JPS631418Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention has a function that forms a rotation shaft that rotatably connects a plurality of casings to each other, and that allows the electrical circuits of each casing to be connected at all times regardless of the rotational position. This invention relates to a rotary connection device.

Consisting of a plurality of casings each having an electric circuit and used in conjunction with each other, each of the casings being connected by a device having a rotation axis, and capable of mutually rotating around the rotation axis. For example, in portable test equipment, audio equipment, etc., which have such a structure, the conventional method for constantly connecting the circuits of the casing to each other regardless of their rotational position has been to use a stranded wire, for example. The circuits of each casing are connected using a cable consisting of a single or multiple bundled insulated wires, and the cable has an appropriate extra length in the middle so as not to interfere with the rotation of the casing. Something was warm. However, when one housing A or B rotates, for example, 180 degrees around the rotation axis C with respect to the other housing, as shown in Figure 1, the cable D due to the movement of the housing cannot be used. Since the bends are concentrated in a small portion, the wire becomes fatigued and becomes prone to breakage.On the other hand, if the excess length of the cable D is increased to disperse the bends,
This increases the space occupied by the cable, which is undesirable in terms of handling and appearance. In addition, a plurality of mutually insulated conductor rings are arranged integrally with the rotating shaft, and the circuits of one casing are connected to the conductor rings, respectively, and the other casing has one end connected to the circuit of the casing. is connected and the other end is provided in elastic contact with the conductor ring,
There is also a sliding connection method that connects the circuit between the casings through contact between the conductor ring and the contact piece, but this method is difficult because the rotating shaft and the conductor ring are different in nature. Therefore, it is necessary to make both parts as separate parts and then assemble them while insulating them from each other.
In general, there are drawbacks such as the shape tends to be large, the number of parts increases, the structure is complicated, assembly is time-consuming, and the price is high.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems in the conventional structure, and connects a rotating shaft that connects multiple casings so that they can rotate 180 degrees, and an electric circuit of each casing that is always electrically connected regardless of the rotational position. It is an object of the present invention to provide a rotation type connecting device which has a function of connecting the device in a conventional manner, has a small size, has a small number of parts, has a simple structure, and is easy to assemble.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a device to which the present invention is applied, and the device consists of casings 1 and 2, each casing being connected at a rotation axis 3 so that they can rotate 180° relative to each other. ing. Therefore, in the state shown in Fig. 2a, the case 1
When the side surface 1a of the housing 2 and the side surface 2a of the housing 2 are in close contact with each other, then when the housing 1 is rotated 180 degrees in the direction of the arrow around the rotation axis 3 as shown in FIG. and become close to each other.

The hatched portion in FIG. 2 is a rotary connecting device (hereinafter referred to as a connecting device) 4. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the connecting device 4 is attached to the casings 1 and 2, FIG. 3a is a plan view with a part of the casing removed, and FIG. 3b is a front view. The connecting device mainly consists of a first block assembly 5 and a second block assembly 6, each block assembly having a plurality of internally threaded holes 7 which are connected to the sides 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b of each housing 1 and 2, respectively. Since the housings 1 and 2 are fixed to each other with screws (preferably countersunk screws) 8, the housings 1 and 2 are integrated via the connecting device 4, and can be separated by removing each screw 8. Next, Fig. 4 shows a plan view and a partial front view of the connecting device 4, in which Fig. 4a is a plan view taken along the Y-Y' section in Fig. 4b, and Fig. 4b is a front view of the lower half thereof. shows a cross section taken along line X-X' in the plan view. In FIG. 4, the block assemblies 5 and 6 are rotated 90 DEG from their positions in FIG. 3. First, the first block assembly 5 includes blocks 10 and 11 made of insulators having triangular cross-sectional shapes that are substantially symmetrical to each other, and a plurality of terminals and rotation shafts (hereinafter referred to as rotation shafts) 20 arranged between the blocks. It consists of etc. Block 1
0 and 11 are respectively assembled with surfaces 10a and 11a in close contact. Also, in the assembled state, the surfaces 10b and 11b of the blocks 10, 11 form a mutual position of 90°. In the surfaces 10a and 11a, grooves 12 and 13 each having a semicircular cross section are formed at a predetermined interval at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the block at positions facing each other when assembled. Concave groove 12,
The diameter of the intermediate portion 13 is slightly smaller than that of both end portions, and protrusions 12a and 13a are formed. The grooves 12 and 13 are arranged to face each other correctly when the blocks 10 and 11 are assembled to form a plurality of rotation shaft holding holes having circular cross sections. Further, each block 10, 11 is provided with a plurality of recessed chambers 14 and 15 at opposing positions in the same assembled state. The bottom surfaces 14a, 15a of the concave chambers are the surfaces 10a, 1
1a, and a hole 14 is provided in the bottom surface thereof.
b and 15b are installed perpendicularly through the bottom surface 14a or 15a so that they are on the same axis when the block is assembled. The holes 14b and 15b are holes through which screws for fixing the blocks 10 and 11 pass, as will be described later. Further, referring to FIG. 3, the surface 10b of the block 10 has a surface 10c that is slightly lower than the surface 10b.
is formed over the entire length of the block 10, and similarly, a lower surface 11 is formed on the surface 11b of the block 11.
c is formed on the surface 1a of the casing 1 when the casing 1 is fixed to the block assembly 5 as described above.
and 1b, and the dimensions of each part are adjusted so that the surface 10b of the block and the surface 1a of the side plate, and the surface 11b and the surface 1b of the side surface are respectively on the same plane during the above-mentioned fixation. It is necessary to set the above-mentioned planes 10b and 11b.
The angle formed by the block is 90°, and the block assembly 5
This is a necessary condition for each of 6 and 6 to be able to rotate completely by 180 degrees. Next, the rotation shaft 20 will be explained. The rotation shaft 20 is a metal rod-shaped body formed in the shape of a hook, and consists of a long leg portion 21 and a short leg portion 22.
The ends of the long legs 21 protrude outside when the block assembly 5 is in an assembled state, and have a structure in which, for example, a hollow part 21a and a cut part 21b are provided to facilitate soldering and connection of electric wires. Further, the intermediate portion of the long leg portion 21 is finished to have a slightly smaller outer diameter than the other portions to form a narrow diameter portion 21c.
This is the location where the protrusions 12a and 13a engage.
When assembling the block assembly 5, first insert the long leg portion 21 of the rotation shaft 20 into each groove 12 or 13 of one block 10 or 11, engaging the protrusion 12a or 13a and the narrow diameter portion 21c. Arrange while matching,
Next, remove the other block 11 or 10 from its surface 10a.
and 11a are placed in close contact with each other while facing each other. Then, by inserting the screws 16 into the holes 14b and 15b and screwing the nuts 17, the blocks 10 and 11 are fixed with the rotating shafts 20 arranged inside them, and the block assembly 5 is assembled. Note that rotation axis 2
0 can rotate around the axis of the long leg portion 21 due to the engagement between the narrow diameter portion 21c and the protruding portions 12a and 13a, but it hardly moves in the axial direction and therefore does not come off. .

Next, the second block assembly 6 will be explained.
As shown in FIG. 4, the block assembly 6 has a planar shape similar to the block assembly 5 except for the holding arm portion, and includes blocks 30 and 31 made of insulators and a plurality of sliding terminals 40 arranged and held between the blocks. Consists of etc. Blocks 30 and 31 have surfaces 30a and 31a.
In the assembled state, the surface 30b of the block 30 and the surface 3 of the block 31 are in close contact with each other.
1b are at 90 degrees relative to each other, as in the case of block assembly 5, and in addition, the surface 30b
The intersection of the extension lines 31b and 31b coincides with the center of the rotation axis, which will be described later. The blocks 30 and 31 form rotating shaft clamping arms (hereinafter referred to as clamping arms) 32 and 33, respectively, each having a semicircular arc cross section on the center side of the rotation shaft. As shown in FIG. 4b, the clamping arms 32 and 33 protrude independently from each other in the form of comb teeth at the same position, and the spacing and number of the clamping arms 32 and 33 are determined by the pitch and the pitch of the rotation shaft 20 in the block assembly 5, respectively. Not only do they match in number, but their positions also match with the short legs 22 of the rotating shaft 20 when the connecting device 4 is assembled. Further, when the block assembly 5 is assembled, the circular through hole formed by the clamping arms 32 and 33 has an inner diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the short leg portion 22.

A concave groove 34 for holding a sliding terminal 40 is provided in the surface 30a of the block 30 at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the block 30 and on the same centerline as the clamping arm 32.

The groove 34 has a depth equal to the thickness of the sliding terminal 40 (described later) and a width equal to the width in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof, but near the middle thereof, there are grooves facing each other in the direction of decreasing the width. Projecting protrusions 34a, 3
4b is formed. A recess 35 having a substantially triangular horizontal cross section is provided between the groove 34 and the clamping arm 32.
A small step 36 is formed between the two. recess 3
Since a portion of the sliding terminal 40 is inserted into the terminal 5, its size is such that even if the portion of the sliding terminal 40 is elastically deformed to some extent and moves, it will not come into contact with the inner wall surface. Next, block 31 has a different cross-sectional shape from block 30 except for its clamping arm 33 portion. The portion of the surface 31a of the block 30 facing the concave groove 34 is a flat surface, and is further inclined to form the gripping arm 3.
3 is also substantially flat, but the stepped portion 36 of the block 30 is continuous with the clamping arm 33.
A step portion 37 is formed opposite to the step portion 37 .

A plurality of recesses 38 are provided on the opposite side of the clamping arm 33.
A hole 38b for inserting a screw 39 for fixing the block assembly 6 is provided in the bottom surface 38a of the recess parallel to the surface 31a. A female screw hole 38c into which a screw 39 can be screwed is formed in the block 31 at a position that coincides with the hole 38b when the blocks 30 and 31 are combined. The surface 30b of the block 30 has a surface 30c that is slightly lower than 30b.
is formed over the entire length of the block 30, and similarly, a lower surface 31 is formed on the surface 31b of the block 31.
c is formed, and this is a structure for engaging the side plates forming the surfaces 2a and 2b of the housing 2, as in the case of the blocks 10 and 11. Next, sliding terminal 4
0 is made by molding a belt-shaped elastic metal plate, and one end forms a contact piece with the rotating shaft 20, and the other end forms a terminal portion for connection to an external circuit. That is, one end is bent to form an approximately semicircle with a small radius of curvature to become the contact piece 41, and after being bent into an acute angle at a first bending point 42 slightly away from the contact piece 41, it is bent again to a second bend. It is bent at a substantially right angle in the opposite direction at a point 43, and thereafter extends linearly to form a holding portion and a connecting terminal portion 44. A slot 45 is provided along the centerline between the contact piece 41 and approximately the first bending point 42 to form a twin contact and to improve the reliability of the contact. At the holding portion, there are notches 40a and 40b formed in opposing directions from both ends of the sliding terminal, and these notches engage with the protrusions 34a and 34b in the groove 34. It is for the purpose of The connection terminal portion 44 is a portion that protrudes to the outside when the block assembly 6 is assembled, and a connection hole 46 is transparently provided near the end thereof for connection of an external conductor. The block assembly 6 is assembled integrally with the block assembly 5 after the aforementioned block assembly 5 is assembled, and the connecting device 4 is completed by assembling the block assembly 6. The assembly procedure will be explained below. First, the block 30 is placed horizontally with its surface 30a facing up, and the already assembled first block assembly 5 is brought close to the short leg 2 of the rotation shaft 20 protruding to the side of the block assembly 5.
2 into the semicircularly recessed inner surface of the clamping arm 32 of the block 30. In this case, the number and arrangement pitch of the rotation shafts 20 and the number and arrangement pitch of the clamping arms 32 are equal and their relative positions are aligned, so the short legs 22 of all the rotation shafts engage with the clamping arms 32. .
Next, the sliding terminal 40 is attached to the block 30.
At this time, the part from the second bending point 43 to the contact piece 41 is slightly compressed and deformed in the direction of the connection terminal part 44, and the first By pushing the bending point 42 into the recess 35, the outer surface of the contact piece 41 comes into elastic contact with the outer peripheral surface of the short leg portion 22. At the same time, as described above, the notches 40a, 40b of the holding portion of the sliding terminal 40 are connected to the protrusions 34a, 34 in the groove 34.
b, but as a result, the sliding terminal 40 is prevented from moving in its longitudinal direction, and will not move or rattle even if it receives the repulsive force due to the above-mentioned elastic contact.

After the sliding terminal 40 is attached, when the block 31 is stacked on the block 30 with its surface 31a correctly facing the surface 30a of the block 30 and the surfaces 30a and 31a are brought into close contact, the sliding terminal 40 is held by the surface 31a. It is held under pressure in the groove 34 and does not come off, and each clamping arm 33 is closely opposed to the clamping arm 32 in a one-on-one manner, and the short leg 22 of the rotating shaft 20 is clamped between the inner surfaces thereof. becomes. Then block 31
While inserting the screw 39 into the hole 38b of the block 30.
By screwing into the female screw hole 38c, the blocks 30 and 31 are fixed, and the block assembly 6 is integrally connected to the block assembly 5, thereby completing the present connecting device 4. That is, the short leg portion 22 of the rotating shaft 20 of the block assembly 5 is connected to the clamping arm 32 of the block assembly 6.
and 33, and the inner diameter of the circular hole formed between the inner surfaces of the clamping arms is approximately equal to the diameter of the short leg portion 22, and the central axis of each short leg portion is parallel to the longitudinal direction of each block assembly. And because it's in a straight line,
The short legs 22 serve as a center of rotation for the block assemblies 5 and 6, so that the block assemblies can easily pivot relative to each other. In that case, as described above, the surfaces 10b and 11b of the block assembly 5 are at right angles to each other, and their intersection coincides with the center of the short leg 22, and the unit 6
Since the surfaces 30b and 31b have the same configuration as above, this connecting device 4 moves from the position where the surfaces 10b and 30b are in close contact with each other around the central axis of the arrangement of the short leg portions 22 to the point where the surfaces 11b and 31b are in close contact with each other. Therefore, the casings 1 and 2 attached to the connecting device 4 can similarly rotate through 180 degrees.

The contact piece 41 of the sliding terminal 40 is connected to the rotating shaft 20.
The contact piece 4 is in elastic contact with the short leg 22 of the
1 is the stepped portion 3 of the block 30 as shown in FIG. 4a.
Similarly to 6, there is a slight gap between the block 31 and the stepped portion 37, and its horizontal movement is restricted, so even if the short leg portion 22 rotates, the contact piece 41 absorbs the frictional force. short legs moving for 2
Therefore, regardless of the rotating position of the block assembly, a stable elastic contact state is maintained at all times, and the connecting terminal of the sliding terminal 40 is connected from the end of the long leg 21 of the rotating shaft 20. An electric circuit reaching portion 44 will be formed.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is formed into a hook shape as a device that forms a rotation shaft that rotatably connects a plurality of housings and also connects the circuits of each housing electrically at all times. A plurality of metal rod-shaped bodies are arranged in the first block assembly as one terminal and rotation axis, and a bent and formed band-shaped elastic metal plate is used as the other terminal and contact piece to rotate the plurality of rotations. Since they are arranged in the second block assembly so as to be in sliding contact with the shafts, each housing can be rotated as described above by attaching the first block assembly and the second block assembly to each housing. In addition to being able to rotate freely around the axis, it is possible to configure a circuit that connects the housings through the rotation axis and the contact piece regardless of the rotation position, compared to the conventional sliding connection method. It has many advantages such as a simple structure, a small number of parts, a small size, and easy assembly.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a conventional example of an electrical connection between two mutually rotatable casings, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the relative positions of two casings in a device to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 3 is a plan view and a front view showing a state in which the connecting device of the present invention is attached to a housing, and FIG. 4 is a partially sectional plan view and a front view of the connecting device of the present invention. A, B, 1, 2...Housing, C, 3...Rotation axis,
4... Rotating connection device, 5... First block assembly, 6... Second block assembly, 10, 11, 3
0, 31...Block, 20...Terminal and rotating shaft (rotating shaft), 21...Long leg portion, 22...Short leg portion, 3
2, 33...Pinching arm, 40...Sliding terminal, 41...
...Contact piece, 44... Connection terminal part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] One leg of a plurality of metal rods bent into a hook shape in a device that is equipped with a rotation shaft that rotatably connects a plurality of casings and has the function of electrically connecting the circuits of each casing. are arranged so that their center lines are in a straight line to form a rotation axis, and the other leg is mounted inside the first insulating block assembly to serve as a terminal for external connection, and the elastic metal plate A second sliding terminal is made of aluminum, and has a contact piece that makes elastic contact with the rotating shaft at one end, and an external connection terminal at the other end.
A rotary connection device, characterized in that the second block assembly is provided with a structure for rotatably holding the rotary shaft.