Low-profile USB connector without metal case

• US 7,004,794 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2004
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Super Talent Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Super Talent Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Edward W., Ni, Jim, Wang, Kuang-Yu, Chu, Tzu-Yih, Chiou, Ren-Kang
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilman, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US10/917,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20050085133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 439/660, 439/680, 439/377, 439/55, 439/76.1, 713200-202, 713/185, 361/752, 361/785, 361/791, 361/736, 235/492
• US Class Current: 439/660
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07732 the record carrier having a housing or construction similar to well-known portable memory devices, such as SD cards, USB or memory sticks housings for electrical equipment in general, see H05K5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07733 the record carrier containing at least one further contact interface not conform ISO-7816
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/62 Sliding engagements with one side only, e.g. modular jack coupling devices

Abstract

A low-profile Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) connector includes a substantially flat base structure that is received in the lower section of a conventional female USB connector, and includes metal contacts formed on an upper surface of the base structure. Wobble or vertical play is reduced by rails extending along side edges of the base structure that are partially inserted into gaps formed between the metal case and base structure of the female USB connector. Between metal contacts on the low-profile USB connector are raised ribs (dividers) that prevent undesirable damage or contamination to the metal contacts. The connector base structure of the low-profile USB connector can be separate or can be integrated with a circuit board that holds a flash memory chip and a USB controller chip.

Claims

1. A low-profile male Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) connector comprising:

a base structure having opposing upper and lower surfaces, and opposing first and second side edges;

a plurality of elongated, parallel metal contacts that are recessed into the base structure such that the parallel metal contacts are located between the upper and lower surfaces; and

at least one side rail positioned along at least one of said first and second side edges and extending from the upper surface away from the base structure,

wherein the base structure includes an upper wall defining a plurality of openings, a lower wall, and a pocket defined between the upper and lower walls,

wherein the male USB connector further comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) having a portion inserted into the pocket, and

wherein the metal contacts are formed on the portion of the PCB such that each metal contact is exposed through an associated opening of the plurality of openings.

2. The low-profile male USB connector according to claim 1, further comprising a connection base integrally formed with the base structure, the connection base including a plurality of tabs, each tab being electrically and physically connected to an associated one of the metal contacts.

3. The low-profile male USB connector according to claim 1,

wherein the upper and lower walls of the base structure comprise an integrally molded structure connected by an end wall,

wherein the pocket includes a plurality of separated, parallel pocket portions, and

wherein the portion of the PCB includes a plurality of parallel fingers, each finger being received in an associated one of the pocket portions.

4. The low-profile male USB connector according to claim 3,

wherein the base structure includes T-shaped ribs extending between the upper and lower walls between each adjacent pair of said pocket portions, and

wherein a vertical portion of each T-shaped rib has a height that is slightly larger than a thickness of the plurality of parallel fingers.

5. The low-profile male USB connector according to claim 1, further comprising:

an upper cover including a first connector portion comprising the upper wall; and

a lower cover including a second connector portion comprising the lower wall,

wherein the upper and lower covers are connected such that the upper and lower walls are separated by the pocket.

6. The low-profile male USB connector according to claim 5,

wherein the second connector portion includes a plurality of ribs extending from the lower wall and abutting a lower surface of the upper wall, thereby separating the pocket into a plurality of pocket portions, and

wherein the portion of the PCB includes a plurality of parallel fingers, each finger being received in an associated one of the pocket portions.

7. A low-profile male Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) connector for mounting onto a standard female USB connector, the standard female USB connector including a metal case, a female USB connector substrate disposed inside the metal frame, and a plurality of spring contacts mounted on a surface of the female USB connector substrate, wherein the female USB connector defines a first open region located between the spring contacts an a bottom wall of the metal case, a second open region located between a first side edge of the female USB connector substrate and a first side wall of the metal case, and a third open region located between a second side edge of the female USB connector substrate and a second side wall of the metal case, wherein the male USB connector comprises:

a base structure having opposing upper and lower surfaces and opposing first and second side edges that are sized to be received within the first open region of the female USB connector;

a plurality of elongated, parallel metal contacts that are recessed into the base structure such that the parallel metal contacts are located between the upper and lower surfaces, and positioned to abut the spring contacts of the female USB connector when the base structure is fully inserted into the first open region of the female USB connector; and

at least one side rail positioned along at least one of said first and second side edges and extending from the upper surface such that said at least one side rail extends into at least one of the second open region and the third open region when the base structure is inserted into the first open region of the female USB connector,

wherein the base structure includes an upper wall defining a plurality of openings, a lower wall, and a pocket defined between the upper and lower walls,

wherein the low-profile male USB connector further comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) having a front portion inserted into the pocket, and

wherein the metal contacts are formed on the front portion of the PCB such that each metal contact is exposed through an associated opening of the plurality of openings.

8. The low-profile male USB connector according to claim 7, further comprising a connection base integrally formed with the base structure, the connection base including a plurality of tabs, each tab being electrically and physically connected to an associated one of the metal contacts.

9. The low-profile male USB connector according to claim 7,

wherein the upper and lower walls of the base structure comprise an integrally molded structure connected by an end wall,

wherein the pocket includes a plurality of separated, parallel pocket portions, and

wherein the front portion of the PCB includes a plurality of parallel fingers, each finger being received in an associated one of the pocket portions.

10. The low-profile male USB connector according to claim 9,

wherein the base structure includes T-shaped ribs extending between the upper and lower walls between each adjacent pair of said pocket portions, and

wherein a vertical portion of each T-shaped rib has a height that is slightly larger than a thickness of the plurality of parallel fingers.

11. The low-profile male USB connector according to claim 7, further comprising:

an upper cover including a first connector portion comprising the upper wall; and

a lower cover including a second connector portion comprising the lower wall,

wherein the upper and lower covers are connected such that the upper and lower walls are separated by the pocket.

12. The low-profile male USB connector according to claim 11,

wherein the second connector portion includes a plurality of ribs extending from the lower wall and abutting a lower surface of the upper wall, thereby separating the pocket into a plurality of pocket portions, and

wherein the front portion of the PCB includes a plurality of parallel fingers, each finger being received in an associated one of the pocket portions.

13. A Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) flash memory device comprising:

a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) including a printed circuit board (PCB) having a first section and a second section, the PCBA also including a plurality of electronic components mounted on the first section, and a plurality of metal contacts formed on the second section and electrically connected to the electronic components; and

at least one cover including a main section defining a central chamber for receiving the first section of the PCBA, and a male connector including a base structure having an upper wall mounted over the second section of the PCBA,

wherein the upper wall of the base structure defines a plurality of openings positioned such that each metal contact is exposed through a corresponding opening of said plurality of openings, and

wherein the base structure includes at least one side rail positioned along at least one of said first and second side edges, and formed such that the at least one side rail extends from the upper wall away from the base structure.