Patent Publication Number: US-9887482-B2

Title: Connector structure

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial No. 105112366, filed on Apr. 21, 2016. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by references herein and made a part of specification. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to a connector structure. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a serial bus standard for connecting an electronic product with an external device, and USB is also a technical specification for input and output interface. USB is widely used in personal desktop computers, notebooks, smart phones, tablets and other electronic products for transmitting signals or electric power. With the development of technology, USB has several specifications, such as Type-A, Type-B, Mini-A, Mini-B, Micro-A, Micro-B, 3.0 Micro-B, Type-C and OTG (On-The-Go). USB Type-C specification supports high-speed signal or electric power transmission. Furthermore, a USB Type-C connector is orientation-free, which means it can be plugged in either way. Therefore, the USB Type-C connectors are used by most manufacturers and are widely used. 
     Since the USB Type-C connector is usually exposed from an open slot of a housing of an electronic product, environmental dust or moisture easily enters into the USB Type-C connector, which impacts the signal or electric power transmission effect of the USB Type-C connector. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to an aspect of the disclosure, a connector structure adapted to an electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a housing with an open slot. The connector structure comprises a tongue-shaped portion, a covering component, and a connecting member. The tongue-shaped portion is pivotally connected to the housing and disposed in the open slot. The covering component is pivotally connected to the housing and for covering the open slot. The connecting member is disposed inside the open slot and connecting the tongue-shaped portion and the covering component. When the covering component drives the tongue-shaped portion to rotate simultaneously via the connecting member, a gap is formed between the tongue-shaped portion and the covering component to expose the open slot. 
     In sum, in embodiments, the covering component of the connector structure is rotatably configured to the housing of the electronic device to cover or expose the open slot. When the covering component covers the open slot, the dust or moisture surround the electronic device would not drop onto the inserting component through the open slot, thus ensuring the signal or electric power transmission capability of the conductive terminal(s) on the inserting component. 
     On the other hand, when the covering component rotates relative to the housing and exposes the open slot, the covering component drives the inserting component to rotate simultaneously, the tongue-shaped portion of the inserting component moves out of the open slot when the slot is exposed. The rotation is continued until the tongue-shaped portion and the covering component have a gap therebetween and parallel to each other, that is, a space for the plug connector is formed. In other words, the connector structure has high reliability and operates more flexibly. Moreover, the electronic device with such a connector structure has a simple appearance. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, aspects and advantages of the disclosure will become better understood with regard to the following embodiments and accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1A  is a schematic diagram showing a connector structure and an electronic device; 
         FIG. 1B  is a schematic diagram showing the connector structure and the electronic device in  FIG. 1A  from another view; 
         FIG. 1C  is a sectional view of the connector structure and the electronic device in  FIG. 1A  along line I-I; 
         FIG. 2A  is a schematic diagram showing that the covering component in  FIG. 1A  exposes an open slot and a tongue-shaped portion of an inserting component; 
         FIG. 2B  is a schematic diagram showing the connector structure and the electronic device in  FIG. 2A  from another view; 
         FIG. 3A  is a schematic diagram showing that a plug is inserting into the connector structure in  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 3B  is a schematic diagram showing the operating state in  FIG. 3A  from another view; 
         FIG. 3C  is a sectional view of the connector structure and the electronic device in  FIG. 3A  along line II-II. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1A  is a schematic diagram showing a connector structure and an electronic device.  FIG. 1B  is a schematic diagram showing the connector structure and the electronic device in  FIG. 1A  from another view.  FIG. 1C  is a sectional view of the connector structure and the electronic device in  FIG. 1A  along line I-I. For illustrative purpose, a housing  11  of an electronic device  10  in  FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 1B  are shown in dotted lines. Please refer to  FIG. 1A  to  FIG. 1C . 
     In the embodiment, a connector structure  100  is adapted for an electronic device  10 . In an embodiment, the electronic device  10  is a notebook, and the connector structure  100  is assembled on the housing  11  of the main body of the electronic device  10 . In other embodiments, the electronic device can be other kind of electronic device equipped with the connector structure for signal or electric power transmission, which is not limited herein. 
     In an embodiment, the connector structure  100  is a USB Type-C connector structure integrated into the electronic device  10 . The housing  11  includes an open slot  14 . The connector structure  100  includes an inserting component  110 , a covering component  120  and a connecting member  130 . The inserting component  110  is pivotally connected to the housing  11  and disposed inside the open slot  14 . The covering component  120  is pivotally connected to the housing  11  to cover the open slot  14  and the inserting component  110 . When the covering component  120  covers the open slot  14  and the inserting component  110 , a plug connector  20  (such as, a USB Type-C plug connector) could not insert into the open slot  14  to combine with the inserting component  110 . 
     Generally, the inserting component  110  includes an electrically insulated tongue-shaped portion  111 . A plurality of conductive terminals (not shown) for transmitting signals or electric power are disposed at two opposite surfaces of the tongue-shaped portion  111 . When the covering component  120  covers the open slot  14  and the inserting component  110 , the environmental dust or moisture would not drop onto the inserting component  110  via the open slot  14 , thus the signal or electric power transmission capability of the conductive terminals (not shown) is ensured. 
     On the other hand, when the covering component  120  covers the open slot  14  and the inserting component  110 , the covering component  120  and the tongue-shaped portion  111  abut against each other. As shown in  FIG. 1A , the covering component  120  includes a recess  121  for receiving the tongue-shaped portion  111 . 
     The connecting member  130  is located inside the open slot  14  to connect the inserting component  110  with the covering component  120 . In an embodiment, the connector structure  100  further includes two first shaft levers  140 , two second shaft levers  141 , a third shaft lever  142  and a fourth shaft lever  143 . 
     The two first shaft levers  140  are disposed at opposite sides of the covering component  120  and passed through the covering component  120  and the housing  11 , respectively. Thus, the covering component  120  is capable of rotating relative to the housing  11  via the two first shaft levers  140 . The two second shaft levers  141  are disposed at the opposite sides of the inserting component  110  and passed through the inserting component  110  and the housing  11 , respectively. Thus, the inserting component  110  is capable of rotating relative to the housing  11  via the two second shaft levers  141 . 
     In the embodiment, the third shaft lever  142  connects the covering component  120  with the connecting member  130 . The fourth shaft lever  143  connects the inserting component  110  with the connecting member  130 . The third shaft lever  142  passes through the covering component  120  and an end of the connecting member  130  and is located between the two first shaft levers  140 . The fourth shaft lever  143  passes through the inserting component  110  and another end of the connecting member  130  and is located between the two second shaft levers  141 . Thus, when the covering component  120  rotates relative to the housing  11 , the covering component  120  drives the inserting component  110  to rotate simultaneously via the connecting member  130 . 
     In the embodiment, the connector structure  100  further includes a switching member  150 . The switching member  150  is movably disposed at the housing  11 . A groove  122  is formed at a side of the covering component  120 . When the covering component  120  covers the open slot  14  and the inserting component  110 , the groove  122  is located inside the open slot  14 , and the switching member  150  and the groove  122  are interlocked. Since the switching member  150  and the groove  122  are interlocked, the covering component  120  could not rotate relative to the housing  11 . 
     Consequently, the covering component  120  covers the open slot  14  and the inserting component  110  reliably until the plug connector  20  is inserted to combine with the inserting component  110 . In an embodiment, the switching member  150  further includes a switching portion  151  and a hook portion  152 . The housing  11  further includes a runner  15 . The switching portion  151  is movably disposed in the runner  15 . The hook portion  152  is disposed in the open slot  14 . When the switching portion  151  is located at a first position (as shown in  FIG. 1A ) inside the runner  15 , the hook portion  152  and the groove  122  are interlocked. 
     In an embodiment, the switching member  150  further includes a main body  153 . The main body  153  is connected with the switching portion  151  and the hook portion  152 . The connector structure  100  further includes an elastic member  160  and a position limiting rod  170 . The elastic member  160  is disposed inside a position limiting slot  16  of the housing  11 . The position of the elastic member  160  inside the position limiting slot  16  is fixed via the position limiting rod  170 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1B , a side wall  154  of the main body  153  extends into the position limiting slot  16 . The side wall  154  is located between a first wall  17  and a second wall  18  of the position limiting slot  16 . The position limiting rod  170  is configured to pass through the first wall  17  and the second wall  18 . The position limiting rod  170  passes through the side wall  154  and the elastic member  160  via the position limiting slot  16 . In an embodiment, the elastic member  160  is a compression spring. Two ends of the elastic member  160  abut against the first wall  17  and the side wall  154 , respectively. 
       FIG. 2A  is a schematic diagram showing an operating state in which the covering component in  FIG. 1A  exposes an open slot and a tongue-shaped portion of an inserting component.  FIG. 2B  is a schematic diagram showing the connector structure and the electronic device in  FIG. 2A  from another viewing angle.  FIG. 3A  is a schematic diagram showing an operating state in which a plug is inserting into the connector structure in  FIG. 2A .  FIG. 3B  is a schematic diagram showing the operating state in  FIG. 3A  from another viewing angle.  FIG. 3C  is a sectional view of the connector structure and the electronic device in  FIG. 3A  along line II-II. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 2A  and the  FIG. 2B . When an external force is applied to drive the switching portion  151  to move from the first position (as shown in  FIG. 1A ) to a second position (as shown in  FIG. 2A ) of the runner  15 , the hook portion  152  is released from the groove  122 . After the switching member  150  is disengaged from the covering component  120 , the covering component  120  rotates relative to the housing  11  to move the groove  122  out of the open slot  14 . 
     When the covering component  120  rotates relative to the housing  11 , the covering component  120  drives the inserting component  110  to rotate simultaneously via the connecting member  130 . As a result, a gap is formed between the tongue-shaped portion  111  and the covering component  120 , the tongue-shaped portion  111  and the covering component  120  are parallel to each other (as shown in  FIG. 3B ), and the open slot  14  is exposed. After the open slot  14  is exposed, the tongue-shaped portion  111  moves out of the open slot  14 . 
     When the switching portion  151  moves from the first position (as shown in  FIG. 1A ) to the second position (as shown in  FIG. 2A ), the side wall  154  moves toward the first wall  17  to compress the elastic member  160  between the first wall  17  and the side wall  154 . When the external force applied to the switching portion  151  is removed, the elastic member  160  provides an elastic restoring force to drive the side wall  154  to move toward the second wall  18 . Thus, the switching portion  151  returns back to the first position as shown in  FIG. 3A . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 3A  to  FIG. 3C . After the open slot  14  and the tongue-shaped portion  111  of the inserting component  110  are exposed, the covering component  120  and the tongue-shaped portion  111  that are in parallel define a space for a connecting plug  21  of the plug connector  20  to plug into the connector structure. When the connecting plug  21  moves into the open slot  14 , the tongue-shaped portion  111  is inserted into an interface  22  of the connecting plug  21 . In the embodiment, a plurality of conductive terminals (not shown) are configured at two opposite walls of the interface  22 . The conductive terminals (not shown) on one of the surfaces of the tongue-shaped portion  111  contact with the conductive terminals (not shown) on one of the walls of the interface  22  to conduct signal or electric power transmissions. 
     In the embodiment, after the plug connector  20  is removed out of the open slot  14 , a force is applied to drive the covering component  120  to rotate relative to the housing  11  until the covering component  120  covers the open slot  14  (a state shown in  FIG. 1A ). At the time, the covering component  120  drives the inserting component  110  to rotate simultaneously via the connecting member  130  to make the tongue-shaped portion  111  of the inserting component  110  move into the open slot  14 . 
     When the covering component  120  rotates relative to the housing  11 , the hook portion  152  of the switching member  150  is in the way the groove  122  of the covering component  120  passes by. Consequently, the hook portion  152  is locked in the groove  122  when the groove  122  moves into the open slot  14  (back to the state shown in  FIG. 1A ) by means of the movement of the switching member  150  and the elastic force of the elastic member  160 . 
     In sum, the covering component of the connector structure is rotatably configured to the housing of the electronic device to cover or expose the open slot. When the covering component covers the open slot, the environmental dust or moisture would be blocked outside the open slot. The signal or electric power transmission capability of the conductive terminal(s) on the inserting component is thus ensured. 
     On the other hand, when the covering component rotates relative to the housing and exposes the open slot, the covering component drives the inserting component to rotate simultaneously, the tongue-shaped portion of the inserting component moves out of the open slot when the slot is exposed. The rotation is continued until the tongue-shaped portion and the covering component have a gap therebetween and parallel to each other, that is, a space for the plug connector is formed. In other words, the connector structure has high reliability and operates more flexibly. Moreover, the electronic device with such a connector structure has a simple appearance. 
     Although the disclosure has been disclosed with reference to certain embodiments thereof, the disclosure is not for limiting the scope. Persons having ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and changes without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments described above.