Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.

Hughes Aircraft Company

Jay Brian Betker

Charles Linsday Bates, Iii

Terry Lee Adams

Michael Santos Finona

Rene A Mosquera

James Edward Novacoski

Richard W Gehle

Gregory Alan Seeley

Anthony John Knights

William E Odor

Anthony J Scalise

Each optical fiber terminus () of a connector has an indexing device () that indicates and fixes the rotational position of the terminus in its housing passage (), the indexing device being in the form of a sleeve that is easily applied when an optimum position is determined. The indexing sleeve is fixed directly to the stripped optic fiber cable () at a location immediately rearward of the terminus body (), so a rear end of the indexing sleeve lies at the rear end of the housing. The indexing sleeve rear end has a radial projection () that projects into a slot () formed in the rear surface () of the connector.

Optic fiber terminus indexer

An optical fiber connector in which a terminus assembly () can be keyed so it is always installed in a predetermined rotational position about the axis of a terminus-receiving passage () of a housing (). When a terminus rotational position is found that results in minimal insertion loss, a noncircular index sleeve () is placed around the terminus body () and fixed thereto. An indexing plate () is installed in the connector housing, with indexing passage portions () that receive the index sleeve at only a single rotational position of the indexing sleeve about the passage axis.

Optical terminus keying

An IC card of the type having a CardBus shield is disclosed in which the dielectric CardBus bridge behind the shield is provided with an upward projection that is positioned behind a front angular part of the top cover of the sheet metal enclosure for the card to support the cover. Preferably, the projection has a front angular surface that conforms to the configuration of the front angular part of the cover. The projection restricts flexural stresses applied to the card and improves environmental sealing of the card.

IC card with CardBus bridge

A first connector of the type that has a pair of forwardly-projecting latch arms for locking into a cavity of a second connector, where the latch arms of the first connector have outer sides with slots that hold first auxiliary contacts, and the second connector has slots at opposite sides of its cavity for holding corresponding second auxiliary contacts. Each slot is aligned with a bore in the connector frame, with the bore being of rectangular configuration. Each auxiliary contact includes a plate portion lying in the bore in interference fit with the opposite sides of the bore, a strip portion that extends forward of the plate portion, and a 90.degree. bend that connects one side of the plate portion to an edge of the strip portion.

Connector latch with integrated auxiliary contacts

A PCMCIA standard PC card is provided, that can receive an IC stick type of card and connect contact pads on the IC stick to contacts at the front connector of the PC card. The PC card has a guide (90) with a rear cap portion (92) that occupies the space (84) between the rear ends of the top and bottom sheet metal covers (72, 74). The rear cap portion has slot side walls (102, 104) that closely guide the IC stick in movement forwardly into the slot of the PC card, until pads (60) on the IC stick engage contacts (56) on an IC stick connector (54) that is mounted on a circuit board (40) within the PC card. The circuit board has a rear end with tabs (144, 146) supported by the rear cap portion of the guide.

PC adaptor card for IC stick

A PC card of limited height (5 or 10 mm) is constructed with an extendable connector at its rear end for connection to a tall plug such as an RJ (telephone-type) plug that is designed to fit into a receptacle of large height. The connector apparatus is formed by a plastic molded rear end cap (22) at the rear of the PC card, with the cap having a slot (102) and with an adaptor platform (52) being slidable in the slot between an extended position wherein a rear portion of the platform projects a plurality of millimeters rearward of the end cap, and a stored position wherein the platform rear end is about flush with the cap rear surface. A hold-down (54) is pivotally mounted on the platform, the hold-down being pivoted down into a platform recess in the stored position and being pivoted up above the top of the PC card (10) to form a receptacle for receiving the plug in the deployed position. The slot in the cap has cap slot walls extending 360.degree. around the slot axis (104), to provide a rugged support for the platform. The hold-down has a middle portion that lies uppermost when receiving a plug, with the middle portion lying forward of the hold-down pivot axis in the stored position of the platform, and with the middle portion forming a handle (100) to help pull out the platform.

PC card extendable interface

An IC card is provided, of the type that has a cardbus shield (30) with a shield plate (132) mounted on the top of a front connector (12) and with shield tails (36) extending rearwardly and downwardly to secondary ground traces (50) on a circuit board (34), wherein the IC card includes a dielectric cardbus bridge with a crosspiece (100). The crosspiece supports the middle (104) of the front end (102) of the sheet metal top cover so it is held securely out of contact with the cardbus shield but lies above at least portions of the contact tails (130) that extend from the rear of the front connector to signal traces on the circuit board. The crosspiece is supported to lie over the circuit board closely behind the rear end (136) of the shield plate, with the crosspiece having a top cover support surface (112) on which the front end of the cover middle lies. The bridge has slots (110) that pass the shield tails and has an upward projection (152) at its front end that forms a rearwardly-facing shoulder (116) to abut the front edge of the middle of the top cover. The cardbus bridge has laterally opposite sides forming mounts (72, 74) that are each fixed to a corresponding side of the circuit board and to the corresponding side of the front connector housing to hold these parts together and to support the top and bottom sheet metal cover parts (52, 54).

Cardbus Bridge

A cable connection/dispensing system for a multi-rotation assembly includes a hollow cylindrical housing and an elongated central hub centered within the housing. The hub has a cardioid cross-sectional shape with two lobes and an acute cusp therebetween. At least one of the housing and the hub is rotatable. A first cable connector is located on the hollow housing and faces its interior, and a second cable connector is located at the acute cusp of the central hub. A length of an interconnect medium lies between the hollow housing and the central hub. The interconnect medium includes an interconnect cable attached at a first end to the first cable connector and at a second end to the second cable connector, and an interconnect medium substrate to which the interconnect cable is attached. Rotation of the hub with respect to the housing results in a smooth payout and takeup of the cable medium for a number of turns corresponding to about twice the length of the interconnect medium.

Cable takeup/payout system for a multi-rotation assembly

A high density fiber optic cable including a cylindrical core member having a number of helical grooves extending along its length. Up to a hundred or more optical fibers are placed into each helical groove. The core member and fibers are covered by an outer member which retains the fibers and acts as an environmental seal. A strength member can be placed within an internal void in the core or the outer member can act as the strength member. Where the outer member is the strength member, additional cables may be placed within the internal void.

High density fiber optic cable packaging

An expandable and contractable sealed environment is provided by a rigid frame member and a pair of deformable heat transfer elements fixed to the frame member. The frame member is located between two heat-producing electronic assemblies. A coolant agent is pumped into the sealed environment to flex the membranes and cause them to conformally contact the pair of electronic assemblies. Excess heat in the assemblies is then allowed to pass across the membranes and into the coolant agent for dissipation purposes. In order to remove the electronic assemblies, the pressure of the coolant agent is reduced, which permits the heat transfer element to return to its nondeformed state removed from the assembly. Thus, the electronic assemblies can be removed without the need to open fluid couplings.

Growing community of inventors

Yorba Linda, CA, United States of America

Jay Brian Betker