Abstract: A two-piece flash-memory-drive card has an integrated slim Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) connector that fits into a standard USB socket. The slim USB connector has 4 metal contacts on a board that is encapsulated by a lower plastic case but no upper plastic case. Components are mounted onto the board on the side opposite the metal contacts and are covered by the lower plastic case. A thinner portion of the plastic case forms a light window that allows a light-emitting diode on the board to shine through the case. The lower plastic case is bonded to the board with adhesive or using snaps. Supporting underside ribs in the lower plastic case opposite the metal contacts allow most of the card to be thinner than the space inside the standard USB socket.

Abstract: An extended Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) connector plug and socket each have a pin substrate with one surface that supports the four metal contact pins for the standard USB interface. An extension of the pin substrate carries another 8 extension metal contact pins that mate when both the connector plug and socket are extended. The extension can be an increased length of the plug's and socket's pin substrate or a reverse side of the substrate. Standard USB connectors do not make contact with the extension metal contacts that are recessed, retracted by a mechanical switch, or on the extension of the socket's pin substrate that a standard USB connector cannot reach. Standard USB sockets do not make contact with the extension metal contacts because the extended connector's extension contacts are recessed, or on the extension of the connector pin substrate that does not fit inside a standard USB socket.

Abstract: A flash-memory-drive card has an integrated slim Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) connector that fits into a standard USB socket. The slim USB connector has 4 metal contacts on a board that is encapsulated by upper and lower plastic cases. Components are mounted onto the board on the side opposite the metal contacts. A thinner portion of the plastic case forms a light window that allows a light-emitting diode on the board to shine through the case. The plastic cases can be bonded together ultrasonically or with adhesive or using snaps and groves. Supporting underside ribs in the lower plastic case opposite the metal contacts allow most of the card to be thinner than the spacing in the standard USB socket. Dividers between the metal contacts are formed between openings in the upper case. The dividers help to fill gaps between the slim USB connector and the standard USB socket.

Abstract: A slim Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) connector fits on only one side of the connector substrate in a standard female USB connector. Wobble or vertical play is reduced by locking depressions in the slim USB connector that engage metal springs on a metal case that surrounds the female USB connector, locking the two connectors together. Between metal contacts on the slim USM connector are dividers that help fill in gaps when the two connectors are connected together, further reducing play. End rails on the slim USB connector fill in gaps on the sides. The connector substrate of the slim USB connector can be separate or can be integrated with a circuit board that holds a flash memory chip and a USB controller chip. The connector is wider than the standard width for a better fit. A slim female USB connector for use with the slim male USB connector is also disclosed.

Abstract: An air purifier is constructed to include a conduit housing a high voltage circuit board and a high voltage generator in a rear section thereof and at least one high voltage electrode and a number of ground electrodes in a front section thereof, the high voltage electrode and ground electrodes functioning as an ionizer as well as an electrostatic precipitator, trapping and removing contaminants from the air when receiving a high voltage output from the high voltage generator, so that air flowing by the high voltage electrode gets ionized and, floating contaminant particles are then combined with air ions, which are drawn to the ground electrodes and get trapped and neutralized by the ground electrodes.

Abstract: A memory module has memory chips in stacks. The lower memory chip in a stack has pins that are soldered to pads on the module substrate. A hollowed printed-circuit board (PCB) has a hollow opening on the bottom with about the same width, length, and depth as the top cap of the lower memory chip. The hollowed PCB fits over the top cap of the lower memory chip and has lower pads on its lower surface but outside of the hollow opening. The lower pads are soldered to the top shoulders of the pins of the lower memory chip. An upper memory chip has pins that are soldered to pads on the upper surface of the hollowed PCB. The hollowed PCB has a metal trace that re-routes a second bank-select signal from a no-connect pin of the lower memory chip to a bank-select pin of the upper memory chip.