Media jack adaptor and system

• US 6,217,350 B1
• Filed: 02/01/1999
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Kunz, Ryan A., Johnson, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, TULSIDAS C
• Application Number:
  US09/241,341
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 439/131, 439/676, 439/946.2, 439/55, 439/78, 439/64, 439/79, 361/737
• US Class Current: 439/131
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/62 Sliding engagements with one side only, e.g. modular jack coupling devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/946 Memory card cartridge

Abstract

A system for housing and receiving a media jack includes (i) an adaptor having an adaptor body having a track for receiving a media jack; and a wing extending from one side of the adaptor body; and (ii) first and second shells. Each shell includes a plate and a rail mounted on the plate. The wing is configured to be coupled between the first and second shells. Thus the wing is maintained securely between the shells. The wing has a plurality of apertures extending therethrough for receiving posts extending from the shells. The wing also has a plurality of posts extending therefrom which are positioned within recesses in the shells.

Claims

1. An adaptor for receiving a media jack, the adaptor configured to be coupled to a desired object, the adaptor comprising:

an elongated adaptor body including a first end and a second end;

a track for slidably receiving the media jack, the track extending from the first end of the elongated adaptor body towards the second end of the elongated adaptor body;

means for arresting movement of the media jack along the track of the adaptor body;

a wing extending from one side of the adaptor body, the wing including an upper surface and a lower surface, the wing extending substantially the entire length of the elongated adaptor body;

two or more apertures extending through the upper surface and the lower surface of the wing, the apertures being sized and configured to couple the wing to the object; and

at least one slot located between two of the apertures, the slot for aligning the wing relative to the object.

2. An adaptor as recited in claim 1, further comprising one or more mating surfaces located on an outer surface of the wing, the mating surfaces being sized and configured to be attached to first and second shells of a communication card.

3. An adaptor as recited in claim 1, further comprising a post extending from the wing that is configured to be attached to a shell of a communication card.

4. An adaptor as recited in claim 1, wherein the wing has substantially the same length as the track for slidably receiving the media jack.

5. An adaptor as recited in claim 1, further comprising means for biasing the media jack in a desired direction along the elongated track, the means for biasing the media jack in a desired direction along the track positioned on an opposing side of the adapter body from the wing.

6. An adaptor as recited in claim 5, wherein the means for biasing the media jack in a desired direction includes a spring post attached to the adaptor body and a spring at least partially disposed on the spring post.

7. An adaptor as recited in claim 1, wherein the means for arresting the movement of the media jack along the track of the adaptor body comprises a cam track.

8. An adaptor for receiving a media jack, the adaptor configured to be coupled to a desired object, the adaptor comprising:

an adaptor body including an elongated track for slidably receiving a media jack, the elongated track including a length and extending from one end of the body towards another end of the body;

a wing extending from one side of the adaptor body, the wing being located in a plane generally orthogonal to a plane including the elongated track;

two or more apertures extending through the wing, the apertures being sized and configured to couple the adaptor body to the object;

one or more posts extending transversely from the plane containing the wing, the posts being sized and configured to couple the adaptor body to the object; and

one or more slots located between the apertures or posts, the slots being sized and configured to align the adapter body relative to the object.

9. An adaptor as recited in claim 8, further comprising means for arresting movement of the media jack along the track of the adaptor body.

10. An adaptor for movably receiving a media jack within a PCMCIA-architecture communications card, the communications card including a housing with a first shell and a second shell, the first shell including one or more posts and the second shell including one or more recesses, the adaptor comprising:

an adaptor body including a track for movably receiving the media jack;

means for arresting the movement of the media jack along the track of the adaptor body;

a wing extending from one side of the adaptor body;

one or more apertures located in said wing, the apertures being sized and configured to receive the one or more posts of the first shell to connect the wing to the first shell of the PCMCIA-architecture communications card; and

one or more posts attached to the wing, the posts being sized and configured to be inserted into the one or more recesses in the second shell to connect the wing to the second shell of the PCMCIA-architecture communications card.

11. An adaptor for movably receiving a media jack within a PCMCIA-architecture communications card, the adaptor comprising:

an adaptor body including an elongated track for movably receiving the media jack, the adaptor body having a length and a thickness;

means for arresting the movement of the media jack along the track of the adaptor body; and

a wing extending from one side of the adaptor body, the wing having generally the same length as the adaptor body, the wing having a thickness less than the thickness of the adaptor body, the wing including an upper surface and a lower surface;

one or more posts attached to the upper surface of the wing, the posts being sized and configured to attach the wing to a shell of the PCMCIA-architecture communications card; and

one or more apertures located in the one or more posts, the apertures being sized and configured to attach the wing to another shell of the PCMCIA-architecture communications card.

12. An adaptor as recited in claim 11, wherein the wing defines a plane, and wherein the one or more posts extend transversely to the plane of the wing.

13. An adaptor as recited in claim 11, wherein the means for arresting the movement of the media jack along the track of the adaptor body comprises a cam track.

14. A system for housing and receiving a media jack, comprising:

an adaptor comprising;

an elongated adaptor body including an elongated track for slidably receiving the media jack, the elongated track including a first end and a second end, the elongated track and the adaptor body having generally the same length;

a wing extending from one side of the adaptor body, the wing having generally the same length as the adaptor body, the wing including an upper surface and a lower surface;

one or more posts attached to the upper surface of the wing;

one or more apertures located in the one or more posts;

one or more slots positioned between the posts or the apertures, the slots for aligning the adaptor body; and

a PCMCIA-architecture communications card including a first shell and a second shell, each shell including a plate and a rail, the rail of the first shell including one or more posts that are sized and configured to be inserted into the one or more apertures in the wing, the rail of the second shell including one or more recesses that are sized and configured to receive the one or more posts attached to the upper surface of the wing wherein the wing is configured to be coupled to both the first and second shells of the PCMCIA-architecture communications card.

15. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein the rail of each shell comprises a platform, the platforms of the first and second shells configured to receive the wing of the adaptor therebetween.

16. A system for housing a media jack of a PCMCIA card, the system comprising:

a communications card including a first shell and a second shell, the shells being configured to substantially enclose a circuit board of the PCMCIA card, the shells defining a plane, the first shell including one or more upwardly extending posts and the second shell including one or more recesses; and

an adaptor comprising;

an adaptor body including a track for movably receiving the media jack;

means for arresting the movement of the media jack along the track of the adaptor body;

a wing extending from one side of the adaptor body;

one or more posts in the wing that are sized and configured to be received within the one or more recesses in the second shell; and

one or more apertures in the wing that are sized and configured to receive the one or more upwardly extending posts of the first shell.