Patent Publication Number: US-7896676-B2

Title: Retractable connector for an electronic device

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 61/082,084, filed on Jul. 18, 2008. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to the field of connectors for electronic devices, specifically connectors that are retractable when not in use. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many electronic devices have connectors for connecting to another device or receiver. Serial bus devices, Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices, or IEEE 1394 devices all connect to computers or other electronic devices with a connector. Many such devices are portable. These devices may be exposed to various elements and forces that may damage the connector, when for example, a user transports the device. Many connector devices have a removable cap for protecting the connector when not in use. However, the cap is easily misplaced. 
     The present inventor recognizes that it would be desirable to provide a connector housing for electronic devices, such as USB devices, that would protect the connector when the connector is not engaged with a receiving device. The present inventor recognizes a need for a device that is easily used by persons with dexterity difficulty. The present inventor recognizes a need for a means of protecting a connector that is a unified component of the device even when the connector is engaged with a receiving device. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides a retractable connector device having a connector and a housing for protecting the connector. The housing comprises an inner housing, a belt, and two sidewalls. The device has at least two positions, a deployed position where the connector is in position to connect to a receiver and/or receiving device, and a stored position where the connector is separated and protected from external elements by the belt. A user moves the device between the deployed and stored positions by moving the belt. A user may move the belt using a thumb plate attached to the belt. 
     When the device is in a stored position the belt covers a hole in the front of the inner housing. When the device is in a deployed position, the belt is clear of the hole and the connector passes through the hole to extend beyond the housing and is in a position to connect to a receiving device. 
     In operation, to move from stored position, a user will move the thumb plate toward the rear of the device to move the device toward the deployed position. In doing so, the belt is raised up the front face to clear the hole and the belt moves along the top surface of the inner housing. The belt wraps around the back end of the inner housing and continues on the bottom of the device toward the front of the device on a first bottom portion of the inner housing. The belt travels in a gap on the bottom of the inner housing between the first bottom portion and a second bottom portion. The gap is where the belt enters a cutout area of the inner housing and attaches to a connector mount of the connector. 
     When moving to the stored position from the deployed position, if the belt front edge is on the top portion of the inner housing it will move toward the front of the housing. The belt front edge will curve around the inner housing front upper surface, continuing down the front face to cover the hole and protect the connector. 
     The device may comprise electronic components for electronic devices including computer peripheral devices such as serial bus devices, Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices, or IEEE 1394 devices. A connector front surface of the connector may comprise any connector appropriate for a particular type of electronic device comprising a particular embodiment of the device. The device may comprise a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SSD), a flash drive, or a flash media card receiver. The device  100  may be used in any application where it would be desirable to cover or protect a signal connector when the connector is not connected to a receiving component or device. 
     Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims, and from the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a right side perspective view of the retractable connector device of the present invention in a deployed position; 
         FIG. 2  is a right side perspective view of the retractable connector device in a stored position with the right sidewall removed; 
         FIG. 3  is a left side perspective view of the retractable connector device in a stored position with the left sidewall removed; 
         FIG. 4  is a right side perspective view of the retractable connector device with the right sidewall removed and showing the device in a position between a fully stored position and a fully deployed position; 
         FIG. 5  is a right side perspective view of the retractable connector device with the right sidewall removed and showing the device in a fully deployed position; 
         FIG. 6  is a right side perspective view of the retractable connector device with the right sidewall removed and showing the device in a position between a fully stored position and a fully deployed position; and 
         FIG. 7  is a left sidewall of the retractable connector device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and will be described herein in detail, specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated. 
     The Overall System 
       FIG. 1  shows a retractable connector device  100  comprising a housing  120 . The housing comprises a right sidewall  112 , a left sidewall  113 , and an inner housing  114 . The connector device  100  also comprises a connector  130  and a cover belt  140  with a thumb plate  141 . 
     The connector device  100  has an deployed position as shown in  FIG. 1  where the connector  130  extends through a hole  115  in the front of the inner housing  114 . The connector device  100  also has a stored position, as shown in  FIG. 2 , where the connector is retracted within the device  100 . The connector  130  has an extended position corresponding to the deployed position of the device  100 , and the connector  130  has a retracted position corresponding to the stored position of the device. In operation, movement of the belt  140  will cause the connector  130  to move between the retracted position ( FIG. 2 ) where the connector is separated and protected from external elements by the belt, and the extended position ( FIG. 1 ) where the connector is in position to connect to a receiver or a receiving device. 
     Belt 
     The belt  140  is connected to the connector  130  by a connector mount  135  near a bottom portion of the inner housing. The belt may comprise flexible plastic, rubber, or composite material. The thumb plate  141  is connected to the belt  140  on a top side of the housing when the device is in a stored position. The belt is flexible and is guided to travel along a partially curved track during operation. In operation, a user will move the thumb plate in the A direction as shown in  FIG. 2  to cause the device  100  to move toward the deployed position. This will cause the belt  140  on the top portion  116  of the inner housing  114  to move in the A direction. The belt  140  will wrap around the back end  117  of the inner housing  114  and continue in the B direction on the first bottom portion  118  of the inner housing  114 . The belt travels in a gap  120  on the bottom of the inner housing  114  between the first bottom portion  118  and the second bottom portion  119 . The belt  140  travels on the bottom side of the first bottom portion  118  and the belt  140  travels on the top side of the second bottom portion  119 . 
     Inner Housing 
     The inner housing  114  comprises a cutout area  121  ( FIG. 2 ). The cutout area  121  has a front wall  122  and a back wall  123 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , as the belt  140  moves the connector  130  from the retracted position ( FIG. 2 ) to the extended position ( FIG. 1 ), the belt moves up the front face  124  of the inner housing  114 . This causes the belt front edge  142  to raise in the V direction with the belt  114  and curve around the inner housing front upper surface  125  ( FIG. 5 ), continuing in the A direction. The belt travel continues until the connector mount front surface  135   a , traveling in the B direction, meets the front wall  122  of the inner housing  114  as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     When moving the connector to the retracted position from the extended position, if the belt front edge  142  is on the top portion  116  it will move in the direction opposite the A direction. The belt front edge  142  will curve around the inner housing front upper surface  125  ( FIG. 5 ), continuing down the front face  124  in the direction opposite of the V direction to cover the hole  115 . In one embodiment, the belt front edge will continue in the direction opposite of the V direction until the belt front edge  142  meets the inner housing front lip  127 . The belt  140  rides on a belt riding surface of the inner housing  141 . The belt riding surface extends from the inner housing front lip  127  up the front face  124 , across the top portion  116 , around the end portion of the inner housing opposite the front face  124 , and along a bottom portion of the inner housing before the gap  120  and closer to the end portion opposite the front face  124 . 
     When the connector mount front surface  135   a  meets the front wall  122  the connector  135  is in a fully extended position, as shown in  FIG. 5 . In the fully extended position, the belt front edge  142  is on the top portion  116  of the inner housing  114 . However, in another embodiment, the belt front edge  142  may be at any position clear of the hole  115 . In the fully retracted position, the connector mount rear surface meets the rear wall  123 . 
     In another embodiment, the connector mount  135  need not meet the back wall  123  in a retracted position, nor the front wall  122  in an extended position. In this type of embodiment, the connector mount  135  may be at any position within the cutout area  121 , between the front wall  122  and the back wall  123 , when in a retracted position as long as a connector front surface  130   a  is behind the plane defined by the front face  124  of the inner housing  114 . When moving from a extended position to a retracted position, the belt will travel properly on the inner housing  114  as long as the connector front surface  130   a  is behind the plane defined by the front face  124  before the belt front edge  142  meets the top edge  115   a  of the hole  115  when the belt is moving opposite the V direction ( FIG. 4 ). 
     In another embodiment, the connector mount  135  need not meet the front wall  122  in an extended position. In this embodiment, connector mount  135  may be at any position within the cutout area  121 , between the front wall  122  and the back wall  123 , when in an extended position as long as the connector  130  extends beyond the plane defined by the front face  124  a sufficient length for the connector to engage a receiver or a receiving device. Also in this embodiment, the front connector front surface  130   a  must not break the plane defined by front face  124  before the belt front edge  142  clears the top edge  115   a  of the hole  115 . 
     Side Walls 
     The left sidewall  113  connects to the inner housing left side  114   b  ( FIG. 3 ) and the right sidewall  112  connects to the inner housing right side  114   a  ( FIG. 2 ). The sidewalls  112 ,  113  are configured in mirror image fashion.  FIG. 7  shows the left sidewall  113  comprising a belt groove  113   a  around at least a portion of the sidewall perimeter. The sidewall  113  also comprises a connector mount groove  113   b  extending horizontally along a lower portion of the sidewall. In another embodiment, the belt groove and the connector mount groove may be located on any portion of the sidewall that allows the connector  130  and the belt  140  to travel so that the device  100  functions to provide the connector  130  in an extended position and a retracted position. 
     In one embodiment, the left sidewall  113  may mount flush against the inner housing left side  114   b  and the right sidewall  112  may mount flush against the inner housing right side  114   a . In this embodiment, the belt right edge  145  ( FIG. 2 ) may extend beyond the vertical plane defined by the inner housing right side  114   a , and the belt left edge  143  ( FIG. 3 ) may extend beyond the vertical plane defined by the inner housing left side  114   b . Therefore, the belt right edge  145  will extend into the belt groove (not shown) of the right sidewall  112 , and belt left edge  143  will extend into the belt groove  113   a  ( FIG. 7 ) of the right sidewall  113 . The belt  140  travels within the belt grooves  113   a  of the sidewalls. 
     In one embodiment, the top surface of the belt  140  may be recessed from the sidewall top surface  112   a  ( FIG. 3 ). In another embodiment, the top surface of the belt may be flush with the top surface of the sidewall. 
     Connector 
     The connector  130  comprises the connector mount  135 . The connector  130  and the connector mount  135  may be made from one piece of material or may be separate components connected with a fastener (not shown). 
     The device  100  and specifically the connector  130  may comprise electronic components for electronic devices including computer peripheral devices such as serial bus devices, Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices, or IEEE 1394 devices. The connector front surface  130   a  may comprise a USB connector or an IEEE 1394 connector. The connector front surface may comprise any connector appropriate for a particular type of electronic device comprising a particular embodiment of the device  100 . The device  100  may comprise a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SSD), a flash drive, or a flash media card receiver. A cord (not shown) may extend from the device  100  for connecting to other components. The device  100  may be used in any application where it would be desirable to cover or protect a signal connector when the connector is not connected to a receiving component or device. 
     The connector mount  135  comprises mount ridges  136 ,  137  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ). In one embodiment, the right mount ridge  136  ( FIG. 2 ) may extend beyond the plane defined by inner housing right side  114   a , and the left mount ridge  137  ( FIG. 3 ) may extend beyond the plane defined by the inner housing left side  114   b . Therefore, the right mount ridge  136  will extend into the connector mount groove (not shown) of the right sidewall  112 , and left mount ridge  137  will extend into the connector mount groove  113   b  ( FIG. 7 ) of the right sidewall  113 . The connector mount  135  travels within the connector mount grooves of the sidewalls  113 ,  112 . 
     A portion of the belt  140  near the back edge  144  is connected to the connector mount  135 . In one embodiment the connector mount  135  may be attached to the belt  140  with screws, bolts, or rivets  138  ( FIGS. 4 and 5 ). In one embodiment, the connector mount  135  may be connected to the belt so that the connector mount front surface  135   a  is within the same plane as the back end/edge  144  of the belt  140 . In another embodiment the connector mount front surface  135   a  need not be within the same plane as the back end/edge  144  of the belt  140 . 
       FIG. 6  shows that the connector mount rear surface  135   b  is flush with the connector rear surface  131 . In another embodiment, the connector rear surface  131  may extend beyond the plane defined by the connector mount rear surface  135   b .  FIG. 4  shows a rear hole  126  in the back wall  123  of the cutout area  121 . If the connector rear surface  131  extends beyond the plane defined by the connector mount rear surface  135   b , then the rear hole  126  can receive a portion of the connector  130  that extends beyond the plane defined by the connector mount rear surface  135   b.    
     From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred.