Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Coupling part for receiving edge of planar board moving...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-05
2001-08-07
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Coupling part for receiving edge of planar board moving...
C439S924100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270369
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a connector formed on a main-card board for connecting to the main-card board in a replaceable manner a sub-card board having various functions, particularly a sub-card board connector wherein a grounding method between a connector and a sub-card board has been improved, a sub-card board, a modem sub-card, and a computer having this connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, along with the dramatic diffusion of the Internet and that of portable telephones in addition, mounting a modem function and so on a PC has become inevitable. In particular, this modem function is one of the most important functions for a super-slim notebook PC of superior portability. Incidentally, to connect a sub-card board having such various functions to a main-card board, it is necessary, especially for a sub-card board emitting an electromagnetic wave such as a modem function, to securely ground the sub-card board in order to control electrical noise. Also, a modem needs to be certified in each individual country to which it is shipped, and to facilitate such certification, it is necessary to make the sub-card board replaceable. Moreover, it is required that the sub-card board is easily removable for upgrading and maintenance of the modem's functions.
FIG. 6
is a diagram showing an example of connecting a conventional sub-card board to a main-card board via a connector. In
FIG. 6
,
51
is a cover,
52
is a main-card board,
53
is a sub-card board such as a modem, and
54
-
1
and
54
-
2
are connectors, namely
54
-
1
is a connector fixed on the main-card board
52
side,
54
-
2
is a connector fixed on the sub-card board
53
side,
55
is a screw, and
56
is a stud. As
FIG. 6
shows, conventionally, in the event of connecting sub-card board
53
to main-card board
52
via connectors
54
-
1
and
54
-
2
, sub-card board
53
was connected to main-card board
52
by using straight-type or right-angle-type connectors
54
-
1
and
54
-
2
to be fixed with screws
55
at a few locations. And the grounding of sub-card board
53
to main-card board
52
and cover
51
was performed by using screws. Thus, while it had a sufficient grounding function, a space for screwing became necessary or it took time for placement and removal of sub-card board
53
, which was a factor of increasing repair and assembly costs.
As a connector for solving the above-mentioned problem, a connector mainly used for a memory card is known. This connector is a connector formed on a main-card board for connecting to the main-card board in a replaceable manner a sub-card board having various functions, the connector comprising a connector body having an electrode pattern in contact with a terminal formed on an end face of the sub-card board; and latch supporting parts having latches from the connector body along the main-card board for setting the sub-card board on the connector body obliquely to the main-card board and, from that state, fixing the sub-card board by suppressing the reaction force in pressing the sub-card board against the connector board so that it should be along the board.
The basic structure of this connector is the same as the embodiment of the present invention explained later as FIG.
1
and FIG.
2
. As for the connector of the above-mentioned structure, placement and removal of a sub-card board are simple, and the occupied space can also be made smaller since it is not fixed by screws. However, there was a problem that, while it was conventionally well grounded by using screws, a ground with screws cannot be used since there is no screw. Here, there was a problem that, if grounded with a connector terminal, the wiring used on the terminal is too thin to be sufficient and also the number of the usable terminals is limited accordingly. In addition, there was a demand for grounding around a sub-card board to eliminate radio disturbance such as EMI. Thus, it has been desired that a structure allowing good grounding be also found in this type of connectors.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem and provide a sub-card board connector capable of secure grounding and also easy placement and removal of a card, a sub-card board, a modem sub-card, and a computer having this connector.
The subject of the sub-card board connector of the present invention is a connector formed on a main-card board for connecting to the main-card board in a replaceable manner a sub-card board having various functions, the connector comprising: a connector body having an electrode pattern in contact with a terminal formed on an end face of the sub-card board; and latch supporting parts having latches from both ends of the connector body along the main-card board for setting the sub-card board on the connector body obliquely to the main-card board and, from that state, fixing the sub-card board by suppressing the reaction force in pressing the sub-card board against the main-card board so that it should be along the board. In such a connector, (1) first GND connections are placed on a surface facing the sub-card board of the latches and when connecting the sub-card board to the connector, the sub-card board is grounded by having the first GND connections contact electrodes provided on the sub-card board; and/or (2) second GND connections are placed facing the sub-card board on a surface opposite to the latches of the latch supporting parts and when connecting the sub-card board to the connector, the sub-card board is grounded by having the second GND connections contact electrodes provided on the sub-card board.
Also, the sub-card board of the present invention is used for connecting with a connector of the above-mentioned structure, and in a state of the sub-card board placed on the connector, it has a first electrode provided in a position to contact first GND connections of the connector and/or a second electrode provided in a position to contact second GND connections. In addition, a modem sub-card of the present invention comprises a sub-card board of the above-mentioned structure consisting of a card having a modem function. Furthermore, a computer of the present invention has a connector of the above-mentioned structure for connecting a sub-card board.
In the present invention, it is possible to establish a good ground in a connector when a sub-card board is placed on a connector since a ground can be established either on the topside and/or on the underside of the perimeter of the sub-card board (1) by first GND connections provided on a latch and/or (2) by second GND connections provided on latch supporting parts. This part can form a large electrode due to enough space. It does not, of course, spoil the ease of placement and removal of the sub-card board that the original has.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3701071 (1972-10-01), Landman
patent: 4503608 (1985-03-01), Evans
patent: 4602351 (1986-07-01), Shimamura
patent: 4713013 (1987-12-01), Regnier et al.
patent: 4767341 (1988-08-01), Lund
patent: 5302136 (1994-04-01), St. Germain et al.
patent: 5337220 (1994-08-01), Granitz
patent: 5757622 (1998-05-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 5813878 (1998-09-01), Kuwata et al.
patent: 5997315 (1999-12-01), Akama et al.
Fujii Kazuo
Kato Katsutoshi
Mori Shigeki
Ohtani Tetsuya
Studwell Thomas
Dillon Andrew
Duverne J. F.
Grossner George E.
International Business Machines - Corporation
Sircus Brian
LandOfFree
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