Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) flash-memory device with metal wrap formed over plastic housing

• US 7,438,562 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2007
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Super Talent Technology, Corporation
• Original Assignee: Super Talent Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Ni, Jim Chin-Nan, Chiou, Ren-Kang
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilman; Alexander
• Application Number:
  US11/780,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20080014771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 439/79, 439/76.1, 439/607, 439/638, 235/492, 235/472, 235/487, 455/558, 361/737, 361/801, 361/802, 361/829
• US Class Current: 439/79
• 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 13/717 with built-in light source
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7175 Light emitting diodes (LEDs)
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/62 Sliding engagements with one side only, e.g. modular jack coupling devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/24 Assembling by moulding on contact members
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0278 of USB type details relating to connectors H01R27/00

Abstract

A metal-wrapped flash-memory-drive device has an integrated slim Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) connector that fits into a standard USB socket. The slim USB connector has 4 metal contacts on a circuit board that is encapsulated by a plastic case. Components are mounted onto the circuit board. A metal wrap conforms to the general shape of a plastic sub-assembly of the plastic case and a plastic cover that enclose the circuit board. The metal wrap can be bent around the plastic sub-assembly in a forming process, or can be pre-formed into a metal tube that the plastic sub-assembly is inserted into. Alignment holes in the metal wrap can fit over plastic stubs on the plastic sub-assembly, or friction can hold the metal wrap to the plastic sub-assembly. The plastic cover and case can be bonded together by molding, ultrasonically, with adhesive films, or using snaps to form the plastic sub-assembly.

Claims

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

a sub-assembly including;

a connector substrate having a front portion and a rear portion, a bottom wall that extends under the front portion and part of the rear portion, a top wall that extends only over the rear portion, and front side wall portions and a front wall portion extending upward from the bottom wall to an upper surface of the front portion, and metal contacts disposed on the upper surface of the front portion in a contact region located adjacent to the front wall, wherein the front side wall portions and the front wall portion are shorter than the rear side wall portions such that the upper surface of the front portion is disposed between the bottom wall and the upper wall,

a printed circuit board assembly including an elongated printed circuit board (PCB) having a front edge attached to the rear portion of the connector substrate, and a rear edge disposed opposite to the front edge, and at least one integrated circuit electrically connected to and mounted on the PCB adjacent to the rear end; and

a metal wrap having a lower metal sheet, side metal sheets respectively connected at opposite sides of the lower metal sheet and extending substantially perpendicular to the lower metal sheet, and an upper metal sheet attached to upper ends of the side metal sheets, whereby the metal wrap defines an elongated interior region having a substantially rectangular cross-section, and front edges of the lower, side and upper metal sheets collectively define a front opening,

wherein the sub-assembly is slidably inserted inside the metal wrap such that, when both the connector substrate and the printed circuit board assembly are located inside the interior region of the metal wrap, the bottom and top walls of the connector substrate respectively contact the lower and upper metal sheets of the metal wrap, and

wherein the device further comprises means for securing the connector substrate to the metal wrap when the front wall of the connector substrate is aligned with the front opening of the metal wrap.

2. The USB flash-memory device according to claim 1, wherein a front edge of the metal wrap defines an opening that conforms with the height and width of a standard USB male connector.

3. The USB flash-memory device according to claim 1, wherein said means for securing comprises:

one or more stubs protruding from at least one of the bottom and top walls of the connector substrate, and

one or more alignment holes defined in at least one of the bottom and top metal sheets of the metal wrap,

wherein the connector substrate has a thickness that is sized relative to a height of the interior region of the metal wrap and said one or more stubs and one or more alignment holes are positioned such each of said one or more stubs protrudes into a corresponding one of said one or more alignment holes when the front wall of the connector substrate is aligned with the front opening of the metal wrap.

4. The USB flash-memory device according to claim 1, wherein the metal wrap comprises a flat metal sheet that is bent to conform the metal wrap to a shape of the connector substrate.

5. The USB flash-memory device according to claim 1, wherein the side metal sheets of the metal wrap are separated by a constant width over an entire length of the sub-assembly.

6. The USB flash-memory device according to claim 1, wherein the side metal sheets of the metal wrap adjacent the front end define a first width, and wherein the side metal sheets of the metal wrap are separated by a width that varies within 20% of the first width over an entire length of the sub-assembly.

7. The USB flash-memory device according to claim 1, wherein the connector substrate comprises one of plastic and ceramic.

8. The USB flash-memory device according to claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board assembly further comprises a light-emitting diode disposed adjacent to the rear end of the PCB.

9. The USB flash-memory device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one integrated circuit comprises a non-volatile memory device.

10. The USB flash-memory device according to claim 9, wherein the at least one integrated circuit further comprises a controller device.

11. The USB flash-memory device according to claim 1,

wherein the rear edges of the lower, side and upper metal sheets collectively define a rear opening of the metal wrap, and

wherein the device further comprises an end cap mounted to the metal wrap such that the end cap covers the rear opening.

12. The USB flash-memory device according to claim 11, wherein the rear end of the PCB is received in an opening defined by the end cap.

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

a connector substrate having a thin front portion and a thick rear portion, a bottom wall that extends under the front portion and at least part of the rear portion, a top wall that extends only over the rear portion, one or more stubs protruding from at least one of the top wall and the bottom wall, and metal contacts disposed on an upper surface of the front portion adjacent to a front wall of the front portion,

a metal wrap having a lower metal sheet, side metal sheets respectively connected at opposite sides of the lower metal sheet and extending substantially perpendicular to the lower metal sheet, and an upper metal sheet attached to upper ends of the side metal sheets, whereby the metal wrap defines an elongated interior region having a substantially rectangular cross-section, and front edges of the lower, side and upper metal sheets collectively define a front opening, wherein one or more alignment holes are defined in at least one of the upper metal sheet and the lower metal sheet, and

a printed circuit board assembly including an elongated printed circuit board (PCB) having a front edge attached to the rear portion of the connector substrate, and a rear edge disposed opposite to the front edge, and at least one integrated circuit electrically connected to and mounted on the PCB adjacent to the rear end, wherein when the connector substrate is fully inserted into the metal wrap, the printed circuit board assembly is disposed inside the elongated interior region of the metal wrap,

wherein a first thickness of the rear portion of the connector substrate approximately matches an inside height of the metal wrap such that, when the connector substrate is slid through the front opening of the metal wrap, the connector substrate is firmly fitted inside the elongated interior region such that the bottom and top walls of the connector substrate respectively contact the lower and top walls of the metal wrap, and such that when the connector substrate is fully inserted into the metal wrap such that front wall of the front portion is aligned with the front opening of the metal wrap, the one or more stubs become snap-fitted into said one or more alignment holes, and

wherein a second thickness of the front portion is less that the first thickness such that a gap is provided between the upper metal sheet and the upper surface of the front portion, whereby when the connector substrate is fully inserted into the metal wrap, the metal contacts are exposed through the front opening of the metal wrap.

14. The USB flash-memory device according to claim 13, wherein a front edge of the metal wrap defines an opening that conforms with the height and width of a standard USB male connector.

15. The USB flash-memory device according to claim 13, wherein the side metal sheets of the metal wrap are separated by a constant width over an entire length of the sub-assembly.

16. The USB flash-memory device according to claim 13, wherein the connector substrate comprises one of plastic and ceramic.

17. The USB flash-memory device according to claim 13,

wherein the rear edges of the lower, side and upper metal sheets collectively define a rear opening of the metal wrap, and

wherein the device further comprises an end cap mounted to the metal wrap such that the end cap covers the rear opening.

18. The USB flash-memory device according to claim 17, wherein the rear end of the PCB is received in an opening defined by the end cap.

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

a connector substrate having a thin front portion and a thick rear portion, a bottom wall that extends under the front portion and at least part of the rear portion, a top wall that extends only over the rear portion, one or more stubs protruding from at least one of the top wall and the bottom wall, and metal contacts disposed on an upper surface of the front portion adjacent to a front wall of the front portion,

a metal wrap having a lower metal sheet, side metal sheets respectively connected at opposite sides of the lower metal sheet and extending substantially perpendicular to the lower metal sheet, and an upper metal sheet attached to upper ends of the side metal sheets, whereby the metal wrap defines an elongated interior region having a substantially rectangular cross-section, and front edges of the lower, side and upper metal sheets collectively define a front opening, wherein one or more alignment holes are defined in at least one of the upper metal sheet and the lower metal sheet,

wherein a first thickness of the rear portion of the connector substrate approximately matches an inside height of the metal wrap such that, when the connector substrate is slid through the front opening of the metal wrap, the connector substrate is firmly fitted inside the elongated interior region such that the bottom and top walls of the connector substrate respectively contact the lower and top walls of the metal wrap, and such that when the connector substrate is fully inserted into the metal wrap such that front wall of the front portion is aligned with the front opening of the metal wrap, the one or more stubs become snap-fitted into said one or more alignment holes, and

wherein a second thickness of the front portion is less that the first thickness such that a gap is provided between the upper metal sheet and the upper surface of the front portion, whereby when the connector substrate is fully inserted into the metal wrap, the metal contacts are exposed through the front opening of the metal wrap, and

wherein the side metal sheets of the metal wrap adjacent the front end define a first width, and wherein the side metal sheets of the metal wrap are separated by a width that varies within 20% of the first width over an entire length of the sub-assembly.