PC cards are becoming widely used to provide an interface between circuitry in an electronic device such as a portable computer, and other devices such as modems, facsimile machines, sound and video equipment, etc. PC cards complying with PCMCIA standards (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) have a width and length about the same as a common credit card, of 54 mm.times.85.6 mm. The maximum thickness of the standard card varies, with Type I card being 3.3 mm, Type II card being 5 mm, and Type III card being 10.5 mm. There is a need for a very low cost interface between a PCMCIA card and RJ style plugs.
RJ plugs are commonly used to connect household and business telephones to cables. Such RJ, or telephone-type plugs are designed for insertion into recesses having a height of about 10 mm, with the bottom walls of the recess holding contacts for engaging the plug contacts so the receptacle must have a total height of at least about 14 mm. As a result, a simple slot cannot be provided at the rear end of a standard PC card to receive and connect to such a plug. In many electronic devices that receive PC cards, a door is provided that closes the rear end of the card-receiving slot. Accordingly, the PC card that can connect to an RJ plug, must not be thicker or longer than the given card dimensions when not connected to an RJ plug.
One solution to the connection of an RJ plug to a PC card is to provide a removable adaptor with a tall cavity at the rear for receiving the RJ plug and with a narrow plug at its front end for insertion into the rear of the PC card. However, there is a danger that such a removable adaptor will be lost. Also, such an adaptor adds to the cost of the interface. Apparatus that could be substantially completely contained within the dimensions of a standard PC card such as a Type II type (which is the most popular type), but which could be extended for mating with an RJ plug, which was rugged and facilitated rearward pullout of the device, would be of value.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds