Patent Application
20050282417
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an improved USB hub, and more particularly to a USB hub, whose USB downstream port is able to vertically rotate upward from a groove on a housing, convenient for small-scale peripherals to plug in. It can also be stored horizontally into the groove on the housing after rotating 90-degree downward. The improved USB hub is space-saving, convenient for plugging in and pleasing to the eyes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Science and technology change with each passing day and some inventions are unexpectedly created. Through Hi-Tech, we enjoy better quality of life and fulfill some tasks which required a large number of manpower in the past. The speed of computer processing and data operating accelerates due to the improvement of microprocessor. This makes computer peripherals connected to a host also increases. However, the host does not provide ports with various specifications. In order to connect to various peripherals, a host has at least a USB port. The connectors of the present peripherals, therefore, are USB ports in order to achieve the goal of plug-and-play.
However, since the USB port provided by a computer is limited, USB hub is used to increase the number of the ports. While the capability of the USB hub being enhanced, the look-and-feel of the hub is usually neglected. At present, a plurality of wired USB connectors, and wireless peripherals such as portable disc, transceivers (like Bluetooth) all plug into the USB hub. Under this circumstance, the related cables may be confusing or tangled, which not only causes plug-in inconvenient but also makes the scenes disorderly and unsightly.
In view of the drawbacks of the traditional USB hub, the inventor(s) try their best to improve the structure of the hub. With their experiments for years, an improved USB hub is then created. The characteristics of this improved USB hub are that a rotatable USB downstream port is able to vertically rotate upward from a groove, convenient for small-scale peripherals to plug in. It can also be stored horizontally into the groove on the housing after rotating 90-degree downward. The improved USB hub is space-saving, convenient for plugging in, and pleasing to the eyes.
The main objective of the present invention is to provide an improved USB hub whose USB rotatable downstream port is able to vertically rotate upward from the groove, convenient for small-scale peripherals to plug in. It can be stored horizontally into the groove on the housing after rotating 90-degree downward. The improved USB hub is space-saving, convenient for plugging in and pleasing to the eyes.
To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the structure of the USB hub is improved as follows: an improved USB hub, whose housing comprises a USB upstream port to which is connected a host computer, a plurality of expandable USB downstream ports to which are connected peripherals, and an outlet by which a power source is provided; wherein, the housing comprises at least one groove in which a rotatable USB downstream port is set. The rotatable USB downstream port is able to vertically circle upward from the groove, convenient for small-scale peripherals to plug in. It can also be stored horizontally into the groove on the housing after rotating 90-degree downward. The improved USB hub is space-saving, convenient for plugging in, and pleasing to the eyes.
The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein
For examiners' better understanding, the invention is explained in detail by showing embodiments and drawings as below:
Referring to
According to the invention, while USB hub 1 connecting with peripherals 2, the horizontal rotatable USB downstream port 15 on the groove 13 turns upward so that the peripherals 2 can be plugged in (as shown in
As mentioned above, the improved USB hub provides industrial applicability, nonobviousness and novelty, which meet the requirements of the invention and thus deserve a patent.
Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all embodiments of the teachings of the invention falling fairly within the scope of the appended claims, either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.
