Type III PCMCIA card with integrated receptacles for receiving standard communications plugs
First Claim
1. A device for use in a host system having a PCMCIA Type III standard slot, the device being adapted to connect the host system to an information transfer system, the device comprising:
- a housing having longitudinal sides, a transverse front end and a rear portion, at least the rear portion of the housing having a thickness conforming substantially to the PCMCIA Type III standard;
a substrate enclosed within the housing, the substrate carrying circuit elements and including a rear margin within the rear portion of the housing;
a connector at the front end of the housing connected to circuit elements on the substrate and adapted to mate with a corresponding connector within the slot of the host system;
a contact block mounted on the rear margin of the substrate, the contact block having an overall height within the thickness confines of the rear portion of the housing, the contact block having a plurality of side-by-side contact wire sections, each section being adapted to carry a plurality of contact wires; and
a forwardly extending receptacle defined by the rear portion of the housing, the receptacle being sized and configured to receive an RJ-type standard connector plug having a plurality of contacts, the receptacle being in longitudinal alignment with one of the contact wire sections of the contact block, at least the one contact wire section carrying a plurality of contact wires, each of said contact wires having a first portion connected to circuit elements on the substrate and a second portion extending into the receptacle, the second portion of each contact wire being shaped and positioned for engagement with a corresponding contact on the connector plug, the contacts on the plug being adapted to engage the second portions of the contact wires in the receptacle when the plug is inserted in the receptacle, wherein the device is adapted to be directly connectable to the information transfer system utilizing the standard connector plug.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A Type III PCMCIA communications card for insertion in a slot in a host computer comprises a housing including a top wall and longitudinal, parallel side walls depending from the top wall, the longitudinal side walls and top wall defining an internal cavity enclosed by a bottom cover panel. The housing further has a forward end, a rear margin and a rear end surface, the rear margin of the housing defining at least one substantially longitudinally oriented receptacle extending forwardly from the rear end surface and sized and configured to receive a standard RJ-type modular plug. A substrate, mounted within the cavity of the housing, supports electronic components for carrying out the communications function. The substrate has a rear margin carrying a contact block including a plurality of contact wires, each contact wire having a first portion connected to components on the substrate, and a second portion extending into the at least one receptacle, the second portion of the contact wire being shaped and positioned for engagement with a corresponding contact on the connector plug. A connector provided at the forward end of the housing is adapted to be received by a corresponding connector within the slot of the host computer. The card has an overall height not exceeding approximately 10.5 mm, the communications card being directly connectable to a digital information system such as a LAN or a telephone line system utilizing standard RJ-type connectors.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A device for use in a host system having a PCMCIA Type III standard slot, the device being adapted to connect the host system to an information transfer system, the device comprising:
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a housing having longitudinal sides, a transverse front end and a rear portion, at least the rear portion of the housing having a thickness conforming substantially to the PCMCIA Type III standard; a substrate enclosed within the housing, the substrate carrying circuit elements and including a rear margin within the rear portion of the housing; a connector at the front end of the housing connected to circuit elements on the substrate and adapted to mate with a corresponding connector within the slot of the host system; a contact block mounted on the rear margin of the substrate, the contact block having an overall height within the thickness confines of the rear portion of the housing, the contact block having a plurality of side-by-side contact wire sections, each section being adapted to carry a plurality of contact wires; and a forwardly extending receptacle defined by the rear portion of the housing, the receptacle being sized and configured to receive an RJ-type standard connector plug having a plurality of contacts, the receptacle being in longitudinal alignment with one of the contact wire sections of the contact block, at least the one contact wire section carrying a plurality of contact wires, each of said contact wires having a first portion connected to circuit elements on the substrate and a second portion extending into the receptacle, the second portion of each contact wire being shaped and positioned for engagement with a corresponding contact on the connector plug, the contacts on the plug being adapted to engage the second portions of the contact wires in the receptacle when the plug is inserted in the receptacle, wherein the device is adapted to be directly connectable to the information transfer system utilizing the standard connector plug. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An enclosure for a device adapted to be received by a PCMCIA Type III standard slot in a host system, the enclosure comprising:
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a molded plastic housing including a top wall and longitudinal, parallel side walls depending from the top wall, the longitudinal side walls and top wall defining an internal cavity for receiving a substrate carrying electronic components, the housing further having a forward end, a rear portion and a rear end surface, the rear portion defining at least one receptacle extending forwardly from the rear end surface, the at least one receptacle being sized and configured to closely receive a standard RJ-type modular plug, at least the rear portion of the housing conforming substantially to the PCMCIA Type III thickness standard; and a bottom metal cover panel enclosing the cavity, the bottom cover panel including parallel, upwardly extending side flanges configured to nest within the side walls of the housing, the longitudinal side walls of the housing and the upwardly extending side flanges of the bottom cover panel being adapted to receive and retain the substrate between them. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A contact block adapted to make electrical connection with at least one RJ-type modular plug, the contact block comprising:
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a base; a transversely extending, vertical wall mounted on the base, the wall having a front face, a rear face and a bottom face, the wall further including a plurality of contact wire sections, each of said contact wire sections including surfaces for retaining contact wires against lateral displacement and further including a recess in the bottom face; and a plurality of shaped contact wires carried by at least one of the plurality of contact wire sections, each of the shaped contact wires including a portion engaging associated ones of the contact wire retaining surfaces, each said contact wire further including a first terminal portion extending into the recess and a second terminal portion extending from the rear face of the wall, the second terminal portion being adapted to be engaged by a corresponding contact on the at least one RJ-type modular plug, the contact block having an overall height less than the PCMCIA Type III standard thickness dimension. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A contact block for mounting on the substrate of a device adapted to be received by a PCMCIA Type III standard slot in a host system, the device including at least one receptacle configured to receive an RJ-type modular plug for connection to the contact block, the contact block comprising:
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a base; a wall mounted on the base, the wall having a substrate-engaging surface, a plurality of spaced apart, parallel slots, and a recess extending from the substrate-engaging surface, each slot communicating with the recess through a contact wire retention aperture; and a plurality of contact wires carried by the contact block, each contact wire being carried by one of said retention apertures and having a first portion extending into the recess and adapted to be connected to the substrate, and a second portion extending from one of the slots in the wall of the contact block and adapted to be engaged by a corresponding contact on the modular plug, the contact block having an overall height less than the PCMCI Type III standard thickness dimension.
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38. A device for use in a host system having a PCMCIA Type III standard slot, the device being adapted to connect the host system to an information transfer system, the device comprising:
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a housing having longitudinal sides, a transverse front end and a rear portion, at least the rear portion of the housing having a thickness conforming substantially to the PCMCIA Type III standard; a substrate enclosed within the housing, the substrate carrying circuit elements; a connector at the front end of the housing connected to said circuit elements on the substrate and adapted to mate with a corresponding connector within the slot of the host system; a transversely extending contact block disposed within the rear portion of the housing and having an overall height within the thickness confines of the rear portion of the housing, the contact block having a plurality of side-by-side contact wire sections, at least one of the contact wire sections carrying a plurality of contact wires, each of said contact wires having a first portion connected to circuit elements on the substrate; and a forwardly extending receptacle defined by the rear portion of the housing, the receptacle being sized and configured to receive an RJ-type standard connector plug having a plurality of contacts, the receptacle being in longitudinal alignment with the at least one contact wire section of the contact block, each of the plurality of contact wires of the at least one contact wire section having a second portion extending into the receptacle, the second portion of each contact wire being shaped and positioned for engagement with a corresponding contact on the connector plug, the contacts on the plug being adapted to engage the second portions of the contact wires in the receptacle when the plug is inserted in the receptacle, wherein the device is adapted to be directly connectable to the information transfer system utilizing the standard connector plug. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification