JP2014517400A - System for connecting portable device to device, docking device having the same system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for connecting a mobile device to an apparatus. The system has a bracket (22) for receiving a plug (21) intended to connect a portable device. The system also includes:-a first rotating mechanism for rotating the bracket (22) relative to the first axis (A1);-relative to the second axis (A2) orthogonal to the first axis (A1). A second rotating mechanism for rotating the bracket (22) and a sliding mechanism for moving the bracket (22) along a third axis (A3) parallel to the second axis (A2). This system defines a universal docking mechanism that allows a user to easily dock various portable devices with plugs of different sizes and locations and orientations (eg, micro USB sockets) .

Description

  The present invention relates to a system for connecting a mobile device to an apparatus.

  The present invention also relates to an apparatus having the system.

  The invention can be used, for example, in the field of portable devices adapted to be connected to a docking station.

  Recently, many portable devices such as mobile phones, MP3 / MP4 players, PC tablets, transfer various multimedia, audio / video data that will be played on the device to charge the battery. Therefore, it is used in combination with a docking device such as a docking speaker. However, because these portable devices are developed by different companies, the design (size, thickness ...) of these portable devices varies greatly from model to model, and the connectivity of these portable devices to the devices May have an impact. The electrical connection between the portable device and the device is in most cases according to a given standard, for example the USB standard by using a male USB connector of the device cooperating with a USB female connector of the portable device, for example. However, there is no standard regarding the position of these connectors in portable devices. As a result, a connection between a given mobile device and a given device may not always be possible. For example, this is the case when the orientation of the connector of the portable device is not the same as the orientation of the connector of the device (eg, the connector is turned over). Further, even when the connection between the portable device and the device is possible, as shown in FIG. 1 where the connectors are placed at different locations on the sides of the different portable devices, the position of the connector of the portable device is If it does not match the position of the connector on the device, the connected device may not be properly centered with respect to the device in the connected state, adversely affecting the aesthetics of the assembly.

  The object of the present invention is to propose an improved system for connecting a portable device to a device.

  The invention is defined by the independent claims. The dependent claims define advantageous embodiments.

To achieve this object, the system according to the invention has a bracket for receiving a plug intended to connect the portable device. The system further:
A first rotation mechanism for rotating the bracket relative to the first axis;
A second rotating mechanism for rotating the bracket relative to a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and for moving the bracket along a third axis parallel to the second axis. A slide mechanism.

  This system defines a universal docking mechanism that allows users to easily dock various portable devices with plugs of different sizes and locations and orientations (eg, micro USB sockets).

  Detailed description and other aspects of the invention are given below.

Certain aspects of the present invention will now be described with reference to the embodiments described below and discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which identical parts or sub-steps are similarly indicated.
FIG. 1 shows the plug arrangement of two different portable devices. FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of a first embodiment of the system according to the invention. FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a system according to the invention. FIG. 4 shows an enlarged sectional view of a first embodiment of the system according to the invention. FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the system according to the invention in two different positions. FIG. 6 shows an exploded view of a second embodiment of the system according to the invention. FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the system according to the invention. FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the system according to the invention. FIG. 9 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the system according to the invention. FIG. 10 shows a third cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the system according to the invention.

  The present invention relates to a system for connecting a mobile device to an apparatus. A portable device may correspond to any device adapted to be connected to a device that acts as a docking station, such as an MP3 / MP4 player, a PC tablet or the like. A portable device is intended to be docked to a device to transfer various multimedia, audio / video data that will be played on the device, for example, to charge a battery.

The system according to the present invention has a cradle having a plug attached thereto for connection to a portable device. the system:
A first rotation mechanism for rotating the bracket relative to the first axis;
A second rotating mechanism for rotating the bracket relative to a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and for moving the bracket along a third axis parallel to the second axis. A slide mechanism.

  2 and 6 show exploded views of the first and second embodiments of the system according to the present invention, respectively. The first axis is indicated by A1, and the cradle can rotate about the first axis A1, as indicated by the double arrow R1. The second axis is indicated by A2. The cradle can rotate about the second axis A2, as indicated by the double arrow R2. Also, the cradle can move along the third axis A3 as indicated by the double arrow T, and the third axis A3 coincides with the second axis A2 in this first embodiment. As will be explained below, the system according to the invention allows the bracket to operate with a combination of rotation R1 / R2 and translation T.

  The plug attached to the cradle may correspond to a plug conforming to the USB standard, such as a micro USB plug. For clarity, the wires attached to the plug are not shown in the various drawings.

  2, 3 and 4 depict a first embodiment of the system according to the invention. 2 depicts an exploded view, FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional view, and FIG. 4 depicts an enlarged cross-sectional view. For clarity, only the device cabinet 19 is drawn, which may correspond to the top surface of the device.

The first rotation mechanism is:
-Bracket 12,
A cover element 15 used to close the lower part of the bracket 12,
A shaft portion S connected to the plug 11, the plug being intended to be connected to a portable device. The shaft portion S cooperates with a hole formed in the cover element 15 to form a connection that extends below the bracket 12 and is rotatable with respect to the first axis A1. Preferably, the shaft portion S is cylindrical in order to facilitate rotation about the first axis A1.

  The first rotation mechanism allows the user to manually rotate the plug 11 about the first axis A1.

The second rotation mechanism is:
A support element 18 intended to be fixed to the cabinet 19;
A shaft 16 extending through the two holes of the support element 18; The shaft 16 is held in place with respect to the support element 18 by, for example, two C clips 114. The shaft 16 cooperates with the bracket via an extension leg EL formed at the rear of the bracket, and the extension leg EL has a hole for receiving the shaft. Thus, the shaft 16 and the extension leg EL form a connection that is rotatable relative to the second axis.

The slide mechanism is:
A support element 18,
A shaft 16; The shaft 16 cooperates with the bracket via the extension leg EL so that the bracket can translate along the third axis A3.

  Thus, the shaft 16 not only allows the bracket to rotate, but also allows it to translate along the second axis A2.

  Advantageously, the first rotating mechanism of the first embodiment according to the present invention is adapted to rotate the plug at a predetermined angle 180 degrees away from the first axis A1. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 4, the shaft portion S has two flat regions F1 / F2 arranged around the shaft portion S on opposite sides. The first rotation mechanism also has a spring 13, preferably U-shaped, which is arranged in the cavity formed by the bracket and cover element 15. The spring 13 is sandwiched radially between the two flat regions F1 / F2 so that the shaft portion S can be easily stabilized at a predetermined angular position about the first axis A1, preferably 0 or 180 degrees. Create power. Thus, the plug 11 along with the shaft portion S can be manually rotated by the user 180 degrees around the center of the bracket relative to the first axis A1, so that the portable device can be easily connected to the plug 11.

  Advantageously, the first rotating mechanism of the first embodiment according to the invention has a metal clip 14 arranged between the bracket and the cover element in order to hold the spring 13 in place.

  Advantageously, as depicted in the two cross sections AA of FIG. 5, based on FIG. 3, the first rotating mechanism of the first embodiment according to the invention is for limiting the rotation within a range of 180 degrees. Have the device. For this purpose, the device has a rib RB1 of the cover element 15 and a rib RB2 of the shaft part S, the rib RB1 functioning as a stopper for the rib RB2. This makes it impossible for the user to rotate the plug many times in the same direction around the first axis A1, which can damage the wires connected to the plug. The left cross section shows a plug at an angular position of 0 degrees, and the right cross section shows a plug at an angular position of 180 degrees.

  Advantageously, the second rotation mechanism of the first embodiment according to the invention comprises a torsion spring 17 or a plurality of torsion springs, in which a shaft 16 is arranged and free. Can be rotated. The first end of the torsion spring comes into contact with the bracket, and the second end of the torsion spring comes into contact with the cabinet 19. As a result, the torsion spring creates a force that forces the bracket 12 to rotate clockwise about the second axis A2. This allows the portable device 112 to lean firmly against the support 110 attached to the device, preferably via the rubber bumper 111, regardless of size and thickness when connected to the plug. To. It is noted that the support 110 may not necessarily be a separate part, as shown here, but may be part of the device cabinet itself.

  Advantageously, the first embodiment of the system according to the invention comprises a device for concealing the hollow part of the device for which the plug is intended to translate along a third axis A3. This is intended to provide a good aesthetic effect. For this purpose, the device has a seat element 113 for covering the hollow part. The seat element 113 is attached to the plug 11 or the shaft portion S. For example, the sheet element 113 is made of a soft material such as rubber or plastic. The seat element 113 can slide with the plug just below the surface of the cabinet 19. Thus, the length of the seat element 113 ensures that when the plug is translated to the rightmost side of the hollow part, the sheet element 113 can still cover the leftmost side of the hollow part and vice versa. About twice the length of the hole formed in

  Figures 6 to 10 depict a second embodiment of the system according to the invention. 6 depicts an exploded view, FIG. 7 depicts the first cross section, FIG. 8 depicts the second cross section, FIG. 9 depicts the enlarged cross section, and FIG. 10 depicts the third cross section. For clarity, only the device cabinet 29 is depicted, which may correspond to the top surface of the device.

The first rotation mechanism is:
-Bracket 22,
A shaft portion S connected to the plug 21, the plug being intended to be connected to a portable device. The shaft portion S cooperates with a hole formed in the bracket 22 so as to extend below the bracket 22 and form a connection that is rotatable with respect to the first axis A1. A clip 24 holds the lower portion of the shaft portion S in place to prevent the shaft portion S from falling out of the bracket 22. Preferably, the shaft portion S is cylindrical in order to facilitate rotation about the first axis A1.

  The first rotation mechanism allows the user to manually rotate the plug 21 relative to the first axis A1.

The second rotation mechanism is:
A bracket 22, on which two cylindrical arm portions AR1 and AR2 extend, as better shown in FIGS.
-Having a front element 25 and a rear element 215 cooperating with each other so as to surround the bracket 22, for example using a self-clip male / female assembly. In particular, the side walls of the front element 25 and the rear element 215 surround the two cylindrical arm portions AR1 and AR2 so as to form a hinge that allows rotation with respect to the second axis A2, the second axis being It passes through the centers of the cylindrical arm portions AR1 and AR2.

The slide mechanism is:
A support element 28 intended to be fixed to the cabinet 29, for example by means of screws SW;
A shaft 26 extending through two holes H1 / H2 formed on the rear side of the support element 28; The shaft 26 defines a third axis A3 that is parallel to the second axis A2. The shaft 26 is held in place with the support element 28 by, for example, two C-clips 216. The shaft 26 cooperates with the rear element 215 via an extension leg EL arranged behind the rear element 215. A hole is formed in the extension leg EL to receive the shaft 26 so that the rear element 215 can translate relative to the shaft 26 along the third axis A3. Since the rear element 215 is attached to the front element 25 surrounding the bracket 22, this device also allows the plug to translate along the third axis A3 relative to the shaft 26.

  Advantageously, similar to the first embodiment according to the present invention, the first rotating mechanism of the second embodiment according to the present invention has the plug at a predetermined angle 180 degrees away from the first axis A1. Adapted to rotate. To achieve this objective, as shown in FIG. 9, the shaft portion S has two flat regions F1 / F2 formed and arranged opposite to each other around the shaft portion S. The first rotation mechanism also has a spring 23, preferably U-shaped, which is arranged in the cavity formed by the front element 25 and the rear element 215. The spring 23 is sandwiched radially between the two flat regions F1 / F2 so that the shaft portion S can be easily stabilized at a predetermined angular position about the first axis A1, preferably 0 or 180 degrees. Create power. The spring 23 is preferably disposed between the clip 24 and the bracket 22 so that the clip 24 holds the spring 23 in place. Thus, the plug 21 along with the shaft portion S can be manually rotated by the user 180 degrees around the center of the bracket relative to the first axis A1, so that the portable device can be easily connected to the plug 21.

  Advantageously, the first rotating mechanism of the second embodiment according to the invention comprises a device for limiting the rotation within a range of 180 degrees. In order to achieve this purpose, the device has a rib RB1 of the front element 25 and a rib RB2 of the shaft part S, the rib RB1 for the rib RB2 to prevent the plug from rotating more than 180 degrees. Functions as a stopper. This makes it impossible for the user to rotate the plug many times in the same direction around the first axis A1, which can damage the wires connected to the plug. This preferred solution is implemented in a manner similar to that shown in FIG.

  Advantageously, the second rotating mechanism of the second embodiment according to the present invention comprises a set of torsion springs 27 in which the cylindrical arm portions AR1 and AR2 are arranged and can rotate freely. Have. The first end of the torsion spring comes into contact with the bracket 22, and the second end of the torsion spring comes into contact with the bottom of the front element 25. As a result, the torsion spring creates a force such that the bracket 22 is forced to rotate clockwise about the second axis A2. This allows the portable device 212 to lean firmly against the support 210 attached to the device, preferably via the rubber bumper 211, regardless of size and thickness when connected to the plug. To. It is noted that the support 210 may not necessarily be a separate part, as shown here, but may be part of the device cabinet itself.

  Advantageously, the second embodiment of the system according to the invention comprises a mechanism for preventing the plug from rotating about the third axis A3. For this purpose, the support element 28 has a groove G formed in the front part of the front element 25, which has a rib RB3 in its front part. The rib RB3 is intended to enter the groove regardless of the position of the front element 25 along the third axis A3.

  Advantageously, a second embodiment of the system according to the invention comprises a device for concealing the hollow part of the device for which the plug is intended to translate along a third axis A3. This device is intended to provide a good aesthetic effect. For this purpose, the device has two rollers 214 attached to the support element 28 and a rubber band 213 which can rotate around the rollers. The rubber band 213 is attached to the plug 21 or the shaft portion S in the hole HP formed in the rubber band. As the plug translates along the third axis, the device also translates the rubber band so that the hollow portion is always hidden.

  Advantageously, a second embodiment of the system according to the invention comprises a device for imparting rigidity to the rubber band 213. For this purpose, the device has a support strip 221 attached to the support element 28 via holes H1 / H2. The support strip extends just below the rubber band 213 and overlaps the rubber band without excess to prevent the rubber band from contacting the rear element 215 during the translational movement of the plug.

  Advantageously, a second embodiment of the system according to the invention comprises a device for positioning the horizontal position of the portable device when connected to a plug. For this purpose, the device has a support bar consisting of a lower support bar 217 and an upper support bar 220 that cooperate with each other and are attached to the shaft portion S, for example via a male / female self-clip connection. The device also has a set of knobs 218 housed within the support bar and a set of pistons 219 that cooperate with the knobs. When a given knob 218 is rotated by the user, the associated piston 219 has a first as shown by arrows UD1 / UD2 in FIG. 10 until the portable device 212 is horizontally supported by the associated piston. It is moved up or down vertically in a direction parallel to the axis A1. This prevents the plug 21 from being damaged by excessive tilting because the weight of the portable device is applied to the piston side.

  The system according to the invention can be advantageously implemented in a docking device (eg a docking station) for docking any portable device of the type described above. The system according to the invention can be implemented, for example, in docking speakers, audio products such as micro and mini systems, clock radios, CD sound machines with docks, etc. In particular, the system according to the invention can be applied to any electrical product with a portable device dock that uses a micro USB socket to charge and / or transfer data and / or transfer audio or video signals. Can be used.

The above-described embodiments described herein are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the technical approach of the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical approach of the present invention may be modified or equivalent without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical approach of the present invention. It will be understood that an object can be substituted. This technical approach of the present invention falls within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention. In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims (8)

A system for connecting a portable device to a device, the system comprising a bracket for receiving a plug intended to connect the portable device, the system comprising:
A first rotating mechanism for rotating the bracket relative to a first axis;
A second rotating mechanism for rotating the bracket relative to a second axis, wherein the second axis is orthogonal to the first axis, and a second rotating mechanism and a third axis A slide mechanism for moving the bracket along the slide axis, wherein the third axis is parallel to the second axis.
system. The first rotation mechanism is adapted to rotate the plug at a predetermined angle 180 degrees away from the first axis;
The system of claim 1. The first rotation mechanism includes a device that limits the rotation within a range of 180 degrees.
The system of claim 1. The second rotation mechanism includes a torsion spring that generates a force that causes the bracket to be forced to rotate clockwise around the second axis.
The system of claim 1. Further comprising a device for concealing a hollow portion of the device intended to move the plug along the third axis during movement of the bracket along the third axis;
The system of claim 1. A mechanism for preventing the plug from rotating about the third axis;
The system of claim 1. A device for positioning the portable device with respect to a horizontal position when the portable device is connected to the plug;
The system of claim 1. A docking device for docking a mobile device,
The docking device has the system according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
Docking device.

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