JP2708033B2 - PC card - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a PC card,
In particular, the present invention relates to a structure of a connection portion with a cable.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A PC card is a PC card committee of JEIDA (Japan Electronic Industry Development Association) and PCMCIA of the United States.
(Personal Computer Memory
Card International Associate
) is a card-shaped peripheral device used on a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a personal computer) in accordance with a standard being jointly promoted by ICT. In recent years, there have been many notebook PCs equipped with a PC card slot for using the PC card in a small portable personal computer having excellent portability. In particular, a personal computer equipped with a slot into which two PC cards can be inserted is known. Many. As shown in FIG. 4, various PC cards are inserted into the PC card slot 10 to utilize various functions unique to the card. Among these cards, a PC card 12 of a type called an IO card is mainly used. Various peripheral devices 1 used by the personal computer 14
The PC card 12 and the peripheral device 15 are connected by a cable 6.

Usually, the cable 6 is connected to the PC card 12 through a connection plug 13 at a central position on the opposite side of the PC card 12 from the part inserted into the personal computer 14. In many cases, a noise filter 7 for removing noise of an electric signal is provided near the connection plug 13. For example, page 328, page 329 of the August 1995 ASCII Edition (ASCII), Oh! PC
October 15, 1995 issue (SoftBank Corp.)
As shown in the photo of the PC card product group on page 110, most of the time, the connection plug is fixed in the center of the PC card opposite to the part inserted into the PC, and the noise filter is located near the connection plug. PC with attached shape
Cards are also common.

[0004]

A problem in the prior art is that the connector for connecting the PC card and the cable is easily damaged. The reason for this is that the connection between the PC card and the cable is weak because the PC card itself is thin and small. That is, the connection plug 13 is twisted due to the kinking of the cable connected to the PC card.
Force is applied to the connector 16 through the connector, so that solder or P
A force is applied to the conductive pattern on the printed board of the C card.
While this is repeated many times, the internal signal lines are disconnected, and the PC card 12 cannot be used.

One of the causes of the cable twisting is that the noise filter 7 for removing noise is located near the connection plug 13 connecting the PC card 12 and the cable 6 in FIG. Generally, since the noise filter 7 is large compared to the thickness of the PC card 12 and is located at almost the same position with respect to any PC card, as shown in FIG.
When the noise filter 7 is inserted into the C card slot 10, the noise filters 7 interfere with each other, the cable 6 is twisted, and an excessive force is applied to the connection plug 13.

An object of the present invention is to provide a PC card in which a connection portion between the PC card and a cable is hardly damaged.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a PC card according to the present invention, which is connected between a personal computer and a peripheral device connected thereto through a cable and a connection plug at the end thereof.
A PC card having a first connector for transmitting and receiving signals and receiving a signal from the connection plug by fitting with the connection plug, wherein the connection plug is inserted in a PC card slot of the PC card in a direction of insertion. When the connection plug is inserted into the PC card slot in a state where the connection plug and the PC card body are integrated with each other, the connection plug is The PC including a guide rail
It is characterized by being sandwiched and fixed between a card slot and a PC card body.

The PC card of the present invention according to claim 2 is
In addition to the first connector, a second connector is provided at a position opposite to the left and right of the first connector, and the first connector is turned upside down. It can be connected to either of the two connectors.

[0009] The PC card of the present invention according to claim 3 is:
A dummy plug is connected to a connection connector to which no connection plug is connected.

In the present invention, the connection plug is shaped to be inserted from the side of the PC card, and the inserted connection plug is fixed between the PC card body and the guide rail of the PC card slot of the personal computer. In addition, the connector is less likely to be damaged regardless of the direction in which the cable is twisted.

[0011]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a connection plug 1 is attached to a distal end of a cable 6 which is a signal line from a peripheral device (not shown), and a noise filter 7 for removing noise is attached to the cable 6 close to the connection plug 1. Also, PC
A connection connector 3 is attached to the card body 5 for connection to a cable 6, and the connection between the PC card body 5 and the cable 6 is enabled by inserting the connection plug 1 into the connection connector 3. The ground 8 is separated on the PC card main body 5 and the connection plug 1, but comes into contact when the connection plug 1 is connected to the connection connector 3. Further, a battery insertion slot or a write protection switch 9 can be attached to the rear surface of the PC card main body 5 as necessary.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view when the PC card of the present invention is inserted into the PC card slot 10 as viewed from the cable side. First, the connection plug 1 is inserted into the connection connector 3 of the PC card body 5, and then the PC card body 5 is inserted along the guide rail 11 formed on the inner surface of the PC card slot 10. After insertion, the connection plug 1 is fixed between the PC card body 5 and the guide rail 11. A cable 6 is attached to the connection plug 1 for connection to a peripheral device (not shown).
Since the connection plug 1 is fixed even if it is twisted, it does not move in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction in FIG. 2, so that the connection connector 3 is not damaged.

That is, as shown in FIG. 5, in the prior art, the connection plug 13 was easy to move because a part of the connection plug 13 was outside the PC card slot 10, but in the present invention,
Since the connection connector 3 and the connection plug 1 are inside the PC card slot 10, it is difficult to move.

In the PC card of the present invention, the connection plug is
Since it is located at the end of the rear surface of the PC card, when used in combination with a conventional PC card in the center of the rear surface, the noise filters do not collide with each other in the first place, so that the cable does not twist.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, a connection plug 1 is provided at the end of a cable 6 which is a signal line from a peripheral device (not shown).
A noise filter 7 for removing noise is mounted on the cable 6 near the connection plug 1.
A connector 3 is attached to the PC card body 5 for connection to the cable 6. The connection plug 1 is inserted into the connector 3 so that the PC card body 5 can be connected.
And the cable 6 can be connected. The ground 8 and the write protect switch 9 are the same as in the first embodiment.

In the first embodiment, one connection connector 3 for inserting the connection plug 1 is mounted on the side of the PC card. In the second embodiment, the connection connector 3 is provided on the side opposite to the connection connector 3. A connection connector 4 with the connection connector 3 turned upside down is attached, and the connection plug 1 can be turned upside down and attached to the connection connector 4. When the connection plug 1 is attached to the connection connector 3, the dummy plug 2 can be inserted into the connection connector 4 where the connection plug 1 is not inserted, and the unused connection connector 4 is protected. When the connection plug 1 is inserted into the connection connector 4, the connection plug 3 can be protected by turning the dummy plug 2 upside down and inserting it into the connection connector 3.

[0018]

The first effect is that the connection between the PC card and the cable is hardly damaged. The reason is that, even if the cable is twisted and a force is applied to the connection plug, the connection plug is fixed between the PC card body and the guide rail, so that the connection connector is not damaged.

Further, since the cable is connected to the rear end of the PC card main body, if the PC card is inserted into the PC card slot simultaneously with another conventional PC card connected to the center of the rear surface, the noise filters are not connected. This is because the cables do not interfere with each other and no kinking of the cable occurs, so that the connector is less likely to be damaged.

In the case of the second embodiment, even if two PC cards equipped with the connector of the present invention are inserted, the mounting positions of the connection plugs can be reversed left and right with each other. The cables can be prevented from kinking without collision with each other.

The second effect is that, since the cable is connected to the rear end of the PC card main body, a battery insertion port, a write protection switch, and the like are installed as necessary on the rear surface of the PC card main body. Is possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a PC card according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a PC card slot in which a PC card of the present invention is inserted.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a conventional PC card.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a problem of a conventional PC card.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 connection plug 2 dummy plug 3 connection connector 4 connection connector 5 PC card body 6 cable 7 noise filter 8 ground 9 battery insertion slot or write protect switch 10 PC card slot 11 guide rail 12 PC card 13 connection plug 14 personal computer 15 peripheral device 16 Connector

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A signal is transmitted and received between a personal computer and a peripheral device connected thereto via a cable and a connection plug at the end of the cable, and a signal is transmitted and received from the connection plug by fitting with the connection plug. A PC card having a first connector for receiving a signal, wherein the connection plug is inserted from a side surface on a rear side in an insertion direction of a PC card slot of the PC card;
The connection plug and the PC card body are inserted into the PC card slot in a state where the connection plug and the PC card body are integrated with each other, and the connection plug includes a guide rail and the PC card slot and the PC card body. A PC card, which is sandwiched and fixed between the PC card. 2. In addition to the first connector, a second connector is provided at a position opposite to the left and right of the first connector, and the first connector is turned upside down, and the connection plug is turned upside down. 2. The PC card according to claim 1, wherein the PC card can be connected to either of the two connectors. 3. The PC card according to claim 2, wherein a dummy plug is connected to a connection connector to which no connection plug is connected.