JP2014053809A - Connector and electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector which can facilitate emission of light by interlocking an accessory, being attached to an electronic apparatus, with the electronic apparatus, or control of the light-emitting state from the electronic apparatus side, while suppressing complication or up-sizing of the structure of the electronic apparatus.SOLUTION: A connector 5 with which an accessory 7, including a plug 7a having translucency entirely or partially, is connected includes a cylindrical jack component 4 having a hole 4a into which the plug 7a can be inserted, and a light source 6 attached to the jack component 4 and capable of emitting light toward the inside of the hole 4a.

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector for connecting an earphone, various accessories, and the like, and an electronic apparatus including the connector.

  In general, a connector including a jack for connecting an earphone or a headphone is provided in an electronic device such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, or an audio device. As shown in FIG. 7, a decoration accessory 13 other than an earphone or a headphone may be connected to the jack 12 of the electronic device 11.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-90496

  Most of the accessories connected to the jack of the electronic device do not have a light source and do not emit light, but there are also accessories that have a power source and a light source and emit light. However, such an accessory cannot emit light in conjunction with the electronic device or control the light emission state from the electronic device side.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration having a light source in a casing of an electronic device, a translucent part provided in the earphone main body, and an optical fiber positioned between the earphone main body and the plug. In this configuration, light from the light source is guided to one end portion of the optical fiber, and further passes through the optical fiber and reaches the light transmitting portion of the earphone main body from the other end portion, whereby the light transmitting portion can be illuminated. However, since the light source is disposed at a position away from the jack in the housing of the electronic device, a space for installing the light source is required in the housing of the electronic device, and an optical path connecting the light source and one end of the optical fiber is provided. It must be routed, resulting in a complicated and large structure.

  The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and can easily cause an accessory attached to an electronic device to emit light in conjunction with the electronic device and control the light emission state from the electronic device side. It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector capable of suppressing the complexity and size of the structure and an electronic device having the connector.

  The present invention provides a jack to which a connector to which an accessory including a plug part, which is partially or entirely translucent, is connected is attached to a cylindrical jack part having a hole into which the plug part can be inserted, and the jack part. A light source capable of emitting light toward the inside of the hole of the component.

  According to the present invention, the accessory attached to the connector can emit light, and the accessory does not need to have a light source or a power source. In addition, since the light source is attached to the jack part of the connector itself, the installation space for the light source can be reduced, and there is no need to provide an optical path for guiding light from the light source in the electronic device incorporating the connector or connector. The complexity and size of the structure can be suppressed. In addition, the light source of the connector can be connected to a control unit in the electronic device, whereby the accessory can be caused to emit light in conjunction with the electronic device, or the light emission state can be controlled from the electronic device side.

It is a front view which shows the state which attached the accessory to the mobile telephone which is an example of the electronic device which has a connector of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the connector of one Embodiment of this invention, a control part, and an accessory. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which attached the accessory to the connector and control part of one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which attached the accessory to the connector and control part of other embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which attached the accessory to the connector and control part of the modification of embodiment shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which attached the accessory to the connector and control part of further another embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the state which attached the accessory to the mobile telephone which is an example of the electronic device which has a connector of related technology.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a mobile phone 1 as an example of an electronic apparatus having the connector of the present invention. The mobile phone 1 has various functional parts for performing a voice call function, an e-mail function, a website browsing function, a screen display function, etc. (a voice input unit such as a microphone (not shown), a voice output unit such as a speaker, a liquid crystal display, etc. The housing 3 includes a display unit such as a panel, a data input unit such as a keyboard or a touch panel, and a control unit 2 that controls each functional part.

  A connector 5 including a jack part 4 shown in FIGS. 2 to 6 is attached to the outer periphery of the housing 3. The jack part 4 of the connector 5 is a cylindrical part having a hole 4a extending in the longitudinal direction, and a terminal (not shown) is provided inside the hole 4a. The terminal is connected to the control unit 2. When a plug of an earphone (not shown) is inserted into the hole 4a of the jack part 4, the electrode of the plug and a terminal are brought into contact and are electrically connected. A light source hole 4b communicating with a hole 4a extending in the longitudinal direction is provided on a side surface of the cylindrical jack component 4. A light source 6 such as a light emitting diode (LED) is attached to the light source hole 4 b, and the light source 6 can emit light toward the inside of the hole 4 a of the jack component 4. The light source 6 is connected to the control unit 2 through a connection line.

  The mobile phone 1 having such a configuration performs voice communication using a microphone and a speaker (not shown), sends and receives e-mails and browses websites using a data input unit and a display unit, and stores various data. And edit. When an unillustrated earphone is connected to the jack part 4, an electric signal is supplied from the control unit 2 to the earphone main body through a terminal and a plug, and the earphone generates a sound.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, an accessory 7 may be connected to the jack part 4 instead of the earphone. In that case, when the control unit 2 supplies an electric signal to the light source 6 via the connection line and the light source 6 emits light, the light enters the accessory 7 inserted in the jack component 4. A part or the whole of the accessory 7 is formed of a light-transmitting material (for example, transparent resin), and light from the light source 6 is incident on the plug portion 7a of the accessory 7 through the light source hole 4b. 7a is transmitted to the accessory main body part 7b to light up the accessory main body part 7b. At this time, the control unit 2 controls the luminance and light emission pattern of the light source 6. Specifically, for example, by driving the light source 6 when the control unit 2 detects an incoming call or e-mail, the incoming light can be displayed by the light emission of the accessory 7, and the device status indicator is very easy to see. It can be. Moreover, the illumination effect can be enhanced by causing the accessory 7 to emit light in various light emission patterns.

  The jack part 4 is provided with a contact for detecting insertion of the plug part 7a of the accessory 7 into the hole 4a, the contact is connected to the control part 2, and the plug part 7a is inserted into the hole 4a. Then, the control unit 2 connected to the contact of the jack component 4 can detect the insertion, and the control unit 2 can cause the light source 6 to emit light. Further, whether the plug portion 7a made of an insulating synthetic resin or the like of the accessory 7 is inserted into the hole 4a of the jack component 4 using such a contact (in some cases, two contacts) or an earphone. It may be determined whether the plug is made of conductive metal. In that case, when the earphone is connected to the connector 5, the control unit 2 does not emit the light source 6, preventing unnecessary light emission, and only when the accessory 7 is connected to the connector 5, the control unit 2 emits the light source. It can be made the composition which brings about the effect as illumination. In other words, the configuration may be such that only the insertion of the plug portion 7a into the hole 4a is detected using the contact and the light emission of the light source 6 is controlled, but the insertion of the plug portion 7a into the hole 4a using the contact is possible. It may be configured to detect and determine whether the inserted plug portion 7a is conductive (metal) or insulating (synthetic resin) to control light emission of the light source 6. Such a contact may be used also as the terminal described above.

  The plug part 7a of the accessory 7 has translucency in whole or in part, and can transmit light emitted from the light source 6 toward the hole 4a of the jack component 4. That is, the entire plug portion 7a is made of a light-transmitting material, or the plug portion 7a has a light-transmitting optical path for guiding light from the light source 6 to the accessory body portion 7b. The accessory main body part 7b is connected to the plug part 7a, and the whole or a part thereof has translucency, and can transmit the light transmitted from the plug part 7a to the outside. And the accessory main-body part 7b is formed in the desired shape for obtaining the high decoration effect. The accessory 7 is not limited to a rigid rod shape, and may be a flexible cable shape. Since this accessory 7 does not have a light source or a power source, it can be manufactured at low cost. In general, the accessory 7 is mainly formed of an insulating synthetic resin. Unlike the earphone or the like, the accessory 7 is not electrically conductive even when connected to the connector 5.

  The light source hole 4b may be formed on any of the five surfaces of the jack component 4 other than the opening end (inlet where the plug is inserted) of the hole 4a. The hole 4a of the jack component 4 shown in the figure has a shape similar to that of a general earphone jack having a circular cross section, but may be a hole having a shape other than circular, such as a polygonal cross section.

  The light source 6 is not limited to an LED, and may be another type of light source. For example, when an ultraviolet LED is used as the light source 6 and the plug portion 7a and the accessory main body portion 7b of the accessory 7 are formed of a resin containing a phosphor, high luminance can be obtained. Moreover, you may use the light source 6 of the structure with which the light emission part of three colors of RGB (red green blue) was integrated, for example instead of the monochromatic light source 6. FIG. In that case, it is possible to cause the light source 6 and the accessory 7 to emit light in an arbitrary color by appropriately controlling the luminances of the three colors by the control unit 2.

  The electronic device having the connector 5 of the present invention is not limited to a mobile phone or a smart phone, and may be various devices having a connector into which a plug is inserted, such as a computer (tablet terminal or personal computer) or an audio device.

  FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the connector 5 of the present invention. In this embodiment, the waterproof transparent plate 8 is disposed at a position where the light source hole 4 b of the jack component 4 is blocked, and the waterproof transparent plate 8 and the jack component 4 are bonded by the adhesive portion 9 surrounding the periphery of the light source hole 3. It is sealed. The bonding part 9 may be any of a double-sided tape, an adhesive application part, a welding part, and the like. As a result, the waterproof function of the electronic device can be secured, and in particular, the entry of moisture from the connector 5 can be suppressed.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, when the waterproof transparent plate 8 has the protrusion 8a inserted in the light source hole 4b, the light guide efficiency of the light from the light source 6 can be improved.

  FIG. 6 shows still another embodiment of the connector 5 of the present invention. In this embodiment, the jack component 4 is not provided with the light source hole 4b, and the entire jack component 4 is a light-transmitting portion formed of a light-transmitting material. In this case, the mounting position of the light source 6 may be anywhere on the five surfaces of the jack part 4 other than the opening end of the hole 4a (inlet where the plug is inserted). Alternatively, only a part of the jack component 4 may be a translucent part formed of a translucent material, and the light source 6 may be attached to the translucent part. In this embodiment, since the light source hole 4b does not exist in any case, the waterproof function of the electronic device can be secured without requiring a special waterproof structure.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the accessory 7 can be attached using the connector 5 having the jack part 4 to which the earphone or the like is connected, and the accessory 7 can emit light. Using the control unit 2 built in the electronic device, the light emission of the accessory 7 can be used for displaying an incoming call or the like in conjunction with the function of the electronic device itself. In that case, when the accessory 7 is inserted into the jack part 4, the accessory 7 may emit light at the same time as the incoming lamp provided in the electronic device emits light, or only the accessory 7 emits light. It may be. In addition, the controller 2 can enhance the decorativeness by causing the accessory 7 to emit light with a complicated light emission pattern and various luminances. Further, since the light source 6 is attached to the jack part 4 directly or only through the waterproof transparent plate 8, the space for installing the light source in the housing 3 is very small, there is no need to provide an optical path, and the structure is complicated. Increase in size and size can be suppressed.

1 Mobile phone (electronic equipment)
2 Control part 3 Case 4 Jack part 4a Hole 4b Light source hole 5 Connector 6 Light source 7 Accessory 7a Plug part 7b Accessory body part 8 Waterproof transparent plate 8a Protrusion 9 Adhesive part

Claims (10)

A connector to which an accessory including a plug part that is entirely or partially translucent is connected,
A cylindrical jack part having a hole into which the plug part can be inserted; and
A light source attached to the jack component and capable of emitting light toward the inside of the hole of the jack component;
Having a connector.   The connector according to claim 1, wherein the jack component has a light source hole communicating with the hole, and the light source is attached to the light source hole.   The connector according to claim 2, wherein the light source is attached to the light source hole via a waterproof transparent plate.   The connector according to claim 3, wherein the waterproof transparent plate has a protrusion inserted into the light source hole.   2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the jack part includes a light-transmitting part that forms the whole or a part of the jack part, and the light source is attached to the light-transmitting part.   It further has a contact for detecting the insertion of the plug part into the hole of the jack component, and the light source is driven only in a state where the contact detects the insertion of the plug part into the hole. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5.   The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein an accessory formed of a resin containing a phosphor is connected, and the light source is an ultraviolet LED.   An electronic device comprising the connector according to claim 1 and a control unit connected to the light source.   A plug part that can be inserted into a hole provided in a jack part of the connector, and has a translucency, all or a part of which can transmit light emitted toward the hole; and An accessory having a light-transmitting main body part that is connected to the plug part, and that is entirely or partly capable of emitting light transmitted from the plug part to the outside.   The accessory according to claim 9, wherein the plug part and the accessory main body part are formed of a resin containing a phosphor.

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