USB plug with two sides alternately connectable to a USB port

• US 7,040,919 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2004
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Li-Ho Yao
• Original Assignee: Li-Ho Yao
• Inventors: Yao, Li-Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): DUVERNE, JEAN F
• Application Number:
  US10/922,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20060040549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 439/502, 439/528, 439/131, 439/172, 439/532, 361/741, 361/747, 361/752, 361755-756, 361/764
• US Class Current: 439/502
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/06 for computer periphery
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 29/00 Coupling parts for selective co-operation with a counterpart in different ways to establish different circuits, e.g. for voltage selection, for series-parallel selection, programmable connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/06 Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94

Abstract

A universal series bus (USB) has a grille-like top frame, a bottom frame and a circuit board mounted between the top frame and the bottom frame. Both the top and bottom frames are defined with multiple corresponding slots, and accordingly a rib is formed between each two adjacent slots. The circuit board has a top side and a bottom side, wherein USB contacts are formed on both sides and correspond to the slots. Therefore, when the USB plug is inserted into a standard USB port, the USB contacts formed on one side correspondingly touch the conductive pins. On the other side of the USB plug, since the protruding ribs abut against resilient metal tongues inside the USB port, the contacts on the other side will not touch to the metal tongues thus avoiding the occurrence of short circuit.

Claims

1. A USB plug with two sides alternately connectable to a USB port, the USB plug comprising:

a top frame formed by a rectangular body in which first slots are defined through the body and multiple first ribs are formed among the first slots, wherein each first rib is formed between two adjacent first slots;

a bottom frame formed by a rectangular body in which second slots are defined through the body and correspond to first slots of the top frame and multiple second ribs are formed among the second slots, wherein each second rib is formed between two adjacent second slots; and

a circuit board mounted between the top frame and the bottom frame, wherein the circuit board has a top side and a bottom side, four standard USB contacts are formed on both the top side and the bottom side near a front end of the circuit board to exactly correspond to the first and second slots;

wherein the circuit board is constructed from multiple circuit layers, the top layer and bottom layer form the USB contacts, the intervening layers provide a ground plate and an operating voltage.

2. The USB plug as claimed in claim 1, wherein multiple small concave dimples are defined at a bottom surface of the top frame, and multiple protruding stubs are formed on a top surface of the bottom frame to complementarily engage with the multiple dimples.

3. The USB plug as claimed in claim 1, the USB contacts comprising an operating voltage pin, two data pins and a ground pin.

4. The USB plug as claimed in claim 3, wherein the voltage pin of the first layer is electrically connected to the third layer through the second layer, and the ground pin of the first layer is electrically connected to the second layer.

5. The USB plug as claimed in claim 3, wherein the voltage pin of the fourth layer is electrically connected to the third layer, and the ground pin of the fourth layer is electrically connected to the second layer through the third layer.

6. The USB plug as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the circuit board is fitted between the frames and the frames are then assembled together, and peripheries of the two frames are further joined in with an ultrasonic welding technique.

7. The USB plug as claimed in claim 1 having a thickness in a range of 1.7 to 2.3 mm.

8. The USB plug as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multiple circuit layers comprises a first layer and a fourth layer that form the USB contacts, a second layer providing a ground plate and a third layer providing an operating voltage.