Electrical connectors – With coupling separator
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-15
2001-03-13
Nguyen, Khiem (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
C439S928000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06200147
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an interface device, more particularly to an interface device for interconnecting portable computers and computer peripheral devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a conventional interface for interconnecting a portable device and computer peripheral devices, such as printers, scanners, etc., is shown to comprise a base
12
and a connector housing
11
formed at a rear end of the base
12
. The connector housing
11
has a circuit board (not shown) disposed therein, and a connector
111
projecting outwardly from an upright front wall
110
of the connector housing
12
. Two slots
121
are formed respectively in the rear end of the base
12
at the bottom end of the front wall
110
. A hole
122
is formed adjacent to a front end of the base
12
. A slide piece
123
is disposed in the hole
122
and is slidable in a front-to-rear direction. Two lift plates
2
,
3
are mounted selectively on a top face of the base
12
in order to adjust the height of a portable computer to be disposed on the top face of the base
12
. Specifically, each of the lift plates
2
,
3
has two protrusions
21
,
31
formed at rear ends thereof and connectable respectively to the slots
121
in the base
12
, and two openings
22
,
32
formed adjacent to front ends thereof and corresponding to the hole
122
in the base
12
. When one of the lift plates
2
,
3
is disposed on the top face of the base
12
to insert the protrusions
21
,
31
into the slots
121
, the lift plates
2
,
3
can be positioned on the top face of the base
12
. As such, mating connectors of the portable computers of different heights relative to the top face of the base
12
can be aligned with and connected to the connector
111
on the connector housing
11
by displacing selectively the portable computer on the lift plates
2
,
3
.
However, since additional lift plates
2
,
3
are required to be assembled on and disassembled from the base
12
in order to mate the mating connectors of the portable computers of different heights, manipulation of the interface device is relatively troublesome and time-consuming.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide an interface device for interconnecting a portable computer and computer peripheral devices, which can be manipulated conveniently in order to adjust the height of the mating connector of a portable computer relative the top face of the base.
According to the present invention, the interface device includes a base, a lift mechanism, and a linkage mechanism. The base has a front end, a rear end, left and right sides between the front and rear ends, a top face adapted for placement of a portable computer thereon, a bottom face, and a connector housing. The connector housing is formed at the rear end of the base, and has an upright front wall extending upwardly from the top face of the base. A connector is mounted on the front wall of the connector housing at a predetermined height relative to the top face, and is adapted for engaging a mating connector of the portable computer. The lift mechanism is mounted on the base and is adapted for moving the portable computer upwardly and downwardly relative to the top face of the base so that the mating connector of the portable computer can register with and engage the connector on the base. The linkage mechanism is mounted on the base, and is connected operatively to the lift mechanism in order to actuate the lift mechanism. The lift mechanism includes a pair of supports mounted movably on the base, respectively, adjacent to the left and right sides for moving upward and downward relative to the base. The supports extend in a front-to-rear direction. The linkage mechanism is connected operatively to the supports and has a slide plate operable manually to actuate the supports.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4193656 (1980-03-01), Ward
patent: 4969830 (1990-11-01), Daly et al.
patent: 5145389 (1992-09-01), Okubo
patent: 5435737 (1995-07-01), Haga et al.
patent: 6115246 (2000-09-01), Ohnishi
patent: 3-297084 (1990-04-01), None
Compal Electronics
Duverne J. F.
Nguyen Khiem
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
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