USB package with bistable sliding mechanism
First Claim
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;
a slidable assembly comprising;
a substrate disposed inside the housing;
at least one electronic device fixedly mounted on the substrate;
a plug connector fixedly connected to a front end of the substrate and electronically connected to said at least one electronic device; and
a manual positioning member for slidably moving the substrate between a retracted position in which the plug connector is disposed inside the housing, and a deployed position in which the plug connector extends through the front opening; and
a bistable mechanism connected between the slidable assembly and the housing, said bistable mechanism including at least one spring disposed to bias the slidable assembly relative to the housing into one of a first stable state in which the plug connector is in the retracted position and a second stable state in which the plug connector is in the deployed position, wherein said at least one spring is arranged to store a minimal potential energy when said plug connector is in either of the retracted position and the deployed position, and to store a maximum potential energy when said plug connector is in an equilibrium position between the retracted position and the deployed position.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A USB device including a bistable mechanism that serves to bias a plug connector into one of two stable states, where the first stable state is associated with a retracted position in which the plug connector is fully retracted inside a housing, and the second stable state is associated with a deployed position in which the plug connector extends through the front opening for coupling to a host system. Movement of the plug connector form the retracted to the deployed position is performed by manually applying a force to a handle portion that protrudes through a slot defined in the housing. The bistable mechanism resists the deploying force until an equilibrium point is reach, after which the bistable mechanism releases stored potential energy to complete the deploying process and to maintain the plug connector is the deployed position.
205 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; a slidable assembly comprising; a substrate disposed inside the housing; at least one electronic device fixedly mounted on the substrate; a plug connector fixedly connected to a front end of the substrate and electronically connected to said at least one electronic device; and a manual positioning member for slidably moving the substrate between a retracted position in which the plug connector is disposed inside the housing, and a deployed position in which the plug connector extends through the front opening; and a bistable mechanism connected between the slidable assembly and the housing, said bistable mechanism including at least one spring disposed to bias the slidable assembly relative to the housing into one of a first stable state in which the plug connector is in the retracted position and a second stable state in which the plug connector is in the deployed position, wherein said at least one spring is arranged to store a minimal potential energy when said plug connector is in either of the retracted position and the deployed position, and to store a maximum potential energy when said plug connector is in an equilibrium position between the retracted position and the deployed position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14)
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10. 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; a slidable assembly comprising; a substrate disposed inside the housing; at least one electronic device fixedly mounted on the substrate; a plug connector fixedly connected to a front end of the substrate and electronically connected to said at least one electronic device; and a manual positioning member for slidably moving the substrate between a retracted position in which the plug connector is disposed inside the housing, and a deployed position in which the plug connector extends through the front opening; and a bistable mechanism for biasing the slidable assembly relative to the housing into one of a first stable state in which the plug connector is in the retracted position and a second stable state in which the plug connector is in the deployed position, wherein the slidable assembly comprises a sliding mechanism including a sliding boat, a rail bracket plate fixedly connected to a lower surface of the sliding boat, and a pair of plastic skid structures that are fixedly mounted onto the rail bracket plate, each of said plastic skid structures including an elongated sliding edge that extends away from the from sliding boat, and wherein the substrate comprises a printed circuit board that is fixedly mounted onto the sliding boat. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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Specification