Patent Publication Number: US-7713075-B2

Title: Protrudable connector structure for electronic device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2007-1710, filed Jan. 5, 2007 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   Aspects of the present invention relate to an electronic device having a connector and, more particularly, to an electronic device having a protrudable connector structure in which a connector member inserted into a housing is protruded outside of the housing when the electronic device is connected to another electronic device. 
   2. Related Art 
   Mobile electronic devices, such as mobile phones or MP3 players, include a connector to connect with other electronic devices. For example, a mobile electronic device can include a universal serial bus connecting jack (USB), which is a male connector, and a computer can include a USB slot, which is a female connector. 
   A male connector included in a mobile electronic device affects the external appearance of the mobile electronic device, bothers a user carrying the mobile electronic device, and can be damaged when carrying or using the mobile electronic device. Conventionally, a cap is used to cover and protect the male connector. However, due to the high possibility of losing the cap, a structure has been developed in which the male connector is inserted into a main body of the mobile electronic device; when the mobile electronic device is connected to another electronic device, the male connector is protruded outside of the main body of the mobile electronic device. In the conventional protrusion structure, the user must manually extend the male connector from the main body to the outside of the mobile electronic device by pulling an end of the connector. However, such an operation is inconvenient and troublesome. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Aspects of the present invention provide a protrudable connector structure for a mobile electronic device in which a connector is protruded outside of a main body of the mobile electronic device by pressing a button mounted on a side of the mobile electronic device. 
   Aspects of the present invention also provide a protrudable connector structure for a mobile electronic device in which a connector is protruded outside of the main body of the mobile electronic device by an elastic restoration force of a spring. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, a protrudable connector structure is provided, comprising a housing; a first frame formed in the housing having a first guiding hole extending in a predetermined direction; a second frame having a push button protruding from a side of the housing and a second guiding hole arranged to overlap with the first guiding hole when the push button is pressed, the second guiding hole having a first locking groove portion on one end of the second guiding hole and a second locking groove portion on another end of the second guiding hole; a pin inserted into the first guiding hole and the second guiding hole so that the pin moves along the first and second guiding holes; a connector member coupled to the pin; and a link to elastically press the pin in a direction in which the connector member protrudes outside of the housing, wherein when the pin is located in the first locking groove portion, the connector member is locked so as not to protrude outside of the housing, and when the pin is located in the second locking groove portion, the connector member is locked so as not to be inserted into the housing. 
   According to another aspect of the present invention, the link is configured to elastically press the pin using an elastic restoration force of a torsion spring. 
   According to another aspect of the present invention, the link comprises a first joint connected to the first frame and a second joint connected to the first joint and the pin, and an end of the torsion spring is supported by the first frame and another end of the torsion spring is supported by the first joint. 
   According to another aspect of the present invention, the second frame is slidably coupled to the first frame. 
   According to another aspect of the present invention, the second guiding hole may comprise a V shaped lateral portion that is concavely slanted towards the center of the second guiding hole. 
   Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view illustrating a protrudable connector structure according to an example embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIGS. 2A through 2C  are perspective views illustrating a sequence of protruding a connector member in the protrudable connector structure of  FIG. 1  from a state where the connector member is inserted into a housing; and 
       FIGS. 3A through 3C  are perspective views illustrating a sequence of protruding a connector member in an overturned protrudable connector structure of  FIG. 1  from a state where the connector member is inserted into a housing. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
   Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures. 
     FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view illustrating a protrudable connector structure  100  according to an example embodiment of the present invention. The protrudable connector structure  100  is included in a mobile electronic device and includes a housing comprising a base member  101  and a cover member (not shown) coupled to the base member  101 , a first frame  105  mounted in the housing and is supported by a main PCB (printed circuit board) (not shown) of the mobile electronic device, a second frame  115  slidably coupled to the first frame  105 , a pin  140 , a link  125 , and a connector member  135 . The mobile electronic device may be a notebook computer, mobile phone, MP3 player, personal entertainment device, personal digital assistant, or the like. 
   A first through hole  103  is formed in a front face of the base member  101 . A second through hole  104  is formed in a side of the base member  101 . A protruding portion  136  of the connector member  135  is arranged so as to protrude through the first through hole  103 , and a push button  116  included in the second frame  115  resiliently protrudes through the second through hole  104 . 
   The first frame  105  includes a first guiding hole  106  extending in a direction parallel to the connector member  135  and a pair of guide rails  111  extending parallel to the first guiding hole  106 . The pair of guide rails  111  are slidably coupled to a pair of guide slits  137  provided in a lower surface of the connector member  135 . The first frame  105  also includes four (4) coupling brackets  108  that support the second frame  115  so as to allow the second frame  115  to slide with respect to the first frame  105 . 
   The second frame  115  is coupled to the first frame  105  so that the second frame  115  can slide in a direction perpendicular to the reciprocating direction of the connector member  135  by being inserted into the four (4) coupling brackets  108 . The second frame  115  is elastically biased by a compression spring  124  so that the push button  116  can protrude out of a side of the housing. One end of the compression spring  124  is supported by a first compression spring bracket  112  formed on the first frame  105 . Another end of the compression spring  124  is supported by a second compression spring bracket  118  formed on the second frame  115 . 
   The second frame  115  includes a second guiding hole  120  that overlaps the first guiding hole  106  when the push button  116  is pressed. The second guiding hole  120  includes a first locking groove portion  121  and a second locking groove portion  122 , which are concavely grooved in both ends in a direction in which a compression force is applied to the push button  116 . The second guiding hole  120  also includes a V-shaped lateral portion  123  that is concave in a direction in which a compression force of the push button  116  is applied. 
   The link  125  includes a first joint  126  connected to the first frame  105  and a second joint  128  connected to the first joint  126  and the pin  140 . The first joint  126  is rotatably mounted to the first frame  105  by a first stud  130  that is inserted into a first stud inserting hole  114  formed in the first frame  105  through an end portion  126   a  of the first joint  126 . The second joint  128  is rotatably mounted to the first joint  126  by a second stud  132  that is sequentially inserted into an end portion  128   a  of the second joint  128  and another end portion  126   b  of the first joint  126 . 
   The pin  140  is sequentially inserted into a pin accommodating hole  138  of the connector member  135 , another end portion  128   b  of the second joint  128 , the first guiding hole  106 , and the second guiding hole  120 , and is fixed with respect to the connector member  135  by a pin cover  139  that covers the pin accommodating hole  138 . A PCB  143  is attached to an upper part of the connector member  135  using double-sided tape or other adhesive. 
   The link  125  elastically presses the pin  140  using an elastic restoration force of a torsion spring  133 . The first stud  130  is inserted into the torsion spring  133 , an end of the torsion spring  133  is supported by a torsion spring bracket  110  formed in the first frame  105 , and another end of the torsion spring  133  is supported by a torsion spring bracket  127  formed on the first joint  126 . The connector member  135  connected to the pin  140  is biased in a direction in which the protruding portion  136  protrudes outside of the housing. 
   An operation of the protrudable connector structure  100  according to an example embodiment of the invention will now be described.  FIGS. 2A through 2C  are perspective views illustrating a sequence of protruding the connector member  135  in the protrudable connector structure  100  from a state where the connector member  135  is inserted into a housing.  FIGS. 3A through 3C  are perspective views illustrating a sequence of protruding the connector member  135  in an overturned protrudable connector structure  100  from the state where the connector member  135  is inserted into a housing. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2A and 3A , when the protruding portion  136  of the connector member  135  is inserted into the housing of a mobile electronic device in a locked state, the pin  140  is located in an inner end of the first guiding hole  106  and in the first locking groove portion  121  of the second guiding hole  120 . The pin  140  is elastically biased by the torsion spring  133 , but is in a locked state since the pin  140  is blocked by the first locking groove portion  121 . 
   When the push button  116  is pressed, the first locking groove portion  121  moves, releasing the locking state of the pin  140 . Accordingly, the pin  140  moves towards the outer side of the housing along the first guiding hole  106  and the V shaped lateral portion  123  of the second guiding hole  120  due to the elastic restoration force of the torsion spring  133 . The protruding portion  136  of the connector member  135  begins to protrude to the outside. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2B and 3B , when the pin  140  moves towards a central portion of the first guiding hole  106  and the second guiding hole  120 , the protruding portion  136  moves rapidly, since the V shaped lateral portion  123  is slanted in a direction that does not interrupt the motion of the pin  140  and the elastic restoration force of the torsion spring  133  is strong. However, when the pin  140  moves from a position depicted in  FIGS. 2B and 3B  to a position depicted in  FIGS. 2C and 3C , the protruding portion  136  protrudes at a slower speed since the V shaped lateral portion  123  is slanted in a direction that interrupts the motion of the pin  140  and the elastic restoration force of the torsion spring  133  is weaker. Accordingly, the connector member  135  protrudes gently, and thus, damage to elements of the connector member  135  due to collision between the pin  140  and the first frame  105  or between the pin  140  and the second frame  115  can be prevented. 
   When the protruding portion  136  protrudes to a protrusion limit position, the pin  140  is located in an outer end of the first guiding hole  106  and in the second locking groove portion  122  of the second guiding hole  120 . The pin  140  is locked in this position by the second locking groove portion  122 . The protruding portion  136  of the connector member  135  is thus locked in a protruded state so that the protruding portion  136  cannot be inserted into the housing. 
   In order to re-insert the protruding portion  136  into the housing, the locking state of the pin  140  accommodated in the second locking groove portion  122  is released by pressing the push button  116  so that the protruding portion  136  can be pushed to the inner side of the housing. The pin  140  moves back along the first guiding hole  106  and the second guiding hole  120 , and as depicted in  FIGS. 2A and 3A , the pin  140  is seated in the first locking groove portion  121  and the connector member  135  is re-locked in an inserted state into the housing. 
   In the protrudable connector structure according to aspects of the present invention, a male connector can be inserted into a mobile electronic device when the male connector is not in use. Therefore, the mobile electronic device can have a pleasant appearance and is handy to carry. Damage to the male connector due to external collision can also be prevented. 
   In the protrudable connector structure according to additional aspects of the present invention, the male connector protrudes from a main body of the mobile electronic device by simply pressing a push button mounted in a side of the housing of the mobile electronic device. The male connector can therefore be readily used. 
   While there have been illustrated and described what are considered to be example embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art and as technology develops that various changes and modifications, may be made, and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the true scope of the present invention. Many modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations may be made to adapt the teachings of the present invention to a particular situation without departing from the scope thereof. For example, although the example embodiments described above are described in terms of a mobile electronic device, the protruding connector according to aspects the present invention may also be adapted to other electronic devices. Similarly, aspects of the present invention may provide a method of protruding a connector comprising pressing a button on a mobile electronic device and automatically causing the connector to protrude from the mobile electronic device in response to the pressing of the button. Accordingly, it is intended, therefore, that the present invention not be limited to the various example embodiments disclosed, but that the present invention includes all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.