Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-15
2001-02-20
Gaffin, Jeffrey (Department: 2841)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S736000, C361S816000, C361S818000, C174S034000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06191950
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to printed circuit (PC) cards and protective covers used in computers and, more specifically, to a PC card that meets the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) PC Card standard.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Small credit-card-sized printed circuit (PC) memory cards that plug into slots in computer hardware have become standard in the industry, especially for portable computers. The Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) develops and releases the “PC Card Standard” that defines parameters for PC memory cards. Cards and hardware developed by various manufacturers will be compatible if they are manufactured in conformance with the standard. Although the PCMCIA PC Card Standard may be periodically updated with new “Releases,” a PC card assembly that conforms to any Release of the standard may generally be referred to in the art as a “PCMCIA PC Card assembly.”
Release 2.0 of the PC Card Standard sets the size of extended version cards at 85.6 mm long and 54.0 mm wide. These dimensions correspond to the size of a standard credit card. Referring now to
FIG. 1
, there is shown an illustration of a standard PC Card
100
. PC card
100
has a card guide first section
102
, with a first standard thickness, and a second section
104
that is of a second standard thickness depending on the card type. For instance, second section
104
of a Type I card is 3.3 mm thick; a Type II card, such as is shown in
FIG. 1
, is 5 mm thick; and a Type III card is 10.5 mm thick. Some PC cards also include a battery
106
, a write-protect switch
108
, and a grounding clip
112
. The standard also includes specifications for a 68-pin interface connector, mounting at connecting end
110
, and the size of the slot in the hardware that receives the card.
The PC Card Standard includes minimum structural requirements for withstanding torque, bending, impact (drop), shock, vibration, warping, moisture, and other mechanical requirements. The cards are also required to meet standards for withstanding electromagnetic interference (EMI), radio frequency (RF) waves, and electrostatic discharge (ESD). These standards are usually met by enclosing the card in a protective metal cover. PC cards may also be required to meet standards set by the Joint Electronic Device Engineering Council (JEDEC), International Standards Organization (IPSO), and others.
The PC cards are used for flash memory, networking, modem connections to telephone systems, hard drives, cellular telephone connection, sound cards, and input/output (I/O) interface with other external peripheral hardware. Although laptop and palmtop systems are the primary users of PC cards, recent desktop systems have also incorporated card slots.
A number of assemblies comprising a card in its protective metal cover and conforming to the PCMCIA PC Card Standard are currently manufactured by a variety of suppliers. Such assemblies generically comprise a top cover and a bottom cover; the PC card is held between the top and bottom covers. Most of these covers require ultrasonic welding, laser welding, or adhesive bonding to adhere the components together. Such operations slow the assembly process, add cost, and introduce additional opportunities for error.
Many of these covers also require that the card be mounted in a special frame. Although it is known to make a cover assembly that snaps together, rather than being bonded, such snap-together covers have included special frames. Such frames are included either as a dielectric piece integrally molded into one of the metal covers or integral to a forged or die-cast, all-metal, unitary bottom cover.
The deficiencies of the conventional PC card assemblies show that a need still exists for an improved assembly. To overcome the shortcomings of the conventional assemblies, a new printed circuit card assembly is provided. An object of the present invention is to avoid processing steps such as ultrasonic welding, laser welding, and adhesive bonding. Another object is to provide a printed circuit card assembly that does not require an additional frame to hold the circuit board.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve these and other objects, and in view of its purposes, the present invention provides an improved printed circuit card assembly. The assembly comprises the following elements:
a) a unitary bottom cover having a periphery and a plurality of tabs extending perpendicular from the periphery, each tab having an aperture in the tab;
b) a printed circuit card having a plurality of slots, each slot adapted to receive one of the tabs through the slot; and
c) a unitary top cover having opposite sides, a side rail on each side, and a plurality of prongs extending from each side rail, the prongs adapted to fit into the apertures in the tabs when the top and bottom cover are joined.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, but are not restrictive, of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5014160 (1991-05-01), McCoy, Jr.
patent: 5144533 (1992-09-01), Amett
patent: 5160807 (1992-11-01), Fry et al.
patent: 5339222 (1994-08-01), Simmons et al.
patent: 5353201 (1994-10-01), Maeda
patent: 5548483 (1996-08-01), Feldman
patent: 5563770 (1996-10-01), Bethurum
patent: 5563771 (1996-10-01), Bethurum
patent: 5574628 (1996-11-01), Persia et al.
patent: 5673181 (1997-09-01), Hsu
patent: 5689405 (1997-11-01), Bethurum
patent: 5726867 (1998-03-01), Zarreii
patent: 2057518 (1991-12-01), None
PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association); “PC Card Standard”; Feb., 1995; pp. 30-34.
IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 37, No. 08, Aug. 1994.
Cox Wilton L.
Yu Simon D.
Dinh Tuan
Fraley, Esq. Lawrence R.
Gaffin Jeffrey
International Business Machines - Corporation
Ratner & Prestia
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