Claims
- 1. A communications card for use in connecting a downsized computer to a physical/electrical media connector of a communications system, the communications card comprising:
- (a) an upper surface;
- (b) a lower surface, the lower surface being separated from the upper surface by a distance smaller than the cross-section of the physical/electrical media connector, the electrical components of the communications card being positioned between the upper surface and the lower surface;
- (c) an aperture formed in the communications card, the aperture extending from one of the surfaces into the communications card, the aperture being sized and configured so as to directly receive at least a portion of the physical/electrical media connector, to connect the physical/electrical media connector to the communications card.
- 2. A communications card for use in a downsized computer as recited in claim 1, wherein the aperture is angled relative to the upper surface of the communications card.
- 3. A communications card for use in a downsized computer as recited in claim 2, further comprising means for preventing the passage of the physical/electrical media connector completely through the aperture in the communications card.
- 4. A communications card for use in a downsized computer as recited in claim 3, wherein the means for preventing the passage of the physical/electrical media connector completely through the aperture is a retention structure, the retention structure being mechanically biased to exert a force opposing the insertion of the physical/electrical media connector into the aperture.
- 5. A communications card for use in a downsized computer as recited in claim 1, wherein the communications card is a local area network card.
- 6. A communications card for use in a downsized computer as recited in claim 1, wherein the communications card is a modem card.
- 7. A communications card for use in a downsized computer as recited in claim 1, further comprising means for preventing the passage of the physical/electrical media connector completely through the aperture in the communications card.
- 8. A communications card for use in a downsized computer as recited in claim 7, wherein the means for preventing the passage of the physical/electrical media connector completely through the aperture in the communications card comprise a faceplate, the faceplate being mechanically biased to exert a force opposing insertion of the physical/electrical media connector.
- 9. A communications card for use in a downsized computer as recited in claim 7, wherein the means for preventing the passage of the physical/electrical media connector completely through the aperture in the communications card comprise a retention structure, the retention structure being mechanically biased to exert a force opposing insertion of the physical/electrical media connector.
- 10. A communications card with internal DAA circuitry for use in connecting a downsized computer to a physical/electrical media connector of a communications system, the communications card comprising:
- (a) an upper surface;
- (b) a lower surface, the lower surface being separated from the upper surface by a distance smaller than the cross-section of the physical/electrical media connector, the electrical components of the communications card being positioned between the upper surface and the lower surface;
- (c) an aperture block capable of being selectively placed in at least a first and a second position, wherein in the first position the aperture block is disposed within the communications card in a manner so as to be substantially positioned between the planes formed by the upper surface and the lower surface, and in the second position the aperture block extends out from the communications card; and
- (d) means, formed in the aperture block, for receiving at least a portion of the physical/electrical media connector and thereby electrically connect the physical/electrical media connector to the communications card.
- 11. A communications card for use in a downsized computer as recited in claim 10, wherein the aperture is angled relative to the upper surface of the communications card.
- 12. A communications card for use in a downsized computer as recited in claim 11, further comprising means for preventing the passage of the physical/electrical media connector completely through the aperture in the aperture block.
- 13. A communications card for use in a downsized computer as recited in claim 12, wherein the means for preventing the passage of the physical/electrical media connector completely through the aperture is a retention ledge.
- 14. A communications card for use in a downsized computer as recited in claim 12, wherein the means for preventing the passage of the physical/electrical media connector completely through the aperture is a retention structure, the retention structure being mechanically biased to exert a force opposing the insertion of the physical/electrical media connector into the aperture.
- 15. A communications card for use in a downsized computer as recited in claim 10, wherein the communications card is a local area network card.
- 16. A communications card for use in a downsized computer as recited in claim 10, wherein the communications card is a modem card.
- 17. A communications card for use in a downsized computer as recited in claim 10, further comprising means for preventing the passage of the physical/electrical media connector completely through the aperture in the aperture block.
- 18. A communications card for use in a downsized computer as recited in claim 17, wherein the means for preventing the passage of the physical/electrical media connector completely through the aperture in the aperture block comprise a faceplate, the faceplate being mechanically biased to exert a force opposing insertion of the physical/electrical media connector.
- 19. A communications card for use in a downsized computer as recited in claim 17, wherein the means for preventing the passage of the physical/electrical media connector completely through the aperture in the aperture block comprise a retention structure, the retention structure being mechanically biased to exert a force opposing insertion of the physical/electrical media connector.
- 20. An improved communications card having an upper surface and a lower surface that are each separated by a distance smaller than the cross-section of a physical/electrical media connector, and wherein the electrical components of the communications card are all positioned between the upper and the lower surfaces, and wherein the improvement comprises:
- a channel formed within the communications card;
- an aperture block capable of being selectively received within said channel so as to be substantially positioned between the planes formed by upper surface and the lower surface of the communications card; and
- means, formed in the aperture block, for receiving at least a portion of the physical/electrical media connector and thereby electrically connect the physical/electrical media connector to the communications card.
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/291,277, filed Aug. 16, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,401; which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/040,656, filed Mar. 31, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,210; which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/974,253, filed Nov. 10, 1992, now abandoned; which is a divisional of application Ser. No. 07/866,670, filed Apr. 8, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,404.
US Referenced Citations (21)
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
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0211357 |
Feb 1987 |
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1195385 |
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Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
866670 |
Apr 1992 |
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
291277 |
Aug 1994 |
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Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
40656 |
Mar 1993 |
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Parent |
974253 |
Nov 1992 |
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