Universal serial bus hub and method of manufacturing same

• US 20050047099A1
• Filed: 08/26/2003
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Belkin Corporation (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mori, Kenneth, Quinteros, Ernesto
• Granted Patent: US 7,167,372 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A universal serial bus hub (100, 700) includes a housing (110) having a top portion (111), a bottom portion (211) opposite the top portion, a first side (112) between the top portion and the bottom portion, and a second side (113) between the top portion and the bottom portion. The universal serial bus hub further includes a first universal serial bus port (120) at the top portion and a second universal serial bus port (210) at the second side.

Claims

1. A universal serial bus hub comprising:

a housing comprising;

a top portion;

a bottom portion opposite the top portion;

a first side between the top portion and the bottom portion; and

a second side between the top portion and the bottom portion;

a first universal serial bus port at the top portion; and

a second universal serial bus port at the second side.

2. The universal serial bus hub of claim 1 further comprising:

a power port at the second side.

3. The universal serial bus hub of claim 1 wherein:

the top portion comprises a first region and a second region;

the first region is higher than the second region; and

the first universal serial bus port is at the first region.

4. The universal serial bus hub of claim 1 wherein:

a hole is located between the first side and the second side and extends from the top portion to the bottom portion.

5. The universal serial bus hub of claim 4 wherein:

the top portion comprises a first region and a second region;

the first region is higher than the second region; and

the first universal serial bus port is at the first region.

6. The universal serial bus hub of claim 1 wherein:

the universal serial bus hub is stackable with a second universal serial bus hub; and

the second universal serial bus hub is substantially similar to the universal serial bus hub.

7. The universal serial bus hub of claim 6 wherein:

the universal serial bus hub and the second universal serial bus hub are self-aligning when the universal serial bus hub is stacked with the second universal serial bus hub.

8. The universal serial bus hub of claim 6 wherein:

a hole is located between the first side and the second side of the universal serial bus hub and extends from the top portion to the bottom portion of the universal serial bus hub;

the top portion of the universal serial bus hub comprises a first region and a second region;

the first region is higher than the second region;

the first universal serial bus port of the universal serial bus hub is at the first region of the top portion of the universal serial bus hub;

the first region of the universal serial bus hub extends into the hole in the second universal serial bus hub when the second universal serial bus hub is stacked on top of the universal serial bus hub.

9. The universal serial bus hub of claim 8 wherein:

the first universal serial bus port of the universal serial bus hub is accessible when the second universal serial bus hub is stacked on top of the universal serial bus hub.

10. The universal serial bus hub of claim 1 further comprising:

a status indicator at the first side.

11. The universal serial bus hub of claim 10 wherein:

the second side is opposite the first side.

12. The universal serial bus hub of claim 1 wherein:

at least a portion of the first side comprises a translucent material.

13. The universal serial bus hub of claim 12 further comprising:

a status indicator at the first side; and

a power port at the second side,

wherein;

the status indicator is visible through the portion of the first side; and

the status indicator indicates a status of at least one of the power port, the first universal serial bus port, and the second universal serial bus port.

14. The universal serial bus hub of claim 1 wherein:

at least a portion of the housing comprises a rubberized material.

15. A universal serial bus hub comprising:

a housing comprising;

a top portion having a first region located higher than a second region;

a bottom portion opposite the top portion;

a first side between the top portion and the bottom portion; and

a second side between the top portion and the bottom portion;

a first downstream universal serial bus port located at the first region of the top portion;

a second downstream universal serial bus port located at the second side; and

an upstream universal serial bus port at the second side,

wherein;

a hole is located between the first side and the second side and extends from the top portion to the bottom portion.

16. The universal serial bus hub of claim 15 wherein:

the universal serial bus hub is stackable with a second universal serial bus hub; and

the second universal serial bus hub is substantially similar to the universal serial bus hub.

17. The universal serial bus hub of claim 16 wherein:

the universal serial bus hub and the second universal serial bus hub are self-aligning when the universal serial bus hub is stacked with the second universal serial bus hub.

18. The universal serial bus hub of claim 16 wherein:

the first region of the top portion of the universal serial bus hub extends into the hole of the second universal serial bus hub when the second universal serial bus hub is stacked on top of the universal serial bus hub such that the first universal serial bus port is accessible through the hole of the second universal serial bus hub when the second universal serial bus hub is stacked on top of the universal serial bus hub.

19. The universal serial bus hub of claim 15 further comprising:

a power port at the second side; and

a status indicator at the first side,

wherein;

the second side is opposite the first side.

20. The universal serial bus hub of claim 19 wherein:

at least a portion of the first side comprises a translucent material.

21. The universal serial bus hub of claim 20 wherein:

the status indicator is visible through the translucent material; and

the status indicator indicates a status of at least one of the power port, the first downstream universal serial bus port, the second downstream universal serial bus port, and the upstream universal serial bus port.

22. The universal serial bus hub of claim 21 wherein:

at least a portion of the housing comprises a rubberized material.

23. A method of manufacturing a universal serial bus hub, the method comprising:

providing a housing comprising;

a top portion having a first region higher than a second region;

a bottom portion opposite the top portion;

a first side between the top portion and the bottom portion; and

a second side between the top portion and the bottom portion;

providing a first universal serial bus port;

providing a second universal serial bus port; and

assembling the universal serial bus hub such that the first universal serial bus port is located at the first region of the and the second universal serial bus port is located at the second side.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein:

providing the housing further comprises;

providing a hole between the first side and the second side and extending from the top portion to the bottom portion.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

providing at least a portion of the first side to comprise a translucent material.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

providing a status indicator at the first side;

providing the status indicator to be visible through the portion of the first side; and

providing the status indicator to indicate a status of at least one of the first universal serial bus port and the second universal serial bus port.

27. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

coating at least a portion of the housing with a rubberized material.