Piggy back PC card

• US 6,190,182 B1
• Filed: 01/05/1999
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway 2000, Inc. (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Burnett, Robert J., Liebenow, Frank W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): PRASAD, CHANDRIKA
• Application Number:
  US09/225,816
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 439/74, 439/946, 439/638, 439/945, 439/92, 361/728, 361/729, 361/733, 361/735, 361/684, 361/686, 361/737, 395/281
• US Class Current: 439/74
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0273 having extensions for peripherals, e.g. LAN, antennas details of antennas H01Q1/2275
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/946 Memory card cartridge

Abstract

An expansion device is provided having two expansion cards interconnected. While the first expansion card of the expansion device conforms to the footprint requirements of the PCMCIA, the second expansion card ranges in size. The expansion device integrates into the overall configuration that conforms with PCMCIA card architecture. A connector releasably attaches the two expansion cards together. Once attached, the expansion card acts as a slave card to the master PC card. Alternatively, the first expansion card can be used by itself as an expansion device. Guide pins are provided for guiding the attachment of the expansion cards. The guide pins, in addition, provide an electrical ground from the PC card to the expansion card. An adaptor is also provided with the expansion device for providing an electronic interface between a host computer and a transmission media line.

Claims

1. An expanded portable computer system comprising:

a portable computer;

a computer body encompassing the portable computer, the computer body having at least one PCMCIA connector bay;

an expansion card interface disposed within said at least one PCMCIA connector bay;

an expansion device comprising;

a first expansion card being defined by an upper and lower conductive planar surface and a front end, the upper conductive planar surface of the first expansion card having a first connector mounted thereon, the first expansion card having a predetermined width and length;

a second expansion card being defined by an upper and lower conductive planar surface and a rear end, the lower conductive planar surface of the second expansion card having at least one second connector mounted thereon, the second expansion card having a predetermined width and length, the at least one second connector for mating with the first connector, a plurality of grounding pins disposed on the lower conductive planar surface of the second expansion card, the plurality of grounding pins for matingly engaging with grounding apertures, the second expansion card being interconnected with the first expansion card; and

said first expansion card having an interface mounted on the front end for communicating with the portable computer; and

said expansion device being inserted into the at least one PCMCIA connector bay, whereby the expansion card interface is electrically connected with the interface of the first expansion card.

2. The expanded portable computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one PCMCIA connector bay is a PCMCIA Type III connector bay.

3. The expanded portable computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interface is a 68-pin connector.

4. The expanded portable computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein each expansion card is an SRAM card.

5. The expanded portable computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein each expansion card is a PC card.

6. An expanded computer system comprising:

a computer having a body with at least one connector bay for allowing the plugging in of expansion cards;

an expansion card interface disposed within the at least one connector bay;

an expansion card having connectors for connecting to the expansion card interface, and further having a first conductive surface with plurality of grounding pins for matably engaging with grounding apertures in a second expansion card, and a plurality of interconnection pins disposed on the first conductive surface for providing electrical connection with the second expansion card.

7. The computer system of claim 6 wherein the connector bay is a PCMCIA Type III connector bay.

8. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the expansion card interface is a 68-pin connector.

9. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the expansion card is an SRAM card.

10. The computer system of claim 7 and further comprising a second expansion card coupled to the plurality of grounding pins and the plurality of interconnection pins, the expansion card and the second expansion card coupled to the expansion card interface within the at least one connector bay.

11. An expanded computer system comprising:

a computer having a body with at least one connector bay for allowing the plugging in of expansion cards of a predetermined size;

an expansion card interface disposed within the at least one connector bay;

an expansion card having connectors for connecting to the expansion card interface, and further having a first conductive surface with a plurality of grounding apertures for matably engaging with corresponding grounding pins in a second expansion card, and a plurality of interconnection contacts disposed on the first conductive surface for providing electrical connection with the second expansion card.

12. The computer system of claim 11 and further comprising a second expansion card having a plurality of grounding pins coupled to the grounding apertures and a plurality of interconnection contacts coupled to the interconnection contacts of the expansion card, the expansion card and the second expansion card being coupled to the expansion card interface within the at least one connector bay.

13. An expanded computer system comprising:

a computer having a body with at least one connector bay for allowing the plugging in of expansion cards of a predetermined size;

an expansion card interface disposed within the at least one connector bay;

an expansion card having connectors for connecting to the expansion card interface, and further having a first conductive with a plurality of grounding members for matably engaging with corresponding grounding members in a further expansion card, and a plurality of interconnection contacts disposed on the first conductive surface for providing electrical connection with said further expansion card.

14. The computer system of claim 13 wherein the at least one connector bay is a PCMCIA Type III connector bay.

15. The computer system of claim 13 wherein the expansion card interface is a 68-pin connector.

16. The computer system of claim 13 wherein the expansion card is an SRAM card.