Patent Publication Number: US-2004042735-A1

Title: Illuminant USB cable

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to an USB cable for connection between two electronic apparatus, for example, a computer and a computer peripheral apparatus and, more particularly to an illuminant USB cable, which gives light when electrically connected.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art  
       [0004] Following fast development of computer technology, a variety of sophisticated computers and computer peripheral apparatus have been disclosed. When connecting multiple computer peripheral apparatus to a host computer, a hub may be used. Most commercially available hubs use USB (universal serial bus) connectors as interface means for the advantage of high electronic data signal transmission speed. The data signal transmission speed of a USB connector is much faster than a parallel port or serial bus port for personal computer. An USB cable can be used to connect a keyboard, computer mouse, computer joystick, scanner, digital camera, or any of a variety of computer peripheral apparatus to a computer. Because an USB cable is usually not well protected by cover means when connected to a computer, it tends to be touched or bent accidentally by people passing by, resulting in a connection failure. The user may be unable to find the connection failure soon when it happened. Frequently connect and disconnect the connection between the connector of an USB cable and a computer may cause the connector of the USB cable or the corresponding USB port of the computer to wear, resulting in interruption or instability of data transmission. Further, when an USB cable connected to a computer, it is normally arranged at the back side of the computer where is relatively dark. In case the USB cable is disconnected from the computer accidentally, the user may be unable to find the reason when the computer peripheral apparatus failed.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005] The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide an illuminant USB cable, which gives light through the electrically insulative outer shell when electrically connected, so that the user can know the working status of the illuminant USB cable subject to the presence of its illumination. To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, the illuminant USB cable comprises a cable, the cable having a light permeable outer shell, two USB connectors at the ends of the cable, two light emitting elements, for example, LEDs respectively installed in the circuit boards of the USB connectors, and a fiber optic axially embedded in the cable and connected between the LEDs and adapted to receive light from the LEDs and to refract light to the outside of the light permeable outer shell of the cable. The housing of each USB connector may be made transparent so that light from the LED of the respective USB connector passes when the USB connector electrically connected. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0006]FIG. 1 is an elevational view of an illuminant USB cable according to the first embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0007]FIG. 2A is a perspective view in an enlarged scale of one end of the illuminant USB cable according to the first embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0008]FIG. 2B is a perspective view in an enlarged scale of the other end of the illuminant USB cable according to the first embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0009]FIG. 3 shows an application example of the illuminant USB cable according to the first embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0010]FIG. 4 is an elevational view of an illuminant USB cable according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     [0011] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2A, and  2 B, an illuminant USB cable  1  in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is shown comprised of a cable  11 , and two USB connectors  12  respectively provided at the ends of the cable  11 . The cable  11  comprises signal lines  111 , power lines  112 , metal grounding wires  113 , and a tubular outer shell  114  of high permeability for light. Each USB connector  12  has a circuit board  121  fixedly provided inside the housing  122  thereof. The housing  122  of each USB connector  12  admits light. The circuit board  121  comprises a light emitting element, for example, a LED (light emitting diode)  1211 . The signal lines  111 , the power lines  112 , and the metal grounding wires  113  are twisted into a twisted cord member before the formation of the tubular outer shell  114 . The tubular outer shell  114  is directly molded on the twisted cord member of the signal lines  111 , the power lines  112 , and the metal grounding wires  113 . The signal lines  111 , the power lines  112 , and the metal grounding wires  113  have the respective ends respectively connected to respective terminals of the circuit boards  121  of the connectors  12 . Further, a fiber optic  2  is axially embedded in the cable  11  and connected between the light emitting elements  1211  of the circuit boards  121  of the USB connectors  12 .  
     [0012] Referring to FIG. 3, the illuminant USB cable  1  can be used to connect a computer peripheral apparatus (for example, a hub)  3  to a computer (not shown). When installed, the illuminant USB cable  1  receives power supply from the computer, and the light emitting elements  1211  of the circuit boards  121  of the USB connectors  12  are turned on to emit light through the housings  122  of the USB connectors  12  to the outside, and at the same time the fiber optic  2  receives and refracts light from the light emitting elements  1211  of the circuit boards  121  of the USB connectors  12 , enabling refracted light to pass through the tubular outer shell  14  of the cable  11 . If the illuminant USB cable  1  disconnected from the computer by an external force accidentally, the light emitting elements  1211  of the circuit boards  121  of the USB connectors  12 , and therefore the user immediately knows the disconnection of the illuminant USB cable  1  from the computer due to extinction of illumination.  
     [0013]FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the illuminant USB cable  1  comprises a cable  11 , a USB connector  12  at one end of the cable  11 , and a computer peripheral apparatus (for example, a mouse)  3 .  
     [0014] Because the illuminant USB cable  1  produces light when electrically connected, it attracts consumers to buy.  
     [0015] A prototype of illuminant USB cable has been constructed with the features of the annexed drawings of FIGS.  1 ˜ 4 . The illuminant USB cable functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.  
     [0016] Although a particular embodiment of the invention has 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.