EP2842700B1

EP2842700B1 - Connection device for electrical apparatus

Info

Publication number: EP2842700B1
Application number: EP13782354.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hiroshi Shigeta; Fumio Taniguchi; Daisuke Sone; Jyuzaemon Iwasaki
Original assignee: Panasonic Corp
Current assignee: Panasonic Corp
Priority date: 2012-04-27
Filing date: 2013-03-08
Publication date: 2019-08-21
Anticipated expiration: 2033-03-08
Also published as: CN104203508A; JP2013232321A; EP2842700A4; CN104203508B; WO2013161157A1; JP6008274B2; EP2842700A1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a connection device which establishes an electrical connection for charging or communication to an electrical apparatus according to the preamble of claim 1.

BACKGROUND ART

A connection device as described in the preamble of claim 1 is already known from JP 2009 261628 A . Each of documents JP H01 62675 U and US 6 430 813 B2 discloses a connection device for an electrical apparatus comprising a conducting part, which comes into contact with a terminal to establish an electrical connection for charging or communication; and a housing. The housing comprises a wall part. A hole which exposes the conducting part is formed in the wall part of the housing.
EP 1 878 545 A2 relates to an engaging structure of an electric shaver and an electric charger.
There have been proposed an connection device for charging or communication to an electrical apparatus for example, JP 4842398 B2 , which establishes an electrical connection by a terminal of the electrical apparatus being brought into contact with a conducting part of the connection device. In this document, the terminal of the electrical apparatus projects from its surface as well as, the conducting part of the connection device is biased by a spring and also projects from its surface. When the electrical apparatus is pressed to the side of the connection device, the terminal comes into contact with the conducting part and presses the conducting part backward against the spring bias. Therefore, the electrical apparatus establishes the electrical connection with a maintained contact pressure.
However, because the conducting part that is a metallic member is projected from a surface of the connection device, there is a problem that, when the electrical apparatus is attached to the connection device, the projected conducting part may damage part of the electrical apparatus which is not the terminal.
There is a case where the electrical apparatus is an electric shaver, the connection device is a cleaning device for clearing a shaving head of the electric shaver, the shaving head of the electric shaver is to be inserted deep in a cleaning part of the connection device, and the terminal and the conducting part are configured to be connected to each other in the inserted state. In this case, parts of the electrical apparatus which possibly touch the projected conducting part are especially increased, and accordingly, chances of the parts of the electrical apparatus being damaged by touching the projecting conducting part are increased.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

With the foregoing in the view, it is an object of the present invention to provide a connection device for an electrical apparatus which can prevent the electrical apparatus from being damaged by a conducting part.
A connection device (1) for an electrical apparatus (E) of the present invention includes: a conducting part (39) which comes into contact with a terminal (Eb) projecting from an outer surface of the electrical apparatus (E) to establish an electrical connection for charging or communication; and a housing (H). The housing (H) includes a wall part (F). A hole (601) which exposes the conducting part (39) is formed in the wall part (F) of the housing (H). An outer surface (3901) of the conducting part (39) is located closer to an inside of the housing (H) than an outer surface (F1) of the wall part (F), or at the same surface level as the outer surface (F1) of the wall part (F). The conducting part (39) is configured to retract.
In an embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that a sectional configuration parallel to an installation direction of the electrical apparatus (E) to the connection device (1), of the wall part (F) is in a convex shape (C1) and a first vertex (T) of the convex shaped wall part (F) projects outward, and the conducting part (39) is on an end of the first vertex (T).
In an embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the sectional configuration parallel to the installation direction, of the conducting part (39) is in a convex shape (C2), and a second vertex (T1) of the convex shaped conducting part (39) projects outward.
In an embodiment of the invention, it is preferable that the wall part (F) includes a long groove (60) that extends in the installation direction, in an area surrounding the conducting part (39), and the conducting part (39) is positioned inside the long groove (60).
In an embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that a concave surface (61), which is located at the same surface level as the outer surface (3901) of the conducting part (39), is provided in a surface near the conducting part (39) which is on an end of the first vertex (T) on the wall part (F).
In the present invention, because compared to surrounding walls, the conducting part is not projected, the conducting part is less likely to damage a surface of the electrical apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an essential part of a cleaning device for an electrical apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a state where the electrical apparatus is installed to the cleaning device according to the embodiment;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a state where the electrical apparatus is installed to the cleaning device according to the embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cleaning device according to the embodiment;
FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of an essential part of the cleaning device according to the embodiment;
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of an essential part of the cleaning device according to the embodiment;
FIG. 7 is a horizontal sectional view of the cleaning device according to the embodiment;
FIG. 8 is a horizontal sectional view of a state where the electrical apparatus is installed to the cleaning device according to the embodiment; and
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an essential part of a variation of the cleaning device according to the embodiment.

EMBODIMENT FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Followings are detailed description according to an embodiment of the present invention based on drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 7, a connection device 1 according to the embodiment includes: a conducting part 39 which comes into contact with a terminal Eb projecting from an outer surface of an electrical apparatus E to establish an electrical connection for charging or communication; and a housing H. The housing H includes a wall part F. A hole 601 which exposes the conducting part 39 is formed in the wall part F of the housing H. An outer surface 3901 of the conducting part 39 is located closer to an inside of the housing H than an outer surface F1 of the wall part F, or at the same surface level as the outer surface F1 of the wall part F.
The connection device 1 according to the embodiment is a cleaning device that is configured to establish an electrical connection to the electrical apparatus E, which is a rechargeable electrical apparatus such as an electric shaver (a reciprocating electric shaver for example), to clean a cleaned part (blade head for example) Ea of the electrical apparatus E. The rechargeable electrical apparatus may be an electric shaver such as a reciprocating electric shaver, a mobile phone or a rechargeable microphone.
In the connection device 1, the housing H is configured by parts such as a base 11, a lateral cover 15, a front cover 16, and a top-face cover 2. A cleaning part 20 has an opening on a top surface of the top-face cover 2 in order to insert the cleaned part (the blade head) Ea, of the electrical apparatus E in inverted position.
As shown in FIG. 2, the connection device 1 includes: in its inside, a container 7 for storing cleaning liquid; a pump P which is configured so as to circulate the cleaning liquid between the container 7 and a cleaning part 52; and a heating unit and a fan motor for drying the cleaned part (blade head) Ea after a cleaning process. The connection device 1 has a support part S. The support part S includes the conducting part 39, and the conducting part 39 is configured to establish an electrical connection to the electrical apparatus E.
The container 7 with the cleaning liquid is positioned in the base 11. The terminal Eb of the connection device 1 is electrically connected to the electrical apparatus E at the conducting part 39 of the support part S as soon as the cleaned part (blade head) Ea of the electrical apparatus E is inserted into the cleaning part 20. When the pump P is activated, the pump P supplies the cleaning liquid in the container 7 to the cleaning part 20. Also, the cleaning part 20 includes an overflow part 53. Cleaning liquid overflowing the cleaning part 20 is returned to the container 7 which is located below the cleaning part 20, through the overflow part 53. While the blade head Ea being cleaned, the blade head Ea of the electrical apparatus E is activated through sending of signals and charging from the cleaning device 1 to the electrical apparatus E through the conducting part 39. This enables to clean the blade head Ea more quickly and effectively.
The cleaning part 20 is positioned on a first side in a first direction (front side in a front-back direction in FIG.3) in the cleaning device 1, and the first side defines a front side of the cleaning device 1 for example.
As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the support part S includes a support block 6 and a back-part cover 23 which the top-face cover 2 has. The support block 6 is positioned on a second side in the first direction (back side in a front-back direction of the cleaning part 20 in the drawing), and in the first direction, the back-part cover 23 is positioned closer to the second side than the support block 6. The back-part cover 23 covers the second side of the support block 6. Further, in a second direction (for example, a vertical direction of the cleaning device 1 in FG.4), the support part S is formed so as to rise from the top-face cover 2.
Also, as shown in FIG.2 to FIG.4, the support block 6 of the support part S and the back-part cover 23 are part of the housing H.
As shown in FIG.5, in the connection device 1 according to the embodiment, a sectional configuration parallel to the second direction, of the wall part F, is shaped in a convex shape C1. A vertex T of the convex shaped wall part F projects outward, and the conducting part 39 is on an end of the vertex T. Further the second direction corresponds to "one direction" in the present invention.
In particular, in a cross section parallel to the second direction (longitudinal plane), the outer surface F1 of the wall part F of the support block 6 projects forward and shaped in the convex shape C1 including the vertex T. The hole 601 is provided near the vertex T of the wall part F and the outer surface 3901 of the conducting part 39 is exposed by the hole 601.
As shown in FIG.5 to FIG. 8, the conducting part 39 is positioned in front of a movable terminal block 38. The movable terminal block 38 and the conducting part 39 are biased toward the wall part F side by a spring 37 positioned behind the movable terminal block 38 and the conducting part 39. Also, a stopper 40 is configured so as to limit amounts of the movable terminal block 38 and the conducting part 39 projecting toward the wall part F side by the spring bias (spring elastic). Further, a supporting base 35 is provided inside of the support block 6 so as to hold internal members such as the spring 37 and the stopper 40.
As shown in FIG. 5, in the connection device 1 according to the embodiment, the sectional configuration parallel to the second direction (one direction), of the conducting part 39 is in a convex shape C2. A vertex T1 of the convex shaped conducting part 39 projects outward. Also, each conducting part 39 curves forward.
FIG. 6 shows an essential part of the support block 6. Both the stopper 40 and the spring 37 are positioned behind (the second side in the first direction) the movable terminal block 38 and the conducting part 39. The spring 37 is provided between the stopper 40 and the supporting base 35. In this case, the spring 37 is positioned inside of a guide provided on the supporting base 35. Also, the stopper 40 includes a projection 40a extracted from an inner surface 401 to the supporting base 35. The projection 40a projects into an inner hollow of the spring 37. Hence, the spring 37 is retained between the stopper 40 and the supporting base 35.
As shown in FIG. 1, the amount of the projection of the stopper 40 is limited by the movable terminal block 38 (see a projection-control part 381 in the drawing for detail).
As shown in FIG. 7, in the sectional configuration of the wall part F parallel to a third direction, the outer surface F1 of the wall part F of the support block 6 includes a curved shape CV. Here, the third direction defines a right-left direction of the cleaning device 1 shown in for example FIG.4.
In the wall part F of the support block 6, as shown in FIG. 7, the more than two (three in the drawing) conducting parts 39 are provided in predefined intervals in the third direction. Those conducting parts 39 can individually retract in the first direction against the bias of the spring 37.
Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the connection device 1 according to the embodiment includes a long groove 60 extending in the second direction, in an area surrounding the conducting part 39 of the wall part F, and the conducting part 39 is positioned inside this long groove 60.
Further, more than two (three in drawing) long grooves 60 are provided in predefined intervals in the wall part F along the third direction.
In the connection device 1, the conducting part 39 is positioned inside of the long groove 60 formed in the wall part F of the support block 6 in the third direction (longitudinal direction). In the conducting part 39, the vertex T1 of the convex shape C2 (the outer surface 3901 of the conducting part 39) is provided at the same surface level as the outer surface F1 of the wall part F. In the example of FIG. 4, a recess is provided in a part (upper part) of the central long groove 60, and the hole 601 is provided in other part. In this way, the outer surface 3901 of the conducting part 39 is exposed by the hole 601. Further, an upper end side surface of the conducting part 39 is substantially at the same surface level as the recess. In short, the upper end side surface of the conducting part 39 is located at the same surface level as the recess, or behind the recess. When the terminal Eb is in contact with the outer surface 3901 of the conducting part 39 along the longitudinal direction, the conducting part 39 is configured to shift sufficiently in the front-back direction in response to a connecting position with the terminal Eb and the projection amount of the spring 37. Therefore, it is possible to improve accuracy of charging or communication that is performed between the conducting part 39 and the terminal Eb. Further, there is a possibility of damaging the outer surface of the electrical apparatus E, if the conducting part 39 is projected from the outer surface F1 of the wall part F. Hence, it is preferable that the vertex T1 of the conducting part 39 is at the same surface level as the outer surface F1 of the wall part F. As shown in FIG. 1, the conducting part 39 includes the convex shape C2, and further the recess and the upper end surface of the conducting part 39 are substantially at the same surface level as each other. For this reason, the conducting part 39 can be shifted sufficiently in the forward-back direction, and further, it is possible to decrease chances of the terminal Eb being hooked to an inner surface of the hole 601 upon attaching and removing of the electrical apparatus E. Therefore, it is possible to decrease chances of the terminal Eb being hooked to the inner surface of the hole 601 and suppress the damage of terminal Eb for example, when the electrical apparatus E is positioned into the connection device 1 or the electrical apparatus E is removed from the connection device 1. Also, when the blade head Ea of the electrical apparatus E is inserted in the cleaning part 20, the outer surface F1 of the wall part F of the support block 6 comes into contact with the outer surface of the electrical apparatus E, and it is possible to suppress the possibility of the conducting part 39 damaging the outer surface of the electrical apparatus E by providing the outer surface 3901 of the conducting part 39 at the same surface level as the outer surface F1, and positioning the conducting part 39 behind the outer surface F1.
Further, the terminal Eb of the electrical apparatus E being in contact with the conducting part 39, projects above the outer surface of the electrical apparatus E. However, the conducting part 39 is located near the vertex T of the outer surface F1 of the support block 6, and further, when the blade head Ea of the electrical apparatus E is inserted in the cleaning part 20, the terminal Eb comes in contact with the conducting part 39 after passing on the long groove 60 provided in the wall part F of the support block 6 in the third direction. Therefore, it is possible to suppress possibility of the terminal Eb damaging the outer surface F1 of the wall part F of the support block 6.
Note that, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 8, a contact pressure between the terminal Eb and the conducting part 39 is maintained by the terminal Eb pressing the conducting part 39 against the spring 37. Further, since in longitudinal plan the conducting part 39 includes the convex shape C2, the conducting part 39 can give optimum operational feeling when the electrical apparatus E is positioned. Furthermore, the electrical apparatus E smoothly enters a state where maximum pressure from elastic bias of the spring 37 is given when the terminal Eb of the electrical apparatus E slides and comes into contact with the conducting part 39.
A variation of the connection device according to the embodiment is shown in FIG. 9. A basic configuration of the variation is similar to the above mentioned embodiment. However, the variation shown in FIG. 9 is different in that concave surfaces 61, each of which is for leveling an outer surface F1 of a wall part F with a surface of a conducting part 39, are provided. On both lateral sides of each long groove 60 provided in the wall part F, two concave surfaces 61 are respectively provided so as to correspond to a vertex T of a convex shape C1 which projects to the front of the outer surface F1 of the wall part F of a support block 6. The concave surfaces 61 can prevent occurrence of an uneven surface caused by a difference between a curvature of the convex shape C1 of the outer surface F1 which is located on the wall part F of the support block 6 and a curvature of a convex shape C2 projecting to front of the conducting part 39. Further, by providing the concave surfaces 61 on the both lateral sides of each long groove 60, the wall part F, providing the conducting part 39, can include a plan with reduced uneven surface between the convex shape C1 and the convex shape C2 in the right-left direction. This can reduce a terminal Eb being hooked to an inside surface of a hole 601 when the terminal Eb is slid in the right-left direction. Furthermore, the wall part F including the plan with reduced uneven surface as mentioned above, allows communization of more than two (three in the figure) parts provided in the support block 6 such as the conducting part 39. In addition, it is possible to notify a user of the position of the conducting part 39 in a way so that the user can identify the position of the conducting part 39 instinctively. As well as that, the concave surfaces 61 can accommodate a change of a shape of the conducting part 39 or position of a terminal Eb of the electrical apparatus E through changing a shape or position of the concave surfaces 61.

Claims

A connection device (1) for an electrical apparatus (E), comprising:
a conducting part (39) which is adapted to come into contact with a terminal (Eb) projecting from an outer surface of the electrical apparatus (E) to establish an electrical connection for charging or communication; and

a housing (H),

wherein the housing (H) comprises:
a wall part (F); and

a hole (601) which exposes the conducting part (39) and is formed in the wall part (F) of the housing (H),

characterized in that

an outer surface (3901) of the conducting part (39) is always located closer to an inside of the housing (H) than an outer surface (F1) of the wall part (F), or at the same surface level as the outer surface (F1) of the wall part (F), the conducting part (39) being configured to retract.
The connection device (1) for the electrical apparatus (E) of claim 1,
wherein a sectional configuration parallel to an installation direction of the electrical apparatus (E) to the connection device (1), of the wall part (F) is in a convex shape (C1),
wherein a first vertex (T) of the convex shaped wall part (F) projects outward, and
wherein the conducting part (39) is on an end of the first vertex (T).
The connection device (1) for the electrical apparatus (E) of claim 2,
wherein the sectional configuration parallel to the installation direction, of the conducting part (39) is in a convex shape (C2), and
wherein a second vertex (T1) of the convex shaped conducting part (39) projects outward.
The connection device (1) for the electrical apparatus (E) of claim 2 or 3,
wherein the wall part (F) includes a long groove (60) that extends in the installation direction, in an area surrounding the conducting part (39), and
wherein the conducting part (39) is positioned inside the long groove (60).
The connection device (1) for the small electrical apparatus (E) of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a concave surface (61), which is located at the same surface level as the outer surface (3901) of the conducting part (39), is provided in a surface near the conducting part (39) which is on an end of the first vertex (T) on the wall part (F).