JP6951021B1 - Connection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a connector of an electronic device from being damaged by an external force in an insertion operation or a connected state. SOLUTION: A port joint 1 is provided between a connector 2 to which a connection cable 3 is connected and a housing 4 of an electronic device or the like, and these connectors 2 and the housing 4 are connected so as to be relatively movable. do. The port joint 1 is an elastically deformable plate-like member extending outward from the periphery of the connector 2, and is provided inside the housing 4 so as to overlap with the housing 4 and penetrates the housing 4. They are integrally connected by members. [Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

The present invention relates to a connecting device.

For connecting an electronic device such as a personal computer to another device, for example, a connecting device of various standards such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard connector is used.
For example, in the case of a notebook-type personal computer, when the USB memory (meaning a storage medium having a USB standard connector) is inserted into the USB connector (referring to the USB standard connector) and tilted to be lifted, the USB memory is used. An unreasonable load may be applied to the USB. Even in a desktop personal computer or server, if the USB memory is inserted into the front USB port facing the operator, it may be accidentally hit during work.

In order to prevent damage to the USB port in such a case, Patent Document 1 related to the present invention protects the portion connected to the connector by covering it with a cover to prevent damage.
Further, in Patent Document 2 related to the present invention, an excessive force is prevented from being applied to the connector on the device side by trying to insert the connector in the wrong direction by moving the connector on the device side (moving to retract into the machine). Was.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-063608 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-199085 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-0343435 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-286395 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-203646

However, for a device such as the USB memory described in Patent Document 1, which is often attached / detached by the user depending on the usage situation, it is required that the attachment / detachment operation is easy. In addition, if the USB port is provided in an easily accessible part with priority given to the user's ability to easily attach and detach it, the user's hand can easily touch the USB memory, so external force may be received by hitting the hand. obtain.
Further, in Patent Document 2, although it is possible to prevent receiving an excessive force when connecting the connector, once the connector is correctly connected, an excessive external force applied to the connector in the connected state is applied to the internal connector. It is inevitable that it will be transmitted.

Further, although Patent Document 3 discloses a technique for imparting flexibility to a portion connected to a solder joint portion of a circuit board, it can be directly applied for the purpose of alleviating the action of an external force on a USB connector. is not it.
Further, although Patent Document 4 discloses a configuration in which a member supporting a connector is rotatably supported around one axis, it is directly applied for the purpose of avoiding an external force in a direction other than the axis. Is not something that can be done.
Further, Patent Document 5 discloses a configuration in which a connector is rotatably supported along a spherical surface, but a complicated mechanism that requires a plurality of spheres (ball bearings) between the connector and a recess that receives the spherical surface. Therefore, it cannot be directly used for the purpose of supporting the connector in the limited space inside the housing of the electronic device.

An object of the present invention is to reduce the action of an external force on a connector provided in a housing of an electronic device.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means.
The connecting device according to the first aspect of the present invention is provided between a connector provided inside the housing of an electronic device and the connector and the housing, and the connector and the housing can be moved relative to each other. The support mechanism is an elastically deformable plate-shaped member extending outward from the periphery of the connector, and the plate-shaped member is housed inside the housing. It is characterized in that it is provided so as to overlap the body and is integrally connected by a member penetrating them.

The connecting device according to the second aspect of the present invention is provided between a connector provided inside the housing of an electronic device and the connector and the housing, and the connector and the housing can be moved relative to each other. The support mechanism has a spherical member integrally provided with the connector, and a plurality of spherical members provided inside the housing and having a circular opening having a diameter smaller than that of the spherical member. It has a support member, and a portion having a diameter smaller than the maximum diameter portion of the spherical member is provided in contact with an opening of the plurality of support members so as to be slidable along the spherical surface of the spherical member. ..

The connecting device according to the third aspect of the present invention is provided between a connector provided inside the housing of an electronic device and the connector and the housing, and the connector and the housing can be moved relative to each other. The support mechanism has a support mechanism connected to the connector, and the support mechanism is a direction intersecting with respect to a direction in which the connector is attached to and detached from another connector, and the first and second rotations are directed in two different directions. It is characterized by having a central shaft and a support member provided inside the housing and rotatably supporting the connector around the first and second rotation central shafts, respectively.

The connecting device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is provided between a connector provided on the outside of the housing of the electronic device and the connector and the housing, and the connector and the housing can be moved relative to each other. The support mechanism is provided so as to project from the connector along the direction in which the connector is attached / detached to / from another connector, and the support mechanism is elastically deformable in a direction intersecting the attachment / detachment direction. The spring member is characterized by having a recess into which the edge of an opening provided in a region of the enclosure corresponding to the other connector is inserted.

According to the present invention, the external force acting on the connector can be reduced.

It is a top view of the minimum configuration example of the connection device which concerns on the 1st aspect of this invention. It is a perspective view of the minimum configuration example of the connection device which concerns on the 2nd aspect of this invention. It is a perspective view of the minimum configuration example of the connection device which concerns on 3rd aspect of this invention. It is a top view of the minimum configuration example of the connection device which concerns on 4th aspect of this invention. It is a perspective view of the connection device which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the separated state of the connection device which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the connection state of the connection device which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the connection device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the connection device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the separated state of the connection device which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the assembled state of the connection device which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the separated state of the connection device which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the connection state of the connection device which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention.

A minimum configuration example of the connecting device according to the first aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
Reference numeral 1 is a port joint as a support mechanism, and the port joint 1 is provided between the connector 2 to which the connection cable 3 is connected and the housing 4 of an electronic device or the like, and these connectors 2 are provided. And the housing 4 are connected so as to be relatively movable. The port joint 1 is an elastically deformable plate-like member extending outward from the periphery of the connector 2, and is provided inside the housing 4 so as to overlap with the housing 4 and penetrates the housing 4. They are integrally connected by members.

In the connecting device having the above configuration, since the port joint 1 constituting the support mechanism is formed in an elastically deformable plate shape, for example, when the connector 2 is on the port side of the USB connector, , When inserting a USB connector plug (not shown) having a shape corresponding to the connector from the outside of the housing 4 (right side in FIG. 1) into the connector 2, or after the USB connector plug is inserted. When an external force is applied to the connector 2, the plate-shaped member constituting the port joint 1 is elastically deformed to absorb the external force transmitted from the plug side to the port side (connector 2) and prevent the connector 2 from being damaged. can do.

A minimum configuration example of the connecting device according to the second aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The components common to those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals to simplify the description.
The support mechanism for supporting the connector 2 inside the housing 4 is a spherical member 7 provided integrally with the connector 2 and an opening provided inside the housing 4 and forming a circular shape having a diameter smaller than that of the spherical member 7. A plurality of ball receivers 8 having a diameter smaller than the maximum diameter portion of the spherical member 7 are provided in contact with the openings of the plurality of ball receivers 8 so as to be slidably movable along the spherical surface of the spherical member 7. Has been done.

In the connecting device having the above configuration, since the spherical member 7 integrated with the connector 2 is supported between the upper and lower ball receivers 8 as the support mechanism, it can rotate in multiple directions along the spherical surface. By changing the direction of the connector 2 with this rotation, the direction can be changed according to the external force received from the plug (not shown) of the USB connector connected to the connector 2.

A minimum configuration example of the connecting device according to the third aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The components common to those in FIGS. 1 and 2 are designated by the same reference numerals to simplify the description.
The support mechanism that supports the connector 2 inside the housing 4 is a direction that intersects the direction in which the connector 2 and another connector (not shown) are attached / detached, and is directed in two different directions. A support member 9a, which is provided inside the housing 4 and rotatably supports the connector around the first and second rotation center shafts 9 and 10, respectively. It has 10a and. In FIG. 3, it is assumed that the connector 2 is housed in the support member 9a and the appearance of the outer support member 9a is shown. Further, the rotation center shaft 10 is rotatably supported by the upper and lower bearings 11.

In the connecting device having the above configuration, since the connector 2 (support member 9a for accommodating the support member 9a) is rotatably supported around the rotation center shafts 9 and 10 as the support mechanism, the connector 2 is the rotation center shaft. It can rotate in two directions centered on each of 9 and 10, and can change its direction with respect to external forces in various directions received from the plug (not shown) of the USB connector connected to the connector 2.

A minimum configuration example of the connecting device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The components common to those in FIGS. 1 to 3 are designated by the same reference numerals to simplify the description.
A plug 6 of a USB memory 5 as a connector on the other side is attached to and detached from the connector 2 provided in the housing 4. The support mechanism for supporting the USB memory 5 on the housing 4 has a spring member 12. The spring member 12 is provided so as to project from both sides of the USB memory 5 along the direction of attachment / detachment to the connector, and is configured to be elastically deformable in a direction intersecting the attachment / detachment direction of the USB memory 5 (left-right direction in FIG. 4). ing. The spring member 12 has a region corresponding to the connector 2 of the housing 4, for example, a recess 12a into which the edge of the opening of the USB port portion of the personal computer is inserted.

In the connecting device having the above configuration, the recess 12a of the spring member 12 as the support mechanism comes into contact with the periphery of the edge of the opening of the housing 4, so that the housing 4 supports the USB memory 5 as the connector body. At the same time, the entire spring member 12 is deformed (bent) so that the direction can be changed with respect to external forces acting on the USB memory 5 in various directions.

The first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. In FIGS. 5 to 7, the same components as those in FIGS. 1 to 4 are designated by the same reference numerals to simplify the description.
The port joint 1 is a flange-shaped member that extends outward from the tip of a connector 2 provided on the USB port, for example, the female side of the USB connector, and has an oval shape in a plan view, and is elastic of rubber or the like. It is composed of a deformable material. Further, the port joint 1 is attached to the inside of the opening 4a for the USB port of the housing 4 by overlapping a part of the housing 4, and is screwed into the housing 4 in the thickness direction thereof. It has a bolt hole 1b through which the bolt 1a is inserted. The connector 2 is integrally attached to the port joint 1, or is supported inside a tubular member made of rubber or the like integrated with the port joint 1. The connector 2 is connected to the electronic circuit in the housing 4 by the connection cable 3.

The operation of attaching / detaching the plug 6 of the USB memory 5 to / from the connector 2 as the male connector corresponding to the connector 2 in the connection device having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.
As shown in FIG. 6, when the plug 6 of the USB memory 5 is moved from the right side to the left side in the drawing, the plug 6 is inserted into the USB port as the connector 2. At the time of this insertion, if the plug 6 is not accurately aligned coaxially with the connector 2, the port joint 1 formed of an elastically deformable material such as rubber is deformed as shown in FIG. Therefore, the connector 2 can be deformed so as to match the insertion direction of the USB memory 5.
That is, when the USB memory 5 is inserted, or after the USB memory 5 is inserted, the external force applied from the USB memory 5 to the connector 2 can be absorbed by the deformation of the port joint 1.

A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. In FIGS. 8 and 9, the same components as those in FIGS. 1 to 7 are designated by the same reference numerals to simplify the description.
The connector 2 is integrally attached to the spherical member 7 together with the connector support 2a to which the connection cable 3 is connected, and the spherical member 7 is arranged between a pair of plate-shaped ball receivers 8 arranged parallel to each other. ing. As shown in FIG. 9, the ball receiver 8 is fixed to the inner surfaces of the upper and lower positions of the opening 4a of the housing 4. A circular hole 8a having a diameter smaller than the maximum diameter portion of the spherical member 7 is formed in the ball receiver 8, and the spherical member 7 is inserted into the circular hole 8a. The spherical member 7 can slide with the circular hole 8a, and therefore the connector 2 of the spherical member 7 is rotatably supported along the spherical surface.
Further, the connection cable 3 is fixed to the spherical member 7 and can rotate together with the connector 2.

In the connector having the above configuration, when the USB memory plug (not shown in FIGS. 8 and 9) is inserted from the right side to the left side of the housing 4 in FIG. 9, the spherical member 7 is placed between the ball receivers 8. By rotating while being supported, the connector 2 integrated with the spherical member 7 can freely rotate.
Therefore, it is possible to prevent damage to the connector 2 or the plug of the USB memory when the USB memory is to be connected to the connector 2 or when an external force is applied to the USB memory while the USB memory is connected to the connector 2. ..

A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. In FIGS. 10 and 11, the components common to those in FIGS. 1 to 9 are designated by the same reference numerals to simplify the description.
The connector 2 is rotatably supported around rotation center axes 9 and 10 arranged so as to intersect each other.
The rotation center shaft 10 is inserted into support holes 11a of plate-shaped bearings 11 arranged parallel to each other and rotatably supported between them, and the rotation center shaft 9 is supported at an intermediate position thereof. The plate-shaped support members 10a are provided in parallel with each other. These support members 10a rotatably support both ends of the rotation center shaft 9 inserted into the support holes 10b.
The bearing 11 is provided inside the opening around the USB port of the housing of the electronic device, for example, and supports the connector 2.

In the support device having the above configuration, when a connector such as a USB memory plug (not shown in FIGS. 10 and 11) is inserted from the back side to the front side of the paper surface of FIG. 11, the connector 2 is rotated by the central axis 9 It can freely rotate in two directions centered on 10.
Therefore, it is possible to prevent damage to the connector 2 or the plug of the USB memory when the USB memory is to be connected to the connector 2 or when an external force is applied to the USB memory while the USB memory is connected to the connector 2. ..

A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. The components common to those in FIGS. 1 to 11 are designated by the same reference numerals to simplify the description.
A plug 6 of a USB memory 5 as a connector on the other side is attached to and detached from the connector 2 provided in the housing 4. The support mechanism for supporting the USB memory 5 on the housing 4 has a spring member 12. The spring member 12 is made of a metal plate such as elastically deformable spring steel, is provided so as to project from both sides of the USB memory 5 along the direction of attachment / detachment to the connector 2, and is provided in the attachment / detachment direction of the USB memory 5 (FIG. 12). , 13 in the left-right direction) and elastically deformable in the direction intersecting with (13). The spring member 12 has a region corresponding to the connector 2 of the housing 4, for example, a recess 12a into which the edge of the opening 4a of the housing 4 near the USB port portion of the personal computer is inserted.

In the connecting device having the above configuration, the recess 12a of the spring member 12 as a support mechanism comes into contact with the periphery of the edge of the opening 4a of the housing 4, so that the housing 4 supports the USB memory 5 and at the same time. When the plug 6 of the USB memory 5 is to be inserted into the connector 2 due to the deformation (deflection) of the spring member 12, the USB memory 5 is connected by inserting the plug 6 of the USB memory 5 into the connector 2. When an external force is applied to the USB memory 5, it is possible to prevent damage to the connector 2 or the plug 6 of the USB memory 5.

The shape and material of the port joint adopted in the first embodiment, the shape of the spherical member adopted in the second embodiment, the shape and arrangement of the ball bearing, and the rotation central axis adopted in the third embodiment. The direction, the arrangement of the bearing, the shape of the leaf spring adopted in the fourth embodiment, and the position of the recess are not limited to the embodiment.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like within a range not deviating from the gist of the present invention are also included.

The present invention can be used for a connecting device such as a connector for an electronic device.

1 Port Joint 1a Bolt 1b Bolt Hole 2 Connector
2a Connector support 3 Connection cable 4 Housing 4a Opening 5 USB memory 6 Plug 7 Spherical member 8 Ball bearing 8a Circular hole 9 (1st) rotation center shaft 9a Support member 10 (2nd) rotation center shaft 10a Support Member 10b Support hole 11 Bearing 11a Support hole 12 Spring member 12a Recess

Claims (4)

A connector provided inside the housing of an electronic device,
A support mechanism provided between the connector and the housing and connecting the connector and the housing so as to be relatively movable,
Have,
The support mechanism includes a spherical member provided integrally with the connector and
It has a plurality of support members provided inside the housing and having a circular opening having a diameter smaller than that of the spherical member.
A portion having a diameter smaller than the maximum diameter portion of the spherical member is provided in contact with the openings of the plurality of support members so as to be slidable along the spherical surface of the spherical member.
Connection device. The support member is a plate-shaped member arranged in parallel with each other, and the opening has a circular shape having a diameter smaller than that of the spherical member.
The connecting device according to claim 1. A connector provided inside the housing of an electronic device,
A support mechanism provided between the connector and the housing and connecting the connector and the housing so as to be relatively movable,
Have,
The support mechanism has a direction that intersects with a direction in which the connector is attached to and detached from another connector, and a first and second rotation center axes that are oriented in two different directions.
A support member provided inside the housing and rotatably supporting the connector about the first and second rotation center axes, respectively.
Connecting device with. The first and second rotation center axes are oriented in directions orthogonal to each other.
The connecting device according to claim 3.

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