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AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorRichard D. Kirk
Estimating the term…
Disclosed is a hand held computer having a housing. The housing has a first side and a second side wherein the second side is opposite the first side. A display and a processor are included in the housing. There is an opening in the first side of the housing for receiving a memory card. A connector is mounted within the housing for connecting the memory card to the processor. An ejector mechanism is operable from outside the housing from the second side to eject the memory card from the connector. The ejector mechanism has a bar that spreads the ejection force to both corners of the card nearest the connector so as to provide balanced ejection force to eject the card without damage to the connector contacts. The bar is moved by a button which is held captive in the second side of the housing. The button transmits the force provided by a user's finger to the bar.
A computer comprising:
An electronic device having operative elements, said device comprising:
A housing for electronic apparatus comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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No related US applications are recorded in the indexed filing history.
Having standardized interfaces: of PCMCIA type
Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure electrical…:…
Receptacles therefor, e.g. card slots, module sockets, card groundings: having ejection mechanisms
Printed circuits
Term ended 23 Jun 2014 (estimated)
USPTO file history isn’t available for this patent, so only indexed dates are shown.
This invention relates to small computers and similar electronic devices of the type that can be held in a user's hand and which employ Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) cards.
The use of replaceable memory cards instead of diskettes or other Direct Access Storage Devices (DASD) is becoming more common since 1990 when the PCMCIA standard was first published. Computers are being designed with slots to accept the PCMCIA cards and guide them into specially designed connectors. Some connectors are being designed with mechanisms that eject the card when a button located alongside of the card slot is pushed. Without this type of mechanism, the PCMCIA card must be partially exposed after insertion in order that it can be gripped by a user for removal. The exposure leaves the card vulnerable to damage, especially in small hand held computers which are more susceptible to being bumped or dropped as they are carried about on car seats and in briefcases.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,161 teaches a dual card connector that includes a pair of buttons 8, each operative through a pivoting link to actuate one of a pair of sliders to eject one of the cards.
FIG. 1 shows a computer according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is a right side view of the computer showing an ejector button in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 3 is a top section view of computer showing the PCMCIA card connector and an ejector mechanism in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 1 shows an example computer 10 according to the invention. Computer 10 has a Liquid Crystal Diode display/touch screen 11 and an audio transducer 13 mounted in a housing having a width that is of the same order but greater than the length of the card. A removable back panel 15 is provided in the housing in order to replenish the main battery. Several control buttons are located along each side of the unit. These buttons control such things as placing the unit into standby or into resume mode, changing audio volume, etc. Button 17 is the standby/resume switch. Button 19 increases volume and button 21 decreases volume.
At on end of the computer, a slot 23 is provided in communication with a PCMCIA card connector mounted inside of the computer. The slot is arranged in the side of the computer so that the back of the connector is adjacent to the other side of the computer in order to provide for the ejection mechanism of the invention. Since the dimensions of the housing are commensurate with the length of the PCMCIA card, the ejection mechanism may be mounted behind the card and not waste space.
FIG. 2 shows the right side of the housing of computer 10 which has an eject button 27 mounted therein in operating juxtaposition to the slot 23 in the left side of computer 10.