Mobile rack with IDE and USB interfaces

• US 6,563,714 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2001
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cheng-Chun Chang
• Original Assignee: Cheng-Chun Chang
• Inventors: Chang, Cheng-Chun
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, THANH Y
• Application Number:
  US09/983,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20020035657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 361/752, 361/753, 361/825, 361/685, 361/725, 361/726, 361/727, 361/788, 361/803, 361/796, 361/728, 361/724
• US Class Current: 361/752
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 27/02 for simultaneous co-operation with two or more dissimilar counterparts

Abstract

A mobile rack with IDE and USB interfaces comprises an outer frame, and an outer circuit board. The outer frame has a central frame chamber. The outer circuit board is attached to the rear side of the outer frame with a 40-pin IDE interface connector and a power input socket at the outer side thereof respectively. It is characterized in that the outer circuit board at the outer side thereof further provides a first USB signal connector so as to admit a signal being converted and integrated at a 50-pin outer signal connector disposed at the inner side of the outer circuit board; a power line between the outer signal connector and the power input socket connects with a switch on the outer frame for controlling an outer power source disconnecting from/connecting with the outer signal connector; a +data and a −data signals in the first USB signal connector connect with two vacant pins in the outer signal connectors and the rest pins in the first signal USB signal connector including a +5V and two grounded lines are connected to corresponding pins in the outer signal connector in parallel to make the outer signal connector have a IDE interface and a USB interface respectively for a data storage device with a IDE interface or a USB periphery device with a USB interface contained in a rack chamber of the inner rack being run well.

Claims

1. A mobile rack with IDE and USB interfaces, comprising:

an outer frame with a rear side, having a central frame chamber;

an outer circuit board with an outer side and an inner side, being attached to the rear side of the outer frame, the outer circuit board having a 40-pin IDE interface connector, a power input socket and a first USB signal connector at the outer side thereof respectively;

a 50-pin outer signal connector disposed at the inner side of and connected to the outer circuit board;

a power line between the outer signal connector and a power input socket;

a switch on the outer frame for disconnecting/connecting the outer signal connector with an outer power source;

+data and −

data signals in the first USB signal connector connected with two vacant pins in the outer signal connector and pins in the first signal USB signal connector including a +5V and two ground lines are connected to corresponding pins in the outer signal connector in parallel to enable the outer signal connector to have a IDE interface and a USB interface respectively;

wherein the outer signal connector has following pin designations;

a 1st to a 40th pins are IDE interface signals, a 41st and a 42nd pins are connected to the +data and the −

data signals in the USB signal connector respectively, a 43rd and a 44th pins connect with the power input socket and a +5V power source of the USB signal connector in parallel, a 45th and 48th pins for connecting with the power input socket and a grounded line in the first USB signal connector in parallel, and a 49th and a 50th pins for connecting with a +12V power source in parallel;

an inner rack at a rear at a rear side thereof having an inner circuit board with an outer side and an inner side, the outer side having a 50-pin inner signal connector connecting with the 50-pin outer signal connector, the inner side having a circuit to separate a signal as a IDE interface connector, the inner rack further including a power output plug and a second USB signal connector, whereby a data storage device with a IDE interface or a USB periphery device with a USB interface may be mounted in the inner rack and connected to the outer frame via engagement of the 50-pin inner and outer signal connectors;

the inner signal connector has the following pin designation;

a 1st to a 40th pins are IDE interface signals, a 41st and a 42nd pins are +data and −

data signals respectively, a 43rd and a 44th pins are +5V power sources in parallel, a 45th and 48th pins are ground lines in parallel, and a 49th and a 50th pins are +12 power sources in parallel.

2. The mobile rack with IDE and USB interfaces as defined in claim 1, further comprising a data storage device with IDE interface mounted in the inner rack and selected from a group consisting of:

a hard disk;

a ZIP disk drive;

a magnetic-optical disk drive;

a magnetic tape unit; and

a flash memory card read.

3. The mobile rack with IDE and USB interfaces as defined in claim 1, further comprising the USB periphery device with a USB interface mounted in the inner rack and selected from a group consisting of:

a USB hub;

a 10/100 ethernet card;

a television box;

a modem; and

a flash memory card read.

4. The mobile rack with IDE and USB interfaces as defined in claim 3, wherein a USB signal line connects with the second USB signal connector of the inner circuit board and a USB signal connector of the USB periphery device.

5. The mobile rack with IDE and USB interfaces as defined in claim 1, wherein the inner rack at a top thereof is closed with an upper cover.

6. The mobile rack with IDE and USB interfaces as defined in claim 3, wherein the USB periphery device has a plurality of USB sockets accessible from a front of the inner rack.