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US 6,149,464 AGranted
Apparatus for detecting cable attachment
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsBradley James DeBauche, Paritosh Dinubhai Patel, Steve Harris Weingart
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A port connector of a computing system is provided with a flexible electrical contact for determining the presence of the electrically grounded flange of a cable connector which may be attached to the port connector. Using this feature, the computing system can determine whether a peripheral device is attached to the port connector by means of a cable.
Claims14
A connector comprising:
- a plurality of contact terminals extending in a first direction within a contact region;
- an electrically conductive flange extending around said contact region, said flange including a flange contact surface extending in said first direction, and an aperture extending through said contact surface;
- a contact spring extending adjacent said flange contact surface, wherein said contact spring extends through said aperture, beyond said flange contact surface;
- an insulating structure extending from said flange holding said contact terminals and said contact spring;
- a plurality of terminal soldertails extending through said insulating structure, with each terminal soldertail within said plurality of terminal soldertails being fastened to a contact terminal at a first end of said terminal soldertail, and with a second end of each said terminal soldertail, opposite said first end of said terminal soldertail, extending in a second direction for attachment to a circuit card;
- and
- a contact spring soldertail extending through said insulating structure, with said contact spring soldertail being fastened to said contact spring at a first end of said contact spring soldertail, and with a second end of said contact spring soldertail extending in said second direction for attachment to said circuit card.
4 more elements
Apparatus comprising:
- a port connector having a plurality of port connector terminals extending within a port connector contact region, an electrically conductive and electrically grounded port connector flange extending around said port connector contact region, wherein said port connector flange includes an aperture, and a connection-sensing contact extending adjacent said port connector flange, wherein said connection-sensing contact extends through said aperture and beyond said port connector flange;
- a cable connector having a plurality of cable connector terminals extending within a cable connector contact region, and an electrically conductive cable connector flange extending around said cable connector contact region, wherein, as said cable connector is brought into engagement with said port connector, said cable connector terminals individually contact said port connector terminals, and said cable connector flange contacts both said port connector flange and said connection-sensing contact;
- and
- a sensing circuit electrically connected to said connection-sensing contact, wherein said sensing circuit produces an output signal in response to a determination that said connection-sensing contact is electrically grounded.
1 more element
Apparatus for forming a plurality of electrical connections, wherein said apparatus comprises:
- a first connector having a first plurality of contact terminals around which a first conductive shield extends;
- a second connector engaging said first connector, wherein said second connector has a second plurality of contact terminals mating said first plurality of contact terminals, a connection-sensing contact engaging said first conductive shield, and an electrically grounded second conductive shield engaging said first conductive shield, wherein said connection-sensing contact and said second conductive shield are electrically connected through said first conductive shield, wherein said first conductive shield fits around and over said second conductive shield;
- wherein said second conductive shield includes an aperture;
- and wherein said connection-sensing contact extends outward through said aperture and beyond said aperture to contact said first conductive shield;
- and
- a sensing circuit electrically connected to said connection-sensing contact, wherein said sensing circuit produces an output signal in response to a determination that said connection-sensing contact is electrically grounded.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.