JP6134827B1 - Docking device and electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

A docking device and a portable information device capable of reliably connecting a connector to a plurality of types of portable information devices provided with connection terminals on a side surface and ensuring high versatility. An electronic device including a docking device is provided.
A docking device 10 has a side wall portion 38b that stands on a side portion of a device placement portion 36 and faces a side surface of a portable information device 12 or the like placed on the device placement portion 36. It can be connected to the connection terminal 26 provided on the side surface 16a of the portable information device 12 etc. that is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat from the portion 38 and the side wall portion 38b of the connection mechanism portion 38. Connector 30 and a lifting mechanism 54 that is provided in the connection mechanism portion 38 and moves the connector 30 up and down.
[Selection] Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to a docking device to which a portable information device can be attached and detached, and an electronic device including the portable information device and the docking device.

  In portable information devices that are light and compact in consideration of portability, their functions are often limited. For example, a notebook personal computer (notebook PC) may be reduced in weight and thickness by limiting functions. For such a notebook PC, a docking device is provided as a dedicated device for expanding functions. The docking device expands its function by being connected to a notebook PC by a connector.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, a connector that is connected to a connection terminal formed on the bottom surface of a notebook PC is provided in a protruding manner on a device mounting portion on which the bottom surface of the docking device lands. As a result, the notebook PC and the docking device are connected to each other by placing the notebook PC on the device placement section.

JP 2010-257202 A

  In recent years, a convertible PC that can be used as a normal notebook PC or a tablet PC has been proposed by configuring the display so that it can be reversed 360 degrees. In a portable information device such as a convertible PC or a notebook PC that is further reduced in thickness, it may be difficult to provide a connection terminal on the bottom surface. Therefore, in this type of portable information device, a connection terminal is provided on the side surface, and an external extension device is cable-connected to the connection terminal on the side surface.

  However, in the case of a configuration in which the extension device is connected by a cable, it is necessary for the user to connect the connector at the end of the cable after visually confirming the position of the connection terminal of the portable information device. For this reason, convenience is low compared with the conventional docking apparatus which can be positioned by mounting a portable information device in an apparatus mounting part.

  Therefore, a configuration in which a horizontal connector is provided on the side of the device mounting portion of the docking device and connected to a connection terminal provided on the side surface of the portable information device can be considered. However, portable information devices have different housing thicknesses depending on their models and specifications, and naturally the height positions of the connection terminals from the bottom surface also differ. For this reason, if the docking device is simply provided with a horizontal connector, the docking device becomes a dedicated product for a portable information device of a predetermined specification and lacks versatility.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described problems of the prior art, and can reliably perform connector connection even for a plurality of types of portable information devices having connection terminals provided on the side surfaces. It is an object of the present invention to provide a docking device capable of ensuring versatility, a portable information device, and an electronic device including the docking device.

  A docking device according to the present invention is a docking device provided with a device placement unit for placing a portable information device, and stands on a side of the device placement unit and is placed on the device placement unit. A connection mechanism portion having a wall portion facing the side surface of the portable information device, and a portable information device mounted on the device placement portion, which can be moved forward and backward from the wall portion of the connection mechanism portion. It is characterized by comprising a connector connectable to a connection terminal provided on a side surface, and an elevating mechanism provided in the connection mechanism section and elevating and lowering the connector in the vertical direction.

  According to such a configuration, for example, when a portable information device having a plurality of specifications having a connection terminal whose height position from the bottom surface varies depending on the thickness of the main body casing of the portable information device, the lifting mechanism is used. The height position of the connector can be set to a desired height position. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably connect the connector that advances and retracts from the wall portion of the connection mechanism portion to a plurality of types of portable information devices having connection terminals provided on the side surfaces, and high versatility is obtained.

  A positioning portion for positioning a position of the portable information device in the front-rear direction on the device placement portion by contacting a rear end surface of the portable information device placed on the device placement portion; and the connector The structure provided with the moving mechanism to which it moves to the front-back direction may be sufficient. Then, when mounting a plurality of specifications of the portable information device having connection terminals with different distances from the rear end surface as well as the height position from the bottom surface of the portable information device, the position of the connector in the front-rear direction is determined by the moving mechanism. Can be set to position. As a result, the specifications of portable information devices that can be connected to the docking device increase, and higher versatility can be obtained.

  A configuration may be provided that includes a link mechanism that interlocks the operations of the elevating mechanism and the moving mechanism and sets the vertical position and the front-rear direction position of the connector in a correlated manner. If it does so, the front-back direction position and the up-down direction position of a connector will correspond on a one-to-one basis. Therefore, the connector can be smoothly and surely arranged at the set position according to the specification of the height position from the bottom surface of the connection terminal and the distance from the rear end surface for each portable information device, and high operability and Versatility is obtained.

  The link mechanism may have a plurality of setting positions for positioning the vertical position and the front-back direction position of the connector. Then, when a portable information device having a plurality of specifications is attached to one docking device, the connector can be set to a desired position smoothly and easily.

  The link mechanism includes a link pin that can be moved up and down integrally with the connector, a front and rear inclined surface on which one end side of the link pin can slide, and a pin that positions and holds the link pin at a predetermined position. The structure which has the holding member provided with two or more on the said inclined surface may be sufficient. If it does so, the front-back direction position and vertical direction position of a connector can be made to respond | correspond on a one-to-one basis with a simple structure.

  The connector and the link pin are supported in a state in which the connector and the link pin are not relatively movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the housing of the connection mechanism unit, and the vertical direction with respect to the housing of the connection mechanism unit via the lifting mechanism. The cam member is fixed integrally with the device mounting portion, and the moving mechanism moves the housing of the connection mechanism portion in the front-rear direction with respect to the device mounting portion. And a link pin that moves in the front-rear direction together with the housing when the housing of the connection mechanism portion moves in the front-rear direction via the slide portion. The structure which slides may be sufficient.

  The connector is configured to be rotatably supported relative to the housing of the connection mechanism portion by a rotation shaft provided along the advancing / retreating direction of the connection mechanism portion from the wall portion. May be. Then, it becomes possible to connect the connector to the connection terminal more smoothly.

  An electronic device according to the present invention includes the docking device having the above-described configuration and the portable information device.

  In the docking device, the connector can be rotated relative to the housing of the connection mechanism portion by a rotation shaft provided along the advancing and retreating direction of the connector from the wall portion of the connection mechanism portion. And a guide pin that is pivotable integrally with the connector by a pivot shaft on the side of the connector, and the portable information device can have the guide pin inserted on its side surface. The guide pin and the guide hole may be provided with magnets having polarities that can be attracted to each other. Then, the guide pins are more smoothly inserted into the guide holes by the mutual magnet action, so that the connector can be reliably positioned with respect to the connection terminals, and the connector can be more smoothly connected to the connection terminals. .

  According to the present invention, the height position of the connector can be set to a desired height position. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably connect the connector that advances and retracts from the wall portion of the connection mechanism portion to a plurality of types of portable information devices having connection terminals provided on the side surfaces, and high versatility is obtained.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view in a state where a docking device and a portable information device according to an embodiment of the present invention are separated. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the docking device with a portable information device attached thereto. FIG. 3 is a side view of the portable information device. FIG. 4 is a side view of a portable information device having a different specification from that of the portable information device shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the connection mechanism section. 6 is a side view schematically showing the movable state of the connector in the connection mechanism section, and FIG. 6 (A) is a diagram showing a state in which the connector is arranged at the first setting position. FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating a state where the connector is disposed at the second setting position, and FIG. 6C is a diagram illustrating a state where the connector is disposed at the third setting position. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration example of the internal structure of the connection mechanism section. FIG. 8 is a schematic explanatory view showing the interlocking operation of the moving mechanism and the lifting mechanism by the link mechanism at the first setting position, FIG. 8A is a partial sectional plan view, and FIG. FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic explanatory view showing the interlocking operation of the moving mechanism and the lifting mechanism by the link mechanism at the second setting position, FIG. 9A is a partial sectional plan view, and FIG. FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic explanatory view showing the interlocking operation of the moving mechanism and the lifting mechanism by the link mechanism at the third setting position, FIG. 10 (A) is a partially sectional plan view, and FIG. FIG. FIGS. 11A and 11B are schematic explanatory views showing the advance / retreat operation of the connector by the advance / retreat mechanism. FIG. 11A is a partial cross-sectional plan view, and FIG. 11B is a partial cross-sectional side view. FIG. 12 is an explanatory view schematically showing a configuration example in which the connector and the guide pin are swingably supported by the rotation shaft, and FIG. FIG. 12 (B) is a diagram showing a swinging state.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a docking device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings by giving preferred embodiments in relation to a portable information device attached to and detached from the device.

  FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a docking device 10 and a portable information device 12 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view of the portable information device 12, and FIG. 4 is a side view of a portable information device 12A having different specifications from the portable information device 12 shown in FIG.

  The docking device 10 according to the present embodiment is detachable from, for example, a portable information device 12 that is a notebook PC. The docking device 10 expands its functions such as connecting the attached portable information device 12 to a plurality of peripheral devices and networks, and the electronic device according to the present embodiment is configured by the docking device 10 and the portable information device 12. Is built. The docking device 10 can also be used for expanding portable information devices other than notebook PCs, and may be used for expanding functions of, for example, tablet PCs, mobile phones, smartphones, electronic notebooks, and the like.

  Hereinafter, based on the state where the portable information device 12 is mounted on the docking device 10 as shown in FIG. 2, the front side in FIG. 2 is the front side (front), the back side is the rear side (back), and the thickness of the docking device 10 is as follows. The direction is referred to as the up and down direction, and the width direction is referred to as the left and right direction.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a portable information device 12 as an example of an object to be connected to the docking device 10 includes a notebook PC having a configuration in which a display housing 18 is connected to a main body housing 16 by a hinge 20 so as to be opened and closed. It is. In the portable information device 12, a keyboard 22 is provided on the upper surface of the main body housing 16, and a display 24 is provided on the lower surface of the display housing 18. A connection terminal 26 and a pair of guide holes 28, 28 disposed on both sides of the connection terminal 26 are provided on the left side surface (side surface 16 a) of the main body housing 16.

  A connector 30 (see FIG. 1) of the docking device 10 can be connected to the connection terminal 26. By connecting the connector 30 to the connection terminal 26, various extended functions provided in the docking device 10 can be used in the portable information device 12.

  A pair of guide pins 32, 32 (see FIG. 1) provided on both sides of the connector 30 of the docking device 10 can be inserted into the pair of guide holes 28, 28. By inserting the guide pin 32 into the guide hole 28, the connector 30 is positioned on the connection terminal 26, and both are reliably and smoothly connected. The guide holes 28 and the guide pins 32 do not have to have two sets of configurations, and may have a set of configurations, for example. The docking device 10 and the portable information device 12 may be provided with a mechanism that mechanically connects the two, a lock mechanism that locks separation of the connected state, and the like.

  When the docking device 10 according to the present embodiment is placed on the docking device 10, for example, because the thickness of the portable information device 12 shown in FIG. It is also possible to attach or detach a portable information device 12A (see FIG. 4) having a different specification set so that the position 28 is different.

  For example, the distance from the rear end surface 16b of the main body casing 16 of the portable information device 12 shown in FIG. 3 to the center of the connection terminal 26 is a distance L1, and the height from the bottom surface 16c of the main body casing 16 to the center of the connection terminal 26 is set. This is referred to as height H1. Then, for example, in the portable information device 12A shown in FIG. 4, the distance L2 from the rear end surface 16b to the center of the connection terminal 26 is longer than the distance L1, and the height from the bottom surface 16c to the center of the connection terminal 26 is the height H1. Becomes a lower height H2.

  A portable information device (not shown) of another specification in which the connection terminal 26 is disposed at a position longer than the distance L2 and higher than the height H1 is also detachable from the docking device 10. That is, although details will be described later, the docking device 10 includes a mechanism for moving the position of the connector 30 up and down and back and forth. Thereby, the portable information apparatus of three specifications from which the arrangement | positioning of the connection terminal 26 specified by the distance from the rear-end surface 16b and the height from the bottom face 16c differs can be connected to the docking apparatus 10. FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the docking device 10 is used in a state where the main body housing 16 such as the portable information device 12 is placed, and the device placement portion 36 and the connection mechanism portion 38 are provided. Have.

  The device placement portion 36 is a thin box having a top surface that is large enough to place the rear half of the portable information device 12 and formed of synthetic resin or the like. The device mounting unit 36 includes a mounting table 36a that is inclined so that the height dimension gradually increases from the front side toward the rear side, and on which the bottom surface 16c of the portable information device 12 is landed. On the rear side of the mounting table 36a, a flank 36b formed one step lower than the mounting table 36a is provided. The escape surface 36b is a portion for avoiding the battery or the like when a battery or the like (not shown) protrudes from the rear lower surface of the portable information device 12.

  The connection mechanism section 38 has a casing 38a that is a rectangular parallelepiped box body having a height dimension larger than that of the device placement section 36 and formed of synthetic resin or the like. The connection mechanism unit 38 is provided to be movable in the front-rear direction at a position on the side of the device placement unit 36. The housing 38 a has a side wall (wall) 38 b that stands on the side of the device placement unit 36 and faces the side surface 16 a of the portable information device 12 placed on the device placement unit 36. The connector 30 and the guide pin 32 are provided so as to be able to advance and retract from the opening 39 formed in the side wall portion 38 b toward the side surface 16 a of the portable information device 12. An operation lever 40 for moving the connector 30 and the guide pin 32 forward and backward from the side wall 38b is provided on the upper surface of the housing 38a.

  On the rear side of the connection mechanism portion 38, there is provided a positioning housing 41 that is a rectangular parallelepiped box body having substantially the same height as the connection mechanism portion 38 and formed of synthetic resin or the like. The positioning housing 41 is integrally provided on the side portion of the device placement portion 36. A positioning member 42 projects from the side wall portion of the positioning housing 41 that faces the side surface 16 a of the portable information device 12. The positioning member 42 abuts and supports the rear end surface 16 b on the front surface when the portable information device 12 is placed on the device placement portion 36. That is, the positioning member 42 functions as a positioning unit that positions the front-rear direction position of the portable information device 12 (see FIG. 2).

  Next, the structure of the connection mechanism part 38 and the outline | summary of the raising / lowering operation | movement of the connector 30 and the movement operation | movement back and forth are demonstrated.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the connection mechanism unit 38. FIG. 6 is a side view schematically showing the movable state of the connector 30 in the connection mechanism portion 38, and FIG. 6 (A) is a view showing a state in which the connector 30 is arranged at the first setting position. 6B is a diagram illustrating a state where the connector 30 is disposed at the second setting position, and FIG. 6C is a diagram illustrating a state where the connector 30 is disposed at the third setting position.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, a cam member 46 is provided on the upper surface of the side edge of the mounting table 36 a of the device mounting unit 36 facing the connection mechanism unit 38. The cam member 46 is a narrow part extending in the front-rear direction, and its uppermost surface is set flush with the upper surface of the mounting table 36a (see also FIG. 6).

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, on the upper surface of the cam member 46, the first pin holding portion 46a, the second pin holding portion 46b, and the third pin having curved surfaces facing upward in order from the rear side to the front side. A pin holding portion 46c is provided. The third pin holding portion 46c is provided at the same or slightly lower position as the upper surface of the mounting table 36a, the first pin holding portion 46a is provided at a position lower than the third pin holding portion 46c, and the second pin holding portion 46b. Is provided at a position lower than the first pin holding portion 46a. The first pin holding portion 46a and the second pin holding portion 46b are connected by a first inclined surface 46d inclined forward and downward, and the second pin holding portion 46b and the third pin holding portion 46c are raised upward. Are connected by a second inclined surface 46e which is inclined in the direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the connection mechanism portion 38 includes a moving mechanism 50 that moves the connector 30 in the front-rear direction, an advance / retreat mechanism 52 that moves the connector 30 forward and backward from the side wall portion 38 b, and the connector 30 moves up and down. An elevating mechanism 54 to be moved, and a moving mechanism 50 and a link mechanism 56 for linking the operations of the elevating mechanism 54.

  The moving mechanism 50 is a mechanism that moves the connector 30 in the front-rear direction by moving the casing 38 a itself of the connection mechanism unit 38 in the front-rear direction with respect to the device placement unit 36. The moving mechanism 50 includes a pair of front and rear slide pins 58a and 58a that are provided on the upper surface of the protruding portion of the bottom surface portion (slide portion) 58 of the housing 38a toward the device placement portion 36. Each slide pin 58a is inserted into a longitudinal hole 59 formed in the device placement portion 36 and guided in the front-rear direction, whereby the casing 38a can be moved in the front-rear direction.

  The advancing / retreating mechanism 52 is a mechanism that integrally advances and retracts the connector 30 and the guide pin 32 from the opening 39 formed in the side wall 38b of the housing 38a. The advance / retreat mechanism 52 advances and retracts the connector 30 and the guide pin 32 from the opening 39 in accordance with the advance / retreat operation of the operation lever 40. The elevating mechanism 54 adjusts the connector 30 retreated in the housing 38 a by the advance / retreat mechanism 52 to the height position of the connection terminal 26 of the portable information equipment 12, 12 </ b> A placed on the equipment placement portion 36. Therefore, it is a mechanism that moves up and down in the vertical direction. Specific configuration examples of the advance / retreat mechanism 52 and the elevating mechanism 54 will be described later.

  The link mechanism 56 is a mechanism that correlatively sets the longitudinal position of the connector 30 that is moved by the moving mechanism 50 and the vertical position of the connector 30 that is lifted and lowered by the lifting mechanism 54. The link mechanism 56 has a one-to-one correspondence between the front-rear direction position and the vertical position of the connector 30 adjusted by the moving mechanism 50 and the elevating mechanism 54. The link mechanism 56 includes a link pin 60 projecting out of the casing 38a from a vertically long hole portion of the opening 39 of the side wall portion 38b formed in a substantially T shape, and a cam member 46 that moves the link pin 60 in the vertical direction. And have.

  The link pin 60 can be moved up and down integrally with the connector 30 by the elevating mechanism 54, and is restrained integrally with the housing 38a together with the connector 30 in the front and rear direction. The link pin 60 is elastically biased together with the connector 30 in the downward direction. The link pin 60 can move up and down in the vertical long hole portion of the opening 39, and its tip is slidably disposed on the upper surface of the cam member 46. When the casing 38a moves in the front-rear direction by the moving mechanism 50, the link pin 60 slides on the upper surface of the cam member 46 while moving in the front-rear direction. At this time, since the first inclined surface 46d and the like are formed on the upper surface of the cam member 46, the link pin 60 moves up and down along the inclined shape of the upper surface, and the connector 30 also moves up and down at the same time.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, in a state where the link pin 60 is held by the first pin holding portion 46a, the distance from the positioning member 42 to the center of the connector 30 is a distance La, and from the upper surface of the mounting table 36a to the connector The connector 30 is arranged at the first setting position where the height to the center of the height 30 becomes the height Ha. The distance La and the height Ha that define the first set position are set so as to coincide with the distance L1 and the height H1 of the portable information device 12 shown in FIG. 3, for example.

  Similarly, as shown in FIG. 6B, positioning is performed in a state where the link pin 60 descends from the first pin holding portion 46a while moving forward on the first inclined surface 46d and is held by the second pin holding portion 46b. The distance from the member 42 to the center of the connector 30 is the distance Lb, and the connector 30 is disposed at the second setting position where the height from the upper surface of the mounting table 36a to the center of the connector 30 is the height Hb. The distance Lb and the height Hb that define the second set position are set to coincide with the distance L2 and the height H2 of the portable information device 12A shown in FIG. 4, for example. Further, as shown in FIG. 6C, in the state in which the link pin 60 is lifted from the second pin holding portion 46b while moving forward on the second inclined surface 46e and is held by the third pin holding portion 46c, the positioning member The distance from 42 to the center of the connector 30 is the distance Lc, and the connector 30 is arranged at the third setting position where the height from the upper surface of the mounting table 36a to the center of the connector 30 is the height Hc. The distance Lc and the height Hc that define the third set position coincide with the set positions of the distance and height of the connection terminal 26 of a portable information device (not shown) having different specifications from the portable information devices 12 and 12A, for example. Is set to

  As described above, the cam member 46 that defines the position of the connector 30 in the up-down and front-back directions may be detachably fitted to the concave portion formed on the upper surface of the mounting table 36a. That is, the setting position of the connector 30 in the docking device 10 can be easily changed by exchanging cam members having different positions and heights of the pin holding portions and inclined surfaces. Further, the setting positions of the connector 30 by the cam member 46 may be configured to be two or four or more.

  Next, a specific configuration example of the connection mechanism unit 38 will be described.

  FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration example of the internal structure of the connection mechanism unit 38. FIGS. 8 to 10 are schematic explanatory views showing the interlocking operation of the moving mechanism 50 and the elevating mechanism 54 by the link mechanism 56 at the first to third setting positions. FIG. 8A is a partial sectional plan view. Each figure (B) is a partial sectional side view. FIGS. 11A and 11B are schematic explanatory views showing the advance / retreat operation of the connector 30 by the advance / retreat mechanism 52, FIG. 11A is a partially sectional plan view, and FIG. 11B is a partially sectional side view. .

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the housing 38 a of the connection mechanism unit 38 includes an outer box member 62 whose one side surface and bottom surface are open on the device mounting unit 36 side, and one side surface and bottom surface of the outer box member 62. It has the side wall part 38b and the bottom face part 58 which block. An inner box member 64 whose top surface and one side surface are open is fixed to the upper surface of the bottom surface portion 58 and accommodated in the outer box member 62.

  The advancing / retracting mechanism 52 includes an advancing / retracting member 66 that can be moved back and forth in the left-right direction on the bottom surface 58 and the upper surface of the inner box member 64, a swing arm 69 that can swing at the top of the housing 38a, and the operation lever 40. And have.

  The advance / retreat member 66 is a substantially L-shaped part in side view. The advancing / retracting member 66 is supported so as to be able to advance / retreat in the left / right direction with respect to the housing 38a by inserting a guide screw 67 screwed and fixed to the bottom surface portion 58 into the left / right elongated hole 66a. Constrained in direction. A pair of strut members 66b and 66b are erected on the upper and lower sides of the upper surface of the advancing / retreating member 66 on the proximal end side.

  The elevating mechanism 54 includes an elevating member 68 that is supported on the upper surface side of the advance / retreat member 66 so as to be movable up and down, and an elevating base 70 provided on the upper surface side of the elevating member 68.

  The elevating member 68 is a block-shaped component having a hollow shape inside. The elevating member 68 has a pair of upper and lower guide holes 68a and 68a through which the respective strut members 66b of the advance / retreat member 66 are slidably inserted. A substrate 72 is connected and fixed to the side surface of the elevating member 68 on the device mounting portion 36 side with a pair of front and rear boss-like projections interposed therebetween. The board 72 is an electronic board to which the connector 30 is connected, and the connector 30 and the guide pins 32 protrude from the back surface opposite to the lifting member 68 side. A hole 68b is formed in the lower portion of the side surface to which the substrate 72 of the elevating member 68 is connected. The base end side of the link pin 60 is inserted into the hole 68b so as to be slidable in the axial direction and is prevented from coming off. A concave escape portion 72 a that avoids interference with the link pin 60 is formed at the lower edge portion of the substrate 72.

  The elevating base 70 is a rectangular plate member having substantially the same outer shape as the elevating member 68. The raising / lowering base 70 is integrally fixed using the screw 71 with respect to the front-end | tip of the support | pillar member 66b which penetrated the upper and lower guide holes 68a of the raising / lowering member 68 (refer FIG. 7). Between the lower surface of the elevating base 70 and the upper surface of the elevating member 68, an elastic member 74 that constantly urges the elevating member 68 downward along the column member 66b is disposed (see FIG. 8B). . The elastic member 74 is, for example, a coil spring. The elevating member 68 is guided between the upper surface of the advance / retreat member 66 and the lower surface of the elevating base 70 so as to be movable up and down along the support member 66b, and is always urged in the downward direction by the elastic member 74.

  A long hole 70 a in the front-rear direction is formed in the upper surface of the elevating base 70. An action pin 69a of the swing arm 69 of the advance / retreat mechanism 52 is slidably inserted into the long hole 70a.

  The swing arm 69 includes an action pin 69a protruding downward from one end side, a drive pin 69b protruding upward from the back side of the action pin 69a, and the other end side opposite to the action pin 69a and the drive pin 69b side. A shaft hole 69c provided. The drive pin 69 b is inserted into the left and right elongated holes 62 a formed in the upper surface of the housing 38 a (outer box member 62) and is fitted to the operation lever 40. A shaft pin 76 is inserted into the shaft hole 69c, and the tip of the shaft pin 76 is fitted and fixed to a shaft mounting portion 62a provided on the top surface of the housing 38a (outer box member 62).

  Next, the mounting operation of the docking device 10 and the portable information device 12 will be described.

  In a state (initial state) before mounting the portable information device 12 or the like, the docking device 10 is in an initial position in which the operation lever 40 is retracted to the left (FIGS. 5, 8B, 9B), (See FIG. 10B). In this state, the advance / retreat member 66 is also in the initial position retracted to the left, and the connector 30 and the guide pin 32 are housed in the housing 38a.

  When the portable information device 12 or the like is attached to the docking device 10 in the initial state, first, specifications regarding the position of the connection terminal 26 of the portable information device to be attached, for example, the portable information device 12 shown in FIG. Alternatively, the connector 30 is moved to a set position corresponding to the front / rear vertical position corresponding to the set position of the connection terminal 26 of the portable information device 12A shown in FIG.

  For example, when the portable information device 12 having the connection terminal 26 in the first setting position is mounted, as shown in FIGS. 6 (A), 8 (A), and 8 (B), the moving mechanism 50 is used. The casing 38 a of the connection mechanism portion 38 is disposed at the position where the housing 38 a is most retracted in the front-rear direction, and the link pin 60 is held by the first pin holding portion 46 a of the cam member 46. For example, when the second pin holding portion 46b has the link pin 60, when the casing 38a is moved rearward, the link pin 60 slides on the first inclined surface 46d of the cam member 46 and moves up and down. The connector 30 and the guide pin 32 also move up through the board 72. When the link pin 60 is held by the first pin holding portion 46 a, the elevating member 68 is held at a position where it is moved up against the urging force of the elastic member 74. As a result, the connector 30 is disposed at the first setting position shown in FIGS. 6 (A), 8 (A), and 8 (B).

  For example, when the portable information device 12A with the connection terminal 26 in the second setting position is attached to the docking device 10 in the state where the connector 30 is in the first setting position, FIG. 6 (B) and FIG. 9A and 9B, the housing 38a of the connection mechanism portion 38 is moved forward via the moving mechanism 50, and the link pin 60 is held by the second pin holding portion 46b of the cam member 46. Let At this time, as the casing 38a moves forward, the link pin 60 moves downward while sliding on the first inclined surface 46d of the cam member 46 by the urging force of the elastic member 74 with respect to the elevating member 68. The connector 30 and the guide pin 32 are also moved downward via the board 72. As a result, the connector 30 is disposed at the second setting position shown in FIGS. 6B, 9A, and 9B.

  The same applies to the case where the portable information device having the connection terminal 26 in the third setting position is mounted. As shown in FIGS. 6C, 10A, and 10B, the moving mechanism 50 is used. Then, the casing 38 a of the connection mechanism portion 38 is moved in the front-rear direction, and the link pin 60 is held by the third pin holding portion 46 c of the cam member 46. Thereby, the connector 30 is arrange | positioned in the 3rd setting position shown to FIG. 6 (C), FIG. 10 (A), and FIG. 10 (B).

  Note that, for example, marks (not shown) indicating the first to third setting positions on the positions where the respective pin holding portions 46a to 46c of the cam member 46 are visible, for example, on the upper surface of the mounting table 36a close to the upper surface of the cam member 46. It is also effective to add. That is, for the portable information device 12 or the like, for example, a mark (not shown) indicating what setting position the portable information device 12 or the like has in the vicinity of the connection terminal 26 or the bottom surface 16c is attached. . Thereby, since each setting position of connector 30 of portable information equipment 12 grade is specified, convenience improves.

  In this way, after the placement of the connector 30 at the set position corresponding to the portable information device 12 or the like to be mounted is completed, the portable information device 12 or the like is subsequently placed on the placement table 36a. That is, the rear end surface 16 b of the portable information device 12 or the like is positioned by the positioning member 42, and the side surface 16 a is positioned on the side surface of the positioning housing 41 and mounted on the mounting table 36 a. Accordingly, the connection terminal 26 and each guide hole 28 of the portable information device 12 and the like, and the connector 30 and each guide pin 32 of the connection mechanism unit 38 are arranged to face each other.

  Next, for example, as shown in FIG. 11A and FIG. 11B, the connector 30 is connected to the connection terminal 26 via the advance / retreat mechanism 52. That is, when the operation lever 40 is moved to the right side, the swing arm 69 swings using the shaft pin 76 provided in the shaft hole 69c as a swing shaft. While the action pin 69a slides in the longitudinal direction in the elongated hole 70a of the elevating base 70, the elevating base 70, the elevating member 68, and the advancing / retracting member 66 advance to the right under the guide action in the left-right direction by the advance / retreat member 66. Move. Then, the connector 30 protruding from the board 72 fixed to the elevating member 68 also moves forward and protrudes from the opening 39 of the side wall 38b. As a result, the guide pin 32 protruding from the connector 30 is inserted into the guide hole 28 of the portable information device 12 or the like, and the connector 30 is connected to the connection terminal 26 under the guide action.

  On the other hand, when removing the portable information device 12 or the like attached to the docking device 10, the operation lever 40 is moved to the left side, the connector 30 is retracted and pulled out from the connection terminal 26, thereby removing the portable information device 12. Etc. can be removed from the device mounting portion 36.

  For example, when the docking device 10 is to be mounted on the portable information device 12 having a plurality of specifications having the connection terminals 26 that differ only in the height position from the bottom surface 16c due to the difference in thickness of the main body housing 16, for example, The moving mechanism 50 and the link mechanism 56 may be omitted, and the elevating mechanism 54 may be configured to be adjusted and held at a desired height position with an operation lever in the vertical direction similar to the operation lever 40, for example.

  As described above, the docking device 10 according to the present embodiment stands on the side of the device placement unit 36 and faces the side surface of the portable information device 12 or the like placed on the device placement unit 36. A connecting mechanism 38 having a connecting portion 38b, and a connecting terminal provided on the side surface 16a of the portable information device 12 and the like mounted on the device mounting portion 36 so as to be able to advance and retreat from the side wall portion 38b of the connecting mechanism portion 38. 26 is provided with a connector 30 that can be connected to the connection mechanism 26, and a lifting mechanism 54 that is provided in the connection mechanism portion 38 and that lifts the connector 30 up and down.

  Therefore, in the docking device 10, for example, when the portable information device 12 having a plurality of specifications having the connection terminals 26 having different height positions from the bottom surface 16 c depending on the thickness of the main body housing 16 is mounted, the lifting mechanism 54 is mounted. Thus, the height position of the connector 30 can be set to a desired height position. Accordingly, the connector 30 that advances and retracts from the side wall portion 38b of the connection mechanism portion 38 can be reliably connected to a plurality of types of portable information devices 12 and the like in which the connection terminal 26 is provided on the side surface 16a of the main body casing 16. It becomes possible and high versatility is obtained.

  In the docking device 10, the portable information device 12 or the like on the device placement unit 36 is in the front-rear direction by contacting the rear end surface 16 b of the portable information device 12 or the like placed on the device placement unit 36. A positioning member 42 for positioning the position and a moving mechanism 50 for moving the connector 30 in the front-rear direction are provided. As a result, when the portable information device 12 having a plurality of specifications having the connection terminals 26 having different distances from the rear end surface 16b as well as the height position from the bottom surface 16c of the main body housing 16 is mounted by the moving mechanism 50, the connector It is possible to set 30 positions in the front-rear direction to a desired position. As a result, the specifications of the portable information device 12 that can be connected to the docking apparatus 10 are increased, and higher versatility is obtained.

  The docking device 10 includes a link mechanism 56 that interlocks the operations of the elevating mechanism 54 and the moving mechanism 50 and sets the vertical position and the front / rear position of the connector 30 in a correlated manner. Thereby, the front-back direction position and the up-down direction position of the connector 30 correspond on a one-to-one basis. Therefore, the setting position according to the specifications of the height position from the bottom surface 16c of the connection terminal 26 and the distance from the rear end surface 16b of each portable information device 12 or the like (in the present embodiment, the first setting position to the third setting position). ), The connector 30 can be smoothly and reliably disposed, and high operability and versatility can be obtained. The link mechanism 56 may be omitted.

  In other words, for example, each portable information device 12 to be connected to the docking device 10 is different only in the height position from the bottom surface 16c of the connection terminal 26, and all the distances from the rear end surface 16b are set to be the same. Consider the case of specification. Also in this case, the connector 30 can be connected to the connection terminal 26 of each specification by the lifting mechanism 54 as described above. However, for example, when the height position of the connection terminal 26 of the portable information device 12 or the like having two specifications is close, the connector 30 is set to a position higher than the setting position of the connection terminal 26 to which the connector 30 should be connected. Even in this case, there is a possibility that the bottom surface 16c can be connected to the connection terminal 26 in a state where the bottom surface 16c is not completely landed on the mounting table 36a, and a load is applied to the connector 30 and the connection terminal 26. In this respect, in the docking device 10, the link mechanism 56 can set the vertical position and the front-rear direction position of the connector 30 in a correlated manner. For this reason, for example, the above-described erroneous connector connection can be reliably avoided by configuring the portable information device 12 and the like to be connected to have different configurations in the vertical and vertical positions of the connection terminal 26 for each specification. .

  By the way, the docking device 10 has a configuration in which the connector 30 is moved back and forth in the horizontal direction and connected to the connection terminal 26 of the portable information device 12 or the like. For this reason, for example, there is a possibility that smooth connection to the connection terminal 26 of the connector 30 may be difficult due to a slight difference or deviation in the inclination angle of the portable information device 12 mounted on the mounting table 36a.

  Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, a rotation shaft provided between the substrate 72 provided with the connector 30 and the guide pin 32 and the elevating member 68, for example, at the upper center of the substrate 72. It is good also as a structure connected and supported by 80. Thereby, the board | substrate 72 can rock | fluctuate with respect to the raising / lowering member 68 like a pendulum. As a result, the connector 30 advanced by the advance / retreat mechanism 52 can be connected to the connection terminal 26 more smoothly.

  Further, in the configuration in which the rotation shaft 80 is provided in this way, the magnet 82S is disposed in the guide pin 32 on the docking device 10 side, and the magnet 82N having a polarity different from that of the magnet 82S is provided in the guide hole 28 on the portable information device 12 side or the like. May be arranged (see FIG. 3). For example, the magnet 82S is a magnet having an S pole on the surface of the guide pin 32, the magnet 82N is a magnet having an N pole on the inner surface of the guide hole 28, and the polarity relationship between them may be reversed. As a result, the guide pin 32 advanced by the advance / retreat mechanism 52 is attracted to the guide hole 28 by the attractive force of the magnets 82N and 82N together with the swinging motion of the rotary shaft 80. As a result, since the guide pin 32 is inserted into the guide hole 28 more smoothly, the positioning of the connector 30 with respect to the connection terminal 26 is ensured, and the connector 30 can be connected to the connection terminal 26 more smoothly. .

  Note that such a configuration using the rotation shaft 80 and the magnets 82S and 82N does not include the elevating mechanism 54, the moving mechanism 50, and the link mechanism 56 that move the connector 30 up and down and forward and backward. The docking device can be effectively used for a docking device configured to connect to the connection terminal 26 of the side surface 16a of the portable information device 12 or the like.

  It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that the present invention can be freely changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Docking device 12, 12A Portable information device 16 Main body housing | casing 16a Side surface 16b Rear end surface 16c Bottom surface 18 Display housing | casing 26 Connection terminal 28 Guide hole 30 Connector 32 Guide pin 36 Equipment mounting part 36a Mounting base 38 Connection mechanism part 38a Housing Body 38b Side wall portion 40 Operation lever 41 Positioning housing 42 Positioning member 46 Cam member 46a First pin holding portion 46b Second pin holding portion 46c Third pin holding portion 46d First inclined surface 46e Second inclined surface 50 Moving mechanism 52 Advance and retreat Mechanism 54 Elevating mechanism 56 Link mechanism 58 Bottom surface portion 60 Link pin 66 Advance / Retract member 68 Elevating member 69 Oscillating arm 70 Elevating base 72 Substrate 74 Elastic member 80 Rotating shaft 82N, 82S Magnet

Claims (7)

A docking device having a device placement unit for placing a portable information device,
A connection mechanism portion having a wall portion that stands on a side portion of the device placement portion and faces a side surface of the portable information device placed on the device placement portion;
A connector that is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat from the wall portion of the connection mechanism portion, and is connectable to a connection terminal provided on a side surface of the portable information device placed on the device placement portion;
An elevating mechanism that is provided in the connection mechanism part and elevates and lowers the connector in an up-down direction ;
A positioning unit that positions the front-rear direction position of the portable information device on the device placement unit by contacting the rear end surface of the portable information device placed on the device placement unit;
A moving mechanism for moving the connector in the front-rear direction;
A link mechanism that interlocks the operations of the elevating mechanism and the moving mechanism, and sets the vertical position and the front-rear direction position of the connector in a correlated manner;
A docking device comprising: The docking device according to claim 1 , wherein
The docking device, wherein the link mechanism has a plurality of setting positions for positioning a vertical position and a front-rear direction position of the connector. The docking device according to claim 2 ,
The link mechanism is a link pin that can move up and down integrally with the connector;
One end side of the link pin has a slidable front and rear inclined surface, and a cam member provided with a plurality of pin holding portions on the inclined surface for positioning and holding the link pin at a predetermined position. Docking device to do. The docking device according to claim 3 ,
The connector and the link pin are supported in a state in which the connector and the link pin are not relatively movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the housing of the connection mechanism unit, and the vertical direction with respect to the housing of the connection mechanism unit via the lifting mechanism. Is supported in a relatively movable state,
The cam member is fixed integrally with the device mounting portion,
The moving mechanism has a slide part that relatively moves the housing of the connection mechanism part in the front-rear direction with respect to the device placement part,
When the casing of the connection mechanism section moves in the front-rear direction through the slide section, a link pin that moves in the front-rear direction together with the casing slides on the inclined surface of the cam member. . The docking device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
The connector is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the housing of the connection mechanism portion by a rotation shaft provided along the advancing and retreating direction of the connection mechanism portion from the wall portion. Characteristic docking device. And docking device according to any one of claims 1-4, the electronic device characterized in that it comprises a said portable information equipment. The electronic apparatus according to claim 6 .
In the docking device, the connector can be rotated relative to the housing of the connection mechanism portion by a rotation shaft provided along the advancing and retreating direction of the connector from the wall portion of the connection mechanism portion. And a guide pin that can be rotated integrally with the connector by a rotation shaft on the side portion of the connector.
The portable information device is provided with a guide hole into which the guide pin can be inserted on a side surface thereof,
2. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein magnets having polarities that can be attracted to each other are disposed in the guide pin and the guide hole.

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