PCMICIA card-like device with internal retractable cord mechanism

Claim 1

A PCMCIA circuit card, comprising: a PCMCIA card housing, said housing including a pair of generally planar parallel walls; and a support for electronic components and a retractable cord mechanism mounted with respect to said support within said housing; said electronic components comprising a modem in said housing; said retractable cord mechanism comprising an electrical cable having one end electrically connected to said electronic components including an operative connection to said modem and another end which can be selectively withdrawn from said housing, said housing having an aperture at one end from which said electrical cable may be withdrawn to expose a relatively long length of said cable, and a connector on said another end of said electrical cable for attaching the cable to a connector for modem connection thereto, said retractable cord mechanism also including a storage reel mounted in said housing in generally coplanar relation to said housing between respective generally planar walls of said housing, means for mounting said storage reel for rotation in said housing for withdrawing electrical cable from said storage reel and for drawing electrical cable back onto said storage reel to retract the electrical cable retracted back into said housing, and said retractable cord mechanism comprising a spring biased storage reel for taking up said cable within said housing as said cable is retracted back into said housing, and further comprising a selectively operable lock means for locking and unlocking rotation of said storage reel.