Patent Publication Number: US-6213782-B1

Title: Input/output connector with hinged member

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/112,180 filed Dec. 14, 1998. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to an electrical interconnection device which provides a link between a cable and a computer input/output port. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Printed circuit (PC) cards are known for use with a computer to enhance the operational capabilities of the computer. Many of these PC cards have an input/output (I/O) header that mates with an I/O connector at one end of a cable assembly to permit the PC card and the computer to communicate with external resources. When the I/O connector of the cable assembly is attached to the PC card, the connector protrudes from the PC card beyond the case of the computer. This leads to the problem that the I/O connector is prone to breakage, especially when the computer is tilted by having one end raised such that a load is imposed on the I/O connector at the other end. 
     Another problem relates to the cable assembly itself. The other end of the cable assembly has a connector of a type which can vary depending on the nature of the PC card and the application for which it is being used. For example, a connection with a local area network (LAN), a facsimile machine or telephone line requires a telecommunications connector which is typically configured as a modular jack that can mate with a standard RJ-series modular plug. The cable assembly is a relatively expensive link between the I/O connector at one end and the telecommunications connector at the other end. 
     There is a need for an interconnection device which provides an interface between a computer PC card and communications equipment, which is relatively inexpensive and is not prone to breakage. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is an electrical interconnection device comprising a first connector member having a first mating end and a second connector member having a second mating end, wherein the first connector member and the second connector member are pivotally linked to permit relative angular movement between the first and the second electrical members. 
     One of the connector members has journals which are pivotably received in bores in the other of the connector members. The connector members are pivotable on a pivot axis which extends through the journals and the bores. 
     The first connector member may be a printed circuit card I/O connector, and the second connector member may be a telecommunications adapter connector such as a modular jack. 
     In one embodiment the adapter connector has a receptacle which is open in a direction that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the I/O connector. 
     In another embodiment the adapter connector has a receptacle which is open in a direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the I/O connector. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a front isometric view of an I/O connector which is used in an interconnection device according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a rear isometric view of the interconnection device including the I/O connector and a horizontal loading adapter; 
     FIG. 3 is a front isometric view of the interconnection device showing the horizontal loading adapter angularly displaced with respect to the I/O connector; 
     FIG. 4 is rear isometric view of the interconnection device in an alternate embodiment wherein the adapter is a slim vertical loading adapter; 
     FIG. 5 is a rear isometric view of the interconnection device in an another embodiment wherein the adapter is a flush vertical loading adapter; 
     FIG. 6 is a front isometric view of the interconnection device in another embodiment; and 
     FIG. 7 is a front isometric view of the interconnection device of FIG. 6 showing relative pivoting of first and second connection members. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     There is shown in FIGS. 1-3 an interconnection device comprising a first connector member  10  and a second connector member  20 . The first connector member is an input/output (I/O) connector which includes a housing  11  having a first mating end  12  that is configured according to standards issued by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) for matability with a standard I/O header of a PC card (not shown). Such an I/O header and PC card are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,360 which is incorporated by reference as if set forth fully herein. 
     The I/O connector  10  holds contacts  13  which are secured in the housing  11 . These contacts may be aligned in a single horizontal row as shown, or in two parallel horizontal rows. The I/O connector defines a longitudinal axis  14  which extends in the directions of mating and unmating of the I/O connector and is perpendicular to the row of contacts  13 . The I/O connector has latches  15  which cooperate with structure on the PC card I/O header to secure the I/O connector to the header. A pair of actuators  16  on opposite sides of the housing  11  are squeezable in a direction transverse to the axis  14  to release the latches  15  and permit withdrawal of the I/O connector from the header. The housing has a pair of pivot pins or journals  17  at a rear section thereof. 
     The second connector member  20  may be configured as an adapter for mating with a connector of a different type than the PC card I/O connector. The second connector member is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to be modular jack adapter that can mate with a standard RJ-series modular plug. The second connector member includes a housing  21  which is pivotally attached to the housing  11  of the first connector member  10 . The housing  21  includes a pair of arms  22  which have bores  23  that receive the journals  17  with a small diametral clearance to permit pivoting of the arms on an axis  24  extending through the journals. 
     The adapter which is shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3 is termed a horizontal loading adapter. This adapter has a second mating end including a receptacle  30  and contacts  31  that are configured to mate with a modular plug. The receptacle  30  is open to the rear of the adapter for receiving the modular plug in a direction which is parallel to the axis  14  of the I/O connector. The adapter is pivotable on the axis  24  through an angle which extends both above and below the axis  14 . The pivoting angle may be limited by stop surfaces  19  on the I/O connector which are engaged by surfaces of the arms  22 . 
     Alternate embodiments of the adapter are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, wherein the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same features as in the previous embodiment. Each of these adapters  120 ,  220  is termed a vertical loading adapter because each adapter has a receptacle  130 ,  230  that is open in a direction which is perpendicular to the axis  14  of the I/O connector. Each adapter  120 ,  220  has contacts  131 ,  231  that are engageable with contacts of a mating modular plug, and each adapter has visual indicators  132 ,  232  such as light-emitting diodes (LED&#39;s) which illuminate to show that particular circuits are energized. 
     More particularly, the adapter  120  in FIG. 4 is termed a slim vertical loading adapter which has a height that is approximately the same as the height of the I/O connector  10 . 
     The adapter  220  in FIG. 5 is termed a flush vertical loading adapter because a mating modular plug does not protrude through a bottom of the adapter. This adapter has a raised wall  233  which surrounds the receptacle  230  and is configured to hold the modular plug at an elevated level compared to a modular plug held in the slim vertical loading adapter  120  of FIG.  4 . 
     In order to resist insertion forces of a modular plug in the adapters  120 ,  220 , it may be desired to prevent each adapter from pivoting below the axis  14 . Pivoting may be limited by the housing of each adapter having a forward ledge  125 ,  225  with an undersurface  1261   226  which is configured to engage a rear surface  18  of the I/O connector  10  as required to prevent rotation of the adapter below the axis  14 . 
     The contacts  31 ,  131 ,  231  of the adapter and the contacts  13  of the I/O connector are electrically connected by a structure which can accommodate relative angular movement between the adapter and the I/O connector. One such structure is a flexible dielectric film such as polyimide which carries conductive traces having opposite ends that are connected to the adapter contacts and the I/O connector contacts, respectively. Another such structure is a ribbon cable having wire conductors that interconnect the adapter contacts and the I/O connector contacts. An alternate structure includes the adapter contacts having sections that are in sliding engagement with corresponding sections of the I/O connector contacts. The sections that are in sliding engagement will slide in continuous engagement through a full range of pivoting movement of the adapter and I/O connector. 
     Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. In this embodiment the first connector member  10 , or I/O connector, is pivotally coupled to a second connector member  40  which is not an adapter. The second connector member  40  has a second mating end which may be terminated directly to a cable  42  in a known manner such as by insulation displacement contacts. Alternatively, the second mating end may be clamped to the cable  42  so as to provide strain relief, while the cable  42  is electrically connected to the contacts in the first connector member  10  in a known manner. The second connector member  40  includes the arms  22  and the bores  23  of the previous examples. The first and second connector members  10 ,  40  are relatively pivotable on the axis  24  as in the previous examples. Although this embodiment does not obtain the advantages provided by an adapter having a modular connector interface, this embodiment still has the advantage that likelihood of breakage is reduced because the I/O connector  10  can have a relatively short length in the direction of axis  14 . 
     The invention having been disclosed, a number of variations will now become apparent to those skilled in the art. Whereas the invention is intended to encompass the foregoing preferred embodiments as well as a reasonable range of equivalents, reference should be made to the appended claims rather than the foregoing discussion of examples, in order to assess the scope of the invention in which exclusive rights are claimed.