Patent Application
20090097215
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to alternative case assembly methods for a USB flash drive, particularly to UV-epoxy and ultrasonic case assembly methods for a USB flash drive.
2. Description of the Related Art
With advance of semiconductor technology and population of computers, accessory memory devices also develop explosively. They are usually featherweight and thumb-sized USB flash drives.
Confronting so many brands of USB flash drives in markets, a manufacturer must outstand his quality and design, improve his efficiency and reduce his cost to achieve his competitiveness.
The chips and electronic elements on the printed circuit board of a USB flash drive and the printed circuit board itself are apt to be damaged by moisture and water.
The case of a USB flash drive usually has an upper cover and a lower cover assembled together via various assembly methods. However, the conventional assembly methods usually need more than two pieces of casing components, which results in a more complicated assembly process and a higher cost.
Besides, the conventional assembly methods for a USB flash drive often result in insufficient moisture and water resistance.
Therefore, the present invention proposes novel case assembly methods for a USB flash drive to overcome the abovementioned problems, wherein UV-cure epoxy or ultrasonic vibration is used to assemble a flash drive case which needs only two pieces of covers, whereby the assembly process is simplified, the assembly speed is increased, and the cost of a flash drive is reduced.
One objective of the present invention is to provide a UV (Ultra-Violet)-epoxy case assembly method for a USB (Universal Serial Bus) flash drive, wherein UV-cure epoxy is used to bond a UV-permeable top/bottom cover to a bottom/top cover to form a USB flash drive.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic case assembly method for a USB flash drive, wherein ultrasonic vibration is used to weld a top cover to a bottom cover to form a USB flash drive.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a case assembly method for a USB flash drive, which can fabricate a USB flash drive having a better moisture resistance and a better water resistance.
Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a case assembly method for a USB flash drive, which uses less case parts and fewer steps and thus can fabricate a USB flash drive having a lower cost and a better quality at a higher throughput.
Further another objective of the present invention is to provide a case assembly method for a USB flash drive, which can fabricate a USB flash drive having a see-through property.
To achieve the abovementioned objectives, the present invention proposes a UV-epoxy case assembly method for a USB flash drive, which comprises steps: providing a bottom cover; placing a printed circuit board assembly into the cavity of the bottom cover; dispensing a UV-cure epoxy glue onto the edge surface of the bottom cover; aligning and gluing a UV-permeable top cover to the bottom cover to form a glued package; and placing the glued package under a UV light source to cure the UV-cure epoxy glue and complete a USB flash drive. Alternatively, the bottom cover is made of a UV-permeable material, and the top cover is not limited to a UV-permeable cover but may also be an opaque cover.
The present invention also proposes an ultrasonic case assembly method for a USB flash drive, which comprises steps: providing a bottom cover; placing a printed circuit board assembly into the cavity of the bottom cover; aligning a top cover to the bottom cover to form a package; and placing the package in an ultrasonic vibration press machine to weld the top cover to the bottom cover and complete a USB flash drive.
Below, the embodiments will be described in detail in cooperation with the attached drawings to make easily understood the objectives, technical contents, characteristics and accomplishments of the present invention.
Refer to from
Alternatively, the top cover 6 may be limited to be a color-tinted transparent or translucent plastic or a clear plastic, and the bottom cover 2 may be a color-tinted opaque, transparent or translucent plastic or a clear plastic.
In the first embodiment, as at least one cover of the USB flash drive 9 is transparent or translucent, the USB flash drive 9 has a see-through property. The internal view of the USB flash drive 9, such as the PCB, chips, and elements (e.g. a LED indicator), can been seen from the outside. The internal view and LED lights through transparent or translucent tints will present an aesthetic taste and attract consumers.
In the first embodiment, the top cover 6 and the bottom cover 2 are fabricated into intended shapes and right dimensions with an automatic molding method, such as the mold injection technology.
In the first embodiment, the top cover 6 may have a contour exactly the same as the bottom cover 2, as shown in
The first embodiment can apply to both the slim profile type of USB flash drive and the standard full thickness type of USB flash drive.
Refer to from
In the second embodiment, one cover or both covers of the USB flash drive 17 may be transparent or translucent, and the USB flash drive 17 may have a see-through property. Thus, the internal view of the USB flash drive 17, such as the PCB, chips, and elements (e.g. a LED indicator), can been seen from the outside.
In the second embodiment, the top cover 14 and the bottom cover 12 are fabricated into intended shapes and right dimensions with an automatic molding method, such as the mold injection technology.
In the second embodiment, the top cover 14 may have a contour exactly the same as the bottom cover 12. Alternatively, the top cover 14 may only cover the wider portion of the PCBA 11.
The second embodiment can apply to both the slim profile type of USB flash drive and the standard full thickness type of USB flash drive.
In conclusion, the present invention proposes UV-epoxy and ultrasonic case assembly methods for a USB flash drive, wherein a top cover is fastened to a bottom cover containing a printed circuit board assembly via an UV-cure epoxy glue or an ultrasonic weld method, and wherein at least one of the top and bottom covers is transparent or translucent. As the method of the present invention uses less case parts and fewer steps, it can fabricate a USB flash drive having a lower cost and a better quality at a higher throughput. As at least one of the top and bottom covers of the USB flash drive is transparent or translucent, the USB flash drive has a see-through property and presents an aesthetic taste, which can attract the attention of consumers. Further, the USB flash drive fabricated according to the method of the present invention has a better moisture resistance and a better water resistance.
Those described above are only the embodiments to exemplify the present invention but not to limit the scope of the present invention. Any equivalent modification or variation according to the shapes, structures, characteristics or spirit disclosed in the present invention is to be also included within the scope of the present invention.
