Source: https://patents.justia.com/patent/20070298664
Timestamp: 2020-08-14 00:41:26
Document Index: 444757370

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 23', 'art 24', 'art 273', 'art 274', 'art 23', 'art 24', 'art 23', 'art 24', 'art 274', 'art.\n6']

US Patent Application for POWER ADAPTER HAVING DETACHABLE POWER CABLE COUPLER HEAD Patent Application (Application #20070298664 issued December 27, 2007) - Justia Patents Search
Justia Patents Having Only Push-pull-engaging Contacts Spaced Along Longitudinal Axis Of Engagement (e.g., Jack-type Receptacle Or Plug)US Patent Application for POWER ADAPTER HAVING DETACHABLE POWER CABLE COUPLER HEAD Patent Application (Application #20070298664)
POWER ADAPTER HAVING DETACHABLE POWER CABLE COUPLER HEAD
Nov 1, 2006 - DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
Semiconductor devices with via structure and package structures comprising the same
CONVERTER AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF
DC/DC CONVERSION SYSTEM
Referring to FIG. 1(a), a schematic perspective view of a conventional power adapter to be used in a notebook computer is illustrated. The power adapter of FIG. 1(a) comprises a main body 11, an AC power cable 12, an AC inlet 13, a DC power cable 14 and a DC plug 15. The AC inlet 13 is connected to the input terminal of the main body 11 for receiving an AC voltage from an external power source. The DC plug 15 is connected to the output terminals of the main body 11. After the DC plug 15 is inserted into a power receiving slot 161 of an electronic device 16 such as a notebook computer, the AC voltage transmitted from the external power source is converted by the circuitry of a printed circuit board inside the main body 11 into regulated DC output voltages and transmitted to the electronic device 16 through the DC power cable 14 and the DC plug 15.
Please refer to FIG. 1(b), which is a partial schematic exploded view of the power adapter of FIG. 1(a). The power adapter includes an upper cover 111, a lower cover 112 and a circuit board 113. A closed space is defined between the upper cover 111 and the lower cover 112 for accommodating therein the circuit board 113. An end of the DC power cable 14 includes a coupler head 141 and two conductive terminals 142 serving as positive and negative electrodes. For assembling the power adapter 11, the circuit board 113 is received in the lower cover 112, and then the conductive terminals 142 of the DC power cable 14 are coupled to the circuit board 113. Then, the upper cover 111 is combined with the lower cover 112 by using for example an ultrasonic welding operation or a fastening operation. When the upper cover 111 and the lower cover 112 are combined together, the first notch 1110 of the upper cover 111 and the second notch 1120 of the lower cover 112 are sheathed around a receiving portion 143.
By means of the power adapter 11, the regulated DC output voltages will be transmitted to the electronic device 16 through the DC power cable 14 and the DC plug 15. However, a special consideration should be taken to secure the DC power cable 14. As shown FIG. 1(c), a strap 17 is used to secure a bundled DC power cable 14 for storage. Under this circumstance, a bent portion 18 is readily formed at the interface between the output terminals of the main body 11 and the DC power cable 14. Generally, the bundled DC power cable 14, which is suspended over the main body 11, results in an inferior appearance and occupies a lot of space.
FIG. 1(a) is a schematic perspective view of a conventional power adapter to be used in a notebook computer;
FIG. 1(b) is a partial schematic exploded view illustrating the power adapter of FIG. 1(a);
FIG. 1(c) is a schematic assembled view of the power adapter;
FIG. 2(a) is a schematic exploded view of a power adapter according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2(b) is a schematic assembled view of the power adapter shown in FIG. 2(a);
FIG. 2(c) is a partial schematic cross-sectional view of the power adapter shown in FIG. 2(b);
FIG. 2(d) is a partial schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the assembled power adapter;
FIG. 2(e) is a schematic perspective view illustrating the assembled power adapter;
FIG. 3(a) is a schematic perspective view of a power adapter according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3(b) is a partial schematic cross-sectional view of the power adapter shown in FIG. 3(a);
FIG. 3(c) is a partial schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the assembled power adapter shown in FIG. 3(a); and
FIG. 3(d) is a schematic perspective view illustrating the assembled power adapter shown in FIG. 3(a).
Referring to FIG. 2(a), a schematic exploded view of a power adapter according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The power adapter 20 of FIG. 2(a) comprises a main body 21, a locking member 22, a circuit board 25 and a power cable coupler head 27. The main body 21 includes a first cover 211 and a second cover 212. As shown in FIG. 2(b), when the first cover 211 and the second cover 212 are combined together by using for example an ultrasonic welding operation or a fastening operation, a closed space is defined between the first cover 211 and the second cover 212 for accommodating the circuit board 25 therein. In addition, the main body 21 has an opening 213 corresponding to the power cable coupler head 27.
A socket 26 is mounted on the circuit board 25 and faces to the opening 213 of the main body 21. The socket 26 has a hollow portion, and a conductive terminal 261 is received within the hollow portion. An end of the conductive terminal 261 is electrically connected to the circuit board 25 (as is shown in FIG. 2(c)), and the other end of the conductive terminal 261 is electrically connected to the power cable coupler head 27. The AC voltage transmitted from the external power source is converted by the circuitry of the printed circuit board 25 into regulated DC output voltages and transmitted to the electronic device (not shown).
FIG. 2(c) is a partial schematic cross-sectional view of the power adapter shown in FIG. 2(b). FIG. 2(d) is a partial schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the assembled power adapter. As shown in FIG. 2(c) and FIG. 2(d), the power cable coupler head 27 is a hollow tube having a first end coupled to a power cable 28 and a second end detachably coupled to the first locking part 23 and the second locking part 24 of the locking member 22. The power cable coupler head 27 has a first protrusion element 271 and a second protrusion element 272 disposed on opposite sides thereof. The power cable coupler head 27 further includes a receiving part 273 corresponding to the conductive terminal 261 of the socket 26. A conducting part 274 is disposed on the inner wall of the power cable coupler head 27 to be electrically connected to the conductive terminal 261 of the socket 26.
Please refer to FIGS. 2(b), 2(c) and 2(d). The locking member 22 is detachably coupled to the power cable coupler head 27 by rotation. Firstly, the power cable coupler head 27 is inserted into the perforation 222 such that the first protrusion element 271 and the second protrusion element 272 are in contact with the connecting portions between the first locking part 23, the second locking part 24, the first cover 211 and the second cover 212. Then, the power cable coupler head 27 is rotated such that the first protrusion element 271 is rotated to the first recess 231 of the first locking part 23 and the second protrusion element 272 is rotated to the second recess 241 of the second locking part 24. The widths of the first recess 231 and the second recess 241 are substantially identical to the outer diameters of the first protrusion element 271 and the second protrusion element 272. After the first protrusion element 271 and the second protrusion element 272 are rotated to the terminals of the first recess 231 and the second recess 241, the power cable coupler head 27 is firmly secured to the locking member 22, as is shown in FIG. 2(e). Meanwhile, the conducting part 274 of the power cable coupler head 27 is electrically connected to the conductive terminal 261 of the socket 26, thereby transmitting the AC voltage from the power cable 28 to the circuit board 25 in a case that the power cable 28 is an AC power cable. Alternatively, in a case that the power cable 28 is a DC power cable, the DC output voltage regulated by the circuit board 25 will be transmitted to the electronic device through the power cable 28. Since the power cable coupler head 27 is firmly secured to the locking member 22, the power cable coupler head 27 is not easily separated from the main body 21 in response to an external force if the power adapter 20 is hung on the wall, thereby avoiding abrupt power interruption.
A further embodiment of a power adapter is illustrated in FIGS. 3(a)˜3(d). In this embodiment, the main body 21, the first cover 211, the second cover 212, the locking member 22, the circuit board 25, the socket 26, the conductive terminal 261 and the power cable coupler head 27 included therein are similar to those shown in FIGS. 2(a)˜2(e), and are not redundantly described herein.
a main body including an opening;
a locking member arranged on said main body and including a perforation, which is communicated with said opening; and
a power cable coupler head rotatably locked and detachably connected to said locking member such that a portion of said power cable coupler head is penetrated through said perforation and said opening to be coupled with said main body.
2. The power adapter according to claim 1 wherein said main body includes a first cover and a second cover, and a closed space is defined between said first cover and said second cover for accommodating a circuit board therein.
3. The power adapter according to claim 2 wherein a socket is mounted on said circuit board and faces to said opening of said main body, and a conductive terminal is received within said socket to be electrically connected to said power cable coupler head.
4. The power adapter according to claim 3 wherein said power cable coupler head further includes a receiving part to be electrically connected to said conductive terminal.
5. The power adapter according to claim 1 wherein said locking member includes a first locking part and a second locking part, and said first locking part and said second locking part include a first recess and a second recess, respectively, wherein a gap is formed between said first locking part and said second locking part.
6. The power adapter according to claim 5 wherein said power cable coupler head further includes a first protrusion element and a second protrusion element to be embedded within said first recess and said second recess, respectively, such that said power cable coupler head is penetrated through said perforation and said opening to be coupled with said main body.
7. The power adapter according to claim 1 wherein an inner thread is formed on the inner wall of said perforation of said locking member.
8. The power adapter according to claim 7 wherein said power cable coupler head has an external thread mating with said inner thread of said locking member.
9. A power adapter comprising:
a locking member arranged on said main body and including a first locking part and a second locking part, which have a first recess and a second recess, respectively, and a gap and a perforation are defined between said first locking part and said second locking part, wherein said perforation is communicated with said opening; and
a power cable coupler head including a first protrusion element and a second protrusion element to be embedded within said first recess and said second recess, respectively, such that said power cable coupler head is rotatably locked to said locking member and penetrated through said perforation and said opening to be detachably coupled with said main body.
10. The power adapter according to claim 9 wherein said main body includes a first cover and a second cover, and a closed space is defined between said first cover and said second cover for accommodating a circuit board therein.
11. The power adapter according to claim 10 wherein a socket is mounted on said circuit board and faces to said opening of said main body, and a conductive terminal is received within said socket to be electrically connected to said power cable coupler head.
12. The power adapter according to claim 11 wherein said power cable coupler head further includes a receiving part to be electrically connected to said conductive terminal.
13. A power adapter comprising:
a locking member arranged on said main body and including a perforation, wherein said perforation is communicated with said opening, and an inner thread is formed on the inner wall of said perforation of said locking member; and
a power cable coupler head having an external thread rotatably locked with said inner thread of said locking member such that a portion of said power cable coupler head is penetrated through said perforation and said opening to be detachably coupled with said main body.
14. The power adapter according to claim 13 wherein said main body includes a first cover and a second cover, and a closed space is defined between said first cover and said second cover for accommodating a circuit board therein.
15. The power adapter according to claim 14 wherein a socket is mounted on said circuit board and faces to said opening of said main body, and a conductive terminal is received within said socket to be electrically connected to said power cable coupler head.
16. The power adapter according to claim 15 wherein said power cable coupler head further includes a receiving part to be electrically connected to said conductive terminal.
Publication number: 20070298664
Patent Grant number: 7503809
Inventors: Chung-Ju Tsai (Taoyuan Hsien), Chien-Hua Chiao (Taoyuan Hsien)
Application Number: 11/555,527
Current U.S. Class: Having Only Push-pull-engaging Contacts Spaced Along Longitudinal Axis Of Engagement (e.g., Jack-type Receptacle Or Plug) (439/668)