Electrical connectors – Including or for use with tape cable
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-12
2002-08-06
Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Including or for use with tape cable
C439S329000, C439S676000, C439S499000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06428347
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computer media connectors. More particularly, the present invention relates to signal transference from external network connections via media connectors to a printed circuit board.
2. The Prior State of Related Art
Various communication systems are used to allow electronic devices, such as laptop computers, to communicate and exchange data and other types of information. For example, various networks, including Local Area Networks (LAN), Internet, Ethernet and conventional telephone networks, often link computers. These known communication systems, usually require the computer to be physically connected to telephone lines, modems or specialized wiring. Integration of LAN systems and modem telephone systems onto portable electronic devices, and more specifically onto a portable expansion card, allow a computer to provide a user with a communication outlet to the previously mentioned networks.
Portable expansion cards developed when the industry recognized that standardization of peripheral devices would, among other things, greatly increase the demand for them. Exemplary portable expansion cards include solid-state interface cards, PC Cards, ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment) cards, Compact Flash cards, SmartMedia cards, SSFDC (Solid State Floppy Disk Cards), or other miniature expansion card devices. Several manufacturers collaborated to form the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA), which developed and promulgated standards for the physical design, dimensions, and electrical interface of portable expansion devices. Specifically, the PCMCIA PC Card standard identifies three primary card types: Type I, II, and III. These PC Card types correspond to physical dimension restrictions of 85.6 mm (length)×54.0 mm (width) and height restrictions of up to 3.3 mm (Type I), 5.0 mm (Type II), and 10.5 mm (Type III). Now, many electronic devices being manufactured, especially those having a reduced size, are adapted to accommodate these standards. Laptop computers, in particular, are increasingly popular for both business and personal applications due in part to the development of PC Card peripheral devices designed to increase the functionality of the computers. As an example, PC cards are commonly used with portable and laptop computers to provide added features and/or functions. For instance, PC cards are often configured to function as memory cards, network interface cards (NIC), sound cards, modems, or other devices that supply add-on functionality. Often, portable expansion cards such as network interface cards (NCs) or modem cards are used to allow or facilitate communication with an external system or device such as the Global Information Network or the public telephone network.
The ability to communicate with the external system, however, relies on connectors that provide an electrical connection between the portable expansion card and the external system. For example, the public telephone system is usually accessed through wall jacks that are designed to receive RJ series media plugs. Understandably, the connector of a modem card that is connecting with the public telephone system is also configured to receive RJ series media plugs. The physical shape of the connector can be varied to accommodate other types of plugs and to enable connections with different systems.
When the media plug is removably connected with the connector of the portable expansion card, an electrical connection is formed at this interface that permits the card to electrically communicate with the external system, which can be a network, the public telephone system, or the like. In one example, the card's connector has an aperture formed in the body of the connector that is shaped and sized to removably receive a similarly shaped and sized media plug. As previously described, the aperture is often shaped and configured to receive RJ type media plugs. Contact pins, which are attached to the connector, extend freely into the aperture of the connector that receives the media plug. The media plug has contacts that are positioned on the media plug to come into contact with the contact pins when the media plug is inserted into the connector. The physical contact between the contact pins and the media plug contacts form the electrical connections through which the portable expansion card can communicate with the external system.
For a movable interface, such as a retractable connector, it should be appreciated that such interfaces that have two fixed bodies, such as (i) a printed circuit board associated with the portable expansion card and (ii) a media connector, must provide electrical continuity therebetween. On approach for providing such electrical continuity has been to use a flex circuit having electrical traces thereon. Flex circuits are flexible ribbon-like wiring harnesses that retain sufficient rigidity and flexibility during extension and retraction of the media connector in reference to the printed circuit board to sustain an enduring electrically conductive conduit. Attachment at the terminal ends of the flex circuit has heretofore been performed by either (i) solder-connections of the flex to fixed pads or post on the printed circuit board and media connector, or (ii) piercing electrically conductive posts on the printed circuit board and the media connector through conductive pad regions on the flex circuit thereby creating an electrical interconnect held largely in place by the stresses associated with the pierced and deformed flex circuit about the piercing post. Over time and frequently during initial assembly, such interfaces are unreliable and unaccommodating for reworking or repairing the electronic device. It would be an advancement in the art to provide a more accommodating and reliable interface between the flex circuit and the stationary components of the electronic device, such as between the media connector and the flex circuit.
An additional aspect to a media connector of further concern relates to the contact pins that physically interface with the media plug. It is important to ensure that the contact pins do not fracture, improperly bend, or otherwise malfunction in order to maintain an effective electrical connection. Because a media plug is repeatedly inserted and removed from a media connector, the contact pins are usually designed to flex within a prescribed range of motion and if the movement of the contact pins exceeds this limited range of motion, the contact pins may fracture or otherwise malfunction. Similarly, hindering the movement or flexibility of the contact pins can cause the contact pins to fracture or otherwise malfunction.
Another problem associated with the contact pins is the ability to properly position the contact pins within the media connector. Sometimes, one or more of the contact pins can be moved or shifted to a different position. This presents at least two problems. First, the misplaced contact pins can come into contact with other contact pins, which often results in an electrical short. Second, the misplaced contact pins may not come into contact with a corresponding contact of a media plug. In this instance, the electrical connection is not formed at the media connector and the card is not in electrical communication with the external system.
Further, when a media plug is inserted into a media connector, the contact pins bend and usually place separation forces on the other contact point in the media connector. Because these stresses may cause separation of the contact pins from the electrical contact pad points, a loss of the electrical connections and a number of different problems can occur. For example, if the contact pins do separate from the electrical contact pads the signals cannot be transferred with the external network. Further the user the user risks electrical damage to the contact pins or the media plug contacts when they move on the electrical contact pad surfaces. Previous attempts to fixably posi
Forte Steven Lo
Johnson Thomas A.
Kunz Ryan
Oliphant David
3Com Corporation
Nguyen Truc
Ta Tho D.
Workman & Nydegger & Seeley
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