JP2008210716A - Terminal cover and connector device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve operation feeling when opening and closing a terminal cover. <P>SOLUTION: The terminal cover 22 which covers and protects a terminal hole 13 includes a base portion 24 of a flat plate shape which covers the terminal hole 13, and an annular rib 28 which is projected at the base portion 24. A base part 24 whose lower limit is attached to a chassis of a connector device 10 is set to approximately rotate on the lower limit. Moreover, an annular rib 28 sticks to the outside of a terminal cylinder 12 which keeps a terminal hole 13 formed by an elastic force. The annular rib 28 is configured to become lower when it approaches the rotation axis of the base portion 24 namely a vicinity of the lower limit of the base portion 24. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a terminal cover that covers and protects a terminal hole formed in a terminal forming portion of the connector device, and a connector device including the terminal cover and the terminal hole.

  Currently, many electronic devices incorporate a connector device into which a terminal (male side terminal) of a signal line is inserted in order to connect a signal line for transmitting and receiving signals to and from other electronic devices. Such a connector device has a terminal hole (female side terminal) into which a terminal of a signal line is inserted. The male terminal inserted into the terminal hole is electrically connected to a signal processing board provided inside the connector device through the terminal hole, and various signals can be input and output. The following Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic device in which such terminal holes are formed.

  By the way, this terminal hole has no problem when the male terminal is inserted, but when the male terminal is not inserted, the terminal hole is completely exposed to the outside. In this case, dust or the like may enter the inside of the terminal hole exposed to the outside, which may lead to poor electrical connection or failure of the connector device itself.

  Therefore, conventionally, a terminal cover that covers and protects the terminal hole has been proposed. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the connector device 10 including the terminal cover 22. The connector device 10 is a connector device used for video equipment. The connector device 10 includes three terminal cylinders 12 in which terminal holes (not shown in FIG. 8) are formed, a signal processing board 14 that processes signals input and output through the terminal holes, and the like. Among these, the signal processing board 14 is accommodated in a housing constituted by the upper cover 16, the lower cover 20, the front panel 18, and the like. Further, the three terminal cylinders 12 protrude to the outside from terminal openings 18 a formed in the front panel 18.

  The terminal cover 22 is attached to the front panel 18 so as to cover the three terminal cylinders 12 protruding from the front panel 18. The terminal cover 22 is a member made of a material having appropriate elasticity, such as an elastomer. The terminal cover is formed with a flat base portion 24 covering all three terminal holes, and three substantially annular ribs 28 protruding from the base portion 24. The base portion 24 has a substantially oval shape that is long in the direction adjacent to the three terminal cylinders 12, and an attachment portion 26 that is fixed to the front panel 18 is extended at one end in the long axis direction. When the mounting portion 26 is fixed to the front panel 18, the base portion 24 can be opened and closed (substantially rotatable) with respect to the front panel 18 with the fixing portion of the mounting portion 26 as the center.

  The substantially annular rib 28 has an inner diameter that is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the terminal cylinder 12 that functions as a terminal forming portion in which a terminal hole is formed. When the base portion 24 of the terminal cover 22 covers the three terminal holes, that is, when the terminal cover 22 is closed, the three substantially annular ribs 28 are in close contact with the outer periphery of the corresponding terminal cylinder 12 by elastic force. Hold the terminal tube. The substantially annular rib 28 holds the terminal cylinder 12 with an elastic force, so that the terminal hole protection state (the state in which the terminal cover 22 is closed) can be held. When it is desired to use the terminal hole, that is, when it is desired to insert the male terminal into the terminal hole, the user substantially turns the base portion 24 to open the terminal cover 22.

JP-A-8-238992

  As is apparent from the above description, the conventional terminal cover 22 has a substantially annular rib 28 that is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the terminal forming portion (terminal tube 12) in which the terminal holes are formed on the base portion 24 that covers the terminal holes. Protrusions are formed. In this case, since the substantially annular rib 28 and the terminal cylinder 12 are in close contact with each other by the elastic force, the terminal hole protection state can be reliably maintained. However, on the other hand, the conventional terminal cover 22 has a mechanism that opens and closes by a substantially rotating operation. Therefore, when the terminal cover 22 is closed, interference between a part of the substantially annular rib 28 and the terminal cylinder 12 occurs. There is a problem that it becomes difficult to close. On the other hand, when the terminal cover 22 is to be opened, there is a problem that the tip of the substantially annular rib 28 is supported by the terminal cylinder 12 and is difficult to come off.

  Furthermore, there is a problem that the frictional force between the substantially annular rib 28 and the terminal cylinder 12 increases, and the opening load required when opening the terminal cover 22 tends to increase. In particular, in FIG. 8, the terminal cover 22 is opened sideways (the rotation axis of the terminal cover 22 and the adjacent direction of the terminal hole are substantially orthogonal), but the specifications for opening the terminal cover 22 downward or above (terminals) When the rotation axis of the cover 22 and the adjacent direction of the terminal hole are in a substantially parallel state), the opening load becomes very large, which causes a problem.

  That is, in the case of lateral opening, when the terminal cover 22 is rotated to open the terminal cover 22, first, the substantially annular rib 28a farthest from the vicinity of the mounting portion 26, which is the rotation shaft, of the three approximately annular ribs. Detach from the terminal tube 12. Subsequently, the substantially annular rib 28b that is second most distant from the attachment portion 26 is detached from the terminal tube 12, and finally, the substantially annular rib 28c that is closest to the attachment portion 26 is detached from the terminal tube 12. That is, in the case of the lateral opening, when the terminal cover 22 is opened, the substantially annular ribs 28 are sequentially detached from the terminal tube 12 one by one. As a result, the opening load is limited to a force required to separate one substantially annular rib 28 from one terminal cylinder 12.

  On the other hand, when the terminal cover 22 is configured to open downward or upward, when the terminal cover 22 is rotated to open the terminal cover 22, the three substantially annular ribs 28 are all simultaneously corresponding to the corresponding terminal cylinder 12. You will leave. In this case, the opening load is three times that in the case of lateral opening.

  That is, in the conventional configuration, when the terminal cover is opened and closed, interference between the ribs and the terminal forming portion is likely to occur, and the opening load required to open the terminal cover tends to increase. As a result, there was a problem that the opening / closing operation was difficult as a whole and the operation feeling was poor.

  Therefore, an object of the present embodiment is to provide a terminal cover that can further improve the operation feeling in the opening / closing operation of the terminal cover, and a connector device including the terminal cover.

  The connector device of the present invention is a terminal cover that covers and protects the terminal hole formed in the terminal forming portion of the connector device, and is rotatably attached to the main body portion of the connector device. A base member having a covering base surface and a rib made of an elastic material and projecting from the base surface, the inner peripheral surface of the terminal hole or the terminal when the base surface covers the terminal hole A rib that adheres to the outer surface of the terminal hole forming portion in which the hole is formed by an elastic force, and the rib has a shape that becomes lower as it approaches the rotation axis of the rotation operation of the base member. And

  When a plurality of terminal holes are formed adjacent to each other, it is desirable that the ribs are formed on the base surface by the number of the terminal holes. It is also desirable that the rotation shaft of the base member is parallel to the adjacent direction of the plurality of terminal holes.

  In another preferred aspect, the base member is made of an elastic material, and one end of the base member is attached to the main body of the connector device, and the base member is rotatable about the attached one end as a rotation shaft.

  Another connector device according to the present invention is a connector device in which a terminal hole into which a terminal is inserted is formed, comprising a terminal forming portion in which the terminal hole is formed, and an elastic material, with respect to the terminal forming portion. A terminal cover that is pivotably attached and covers and protects the terminal hole formed in the terminal forming portion, and the terminal cover is pivotally attached to the main body portion of the connector device, A base member having a base surface that covers the terminal hole, and is formed to protrude from the base surface, and when the base surface covers the terminal hole, an inner peripheral surface of the terminal hole or the terminal hole is formed. A rib closely contacting with an outer surface of the hole forming portion by an elastic force and having a shape that becomes lower as it approaches the rotation axis of the rotation operation of the base member.

  According to the present invention, the rib that is in close contact with the terminal hole or the terminal forming portion has a shape that becomes lower as it approaches the rotation shaft, and therefore interference between the rib and the terminal hole is less likely to occur. The frictional force generated in can also be reduced. As a result, the operation feeling during the opening / closing operation of the terminal cover can be further improved.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a partial front view of a connector device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the connector device 10.

  The connector device 10 is a connector device 10 that is used by being incorporated in video equipment. The connector device 10 covers and protects three terminal cylinders 12 each having one terminal hole 13 formed therein, a signal processing board 14 for processing signals input / output through the terminal holes 13, and the terminal holes 13. A terminal cover 22 and the like are provided.

  Each terminal cylinder 12 is a substantially cylindrical member, and a terminal hole 13 is formed in a tip end surface thereof. Accordingly, each terminal cylinder 12 functions as a terminal forming portion in which the terminal hole 13 is formed. The three terminal cylinders 12 are arranged adjacent to each other in the lateral direction at a predetermined interval. Further, all of the terminal cylinders 12 are arranged so as to protrude from the terminal openings 18 a formed in the front panel 18.

  Inside the terminal hole 13 formed in each terminal cylinder 12, an electrode (not shown) for electrical connection with a male terminal inserted into the terminal hole 13 is formed. This electrode is further connected to a signal processing board 14 provided inside the housing. The signal processing board 14 is a signal processing board 14 that performs a predetermined process on an electric signal input / output through the electrodes. The signal processing board 14 is completely accommodated inside the housing and is hidden from the outside.

  The housing includes an upper cover 16 disposed on the upper side of the signal processing board 14, a lower cover 20 disposed on the lower side of the signal processing board 14, and a front panel 18 disposed on the front surface of the signal processing board 14. Composed. Each of the covers 16 and 20 and the front panel 18 is made of a resin having appropriate rigidity. Among these, the front panel 18 is formed with three terminal openings 18a for projecting the three terminal cylinders 12 to the outside. Each terminal opening 18 a is a circular through-hole having the same diameter as the outer diameter of the corresponding terminal cylinder 12. The terminal cylinder 12 is inserted into the terminal opening 18a from the inside and protrudes to the outside. Further, the periphery of the terminal opening 18a is a recessed portion 18b that is recessed as compared with other portions. A rectangular hole into which a mounting portion 26 of the terminal cover 22 described later is inserted is formed near the lower end of the recess 18b. The attachment portion 26 inserted into the rectangular hole includes a front side return portion 18c in which a part of the front panel 18 is bent to the back side, and a lower return portion 20a in which a part of the lower cover 20 is bent forward. The movement in the vertical direction is restricted.

  Here, since the terminal cylinder 12 is exposed to the outside, the terminal hole 13 formed in the distal end surface of the terminal cylinder 12 is naturally exposed to the outside. When this terminal hole 13 is used, that is, when a male terminal is inserted into the terminal hole 13, there is no problem even if the terminal tube is exposed to the outside. However, when the terminal hole 13 is not used, that is, when the male terminal is not inserted into the terminal hole 13, dust or the like may enter the terminal hole 13. The dust or the like that has entered the terminal hole 13 causes a poor electrical connection or a failure of the connector device 10 itself.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, when the terminal hole 13 is not used, a terminal cover 22 that covers and protects the terminal hole 13 is also provided. FIG. 4 is a side view of the terminal cover 22. The terminal cover 22 is a member made of a material having an appropriate elasticity, such as an elastomer, and has a substantially flat base portion 24, a mounting portion 26 extending from the lower end of the base portion 24, and a protrusion formed from the base portion 24. The three substantially annular ribs 28 are provided. The base portion 24 is a substantially flat plate-like member that is large enough to cover all the three terminal holes 13, more precisely, the same size as the concave portion 18 b formed in the front panel 18. Side walls 24 a extending toward the front panel 18 are formed from the upper end and side ends of the base portion 24. In the closed state in which the terminal portion 13 is covered with the base portion 24, the side wall 24a is in close contact with the side surface of the recess 18b of the front panel 18 by an elastic force, and the closed state is maintained by the elastic force. Further, the gap between the base portion 24 and the concave portion 18b is reliably prevented, and the entry of dust or the like into the concave portion is prevented. Further, a grip portion 24 b extending outward is formed at the upper end of the base portion 24. When performing the opening / closing operation of the terminal cover 22, the user grips the grip portion 24b.

  Further, an attachment portion 26 extending toward the front panel 18 side extends from the lower end of the base portion 24. A locking portion 26 a formed thicker than the periphery is formed at the tip of the mounting portion 26. The attachment portion 26 is inserted into a rectangular hole formed in the front panel 18 and is sandwiched between the front side return portion 18c and the lower side return portion 20a. By being sandwiched between the front side return portion 18c and the lower side return portion 20a, the attachment portion 26 is restricted from moving in the vertical direction. Moreover, since the latching | locking part 26a formed in the front-end | tip of the attachment part 26 is latched by the lower side return part 18c, the drop-off | omission of the said attachment part 26 is prevented. That is, the terminal cover 22 is attached to the housing of the connector device 10 via the attachment portion 26. Here, by attaching the attachment portion 26 extending from the lower end of the base portion 24 to the housing, the lower end of the base portion 24 becomes a fixed end whose position hardly changes. However, since the terminal cover 22 is provided with appropriate elasticity, the base portion 24 can substantially rotate with respect to the housing with the fixed end (that is, the lower end of the base portion 24) as a rotation axis. By this turning operation, the base portion 24 is opened and closed.

  Further, three annular ribs 28 project from the surface of the base portion 24 facing the front panel 18 (hereinafter referred to as “base surface”). The three annular ribs 28 are formed at positions corresponding to the three terminal cylinders 12 protruding from the front panel 18, and the inner diameter thereof is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the corresponding terminal cylinder 12. When the base portion 24 is closed, the annular rib 28 is brought into close contact with the outer surface of the corresponding terminal cylinder 12 by an elastic force and holds the terminal cylinder 12.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the annular rib 28 has a shape that becomes lower as it approaches the lower side, in other words, as it approaches the rotation axis of the substantially rotating operation performed by the base portion 24. This is to reduce the opening load when the terminal cover 22 is opened, and to prevent the annular rib 28 and the terminal tube 12 from interfering with each other at the time of opening and closing. This will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state when the terminal cover 22 is opened, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state when the terminal cover 22 is closed. As shown in FIG. 5, when opening the terminal cover 22, the user grasps the grip portion 24 b formed at the upper end of the base portion 24 and pulls it toward the front side. Due to this pulling force, the entire terminal cover 22 moves slightly forward, but immediately, the locking portion 26a formed at the tip of the mounting portion 26 comes into contact with the front side return portion 18c. Movement to is regulated. Instead, the entire base portion 24 having elasticity rotates substantially in the opening direction (the direction of arrow A in FIG. 5) with the lower end of the base portion 24 serving as a fixed end as a rotation axis. Then, the base portion 24 is separated from the terminal tube 12 by this substantially rotating operation, and the terminal tube 12 is exposed to the outside.

  Along with this substantially rotating operation, the annular rib 28 formed to protrude from the base portion 24 is also detached from the terminal cylinder 12. At this time, a frictional force is generated between the annular rib 28 and the terminal cylinder 12. Occurs. This frictional force increases as the contact area between the two increases. In the present embodiment, the rotation axis of the substantially rotating operation of the base portion 24 is substantially parallel to the adjacent direction of the three terminal cylinders 12, and the three annular ribs 28 are substantially simultaneously corresponding to the corresponding terminal cylinder 12. You will leave. Therefore, the frictional force generated when opening the terminal cover 22 is three times the frictional force generated between one terminal cylinder 12 and the annular rib 28, and the opening load tends to be large.

  However, in this embodiment, as described above, the annular rib 28 is lowered as it approaches the rotation axis. In other words, the area of the contact side surface between the annular rib 28 and the terminal tube 12 is smaller than the annular rib 28 of the conventional terminal cover 22 shown in FIG. The power is small. As a result, the terminal cover 22 can be opened with a relatively small opening load even in the present embodiment in which the three are separated simultaneously.

  In addition, the annular rib 28 is detached from the terminal tube 12 with the substantially rotating operation of the base portion 24, but the timing of separation is slightly different depending on the position of one annular rib 28. . That is, the upper portion of the annular rib 28 is far from the rotation shaft (the lower end of the base portion 24), and therefore the amount of movement is large, so that it is detached from the terminal tube 12 at a relatively early timing. In other words, the upper portion of the annular rib 28 is detached from the terminal cylinder 12 while the rotation angle of the base portion 24 is small and the annular rib 28 is substantially parallel to the terminal cylinder 12.

  On the other hand, since the lower part of the annular rib 28 is close to the rotation axis, the amount of movement tends to be small, and the timing of separation from the terminal tube 12 is the latest. In other words, the lower portion of the annular rib 28 has a large rotation angle of the base portion 24, and the annular rib 28 is away from the terminal tube 12 when the annular rib 28 is at a relatively large angle with respect to the terminal tube 12. break away. In this case, a large frictional force is generated between the annular rib 28 and the terminal cylinder 12, and the opening load is increased.

  However, in the present embodiment, as described above, the annular rib 28 is lowered as it approaches the rotation shaft (lower end of the base portion 24), and the lower portion of the annular rib 28 is lowered. Therefore, the area that contacts the terminal cylinder 12 at an angle is reduced, and the frictional force is also reduced. As a result, according to the present embodiment, the opening load can be made relatively small. Further, since the lower portion of the annular rib 28 is lowered, it is detached from the terminal tube 12 at a relatively early timing. As a result, the user can smoothly open the terminal cover 22 without applying a large force.

  When closing the terminal cover 22, as shown in FIG. 5, the terminal cover 22 is substantially rotated in a direction opposite to that when the terminal cover 22 is opened (direction B in FIG. 5). In this case, the lower part of the annular rib 28, in other words, the part closest to the rotating shaft, contacts the terminal cylinder 12 at a relatively earlier timing than the upper part. In other words, the lower portion of the annular rib 28 is in contact with the terminal cylinder 12 in a state where the rotation angle of the terminal cover 22 is large and a relatively large angle is formed with respect to the terminal cylinder 12. As a result, the lower portion and the terminal cylinder 12 may interfere with each other, and the closing operation of the terminal cover 22 may be hindered.

  However, in the present embodiment, as described above, the lower the position is, the closer to the rotation axis, the later the timing at which the lower portion contacts the terminal cylinder 12 is delayed. Therefore, there is almost no interference between the lower portion and the terminal cylinder 12, and the terminal cover 22 can be closed smoothly. That is, according to the present embodiment in which the annular rib 28 is lowered as it approaches the rotation axis, the terminal cover 22 can be opened and closed very smoothly, and the operation feeling can be improved.

  Note that the above-described configuration of the terminal cover 22 is an example, and the terminal cover 22 is formed according to the configuration of the terminal hole 13 to be protected as long as the rib formed protruding from the base surface is lowered toward the rotating shaft. You may change the structure of 22 suitably. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the rib is substantially annular, but the shape may be appropriately changed according to the shape of the terminal hole or the terminal forming portion. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the rib formed protruding from the base surface is in close contact with the side surface of the terminal cylinder 12 that is the terminal forming portion, but is configured to be in close contact with the inner side surface of the terminal hole 13. Also good. 7A and 7B are diagrams showing an example of the terminal cover 56 having such a configuration. FIG. 7A is a front view of the terminal cover 56, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. . This terminal cover 56 covers and protects the USB terminal hole 52 formed in the portable information terminal 50 such as a notebook computer. The terminal hole 52 is a substantially rectangular hole, and a terminal pin 54 that is electrically connected to the male terminal is formed on the inside thereof. The terminal cover 56 includes a base portion 58 that covers the terminal hole 52 and a substantially rectangular rib 60 that protrudes from the base portion 58. An end portion in the longitudinal direction of the base portion 58 is fixed to the portable information terminal 50 by fixing means such as a screw 62. The base portion 58 is substantially rotatable with respect to the portable information terminal 50 with the vicinity of the fixed position as a rotation axis. The substantially rectangular rib 60 has a substantially rectangular shape that is substantially the same as the outer peripheral shape of the terminal hole 52 so as to be in close contact with the inner surface of the terminal hole 52 by an elastic force. The substantially rectangular rib 60 becomes lower as it approaches the rotation axis of the base portion 58 (the right end in the illustrated example of FIG. 7). With this configuration, the frictional force between the substantially rectangular rib 60 and the inner surface of the terminal hole 52 when the terminal cover 56 is opened can be reduced. Further, when the terminal cover 56 is closed, interference between the substantially rectangular rib 60 and the terminal hole 52 can be reduced. As a result, as in the above-described embodiment, the operation feeling when the terminal cover 56 is opened and closed can be improved.

It is a partial front view of the connector apparatus which is embodiment of this invention. It is AA sectional drawing in FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of a connector apparatus. It is a side view of a terminal cover. It is a figure which shows the mode at the time of opening a terminal cover. It is a figure which shows the mode at the time of closing a terminal cover. It is a figure which shows the structure of another terminal cover. It is a disassembled perspective view of the conventional connector apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

  10 connector device, 12 terminal tube, 13,52 terminal hole, 14 signal processing board, 16 upper cover, 18 front panel, 20 lower cover, 22,56 terminal cover, 24,58 base part, 26 mounting part, 28 annular rib , 50 Portable information terminal, 54 terminal pins, 60 substantially rectangular ribs.

Claims (5)

A terminal cover that covers and protects the terminal hole formed in the terminal forming portion of the connector device,
A base member that is rotatably attached to the main body of the connector device and includes a base surface that covers the terminal hole;
A rib made of an elastic material and projecting from the base surface, the inner surface of the terminal hole or the terminal hole forming portion having the terminal hole formed when the base surface covers the terminal hole. A rib that adheres to the outer surface by elastic force;
With
The terminal cover according to claim 1, wherein the rib has a shape that becomes lower toward a rotation axis of the rotation operation of the base member. The terminal cover according to claim 1,
When multiple terminal holes are formed adjacent to each other,
The terminal cover is characterized in that the ribs are formed on the base surface by the number of the terminal holes. The terminal cover according to claim 2,
The terminal cover according to claim 1, wherein a rotation axis of the base member is parallel to an adjacent direction of the plurality of terminal holes. The terminal cover according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The base member is made of an elastic material, and one end of the base member is attached to the main body of the connector device, and the terminal member is rotatable about the attached end as a rotation shaft. A connector device having a terminal hole into which a terminal is inserted,
A terminal forming part in which a terminal hole is formed;
A terminal cover that is made of an elastic material, is rotatably attached to the terminal forming portion, and covers and protects a terminal hole formed in the terminal forming portion;
The terminal cover comprises:
A base member that is rotatably attached to the main body of the connector device and includes a base surface that covers the terminal hole;
A rib that protrudes from the base surface and adheres to the inner peripheral surface of the terminal hole or the outer surface of the hole forming portion in which the terminal hole is formed by elastic force when the base surface covers the terminal hole. A rib having a shape that becomes lower as it approaches the rotation axis of the rotation operation of the base member;
A connector device comprising:

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