Lip stick universal serial bus flash drive with deploying and retracting functionalities

• US 7,708,570 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Super Talent Technology, Corporation
• Original Assignee: Supertalent Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Nguyen, David, Ni, Jim Chin-Nan, Nan, Nan, Lee, Charles Chung
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen; Gary F.
• Application Number:
  US11/770,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20080160802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 439/131
• US Class Current: 439/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4063 Device-to-bus coupling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0042 Universal serial bus [USB]

Abstract

In one embodiment of the present invention, a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive rotary device is disclosed to include a plastic frame including a USB flash drive and a USB plug connector and a rotary tube at least partially enclosing said plastic frame for deploying said USB plug connector, the USB flash drive is coupled to the USB plug connector, the rotary tube is turned to retract said USB plug connector, the USB flash drive rotary device is for deploying the USB plug connector to couple the USB flash drive to a USB port.

Claims

1. A universal serial bus (USB) flash drive rotary device comprising:

a plastic frame including a USB flash drive and a USB plug connector;

a rotary tube at least partially enclosing said plastic frame for deploying said USB plug connector, said USB flash drive being coupled to said USB plug connector, said rotary tube being turned to retract said USB plug connector, said USB flash drive rotary device for deploying said USB plug connector to couple said USB flash drive to a USB port,

wherein a PCB cover and a PCB holder include spiral tabs which cause deployment and retraction of the USB plug connector; and

a plurality of springs, one of which is positioned in the PCB cover and one of which is positioned in the PCB holder for deploying and retracting the USB connector so that the springs, while compressed cause locking of the USB plug connector in a deployed position such that the rotary tube is prevented from turning clockwise, and as the rotary tube is turned counter clockwise, the USB plug connector is fully retracted into the end tube turning the rotary tube clockwise thereby redeploying the USB plug connector.

2. A universal serial bus (USB) flash drive rotary device, as recited in claim 1, wherein the USB flash drive rotary device has a lipstick shape.

3. A universal serial bus (USB) flash drive rotary device, as recited in claim 1, including an end tube rotatably connected to the rotary tube and including a one or more ridges and a cut-out, the ridges positioned to secure the end tube to the rotary tube and the cut-out positioned to allow the USB plug connector to be deployed or retracted.

4. A universal serial bus (USB) flash drive rotary device, as recited in claim 3, wherein the ridges of the rotary tube include a plurality of spiral slots and a rotary tube end stop and wherein the spiral tabs move inside the spiral slots to deploy and retract the USB plug connector by turning the rotary tube in a first direction and the spiral tabs move inside the spiral slots to deploy the USB plug connector out of the end tube and wherein by turning the rotary tube in a second direction, in opposite to the first direction, the spiral tabs move inside the spiral slots to retract the USB plug connector back into the end tube.

5. A universal serial bus (USB) flash drive rotary device, as recited in claim 4, including rotary tube end stop that prevent the plastic frame from moving any further in the rotary tube when the USB plug connector is fully retracted.

6. A universal serial bus (USB) flash drive rotary device, as recited in claim 5, wherein the end tube includes at least one notch disposed therein and wherein the other end of the plastic frame having the USB plug connector being positioned next to the end tube such that the at least one recess slot of the PCB holder is aligned with the notch.

7. A Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive rotary device comprising:

a USB plug connector;

an end tube housing the USB plug connector when the USB plug connector is deployed therein;

a rotary tube adapted to rotatably deploy or retract the USB plug connector into and out of the end tube by turning the rotary tube clockwise or counter clockwise;

a plurality of springs, one of which is positioned in a PCB cover and one of which is positioned in a PCB holder for deploying and retracting the USB connector so that the springs, while compressed cause locking of the USB plug connector in a deployed position wherein the rotary tube is prevented from turning clockwise, and as the rotary tube is turned counter clockwise, the USB plug connector is fully retracted into the end tube turning the rotary tube clockwise redeploying the USB plug connector.

8. A USB flash drive rotary device, as recited in claim 7, further including a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) assembly connected to the PCB plug connector, and wherein the PCB cover and the PCB holder are positioned to house the PCB assembly therebetween.

9. A USB flash drive rotary device, as recited in claim 8, wherein the end tube includes a cut-out through which the USB plug connector is deployed and retracted.

10. A USB flash drive rotary device, as recited in claim 9, wherein the PCB cover includes a button and the PCB holder includes a button and the rotary tube includes spiral slots so that the PCB cover button and the PCB holder button act to move inside the spiral slots to deploy and retract the USB plug connector.

11. A Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive rotary device comprising:

a USB plug connector having plastic frame edges;

a rotary tube having and end connected to the USB plug connector and an end stop surface disposed on an end opposite to the USB plug connector;

buttons;

spiral slots;

recess slots;

notches;

an end tube,

wherein as the rotary tube is turned in a clockwise direction, the buttons move inside the spiral slots to push the USB plug connector out of end tube and wherein the USB plug connector is fully deployed when its plastic frame edges come in contact with end stop surface of the end tube and the rotary tube cannot be turned clockwise any further and wherein as the rotary tube is turned counter clock wise to cause the buttons to move inside the spiral slots to retract the USB plug connector inside the end tube so that as the end of the plastic frame comes in contact with the end stop surface of the rotary tube, the USB plug connector reaches a fully retracted position so that the rotary tube cannot be turned in a counter clock wise direction any further and;

a plurality of springs, one of which is positioned in a PCB cover and one of which is positioned in a PCB holder for deploying and retracting the USB connector so that the springs, while compressed cause locking of the USB plug connector in a deployed position wherein the rotary tube is prevented from turning clockwise, and as the rotary tube is turned counter clockwise, the USB plug connector is fully retracted into the end tube turning the rotary tube clockwise redeploying the USB plug connector.

12. A USB flash drive rotary device, as recited in claim 11, further including a PCB assembly connected to the USB connector and positioned inside a PCB holder by being slid therein and further including a PCB cover secured onto the PCB holder to form a plastic frame.

13. A Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive rotary device comprising:

USB connector;

a PCB assembly connected to the USB connector;

a printed circuit board (PCB) cover disposed on top of and around the PCB assembly;

a PCB holder positioned to hold the PCB assembly;

a rotary tube;

an end button, wherein the USB plug connector is deployed and retracted by turning the rotary tube clockwise and counter clockwise relative to the end tube;

a fingerprint sensor including the rotary tube;

and an end tube, wherein

the fingerprint sensor recognizes individual fingerprints and allows the owner or specific individuals to have access to information stored in the USB flash drive rotary device,

a plurality of springs, one of which is positioned in the PCB cover and one of which is positioned in the PCB holder for deploying and retracting the USB connector so that the springs, while compressed cause locking of the USB plug connector in a deployed position wherein the rotary tube is prevented from turning clockwise, and as the rotary tube is turned counter clockwise, the USB plug connector is fully retracted into the end tube turning the rotary tube clockwise redeploying the USB plug connector.