JP2016194997A - Electric connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric connector capable of lifting a tablet PC easily from a docking station.SOLUTION: An electric connector 100 allows for attachment and detachment of a plug 10 provided on the bottom of a tablet Tb, and a receptacle 20 provided above a docking station DS. The plug 10 includes a first housing 1 having first recess 11 and header 1h, and a plurality of first contacts 3 juxtaposed on the sidewall of the header 1h. The receptacle 20 includes a second housing 2 having a second recess 21 in which the header 1h can be fitted, and a plurality of second cantilever contacts 4 juxtaposed on the inner wall of the second recess 21. The receptacle 20 includes push-up means 6 energizing a force for pushing up the plug 10 while resisting against the weight of the tablet Tb.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrical connector. In particular, the present invention relates to a structure of an electrical connector that electrically connects a first connector mounted on a first printed circuit board included in a first electronic device and a second connector mounted on a second printed circuit board included in a second electronic device.

  Notebook PCs are widely used because they are smaller and lighter than desktop PCs and are convenient to carry. In general, a notebook computer is configured to be openable and closable so that a computer main body having a battery and a keyboard and a flat display having a display screen are folded in two.

  When the notebook computer is used on a desk, for example, by connecting to a docking station, the keyboard can be inclined and the keyboard can be easily operated. In addition, the function of the computer main body can be expanded by electrically connecting the notebook computer to the docking station.

  However, when the laptop is connected to the docking station, the laptop is tilted with respect to the docking station, so the plug placed on the back of one end of the laptop and the receptacle placed at the top of the docking station There is a concern that the connection of will be uncertain.

  In order to eliminate the above-mentioned problems, a snake type provided in a receptacle arranged at the upper part of the docking station with respect to a first dial inline type provided in a plug arranged on the back of one end of the notebook computer. An electrical connector that secures connection reliability when the notebook personal computer is tilted by bringing the second contact into contact with each other is disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2009-94011 A

  FIG. 16 is a side view of the notebook computer and the docking station, in which the notebook computer is connected to the docking station at an inclination angle α. FIG. 17 is an enlarged side view of part A in FIG.

  FIG. 18 is a side view of the notebook computer and the docking station, in which the notebook computer is connected to the docking station at an inclination angle of β.

  FIG. 19 is a longitudinal sectional view of an electrical connector according to the prior art, and is a state diagram in which a plug provided in a notebook personal computer is straightly connected to a receptacle provided in a docking station.

  FIG. 20 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an electrical connector according to the prior art, in which a plug provided in a notebook personal computer is connected with a slight inclination with respect to a receptacle provided in a docking station.

  16 to 18 of the present application correspond to FIGS. 15 to 17 of Patent Document 1. 19 and 20 of the present application correspond to FIGS. 13 and 14 of Patent Document 1.

  Referring to FIG. 16, the notebook personal computer NP has one end portion placed on a docking station (hereinafter referred to as an expansion station) DS. In addition, the other end of the notebook personal computer NP is placed on an installation surface Si such as a desktop. And the notebook personal computer NP is arrange | positioned with the inclination | tilt angle of (alpha) with respect to the installation surface Si.

  Referring to FIG. 17, the notebook personal computer NP has a plug 8 disposed on the back surface on one end side. On the other hand, the expansion station DS has a receptacle 9 disposed on the top thereof.

  Referring to FIG. 16, by holding the notebook personal computer NP horizontally above the expansion station DS and lowering the laptop personal computer NP substantially straight toward the expansion station DS, the plug 8 and the receptacle 9 are mechanically moved. And electrical connection (see FIG. 20). Next, by placing the other end portion of the notebook personal computer NP on the installation surface Si, the notebook personal computer NP can be inclinedly arranged in a state where the notebook personal computer NP is connected to the expansion station DS.

  Referring to FIG. 17, since the plug 8 is inclined after being fitted straight to the receptacle 9, the electrical connector according to the prior art is devised to ensure the connection of these connectors.

  The notebook personal computer NP shown in FIG. 18 has a shorter depth than the notebook personal computer NP shown in FIG. 16, and has a larger inclination angle than the inclination angle α when it is placed on the installation surface Si after being connected to the expansion station DS. They are arranged at an inclination angle of β. That is, the conventional electrical connector is devised so that the plug 8 and the receptacle 9 can be connected within a predetermined inclination angle range.

  Referring to FIG. 19 or FIG. 20, the plug 8 includes a rectangular parallelepiped housing 81 and a plurality of plate contacts 82. The plurality of contacts 82 are arranged in parallel inside the housing 81. That is, the plug 8 is a multipolar rectangular connector.

  Referring to FIG. 19 or FIG. 20, the housing 81 has a concave portion 81 d opened in a rectangular shape. A header portion 91h of a receptacle 9 described later can be introduced into the concave portion 81d. The recessed portion 81d arranges one piece 821 of the contact 82 on the opposing inner wall. The contacts 82 are arranged in two rows so as to face each other. That is, the plurality of contacts 82 are arranged in a dual inline shape. Further, one piece 821 of the contact 82 is surrounded by a partition wall of the concave portion 81d so as not to be touched directly.

  Referring to FIG. 19 or FIG. 20, the contact 82 has another piece 822. The other piece 822 extends along the bottom surface of the housing 81 after the base end portion of the one piece 821 is bent at a substantially right angle. The other piece 822 of the contact 82 can be soldered to a printed circuit board (not shown) disposed inside the notebook computer NP (see FIGS. 16 to 18). That is, the plug 8 is a printed circuit board connector.

  Referring to FIG. 19 or FIG. 20, the receptacle 9 includes a rectangular parallelepiped housing 91 and a plurality of bellows-shaped contacts 92. The plurality of contacts 92 are arranged in parallel inside the housing 91. That is, the receptacle 9 is a multipolar rectangular connector.

  Referring to FIG. 19 or FIG. 20, the housing 81 has a concave portion 91d and a header portion 91h that are opened in a rectangular shape. The housing 81 can be tilted and introduced into the recess 91d. The header portion 91h protrudes from the central portion of the recess 91d. The header portion 91h can be tiltably introduced into the concave portion 81d of the plug 8. The recess 91d and the housing 81 are fitted so that the movement in the depth direction of the paper surface is restricted.

  Referring to FIG. 19 or FIG. 20, the header portion 91h forms a comb-like accommodation groove 91c. One piece 921 of the contact 92 is arranged inside the accommodation groove 91c. The contacts 92 are arranged in two rows so as to face in opposite directions. That is, the plurality of contacts 92 are arranged in a dual inline shape.

  Referring to FIG. 19 or FIG. 20, the contact 92 has another piece 922. The other piece 922 extends along the bottom surface of the housing 91 after the base end portion of the one piece 921 is bent at a substantially right angle. The other piece 922 of the contact 92 can be soldered to a printed circuit board (not shown) disposed inside the expansion station DS (see FIGS. 16 to 18). That is, the receptacle 9 is a printed circuit board connector.

  Referring to FIG. 19 or FIG. 20, the contact 92 includes a snake spring 91 s meandering outward, on the tip end side of the piece 921. The snake spring 91s is disposed so as to be expandable and contractible inside the accommodation groove 91c.

  Referring to FIG. 19 or FIG. 20, the snake spring 91 s is arranged so that its contact point protrudes from the outer wall of the header portion 91 h. When the plug 8 is inserted into the recess 91d, the snake spring 91s can be compressed. And as the reaction, the snake spring 91 s urges the force that the contact point presses the piece 821 of the contact 82.

  As shown in FIG. 19, in the electrical connector according to Patent Document 1, the snake spring 91 s follows and contacts the contact 82 even when the plug 8 is tilted from the state in which the plug 8 is inserted straight into the receptacle 9. Therefore, the plug 8 and the receptacle 9 can be reliably connected.

  In recent years, so-called hybrid PCs have emerged in which a thin rectangular tablet PC can be detachably connected to a keyboard with a docking station. A hybrid PC can use a tablet PC as a display like a notebook computer by connecting the tablet PC to a keyboard with a docking station. Moreover, the hybrid PC can use the tablet PC as a single personal computer by removing the tablet PC from the keyboard with the docking station and using a touch panel display and input unit.

  When a tablet PC is connected to a keyboard with a docking station and used, a high-speed signal is transmitted and received between the docking station and the tablet PC. In this case, when a plug is arranged at the bottom of the tablet PC, a receptacle is arranged at the top of one end of the docking station, and these connectors are connected by a snake spring as shown in FIG. 19 or FIG. Since the transmission distance is meandering for a long time, it may be difficult to accurately transmit and receive high-speed signals. There is a need for an electrical connector that connects the docking station and the tablet PC with a short signal transmission distance and linearly with a contact.

  Further, when the plug arranged at the bottom of the tablet PC is inserted into the receptacle arranged at the upper part of the docking station, the weight of the tablet PC is added, so that the plug can be easily inserted into the receptacle.

  On the other hand, since the docking station and the tablet PC transmit and receive signals through a large number of signal lines, the contact pressure between the contacts of these connectors is accumulated and added in addition to the weight of the tablet PC. There is a problem that it is not easy to pull up from the docking station. If the contact pressure between the contacts of these connectors is accumulated and added, there is a concern that the keyboard will follow when the tablet PC is lifted.

  A first connector provided at the bottom of a first electronic device such as a tablet PC and a second connector provided at the top of a second electronic device such as a docking station are detachable electrical connectors, wherein the first electronic device is a second electrical connector. There is a need for an electrical connector that can be easily pulled up from an electronic device. The above can be said to be the subject of the present invention.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and is an electrical connector in which a first connector provided at the bottom of the first electronic device and a second connector provided at the top of the second electronic device are detachable. An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector that can easily lift the first electronic device from the second electronic device.

  The inventors of the present invention are electric connectors in which a first connector provided at the bottom of the first electronic device and a second connector provided at the top of the second electronic device are detachable, and resist the weight of the first electronic device. Therefore, it is considered that the first connector can be easily lifted from the second electronic device by providing the second connector with the push-up means for pushing up the first connector, and based on this, the following new electrical connector is invented. It came.

  (1) A first connector provided at the bottom of the first electronic device and a second connector provided at the top of the second electronic device are detachable electrical connectors, and the first connector faces one surface. A rectangular parallelepiped first recess, and a rectangular parallelepiped first housing having a header protruding at the center of the first recess, and a plurality of plate-shaped firsts arranged side by side on the side wall of the header And the second connector has a second recess that is open in a rectangular shape toward one surface, the header portion can be freely fitted, and the front end portion can be freely fitted into the first recess. A rectangular parallelepiped second housing, a plurality of second contacts that are arranged side by side on the inner wall of the second recess and are cantilevered so as to be in contact with the first contact, and resist the weight of the first electronic device And pushing up the force to push up the first connector Electrical connector comprising a means.

  (2) The push-up means is movably held by the second housing and has a substantially rectangular push-up plate having a contact surface that can be brought into contact with the front surface of the first housing, and the push-up plate can be engaged with the push-up plate. A pair of guide rods disposed at both ends of the second housing and movably guiding the push-up plate in parallel with the insertion / extraction direction of the header portion, and the guide rods are externally mounted on the front surface of the second housing. The electrical connector according to (1), further including a compression coil spring that urges a force to push up the push-up plate.

  (3) The electrical connector according to (1) or (2), wherein the first connector further includes a waterproof ring attached in close contact with a groove portion recessed from an outer wall of the first housing.

  (4) The first connector is fixed to the first printed circuit board in which the base end of the first contact is soldered to the end, and both ends of the first housing, and can be soldered to the first printed circuit board. A pair of first reinforcing tabs, wherein the second connector is fixed to both ends of the second housing, a second printed circuit board in which a base end portion of the second contact is soldered, and the second connector A pair of second reinforcing tabs solderable to the printed circuit board, and the first connector is connected to the first printed circuit board in a state where the plane of the first printed circuit board is substantially orthogonal to the plane of the second printed circuit board. The electrical connector according to any one of (1) to (3), which can be inserted into and removed from the 2 connector.

  (5) The first electronic device includes a thin rectangular tablet PC having a display panel, and the second electronic device includes a keyboard having a docking station at one end thereof. (1) to (4) Electrical connector as described in.

  (6) The electrical connector according to (5), wherein the keyboard includes one or more hinges that are rotatably connected to the docking station and that can tilt the tablet PC.

  An electrical connector according to the present invention is an electrical connector in which a first connector provided at the bottom of a first electronic device such as a tablet PC and a second connector provided at the top of a second electronic device such as a keyboard with a docking station are detachable. And since the 2nd connector is equipped with the pushing-up means which pushes up the 1st connector against the weight of the 1st electronic equipment, it can pull up 1 electronic equipment from the 2nd electronic equipment easily.

It is a perspective view showing composition of an electric connector by one embodiment of the present invention, and is a state figure where the 1st electronic equipment provided with the 1st connector and the 2nd electronic equipment provided with the 2nd connector were separated. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the electrical connector by the said embodiment, and is a state figure which the 1st connector and the 2nd connector separated. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the electrical connector by the said embodiment, and is a state figure which the 1st connector and the 2nd connector separated. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the electrical connector by the said embodiment, and is a state figure which the 1st connector and the 2nd connector couple | bonded. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the 1st connector with which the electrical connector by the said embodiment is equipped, and is the state figure which looked at the 1st connector from the opening side. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the 1st connector with which the electrical connector by the said embodiment is equipped, and is the state figure which looked at the 1st connector from the opposite side to opening. It is a perspective exploded view showing the composition of the 1st connector with which the electrical connector by the embodiment is equipped. It is a figure which shows the structure of the 1st housing of the 1st connector with which the electrical connector by the said embodiment is equipped, FIG. 8 (A) is a front view of a 1st housing, FIG.8 (B) is a top view of a 1st housing. 8C is a bottom view of the first housing, FIG. 8D is a right side view of the first housing, FIG. 8E is a rear view of the first housing, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first housing. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the 2nd connector with which the electrical connector by the said embodiment is equipped, and is the state figure which looked at the 2nd connector from one side. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the 2nd connector with which the electrical connector by the said embodiment is equipped, and is the state figure which looked at the 2nd connector from the other side surface side. It is a perspective exploded view showing the composition of the 2nd connector with which the electrical connector by the embodiment is provided. It is a figure which shows the structure of the 2nd connector with which the electrical connector by the said embodiment is equipped, FIG.12 (A) is a front view of a 2nd connector, FIG.12 (B) is a top view of a 2nd connector, FIG. FIG. 12C is a bottom view of the second connector, FIG. 12D is a right side view of the second connector, and FIG. 12E is a rear view of the second connector. It is a figure which shows the structure of the 2nd housing of the 2nd connector with which the electrical connector by the said embodiment is equipped, FIG. 13 (A) is a front view of a 2nd housing, FIG.13 (B) is a top view of a 2nd housing. FIG. 13C is a bottom view of the second housing, FIG. 13D is a right side view of the second housing, and FIG. 13E is a rear view of the second housing. It is a figure which shows the state before the 1st connector with which the electrical connector by the said embodiment is equipped, and a 2nd connector are connected, FIG.14 (A) is a front view of an electrical connector, FIG.14 (B) is an electrical connector of FIG. The right side view, FIG. 14C, is a longitudinal sectional view of the electrical connector. It is a figure which shows the state which the 1st connector with which the electrical connector by the said embodiment was equipped, and the 2nd connector were connected, FIG. 15 (A) is a front view of an electrical connector, FIG.15 (B) is the right side surface of an electrical connector. FIG. 15C is a longitudinal sectional view of the electrical connector. It is a side view of a notebook computer and a docking station, and is a state diagram in which the notebook computer is connected to the docking station at an inclination angle of α. It is the side view to which the A section of FIG. 16 was expanded. It is a side view of a notebook computer and a docking station, and is a state diagram in which the notebook computer is connected to the docking station at an inclination angle of β. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an electrical connector according to the prior art, in which a plug provided in a notebook personal computer is connected with a slight inclination with respect to a receptacle provided in a docking station. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an electrical connector according to the prior art, in which a plug provided in a notebook personal computer is connected with a slight inclination with respect to a receptacle provided in a docking station.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the first connector constituting the electrical connector according to the embodiment of the present invention is a plug and the second connector is a receptacle. Moreover, although tablet PC is illustrated as a 1st electronic device and a keyboard with a docking station is illustrated and demonstrated as a 2nd electronic device, a 1st electronic device and a 2nd electronic device are not limited to these illustrations.

[Configuration of electrical connector]
Initially, the structure of the electrical connector by one Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a first electronic device including a first connector and a second electronic device including a second connector are separated from each other. .

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of the electrical connector according to the embodiment, in which the first connector and the second connector are separated from each other. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of the electrical connector according to the embodiment, in which the first connector and the second connector are separated from each other.

  FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration of the electrical connector according to the embodiment, and is a state diagram in which the first connector and the second connector are coupled.

(overall structure)
Referring to FIG. 1, an electrical connector 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plug 10 serving as a first connector and a receptacle 20 serving as a second connector. The plug 10 is attached to the bottom of the side surface of a thin rectangular parallelepiped tablet PC (hereinafter abbreviated as tablet) Tb. The receptacle 20 is attached to an upper portion of a keyboard Kb having a docking station DS at one end. As a matter of fact, the receptacle 20 is attached to the upper part of the docking station DS.

  Referring to FIG. 1, the tablet Tb has a display panel Dp. The docking station DS is composed of a long channel member. The channel member is formed with a square groove Di opened on one surface. The bottom of one side of the tablet Tb can be attached to and detached from the groove Di.

  With reference to FIG. 1, the plug 10 and the receptacle 20 can be electrically connected by fitting the tablet PC · Tb into the groove Di provided in the docking station DS. Further, the docking station DS and the keyboard Kb are rotatably connected by a pair of hinges Hs and Hs. Then, with the tablet Tb connected to the docking station DS, the tablet PC can be tilted or folded in two.

  2 to 4, the plug 10 includes a rectangular parallelepiped first housing 1 and a plurality of plate-like first contacts 3. The receptacle 20 includes a rectangular parallelepiped second housing 2, a plurality of second contacts 4, and push-up means 6.

  2 to 4, the first housing 1 has a first recess 11 and a header portion 1h. The 1st recessed part 11 is opening in the rectangle toward one surface (refer FIG.5 or FIG.7 and FIG.8). The header part 1h protrudes in the center part of the 1st recessed part 11 (refer FIG.5 or FIG.7 and FIG.8). The plurality of first contacts 3 are arranged side by side on the side wall of the header portion 1h.

  Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, the second housing 2 has a second recess 21. The second recess 21 opens in a rectangular shape toward one surface (see FIGS. 9 to 11, 12B, or 13B). The header portion 1h can be fitted into the second recess 21. Further, the second housing 2 can be fitted into the first recess 11 at the tip.

  Referring to FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, the plurality of second contacts 4 are arranged side by side on the inner wall of the second recess 21. The second contact 4 is cantilevered so as to be in contact with the first contact 3.

  With reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, the push-up means 6 urges a force to push up the plug 10 against the weight of the tablet Tb.

  Referring to FIG. 1, when the plug 10 disposed at the bottom of the tablet Tb is inserted into the receptacle 20 disposed at the top of the docking station DS, the weight of the tablet Tb is added, so the plug 10 is inserted into the receptacle 20. Is easy.

  Referring to FIG. 1, when the plug 10 and the receptacle 20 are connected, the contact pressure of the first contact 3 and the second contact 4 is accumulated and added in addition to the weight of the tablet Tb. It is usually not easy to raise Tb. However, since the electrical connector 100 according to the embodiment includes the push-up means 6 that urges the force to push up the plug 10 against the weight of the tablet Tb, the receptacle 20 can easily lift the tablet Tb.

(Configuration of the first connector)
Next, the configuration of the plug 10 serving as the first connector according to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a configuration of the first connector provided in the electrical connector according to the embodiment, and is a state diagram when the first connector is viewed from the opening side.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a first connector provided in the electrical connector according to the embodiment, and is a state diagram when the first connector is viewed from the side opposite to the opening. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the first connector provided in the electrical connector according to the embodiment.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the first housing of the first connector provided in the electrical connector according to the embodiment. FIG. 8A is a front view of the first housing, and FIG. FIG. 8C is a bottom view of the first housing, FIG. 8D is a right side view of the first housing, and FIG. 8E is a rear view of the first housing. (F) is a perspective view of the first housing.

  Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7, the plug 10 further includes a waterproof ring 5. The waterproof ring 5 may be an annular shape having a square frame, and is preferably formed of an elastic material having airtightness such as rubber. By providing a plurality of wrinkles formed in a corrugated shape on the outer periphery of the waterproof ring 5, the waterproof property can be improved.

  Referring to FIG. 7 or FIG. 8, the first housing 1 forms a groove 1d that is recessed from the outer wall thereof. And the waterproof ring 5 can be attached to groove part 1d so that contact | adherence is possible (refer FIG. 5 or FIG. 6). Since the plug 10 includes the waterproof ring 5, the waterproof property can be improved when the tablet Tb is detached from the docking station DS (see FIG. 1) and used alone.

  2 to 7, the plug 10 includes a first printed board 1p and a pair of first reinforcing tabs 1t and 1t. The first printed circuit board 1p can be solder-bonded to the end portion of the first contact 3 (see FIGS. 2 to 3).

  Referring to FIGS. 2 to 7, the first housing 1 projects a pair of arms 1 a and 1 a on the side opposite to the opening of the first recess 11. The outer walls of these arms 1a and 1a are provided with locking grooves 11d into which the first reinforcing tabs 1t can be press-fitted (see FIG. 7 or FIG. 8).

  5 and 6, in a state where the first reinforcing tab 1t is press-fitted into the locking groove 11d and fixed, the tip of the first reinforcing tab 1t slightly protrudes from the bottom surface of the arm 1a. A pair of arms 1a and 1a are placed on the end of the first printed circuit board 1p (see FIGS. 2 to 3), and the tip of the first reinforcing tab 1t is inserted into a through hole provided in the first printed circuit board 1p. The plug 10 can be fixed to the first printed circuit board 1p by soldering the tip of the first reinforcing tab 1t to the through hole. That is, the plug 10 is a printed circuit board connector.

  Referring to FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, the first contact 3 has its other piece 32 extended toward the side wall of the header portion 1h after the tip portion of the one piece 31 is bent at a substantially right angle. Referring to FIG. 3 or FIG. 5, the header portion 91h has comb-shaped accommodation grooves formed on the side walls thereof. The other pieces 32 of the plurality of first contacts 3 are arranged in the receiving grooves. Note that the other piece 32 of the first contact 3 is surrounded by the partition wall of the first recess 11 so as not to be directly touched by a hand.

  Referring to FIGS. 2 to 8, the first housing 1 is preferably made of a synthetic resin having insulation properties, and a desired shape can be obtained by molding the synthetic resin. The first contact 3 is made of a conductive metal plate on which a development plate (not shown) is formed, and the development plate can be punched or bent to obtain a conductive plate-like contact. . The first contact 3 is preferably a copper alloy in view of ease of processing, spring characteristics, conductivity, etc., but is not limited to a copper alloy.

(Configuration of second connector)
Next, the configuration of the receptacle 20 serving as the second connector according to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a configuration of the second connector provided in the electrical connector according to the embodiment, and is a state diagram when the second connector is viewed from one side surface side.

  FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a second connector provided in the electrical connector according to the embodiment, and is a state diagram of the second connector viewed from the other side surface side. FIG. 11 is a perspective exploded view showing a configuration of a second connector provided in the electrical connector according to the embodiment.

  12A and 12B are diagrams showing the configuration of the second connector provided in the electrical connector according to the embodiment. FIG. 12A is a front view of the second connector, and FIG. 12B is a plan view of the second connector. 12C is a bottom view of the second connector, FIG. 12D is a right side view of the second connector, and FIG. 12E is a rear view of the second connector.

  FIGS. 13A and 13B are views showing the configuration of the second housing of the second connector provided in the electrical connector according to the embodiment. FIG. 13A is a front view of the second housing, and FIG. FIG. 13C is a bottom view of the second housing, FIG. 13D is a right side view of the second housing, and FIG. 13E is a rear view of the second housing.

  9 to 12, the push-up means 6 includes a substantially rectangular push-up plate 61, a pair of guide rods 62 and 62, and a pair of compression coil springs 63 and 63. The push-up plate 61 has a rectangular notch 610 and a pair of engagement holes 61h and 61h (see FIG. 11). The notch 610 can be fitted to the outer wall of the second housing 2 with a margin. A guide rod 62 is inserted into the pair of engagement holes 61h and 61h. The push-up plate 61 can be movably held in the second housing 2 by being guided by the pair of guide rods 62.

  Referring to FIG. 3 or FIG. 11, the pair of guide rods 62 and 62 are press-fitted from the bottom surface of the second housing 2. The pair of guide rods 62 and 62 are disposed at both ends of the second housing 2 so as to be engageable with the push-up plate 61.

  Referring to FIG. 3 or FIG. 4 and FIG. 9 or FIG. 10, the pair of guide rods 62 and 62 are arranged substantially in parallel. The pair of guide rods 62 and 62 guide the push-up plate 61 so as to be movable substantially parallel to the insertion / extraction direction of the header portion 1h.

  Referring to FIG. 3 or 4 and FIGS. 9 and 10, the compression coil spring 63 covers the guide rod 62. A part of the compression coil spring 63 is embedded in the holding holes 2h provided at both ends of the second housing 2 (see FIG. 11 or FIG. 12C).

  Referring to FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, one end edge of the compression coil spring 63 is in contact with a flange formed on the base end portion of the guide rod 62. The other end edge of the compression coil spring 63 is in contact with the push-up plate 61. The pair of compression coil springs 63, 63 urge the force that pushes up the push-up plate 61 toward the front surface of the second housing 2.

  Referring to FIGS. 9 to 13, the second housing 2 is provided with a pair of first flanges 2 a and 2 a at the lower part that go in opposite directions along the longitudinal direction. Further, the second housing 2 includes a pair of second flange pieces 2b and 2b at the upper part, which face in opposite directions along the longitudinal direction.

  Referring to FIG. 4, in a state where push-up plate 61 is lowered toward the bottom surface of second housing 2, both end portions of push-up plate 61 abut against the pair of first flanges 2 a and 2 a, and second housing The lowering position of the push-up plate 61 with respect to 2 is defined.

  On the other hand, referring to FIG. 3 or FIG. 4 and FIG. 9 or FIG. 10, in a state where the push-up plate 61 is released, the push-up plate 61 is urged by the pair of compression coil springs 63, 63. Can rise toward the top. Then, both end portions of the push-up plate 61 abut against the pair of second collar pieces 2b and 2b, and the raised position of the push-up plate 61 with respect to the second housing 2 is defined.

  When the push-up plate 61 is lifted from the state shown in FIG. 4, the contact surface of the push-up plate 61 is brought into contact with the front surface of the first housing 1 to push up the plug 10 and easily pull the plug 10 away from the receptacle 20. (See FIGS. 1 to 3).

  2 to 4 and 9 or 10, the receptacle 20 includes a second printed circuit board 2p and a pair of second reinforcing tabs 2t and 2t. The second printed circuit board 2p can be soldered to the base end portion of the second contact 4 from the surface direction.

  Referring to FIG. 11 or FIG. 13, the outer walls of the pair of first flanges 2a and 2a are provided with locking grooves 21d into which the second reinforcing tabs 2t can be press-fitted (see FIG. 9 or FIG. 10).

  Referring to FIG. 2 to FIG. 4 and FIG. 9 or FIG. 10, in the state where the second reinforcing tab 2t is press-fitted into the locking groove 21d and fixed, the distal end of the second reinforcing tab 2t is located on the first flange 2a. Projects from the bottom. The second housing 2 is placed on the second printed circuit board 2p, the tip of the second reinforcing tab 2t is inserted into a through hole provided in the second printed circuit board 2p, and the tip of the second reinforcing tab 2t is inserted into the through hole. The receptacle 20 can be fixed to the second printed circuit board 2p by soldering to the second printed circuit board 2p. That is, the receptacle 20 is a printed circuit board connector.

  Referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 9, the second contact 4 extends the other piece 42 toward the inside of the second recess 21 after the tip portion of the one piece 41 is bent at a substantially right angle. Referring to FIG. 13, the second housing 2 forms a comb-like accommodation groove 211 that opens to the bottom surface side. These accommodation grooves 211 communicate with each other along one inner wall of the second recess 21 (see FIG. 14C). In the receiving grooves 211, the other pieces 42 of the plurality of second contacts 4 are arranged to be swingable. In addition, the other piece 42 of the second contact 4 is surrounded by a partition wall of the second recess 21 so as not to be touched directly.

  Referring to FIGS. 9 to 13, second housing 2 is preferably made of a synthetic resin having insulation properties, and a desired shape can be obtained by molding the synthetic resin. The second contact 4 is made of a conductive metal plate on which a development plate (not shown) is formed. The development plate can be punched or bent to obtain a conductive cantilevered contact. it can. The second contact 4 is preferably a copper alloy in view of ease of processing, spring characteristics, conductivity, etc., but is not limited to a copper alloy.

[Electric connector action]
Next, the operation and effect of the electrical connector 100 according to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a state before the first connector and the second connector included in the electrical connector according to the embodiment are connected. FIG. 14A is a front view of the electrical connector, and FIG. FIG. 14C is a right side view of the electrical connector, and FIG. 14C is a longitudinal sectional view of the electrical connector.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the first connector and the second connector included in the electrical connector according to the embodiment are connected. FIG. 15A is a front view of the electrical connector, and FIG. A right side view of the connector, FIG. 15C, is a longitudinal sectional view of the electrical connector.

  Referring to FIG. 1 or FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, the plug 10 can be inserted into and removed from the receptacle 20 in a state where the plane of the first printed board 1p is substantially orthogonal to the plane of the second printed board 2p. That is, the electrical connector 100 according to the embodiment is a vertically mounted connector.

  When the plug 10 is connected to the receptacle 20 from the state shown in FIG. 14, the weight of the tablet Tb is added (see FIG. 1), so that the plug 10 can be easily inserted into the receptacle 20.

  On the other hand, in the state shown in FIG. 15, in addition to the weight of the tablet Tb, the contact pressures of the first contact 3 and the second contact 4 are accumulated and added, so that it is not easy to pull up the plug 10 from the receptacle 20. . However, the electrical connector 100 according to the embodiment includes the push-up means 6 that urges the force to push up the plug 10 against the weight of the tablet Tb, so that the plug 10 can be easily pulled up from the receptacle 20. Can do.

  Referring to FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, it is preferable that the urging force of the pair of compression coil springs 63 and 63 is configured in consideration of the weight of the tablet Tb so that the tablet Tb does not inadvertently leave the docking station DS. In addition, it is preferable to provide the docking station DS with a lock mechanism (not shown) for holding the tablet Tb.

  Referring to FIG. 14C, the second contact 4 is supported in a cantilever manner on the second printed circuit board 2p. Referring to FIG. 15C, the second contact 4 has its contact point in contact with the other piece 32 of the first contact 3.

  Referring to FIG. 15C, the second contact 4 has a short distance to the contact point of the first contact 3 and is linearly connected to the first contact 3, so that the conventional transmission distance is long and meandering. Compared to the snake spring 91s (see FIG. 19 or FIG. 20), it is suitable for accurately transmitting and receiving a high-speed signal.

  The electrical connector according to the present invention is an electrical connector in which a first connector provided at the bottom of the first electronic device and a second connector provided at the top of the second electronic device are detachable, and the second connector is a first connector. Since the push-up means for pushing up the connector is provided, the pull-out force of the first connector can be reduced even with a multipolar connector having a large number of contacts.

  In addition, in a so-called docking connector in which a tablet PC and a keyboard with a docking station are detachably connected, the biting between the connectors when the tablet PC is detached from the docking station can be reduced, and the tablet PC can be smoothly removed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 1st housing 1h Header part 2 2nd housing 3 1st contact 4 2nd contact 6 Pushing-up means 10 Plug (1st connector)
11 First recess 20 Receptacle (second connector)
21 2nd recessed part Tb tablet (1st electronic device)
DS docking station (second electronic device)
Kb keyboard (second electronic device)

Claims (6)

The first connector provided at the bottom of the first electronic device and the second connector provided at the top of the second electronic device are detachable electrical connectors,
The first connector is
A rectangular parallelepiped first housing having a first recess that opens in a rectangular shape toward one surface, and a header that protrudes at the center of the first recess;
A plurality of plate-like first contacts arranged side by side on the side wall of the header part,
The second connector is
A rectangular parallelepiped second housing that has a rectangular opening toward one surface, has a second recess into which the header portion can be fitted, and a front end portion that can be fitted into the first recess;
A plurality of second contacts arranged side by side on the inner wall of the second recess and cantilevered so as to be in contact with the first contact;
And a push-up means for biasing a force for pushing up the first connector against a weight of the first electronic device. Pushing means is
A substantially rectangular push-up plate that is held movably by the second housing and has a contact surface that can contact the front surface of the first housing;
A pair of guide rods disposed at both ends of the second housing so as to be freely engageable with the push-up plate, and movably guiding the push-up plate substantially parallel to the insertion / extraction direction of the header portion;
The electrical connector according to claim 1, further comprising: a compression coil spring that encloses the guide rod and biases a force that pushes up the push-up plate toward the front surface of the second housing.   3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the first connector further includes a waterproof ring attached in close contact with a groove portion recessed from an outer wall of the first housing. The first connector is
A first printed circuit board having a base end portion of the first contact soldered to the end portion;
A pair of first reinforcing tabs fixed to both ends of the first housing and solderable to the first printed circuit board;
The second connector is
A second printed circuit board solder-bonded to the base end of the second contact;
A pair of second reinforcing tabs fixed to both ends of the second housing and solderable to the second printed circuit board;
The electricity according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first connector can be inserted into and removed from the second connector in a state where the plane of the first printed board is substantially orthogonal to the plane of the second printed board. connector. The first electronic device comprises a thin rectangular tablet PC having a display panel,
The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second electronic device includes a keyboard having a docking station at one end.   The electrical connector according to claim 5, wherein the keyboard includes one or more hinges rotatably connected to the docking station and capable of tiltingly arranging the tablet PC.

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