Cradle device for portable terminal

The present invention provides a cradle device designed to be connected to a portable terminal which is provided with a connector at an upper part thereof for external electrical connection and with grooves formed at four corners of the outline to be held by means of the grooves. The cradle device has a structure to allow the portable terminal to slide so that the grooves formed in the connector portion and the portable terminal body can be securely engaged. The cradle device also has a rotate and slide mechanism in the face thereof opposing the connector, and has a structure to ensure reliable engagement with the grooves formed in the portable terminal body. Thus, the portable terminal cradle device is easy to carry, small-sized and superior in mechanical reliability, equally to the base unit, or the portable terminal.

This application claims priority from PCT Application No. PCT/JP2005/004267 filed Mar. 4, 2005, and from Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-062158 filed Mar. 4, 2004, which applications are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a cradle device mounted on a portable terminal such as a cellular phone, and particularly relates to a cradle device with superior portability.

BACKGROUND ART

Recently, portable terminals such as cellular phones and portable information devices have been rapidly developed to offer multiple functions. Along with this trend, there has emerged a demand to connect these portable terminals with other equipment. There has also emerged a problem of increased power consumption due to prolonged hours of usage. In order to solve such demand and problem, it is desired to increase the capacity of batteries for the portable terminals. On the other hand, by the nature of the portable terminals, there is still a strong demand to reduce the weight and size to improve the portability thereof.

In order to meet these contradictory demands, it is for example proposed to assign functions of some parts pertaining to a base unit (for example, functions of a connector for data communication) to a cradle device, which is originally used as a stationary holder for charging the base unit.

As the number of functions that the cradle device takes charge of is increased, it becomes necessary for a user to carry the cradle device as well. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-101140 (Patent Document 1) and No. 2003-110677 (Patent Document 2) disclose a cradle which is formed foldable to give it portability. On the other hand, Japanese Patent No. 2711784 (Patent Document 3) focuses on improving the portability of a battery pack charger.

However, these cradle devices have several problems.

The first problem resides in the fact that these prior art examples put focus on the portability of the cradle by itself, and no consideration is given to the portability when the cradle device is connected to a portable terminal. When the cradle device has additional functions that the portable terminal does not have, it is necessary to improve the portability of the cradle device connected to the portable terminal.

The second problem resides in the fact these conventional cradle devices have low mechanical reliability. Although consideration is given to connectability to the base unit, no consideration is given to high mechanical reliability that the cradle device should have when carried in the condition connected to the portable terminal represented by a cellular phone.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a portable terminal cradle device which is easy to carry, small-sized and superior in mechanical reliability, equally to a base unit, or a portable terminal.

A portable terminal cradle device according to the present invention and a combination of a portable terminal and a portable terminal cradle device according to the present invention are as follows.

1. A portable terminal cradle device including projections (11and18) formed at four corners thereof to be fitted on grooves (6and7) formed at four corners of the portable terminal.

2. The portable terminal cradle device according to the paragraph 1 above, characterized in that two of the projections (11) of the portable terminal cradle device are engaged in two of the grooves (6) in the upper end of the portable terminal, while, at the same time, the cradle device is electrically connected to the portable terminal through a connector joint (8) provided for connection to a connector (3) of the portable terminal; and that the other two projections (18) of the portable terminal cradle device are engaged in the two grooves (7) in the lower end of the portable terminal and the engagement is held by a rotate and slide mechanism (17) which is capable of both rotation and sliding.

3. The portable terminal cradle device according to the paragraph 2 above, further including a mechanism for locking the rotate and slide mechanism, and characterized in that lock blocks (17and17f) are slid along an L-shaped folded portion (17h) formed in a slide plate (17d) of the rotate and slide mechanism to fix and release an L-shaped folded portion (17j) formed in a hinge (17a).

4. The portable terminal cradle device according to the paragraph 1 above, characterized in that the portable terminal cradle device does not project forward beyond a monitor (1) or an operating face (2) of the portable terminal, whereby the operation of the portable terminal when mounted to the cradle device is made easy and the portable terminal when mounted to the cradle device is made usable in the condition hung down from the neck with the use of a neck hang strap provided on the portable terminal.

5. The portable terminal cradle device according to the paragraph 2 above, including a rotate and slide cover (16) as a part of the rotatable portion, and characterized in that the portable terminal cradle device can also be used as a stand in the condition where the cradle device is held in a standing position by means of the rotate and slide cover (16) which is left unlocked by engaging only the two of the projections (11) of the portable terminal cradle device in the two of the grooves (6) in the upper end of the portable terminal, while not engaging the other two projections (18) of the portable terminal cradle device in the two grooves (7) in the lower end of the portable terminal.

6. A combination of a portable terminal and a portable terminal cradle device characterized in that the portable terminal and the portable terminal cradle device are mounted to each other by mutually engaging grooves and projections formed at four corners of the portable terminal and the portable terminal cradle device.

EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

A cradle device according to the present invention is a cradle device a cradle device designed to be connected to a portable terminal which is provided with a connector at an upper part thereof for external electrical connection and with grooves formed at four corners of the outline to be held by means of the grooves. The cradle device has a structure to allow the portable terminal to slide so that the grooves formed in the connector portion and the portable terminal body can be securely engaged. The cradle device also has a rotate and slide mechanism in the face thereof opposing the connector, and has a structure to ensure reliable engagement with the grooves formed in the portable terminal body.

According to the present invention, when the portable terminal is engaged with the cradle device along projections thereon, the upper portion of the portable terminal is gripped and the connectors of the portable terminal and the cradle terminal are connected to each other. A slidable and rotatable portion is rotated by about 80 degrees and then slid, whereby the grooves formed in the portable terminal are fitted on the projections formed on the rotatable and slidable portion to hold the lower portion of the portable terminal. Further, a lock switch prevents accidental separation of the cradle from the portable terminal during normal use.

Referring toFIG. 1, a perspective view of a cradle device is illustrated as an embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 2is a perspective view of the cradle device ofFIG. 1as viewed from the opposite face.FIG. 3is an exploded view of the cradle device ofFIG. 1.FIG. 4shows a portable terminal to which the cradle device ofFIG. 1is mounted.FIG. 5is a perspective view of the portable terminal as viewed from the rear.FIG. 6is a diagram showing the portable terminal having the cradle device ofFIG. 1mounted thereon.FIG. 7is a rear view ofFIG. 6.

As shown inFIG. 4, the portable terminal has a monitor1, a front operating portion2, and a multi-function connector3. As shown inFIG. 5, the portable terminal further has a camera4, and a side operating portion5. As seen fromFIG. 4, upper grooves6are formed at the opposite ends of the upper part, and lower grooves7are formed at the opposite ends of the lower part. The multi-function connector3shown inFIG. 4is a connector having various functions, for example, for connection of a charging cable, connection of an earphone or microphone, and connection a data communication cable.

As shown inFIG. 1, the cradle device has a connector joint8, and sliding tapes9. The cradle device further has two externally connecting multi-function connectors10as shown inFIG. 2, and projections11(FIG. 1) to be fitted in the upper grooves6of the portable terminal. As seen fromFIG. 3, the cradle device has a circuit board12, an internal battery13, an upper case14, an undercover15, a rotate and slide cover16, and a rotate and slide mechanism17. As shown inFIG. 2, the rotate and slide cover16is provided with projections18to be fitted in the lower grooves7of the portable terminal. The two externally connecting multi-function connectors10are provided as shown inFIG. 2so that, when the cradle device of the invention is mounted on the portable terminal, two of the multiple functions can be used at a time, whereas the portable terminal by itself can perform only a single function at a time.

A description will be made of a rotate and slide mechanism17shown inFIG. 8. The rotate and slide mechanism17includes a hinge17aperforming rotational operation, a shaft17bdefining a rotational axis, a hinge holder17csupporting the hinge17a, a slide plate17dsupporting the linear motion of the hinge17atogether with the rotate and slide cover16, a lock block17eoperating in an orthogonal direction to the slide plate17dto allow the hinge17aand the slide plate17dto slide in a linear direction or to provide fixation in the close position according to the position of the lock block17e, and a lock block17ffor operating the lock block17e.

A description will be made of operation of the first embodiment with reference toFIGS. 9 to 16.

FIG. 9shows the initial state in which the rotate and slide cover16of the cradle device is opened. The portable terminal is inserted into the cradle device in the initial state, along the direction indicated by the arrow inFIG. 10with the monitor1and the front operating portion2facing up. Firstly, the upper grooves6of the portable terminal are fitted on the projections11. Subsequently, the connector of the connector joint8is inserted into the multi-function connector3(FIG. 4). The connector joint8is provided with a minute degree of freedom to absorb the dimensional tolerance between the connectors.

As shown inFIG. 11the rotate and slide cover16is rotated, after the insertion of the portable terminal, until the projections18of the rotate and slide cover16are parallel to the lower grooves7(FIG. 12). The rotate and slide cover16is then slid to fit the lower grooves7in the projections18. Thus, fixing grooves14aformed in the upper case14are fitted in fixing projections16aformed on the rotate and slide cover, whereby the rotate and slide cover16can be fixed to the upper case14by sliding the same even if the portable terminal is not mounted. As a result, the grooves formed at the four corners of the portable terminal are fitted on the four projections formed on the cradle device, whereby the cradle device is connected to the portable terminal very firmly. Additionally, the slide cover16is prevented from being easily opened, by locking a lock switch100as shown inFIGS. 13 and 14.

A description will be made of operation of the rotate and slide mechanism17with reference toFIG. 8. The hinge17ais freely rotatable around a shaft17bserving as a rotational axis. A leaf spring17gis incorporated in the hinge17a, so that a projection of the leaf spring17gis fitted in a hole in a slide plate17dto thereby stop the sliding at two positions. In this mechanism, as shown inFIG. 15A, the slide plate17dis folded to erect the same vertically to form a raised rail17h. A groove17iis formed in the slide block to allow the slide block (lock switch)100(having the lock blocks17eand17fas shown inFIG. 8) to move transversely along the rail17h. The rail of the slide plate17dis discontinued at a central portion thereof to allow a stopper claw17jof the hinge17ato move back and forth in this portion, as shown inFIGS. 15B and 15C. This means that the lock switch cannot be moved transversely as shown inFIG. 16, when the hinge17ais extended with respect to the slide plate17d, or when the slide plate17dand the hinge17aare stopped at a position where they are separated from each other. In contrast, when the slide plate17dis contracted with respect to the hinge17a, or when the slide plate17dand the hinge17aare stopped at a position where they are close to each other, the lock switch becomes movable. When the lock switch is moved, the stopper claw of the hinge17dmoves along the groove in the lock switch and is caught in the groove in the lock switch.

Further, the portable terminal cradle device according to the present invention can also be used as a stand, as shown inFIG. 17, by fitting only the upper grooves without fixing the rotatable and slidable portion.

In the embodiment above, the lock switch need not be used to fix. Instead, each of the grooves of the portable terminal and the projections of the cradle device may be provided with a stepped portion to form an easy lock.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION

A first advantageous effect of the present invention resides in that a cradle device having superior portability when connected to a portable terminal body can be obtained.

A second advantageous effect of the present invention resides in that the simple mechanism and the simple operation allow the portable terminal body to be securely held at the four corners thereof and thus to be protected reliably when subjected to drop impact.

A third advantageous effect of the present invention resides in that the engagement between the grooves formed at the four corners of the portable terminal and the projections of the cradle device eliminates the need of covering the front face of the portable terminal with the housing of the cradle device, and hence the cradle device does not obstruct the operation of the portable terminal when used with the cradle device connected thereto.

A fourth advantageous effect of the present invention resides in that the cradle device can be used as a stationary holder in the condition where the rotating portion is not fixed.