1. A portable electronic device, comprising:
a housing that includes an opening,
an electrical connector assembly carried by the housing and moveable with respect thereto between a first position wherein the connector extends outside of the housing through its opening and a second position wherein the connector is withdrawn into the housing, and
a door mechanism including a door resiliently carried by an end of an element that is slideable with respect to the housing, and wherein (1) in response to movement of the connector assembly from the first to the second position, the element moves to a position wherein its end is adjacent the housing opening and the door is resiliently urged about the element end to cover the housing opening, and (2) in response to movement of the connector assembly from the second to the first position, the element moves to another position where the element end is withdrawn into the housing a sufficient distance so that the door is also withdrawn within the housing while being urged against the resilience at the element end.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the element includes a wire having a pair of legs having one end connected to the door in a manner that a resilient force of the legs with respect to each other causes the door to rotate to a position substantially perpendicular to the wire legs.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the element includes a wire having a pair of legs with one end connected to the door and another end shaped with segments substantially perpendicular to the legs and a crossbar joining the segments a distance from the legs, the element being carried by a wall of the housing with the element motion including sliding the element legs in slots in one surface of the wall, the element segments additionally extending through apertures in the wall so that the element motion includes sliding the crossbar along an opposite surface of the wall.
4. The device of claim 1, additionally comprising one or more integrated circuits positioned within the housing that form a non-volatile memory that is electrically connected with the connector.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein the connector assembly additionally includes one or more integrated circuits forming a non-volatile memory that is electrically connected with the connector.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein the connector of the connector assembly includes an USB plug.
7. A portable electronic device, comprising:
an elongated outer shell,
a housing that is moveable along the length of the shell and which has an opening at one end thereof,
an electrical connector assembly carried by the housing and moveable with respect to the housing between one position extending the connector outside of the housing through its opening and another position where the connector is withdrawn into the housing,
wherein the housing is also moveable with respect to the outer shell between one position extending the connector outside of the outer shell and another position wherein the connector is withdrawn into the outer shell,
a door mechanism including a door carried by an element that in turn is slideably carried by the housing with a portion thereof extending to an outside of the housing adjacent an inside surface of the outer shell,
abutments on the housing that engage the element to move the element along the length of the outer shell, and
a protrusion on the inside surface of the outer shell that restricts motion of the element when there is relative motion between the housing and outer shell but no engagement of the element with the housing abutments.
8. The device of claim 7, wherein the element includes a wire having a pair of legs with one end thereof connected to the door in a manner that a resilient force of the legs with respect to each other causes the door to be biased in a position substantially perpendicular to the wire legs.
9. The device of claim 7, additionally comprising one or more integrated circuits positioned within the housing that form a non-volatile memory that is electrically connected with the connector.
10. The device of claim 7, wherein the connector assembly additionally includes one or more integrated circuits forming a non-volatile memory that is electrically connected with the connector.
11. The device of claim 7, wherein the connector of the connector assembly includes an USB plug.
12. A flash memory drive, comprising:
an elongated outer shell,
an elongated housing that is moveable along a length of the shell and which has an opening at the first end,
an assembly of a flash memory system and an electrical connector positioned within the housing and moveable along its length between extreme positions extending the connector outside of the housing through its opening and withdrawing the connector to a position within the housing,
means responsive to movement of the housing and the assembly along the length of the shell for latching the assembly against movement with respect to the shell,
means responsive to movement of the housing along the length of the shell when latched to the assembly for releasing the latch,
means selectively holding the housing to the assembly for allowing the assembly to be moved with respect to the shell by movement of the housing, and
means within the housing for covering the housing opening when the connector is withdrawn to the position within the housing and for withdrawing into the housing when the connector is extended to the position outside of the housing.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A water current power generator, comprising:
a support frame having at least one vertical support member supported on and extending upward from a floor of a body of water, and a pair of submerged parallel horizontal support members mounted to and extending perpendicular to the vertical support member;
a plurality of generators mounted side-by-side between the horizontal support members, each generator including a rotatable horizontal shaft, operatively connected to the generator such that when the shaft rotates, the generator generates electricity; and
a plurality of blades mounted to each rotatable shaft, capable of rotation in response to water current, each generator being pivotal relative to the horizontal support members in response to changing directions of current flow.
2. The current power generator of claim 1, further comprising:
an upper mounting member extending upward from each generator into a pivotal engagement with one of the horizontal support members; and
a lower mounting member extending downward from each generator into a pivotal engagement with the other of the horizontal support members, the upper and lower mounting members being coaxial and perpendicular to the horizontal support members.
3. The current power generator of claim 1, further comprising electrical contact means for transferring electricity generated by each of the generators to a power cable.
4. The current power generator of claim 1, wherein the at least one vertical support member comprises at least two of the vertical support members.
5. A water current power generator, comprising:
a buoyant support frame having a vertical support member and a pair of submerged horizontal support members mounted to and extending perpendicular to the vertical support member;
a plurality of submerged generators, each mounted to the floating support frame between the horizontal support members in a side-by-side relationship, each generator including a rotatable shaft, operatively connected to the generator such that when the shaft rotates, the generator generates electricity;
a plurality of blades mounted to each rotatable shaft, capable of rotation in response to water current;
a pair of spaced-apart mooring anchors, each mounted to a seabed; and
a pair of mooring lines, each having a first and second end, wherein the first end of each of the mooring lines is attached to the support frame at spaced-apart locations and the second end of each of the mooring lines is attached to one of the mooring anchors so as to hold the support frame submerged.
6. The current power generator of claim 5, further comprising mounting means for mounting each of the generators so that each generator is pivotal relative to the horizontal support members in response to changing directions of water current flow.
7. The current power generator of claim 6, further comprising electrical contact means for transferring electricity from each of the generators to a power cable.
8. A water current power generator, comprising:
a vertical support member, mounted to a bed of a body of water;
parallel upper and lower horizontal support members mounted to the vertical support member and submerged in the body of water;
a plurality of generators mounted between the upper and lower horizontal support members, each generator having an upper mounting member extending upward from each generator into engagement with the upper horizontal support member, each generator having a lower mounting member extending downward from each generator into engagement with the lower horizontal support member, each generator including a rotatable shaft operatively connected to the generator such that when the shaft rotates, the generator generates electricity;
a plurality of blades mounted to each shaft, capable of rotation in response to water current, the upper and lower mounting members allowing each generator to pivot relative to the upper and lower horizontal support members in response to changing directions of current flow; and
an electrical contact assembly, in electrical communication with each generator for transferring power from each of the generators to an electrical power cable.
9. A water power generator, comprising:
a support frame, comprising vertical frame members having a first end mounted in a bed of a body of water, and proceeding upward therefrom to a second end, and horizontal support members mounted proximate the second end of the vertical frame members;
a plurality of submerged water current generators, each having an upper mounting member mounted to one of the horizontal support members and a lower mounting member mounted to another of the horizontal support members to allow each of the generators to independently pivot relative to the support frame in response to changes in current flow direction, each generator including a rotatable shaft, operatively connected to each generator such that when the shaft rotates, the generator generates electricity;
a plurality of blades mounted to each shaft, capable of rotation in response to water current; and
a plurality of wave generators mounted to an uppermost one of the horizontal support members for immersion in waves, each of the wave current generators being pivotally mounted to the uppermost one of the horizontal frame members for pivoting relative to the support frame in response to changes in wave direction.
10. The current power generator of claim 9, wherein the wave generators generate electricity independent of the water current generators.
11. A current power generator, comprising:
a support frame, comprising vertical frame members having a first end mounted in a bed of a body of water, and proceeding upward therefrom to a second end, and horizontal frame members mounted generally centrally along the vertical frame members;
a plurality of water current generators mounted in side-by-side relation between and to the horizontal support members, each generator including a rotatable shaft, operatively connected to each generator such that when the shaft rotates, the generator generates electricity, each generator being pivotally mounted to the horizontal support members so that an axis of its rotatable shaft can pivot relative to the horizontal support members in response to changing directions of current flow;
a plurality of blades mounted to each rotatable shaft, capable of rotation in response to water current;
a plurality of wave generators mounted to an uppermost one of the horizontal frame members;
a surface platform mounted at the second end of the vertical support members; and
an alternative energy generator mounted upon the surface platform.
12. The current generator of claim 11, further comprising a control house, disposed upon the surface platform.
13. The current generator of claim 12, wherein the control house includes a control room, switch gear, transformers, accommodations, and heliport.
14. The current generator of claim 11, wherein the alternative energy generator is a wind powered generator.
15. The current generator of claim 11, further comprising a support brace, having a first end mounted to the seabed and proceeding angularly upward to a second end mounted to the underside of the surface platform.