Universal serial bus (USB) flash drive housing a slim USB device and having swivel cap functionalities allowing for two locking positions

• US 7,740,493 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2007
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Super Talent Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Supertalent Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Nguyen, David, Ni, Jim Chin-Nan, Ma, Abraham Chih-Kang, Yu, I-Kang
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilman; Alexander
• Application Number:
  US11/874,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20080261449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 439/607, 439/131, 439/133, 439/138, 439/147, 439/142, 439/148, 361/737, 361/752, 234/492, 234/488
• US Class Current: 439/131
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/453 Shutter or cover plate opened by engagement of counterpart
• 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 cap having a side slit that serves as an opening into which the slim USB device travels horizontally, the side slit being disposed along a lateral side of the swivel cap. The USB flash drive also includes a USB device rivet placed into the slim USB device and the swivel cap to pivotally connect them at one of the ends of the slim USB device, so that the slim USB device is pivotally extendable outwardly from the side slit in a closed or open position. The swivel rocker is pivotally extendable outwardly from the opposite end of the slim USB device and when the swivel rocker is extended outwardly, the slim USB device is caused to extend outwardly.

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 when the USB flash drive is connected thereto, the slim USB device further having an opposite end;

a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) disposed within the slim USB device to maintain information provided by a host when the USB flash drive is connected to the host;

a metal case into which the PCBA is housed, the metal case having disposed thereon a first USB device protrusion and a second USB device protrusion;

a USB device swivel cap having a side slit that serves as an opening into which the slim USB device is encapsulated when the slim USB device is in a closed position, the side slit being disposed along a lateral side of the USB device swivel cap, the USB device swivel cap being the shape of the slim USB device and slightly larger than the slim USB device only to the extent that it encapsulates the slim USB device and no more the USB device swivel cap having disposed thereon a first cap hole and a second cap hole;

a USB device rivet positioned in the slim USB device and the USB device swivel cap and configured to pivotally connect the USB device swivel cap to the slim USB device at the opposite end of the slim USB device to allow the slim USB device to pivotally extend outwardly from the side slit;

a swivel rocker disposed at the opposite end of the slim USB device that is pivotally extendable outwardly from the opposite end of the slim USB device, the swivel rocker causing the slim USB device to extend outwardly through the side slit by establishing contact with the slim USB device and pushing it outwardly from the USB device swivel cap when the swivel rocker itself is caused to extend outwardly from the opposite end of the slim USB device thereby positioning the slim USB device in an open position, the first and second cap holes being disposed on either side of the USB device rivet, the first and second USB device protrusions being disposed on either side of the USB device rivet,

wherein the first USB device protrusion fits into the first cap hole and the second USB device protrusion fits into the second cap hole to secure the metal case into the USB device swivel cap thereby causing the slim USB device to be locked into an open position when the first USB device protrusion fits into the first cap hole and the second USB device protrusion fits into the second cap hole.

2. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 1, further including a swivel rocker protrusion disposed substantially in the middle of the swivel rocker to pivotally connect the swivel rocker to the USB device swivel cap.

3. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 2, wherein the PCBA includes contact fingers formed on top of the PCBA at one end thereof to cause the USB flash drive to communicate with the host when the USB flash drive is connected to the host, the USB flash drive being connected to the host at an end of the USB device swivel cap where the contact fingers are positioned.

4. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 3, wherein the slim USB device includes an end cap positioned at an end of the USB device swivel cap that is in opposite to the end that connects the USB flash drive to the host, the end cap securing the PCBA within the USB device swivel cap.

5. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 4, wherein the metal case includes a set of USB device tabs disposed at either lateral sides of the USB device swivel cap to align the PCBA inside thereof.

6. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 5, wherein the metal case includes a USB device tip at an end thereof within which the contact fingers reside and forms a USB connector adaptive to cause communication between the slim USB device and the host when the USB connector is connected to the host.

7. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 6, wherein the metal case includes end slot, each disposed on the sides of the metal case at an end of the metal case into which the end cap is connected and the end cap includes end cap tabs disposed on either side of the end cap, each fitting into a corresponding end slot to secure the PCBA into the metal case.

8. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 7, wherein the metal case includes a USB device throughhole disposed on the top surface of the metal case substantially at the end of the metal case into which the end cap is connected and extending through to a like location on the bottom surface of the metal case.

9. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 8, wherein the metal case includes a first USB device protrusion disposed on one side of the USB device throughhole and a second USB device protrusion disposed on the other side of the USB device throughhole and a second USB device protrusion disposed on the other side of the USB device throughhole, each of the first USB device protrusion and the second USB device protrusion extending through to a like location on the bottom surface of the metal case.

10. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 9, wherein the USB device swivel cap includes a cap rivet hole that is disposed on the top surface of the swivel cap and extends through to a like location on the bottom surface of the USB device swivel cap.

11. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 10, wherein the USB device swivel cap includes a first cap hole and disposed on one side of the cap rivet hole and a second cap hole disposed on the other side of the cap rivet hole, each of the first USB device protrusion and second USB device protrusion extends through to a like and corresponding location on the bottom surface of the USB device swivel cap, wherein the first USB device protrusion is snapped into the cap hole and the second USB device protrusion is snapped into the second cap hole to connect the USB device swivel cap with the metal cap.

12. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 11, wherein the cap rivet hole and the first USB device protrusion are aligned.

13. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 11, further including a label disposed on the top surface of the USB device swivel cap.

14. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 13, further including a PCBA support onto which the PCBA sits within the metal case to maintain the PCBA therein.

15. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 14, 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.

16. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 15, wherein the top surface of the PCBA has formed thereon, the contact fingers and includes a memory integrated circuit caused to store information from the host.

17. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 16, wherein the bottom surface of the PCBA includes a controller integrated circuit that is in communication with the host to store information from the host into the memory integrated circuit.

18. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 17, wherein the PCBA has disposed at an end thereof a PCBA rivet throughhole through which the USB device rivet is placed.

19. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 18, wherein the end cap has disposed on the top thereof end cap protrusion and the metal case has disposed on the top thereof at the end of the metal case into which the end cap is connected, a metal case slot, the end cap protrusion being positioned into the metal case slot when the end cap is connected to the metal case.

20. A USB flash drive, as recited in claim 1, wherein the USB flash drive is removably connected to a host and further includes a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) disposed, on a connector substrate, within the slim USB device, to maintain information provided by the host when the USB flash drive is connected to the host.