Retractable expandable jack
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorAlbert J. Kerklaan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The expandable jack has first and second members attached by a pivotal connection. The members can be expanded about the pivotal connection to form a receptacle for receiving a plug and, when not in use, the members can be collapsed about the pivotal connection to fit into storage spaces of reduced size. The jack is of particular use in application interface cards for laptop, notebook and palmtop computers. In such cards, the jack is mounted on a platform which is movable between an exposed position, external of the card, and a retracted storage position within the body of the card. A plug can be inserted into the expandable jack while avoiding interference with obstructions, such as a cable extending from an adjacent card in the computer.
Claims20
An expandable jack for accepting and retaining a plug, the jack comprising:
- a first member;
- and,
- a second member;
- the first member being pivotally connected to the second member to allow rotation of the first and second members with respect to each other between an expanded position and a collapsed position and wherein in the expanded position a receptacle is formed between the first member and the second member which accepts the plug and comprises means for electrical communication with the plug, wherein the means for electrical communication comprise a plurality of contact pins exposed within the receptacle.
An expandable jack for accepting and retaining a plug, the jack comprising:
- a first member;
- and,
- a second member;
- the first member being pivotally connected to the second member to allow rotation of the first and second members with respect to each other between an expanded position and a collapsed position and wherein in the expanded position a receptacle is formed between the first member and the second member which accepts the plug and comprises means for electrical communication with the plug, wherein the receptacle is formed to accept an RJ-type plug.
An expandable jack for accepting and retaining a plug, the jack comprising:
- a first member;
- and,
- a second member;
- the first member being pivotally connected to the second member to allow rotation of the first and second members with respect to each other between an expanded position and a collapsed position and wherein in the expanded position a receptacle is formed between the first member and the second member which accepts the plug and comprises means for electrical communication with the plug, wherein the receptacle is formed to accept an 8-pin modular plug.
An expandable jack for accepting and retaining a plug, the jack comprising:
- a first member;
- and,
- a second member;
- the first member being pivotally connected to the second member to allow rotation of the first and second members with respect to each other between an expanded position and a collapsed position and wherein in the expanded position a receptacle is formed between the first member and the second member which accepts the plug and comprises means for electrical communication with the plug, wherein the jack is biased in the expanded position.
An expandable jack for accepting and retaining a plug, the jack comprising:
- a first member;
- and,
- a second member;
- the first member being pivotally connected to the second member to allow rotation of the first and second members with respect to each other between an expanded position and a collapsed position and wherein in the expanded position a receptacle is formed between the first member and the second member which accepts the plug and comprises means for electrical communication with the plug, wherein the jack further comprises means to prevent overexpansion of the jack.
An expandable jack for accepting and retaining a plug, the jack comprising:
- a first member;
- and,
- a second member;
- the first member being pivotally connected to the second member to allow rotation of the first and second members with respect to each other between an expanded position and a collapsed position and wherein in the expanded position a receptacle is formed between the first member and the second member which accepts the plug and comprises means for electrical communication with the plug, wherein the jack further comprises a means for retaining the plug within the receptacle disposed on a selected one of the first member and the second member and wherein the means for electrical communication with the plug is disposed on the other of the first member and the second member.
An application interface card for communication with an interconnector plug, the card comprising:
- a card body and internal interface circuitry;
- a retractable platform for moving in and out of the card;
- and,
- an expandable jack mounted on the platform and capable of communication with the circuitry of the card, the jack being capable of expanding to form a receptacle when in position external of the card and of collapsing for storage within the card.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.