Stacked electrical card connector assembly

Details Stacked electrical card connector assembly Stacked electrical card connector assembly

2001-12-17

2003-04-01

Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With supporting means for coupling part

Supporting plural, independent coupling parts

Reexamination Certificate

active

06540552

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to electronic card connectors for reading/accessing electronic cards, such as memory cards, and in particular to a stacked assembly of two electronic card connectors of different types, such as a PCMCIA/Card Bus connector and a Smart Card connector.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electronic card connectors have been widely used in a variety of electronic devices that require additional memory. Examples of the electronic cards are PCMCIA (Card Bus) cards and Smart Cards. Each different electronic card can only be accessed by means of a unique connector. Conventionally, a PCMCIA/Card Bus connector and a Smart Card connector are individually mounted in for example a notebook computer. This not only increases the number of parts of the notebook computer, but also requires a great amount of space for accommodating these individual electronic card connectors.
It is thus desirable to provide a stacked assembly of a PCMCIA/Card Bus connector and a Smart Card connector for alleviating the above-discussed problems. Two other copending applications with unknown serial numbers, the same applicant, the same title, the same assignee and the same filing date, also disclose some other approaches to cure the shortcoming of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a stacked assembly of a PCMCIA/Card Bus connector and a Smart Card connector
Another object of the present invention is to provide a stacked electronic card connector assembly comprising two different electronic card connectors stacked over each other for reducing footprint of a printed circuit board that the electronic card connectors occupy.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an electronic card connector assembly which comprises less number of parts.
To achieve the above objects, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a stacked electronic card connector assembly comprising a first electronic card connector, such as a Smart Card connector, comprising a housing retaining a number of first contacts and a second electronic card connector, such as a Card Bus connector, comprising a header retaining a number of second contacts. An insulative frame defines an opening to receive and retain the housing of the first electronic card connector. The frame is secured to the header of the second electronic card connector for interposing and fixing the housing therebetween thereby forming a stack. A first portion of a board-to-board connector is connected to the first and second contacts by a flexible printed circuit board. A second portion of the board-to-board connector is mounted a main computer board of for example a notebook computer.


REFERENCES:
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patent: 5713747 (1998-02-01), Hsia et al.
patent: 5775923 (1998-07-01), Tomioka
patent: 5954522 (1999-09-01), Ho et al.
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patent: 6062904 (2000-05-01), Oguchi et al.
patent: 6129564 (2000-10-01), Kawamae et al.
patent: 6287129 (2001-09-01), Kuo

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