JP6717508B1 - Connector locking structure and connector unlocking jig - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent unauthorized access by closing an opening of a connector without using a key. A first connector (10) is provided inside an opening (20a) that penetrates a housing (20) that houses an electronic device. The first connector 10 has a first wiring board 10a connected to an electronic device and a first connecting portion 10b. The second connector 1 has a lid 1a having a contour slightly smaller than the contour of the opening 20a and being pushed into the opening 20a while being connected to the first connector. Inside the lid 1a, there is a second connecting portion 1b which is connected to the first connecting portion 10b by moving in a direction intersecting the opening 20a. [Selection diagram] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a connector locking structure, a connector unlocking jig, and a locking device.

As connectors used for connecting electronic devices to other electronic devices, connectors based on standards such as USB (registered trademark) (Universal Serial Bus) and HDMI (registered trademark) (High Definition Multimedia Interface registered trademark) are known. ing. Since this connector is provided at a position facing the outside from the opening of the housing of the electronic device, by connecting the connector of the external device to the connector through the opening, the board inside the housing (electronic device Access to the main body).

As a technique related to preventing unauthorized access to such an electronic device from the outside, there are structures described in Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3.

Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a lock claw protruding from an insertion case that is inserted into a USB port is engaged with the inside of the USB port, and this locked state is held by a cylindrical shape on the insertion case side.

Patent Document 2 discloses a lock mechanism that is inserted into a USB port and is fixed in a state of being covered by hooking a claw.

Patent Document 3 discloses a security device that restricts connection to a connector by fixing the connector in a state of being inserted.

JP, 2017-228015, A Registered utility model No. 3135047 JP, 2010-027379, A

However, the lock mechanism described in Patent Document 1 requires a complicated mechanism called a cylinder lock, and thus requires a troublesome operation of turning a key to release the lock.
Further, the lock mechanism described in Patent Document 2 requires a jig whose tip is processed into a special shape upon removal.
Further, the security device described in Patent Document 3 requires a troublesome operation of turning a grip portion of an unlocking tool having a special shape.

Further, in any of the mechanisms and methods of Patent Documents 1 to 3, since the member necessary for locking is projected from the device, for example, when used in a portable electronic device, the member that constitutes the lock mechanism is the device. It may protrude from the housing, and may be damaged during carrying and unlocked, or unlocking may become impossible.
The present invention aims to solve the above problems.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means.
A lock structure according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a first conductor electrode that is provided inside an opening that penetrates a housing that houses an electronic device, and that is connected to the electronic device, and a first connecting portion. And a second connector having a second connecting portion that is detachably connected to the first connecting portion by movement in a direction intersecting the opening. The first connecting portion of the first connector is provided at a position that overlaps with the movement trajectory of the second connecting portion of the second connector in plan view, and the second connector is connected to the first connector. A lid disposed inside the opening in a closed state, and the lid has a second body at a position that does not overlap the first connecting portion when viewed from a direction intersecting with the opening. A connecting portion and an elastic member for urging the second connecting portion to a position overlapping with the first connecting portion by elastic deformation are provided.
A locking device according to a second aspect of the present invention is provided inside an opening that penetrates a housing that houses an electronic device, and a first conductor electrode connected to the electronic device and a first connecting portion. And a second connector that is detachably connected to the first connector by a movement in a direction intersecting the opening. A lid arranged inside the opening in a state of being connected to the first opening, and a first lid arranged in a position not overlapping the first connecting portion when viewed from a direction intersecting the opening of the lid. A second connecting portion of the second connector, and an elastic member that biases the second connecting portion to a position overlapping the first connecting portion by elastic deformation. The movement trajectory is at a position overlapping the first connecting portion of the first connector in a plan view.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent an external access to the opening provided with the connector of the housing of the electronic device.

The minimum structural example of the lock structure of the connector of this invention is shown, (a) is the expansion perspective view of the principal part, (b) is the expansion perspective view of the principal part of the 2nd connector, (c) is the 1st FIG. 3D is a plan view of the unlocked state of the connector and the second connector, and FIG. 7D is a plan view of the locked state of the first connector and the second connector. The 1st Embodiment of the lock structure of the connector of this invention is shown, (a) is an enlarged perspective view of the principal part, (b) is an enlarged perspective view of the principal part of a 2nd connector. (A) is a perspective view of the state before insertion of a cap of a 1st embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a perspective view of a state after insertion. (A) is a perspective view of a state before a cap is inserted according to the first embodiment of the present invention, (b) is a perspective view of a state immediately after the cap is inserted, and (c) is a perspective view of a locked state after the cap is inserted. It is a figure. (A1) is a side view of a state corresponding to FIG. 4(a), (a2) is a view taken along the line AA of (a1), and (b1) is a state corresponding to FIG. 4(b). 4B, (b2) is a view taken along the line BB of (b1), (c1) is a side view of the state corresponding to FIG. 4(c), and (c2) is C- of (c1). It is an arrow line view which follows the C line. (D1) is a plan view of a state corresponding to FIG. 4(a), (d2) is a view taken along the line D-D of (d1), and (e1) is a state corresponding to FIG. 4(b). Of FIG. 4, (e2) is a view taken along the line EE of (e1), (f1) is a plan view of the state corresponding to FIG. 4(c), and (f2) is F- of (f1). It is an arrow line view which follows the F line. (A) is a perspective view of a state before insertion of a lock releasing jig, (b) is a perspective view of a state of inserting a lock releasing jig, and (c) is a perspective view of a state of removing a cap. (G1) is a plan view of a state corresponding to FIG. 7(a), (g2) is a view taken along the line GG of (g1), and (h1) is a state corresponding to FIG. 7(b). Of FIG. 7, (h2) is a view taken along the line HH of (h1), (j1) is a plan view of the state corresponding to FIG. 7(c), and (j2) is J- of (j1). It is an arrow line view which follows the J line. (K1) is a side view of a state corresponding to FIG. 7(a), and (k2) is a view taken along the line KK of (k1).

With reference to FIG. 1, a minimum structure example of a lock structure according to the present invention and a lock device using the lock structure will be described.
A first connector 10 is provided inside an opening 20a that penetrates a housing 20 that houses an electronic device (not shown). The first connector 10 has a first wiring board 10a connected to the electronic device and a first connecting portion 10b. The first connecting portion 10b has a convex portion 10c and a cutout portion 10d.

The second connector 1 as a lock device is connected to the first connector 10. The second connector 1 has a contour slightly smaller than the contour of the opening 20a, and is pushed into the opening 20a in a state of being connected to the first connector, and is placed inside the lid. It has a body 1a. The lid 1a has a second connecting portion 1b inside (on the front side in the insertion direction) detachably connected to the first connecting portion 10b by moving in a direction intersecting the opening 20a. ..
The first connecting portion 10b of the first connector 10 has a movement locus of the second connecting portion 1b of the second connector 1 (movement locus when moving in a direction intersecting the opening 20a) and a plan view. It is provided at the position where they overlap.

The lid 1a of the second connector 1 has the second connecting portion 1b at a position where it does not overlap with the first connecting portion 10b when viewed from the direction intersecting with the opening 20a, and is elastically deformed. , An elastic member 1e for biasing the second connecting portion 1b to a position overlapping the first connecting portion 10b.

In the lock structure of the connector having the above structure, the second connector 1 is inserted into the opening 20a in order to connect the first connector 10 and the second connector 1. Subsequently, the second connecting portion 1b of the second connector 1 is located at a position immediately above the first connecting portion 10b on both sides of the first first wiring board 10a of the first connector 10 (FIG. 1C). When the second connector 1 is pushed in until the second connector 1 is reached, the elastic member 1e is elastically deformed downward, and the second connecting portion 1b is located below the position where it overlaps with the first connecting portion 10b (see FIG. 1 (d) (shown in FIG. 1(d)) to engage with at least one of the convex portion 10c of the first connecting portion 10b and the cutout portion 10d, and in the left-right direction of FIG. The movement of the connector 1 in the direction of pulling out the connector 20 is restricted.

At this time, since the lid body 1a is inside the opening 20a (specifically, at a position flush with the surface of the metal plate forming the housing 20 or at a position slightly retracted from the surface), the direction in which the lid body 1a is pulled out. It becomes difficult to access the first connector 10 from the outside, push it, pull it, or perform some other access such as grasping or hooking to open the opening 20a. The lid 1a closes the opening 20a and is resistant to deformation even when subjected to an external force such as prying from the outside. Moreover, the lid 1a has such strength that the arm 1b is not damaged or separated. As much as possible, it is desirable to make the thickness as thin as possible and to retract the inside of the opening 20a as much as possible.

A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 7, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals to simplify the description.
As shown in FIG. 2A, the cap 1 as the second connector used as the lock device is inserted into the USB port 10 (port of Universal Serial Bus standard) as the first connector through the opening 20a. It The cap 1 as the second connector has a lid body 1a having a contour smaller than that of the opening 20a (for example, having an outer dimension with a negative dimensional tolerance with a sufficient margin). 2 to 6, as the USB port 10, a cylindrical metal shell 10e having a substrate and the like housed therein is shown.

2B, in order to facilitate understanding of the shape of the cap 1, the elastic member 1e is omitted and enlarged to show only a main part.
The lid 1a has, at both ends thereof, two arm portions 1b as second second connecting portions which are spaced apart from each other in the width direction. The tips of the two arm portions 1b have a convex portion 1c and a flat portion 1d, respectively. The convex portion 1c is provided above the tip of the arm portion 1b, and the plane portion 1d is provided below the tip of the arm portion 1b. In FIG. 2, the lower side is a direction in which the cap 1 is biased and pushed by the deformation of the elastic member 1e, and the upper side is a direction in which the cap 1 is pushed back by the deformed elastic member 1e.

The lid 1a has two elastic members 1e that are elastically deformable in the vertical direction between the arm portions 1b. The elastic member 1e is composed of a leaf spring molded into a curved shape as illustrated. Further, a pair of elastic members 1e are provided in a symmetrical arrangement in order to move the cap 1 in the vertical direction as linearly as possible. That is, a plurality of pieces are provided in order to avoid being caught on the inner surface of the member by a linear movement such as a swinging movement as small as possible.
Further, the lid 1a has a notch 1f penetrating the lid 1a in the thickness direction (the direction of inserting into and removing from the first connector 10).

FIG. 3A shows the USB port 10 before the cap 1 is attached.
When the cap 1 is inserted into the USB port 10, the arm portion 1b passes over the wiring board 10a inside the USB port 10 and enters the inside. At this time, since the convex portion 1c of the arm portion 1b is located above and the plane portion 1d is located below, movement of the arm portion 1b is not hindered by contact with the wiring board 10a and is easily inserted. be able to.

After that, the elastic member 1e is pushed down by contact with the inner surface of the shell 10e of the USB port 10 (or the inner peripheral surface of the opening 20a), and as shown in FIG. 3B, inside the lower portion of the opening 20a. It will be pressed against the lap.

The operation of each part of the cap 1 and each part of the USB port 10 when inserting the cap 1 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.
5 and 6 show internal cross sections of the USB port 10. The periphery of the USB port 10 is covered by a cylindrical shell 10e, and a USB plug (not shown) is provided inside the USB port 10 (provided at the tip of the USB cable to connect the electronic device to another electronic device originally). The wiring board 10a is provided with a contact portion for electrically connecting to a connector. On both side surfaces of both ends of the wiring board 10a, a convex portion 10c and a cutout portion 10d for lock fitting with the USB plug are formed.

As shown in FIGS. 4A, 5</b>A<b>1 and 5</b>A<b>2, the cap 1 is directed from the horizontal direction toward the USB port 10 to prepare for insertion.
As shown in FIGS. 4B and 5B1 and 5B2, the cap 1 is inserted into the USB port 10 from the horizontal direction. In this state, since the operator holds the cap 1 with fingers, the elastic force of the elastic member 1e does not yet act, and the cap 1 is arranged on the upper side. When the cap 1 is on the upper side, the flat portion 1d of the arm portion 1b can pass through without interfering with both sides of the wiring board 10a. That is, the convex portion 10c of the wiring board 10a provided inside the USB port 10 and the convex portion 1c of the cap 1 are in a vertically displaced positional relationship (a positional relationship that is displaced when viewed in a direction orthogonal to the opening), The protrusion 10c of the wiring board 10a and the protrusion 1c of the cap 1 are inserted without interfering with each other. Further, when the elastic member 1e provided on the cap 1 interferes with the shell 10e of the USB port 10 during the movement accompanying this insertion, the elastic member 1e of the cap 1 is inserted while being deformed.

By the above insertion operation, the cap 1 is in the locked state in which the USB port 10 is inserted, as shown in FIGS. 4(c), 5(c1) and (c2).
That is, as shown in FIGS. 5(b1) and (b2) and FIGS. 6(e1) and (e2), when the operator releases the finger from the cap 1 while the cap 1 is completely inserted into the USB port 10, The elastic member 1e of the cap 1 that has interfered with the shell 10e of the USB port 10 is restored from the elastic deformation, and the cap 1 moves downward due to the repulsion, and the cap 1 moves downwards as shown in FIGS. 5(c1)(c2) and 6(f1)( The cap 1 is fixed at the position shown in f2).

During this operation, as shown in FIG. 5C, the convex portion 1c of the cap 1 is housed in the cutout portion 10d of the USB port 10. The cap 1 is locked by the convex portion 1c and the convex portion 10c of the USB port 10, so that the cap 1 cannot be easily removed.

The operation of inserting the cap 1 will be summarized and described again. When the cap 1 is inserted, the convex portion 1c of the cap 1 passes over the wiring board 10a of the USB port 10 and, as shown in FIGS. As shown in the figure, since the flat portion 1d of the cap 1 passes through the convex portion 10c of the USB port 10, the cap 1 can be inserted without interference. Then, when the operator releases his/her finger from the cap 1, the cap 1 is moved downward by the elastic member 1e in the state of FIGS. 4(c), 5(c1) and (c2), and the cap 1 The convex portion 1c and the convex portion 10c of the USB port 10 are engaged with each other and locked.

Next, referring to FIG. 7, a jig 2 used when removing the cap 1 of the first embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 7A, a plurality of hook portions 2a are provided at the tip of the jig 2 at predetermined mutual intervals in the width direction. The hook portion 2a has a tapered tip, and the overall height (thickness) is set small enough to be inserted into the opening 20a. Further, an inclined surface 2b is formed at the tip of the hook portion 2a so as to enter the narrow gap and facilitate the insertion of the subsequent portion.

An operation of removing the cap 1 from the USB port 10 incorporated in the housing 20 will be described.
When removing the cap 1, a jig 2 is prepared as shown in FIG. The jig 1 can be removed from the USB port 10 by horizontally inserting the jig 2 into the notch portion 1f of the cap 1 and inserting the jig 2 horizontally, and then pulling out the jig 2 horizontally.
7B shows a state in which the jig 2 is fully inserted, and FIG. 7C shows a state in which the jig 2 is then withdrawn and the cap 1 is connected to the tip of the jig 2 and is integrally withdrawn. Shows.

FIGS. 8(g1) and (g2) and FIGS. 8(h1) and (h2) are a top view and a sectional view showing how the jig 2 is inserted, and FIGS. 8(j1) and (j2) show the jig 2 in place. It is the figure and cross section which looked at the state where it was inserted all the way from the top. 9A and 9B are a side view and a cross-sectional view of the state of FIGS. 8J1 and 8J2.
The operation of removing the cap 1 from the USB port 10 incorporated in the device 20 will be described in detail. The hook 2a provided at the tip of the jig 2 is inserted into the notch 1f of the cap 1. The state from FIG. 7A to FIG. 7B is obtained. During this operation, the cap 1 is lifted upward by the hook portion 2a, and the state shown in FIGS. 8(h1)(h2) to 8(j1)(j2) is reached. When the cap is lifted, the convex portion 1c of the cap 1 is located on the wiring board 10a of the USB port 10. In this state, since the flat surface portion 1d of the cap 1 is at the upper position, the convex portion 1c of the cap 1 and the convex portion 10c of the USB port 10 do not interfere with each other to pull out the cap 1, and the cap 1 can be easily attached. It can be removed. Further, the hook portion 2a of the jig 2 is elastically deformed by being inserted into the cap 1 while being elastically deformed, and is hooked to the lid body 1a of the cap 1 so as to be integrally connected. When the jig 2 is pulled out, the cap 1 is pulled out integrally. Be done. That is, as shown in FIGS. 9(k1) and (k2), the hook portion 2a of the jig 2 is caught inside the notch portion 1f of the cap 1 and the jig 2 is pulled out, and the cap 1 is removed by the first USB. It can be pulled out from the port 10. That is, by pulling out the cap 1, the lock can be released and the opening 20a can be exposed from the outside, and a USB connector or the like can be connected.
As described above, in the first embodiment, the convex portion 1c of the cap 1 and the convex portion 10c of the USB port 10 are engaged with each other and locked, so that the lid body 1a of the cap 1 is fixed to the USB port 10. It is possible to maintain the opening portion 20a of the above so as not to easily fall off when the opening portion 20a is closed.
In addition, the cap 1 can be easily removed only by horizontally moving the jig 2 in spite of the structure in which the cap 1 does not easily come off.

It should be noted that the shape of the cap is not limited to that of the embodiment, and it goes without saying that the shape may be appropriately changed according to the shape of the opening. Further, the shapes of the convex portion and the flat surface portion formed on the arm portion on the cap side, and the corresponding convex portion and the cutout portion on the USB port side may be appropriately changed as long as they can be caught when they are pulled out from each other. ..
Further, the present invention can be applied not only to the USB port but also to prevent unauthorized access to the connector of other standards.
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes design changes and the like within a range not departing from the gist of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used to lock a connector such as a USB port.

1 Second connector (cap)
1a Lid 1b Second connection part (arm part)
1c Convex part 1d Flat part 1e Elastic member 1f Notch part 2 Jig 2a Hook part 2b Inclined surface 10 First connector (USB port)
10a First conductor electrode (wiring board)
10b 1st connection part 10c Convex part 10d Notch part 10e Shell 20 Housing 20a Opening part

Claims (4)

A first conductor electrode connected to the electronic device and a first connecting portion are provided in a cylindrical shell provided inside an opening penetrating a housing that accommodates the electronic device and connected to the opening. A first connector having
The first connector is connected to the first connector, moves in a straight line along the tubular shell in a direction intersecting the opening, and intersects the straight line in a plane crossing the shell. A second connector having a second connecting portion detachably connected to the first connecting portion by moving in a direction ,
The first connecting portion of the first connector is arranged in the linear direction of the second connecting portion of the second connector when viewed from one direction intersecting the straight line in a plane crossing the shell . It is provided in a position that overlaps the movement area ,
The second connector has a lid body having a shape corresponding to the opening and having a gap between the opening and the opening to allow movement in a plane including the opening .
It is provided integrally with this lid and is movable between a position where it does not overlap with the first connecting part and a position where it overlaps with the first connecting part when viewed from the direction intersecting with the opening. The second connecting portion;
Along the one direction, with the lid substantially overlapping the opening and the second connecting portion being on the outside of the shell in a plane parallel to the plane crossing the shell. Extending outward of the shell, elastically deformable inward of the shell along the one direction in the shell with the second connecting portion inserted in the shell, An elastic member that moves the second connecting portion to a position overlapping with the first connecting portion when viewed from a direction intersecting with the opening by elastic deformation ,
Connector locking structure. The first connecting portion has a planar wiring extending along the straight line along the moving direction of the second connector when viewed from one direction intersecting the straight line in a plane crossing the shell. A first convex portion formed on a part of the substrate ,
The second connecting portion, in a state where the first connector and the second connector are connected to each other, is viewed from one direction intersecting in a plane crossing the straight line and the shell, and the first convex portion. A second convex portion that is arranged in a position where the portion and the portion are in mesh with each other ,
The lock structure for a connector according to claim 1. The lock structure for a connector according to claim 1, wherein the lid has a thickness smaller than a thickness of a housing in which the opening is formed. Used in the lock structure of the connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A lock releasing jig having an inclined surface that is inserted between the lid and the opening and moves the lid against the elastic force of the elastic member.

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