Electrical connectors – Alternatively connected – Coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-28
2001-06-26
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Alternatively connected
Coupling part
C439S222000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250940
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly, to a connector that can provide both signal and power connection or only a signal connection.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Please refer to FIG.
1
.
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a peripheral device
12
connected to a computer system
14
with a prior art connector
10
. The connector
10
is used to connect the peripheral device
12
to the computer system
14
. The computer system
14
comprises a housing
16
, a processor (not shown) installed in the housing
16
for controlling the operations of the computer system
14
, and a power supply (not shown) installed in the housing
16
for supplying electrical power to the computer system
14
. By way of example, the peripheral device
12
is a modem. The peripheral device
12
comprises a peripheral circuit (not shown) for executing a specific peripheral function, a signal plug
18
electrically connected to the peripheral circuit comprising a plurality of signal contacts
20
for transmitting signals to or from the peripheral circuit, a signal cable
19
, a power plug
22
for obtaining electrical power from another power supply, and a power cable
21
.
The connector
10
comprises a signal socket
24
installed on the housing
16
. The signal socket
24
comprises a plurality of signal contacts
26
electrically connected to the computer system
14
. When the signal plug
18
of the peripheral device
12
is plugged into the signal socket
24
of the connector
10
, the signal contacts
20
in the signal plug
18
of the peripheral device
12
will contact the corresponding signal contacts
26
in the signal socket
24
so as to transmit signals between the computer system
14
and the peripheral device
12
.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, the signal plug
18
is a platform, and the signal contacts
20
of the signal plug
18
are installed in the platform. The signal socket
24
is a recess, and the signal contacts
26
of the signal socket
24
are installed in the recess.
When a user uses the peripheral device
12
through the computer system
14
, the user must plug both the signal plug
18
of the peripheral device
12
into the signal socket
24
of the connector
10
, and the power plug
22
of the peripheral device
12
into a power socket (not shown) so as to obtain electrical power.
When a user connects a plurality of peripheral devices, such as speakers, monitors, and external hard disks, to the computer system
14
, the user must plug each signal plug of the peripheral devices into its respective signal socket, and each power plug of the peripheral devices into a power socket. As more peripheral devices are used, so more power sockets are required. In this manner, the user frequently runs out of power sockets. Furthermore, each of the peripheral devices comprises two plugs, a signal plug and a power plug, and two cables, a signal cable and a power cable. With more peripheral devices, so more cables, and these cables invariably end up knotted and twisted together. This can be very annoying for the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide a connector to solve the above mentioned problems.
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a connector for connecting a peripheral device to a computer system, the computer system comprising a housing, a processor installed in the housing for controlling the operations of the computer system, and a power supply installed in the housing for supplying electrical power to the computer system, the peripheral device comprising at least one peripheral circuit for executing a specific peripheral function, and a plug electrically connected to the peripheral circuit comprising a plurality of signal contacts for transmitting signals to or from the peripheral circuit, the connector comprising a socket installed on the housing, the socket comprising:
a plurality of signal contacts electrically connected to the computer system; wherein when the plug of the peripheral device is plugged into the socket of the connector, the signal contacts in the plug of the peripheral device will contact corresponding signal contacts in the socket so as to transmit signals between the computer system and the peripheral device; and
a plurality of power contacts connected to the power supply for supplying electrical power;
wherein the plug of the peripheral device further comprises a plurality of power contacts for connecting to the power contacts in the socket of the connector so that electrical power is supplied to the peripheral device through the power contacts, the plurality of the power contacts of the plug can separate from the plug so that the plug does not comprise any of the power contacts and then another power supply is required for the peripheral device.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the connector can provide both signal and power connection or only signal connection and, thus, users can utilize the peripheral devices with or without requiring external power sockets.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4756695 (1988-07-01), Lane et al.
patent: 5125854 (1992-06-01), Bassler et al.
patent: 5161998 (1992-11-01), Defibaugh et al.
patent: 5328388 (1994-07-01), Fust et al.
Compal Electronics Inc.
Hsu Winston
Patel Tulsidas
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