CN113708121B

CN113708121B - Connector device

Info

Publication number: CN113708121B
Application number: CN202010430488.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 梁智恒; 杨懋鋐; 张家铧; 林俊余; 周松纬; 王遵羲
Original assignee: Moxa Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Moxa Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-05-20
Filing date: 2020-05-20
Publication date: 2023-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 2040-05-20
Also published as: CN113708121A

Abstract

The invention provides a connector device, which comprises a first shell, a circuit assembly, a second shell and a connector. The circuit component is arranged on the first shell and provided with a first port and a second port. The second housing is detachably coupled with the first housing. The connector is arranged on the second shell and is provided with an opening and a terminal. When the first shell and the second shell are combined and the opening faces the first direction, the terminal is electrically connected with the first port. When the first shell and the second shell are combined and the opening faces the second direction, the terminal is electrically connected with the second port, wherein the first direction is different from the second direction.

Description

Connector device

Technical Field

The invention relates to a connector device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a connector device with an adjustable connector opening direction.

Background

Existing connector devices (e.g., network switches) are likely to have multiple sockets with the same and different functions, and therefore many wires are used to connect the connector device to other equipment. However, the socket position in the connector device is fixed, the position where the connector is mounted is extremely narrow (for example, a cabinet), and the wiring may be limited not only from all directions of the cabinet, but also because the length, the position and the orientation of the wire are fixed, the wiring is difficult when the connector device needs to be mounted in the narrow cabinet, and the wire may be bent and damaged. Therefore, how to solve the above problems has become an important issue.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention provides a connector device, which includes a first housing, a circuit assembly, a second housing, and a connector. The circuit component is arranged on the first shell and provided with a first port and a second port. The second housing is detachably coupled with the first housing. The connector is arranged on the second shell and is provided with an opening and a terminal. When the first shell and the second shell are combined and the opening faces the first direction, the terminal is electrically connected with the first port. When the first shell and the second shell are combined and the opening faces the second direction, the terminal is electrically connected with the second port, wherein the first direction is different from the second direction.

In some embodiments of the invention, the first port and the second port are separately disposed on the first housing.

In some embodiments of the invention, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. In still other embodiments, the first direction is opposite the second direction.

In some embodiments of the invention, the second housing has a first face, a second face, and a bottom face. The first surface and the second surface are connected with the bottom surface, and the first surface is opposite to the second surface. The opening is positioned on the first surface, the terminal is positioned on the bottom surface, and the terminal is adjacent to the second surface.

In some embodiments of the invention, the first housing has a recess, an upper surface, and side surfaces, and the second housing has a top surface. When the first shell is combined with the second shell, the second shell is accommodated in the groove, the upper surface is aligned with the top surface, and the connector is not protruded out of the side surface of the first shell.

In some embodiments of the invention, the first housing has a guide post and the second housing has a first guide slot and a second guide slot. When the first housing and the second housing are combined and the opening faces the first direction, the guide post enters the first guide groove. When the first housing and the second housing are combined and the opening faces the second direction, the guide post enters the second guide groove.

Drawings

Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a connector device according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 shows an exploded view of a connector device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic view of a first housing and circuit assembly in an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic view of a second housing and connector in an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 shows a top view of the combination of the first housing and the second housing in an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the first housing and the second housing combined in another state according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a top view showing the combination of the first housing and the second housing in another state according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 shows an exploded view of a connector device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 shows a top view of the combination of the first housing and the second housing in another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the first housing and the second housing combined in another state according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The connector device according to the embodiment of the present invention is described below. However, it will be readily appreciated that the embodiments of the invention provide many suitable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments disclosed are illustrative only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be appreciated that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, a connector device C according to an embodiment of the invention mainly includes a first housing 100, a circuit assembly 200, a second housing 300, and at least one connector 400, wherein the circuit assembly 200 is disposed on the first housing 100, the connector 400 is disposed on the second housing 300, and the first housing 100 and the second housing 300 are detachably combined with each other.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the first housing 100 includes a recess 110, a plurality of notches 120A, 120B, and at least one connecting hole 130. The groove 110 is formed on the upper surface 101 of the first housing 100, and its sectional shape in the XY plane is substantially the same as that of the second housing 300. The notch 120A and the connection hole 130 are formed on the side surface 102 of the first housing 100, the notch 120B is formed on the other side surface 103 of the first housing 100, and the notches 120A, 120B are in communication with the groove 110.

The circuit assembly 200 may include a first port 210, a second port 220, and at least one receptacle 230. In the present embodiment, the circuit assembly 200 is fixed inside the first housing 100, and the first port 210 and the second port 220 can pass through the first housing 100 and enter the recess 110. As such, the first port 210 and the second port 220 of the circuit assembly 200 will be disposed in the recess 110 separately from each other.

Specifically, the positions of the first port 210 and the second port 220 correspond to the notches 120A and 120B, respectively. Therefore, since the first port 210 and the second port 220 in the present embodiment are both joints having an elongated structure, and the side surfaces 102 and 103 forming the notches 120A and 120B are perpendicular to each other, the long axis direction of the first port 210 is perpendicular to the long axis direction of the second port 220.

In addition, the socket 230 is exposed from the connection hole 130 of the first housing 100, so that a user can insert an external plug into the socket 230 through the connection hole 130 to electrically connect the connector device C with an external device. For example, the socket 230 may include a network socket, an audio socket (e.g., a TRS socket or XLR socket), a video socket (e.g., a VGA socket or DVI socket), and/or an audio-visual terminal (e.g., an HDMI socket or a DP socket), but is not limited thereto.

In this embodiment, the first housing 100 further includes one or more guide posts 140 disposed in the recess 110 and extending along the Z-axis direction. The height of the guide posts 140 in the Z-axis direction may be less than or equal to the depth of the grooves 110, in other words, the guide posts 140 do not protrude from the upper surface 101 of the first housing 100.

As shown in fig. 2 and 4, the second housing 300 has a rotationally symmetrical structure and includes a top surface 301, a bottom surface 302, a first surface 303, a second surface 304, a third surface 305, and a fourth surface 306, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth surfaces 303, 304, 305, 306 connect the top surface 301 and the bottom surface 302, and the first surface 303 is opposite to the second surface 304, and the third surface 305 is opposite to the fourth surface 306.

The connector 400 of the connector device C is disposed inside the second housing 300, and the opening 410 of the connector 400 is located on the first face 303. The connector 400 also includes terminals 420 located on the bottom surface 302 of the second housing 300. In this embodiment, the terminal 420 is adjacent to the second face 304 of the second housing 300.

The second housing 300 may further include a first guide groove 310, a second guide groove 320, and two receiving grooves 330, 340. The first guide groove 310 and the second guide groove 320 extend from the top surface 301 to the bottom surface 302 of the second housing 300. The receiving grooves 330, 340 are formed on the bottom surface 302 and are adjacent to the third surface 305 and the fourth surface 306, respectively. It should be noted that the size of the receiving slots 330, 340 will be greater than the size of the first and second ports 210, 220.

The connector 400 may be, for example, a power connector for connecting to an external power source, and may have functions of voltage transformation and voltage stabilization, but is not limited thereto.

The method of using the connector device C will be described below. Referring to fig. 1 and fig. 5 together, when the user wants to use the connector device C, the second housing 300 is moved toward the first housing 100, and the guiding post 140 on the first housing 100 enters the first guiding slot 310 of the second housing 300.

The second housing 300 may be moved in the Z-axis direction with respect to the first housing 100 and enter into the groove 110 by the guide of the guide post 140 and the first guide groove 310, and the first housing 100 and the second housing 300 may be coupled to each other. Since the cross-sectional shape of the groove 110 is substantially the same as that of the second housing 300, the orientation of the second housing 300 can be restricted. As shown in fig. 1 and 5, at this time, the terminal 420 of the connector 400 is connected to the first port 210, and the opening 410 of the connector 400 faces the first direction D1.

Furthermore, since the depth of the groove 110 in the Z-axis direction is substantially the same as the thickness of the second housing 300, after the first housing 100 and the second housing 300 are combined, the upper surface 101 of the first housing 100 can be aligned with the top surface 301 of the second housing 300, so as to keep the appearance of the connector device C intact, and facilitate storage and placement. The second port 220 protruding from the bottom of the recess 110 can be received in the receiving groove 330 of the second housing 300, so that the second housing 300 can be prevented from contacting the second port 220 to generate interference during installation.

Through the foregoing steps, the assembly of the connector device C may be completed, and the user may cause the connector device C to be connected to an external power source through the opening 410 in the X-axis direction and simultaneously to be connected to an external device (e.g., a computer or a server) through the socket 230 in the X-axis direction.

In addition, it should be specifically noted that, when the connector device C is in this state, the opening 410 of the connector 400 is spaced from the side surface 102 of the first housing 100, so that the connector 400 with a larger connector does not protrude from the side surface 102.

Referring to fig. 6 and 7, when the connector device C is installed in an environment that causes bending or twisting of wires connected to an external power source/external device, the user can reassemble the connector device C to assume another state. In detail, the user can move the second housing 300 toward the first housing 100 and make the guide posts 140 on the first housing 100 enter the second guide grooves 320 of the second housing 300.

The second housing 300 is movable in the Z-axis direction with respect to the first housing 100 and enters into the recess 110 by the guide of the guide post 140 and the second guide groove 320, and the first housing 100 and the second housing 300 may be coupled to each other. As described above, since the second housing 300 has a rotationally symmetrical structure, the second housing 300 can be still accommodated in the recess 110 in this state and the orientation thereof can be restricted. The terminals 420 of the connector 400 are connected to the second port 220, and the openings 410 of the connector 400 face in a second direction D2, wherein the second direction D2 is substantially perpendicular to the first direction D1.

Also, after the first housing 100 and the second housing 300 are combined in this state, the upper surface 101 of the first housing 100 may be aligned with the top surface 301 of the second housing 300. The first port 210 can be accommodated in the accommodating groove 340 of the second housing 300, so as to avoid interference caused by contacting the second port 220 when the second housing 300 is mounted.

By the foregoing steps, another state of assembly of the connector device C can be completed. In this state, the user can cause the connector device C to connect an external power source through the opening 410 in the Y-axis direction and to connect an external device (e.g., a computer or a server) through the receptacle 230 in the X-axis direction.

In the present embodiment, the first port 210 and the second port 220 are connectors, so the second housing 300 is provided with receiving grooves 330 and 340 to avoid interference. In some embodiments, the first port 210, the second port 220, and the terminal 420 may be metal contacts, such that the receiving slots 330, 340 may be omitted.

Referring to fig. 8 to 10, in another embodiment of the present invention, the side surfaces 102 and 103 with the notches 120A and 120B are respectively located at opposite sides of the first housing 100, and the first port 210 and the second port 220 are respectively adjacent to the side surface 103 and the side surface 102. When the terminals 420 of the connector 400 are electrically connected to the first port 210, the openings 410 of the connector 400 face the first direction D1 (fig. 9), and when the terminals 420 of the connector 400 are electrically connected to the second port 220, the openings 410 of the connector 400 face the second direction D2 (fig. 10), and the first direction D1 is opposite to the second direction D2.

In summary, the present invention provides a connector device including a first housing, a circuit assembly, a second housing, and a connector. The circuit component is arranged on the first shell and provided with a first port and a second port. The second housing is detachably coupled with the first housing. The connector is arranged on the second shell and is provided with an opening and a terminal. When the first shell and the second shell are combined and the opening faces the first direction, the terminal is electrically connected with the first port. When the first shell and the second shell are combined and the opening faces the second direction, the terminal is electrically connected with the second port, wherein the first direction is different from the second direction.

Although embodiments and advantages of the present invention have been disclosed, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification, and those of skill in the art will appreciate from the present disclosure that any process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps which are presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present application. Accordingly, the scope of the present application includes such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps. In addition, each claim constitutes a separate embodiment, and the scope of protection of the invention also includes combinations of the individual claims and embodiments.

Although the present invention has been described in terms of several preferred embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that many modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is therefore defined in the appended claims. Furthermore, each claim is to be construed as an independent embodiment, and various claims and combinations of embodiments are contemplated as falling within the scope of the invention.

[ symbolic description ]

100 first shell

101 upper surface

102 side surfaces

103 side surfaces

110 groove

120A, 120B gap

130 connecting hole

140 guide post

200 circuit assembly

210 first port

220 second port

230 socket

300 second shell

301 top surface

302 bottom surface

303 first side

304 second side

305 third face

306 fourth face

310 first guide groove

320 second guide groove

330. 340 accommodating groove

400 connector

410 opening(s)

420 terminal

C connector device

D1 first direction

D2, second direction.

Claims

1. A connector device, comprising:

a first housing;

the circuit component is arranged on the first shell and is provided with a first port and a second port;

a second housing detachably coupled to the first housing; and

the connector is arranged on the second shell and is provided with an opening and a terminal, wherein when the first shell and the second shell are combined along a combination direction and the opening faces a first direction, the terminal is electrically connected with the first port, and when the first shell and the second shell are combined along the combination direction and the opening faces a second direction, the terminal is electrically connected with the second port, and the first direction is different from the second direction.

2. The connector device of claim 1, wherein the first port and the second port are disposed on the first housing separately.

3. The connector device of claim 1, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

4. The connector device of claim 1, wherein the first direction is opposite the second direction.

5. The connector device of claim 1, wherein the second housing has a first face and a bottom face, and the first face is connected to the bottom face, wherein the opening is located on the first face, and the terminal is located on the bottom face.

6. The connector device of claim 5, wherein the second housing further has a second face connected to the bottom face and opposite to the first face, and the terminal is adjacent to the second face.

7. The connector device of claim 1, wherein the first housing has a recess in which the second housing is received when the first housing is coupled to the second housing.

8. The connector device of claim 1, wherein the first housing has an upper surface and the second housing has a top surface, wherein the upper surface aligns with the top surface when the first housing is coupled with the second housing.

9. The connector device of claim 1, wherein the first housing has a side surface from which the connector does not protrude when the first housing is coupled with the second housing.

10. The connector device of claim 1, wherein the first housing has a guide post and the second housing has a first guide slot and a second guide slot, wherein the guide post enters the first guide slot when the first housing and the second housing are combined and the opening faces the first direction, and the guide post enters the second guide slot when the first housing and the second housing are combined and the opening faces the second direction.