Patent Publication Number: US-2013242489-A1

Title: Protection of devices connected to computer access ports

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims priority from U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/593,156, filed Jan. 31, 2012 by Madeleine Davidson, entitled “Protection of Devices Connected to Computer Access Ports,” the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to the protection of plug-in devices connected to computer access ports and, more specifically, to a guard that can be attached to or included as part of a computer housing for protecting plug-in devices connected to the computer&#39;s access ports. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Computers typically have a variety of access ports that enable accessories such as printers, keyboards, and removable storage devices (e.g., flash drives) to be connected and disconnected from the computer. In the particular case of removable data storage devices, uniform serial bus (USB) ports commonly are used to connect such devices to the computer. For convenience, all such devices that can be connected or disconnected from a computer by being inserted into or removed from an access port such as a USB port will be referred to herein as “plug-in devices.” On a desktop computer housing, USB ports often are provided on both the front and rear walls of the housing for convenient access by the user. On a laptop computer, USB ports often are provided on the side edges or walls of the computer housing. 
     Although USB ports permit plug-in devices to be connected and disconnected from the computer conveniently, a problem exists concerning protection of the devices while they are connected to the computer. For instance, flash drives usually are small, rigid devices that typically project from the computer housing when they are connected to a USB port, since USB ports are usually flush with the computer housing. As such, when these plug-in devices are connected to the USB port(s), they are vulnerable to damage by being inadvertently bumped or hit. As a consequence, any movement of the flash drive relative to the USB port other than “straight in, straight out” is likely to cause damage to the flash drive, the USB port, or both. 
     Prior efforts to protect flash drives are known, including U.S. Pat. No. 7,076,581 to Cheng, which teaches a deep slot provided in a computer housing to receive a flash drive. A USB port is located at the bottom of the slot. Thus, the flash drive being substantially recessed during use, will provide protection from damage. Unfortunately, there are limits for the device since it will only accommodate flash drives having a cross-sectional configuration that can be received by the slot. Large or unusually shaped devices cannot be used. In addition, the use of a deep slot reduces the internal volume of the housing that otherwise would be available for computer components, thereby making it impractical for laptops and other computers that have internal space limitations. Further, it may be difficult for some users to grasp the flash drive to remove it from the slot. 
     Other devices are known for protecting other electronic components for computers or computer housings, but these prior devices are not suitable for protecting plug-in devices. Examples of other devices include U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,400; U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,409; U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,820; U.S. Pat. No. 6,137,689; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,498,731. For example, the &#39;820 patent discloses a snap-on bumper  10  that fits over an integrated circuit board. The bumper  10  has end portions  11 ,  12  that fit over the ends of the board. The end portions  11 ,  12  are interconnected by thin intermediate struts  13 ,  14  that form an opening that can receive a center pad  25 . While the device in question may be able to protect an integrated circuit board, there is no suggestion or teaching that these devices have applicability to computer housings or plug-in devices that may be used in conjunction therewith. 
     Because of the drawbacks of the prior art, there remains a need for a technique to protect a plug-in device from damage while it is connected to a computer&#39;s access port. Any such technique should permit plug-in devices of virtually any size or shape to be used with the computer, and it should permit the devices to be connected and removed easily. Moreover, any such technique should not reduce the internal volume of the computer housing or should reduce it to the least extent possible. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a new and improved guard for protection of devices, such as plug-in devices or storage devices, which are connected to and protrude from computer access ports and, more specifically, to a guard that is adapted to attach to or is included as part of a computer housing for protecting devices connected to the computer&#39;s access ports. 
     In accordance with the present invention, the guard comprises a bumper adapted to be positioned about an access port, and a connection between the bumper and the computer housing. The connection causes the bumper to be spaced a distance away from the housing. In a preferred embodiment, the bumper may have an opening therethrough, analogous to a frame structure. The opening of the frame can be adapted to be positioned about an access port so that a user may easily access, insert, or remove a plug-in device. The frame can include telescoping members that contain springs that cause the telescoping members to be biased in a desired direction. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the connection between the bumper and the computer housing may be a set of first and second movable arms connected to the frame and configured to extend over the sides of a computer housing. The arms can be retained in position against the outside of the housing via spring tension that tends to press the arms toward each other, against the outside of the housing. In another embodiment, the arms can be retained in position against inside portions of the housing via spring tension that tends to press the arms away from each other, against the inside portions of the housing. In yet another embodiment, the first and second arms are fitted into openings included as part of a computer housing. In that case, the arms can retract inside the computer housing and can retain the bumper against a wall of the housing; the arms can be extended to position the bumper away from the wall of the housing. 
     The first and second arms engage the computer housing to keep the frame a desired distance away from face of the housing. Thus, the frame protects the access ports and any devices connected to said ports. The spring-biased frame and arms allow the guard to fit various sizes and types of computer housings. Additionally, the opening in the frame allows for easy access to the ports and accommodates various plug-in devices. 
     The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description that follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates upon reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a guard according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the guard of  FIG. 1  connected to a computer housing, showing the internal details of a spring unit inside a frame of the guard; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the guard of  FIG. 1 , showing the internal spring units; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the guard of  FIG. 1  taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the guard of  FIG. 1 , where the guard is contracted and the arms are folded inwardly to a stowed position; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a guard according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a top plan view of the guard of  FIG. 6  connected to a computer housing, showing the internal details of a spring unit inside a frame of the guard; 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of the guard of  FIG. 6 , showing the internal spring units; 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the guard of  FIG. 6 , taken along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the guard of  FIG. 6 , where the guard is expanded and the arms are folded outwardly; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a guard according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  is a top plan view of the guard of  FIG. 11  connected to a computer housing; and 
         FIG. 13  is a front view of the guard of  FIG. 11  connected to a computer housing. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The current invention provides protection of devices, which are connected to and protrude from computer access ports on a computer housing, by absorbing shock or impeding contact to the device. Although the following description is in terms of protecting plug-in devices, the current invention could be used to protect other devices connected to the computer housing. The computer housing illustrated herein is used with a so-called desktop computer, although the computer could be of any other type such as a laptop computer. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a guard  100  according to the present invention is shown. Although the term guard is used herein to describe the invention, the guard may also be referred to as a protection device, a shield or any like device that engages a computer housing to provide protection by absorbing shock or impeding contact to a plug-in device. 
     Generally, the guard comprises a bumper, adapted to be positioned about or in proximity to an access port, and a connection between the bumper and the computer housing. It is to be appreciated that the guard may be one continuous piece or may comprise multiple pieces. The guard may be made of a plastic or rubber or any other type of suitable material. The bumper is a horizontal piece that provides protection to a plug-in device connected to and protruding from the access port. The connection engages the housing and causes the bumper to be spaced a desired distance away from the wall or face of the housing that contains one or more access ports. 
     As will be described in a preferred embodiment, the bumper may be a frame-like structure, having an opening therethrough, and the connection may be movable arms attached to the frame-like structure. The size and shape of the opening can be selected to surround a single access port or a plurality of access ports, whether arranged in a single row, multiple rows, or in an array. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , the guard  100  comprises a frame  105 , having an opening  106  therethrough, with movable first and second arms  110 ,  115 , connected to opposite ends of the frame for engaging a computer housing  130 . The computer housing  130  has a wall or face  132  that contains one or more access ports, such as a USB port, into which plug-in devices such as flash drives can be inserted. The computer housing  130  has side walls  134 . 
     The first arm  110  may include a first projecting portion, or stopper  120 , and the second arm  115  may include a projecting portion, or second stopper  125 . The stoppers  120 ,  125  are located on the interior side of the arms  110 ,  115  to engage the front edges or wall  132  of the computer housing  130  and ensure that the frame  105  is spaced a desired distance away from a computer housing  130 . Additionally, the first and second arms  110 ,  115  may be operably connected to the frame  105 , for example, via hinges  160 ,  165 . The location of the hinges  160 ,  165  means that the arms  110 ,  115  can be folded inwardly but not outwardly beyond a position that is perpendicular to the frame  105 . 
     It is to be appreciated that other types of connections may be used to attach the arms  110 ,  115  to the frame  105  and to cause the arms  110 ,  115  to be movable. Additionally, the frame  105  and/or arms  110 ,  115  may be made of one continuous piece of flexible material that allows for movement of the arms  110 ,  115  over the computer housing  130 . 
     Referring particularly to  FIG. 2 , guard  100  is connected to the computer housing  130 . The computer housing  130  may be any type of enclosure, case or chassis that contains computer components. Plug-in device  135  is connected to computer housing  130  via an access port. The guard  100  further comprises first and second tubular members  140 ,  145 . The first tubular member  140  includes two internal spring units  150 ,  155  both shown in a detailed front view of the guard in  FIG. 3 . The second tubular member  145  is telescopically received into the first tubular member  140 . When the first and second tubular members  140 ,  145 , are fitted together, the rectangular opening  106  is formed.  FIG. 4 , a cross-sectional view of the guard along line  4  of  FIG. 3 , shows the second arm  115 , stopper  125 , hinge  165  and spring units  150 ,  155 . The springs  150 ,  155  are connected to the ends of the second tubular member  145  and serve to bias the second tubular member  145  to the left as viewed in  FIG. 3 , i.e., to a position where the arms  110 ,  115  are closest to each other. 
     Retracting the first and second tubular members  140 ,  145  in opposite directions causes the first and second arms  110 ,  115  to move apart from each other against the bias of the springs  150 ,  155 . Thus, as shown in  FIG. 2 , when guard  100  is positioned over an access port on computer housing  130 , the first and second tubular members  140 ,  145  may be retracted to extend the first and second arms  110 ,  115 , around the outer edges or sides  134  of computer housing  130 . Releasing the first and second tubular members  140 ,  145 , causes the first and second arms  110 ,  115 , to bear against the outside walls  134  of the computer housing  130 . The guard  100  is retained in place on the housing  130  via spring tension created by the force applied by spring units  150 ,  155 . 
     The stoppers  120 ,  125  engage the outside edges of front wall  132  of the computer housing  130  to ensure the frame  105  is spaced a desired distance away from the wall or face  132  of computer housing  130 . The spacing of the frame  105 , coupled with the size of the opening  106 , allows easy access to various types and sizes of plug-in devices and protects plug-in device  135  from being inadvertently bumped or hit. The guard  100  is also collapsible, as shown in  FIG. 5 , for transport or storage. This is facilitated by folding the first and second arms  110 ,  115  inwardly against the frame  105 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6-10 , a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention is shown and is indicated by the reference numeral  600 . The guard  600 , similar to guard  100 , is used for protecting plug-in devices. The guard  600  may be fitted to interior opposing portions of a computer housing  630 . The guard  600  comprises a frame  605  having a through opening  606  through which plug-in devices can be inserted and removed from access ports included as part of the computer housing  630 . 
     The guard  600  includes movable first and second arms  610 ,  615 . The first and second arms  610 ,  615 , may be operably connected to the frame  605 , for example, via external hinges  660 ,  665 . This location of the hinges  660 ,  665  means that the arms  610 ,  615  can fold outwardly, but not inwardly from a position that is perpendicular to the frame  605 . 
     The first and second arms  610 ,  615  may each include a projecting portion, or stopper  620 ,  625 , on the exterior side of the arms  610 ,  615 . The stoppers  620 ,  625  engage the inner sides or edges of the computer housing  630  to ensure that the frame  605  is spaced a desired distance away from wall or face  632  of the computer housing  630 . 
       FIGS. 7-10  illustrate various parts of guard  600 .  FIG. 7  is a top plan view of guard  600  connected to the computer housing  630 . Plug-in device  635  is connected to computer housing  630  via an access port. Similar to guard  100 , the guard  600  also comprises first and second tubular members  640 ,  645  and two internal spring units  650 ,  655 , both shown in a detailed front view of the guard  600  in  FIG. 8 . The second tubular member  645  is telescopically received into the first tubular member  640 . The springs  650 ,  655  press against the ends of the second tubular member  645  and serve to bias the second tubular member  645  to the right as viewed in  FIG. 7 , i.e., to a position where the arms  610 ,  615  are apart from each other. 
       FIG. 8  also shows first and second hinges  660 ,  665  connecting the first and second arms  610 ,  615  to opposite sides of frame  605 . The first and second hinges  660 ,  665  connect on the external sides of the guard  600  to allow the first and second arms  610 ,  615  to fold outwardly but not inwardly.  FIG. 9  shows the second arm  615 , stopper  625  (which is on the external side of second arm  615 ), and spring units  650 ,  655 . 
     According to the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 6-10 , compression of the first and second tubular members  640 ,  645  against the bias of springs  650 ,  655  causes the first and second arms  610 ,  615 , to move toward each other. Thus, as shown in  FIG. 7 , when the guard  600  is positioned over an access port of computer housing  630 , the first and second tubular members  640 ,  645  may be compressed to retract the first and second arms  610 ,  615  inside the inner edges of computer housing  630 . Releasing the first and second tubular members  640 ,  645 , forces the first and second arms  610 ,  615  to bear against the inside of the computer housing  630 . The guard  600  is retained in place on the housing  630  via spring tension. The stoppers  620 ,  625  engage the front wall or face  632  of the computer housing  630  to ensure that the frame  605  is spaced a desired distance away from the wall or face  632 . That spacing, coupled with the size and shape of the opening  606 , enables plug-in devices to be readily inserted into and removed from access ports in the computer housing  630  while protecting the devices from contact that might cause damage to the devices or the access ports. 
     In a manner similar to the guard  100 , the guard  600  is collapsible to a relatively compact configuration for transport or storage. In order to accomplish this, the first and second arms  610 ,  615  of guard  600  fold outwardly as shown in  FIG. 10 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 11-13 , a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention is shown and is indicated by the reference numeral  900 . The guard  900  is similar to guards  100  and  600  and is used for protecting plug-in devices. The guards  100 ,  600  are removable devices that are not permanently fitted to a computer housing. The guard  900 , in contrast, is permanently fitted to a computer housing  930  and is adapted for movement between an extended position where a plug-in device can be protected and a retracted position where the guard  900  is in contact with a wall or face  932  of the computer housing  930 . 
     The guard  900  comprises a frame  905  having a through opening  906  and first and second arms  910 ,  915 . The first and second arms  910 ,  915  are received in a telescoping manner by openings  920 ,  925  included as part of the computer housing  930 . The length of the arms  910 ,  915  are selected such that the frame  905  is spaced a desired distance away from the wall or face  932  when the guard  900  is in the extended position. The first and second arms  910 ,  915  may be fitted into the openings  920 ,  925  without any type of actuating mechanism so as to require manual operation. Alternatively, the arms  910 ,  915  could be connected to springs and a ratchet-type release mechanism (not shown) contained within the computer housing  930 . In that event, the guard  900  would be spring-biased to an open or extended position as is illustrated in  FIGS. 11 and 12 . 
       FIG. 12  is a top plan view of guard  900  connected to the computer housing  930 . Plug-in device  935  is connected to computer housing  630  via an access port  940  ( FIGS. 11 and 13 ). The frame  905  extends far enough away from the front wall or face  932  of the computer housing  930  that the plug-in device  935  will be adequately protected. As can be seen in  FIG. 13 , the opening  906  is large enough that the access ports  940  and the plug-in-device  935  can be accessed readily. When the guard  900  no longer is needed to protect a plug-in device  935 , the guard can be easily pushed to a retracted position where the rear wall of the frame  905  engages the wall or face  932  of the computer housing  930 . 
     It will be appreciated that the frames  105 ,  605 ,  905  can take different forms and that the openings  106 ,  606 ,  906  can be eliminated, if desired. In that event, the frames  105 ,  605 ,  905  can take the shape of an elongate, relatively thin bumper or guard rail that is positioned in proximity to any plug-in devices that may be inserted into access ports in the computer housing. Such proximity could be above or below the access ports. While such a bumper or guard rail may not provide the full extent of protection that is afforded by the frames  105 ,  605 ,  905 , nevertheless such protection may be adequate for certain purposes. If a reduced-size bumper or guard rail is used, that could lessen the size of the supporting arms  110 ,  115 ,  601 ,  615 ,  910 ,  915  that are required to adequately support the bumper or guard rail. In turn, the overall size and expense of the device could be reduced. 
     Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to particular examples and embodiments, the examples and embodiments contained herein are merely illustrative and are not an exhaustive list. Variations and modifications of the present invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art. The present invention includes all such modifications and equivalents. The claims alone are intended to set forth the limits of the present invention.