Electrical connectors – With guiding means for mating of coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
2004-04-08
2004-11-30
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With guiding means for mating of coupling part
C439S076100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06824418
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector, electronic device and information processing apparatus, and particularly to a connector mounted to an electronic device, and to an electronic device and information apparatus that incorporate an electronic component, e.g., storage media such as a hard disk and semiconductor memory, and are detachably attachable to a main apparatus such as a personal computer.
2. Related Background Art
A conventional electronic device of this type is now described with reference to
FIG. 9
to FIG.
12
.
Referring to
FIG. 9
, which shows a perspective view of a conventional electronic device, an electronic device
100
is comprised of an enclosure
102
including an electronic component (not shown), and a connector
101
electrically connected to the electronic component and disposed on a side of the enclosure.
An enclosure
102
has a right guide
102
a
and left guide
102
b
on either side, and the connector
101
has a connection terminal
101
a
electrically connected to a corresponding connector, as well as a right boss
101
b
and left boss
101
c
for aligning with the corresponding connector.
As shown in
FIG. 9
, the connector
101
of the conventional electronic device
100
is smaller in vertical and horizontal outer dimensions than the electronic device enclosure
102
, and four sides forming a terminal plane for connecting the connector
101
are not exposed outside the electronic device
100
. That is, the connector
101
is constructed so that four sides thereof are covered by the enclosure
102
.
In an example shown in
FIG. 9
, the right guide
102
a
and left guide
102
b
are presented in the shape of a groove.
FIG. 10
is a perspective view showing the electronic device
100
that is inserted through a slot of an electronic device connecting apparatus located on the main apparatus.
In
FIG. 10
, reference numerals
200
,
200
a
,
200
b
, and
300
denote an electronic device connecting apparatus, an external enclosure of the electronic device connecting apparatus, a slot for the electronic device
100
, and an electronic device support component within the electronic device connecting apparatus
200
, respectively.
As shown in
FIG. 10
, the electronic device
100
is oriented toward the electronic device connecting apparatus
200
in a side of the connector
101
, inserted through the slot
200
a
, and then inwardly moved while it is supported by the electronic device support component
300
.
FIG. 11
shows how the electronic device
100
is supported by the electronic device support component
300
.
It shows in perspective the external enclosure
200
a
in
FIG. 10
, and shows a perspective representation of the electronic device support component
300
.
FIG. 11
shows a right support guide and left support guide,
300
a
and
300
b
respectively, of the electronic device support component
300
, a connector
400
on the electronic device connecting apparatus, a main electrical circuit board
401
of the electronic device connecting apparatus, and an electrical component
402
mounted on the main electrical circuit board.
Once the electronic device
100
is inserted into the electronic device support component
300
, the right support guide
300
a
is engaged with the groove of the right guide
102
a
and the left support guide
300
b
with the groove of the left guide
102
b
, the electronic device
100
is then supported in vertical and horizontal directions in relation to the electronic device support component
300
to be inwardly moved.
FIG. 12
shows a perspective view of a connector
400
located on the electronic device connecting apparatus
200
and connected to the connector
101
of the electronic device
100
, and reference numerals
400
b
and
400
c
denote right and left recesses respectively, and
400
a
denotes a connection terminal of the connector
400
.
The connector
100
is shown aligned in vertical and horizontal directions in relation to the connector
400
by engaging the right boss
101
b
with the right recess
400
b
and the left boss
101
c
with the left recess
400
c
before or once the connector
100
is connected to the connector
400
, so that the connectors are connected to each other.
Because the connector
101
is constructed so that four sides thereof are covered by the enclosure
102
as describe above, supporting the enclosure
102
of the electronic device
100
by the electronic device support component
300
with the respective guide before connectors are connected to each other after the electronic device
100
is inserted, and supporting the connector
101
and connector
400
with each other before making connection, may not allow the connector
101
to be aligned with the connector
400
in the vertical and horizontal directions even when the enclosure
102
is properly supported to align in place by the electronic device support component
300
before making connection, due to the difficulty of centering the connector
101
on the enclosure
102
with a clearance caused by tolerances between each other.
The connectors, therefore, collide with each other, in particular, the right and left bosses,
101
b
and
101
c
, of the connector
101
may not be inserted into the right and left recesses,
400
b
and
400
c
, of the connector
400
.
By tapering or radiusing each edge of the right and left bosses,
101
b
and
101
c
, and each inlet of the right and left recesses,
400
b
and
400
c
, positions of misaligned connectors may be forced to match. In that case, however, loads and/or stresses on each connector or associated components with the connectors have caused problems such as fatigue failure.
To address these problems, conventional types of the electronic device and electronic device connecting apparatus typically have a predetermined clearance between the electronic device and the electronic device support component
300
, and thus the alignment of the connector
101
and the connector
400
has been difficult in terms of dimensions.
The mechanism of conventional products has, however, been based on the assumption that the electronic device is manually inserted and advanced. After the position is corrected, therefore, by stopping the insertion of the electronic device and moving manually the electronic device slightly in vertical and horizontal directions for a fine adjustment once the connectors collide with each other as described above, it is still possible to restart the insertion and allow the alignment bosses of the connector
101
to fit into the recesses of the connector
400
.
This means that the prior art requires interrupting the insertion of the electronic device to manually fine adjust the position.
It is expected that many mechanisms will in the future be employed to automatically feed the electronic device by the electronic device connecting apparatus. Automatic feeder mechanisms assuming the adoption of the prior art electronic devices would be hampered by the difficulty of providing a mechanism and controlling it to perform a fine adjustment as manually done as described above, or, if possible, would require complex mechanisms and control.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic device and the corresponding electronic device connecting apparatus that do not require interrupting the insertion and a fine adjustment of the position, for example, by manual operation when the electronic device is inserted into the electronic device connecting apparatus, and that eliminate needs of complex mechanisms and control for mechanisms automatically feeding the electronic device by the electronic device connecting apparatus. It is another object of the present invention to provide an electronic device and information processing apparatus that can provide protection for an electronic device against shock and vibration after it is inserted.
To achieve the above objectives, an electronic device according to the invention comprises an enclosure including an electronic com
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Paumen Gary
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