Retractable Connector for an Electronic Device

• US 20100015825A1
• Filed: 02/18/2009
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bi-Link
• Original Assignee: Bi-Link
• Inventors: ZIBERNA, Frank J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,896,676 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/131
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/60 Means for supporting coupling part when not engaged

Abstract

A retractable connector device having an inner housing, a cover belt, and two sidewalls. The device may comprise electronic components for electronic devices including computer peripheral devices such as serial bus devices, Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices, or IEEE 1394 devices. The belt surrounds a portion of the inner housing. The belt is for moving the device between at least two positions, a deployed position where the connector extends through a hole in the inner housing to connect to a receiving device, and a stored position where the connector is within the housing, separated and protected from external elements by, at least in part, the belt.

Claims

1. A retractable connector device comprising:

a belt covering a portion of an inner housing;

a connector at least partially within the inner housing and for connecting to an external receiver; and

the belt for moving the connector between a retracted position and an extended position.

2. The retractable connector device of claim 1, wherein the belt at least partially encloses the connector within the inner housing when the connector is in the retracted position.

3. The retractable connector device of claim 1, wherein the belt comprises a thumb plate connected to the belt for moving the belt.

4. The retractable connector device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a hole for passing a connecting-end portion of the connector from a position within the inner housing when the connector is in the retracted position to a position beyond the inner housing when the connector is in the extended position, the connecting-end portion of the connector for connecting to an external receiver.

5. The retractable connector device of claim 4, wherein the belt covers the hole when the connector is in the retracted position, and wherein the belt is clear of the hole when the connector is in the extended position.

6. The retractable connector device of claim 1, wherein the belt is connected to the connector and is for moving the connector between the retracted and the extended position.

7. The retractable connector device of claim 1, wherein the inner housing comprises a gap through which a portion of the belt passes from an exterior position on the housing to an interior position within the housing.

8. The retractable connector device of claim 1, wherein the inner housing comprises a cutout area for housing at least a portion of the connector.

9. The retractable connector device of claim 1, wherein the inner housing has a rear hole for receiving a rear portion of the connector when the connector is in a retracted position.

10. The retractable connector device of claim 1, comprising two sidewalls attached to opposite sides of the inner housing.

11. The retractable connector device of claim 10, wherein each sidewall comprises a belt groove around at least a portion of the sidewall perimeter, side edge portions of the belt extend into each belt groove and travel within each belt groove.

12. The retractable connector device of claim 10, wherein each sidewall comprises connector mount grooves extending along a portion of the sidewall;

and wherein the connector comprises two mount ridges;

the mount ridges travel within the mount grooves to guide the connector.

13. The retractable connector device of claim 1, wherein the inner housing has a belt riding surface on which the belt travels, the belt riding surface extends along more than one side of the inner housing, the transition between one side and the next side along the belt riding surface is curved.

14. The retractable connector device of claim 1, comprising:

electronic components connected to the connector.

15. The retractable connector device of claim 14, wherein the electronic components are contained within the inner housing when the connector is in a retracted position.

16. The retractable connector device of claim 1, wherein the belt surrounds a portion of the inner housing.

17. A retractable connector device comprising:

an inner housing for containing a connector, the housing having a hole;

the connector for connecting to an external receiver;

the connector having a retracted position and an extended position;

a first means for moving the connector between the retracted position and the retracted position;

the first means also for covering the hole through which the connector passes when moving from the retracted position to the extended position.

18. The retractable connector device of claim 17, wherein the first means surrounds a portion of the inner housing.

19. The retractable connector device of claim 17, wherein the first means surrounds a portion of the inner housing, and wherein the inner housing comprises a gap through which the first means passes to an interior position within the housing to connect to the connector.

20. A method of protecting a connector device, comprising the steps of

a. providing an inner housing with a hole for passing a connector and a gap for passing a belt from a position inside the inner housing to a position on the exterior of the inner housing, wherein the belt is connected to the connector

b. providing a connector in an extended position

c. moving the belt toward the hole while retracting the connector through the hole into the housing

d. covering the hole with the belt after the connector has recessed passed an opening of the hole.