Perpendicular USB-C Connector and Composite Housing for Compact Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional data storage devices have a large form factor, which makes them protrude significantly from electronic devices, leading to awkward usage and limited ability to stay connected for extended periods, and they face challenges in heat dissipation as their size is reduced.
Innovation Solution
A data storage device with a small form factor, featuring a USB Type-C connector mounted perpendicularly to a system-in-package (SiP) circuit board within a housing, where the housing includes a heat conductive inner member and a heat insulative outer member to facilitate heat transfer to an electronic device, allowing for efficient heat dissipation while minimizing size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the data storage device is reduced to a small form factor, then the device size is improved, but heat dissipation capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed with differentiated thermal properties in different regions: the inner housing member facing the electronic device is made of heat conductive material to efficiently transfer heat away from the storage device, while the outer housing member is made of heat insulative material to prevent heat transfer to the user. This local quality differentiation allows the small form factor device to dissipate heat effectively without increasing overall size.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing employs a composite structure combining two distinct materials: a heat conductive material for the inner housing member and a heat insulative material for the outer housing member. This composite material approach enables simultaneous heat dissipation and user protection functions within the constrained small form factor, resolving the contradiction between compact size and thermal management capability.
2Volume of moving object
If the data storage device is reduced to a small form factor, then the device size is improved, but usability and comfort deteriorate due to protrusion
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is mounted perpendicularly to the circuit board rather than in the traditional planar orientation. This dimensional change in connector orientation allows the storage device to be positioned in a space-efficient manner that minimizes protrusion from the electronic device, improving usability and comfort while maintaining the small form factor.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables a storage device that can be left connected to electronic devices for extended periods without interfering with their use, while providing adequate heat dissipation even at high data transfer rates, thus overcoming the limitations of conventional devices in size and functionality.
Implementation Method 1
The inner housing member comprises a heat conductive material configured to transfer heat
Implementation Method 2
The outer housing member comprises a heat insulative material configured to mitigate heat transfer
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure relates to a storage device having a small form factor. The storage device can include a circuit board configured to store data. The circuit board can be enclosed in a housing. The storage device can include a connector mounted perpendicularly to an inner surface of the circuit board and extending through an aperture of an inner surface of the housing. The connector may be configured to electrically connect to an electronic device to transfer data between the storage device and the electronic device. The connector may be a universal serial bus (USB) Type-C connector. The storage device may have a thickness, measured between the inner surface of the housing and an outer surface of the housing, that does not exceed 6 millimeters (mm), for example.