Patent ID: 6361372
Filing Date: 2002-03-26
Classification: H01R

Abstract:
An assembly for connecting a computer, having a power supply, a system board with an IDE header and a hard disk drive, with an external device to provide power and signal transfer comprising:a first signal transfer line connected at a first end to the computer via the IDE header mounted on the system board, the first signal transfer line having a female connector containing a set of signal transfer receptacles at a second end; a second signal transfer line connected at a first end to the external device, the second signal transfer line having a female connector containing a set of signal transfer receptacles at a second end; a first power cord connected at a first end to the computer power supply and having an arrayed set of receptacles in a female plug at a second end; a second power cord connected at a first end to the external device and having an arrayed set of pins in a male plug at a second end; and a connector for coupling first and second signal transfer lines and first and second power cords comprising; i) an elongated generally cubical body member of a first length, a first width, and a first height, the body member having first and second faces and a peripheral surface comprising discontinuously planar upper and base parts, and first and second end parts; ii) a cutout section in each upper and base part, each cutout section opening to opposite body faces; iii) a set of dual pin members, each with first and second ends, mounted in and extending through the body member in a width-wise direction thereof so that the first end of each pin member is arrayed for insertion into one set of signal transfer receptacles of the first signal transfer line female connector and the second end of each pin member is arrayed for insertion into another set of signal transfer receptacles of the second signal transfer line female connector; and iv) a set of open-ended pin-receptacle members mounted in and extending through the body member in a width-wise direction thereof so that each pin-receptacle member of the set is arrayed to receive through a first face of the body member a respective set of correspondingly arrayed pins of the second end of the electrical power line male plug, and each pin-receptacle of the set is arrayed to receive through a second face of the body member a respective set of correspondingly arrayed receptacles of the second end of the electrical power line female plug.