platform largely rearwardly from said stored position toward said extended position. - View Dependent Claims (10)
-
-
11. Apparatus for incorporation in a PC card to hold and connect to an RJ plug that includes a block portion of at least 11 mm length in a longitudinal direction, comprising:
-
a molded rear end cap for mounting at the longitudinal rear of the PC card, said end cap having a cap rear end surface and having a slot extending forwardly into said cap rear end surface; a platform with front and rear end portions, that is moveably mounted on said end cap between a stored position wherein substantially all of said platform lies forward of said cap rear end surface and an extended position wherein said platform extends a plurality of millimeters rearward of said cap rear end surface; a hold-down mounted on said platform for holding down said plug against said platform when said platform lies in said extended position; in said extended position of said platform, said platform extends no more than 10 mm rearward of said cap rear end surface, so said block portion overhangs said platform by extending rearward of said platform.
-
-
12. A PC card with a rear portion for connection to a telephone or RJ type plug, wherein the PC card is constructed to fit into a slot of an electronic device so contacts of a front electrical connector of the PC card can connect to circuitry in the electronic device, wherein:
-
said PC card includes a support structure having laterally-spaced sides and longitudinally-spaced front and rear end portions; an adaptor which has an adaptor rear portion with a plurality of adaptor contacts for engaging terminals of an RJ type connector, wherein said adaptor is moveable between a stored position wherein said adaptor rear portion lies primarily within said support structure and an extended position wherein said adaptor rear portion lies primarily outside and rearward of said support structure; an electrical coupling that couples said adaptor contacts to said contacts of said front connector; said support structure rear end portion includes a plastic molded rear end cap that has a height of at least 90% of the height of said card rear portion and that has a width dimension in a lateral direction, with said rear support structure having a slot within which said adaptor moves between its withdrawn and extended positions; said slot is smaller in width and in height than the width and height of said end cap, and said end cap has slot walls that extend 360°
around said slot, to thereby ruggedly support said support structure in said extended position;said adaptor includes a platform, and said rear end cap and said platform end have parts with retainers that retain said platform in said stored position and in said extended position while allowing said platform to be forcefully moved, with one of said parts forming a recess and the other forming a bump that fits into the recess.
-
-
13. A PC card with a rear portion for connection to a telephone or RJ type plug, wherein the PC card is constructed to fit into a slot of an electronic device so contacts of a front electrical connector of the PC card can connect to circuitry in the electronic device, wherein:
-
said PC card includes a support structure having laterally-spaced sides and longitudinally-spaced front and rear end portions; an adaptor which has an adaptor rear portion with a plurality of adaptor contacts for engaging terminals of an RJ type connector, wherein said adaptor is moveable between a stored position wherein said adaptor rear portion lies primarily within said support structure and an extended position wherein said adaptor rear portion lies primarily outside and rearward of said support structure; an electrical coupling that couples said adaptor contacts to said contacts of said front connector; said support structure rear end portion includes a plastic molded rear end cap that has a height of at least 90% of the height of said card rear portion and that has a width dimension in a lateral direction, with said rear support structure having a slot within which said adaptor moves between its withdrawn and extended positions; said slot is smaller in width and in height than the width and height of said end cap, and said end cap has slot walls that extend 360°
around said slot, to thereby ruggedly support said support structure in said extended position;said adaptor includes a hold-down in the form of a wire with opposite bail sides and a largely horizontal middle; each of said bail sides is bent into a loop.
-
-
14. A PC card with a rear portion for connection to a telephone or RJ type plug, wherein the PC card is constructed to fit into a slot of an electronic device so contacts of a front electrical connector of the PC card can connect to circuitry in the electronic device, wherein:
-
said PC card includes a support structure having laterally-spaced sides and longitudinally-spaced front and rear end portions; an adaptor which has an adaptor rear portion with a plurality of adaptor contacts for engaging terminals of an RJ type connector, wherein said adaptor is moveable between a stored position wherein said adaptor rear portion lies primarily within said support structure and an extended position wherein said adaptor rear portion lies primarily outside and rearward of said support structure; an electrical coupling that couples said adaptor contacts to said contacts of said front connector; said support structure rear end portion includes a plastic molded rear end cap that has a height of at least 90% of the height of said card rear portion and that has a width dimension in a lateral direction, with said rear support structure having a slot within which said adaptor moves between its withdrawn and extended positions; said slot is smaller in width and in height than the width and height of said end cap, and said end cap has slot walls that extend 360°
around said slot, to thereby ruggedly support said support structure in said extended position;said adaptor includes a hold-down in the form of a wire with largely vertical opposite bail sides and a largely horizontal middle in the deployed position of said bail; said horizontal middle includes a part extending in a loop that lies in a horizontal plane in said deployed position of said bail.
-
-
15. Apparatus for incorporation in a PC card to hold and connect to an RJ plug that includes a block portion, comprising:
-
a molded rear end cap for mounting at the longitudinal rear of the PC card, said end cap having a cap rear end surface and having a slot extending forwardly into said cap rear end surface; a platform with front and rear end portions, that is moveably mounted on said end cap between a stored position wherein substantially all of said platform lies forward of said cap rear end surface and an extended position wherein said platform extends a plurality of millimeters rearward of said cap rear end surface; a hold-down mounted on said platform for holding down said plug against said platform when said platform lies in said extended position; said hold-down has a pair of legs with lower ends; said platform has a pair of track slots extending primarily in forward and rear directions and having slot rear ends, and each of said leg lower ends is pivotable about a longitudinal axis in one of said slot rear ends and is slidable in forward and rearward directions along said track slots.
-
Specification