1. Technical Field
The exemplary disclosure relates generally to protective cover structures, more particularly, to an universal serial bus (USB) Plug protective cover configured for protecting the USB Plug from contamination.
2. Description of Related Art
Universal serial bus (USB) plug connectors are widespread used in a great variety of electronic devices such as computers, notebooks, keyboards, portable memory devices etc. to fulfill the data transmission between electronic devices. Typically, an unprotected USB plug will be inserted into a USB jack that is often at least partially within and protected by the electronic device. When the USB plug connectors are not in use, the small-sized substances such as dust, moisture, etc. are prone to attach or enter into the interior of the USB plug connectors. Thus the utility of such USB plug connectors is affected by the possible contaminations.
In an effort to overcome this difficulty, a variety of protective covers have been introduced to provide a form of protection against the affection of substances. Such approaches provide hinged and sliding mechanical doors as well as removable covers and caps. While providing some degree of protection, known arrangements for attempting the provision of protection are overly complex and prone to failure. Many of the known arrangements have to be manipulated by the user for opening, closing, covering or uncovering before or after insertion of the plug into the connector. In those embodiments where caps or covers are used the caps and covers are prone to being loosen or lost by the user.
Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.
Many aspects of the exemplary USB Plug protective cover can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present USB Plug protective cover. Moreover, in the drawings like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment.
Also referring to
The releasing end 313 of the base cover 31 defines a substantially annular shaped assembling cavity 314 recessed therein toward the covering end 311. The assembling cavity 314 has a end wall 315. The two opposite ends of the end wall 315 defines two connecting holes 3151 therethrough communicating with the accommodating cavity 312 respectively. Two guiding bars 317 are disposed at the two opposite inner walls of the base cover 31 and configured to penetrate through the corresponding two connecting holes 3151 respectively. The two ends of the guiding bars 317 are accommodated within the assembling cavity 314 and the accommodating cavity 312 of the base cover 31 respectively. The middle portion of the end wall 315 defines a circular assembling through hole 3153 therethrough and two cylindrical posts 3155 protruding therefrom and positioned at the two sides of the assembling through hole 3153. The two sides of the end wall 315 adjacent to the inner wall of the assembling cavity 314 each defines a latching block 3157 protruding therefrom respectively.
The elastic piece 33 is a sheet assembled within the base cover 31. The elastic piece 33 includes a main portion 331 and at least one elastic arm 335 extending and substantially perpendicularly bent from the main portion 331. In the exemplary embodiment, the main portion 331 is a substantially U-shaped metal sheet mounted on the end wall 315 of the assembling cavity 314 and held between the end cover 35 and the end wall 315 of the base cover 31. The main portion 331 includes two fixing portions 332 and two through holes 333 defined through the two fixing portions 332 respectively corresponding to the two cylindrical posts 3155 of the base cover 31. Two elastic arms 335 extend and bend from the end of the two cylindrical posts 3155 respectively and are perpendicular to the main portion 331. The distal end of the elastic arm 335 is bent thereby forming a substantially V-shaped latching portion 337. The latching portion 337 is configured to be latched within the corresponding rectangular latching hole 17 of the USB plug connector 10.
The end cover 35 is mounted on the releasing end 313 of the base cover 31 and includes an assembling end 351 and an opposite hanging end 355. The circumference of assembling end 351 defines a substantially annular frame shaped assembling wall 3511 extending therefrom corresponding to the size and shape of the assembling cavity 314 of the base cover 31. The assembling wall 3511 defines four gaps 3512 therethrough corresponding to the two latching blocks 3157 and the two guiding bars 317 respectively. The middle portion of the cross section of the assembling end 351 defines a screwed hole 3513 therethrough corresponding to the circular assembling through hole 3153 of the middle portion of the end wall 315, and two resisting blocks 3515 disposed adjacent to the two sides of the screwed hole 3513 corresponding to the two cylindrical posts 3155 of the base cover 31. The two sides of the cross section of the assembling end 351 further defines two assembling bars 3517 protruding therefrom configured for penetrating through the two connecting holes 3151 of the base cover 31. In the present embodiment, the length of the assembling bar 3517 is longer than the length of the elastic arm 335 of the elastic piece 33 but shorter than the length of the base cover 31, so as to avoid the elastic arm 335 resisting on the USB plug connector 10. The hanging end 355 defines a hanging hole 356 therethrough for a rope or chain, etc.
The fixing piece 37 is a screw configured to fix the end cover 35 with base cover 31.
In assembly, the two elastic arms 335 of the elastic piece 33 penetrate through the corresponding two connecting holes 3151 respectively and are accommodated within the accommodating cavity 312 of the base cover 31. The main portion 331 resists on the end wall 315 of the assembling cavity 314 and the two cylindrical posts 3155 of the bottom 3155 penetrates through the corresponding two through holes 333 of the two fixing portions 332 of the elastic piece 33 respectively. The assembling end 351 of the end cover 35 is inserted into the assembling cavity 314 of the releasing end 313 of base cover 31. The two assembling bars 3517 of the attaching cover 35 penetrate through the corresponding two connecting holes 3151 of the base cover 31 respectively along the two guiding bars 317 and are partially accommodated within the accommodating cavity 312. The two guiding bars 317 and the two latching blocks 3157 latch into the corresponding four gaps 3512 of the assembling wall 3511 of the end cover 35 respectively. The two resisting blocks 3515 of the end cover 35 tightly resist on the two cylindrical posts 3155 of the base cover 31 respectively. The fixing piece 37 penetrated through the circular assembling through hole 3153 of the base cover 31 and the elastic piece 33, and is fixedly screwed with the screwed hole 3513 of the end cover 35.
Also referring to
It is to be understood, however, that even through numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2008 1 0306285 | Dec 2008 | CN | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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6522534 | Wu | Feb 2003 | B1 |
7241153 | He et al. | Jul 2007 | B2 |
7341464 | Cuellar et al. | Mar 2008 | B2 |
7503780 | Huang | Mar 2009 | B1 |
7558069 | Chung | Jul 2009 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20100151712 A1 | Jun 2010 | US |