Patent Publication Number: US-6711638-B1

Title: Video graphics accelerator card connector adapter

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a video graphics accelerator card connector adapter adapted for connection between the monitor and host of a computer system, enabling the monitor to be placed in a location far from the host. 
     A regular personal computer, as shown in FIG. 1, comprises a host  8  having a video graphics accelerator card (not shown) and a video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector socket  81  connected to the video graphics accelerator card and disposed on the outside, and a monitor  9  provided with a video cable  91  having a video graphics accelerator 15pin card connector plug  911  for connecting to the video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector socket  81  of the host  8 . Due to length limitation of the video cable  91 , the monitor  9  must be placed on the host  8  or positioned in a position near the host  8 . In case of positioning the monitor  9  in a place for example, the entrance-hall of a multimedia renter to show a program to the publics, the host  8  shall be positioned near the monitor  9 , or a coaxial cable shall be used and soldered with its two ends to the video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector plug  911  and the video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector socket  81 . 
     The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a video graphics accelerator card connector, which is adapted for connection between the monitor and host of a computer system, enabling the monitor to be placed in a location far from the host. To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, the video graphics accelerator card connector adapter comprises a circuit board adapted for mounting in a surface box or a wall plate, a video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector socket soldered to the circuit board and adapted for receiving the video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector plug of the video signal cable of a computer monitor or connecting to the video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector socket of the host of a computer system through a video graphics accelerator card extension cable, and an insulation displacement connector soldered to the circuit board and adapted for receiving a local area network cable. A screw terminal may be used instead of the insulation displacement connector for receiving a local area network cable. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates the connection between the monitor and host of a personal computer. 
     FIG. 2 is an assembly view of a part of a video graphics accelerator card connector adapter according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is an assembly view of the video graphics accelerator card connector adapter of the first embodiment according to the present invention before the installation of the top cover of the surface box. 
     FIG. 4 is an elevational assembly view of the video graphics accelerator card connector adapter according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates an application example of the first embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is an assembly view of a part of a video graphics accelerator card connector adapter according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 is an assembly view of the video graphics accelerator card connector adapter according to the second embodiment of the present invention before the installation of the top cover of the surface box. 
     FIG. 8 is a front view of a video graphics accelerator card connector adapter according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 9 illustrates an application example of the third embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. from  2  through  4 , a video graphics accelerator card connector adapter  1  is shown comprised of a video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector socket  11 , a circuit board  12 , an insulation displacement connector  13 , and a surface box  15 . The video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector socket  11  is soldered to the circuit board  12  at the top. The insulation displacement connector  13  is soldered to the circuit board  12  at the top behind the video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector socket  11 , and adapted for the connection of the twisted wires  211  at one end  21  of a local area network cable  2 . The surface box  15  comprises a bottom panel  151 , which holds the assembly of the circuit board  12 , the video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector socket  11  and the insulation displacement connector  13 , and a top cover  152  covered on the bottom panel  151  over the assembly of the circuit board  12 , the video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector socket  11  and the insulation displacement connector  13 . The top cover  152  has a front opening  1521 , which receives the front receiving side  111  of the video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector socket  11 . 
     Referring to FIG. 5, two video graphics accelerator card connector adapter  1  are respectively connected to the two ends  21  of a local area network cable  2 , forming a video graphics accelerator card connector adapter cable for connection between the computer monitor  4  and host  5  of a computer system. The video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector socket  11  of one video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector adapter  1  receives the video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector plug  411  of the video signal cable  41  of the computer monitor  4 . The video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector socket  11  of the other video graphics accelerator card connector adapter  1  is connected to the video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector socket  51  of the host  5  through a video graphics accelerator card extension cable  6 , which has a connector plug  62  disposed at one end for connection to the video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector socket  11  of one video graphics accelerator card connector adapter  1  and a connector socket  61  disposed at the other end for connection to the video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector socket  51  of the host  5 . By means of the aforesaid arrangement, the computer monitor  4  can be placed at a location far from the host  5 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a screw terminal  14  may be used for connecting the twisted wires  211  of the local area network cable  2  to the circuit board  12  of the video graphics accelerator card connector adapter  1  instead of the aforesaid insulation displacement connector  13 . 
     FIGS. 8 and 9 show an alternate form of the present invention. According to this alternate form, a wall plate  17  is used instead of the aforesaid surface box  15 , i.e., the video graphics accelerator card connector adapter  1  is comprised of a video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector socket  11 , a circuit board  12 , an insulation displacement connector  13 , and a wall plate  17  (see also FIG.  2 ). The assembly of the circuit board  12 , the video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector socket  11  and the insulation displacement connector  13  is installed in the wall plate  17 . The wall plate  17  has mounting holes  170  for fastening to the wall  7  of a building by fastening elements, for example, screws, and an opening  171 , which receives the front receiving side  111  of the video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector socket  11 . As shown in FIG.  9 , two video graphics accelerator card connector adapters  1  are mounted on the wall  7  of the building at different locations, and connected to the ends  21  of a local area network cable  2 , which is embedded in the wall  7 . The computer monitor  4  is connected to one video graphics accelerator card connector adapter  1  by the video graphics accelerator card 15pin connector plug  411  of its video signal cable  41 . The video graphics accelerator card connector socket  51  of the host  5  is connected to the other video graphics accelerator card connector adapter  1  through a video graphics accelerator card extension cable  6 . According to this alternate form, a screw terminal  14  may be used for connecting the twisted wires  211  of the local are network cable  2  to the circuit board  12  of the video graphics accelerator card connector adapter  1  instead of the insulation displacement connector  13 . 
     A prototype of video graphics accelerator card connector adapter has been constructed with the features of the annexed drawings of FIGS.  2 ˜ 9 . The video graphics accelerator card connector adapter functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier. 
     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.