JP2011113980A - Terminal rotation device and usb module having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a terminal rotation device convienant by making a connection terminal which keeps open with a one-touch method automatically closed, and a USB module having the terminal rotation device. <P>SOLUTION: The USB module includes a module main body wherein a storage section is arranged, the connection terminal received in the storage section in a freely pulled-out state, and a rotation unit arranged between the connection terminal and the module main body and rotatably supporting the connection terminal and giving elastic force so as to make the connection terminal being received in the storage section. Thus, the connection terminal which keeps open with the one-touch method is automatically closed, the USB module can be easily used, an opening state of the connection terminal can be fixed, and safety of the USB module can be improved. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a terminal rotating device that rotatably supports a connecting terminal and a USB module including the terminal rotating device.

  Generally, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) module is an apparatus that allows an external device to be easily connected to a computer. The USB (Universal Serial Bus) module is detachably connected to a portable computer or terminal, and provides an external memory and an Internet connection environment. can do.

  An example of the use of such a USB port will be described as follows. First, the connection terminal provided on the USB module is inserted into the USB port provided on the portable terminal such as a notebook or a mobile phone in the orthogonal direction so that the portable terminal system recognizes it. When connected to, data transmission, storage or sharing becomes possible.

  However, in the existing USB module, the connecting terminal has to be inserted and coupled to one end portion outside the portable terminal in the orthogonal direction, and the USB module protrudes outside the terminal. For this reason, in addition to requiring an extra working space, it will be subject to many restrictions related to the influence of surrounding interference and connection direction, and if it receives external impact due to user's carelessness, etc. There are drawbacks such as damage to peripheral devices including terminals and loss of stored data.

  Therefore, conventionally, a USB module that employs a hinge structure to enable the connection terminal to rotate has been presented.

  However, the USB module having such a hinge structure has to manually rotate the connecting terminal, which is inconvenient to use, and the USB module may be damaged if the connecting terminal is not completely closed. there were.

  The present invention has been devised in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to rotate the connecting terminal that is opened by the one-touch method automatically, thereby making it convenient to use and rotate the terminal. An apparatus and a USB module including the same are provided.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a terminal rotating device capable of improving safety by rotating a connecting terminal so as to be fixed in an open state, and a USB module including the terminal rotating device.

  The technical problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems that are not mentioned are based on the following knowledge and are based on ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs. It will be clear to those who have.

A USB module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a module main body provided with a storage unit, a connection terminal that is removably received in the storage unit and connected to an external device, and the connection terminal and the module main body. And a rotation device that rotatably supports the connection terminal and applies an elastic force so that the connection terminal is received in the storage portion.
The connection terminal includes a terminal body provided with a plurality of terminal pins, and a rotation support part formed on one side of the terminal body and into which the rotation unit is inserted.

  The rotating unit is installed between the housing fixed to the module main body, the rotating member fixed to the connection terminal and rotatably disposed inside the housing, the housing and the rotating member, An elastic force providing unit that applies a rotational force to the rotating member.

  A slit is formed in the housing in a circumferential direction, and a protrusion that is inserted into the slit and moves along the slit is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the rotating member. A right angle is formed at one end of the slit. A locking portion that is bent to engage with the protruding portion is formed.

  A terminal fixing portion to be inserted into the connection terminal is formed on one side of the rotating member, a rotating shaft extends in the terminal fixing portion, and a button portion is formed at the tip of the rotating shaft.

  The module main body is formed with a through hole that is rotatably supported by the rotating shaft and is disposed so that the button portion is exposed to the outside, in communication with one side surface of the receiving portion.

  A housing fixing portion to which the housing is fixed is formed in the module body so as to communicate with the other side surface of the through hole.

  The terminal fixing part is formed in a polygonal shape, is inserted into a rotation support part of the connection terminal, and rotates together with the connection terminal.

  The terminal fixing portion and the rotation shaft are arranged on the rotation support portion of the connection terminal so as to be linearly movable.

  The elastic force providing unit includes a coil spring having one end fixed to the housing and the other end fixed to the rotating member.

  The depth of the receiving part may be the same as the thickness of the connection terminal, or may be larger than the thickness of the connection terminal.

  A terminal rotating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing fixed to a module body, a rotating member rotatably disposed inside the housing, and connected to the connecting terminal, and the housing and the rotating member. And an elastic force providing unit that is installed between the rotating member and applies a rotating force to the rotating member.

  The USB module according to the present invention can be conveniently used by automatically closing the connection terminal that is opened by the one-touch method.

1 is a perspective view of a USB module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a rotating unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the rotation unit by one Example of this invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a rotating unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating operation | movement of the rotation unit by one Example of this invention.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  Here, the size and shape of the components in the drawings may be exaggerated for the sake of clarity and convenience of explanation, and terms specifically defined in view of the configuration and operation of the present invention are May vary depending on the user's, operator's intentions or conventions, and the definitions of these terms should be based on the content throughout this specification.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a USB module according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a rotating unit in the USB module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a rotating unit according to an example, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state where a rotating unit according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a USB module.

  The USB module 100 according to the present embodiment includes a module main body 110, a connection terminal 120, and a rotation unit 130.

  The module main body 110 includes various functional units that perform unique functions of the USB module 100. For example, the functional unit may be a wireless modem for performing a wireless Internet connection function, a memory for performing data storage and management functions, or the like.

  A housing portion 112 that receives the connection terminal 120 is formed on one side of the module main body 110, and the rotation unit 130 is installed on a side surface of the housing portion 112. Here, the depth of the storage portion 112 may be the same as the thickness of the connection terminal 120 or the thickness of the connection terminal 120 so that the connection terminal 120 does not protrude from the surface of the module body 110 when the connection terminal 120 is received. Make it bigger.

  The connection terminal 120 is rotatably installed on the module main body 110, is electrically connected to the module main body 110, and is connected to an external device for data communication.

  Such a connection terminal 120 is connected to a USB port provided in an external device, and enables transmission and reception of various signals and data.

  The connection terminal 120 includes a terminal main body 122 provided with a plurality of pins connected to the USB port, and a rotation support portion 124 provided on one side of the terminal main body 122 to which the rotation unit 130 is fixed.

  The rotating unit 130 plays a role of rotating the connecting terminal 120 and pulling it out from the storage portion 112 of the module main body 110 or receiving it in the storage portion 112.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the rotating unit 130 includes a housing 131 fixed to the module main body 110 and a rotating member 133 that is rotatably disposed inside the housing 131 and fixed to the connection terminal 120. And an elastic force providing unit 132 that is installed between the rotating member 133 and the housing 131 and applies a rotating force to the rotating member 133.

  The housing 131 has a cylindrical shape with at least one side opened so that the rotating member 133 is inserted and rotatably supported.

  Such a housing 13 1 is fixed to a housing fixing part 14 formed on one side of the module main body 110. The housing fixing portion 114 communicates with one side of the storage portion 112.

  The rotating member 133 is inserted into the housing 131, and on one side, a terminal fixing portion 137 that is fixed to the connection terminal 120 is formed. The terminal fixing portion 137 has a button portion 150 formed at the tip thereof. The rotating shaft 134 is connected.

  The module body 110 is formed with a through-hole 126 on which the rotating shaft 134 is pivotally supported and the button portion 150 is exposed to the outside. The through hole 126 communicates with the other side of the storage portion 122.

  The elastic force providing unit 132 is disposed inside the housing 131, and is configured with a coil spring having one end fixed to the housing 131 and the other end fixed to the rotating member 133.

  Such an elastic force providing unit 132 is not limited to a coil spring, and any form of elastic body capable of applying a rotational force to a rotating member is applicable.

The connecting terminal 120 is rotatably supported by the module main body 110 with a rotating shaft 134 connected to one side and a rotating member 133 connected to the other side.
The terminal fixing part 137 has a polygonal shape, is inserted into the rotation support part 124 of the connection terminal 120, and rotates together with the connection terminal 120.
The terminal fixing portion 137 and the rotating shaft 134 are disposed on the rotation support portion 124 of the connection terminal 120 so as to be linearly movable.

  A slit 135 is formed in the housing 131 along the rotation direction of the rotating member 133, and a protrusion 136 that is inserted into the slit 135 and moves along the slit 135 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating member 133 so as to protrude. The

  A locking portion 138 with which the protrusion 136 is engaged is formed at one end of the slit 135. The locking portion 138 is formed at a substantially right angle at one end of the slit 135.

  When the protrusion 136 is inserted into the locking portion 138, the rotating member 133 enters a locked state where it does not rotate. As described above, when the protrusion 135 is inserted into the locking portion 138, the connecting terminal 120 is pulled out from the storage portion 112, and the connecting terminal 120 is fixed while being pulled out. It is possible to prevent the 120 from shaking or bending.

  When the rotating member 133 is inserted into the housing 131, the elastic force providing part 132 is compressed by a certain length and rotated so that the elastic force providing part 132 generates an elastic force and a rotating force. Is inserted into the slit 135.

  Accordingly, the rotating member 133 is rotated by the rotational force of the elastic force providing unit 132 in a natural state. When the rotating member 133 is rotated, the protrusion 136 moves along the slit 135.

  A locking portion 138 is formed at the end of the slit 135. When the protruding portion 136 is positioned at the end of the slit 135, the protruding portion 136 engages with the locking portion 138 so that the rotating member 133 does not rotate. Locked.

  Hereinafter, a process in which the connection terminal of the USB module configured as described above is pulled out of the storage unit and received in the storage unit will be described in detail.

  FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the operation of the rotating device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  First, when the connecting terminal 120 is pulled out from the storage portion 112, the protrusion 136 is engaged with a locking portion 138 formed at the end of the slit 135, and the connecting terminal 120 is pulled out. Is maintained.

  When the button part 150 is pressed in such a state, the rotating member 133 connected to the button part 150 moves linearly inside the housing 131 and the protrusion 136 engaged with the locking part 138 is locked. Exit part 138.

  Accordingly, the lock of the protrusion 136 is released, the protrusion 136 moves along the slit 135, and the elastic force of the elastic force providing part 132 acts on the rotation member 133 to rotate the rotation member 133. .

  More specifically, the rotating member 133 is inserted into the housing 131, and one end is connected to the elastic force providing unit 132. Here, the rotating member 133 is inserted into the housing 131 in a state where the elastic force providing unit 132 is closely attached and rotated by a certain length so that the elastic force providing unit 132 generates an elastic force and a rotating force. At this time, the protrusion 136 formed on the surface of the rotating member 133 is inserted into the slit 135 formed in the housing 131. Thereby, the elastic force providing unit 132 maintains the elastic force and the rotational force. In this case, the rotating member 133 is rotated by the rotational force of the elastic force providing unit 132, so that the protrusion 136 moves along the slit 135. Through such a process, the connecting terminal 120 connected to the rotating member 133 is automatically closed.

  Thereafter, when the protrusion 136 is engaged with the engaging portion 138 formed at the end of the slit 135, the rotating member 133 does not rotate, and the connecting terminal 120 connected to the rotating member 133 is fixed in an open state. Is done.

  As described above, the present invention is not limited to the USB module, and it is understood that the basic technical idea is that the present invention is applied to an element that rotates an object using a hinge. Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, they are exemplary, and in addition to the wireless Internet connection environment, a USB module is added to those having ordinary knowledge in the field. Implementation of various modifications and equivalent ranges, such as enabling GPS reception for use as driving or walking navigation, attaching a DMB module to watch DMB broadcasts, and additionally enabling listening to radio broadcasts It can be seen that examples are possible. Further, it is within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention to automatically rotate the rotating member and the connecting terminal using a member having elastic force and rotational force, and to fix and rotate the connecting terminal using the slit and the protrusion. It is natural to be included within.

  Accordingly, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims (19)

A module body provided with a storage unit;
A connecting terminal that is received in the storage portion so as to be drawable and connected to an external device;
A USB module, comprising: a rotation unit that is installed between the connection terminal and the module main body, rotatably supports the connection terminal, and applies an elastic force so that the connection terminal is received in the storage unit. The connecting terminal is
A terminal body provided with a plurality of terminal pins;
A rotation support portion formed on one side of the terminal body and into which the rotation unit is inserted;
The USB module according to claim 1, comprising: The rotating unit is
A housing fixed to the module body;
A rotating member fixed to the connection terminal and rotatably disposed inside the housing;
An elastic force providing unit that is installed between the housing and the rotating member and applies a rotational force to the rotating member;
The USB module according to claim 2, comprising:   A slit is formed in the housing in a circumferential direction, and a protrusion that is inserted into the slit and moves along the slit is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating member. The USB module according to claim 3, wherein a locking portion that is bent and engages with the protruding portion is formed.   A terminal fixing portion to be inserted into the connection terminal is formed on one side of the rotating member, a rotating shaft extends in the terminal fixing portion, and a button portion is formed at a tip of the rotating shaft. Item 4. The USB module according to item 3.   The said module main body is rotatably supported by the said rotating shaft, The through-hole arrange | positioned so that the said button part may be exposed outside is formed so that it may connect with the one side of the said receiving part. 5. The USB module according to 5.   The USB module according to claim 4, wherein a housing fixing portion to which the housing is fixed is formed in the module main body so as to communicate with the other side surface of the through hole.   The USB module according to claim 5, wherein the terminal fixing part is formed in a polygonal shape, is inserted into a rotation support part of the connection terminal, and rotates together with the connection terminal.   The USB module according to claim 8, wherein the terminal fixing portion and the rotation shaft are arranged to be linearly movable on a rotation support portion of the connection terminal.   The USB module according to claim 3, wherein the elastic force providing unit includes a coil spring having one end fixed to the housing and the other end fixed to the rotating member.   The USB module according to claim 1, wherein a depth of the receiving unit is equal to or greater than a thickness of the connection terminal.   The USB module according to claim 1, wherein the connection terminal is a USB terminal connected to a USB port. A housing fixed to the module body;
A rotating member rotatably disposed inside the housing and connected to a connecting terminal;
An elastic force providing unit that is installed between the housing and the rotating member and applies a rotational force to the rotating member;
A terminal rotating device.   The terminal rotating device according to claim 13, wherein the module body is a WiBro module or a USB module. The connecting terminal is
A terminal body provided with a plurality of terminal pins;
A rotation support portion formed on one side of the terminal body and into which the rotation member is inserted;
The terminal rotating device according to claim 13, comprising:   A slit is formed in the housing in a circumferential direction, and a protrusion that is inserted into the slit and moves along the slit is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating member. The terminal rotating device according to claim 13, wherein a locking portion that is bent and engages with the protruding portion is formed.   A terminal fixing portion fixed to the rotation support portion of the connection terminal is formed on one side of the rotating member, a rotating shaft extends to the terminal fixing portion, and a button portion is formed at the tip of the rotating shaft. The terminal rotating device according to claim 15, wherein   The terminal rotation device according to claim 17, wherein the terminal fixing portion is formed in a polygon, is inserted into a rotation support portion of the connection terminal, and rotates together with the connection terminal.   The terminal rotating device according to claim 13, wherein the elastic force providing unit includes a coil spring having one end fixed to the housing and the other end fixed to the rotating member.

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