A slide-in structure (210) inside a cradle set (200) for accommodating a personal digital assistant (PDA) module (10) is disclosed. The slide-in structure comprises a base plate (220), a sliding stand (230) and a pushing arm (240). A connector (204) of the cradle set is fastened to the sliding stand via a circuit board (206). The base plate has a pair of sidewalls (222, 224) and two sliding grooves (226) located on of the sidewalls. The two ends of the sliding stand are inserted into the respective sliding grooves so that the sliding stand is free to move relative to the sliding grooves. The pushing arm is in contact with the sliding stand. The pushing arm resiliently pushes the sliding stand to one side of the sliding grooves and provides a buffering force when the PDA module engages with/disengages from the connector in the cradle set.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 92208777, filed May 14, 2003.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a slide-in structure, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a slide-in structure having a buffered self-alignment connector used in a cradle set for a handheld electronic device.

2. Description of the Related Art

Personal digital assistant (PDA) is one of the most common portable entertainment tools to be carried around in our daily life. At first, the PDA was designed as a general-purpose electronic notebook for managing traveling schedules, recording events and logging communication. However, as computational speed of computers continues to increase, and networking and wireless communication continues to advance, the PDA is used for communication, network surfing, playing games or serving as a multimedia. Thus, a PDA is often regarded as a “palm-top computer”.

In general, each PDA has multi-functional connectors such as a power connector, an input/output (I/O) connector and an external card connector. Most power connectors are positioned at the bottom section of the PDA by design. To charge up the battery inside the PDA, one end (the female section) of the power connector within the PDA is inserted into a corresponding end (the male section) of a power connector within a cradle set. Similarly, most of the I/O connectors are positioned at the bottom section of the PDA by design. To transfer data between the PDA and a computer, one end (the female section) of the I/O connector within the PDA is inserted into a corresponding end (the male section) of an I/O connector within a cradle set connected to the computer. The connector in the cradle set is normally fixed on a circuit board with the circuit board fastened to a base plate using a set of screws.

FIG. 1is a sectional view showing a conventional structure for fastening a connector104to a cradle set100. To facilitate the insertion of a connector20(a female connector) at the bottom end of a PDA module10to the connector104(a male connector), the cradle set100is usually designed to enclose the connector104. The cradle set100mainly comprises an insertion slot102, the connector104, a circuit board106and a base plate108. The insertion slot102is designed to accommodate the bottom end of the PDA module10. One end of the connector104protrudes in the insertion slot102so that the connector104can engage with the connector20at the bottom end of the PDA module10tightly. In addition, the circuit board106is firmly attached to the base plate108. Note that when the PDA module10is inserted into the insertion slot102, the backside12of the PDA module10may rest on the interior sidewall of the insertion slot102at a slant angle. Moreover, the connector104is fixed onto the circuit board106perpendicularly so that the connector104protrudes in the insertion slot102at the same slant angle.

Since the connector104is firmly attached to the cradle set100through a series of fastening structures (including the circuit board106, the base plate108and a screw110), the connector104scarcely has a positional tolerance in mating with the connector20of the PDA module10. That is, if the PDA module10is inserted into the cradle set100at a condition that the connector20is not precisely aligned with the connector104, a bending force is exerted to the connector104. The bending force can cause the bonding section between the connector104in the cradle set100and the circuit board106to be broken after repeated misaligned mating between the connector20of the PDA module10and the connector104in the cradle set100. Thereafter, an improper connection between the connector20of the PDA module10and the connector104of the cradle set100may occur. In addition, the fastening structure of the connector104also has very little capacity to buffer any shock or vibration. If the connector104is subjected to an external vibrating force, the bond joining the connector104and the circuit board106together may separate leading a drop in the reliability of connection.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a slide-in structure for a personal digital assistant (PDA) cradle set capable of increasing flexibility and reducing alignment stress when a PDA module is inserted into the cradle set to engage with a connector within the cradle set.

A second object of this invention is to provide a slide-in structure for a personal digital assistant (PDA) cradle set. The slide-in structure deploys a sliding stand to serve as a fastening structure for the connector in the cradle set so that the connector within the cradle set for engaging with a PDA module is protected against any damages resulting from undesirable external forces.

To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention provides a slide-in structure for a connector of a cradle set. The slide-in structure mainly comprises a base plate, a sliding stand and a pushing arm. The connector within the cradle set is mounted on the sliding stand via a circuit board. The base plate has a pair of sidewalls and a pair of sliding grooves located on the opposite inner surface of the sidewalls. The ends of the sliding stand are positioned within the respective sliding grooves so that the sliding stand is free to move along the sliding grooves. In addition, the pushing arm is secured to the base plate with one end in contact with the sliding stand surface. Through a resilient force provided by the pushing arm, the sliding stand is stationed somewhere within the sliding grooves and buffered by the pushing arm.

According to one embodiment of this invention, the sliding grooves can be arc-shaped slots and each end of the sliding stand can be an arc-shaped sliding block so that the sliding blocks are free to move forward and backward inside the sliding groves. However, the sliding grooves can be an arc-shaped slot and each end of the sliding stand can be a spherical sliding block so that the sliding blocks not only can slide inside the sliding grooves but also rotate within the sliding grooves.

According to one embodiment of this invention, the pushing arm is solidly locked onto the base plate or the cradle. In addition, the pushing arm has a protruding surface that forms a surface contacting with the sliding stand.

In this invention, the slide-in structure buffers the connector in the cradle set against any stress due to misalignment and external vibrating force. Furthermore, the sliding stand of this invention is able to provide positional tolerance for the connector in the cradle set in mating with the connector of the PDA module, in comparison with the conventional fixed connector design.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown inFIG. 2A, a PDA module10has a connector terminal30. The connector terminal30is located at a bottom end of the PDA module10, for example. The connector terminal30is the end that has a built-in connector20(a female connector) for engaging with another connector204(a male connector) in a cradle set200. In this embodiment, the PDA module10is used in the illustration. However, the application of this invention is not limited to the PDA module. For example, other devices such as PDA type mobile phones, smart phones or portable electronic devices having a function similar to the PDA module may also deploy the slide-in structure described in this invention.

A slide-in structure210as shown inFIG. 2Bmainly comprises a base plate220, a sliding stand230and a pushing arm240. A connector204within the cradle set200is firmly mounted (locked) on the sliding stand230via a circuit board206. The circuit board206is electrically connected to a main circuit board (not shown) through a flexible printed circuit208. The base plate220has a pair of sidewalls222,224and a corresponding pair of sliding grooves226located on the respective sidewalls222,224. The two ends of the sliding stand230are inserted into the respective sliding grooves226so that the sliding stand230is free to move forward or backward. Preferably, each of the sliding grooves226is an arc-shaped slot and each end of the sliding stand230has an arc-shaped sliding block232so that the sliding stand230can slide smoothly along the sliding grooves226through the sliding blocks232. When the PDA module10is plugged to or unplugged from the cradle set200, the connector204, which is movably mounted in the cradle set200, can move following the movement of the connector20of the PDA module10. Thus, a bending stress, which may occur to the connector in the cradle set when mounting or dismounting the PDA module to/from the cradle set is obviated in the present invention.

FIGS. 3 through 5show three types of sliding mechanisms employed by the slide-in structure according to this invention. InFIG. 3, the sliding grooves226on the sidewalls222,224are arc-shaped slots and the ends of the sliding stand230have arc-shaped sliding blocks232. The sliding block232and the sliding groove226are fitted together with a suitable tolerance so that the sliding block232is free to move forward and backward smoothly along the groove226. InFIG. 4, the ends of the sliding stand230have round sliding blocks232. Aside from sliding forward and backward inside the grooves226, the sliding blocks252are free to rotate inside the grooves226as well. Obviously, the sliding stand230may be constrained to rotate only (without sliding) as shown in FIG.5. In this case, the round blocks262at the ends262of the sliding stand230are rotatably fitted in corresponding round holes266in the sidewalls222,224so that the blocks262and accordingly the sliding stand230rotate around the axis of the holes266to provide the required following-up movement of the connector204with the connector20when mounting/dismounting the PDA module10to/from the cradle set200.

As shown inFIG. 2B, a bottom section242of the pushing arm240is fastened to the base plate220of the cradle set200. One end of the pushing arm240is in contact with the surface of the sliding stand230. Through the resilient pushing action of the pushing arm240, the sliding stand230is positioned on one side of the sliding grooves226when there is no other external force acting on the connector204and the sliding stand230. Preferably, the pushing arm240has a protruding surface244in surface contact with the sliding stand230so that the sliding stand230is stationed at a particular location within the sliding grooves226. Obviously, instead of the pushing arm240, some elastic body structure (for example, a spring) and a lever together can be used to provide the resilient pushing action.

FIGS. 6A and 6Bare schematic cross-sectional views showing the insertion of the PDA module10to the connector204of the PDA cradle set200of this invention at different positions. The cradle set200comprises a plugging slot202, the connector204, the circuit board206, the base plate220, the sliding stand230and the pushing arm240. The plugging slot202is able to accommodate the connector20of the PDA module10. Moreover, a back surface12of the PDA module10may rest on the interior sidewall of the plugging slot202at a slant angle when the PDA module10is inserted into the plugging slot202. In addition, one end of the connector204protrudes in the plugging slot202for engaging tightly with the connector20of the PDA module10.

As shown inFIG. 6A, the slide-in structure210supporting the connector204provides a suitable alignment tolerance to the connector204so that bending force acting on the connector204when the PDA module10and the cradle set200are engaged together is minimized. Hence, reliability of the engagement of the connector20with the connector204is increased. By the gravity of the PDA module10and the pushing force of the protruding surface244of the pushing arm240acting on the sliding stand230, after the PDA module10is mounted on the cradle set200, the back surface12of the PDA module10is proximate to the interior sidewall of the plugging slot202, in which the connector204protrudes in the plugging slot202at a slant angle similar to that of the interior sidewall of the plugging slot202.

As shown inFIG. 6B, when the PDA module10is unplugged from the connector204of the cradle set200, the slide-in structure210serves as a buffer absorbing bending force the PDA module10acting on the connector204. In a conventional fastening structure, if a user forgets to unplug the PDA module10along the original slant, the user may rotate the PDA module with a certain extent before pulling it up. Hence, the connector104will be bent and damaged. In this invention, however, the pushing arm240is designed to provide some buffering permitting the connector204to move towards the lower right corner of the grooves226to thereby prevent the connector204from being overstressed Therefore, reliability of engagement of the connector204with the connector20and overall working life of the connector204are improved.

In summary, this invention provides a slide-in structure for a PDA module cradle set. The slide-in structure comprises a base plate, a sliding stand and a resilient pushing arm. The connector within the cradle set is mounted on the sliding stand via a circuit board. The ends of the sliding stand are fitted into respective grooves on sidewalls of the base plate so that the sliding stand is free to move relative to the sliding grooves. In addition, the pushing arm positioned between the two sidewalls of the base plate engages with the surface of the sliding stand. Through the resilient pushing action of the pushing arm, the sliding stand is stationed at a fixed positioned within the sliding grooves. When the PDA module is plugged into or unplugged from the cradle inappropriately, the slide-in structure is specially designed to prevent any damage to the connector. In other words, the connector can have a longer working life and a better engagement reliability with the connector in the PDA module. Furthermore, the slide-in structure also reduces the amount of stress incurred to the connector in the cradle set when the PDA module is engaged to/disengaged from the connector within the cradle set.