Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-24
2003-05-13
Martin, David (Department: 2841)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S753000, C361S788000, C361S727000, C361S728000, C361S724000, C361S803000, C361S796000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06563714
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer mobile rack, and, particularly, to a mobile rack with IDE and USB interfaces, which is possible for a user to change a data storage device with a IDE interface or a USB periphery device with a USB interface as desired by way of replacing the inner rack.
2. Description of Related Art
Due to a rapid development of information technology, the computer hardware has occurred a revolutionary change to adapt to all kinds of variances. For instance, a hard disk was fixed inside the casing of computer main unit during the earlier period. In order to reserve or copy the data and even to consider the portability and the security of the confidential data, the so-called mobile rack for a hard disk was developed to meet the need and it brings a great convenience to the user. In fact, the periphery device received in the inner rack of the mobile rack may be a zip disk drive with a IDE interface, a magneto-optical disk drive (MO), a magnetic tape unit, or a flash memory card read (a read and write device of flash memory in a digital camera) in addition to the hard disk so that the practicability of the mobile rack can be broadened more widely.
A conventional mobile rack is composed of an outer frame and an inner rack, wherein, the outer frame provides an outer circuit board, which has a 40-pin female connector with a standard IDE interface and a power source input socket at the outer side thereof respectively, so as to convert signals to a 50-pin male signal connector at the inner side thereof. Thus, signals at a +5V and a +12V power source lines and at two grounded lines in the power input socket can be converted to eight pins in the male signal connector. For instance, +5V power source lines are output in parallel from the 43rd and the 44th pins, +12V power source lines are output in parallel from the 49th and 50th pins, and the two grounded lines are output in parallel from the 45th to the 48th pins. As a result, the male signal connector still has two vacant pins left such as the 41st and the 42nd pins. The inner rack at the rear side thereof has an inner circuit board and the inner circuit board at the outer side thereof has a female signal connector for being inserted by the male signal connector as soon as the inner rack is inserted into the outer frame so that the signals can be transformed to the inner circuit board completely. Further, the inner circuit board at the inner side thereof divides the signals into a 40-pin male connector with a standard IDE interface and a power source output respectively so as to connect the preceding data storage device with an IDE interface such as a hard disk for the data storage device being able to run smoothly.
However, due to the USB periphery device with a USB interface such as an external type USB hub, a USB modem, and etc. being developed incessantly and the USB periphery device being connected to the rear side of the main unit usually, it is very inconvenient to the user and becomes a puzzle to a user that the USB periphery device has to be attached to the rear side of the main unit while in use and has to be detached while not in use. From the view point of interface transmission for a USB periphery device, it is composed of a +5V power source line, a +data signal line, a −data signal line, and two grounded lines, wherein, the power source line and the two grounded lines are provided on the outer circuit board and the inner circuit board except the +data and the −data signal lines. Thus, how to integrate the IDE interface and the USB interface for facilitating a device with IDE interface or a device with USB interface being connected to the main unit by way of replacing the inner rack is a hard subject has to be overcome by the manufacturer.
It is known that a mobile rack available in the market has equipped a hub with a USB interface and the male signal connector at the outer frame has a circuit layout with the +data and the −data signal lines at output ends of the USB interface being connected to two vacant pins such as the 41st and the 42nd pins. Then, the USB interface output ends of the main board have a +5V power source to be connected to the 44th pin, the +5V power source at the original power input socket is connected to the 43rd pin, the 46th pin is connected to the grounded line of the USB interface output end on the main board, and the 45th, the 47th, and the 48th pins are output in parallel with two grounded lines in the original power input socket. Although the preceding circuit layout basically can offer the mobile rack a function of USB interface, it is involved in a drawback that no switch is provided between the power source input socket and the signal connector of the outer frame. Accordingly, the power source of the computer main unit has to be shut down before the inner rack can be replaced in case of the original IDE interface or USB interface device being changed for another one. In this way, it is unable to reach a purpose that the IDE interface or the USB interface device can be run in spite of the main unit being in a state of on as soon as the inner rack is inserted into the outer frame. Furthermore, if the female signal connector of the inner rack provides a conventional pin layout and it is not possible to correspond to the USB interface of the outer frame, two +5V power sources at the 43rd and the 44th pins in the male signal connector of the outer frame may become short circuit while the inner rack is inserted into the outer frame and the USB interface output end of the main board may burned out because of a stronger current generated from the +5V power source of the 43rd pin directly connecting with the power supplier such that the USB interface output end on the main board may lose the function of transmission.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a mobile rack with IDE and USB interfaces, which integrates the IDE interface and the USB interface to perform a function of a data storage device or a USB periphery device being run well immediately as soon as the inner rack is inserted into the outer frame with a high compatibility in spite of the main unit being in a state of on.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4941841 (1990-07-01), Darden et al.
patent: 6231145 (2001-05-01), Liu
Martin David
Tran Thanh Yen
Troxell Law Office PLLC
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