USB device with connected cap
First Claim
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1. A portable computer peripheral apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a front end portion defining a front opening, opposing side walls and opposing upper and lower walls extending back from the front end portion and defining a central cavity, and a rear wall covering a back portion of the central cavity;
at least one electronic device mounted inside of the housing;
a plug connector electronically connected to said at least one electronic device; and
a protective cap pivotably connected to the housing such that the protective cap is pivotable between an opened position in which said protective cap is disposed behind the front end portion such that said plug connector is exposed for operable coupling to a host system through said front opening, and a closed position in which said cap is disposed over the front end portion of the housing,wherein one of the housing and the protective cap includes one or more pins and the other of the housing and the protective cap defines at least one elongated groove, andwherein the protective cap is secured to the housing such that the protective cap remains connected to the housing during movement between the opened and closed positions, and such that said one or more pins are slidably and pivotably received in said one or more grooves during said movement between the opened position and the closed position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A USB device including a housing and a protective cap that are slidably and/or pivotably connected together such that the protective cap is able to slide and/or pivot between an open position, in which a plug connector extending from the front of the housing is exposed for operable coupling to a host system, and a closed position, in which the protective cap is disposed over the front end portion of the housing to protect the plug connector. A pivoting/sliding mechanism is provided on the housing and cap that secures the protective cap to the housing at all times, including during transitional movements of the protective cap between the opened and closed positions.
17 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A portable computer peripheral apparatus comprising:
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a housing having a front end portion defining a front opening, opposing side walls and opposing upper and lower walls extending back from the front end portion and defining a central cavity, and a rear wall covering a back portion of the central cavity; at least one electronic device mounted inside of the housing; a plug connector electronically connected to said at least one electronic device; and a protective cap pivotably connected to the housing such that the protective cap is pivotable between an opened position in which said protective cap is disposed behind the front end portion such that said plug connector is exposed for operable coupling to a host system through said front opening, and a closed position in which said cap is disposed over the front end portion of the housing, wherein one of the housing and the protective cap includes one or more pins and the other of the housing and the protective cap defines at least one elongated groove, and wherein the protective cap is secured to the housing such that the protective cap remains connected to the housing during movement between the opened and closed positions, and such that said one or more pins are slidably and pivotably received in said one or more grooves during said movement between the opened position and the closed position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A portable computer peripheral apparatus comprising:
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a housing having a front end portion defining a front opening, opposing side walls and opposing upper and lower walls extending back from the front end portion and defining a central cavity, and a rear wall covering a back portion of the central cavity; at least one electronic device mounted inside of the housing; a plug connector electronically connected to said at least one electronic device; and a protective cap pivotably connected to the housing such that the protective cap is pivotable between an opened position in which said protective cap is disposed behind the front end portion such that said plug connector is exposed for operable coupling to a host system through said front opening, and a closed position in which said cap is disposed over the front end portion of the housing, wherein the protective cap is secured to the housing such that the protective cap remains connected to the housing during movement between the opened and closed positions, wherein the protective cap comprises a box-like structure having a rear opening defined such that the plug connector extends through the rear opening into the protective cap when the protective cap is in the closed position, and a side opening disposed such that, when the protective cap is moved from the closed position to the open position, at least a portion of the plug connector extends through the side opening, and wherein the housing comprises first and second pins extending from opposite sides of the housing adjacent to the front portion, wherein the protective cap defines first and second elongated grooves disposed on inside facing surfaces of the protective cap, and wherein the protective cap is mounted onto the housing such that the first and second pins are slidably and pivotably received in the first and second grooves, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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Specification