Patent Publication Number: US-2023152853-A1

Title: Connector capable of adjusting position of connection terminal

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present disclosure relates to a connector that is connected to a mobile device to supply power or support data communication. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a connector capable of adjusting a position of a connection terminal, wherein the position of the connection terminal connected to a mobile device, specifically, a protruding length of the connection terminal from a horizontal surface and an interval between the connection terminal and a vertical surface, is adjusted so that the connection terminal is stably connected to a connection port of the mobile device regardless of the type of the mobile device and a type of a protective case protecting the mobile device. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     Due to the development of IT technology, various mobile devices, such as a smartphone, a laptop computer, a navigation device, a digital camera, etc., are on the market. 
     A charging cable or a USB cable is used for charging a mobile device or for data communication with another mobile device. 
     The charging cable or the USB cable is provided with a connector that is connected to a connection port of a mobile device to enable charging or data communication. 
     The applicant of the present disclosure developed Korean Patent No. 10-2139930 “CONNECTOR FOR DISPLAYED MOBILE” as a connector for charging a mobile device or for data communication. 
     Korean Patent No. 10-2139930 “CONNECTOR FOR DISPLAYED MOBILE” relates to a connector for a mobile device displayed in a store so that customers can try the mobile device. As shown in  FIG.  1   , the connector includes: a connection terminal  115  connected to a connection port of a mobile device; a casing  120  on which a support plate  123  supporting a rear surface of the mobile device is vertically formed; and a fixing block  130  fixing, within the casing  120 , an insertion block  113  provided with the connection terminal  115 . 
     According to Korean Patent No. 10-2139930 “CONNECTOR FOR DISPLAYED MOBILE”, in order to stably support a mobile device displayed in a store, the support plate  123  supporting the rear surface of the mobile device is provided, and the connection terminal  115  is connected to the connection port of the mobile device even when the distance between the connection port and the rear surface varies depending on the type of the mobile device. In this case, an interval between the connection terminal  115  and the support plate  123  is adjustable by moving the insertion block  113  within the casing  120  so that the support plate  123  can support the rear surface of the mobile device. 
     A mobile device is an expensive electronic product, and is generally wrapped in a protective case to be protected from external impact. 
     The rear surface of the mobile device is stably supported by the support plate  127  only when the interval between the connection terminal  115  and the support plate  127  is adjusted depending on whether a protective case is present or not and the thickness of the protective case. 
     In addition, only when the protruding length of the connection terminal  115  from the upper surface of a body  121  of the casing  120  is adjusted, a connection surface (the surface on which the connection port is formed) of the mobile device is stably supported on the upper surface of the body  121 . 
     However, Korean Patent No. 10-2139930 “CONNECTOR FOR DISPLAYED MOBILE” cannot adjust the protruding length of the connection terminal  115 , so the connection surface of the mobile device is not stably supported on the upper surface of the body  121  depending on whether a protective case is present or not or the thickness of the protective case. 
     The foregoing is intended merely to aid in the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and is not intended to mean that the present disclosure falls within the purview of the related art that is already known to those skilled in the art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present disclosure has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the related art, and the present disclosure is directed to providing a connector capable of adjusting a position of a connection terminal, wherein the position of the connection terminal is adjustable up, down, left, and right so that the connection terminal is stably connected to a connection port of a mobile device and the mobile device is stably supported on a casing regardless of the type of the mobile device or the presence of a protective case and protective cases varying in thickness. 
     According to the present disclosure, there is provided a connector capable of adjusting a position of a connection terminal, the connector including: a body including a body part and the connection terminal that is provided protruding from an upper surface of the body part and is connected to a connection port of a mobile device; and a casing in which a receiving space in which the body part is received and an exposure hole connected with the receiving space and through which the connection terminal protrudes and is exposed are provided, the casing including a horizontal surface supporting a connection surface of the mobile device, and a vertical surface provided vertically at an end of the horizontal surface and supporting a rear surface of the mobile device, wherein the connector further includes an elevation bolt provided at the casing and configured to adjust a protruding length of the connection terminal from the horizontal surface by raising or lowering the body part. 
     In addition, the connector may further include a holder holding the body part, received in the receiving space of the casing, and coupled with the elevation bolt by screw-type engagement to be raised or lowered within the receiving space. 
     In addition, the connector may further include a cover coupled to a lower portion of the casing to cover an opening. 
     According to the present disclosure, the connector capable of adjusting the position of the connection terminal adjusts the position of the connection terminal according to a type of a mobile device, the presence of a protective case, and the thickness of the protective case, so that the connection terminal can be stably connected to a connection terminal of the mobile device, the mobile device can be stably supported by the casing, and the position of the connection terminal can be easily adjusted. The configuration of the connector for these effects is simple and easy, so the connector is an inexpensive and highly productive product and is a very useful invention for industrial development. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other objectives, features, and other advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG.  1    shows perspective views of a connector in the related art; 
         FIG.  2    shows perspective views of a connector capable of adjusting a position of a connection terminal according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  3    shows exploded perspective views of  FIG.  2   ; and 
         FIG.  4    is a cross-sectional perspective view of  FIG.  2   . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Hereinbelow, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals will refer to the same or like parts. 
     As shown in  FIGS.  2 A,  2 B,  3 A, and  3 B , according to the present disclosure, a connector capable of adjusting a position of a connection terminal includes a body  10 , a casing  20 , a holder  30 , a cover  40 , a fixing bolt  50 , and an elevation bolt  60 . 
     The body  10  includes a body part  13  and the connection terminal  15 . To the body part  13 , an electric wire  11  is connected to receive power from the outside or for data communication. The connection terminal  15  is provided protruding from the upper surface of the body part  13 , and is connected to a connection port of a mobile device. 
     In the lower surface of the body part  13 , a screw hole into which the fixing bolt  50  is coupled by screw-type engagement is formed. The screw hole may be formed by etching the body part  13 , and may be formed by inserting an insert nut  17 . The insert nut  17  is formed of a metal material and has a screw hole  18  in the insert nut  17 . The insert nut  17  is preferable for long-term use because a thread inside the screw hole  18  is not easily worn despite repeated tightening and loosening of the fixing bolt  50 . 
     The casing  20  receives the body part  13  therein, and supports a connection surface and the rear surface of the mobile device. 
     The casing  20  includes a casing body  21  and a support plate  23 . 
     Inside the casing body  21 , a receiving space  211  in which the body part  13  is received is formed. In the upper portion of the casing body  21 , an exposure hole  212  through which the connection terminal  15  is exposed is formed. In the rear portion of the casing body  21 , a passing hole  213  through which the electric wire passes is formed. In the lower portion of the casing body  21 , an opening  214  is formed enabling the body part  13  to be inserted and received in the receiving space  211  during assembly. 
     Herein, the upper surface of the casing body  21  is a horizontal surface  22  supporting the connection surface at which the connection port of the mobile device is provided, and the front surface of the support plate  23  is a vertical surface  24  supporting the rear surface of the mobile device. 
     At the rear portion of the casing body  21 , formed is an elevation wall  25  that defines a guide hole  26  for giving guidance about raising or lowering the holder  30  is formed. In the upper portion of the elevation wall  25 , a through hole  27  through which the elevation bolt  60  passes is formed. 
     At the outer surface of the lower portion of the casing body  21 , formed is a stepped part  215  that is stepped so that the cover  40  and the stepped part  215  interlock having matched sides. In the stepped part  2215 , formed are hook hollows  216  into which hook protrusions  41  of the cover  40  are coupled by hook-type engagement. 
     The holder  30  holds the body part  13  of the body  10 , and is capable of being raised or lowered in an upward-downward direction in the receiving space  211  of the casing  20 . 
     The holder  30  includes a receiving box  31  and a lid  36 . In the receiving box  31 , the body part  13  is received in a forward-backward movable manner. The lid  36  covers an opening in the lower portion of the receiving box  31 . 
     At the rear portion of the receiving box  31 , formed is a guide part  32  that is raised or lowered along the guide hole  26  of the casing  20 . 
     In the guide part  32 , a screw hole into which the elevation bolt  60  is coupled by screw-type engagement is formed. The screw hole may be formed by etching the guide part  32 , and may be formed by inserting an insert nut  33  into the guide part  32 . The insert nut  33  is formed of a metal material and has a screw hole  34  in the insert nut  33 . The insert nut  33  is preferable for long-term use because a thread inside the screw hole  34  is not easily worn despite repeated tightening and loosening of the elevation bolt  60 . 
     At the edges of the lid  36 , elastic pieces  37  are formed. The elastic pieces  37  protrude upward and have ends provided with respective stopping protrusions  38  stopped on and coupled to the top of the receiving box  31 . In the bottom of the lid  36 , a long hole  39  is formed enabling the fixing bolt  50  to be movable in a forward-backward direction. 
     The cover  40  is interlocked with the stepped part  215  formed at the lower portion of the casing  20 , and covers the opening in the lower portion of the casing  20 . 
     In the bottom of the cover  40 , a receiving hole  43  in which the head of the fixing bolt  50  is received is formed long in a forward-backward direction. At the upper portions of the inner sides of the cover  40 , formed are the hook protrusions  41  coupled into the hook hollows  216  of the casing body of the casing  20  by hook-type engagement. 
     The fixing bolt  50  is coupled into, by screw-type engagement, the screw hole  18  of the insert nut  17  inserted into the body part  13  of the body  10 , so as to fix the body part  13  to the lid  36  of the holder  30  by tightening the fixing bolt  50 . 
     While the fixing bolt  50  is unscrewed, the fixing bolt  50  is moved along the long hole  39  of the lid  36  so as to adjust the interval between the connection terminal  15  of the body  10  and the support plate  23  of the casing  20 . 
     Accordingly, regardless of a type of a mobile device, the presence of a protective case, and protective cases varying in thickness, the connection terminal  15  is connected to the connection port of the mobile device and the rear surface of the mobile device is touched and supported by the front surface of the support plate  23 , specifically, the vertical surface  24  of the support plate  23 . 
     The elevation bolt  60  passes through the passing hole  213  of the casing  20  and rotates idly, and is coupled into, by screw-type engagement, the screw hole  34  of the insert nut  33  inserted into the guide part  32  of the receiving box  31  of the holder  30 . Thus, as the elevation bolt  60  is rotated forward or reversely, the receiving box  31  is raised or lowered. 
     As the receiving box  31  of the holder  30  is raised or lowered through the elevation bolt  60 , the body part  13  of the body  10  held in the receiving box  31  is raised or lowered together, thereby adjusting the protruding length of the connection terminal  15  of the body  10  from the upper surface of the casing  20 , specifically, the horizontal surface  22  of the casing body  21 . 
     Accordingly, regardless of a type of a mobile device, the presence of a protective case, and protective cases varying in thickness, the connection terminal  15  is connected to the connection port of the mobile device and the connection surface of the mobile device is touched and supported by the horizontal surface  22  of the casing body  21 . 
     Although in describing the present disclosure, a connector that has a particular shape and structure and is capable of adjusting a position of a connection terminal has been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, various modifications and changes of the present disclosure may be made by those skilled in the art and such modifications and changes should be construed as belonging to the scope of the present disclosure.