Universal serial bus (USB) flash drive with swivel cap functionalities with two locking positions

• US 7,544,073 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Super Talent Technology, Corporation
• Original Assignee: Super Talent Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Nguyen, David, Ni, Jim Chin-Nan, Ma, Abraham Chih-Kang, Lee, Charles Chung
• Primary Examiner(s): Leon; Edwin A.
• Application Number:
  US11/927,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20080278902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 439/610, 439/140, 439134-137, 439/518, 439/638, 439/133, 439/680, 439/131, 439/304, 439/148, 439/353, 439/357, 439/76.1, 439/141, 439/350, 439/352, 439/367
• US Class Current: 439/135
• 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: H01R 13/447 Shutter or cover plate
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/504 different pieces being moulded, cemented, welded, e.g. ultrasonic, or swaged together
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0278 of USB type details relating to connectors H01R27/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive includes a slim USB device having an end used to couple the USB flash drive to a host and an opposite end, and a swivel “strap shaped” metal cap having a circle cut out disposed on both cap legs. The snap coupling circle attachment allows the swivel cap to rotate substantially into a first and a second locking position and to rotate substantially 360 degrees about the z-axis of the USB device. The metal cap is generally in a locked position when the snap slot is aligned atop the snap lock tabs such that the protrusion snap ring is descended downward until the positioned flush against the snap lock groove. When unlocked the protrusion snap ring is raised up and rested upon the two snap lock tabs.

Claims

1. A Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive comprising:

a slim USB device having an end used to couple the USB flash drive to a host and an opposite end;

a USB device “

strap shaped”

swivel metal cap having a circle cut out disposed on both cap legs;

a USB device snap coupling circle attachment where said swivel cap attaches to said USB device thereby allowing the swivel cap to rotate substantially into a first and a second locking position and rotate substantially 360 degrees about the z-axis of the USB device;

the snap coupling circle attachment on the top side of the swivel cap is used to lock and unlock the swivel cap in place, wherein the swivel cap locks substantially in a first locking position and a second locking position, wherein the metal cap is in a locked position when the snap slot is aligned atop snap lock tab, wherein the metal cap is in a locked position when the snap lock tab is insertably positioned into the snap slot such that the protrusion snap ring is positioned flush against the snap lock groove, wherein the metal cap is in a unlocked position when the snap slot is not aligned atop snap lock tab and the protrusion snap ring is raised up and resting upon the two snap lock tabs, wherein the locking and unlocking design requires the protrusion snap ring to raise up and out of the snap lock groove to rest on the snap lock tabs when unlocked, and descend downward until the protrusion snap ring is pressed flush with snap lock groove, and lock tab is secured inside snap slot, when locked.

2. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 1, wherein the swivel cap is in locked closed position two at 0 degrees and locked open position one 180 degrees about the z-axis of the USB device, thereby leaving the USB metal plug substantially encapsulated by the swivel cap at substantially 0 degrees and exposed when the swivel cap is at substantially 180 degrees.

3. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 2, wherein a top upper and lower molding are joined to form a hollow housing which substantially encapsulates the metal case, while leaving the USB metal plug exposed.

4. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 3, wherein the swivel cap rotates about the z-axis of the USB device 270 degrees.

5. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 3, wherein the swivel cap rotates about the z-axis of the USB device 180 degrees.

6. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 3, wherein said USB device includes a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA).

7. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 6, wherein a printed circuit board (PCB) support is insertably positioned into a metal case to secure a PCBA in place, and an end cap is positioned into the metal case.

8. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 7, wherein the PCBA includes a top surface and a bottom surface and the top surface includes a light emitting diode (LED) that lights when the USB flash drive in operation.

9. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 3, wherein said USB device includes a chip on board (COB) circuit board.

10. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 9, wherein a COB support is inserted into a metal case to secure said COB in place, and an end cap is attached to the metal case.

11. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 10, wherein the PCBA includes a top surface and a bottom surface and the top surface includes a light emitting diode (LED) that lights when the USB flash drive in operation.

12. A method of manufacturing a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive comprising:

securing a printed circuit board (PCB) support into a metal case;

aligning a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) into a metal case to form a PCBA sub-assembly;

pressing an end cap into the formed PCBA sub-assembly to form a PCBA end cap sub-assembly;

forming a USB device by positioning the PCBA end cap sub-assembly in between an upper and a lower molding;

aligning the PCBA end cap sub-assembly inside the upper and lower moldings to form a USB device sub-assembly; and

attaching the metal cap to the USB device sub-assembly thereby enabling the swivel cap to lock in a first locking position and a second locking position, wherein the metal cap is in a locked position when the snap slot is aligned atop snap lock tab, wherein the metal cap is in a locked position when the snap lock tab is inserted into the snap slot such that the protrusion snap ring is positioned flush against the snap lock groove, wherein the metal cap is in a unlocked position when the snap slot is not aligned atop snap lock tab and the protrusion snap ring is raised up and resting upon the two snap lock tabs, wherein the locking and unlocking design requires the protrusion snap ring to raise up and out of the snap lock groove to rest on the snap lock tabs when unlocked, and descend downward until the protrusion snap ring is pressed flush with snap lock groove, and lock tab is secured inside snap slot, when locked.

13. A method of manufacturing a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive comprising:

securing a chip on board (COB) support into a metal case;

aligning a (COB) into a metal case to form a COB sub-assembly;

pressing an end cap into the formed COB sub-assembly to form a COB end cap sub-assembly;

forming a USB device by positioning the COB end cap sub-assembly inside a frame in between an upper and a lower molding;

aligning the COB end cap sub-assembly inside the frame and between the upper and lower moldings to form a USB device sub-assembly; and

attaching the metal cap to the USB device sub-assembly thereby enabling the swivel cap to lock in a first locking position and a second locking position, wherein the metal cap is in a locked position when the snap slot is aligned atop snap lock tab, wherein the metal cap is in a locked position when the snap lock tab is inserted into the snap slot such that the protrusion snap ring is positioned flush against the snap lock groove, wherein the metal cap is in a unlocked position when the snap slot is not aligned atop snap lock tab and the protrusion snap ring is raised up and resting upon the two snap lock tabs, wherein the locking and unlocking design requires the protrusion snap ring to raise up and out of the snap lock groove to rest on the snap lock tabs when unlocked, and descend downward until the protrusion snap ring is pressed flush with snap lock groove, and lock tab is secured inside snap slot, when locked.