Abstract:
An adapter to connect either Type I or Type II cards into a PCMCIA compliant PC Card interface on a personal computer. A protective shutter mechanism receives both Type I and Type II cards.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
         [0001]    The invention relates to adapters for connecting devices to personal computers.  
           [0002]    To expand the capacity and functional capability of portable laptops, computers, and other types of electronic devices, manufacturers developed “plug-in” peripheral cards containing circuits and devices such as memories and modems.  
           [0003]    Because of the many possible methods of constructing the interface between a computer and a peripheral card device, standards were developed by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (“PCMCIA”), Japan Electronic Data Interchange Council (“JEDIC”), International Organization for Standardization (“ISO”), Compact Flash Association (“CFA”), and others. Standards for PC Cards (formerly called PCMCIA Cards) require that they have a length of approximately 85 mm, a width of 54 mm, and a maximum thickness of 5 mm.  
           [0004]    For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,891 (the &#39;891 Patent), incorporated herein by reference, discloses a housing for such a PC card, and a process for making same. The housing disclosed in the &#39;891 Patent meets standards defined in the PCMCIA CompactFlash Specification Revision 2.1.1, incorporated herein by reference.  
           [0005]    Following the introduction of PC cards, small flash memory devices, often referred to as CompactFlash™ cards, were introduced for use with personal electronic products, such as digital cameras and cellular phones. In keeping with the trend of developing smaller devices, CompactFlash cards were even smaller in size than PC Cards. One format for CompactFlash cards was promulgated by the CFA. A card with this format, which will be referred to as a Type I card, has an approximate length of 36 mm, an approximate width of 42 mm, and an approximate thickness of 3.3 mm. Type I cards were originally intended for use with products other than personal computers. Therefore, to connect a Type I card to a personal computer, an adaptor providing a PCMCIA interface at one end and an interface for the Type I card at the other end is used. These adapters will be referred to as Type I adapters. The Type I adapter plugs into the personal computer interface for PC Cards and the Type I card plugs into the Type I adapter.  
           [0006]    More recently, a new format for CompactFlash cards that differs from the form factor of a Type I card has been proposed. A card with this new format, which will be referred to as a Type II card, has the same width and length as a Type I card but is thicker than the Type I card. In fact, Type II cards are as thick as PC Cards and Type 1 Adapters. Due to its thickness, the Type II card does not fit inside a standard PC Card housing or a Type I adapter. Consequently, the Type II card cannot be used with the Type I adapters currently used with Type I cards.  
           [0007]    It may be noted that the position of the Type II card socket holes and pins with respect to the bottom of the card is the same as that for the Type I card. Therefore, the Type II card&#39;s socket holes are offset from its center toward the bottom of the card on account of the Type II card&#39;s increased thickness.  
           [0008]    Type II cards have grooves, approximately 1.0-1.2 mm deep, 36.4 mm long, and 1.7 mm high, running along the two side walls that correspond to the grooves running along the side walls of the Type I card. The grooves on the Type II card are offset toward the bottom of the card.  
           [0009]    Standards covering the Type II card have been proposed. These proposed standards require that Type II cards have a thickness of no more than 5 mm, and that the center line of the holes be approximately 1 mm above the bottom of the Type II card.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0010]    The invention provides an adapter configured to connect both Type I and Type II cards into a PCMCIA compliant PC Card interface on a personal computer. More specifically, the invention provides a protective shutter mechanism adapted to receive both Type I and Type II cards.  
           [0011]    In one aspect, the invention is directed to an apparatus comprising a header and a shutter. The header has a front face, two side walls extending from the header front face, and male connector pins extending from the header front face substantially parallel to the side walls. The inner surface of each side wall includes a guide rail. The shutter has a front face, a rear face, two sides with grooves slidably engaging the guide rails, a planar sheet projecting from an edge of the shutter rear face, and a plurality of holes extending from the shutter front face to the shutter rear face and corresponding to the male connector pins.  
           [0012]    Implementations of the invention may include the following. A connector pin may be secured to the shutter and may extend through and slidably engage an aperture through the header. The planar sheet may include a lip to limit forward motion of the shutter by engaging the header, and the lip may be located on a tab extending from the planar sheet. A spring may bias the shutter away from the header. The holes in the shutter may be offset from the center toward the bottom of the shutter. A shroud may be connected to the shutter opposite the planar sheet, and a flange may run along a top and a bottom of the shutter front face. The apparatus may also include a frame having opposing side rails forming a bay at one end, a female connector disposed in an end of the frame opposite the bay, and an electrical connection between the female connector and the male connector pins in the header. The header may be disposed between the bay and the female connector, and the holes of the shutter may face the bay. The female and male connectors may conform to PCMCIA standards.  
           [0013]    In another aspect, the invention is directed to a dual mode adapter comprising a female connector, a male connector having a plurality of pins, an electrical connection between the female connector and the male connector, a shield for covering the pins in the male connector, and a housing for supporting the female connector, male connector and shield. The shield has a planar sheet with a lip and a plurality of holes corresponding to the pins in the male connector and is slidably engaged to the male connector. The housing defines a bay at the end of the adaptor opposite the female connector.  
           [0014]    In another aspect, the invention is directed to a kit comprising a header and a shutter. The header has a front face, two side walls extending from the header front face, and male connector pins extending from the header front face substantially parallel to the side walls. The inner surface of each side wall includes a guide rail. The shutter has a front face, a rear face, two sides with grooves configured to slidably engage the guide rails, a planar sheet projecting from an edge of the shutter rear face, and a plurality of holes extending from the shutter front face to the shutter rear face and corresponding to the male connector pins.  
           [0015]    In another aspect, the invention is directed to an apparatus for adapting a CompactFlash compatible electronic device to a PCMCIA compatible male connector. The apparatus comprises a PCMCIA compatible female connector, a CompactFlash compatible male connector, an electrical connection between the female connector and the male connector, and a housing supporting the male connector and the female connector. The housing has a top, a bottom, and a thickness between the top and the bottom that is essentially the maximum thickness that complies with the PCMCIA standard, and the male connector has pins arranged and the housing is configured to enable connection of either a type 1 or a type 2 CompactFlash electronic device to the male connector.  
           [0016]    Implementation of the invention may include the following. The housing may include a bay which spans the full thickness of the housing and which spans enough of the width of the housing to accommodate the width of a CompactFlash-compatible electronic device. A CompactFlash Type 1-compatible or Type-2 compatible electronic device may be held fully within the bay, the CompactFlash device having a female connector mated with the male connector. The apparatus may include a shutter movable relative to the housing from a first position in which the pins are exposed for connection to a female connector to a second position in which the pins are protected.  
           [0017]    In another aspect, the invention is directed to an apparatus comprising a connector assembly and a housing for the connector assembly. The connector assembly is configured to enable connection of either a type 1 or a type 2 CompactFlash electronic device to a PCMCIA compatible interface of a personal computer, and the housing has a top, a bottom, and a thickness between the top and the bottom that is essentially the maximum thickness that complies with the PCMCIA standard.  
           [0018]    Among the advantages of the invention are one or more of the following. The dual mode adapter can be used with both Type I and Type II cards. The dual mode adapter shutter protects the male connector pins from damage when they are not engaged. The shutter and its locking mechanism are an integrated unitary piece, and as such, the dual mode adapter contains few parts and is unlikely to break. The dual mode adapter is easily and economically manufactured. The dual mode adapter is inexpensive, yet provides sufficient structural integrity in an aesthetically pleasing package.  
           [0019]    Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and from the claims. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1A is a top view of an assembled dual mode adapter.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 1B is a side view of an assembled dual mode adapter.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 1C is an exploded perspective view of a dual mode adapter.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 1D is a perspective view, partially cross-sectional, of an assembled dual mode adapter.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the header.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 3 is a detailed view of one embodiment of the shutter.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 4 is a detailed view of another embodiment of the shutter.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0027]    Referring to FIG. 1A- 1 D, a dual mode adapter  10  has two covers  101 ,  102 , a frame  103  having a bay  104 , a female connector  105 , a header  106  having male connector pins  107 , an electrical connection  108  between female connector  105  and header  106 , a shutter  109 , and two compression springs  110 . When assembled, dual mode adapter  10  has a width and height conforming to PCMCIA standards set for PC Card devices. Namely, as assembled, the adapter has a length of approximately 85 mm, a width of approximately 54 mm, and is no more than approximately 5 mm thick.  
         [0028]    As shown in FIG. 1C, covers  101 ,  102  may be substantially rectangular in shape and may be stamped from metal or formed from plastic material. The covers  101 ,  102  serve to protect the internal components of dual mode adapter  10 . Covers  101 ,  102  are connected to frame  103  along their longer sides. In one embodiment, frame  103  includes two opposing side rails  117  to hold covers  101 ,  102  together. In another embodiment, side rails  117  of frame  103  may be held together by a pair of ribs (not shown) that intersect side rails  117  at an angle.  
         [0029]    Frame  103  serves to hold covers  101 ,  102  together and support female connector  105 , electrical connection  108 , header  106 , and shutter  109  between covers  101 ,  102 . Side rails  117  of frame  103  form bay  104  in the front half of dual mode adapter  10 . The dimensions of bay  104  are such that a Type I or Type II card conforming to CFA standards can slide into bay  104  and connect to header  106  through shutter  109 . The frame  103 , side rails  117  and ribs, if present, may be a unitary body formed from any suitable material.  
         [0030]    Female connector  105  conforms to PCMCIA standards and is located at the end of the assembled dual mode adapter opposite bay  104 . The outer face  123  of female connector  105  is rectangular and has holes  118  complying with PCMCIA standards to attach the dual mode adapter to a personal computer. The top and bottom edges of the outer face of female connector  105  each have a flange  119 . When assembled, the edges of covers  101 ,  102  meet flanges  119  to encase all of female connector  105  except holes  118  in the body of dual mode adapter  10 . This protects users from the sharp edges of covers  101 ,  102 . The inner face of female connector  105  is electrically coupled to header  106  by electrical connection  108 . Electrical connection  108  may be formed by any suitable medium, such as a printed circuit board (illustrated) or cables (not shown).  
         [0031]    With reference to FIG. 2, header  106  has a rectangular front face  201  and two side walls which extend perpendicularly from the edges of front face  201  toward bay  104 . Male connector pins  107  (only a representative sample of pins is shown), which conform to PCMCIA standards, project from front face  201  toward the front end of dual mode adapter  10 . The side walls  111  are parallel to and longer than the male connecting pins. The inner surface of each side wall  111  has a guide rail  112 . In addition, a knob  113  may extrude from the outer surface of each side wall  111  to fit within a corresponding slot  120  in frame  103  (see FIG. 1C).  
         [0032]    Header  106  also includes two header apertures  202  (only one is shown in this perspective view) that extend from front face  201  to the back face of header  106 . One aperture is located between male connector pins  107  and each side wall  111 . Once the dual mode adapter is assembled, header  106  is located in the mid-section of frame  103  with male connection pins  107  facing bay  104  and its back face attached to electrical connector  108 . Header  106  may be a unitary piece made of plastic material.  
         [0033]    With reference to FIG. 3, shutter  109  is generally rectangular in shape. A thin flange  303  runs along the top and bottom edges of a front surface  304  of the shutter. When dual mode adapter  10  is assembled and a CompactFlash card is connected, covers  101 ,  102  are placed against flanges  303  to encase shutter  109  and protect consumers from the sharp edges of covers  101 ,  102 .  
         [0034]    The shutter  109  includes two grooves  301  which run along the outer surface of each side  306  of shutter  109 . Grooves  301  mate with header guide rails  112  to slidably connect shutter  109  to header  106  (see FIG. 1C). In addition, two shutter apertures  302  are formed in a back face  305  of the shutter, and may extend through the shutter to the front face  304 .  
         [0035]    Returning to FIG. 1C, two connector pins  116  are attached to shutter  109  and extend toward the back of the dual mode adapter. The connector pins  116  may be inserted into and frictionally secured in two shutter apertures  302 . When shutter  109  is slidably connected to header  106  so that connector pins  116  extend into header apertures  202 . The header apertures  202  are wider than connecting pins  116  so that connecting pins  116  slidably engage header  106 . The compression springs  110 , which are held in place by connector pins  116 , bias shutter  109  away from front face  201  of header  106 .  
         [0036]    Shutter  109  also includes holes  121 , corresponding in number and location with male connector pins  107 , which extend through the shutter body from front face  304  to back face  305 . In one embodiment, holes  121  may be offset from the center of shutter  109 . For example, the center line of the bottom row of holes  121  may be approximately 1 mm above bottom surface  305 . With this offset, both Type I and Type II cards can be used with the dual mode adapter  10 . This offset, however, may not be required for other embodiments. Holes  121  are spaced to coincide with male connector pins  107  when shutter  109  and header  106  are engaged.  
         [0037]    A relatively thin planar sheet  114  is connected to the top back edge of shutter  109 . A lip  115  extends along a rim of planar sheet  114 . Shutter  109 , including holes  121 , planar surface  114 , flanges  303  and grooves  301 , may be an integrated unitary piece formed from plastic material.  
         [0038]    When bay  104  is empty, compression springs  110  urge shutter  109  into its forwardmost position so that planar sheet  114  covers and protects male connector pins  107 . When a Type I or II card is inserted into bay  104 , shutter  109  is forced back so that planar sheet  114  slips between cover  101  and electrical connection  108  and male connector pins  107  extend through holes  121  to engage the card. When the Type I or II card is removed, compression springs  110  force shutter  109  forward over male connector pins  107 . The lip  115  engages the bottom rear edge of header  106  to limit the forward motion of shutter  109  and lock the shutter in place (see FIG. 1D). When shutter  109  is in its forwardmost position, the tips of male connector pins  107  are protected by the body of shutter  109 , and planar sheet  114  covers one side of the unengaged male connector pins  107 .  
         [0039]    As shown in FIG. 3, lip  115  may be located along the edge of planar sheet  114 . Alternately, as shown in FIGS. 1B and 1D, the planar sheet may include two tabs  122  that project toward header  106 . Each tap has a lip  115  along the edge of the tab.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the shutter that includes a shroud  401 . The shroud  401  is connected to the lower edge of shutter  109  and is disposed in a generally parallel arrangement with planar sheet  114 . Shroud  401  is very thin and may be formed of nylon, Mylar, standard or engineering grade thermal plastic material, thermoset material, or the like. When a Type I or II card is inserted into bay  104 , springs  116  are compressed and shutter  109  and shroud  401  slide toward header  106  so that shroud  401  slips between cover  102  and electrical connection  108 . The motion of shutter  109  stops when the rear face of shutter  109  contacts the front face of header  106 . When the card is removed and shutter  109  is urged by compression springs  110  into its forwardmost position, shroud  401  slides out to cover and protect the side of male connector pins  107  opposite planar sheet  114 .  
         [0041]    Although Type II cards are thicker than Type I cards, either a Type I or Type II card can fit in the bay  104  formed by frame  103 . In addition, since the location of the connection socket with respect to its bottom surface is the same for both Type I and Type II cards, both Type I and Type II cards will engage the offset male connector pins which extend through the offset holes in the shutter. Thus, dual mode adapter  10  is capable of connecting to either a Type I or Type II card and conforms to PCMCIA standards.  
         [0042]    Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. For example, the embodiments disclosed in the figures and discussed above show an dual mode adapter and shutter mechanism conforming to the standards of the CFA. However, some aspects of the invention may apply to dual mode adapters for other small-format devices, including for example, those complying with the standards of PCMCIA, JEDIC, ISO, and others. The embodiments illustrated in the figures use springs to push the shutter forward when male connector pins are not engaged. However, other resilient materials may be used to bias the shutter away from the header. Components may be joined by sonic welding, with adhesives, by the application of heat, by chemical reaction, or by any other suitable method. Adhesives useful for joining the components include, for example, thermosetting resins and thermoplastic resins. Further, dual mode adapter components may be constructed of a variety of injection molded plastic materials including, for example, thermoplastic resins such as polycarbonate, acrylic and others, and thermosetting resins such as epoxy, silicone, and others. In each case, care is to be taken to choose compatible materials for parts to be joined and the joining system.