# US 7,744,406 B2 · USB flash drive and system and method for storing USB flash drives > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,744,406 B2 - Document ID: US7744406B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/434,817 - Filed: 2006-05-17 - Published: 2008-05-29 - Granted: 2010-06-29 - Earliest claimed: 2006-01-30 - Assignees: SanDisk IL Ltd. - Inventors: Hagai Heshes; Itzhak Pomerantz; Erez Baum; Menahem Lasser - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7744406B2 ## CPC - G11B 33/0472: {for discs without cartridge} - G11B 33/0405: {for storing discs (anti-theft cases with locking means E05B73/0023)} - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) ## Abstract The present invention discloses systems and method for storing and organizing UFDs (USB flash drives) on a storage pole, and for configuring UFDs to accommodate storage on a storage pole. Various embodiments also include configurations of the UFDs and/or storage poles which prevent rotation of the UFDs on the storage pole, thereby providing aligned stacking of the UFDs. Some embodiments include more than one pole for storage and/or alignment of the UFDs. Some embodiments do not require a pole for storage and/or alignment of the UFDs. In addition, systems which allow extraction of a single UFD from a stack of UFDs while maintaining the order of the UFDs are also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for storing Universal Serial Bus Flash Drives (UFDs), the system comprising: (a) a storage pole; (b) a UFD having a body that houses electronic circuitry, the UFD has a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector that is electrically coupled to the electronic circuitry, the body has at least one tunnel for threading said UFD on said storage pole; and (c) at least one side pole for preventing rotation of said UFD along an axis of said at least one tunnel, wherein a periphery of said UFD has a deviation that is configured to interact with said at least one side pole, thereby preventing rotation of said UFD on said storage pole, wherein said deviation is a protrusion on said periphery. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one tunnel is substantially cylindrical and perpendicular to a face of said UFD. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said storage pole is substantially cylindrical with a diameter of at least about 5 mm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said storage pole is substantially cylindrical with a diameter of at least about 7 mm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said storage pole is substantially cylindrical with a diameter of at least about 9 mm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said storage pole is configured to be compatible with an aperture of a standard CD. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one tunnel of said UFD has a diameter of at least about 6 mm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one tunnel of said UFD has a diameter of at least about 8 mm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one tunnel of said UFD has a diameter of at least about 10 mm. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein a wall of said at least one tunnel is configured to interact with said storage pole in a manner that prevents rotation of said UFD around said storage pole. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said storage pole is configured to be in one of two states, a first said state that allows removal of said UFD from said storage pole, and a second said state that prevents removal of said UFD from said storage pole, said storage pole configured to be reversibly switched from said first state to said second state. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein said UFD can freely move along said storage pole while said storage pole is in said second state. ### Claim 13 A method of storing Universal Serial Bus Flash Drives (UFDs), the method comprising the steps of: (a) configuring each UFD of a plurality of UFDs that each have a body with at least one tunnel in the body configured to facilitate storing the plurality of UFDs on a storage pole, wherein the body of each of the plurality of UFDs has a first major surface and a second major surface that are opposite each other, the first major surface has one or more indentations, the second major surface has one or more protrusions, the storing the plurality of UFDs includes storing the first major surfaces next to the second major surfaces such that the indentations are aligned with the protrusions; and (b) providing said storage pole for storing the plurality of UFDs on said storage pole. ### Claim 14 A system for storing Universal Serial Bus Flash Drives (UFDs), the system comprising: (a) a storage pole; and (b) a plurality of UFDs that each have a body with at least one tunnel in the body configured to facilitate storing the plurality of UFDs on the storage pole, wherein the body of each of the plurality of UFDs has a first major surface and a second major surface that are opposite each other, the first major surface has one or more indentations, the second major surface has one or more protrusions, the plurality of UFDs are stored with the first major surfaces next to the second major surfaces such that the indentations are aligned with the protrusions. ### Claim 15 A method for storing Universal Serial Bus Flash Drives (UFDs), the method comprising: providing a storage pole; providing a UFD having a body that houses electronic circuitry, the UFD has a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector that is electrically coupled to the electronic circuitry, the body has at least one tunnel for threading the UFD on the storage pole; and providing at least one side pole for preventing rotation of the UFD along an axis of the at least one tunnel, wherein a periphery of the UFD has a deviation that is configured to interact with the at least one side pole, thereby preventing rotation of the UFD on the storage pole, wherein the deviation is a protrusion on the periphery.