Abstract:
A USB memory stick includes housing having a frame hole, a tray providing a fastening structure, and a memory attached to the tray and mounted with the tray in the housing. The memory includes a mating fastening structure fastened to the fastening structure of the tray, a stepped bottom wall formed of a plurality of steps rising one behind another, a plurality of vertical clearance compensation spring leaves respectively disposed corresponding to the steps, and a mating locating block forced into engagement with the frame hole of the housing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to USB memory stick technology and more particularly, to a USB memory stick, which facilitates quick assembly, hanging and carrying. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    USB is an industry standard that defines the cables, connectors and communications protocols used in a bus for connection, communication, and power supply between computers and electronic devices. USB has now become commonplace on other devices, such as set-top-boxes and video game consoles. Many advanced USB data storage devices having relatively smaller size and relatively larger storage capacity have been created and appeared on the market. 
         [0005]    A USB memory stick is a mobile data storage device including a memory with an integrated USB interface convenient for carrying and connectable to a computer for data access. Following development of data storage technology, USB memory stick storage capacity has been greatly expanded for wide field applications, and many USB memory stick circuit board specifications have been created. However, the assembly process of conventional USB memory sticks is complicated and inconvenient. Further, USB memory sticks are so small that can easily be lost. An improvement in this regard is desired. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a USB memory stick, which facilitates quick assembly. 
         [0007]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a USB memory stick, which facilitates hanging and carrying. 
         [0008]    To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, a USB memory stick of the present invention comprises a housing, a tray and a memory. The housing is a hollow frame shell having a predetermined height and width. Further, the housing comprises mounting positioning means. The tray comprises fastening means. The memory is attachable to the tray and mountable with the tray in the housing. The memory comprises mating fastening means fastenable to the fastening means of the tray, a stepped bottom wall formed of a plurality of steps rising one behind another, vertical clearance compensation spring means disposed corresponding to the steps, and mating mounting positioning means for engagement with the mounting positioning means of the housing. 
         [0009]    Preferably, the fastening means of the tray comprises a plurality of locating grooves located one of opposing top and bottom surfaces of the tray. Preferably, the mating fastening means of the memory comprises a plurality of locating blocks located on one of opposing top and bottom surfaces of the memory and respectively engageable into the locating grooves of the fastening means of the tray. 
         [0010]    Preferably, the locating grooves are located on the top surface of the tray and respectively extending in longitudinal and transverse directions. Further, the tray comprises a plurality of raised ribs located on the top surface thereof and respectively surrounding locating grooves. Further, the locating blocks are located on the bottom surface of the memory and respectively extending in longitudinal and transverse directions, and respectively engaged into the locating grooves of the tray. 
         [0011]    Further, the locating grooves of the tray that extend in one of the longitudinal and transverse directions are open-ended grooves, and the other locating grooves that extend in the other of the longitudinal and transverse directions are close-ended grooves. 
         [0012]    Preferably, the stepped bottom wall of the memory is formed of a first step, a second step and a third step that rise one behind another. Preferably, the vertical clearance compensation spring means of the memory comprises a first vertical clearance compensation spring leaf positioned in a hole in the first step of the memory, a second vertical clearance compensation spring leaf positioned in a hole in the second step of the memory, and a third vertical clearance compensation spring leaf positioned in the third step of the memory. The first vertical clearance compensation spring leaf and the second vertical clearance compensation spring leaf respectively protrude over opposing top and bottom surfaces of the memory. Further, the third vertical clearance compensation spring leaf protrudes over the opposing top and bottom surfaces of the memory corresponding to the third step at a relatively smaller height than the elevational protrusion of the first vertical clearance compensation spring leaf and the second vertical clearance compensation spring leaf. 
         [0013]    Preferably, the first vertical clearance compensation spring leaf protrudes over the top surface of the memory corresponding to the first step, and the second vertical clearance compensation spring leaf protrudes over the bottom surface of the memory corresponding to the second step. 
         [0014]    Preferably, the memory further comprises an end portion located at one end thereof, and a hanging hole formed in the end portion. 
         [0015]    In an alternate form of the present invention, the USB memory stick further comprises an end piece made in the form of a safety hook and fastened to the memory. The end piece comprises a throat, and a spring-loaded latch adapted to normally close the throat. 
         [0016]    Preferably, the memory comprises at least one springy hook block. Preferably, the end piece comprises at least one hook hole respectively engaged with the at least one spring hook block of the memory. 
         [0017]    Other advantages and features of the present invention will be fully understood by reference to the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference signs denote like components of structure. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is an oblique top elevational view of a USB memory stick in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the USB memory stick in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is another exploded view of the USB memory stick in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 3A  is a bottom view of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is a front view of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view taken along line B-B of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  is an exploded view of a USB memory stick in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 7A  is a bottom view of the memory and the end piece shown in  FIG. 7 . 
           [0027]      FIG. 8  is a sectional elevational assembly view, in an enlarged scale, of the USB memory stick shown in  FIG. 7 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0028]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a USB memory stick in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is shown. The USB memory stick of this first embodiment comprises a housing  10 , a memory  30 , and a tray  20  carrying the memory  30 . The housing  10  is a hollow frame shell having a predetermined longitudinal height and transverse width for accommodating the memory  30  and the tray  20 . 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 3A , the memory  30  comprises at least one fastening means for fastening to the tray  20 . In this embodiment, longitudinal locating grooves  21  and transverse locating grooves  22  are located on a top surface  201  of the tray  20  and respectively surrounded by raised ribs  202 ; longitudinal locating blocks  31  and transverse locating blocks  32  are protruded from the memory  30  and respectively engaged into the longitudinal locating grooves  21  and transverse locating grooves  22  of the tray  20 . In order to facilitate quick installation and to enhance structural stability, the longitudinal locating grooves  21  (or transverse locating grooves  22 ) can be made in an open-end design, and the transverse locating grooves  22  (or longitudinal locating grooves  21 ) can be made in an enclosed design. In this embodiment, the longitudinal locating grooves  21  are open-ended grooves, and the transverse locating grooves  22  are close-ended grooves. Thus, the tray  20  and the memory  30  can be quickly assembled together, ensuring a high level of structural stability. As illustrated, the memory  30  has a stepped bottom wall formed of a first step  301 , a second step  302  and a third step  30  that rise one behind another. The memory  30  further comprises at least one vertical clearance compensation spring means. In this embodiment, the memory  30  comprises a first vertical clearance compensation spring leaf  33 , a second vertical clearance compensation spring leaf  34  and a third vertical clearance compensation spring leaf  35 . The first vertical clearance compensation spring leaf  33  and the second vertical clearance compensation spring leaf  34  are respectively positioned in a respective hole in the first step  301  and the second step  302  during formation of the memory  30 , and respectively protruding over the opposing top and bottom surfaces of the memory  30 . In this embodiment, the first vertical clearance compensation spring leaf  33  protrudes over the top surface  36  at the first step  301  of the memory  30 ; the second vertical clearance compensation spring leaf protrudes over the bottom surface of the memory  30  corresponding to the second step  302 ; the third vertical clearance compensation spring leaf  35  protrudes over the top surface  36  of the memory  30  and the bottom surface of the memory  30  corresponding to the third step  303  at a relatively smaller height than the elevational protrusion of the first vertical clearance compensation spring leaf  33  and the second vertical clearance compensation spring leaf  34 . 
         [0030]    In this embodiment, the memory  30  further comprises an end portion  37 , and a hanging hole  38  located at the end portion  37  to facilitate hanging and carrying. 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIGS. 2-6 , the memory  30  is attached to the tray  20  to engage the longitudinal protruding blocks  31  and transverse protruding blocks  32  at the bottom surface of the first step  301  of the memory  30  into the respective longitudinal grooves  21  and transverse grooves  22  at the top surface  201  of the tray  20 , and then the assembled memory  30  and tray  20  are inserted into the inside of the housing  10 . During insertion of the assembled memory  30  and tray  20  into the inside of the housing  10 , the first vertical clearance compensation spring leaf  33 , the second vertical clearance compensation spring leaf  34  and the third vertical clearance compensation spring leaf  35  are compressed. When the assembled memory  30  and tray  20  are set in the housing  10 , the first vertical clearance compensation spring leaf  33 , the second vertical clearance compensation spring leaf  34  and the third vertical clearance compensation spring leaf  35  are immediately forced by the stored elastic potential energy thereof to return to their former shape, causing the first vertical clearance compensation spring leaf  33  to stop against the upper surface of the inner perimeter of the housing  10 , the second vertical clearance compensation spring leaf  34  to be stopped between the memory  30  and the tray  20 , and the third vertical clearance compensation spring leaf  35  to stop against the opposing upper and bottom surfaces of the inner perimeter of the housing  10 , and thus the USB memory stick is assembled. Further, in this embodiment, the housing  10  provides a frame hole  11 ; the memory  30  provides a locating block  39  for positioning in the frame hole  11  of the housing  10  to enhance connection stability between the housing  10  and the assembled memory  30  and tray  20 . 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIGS. 7 ,  7 A and  8 , a USB memory stick in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. The USB memory stick of this second embodiment comprises a housing  100 , a tray  200 , a memory  300 , and an end piece  900 . The end piece  900  is made in the form of a safety hook, comprising a throat  901 , a spring-loaded latch  902  that normally closes the throat  901 , and at least one, for example, two hook holes  903 . The design of the end piece  900  enables the USB memory stick to be used as a key ring. The memory  300  is fastened to the tray  200  in the same manner as the aforesaid first embodiment. In this embodiment, the memory  300  comprises a plurality of vertical clearance compensation spring leaves  34 ;  35 , and at least one, for example, two springy hook blocks  306  respectively hooked in the hook holes  903  of the end piece  900 . 
         [0033]    In conclusion, the invention provides a USB memory stick that facilitates quick assembly, carrying, hanging and storage, involves an inventive step in spatial configuration arrangement, and has an industrial value. 
         [0034]    Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.