Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-06
2003-11-04
Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
C439S607070, C439S946000, C361S737000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06641409
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a grounding structure for a network card. The grounding structure includes a grounding member that has one side welded to or directly contacted with a circuit board of the network card and an upper grounding plane exposed from the network card, so that the network card has a grounding conductor to protect electronic elements on the circuit board against burning out.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many smart electronic apparatus, such as computers and various peripherals thereof, are widely employed in different fields. Operators of these electronic apparatus tend to be in a highly static electrification state due to the dry or carpeted environments in which the electronic apparatus are set up, or due to their clothing. Once the electrified operators are in contact with the electronic apparatus, static electricity is discharged from the operators to the electronic apparatus to cause damaged or even short-circuited and burned-out internal electronic elements and, accordingly, failed electronic apparatus.
To protect the electronic apparatus against damages caused by the static electricity discharged from the operators, it is a common practice to ground an internal circuit board via a case or housing of the electronic apparatus, in order to protect the electronic elements provided on the circuit board and maintain normal operation of the electronic apparatus. A network card is widely used with local area networks. Just as the above-mentioned electronic apparatus, the network card must also be provided with structure for shielding high static electricity without exception. In a currently available skill for protecting internal electronic elements, such as integrated circuits, of an ultra-thin type network card against high static electricity, a lower case of the network card is formed at two opposite longitudinal edges with two upward extended walls, which are inward bent to press against a grounding conductive pad on a circuit board of the network card, so that the circuit board is firmly sandwiched between the pad and an upper surface of the lower case. An upper case of the network card is then closed onto the lower case for the entire network card to be a grounded conductor.
Although the above-described structure facilitates discharge of static electricity to provide the function of grounding, it has the following drawback.
The upward extended walls integrally formed at two longitudinal edges of the lower case are of the same material and in the same thin-sheet form as the lower case. When these extended thin walls are repeatedly bent during necessary repairs of electronic elements of the network card, they will finally break and must be removed and replaced with a new one, resulting in loss of metal material and increased cost, and even loss of the grounding function thereof.
It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop an improved grounding structure for a network card to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a network interface card for notebook computers, which enables grounding of electronic elements inside the network card to discharge static electricity from the network card, and therefore ensures normal operation of the internal electronic elements thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a grounding structure for a network card, which can be quickly assembled and disassembled without causing damages to cases or components of the network card.
To achieve the above and other objects, the present invention includes a grounding member connected to a top of a connector of the network card. The grounding member is provided at an edge with a plurality of pins for welding to or contacting with a circuit board of the network card. The grounding member has an upper grounding plane that is exposed from and flush with a front end of the upper case of the network card, and is provided with equally spaced conductive dots. With the grounding member that provides grounding function, electronic elements inside the network card are protected against burning-out.
The grounding member is provided at two lateral ends with two vertically downward extended lugs that engage with two vertical slots provided at two lateral ends of the connector to firmly connect the grounding member to the top of the connector. To enable a firm connection of the grounding member to the top of the connector, the two lugs at the two lateral ends of the grounding member are further provided at their respective outer vertical surfaces with two outward and upward inclined elastic lips, which automatically press against inner walls of the slots on the connector when the lugs are engaged with the slots.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5833473 (1998-11-01), Betker et al.
patent: 5896274 (1999-04-01), Ishida
patent: 6004144 (1999-12-01), Yeh et al.
patent: 6330163 (2001-12-01), Bates et al.
patent: 6474998 (2002-11-01), Takeuchi
Bacon & Thomas PLLC
Ta Tho D.
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