TWI669862B - Floating connection module and floating coupling device having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A floating connection module and a floating docking device having the same, the floating docking device comprises a floating connection module and a pluggable device having at least one pair of connectors. The floating connection module comprises a limiting structure, at least one flexible circuit board and at least one connector, wherein the limiting structure is disposed on the rigid circuit board; the connector is electrically connected to the docking connector, and the connector is electrically connected via the flexible circuit board Connected to the hard circuit board, the connector floats in the limit structure. Thereby, the problem of precise alignment between the housing socket and the connector interface and the need for precise alignment between the respective connectors and the mating connectors can be simultaneously solved.

Description

Floating connection module and floating docking device having the same

The invention relates to an electrical connection structure, in particular to a floating connection module and a floating docking device having the same.

The docking device includes a connector disposed on the circuit board and a pluggable device. The pluggable device has a pair of connectors, and the user only needs to dock the interface of the docking connector to the connector. However, the existing docking device has the following shortcomings to be overcome.

1. When the connector and the circuit board are all disposed in a casing, if the interface of the casing opening and the connector of the casing is not precisely aligned, even if the number of the connector and the docking connector are only one, the pluggable and the connector are only one pluggable It is also not possible or difficult for the docking connector of the device to interface with the connector via the housing socket.

Second, the existing docking device also has a lack of effective transmission speed. Therefore, in order to improve the transmission speed, the inventor of the present invention plans to simultaneously configure a plurality of (two or more) docking connectors on the pluggable device, as opposed to the circuit board. Multiple (more than two) connectors are configured at the same time. Although this can achieve the purpose of increasing the transmission speed, it also has the problem of accurate alignment between the connectors and the mating connectors.

Therefore, how to design a connector that can float correspondingly with the docking connector is a major problem that the inventors of the present invention are trying to solve.

The object of the present invention is to provide a floating connection module and a floating docking device having the same, which can make the connector float correspondingly with the docking connector, so as to simultaneously solve the problem between the housing socket and the connector interface. The problem of precise alignment and the need for precise alignment between the connectors and the mating connectors.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a floating connection module, comprising: a limiting structure disposed on a rigid circuit board; at least one flexible circuit board; and at least one connector, the at least one connector via the at least one The flexible circuit board is electrically connected to the rigid circuit board, and the at least one connector floats in the limiting structure.

The present invention further provides a floating docking device comprising: a pluggable device having at least one pair of connectors; and a floating connection module. The floating connection module includes: a limiting structure disposed on a rigid circuit board; at least one flexible circuit board; and at least one connector for electrically connecting the at least one pair of connectors, the at least one connector The at least one flexible circuit board is electrically connected to the rigid circuit board, and the at least one connector floats in the limiting structure.

Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following effects: as long as at least one pair of connectors is inserted into the interface of at least one connector, the at least one connector can be inserted in the limiting structure along with the insertion of at least one pair of connectors. The corresponding floats, thereby guiding at least one connector and being accurately docked by at least one pair of connectors, thereby simultaneously solving the problem of precise alignment between the housing socket and the connector interface and between each connector and each docking connector The problem must be precisely aligned separately.

The detailed description and technical content of the present invention are set forth below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, the present invention provides a floating connection module and a floating docking device having the same. The floating docking device of the present invention includes a floating connection module 100 and a pluggable device 800. . The pluggable device 800 can be plugged and connected to the connector 3, and the present invention is not limited thereto. In the embodiment, the pluggable storage device is taken as an example for description. There is at least one pair of connectors 8. The floating connection module 100 comprises a limiting structure 1, at least one flexible circuit board 2 and at least one connector 3, preferably further comprising at least one anti-scratch member 4, as described below.

The limiting structure 1 is disposed on a rigid circuit board P such that the connector 3 is restricted from floating within the limiting structure 1. The hard circuit board P may be a main circuit board disposed in an electronic product (not shown), or may be a small circuit board separately existed or a circuit electrically connected to the main circuit board. The board is not limited in this regard.

The limit structure 1 is not limited in the present invention as long as it has a chute 12 that can float the connector 3 or the flexure member 4. In other words, the limiting structure 1 may include a sliding slot 12 formed by any structure, and preferably further includes a frame 11 disposed on the rigid circuit board P, and the space surrounded by the frame 11 forms a chute. 12.

The connector 3 is electrically connected to the hard circuit board P via the flexible circuit board 2, specifically, the connector 3 and the hard circuit board P are electrically connected to the two ends of the flexible circuit board 2 respectively, to be used by the flexible circuit board. The flexible nature of 2 allows the connector 3 to be biased, thereby allowing the connector 3 to float in the stop structure 1.

A clearance fit between the flexure 4 and the frame 11 of the limiting structure 1 is used, that is, the anti-scratch member 4 and the frame 11 can have a floating gap between the frame and the frame 11 to The connector 3 can be floated in the limiting structure 1 by the flexure 4 . The flexure member 4 is an object opposite to the flexible property of the flexible circuit board 2. For example, it may be a hard plate corresponding to three sides around the connector 3 (as shown in FIG. 2), or may be The hard flange (not shown) protruding from the three sides of the connector 3 is not limited in the present invention as long as the flexure member 4 does not flex and can float in the limiting structure 1.

The number of the flexible circuit board 2, the connector 3, the flexure 4, and the mating connector 8 may be one or more (two or more), which is not limited in the present invention.

In other embodiments not shown, the number of the flexible circuit board 2, the connector 3, the flexure 4, and the docking connector 8 is one and the following paragraphs are explained.

As shown in FIG. 3-6, at this time, when the docking connector 8 of the pluggable device 800 is to be plugged into the connector 3, even the interface of the connector 3 and the housing socket of the electronic product (not shown) There is no precise alignment between the two, as long as the interface of the mating connector 8 corresponding to the connector 3 is plugged, the connector 3 can be floated in the limiting structure 1 with the mating of the mating connector 8, thereby guiding The connector 3 is accurately docked by the docking connector 8. In other words, the present invention does solve the problem that the housing socket and the interface of the connector 3 must be precisely aligned.

In the embodiment shown in the figure, the number of the flexible circuit board 2, the connector 3, the flexure 4, and the mating connector 8 are both described as an example.

Each of the flexible circuit boards 2 is electrically connected between each of the connectors 3 and the hard circuit board P, so that the respective connectors 3 are respectively floated in the limiting structure 1 by the respective flexure members 4. In this way, the two flexure members 4 will be slid in parallel in the chute 12 to produce a side-by-side direction D1 (see FIG. 5, ie, the aforementioned lateral direction), so that the two flexure members 4 can all along the side-by-side direction D1 and An up-and-down direction D2 (see FIG. 4, that is, the aforementioned longitudinal direction) crossing in the side-by-side direction D1 is respectively slipped in the chute 12.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, one end 25 of each flexible circuit board 2 is attached and fixed to each of the flexures 4 and electrically connected to each connector 3, preferably as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. A first notch 21 is defined at one end 25 of each of the flexible circuit boards 2, and a second notch 41 is defined in each of the flexures 4. Each of the first notches 21 and each of the second notches 41 correspond to each other. Together, a notch portion B is formed, and the connectors 3 are respectively received in the notch portions B, so that the flexure member 4 and the one end 25 of the flexible circuit board 2 can partially surround the periphery of the connector 3; each flexible circuit board 2 The other end 26 is electrically connected to the hard circuit board P.

The connector 3 can be electrically connected to the flexure 4 and the one end 25 of the flexible circuit board 2 as shown in the respective figures to fix the three to each other; or the connector 3 can be electrically connected to the flexible circuit board only first. One end 25 of the second end is attached to the same end 25 (not shown) of the flexible circuit board 2 by the flexure member 4, and the flexure member 4 and the flexible circuit board 2 are not electrically connected.

As shown in FIGS. 3-6, by this, when the two docking connectors 8 of the pluggable device 800 are to be plugged into the two connectors 3 on the hard circuit board 9, even the two connectors 3 The interface and the two docking connectors 8 are not precisely aligned respectively, as long as the two docking connectors 8 are respectively connected to the interfaces of the two connectors 3, the two connectors 3 can be respectively followed by the two docking connectors. The plugs of 8 are correspondingly floated in the limit structure 1 to respectively guide the two connectors 3 and are respectively accurately docked by the two docking connectors 8. In other words, the present invention does solve the problem that the respective connectors 3 and the mating connectors 8 must be precisely aligned separately.

Preferably, a guide hole 111 is defined in the interface position of each connector 3 of the frame 11, and each of the guide holes 111 has an outer and a narrow flared shape inside and outside, so that each The one-to-one connector 8 can be smoothly guided to the interface corresponding to each connector 3.

In addition, the connector 3 can be any type of electrical connector. The present invention is not limited thereto. In the embodiment, the USB TYPE-C socket connector is taken as an example, and the docking connector 8 is a USB TYPE. -C plug connector for better transmission speed due to USB TYPE-C interface; of course, connector 3 can be USB TYPE-C plug connector, and dock connector 8 can be USB TYPE-C socket connector. Furthermore, each of the flexible circuit boards 2 may be separately present (not shown), or the one ends 25 may be separated from each other as shown in FIG. 2, and the other ends 26 may be integrally connected to each other. limited.

In other embodiments not shown, the number of the connector 3, the flexure 4 and the mating connector 8 can still be two, and only the number of the flexible circuit boards 2 is changed to one. In this case, even if only two connectors 2 are attached and fixed by one flexible circuit board 2, the flexible circuit board 2 which has been flexed in advance can be disposed in the chute due to the flexural characteristics of the flexible circuit board 2. In the case of 12, the two connectors 3 can be floated close to each other (the flexible circuit board 2 will be more curved), and can be moved away from each other (the portion of the flexible circuit board 2 that has been flexed in advance will be relatively stretched). Furthermore, the two connectors 3 can also be a first plug connector and a first socket connector, respectively, and the two dock connectors 8 can be a second socket connector and a second connector with respect to each connector 3, respectively. Plug connector.

In summary, the floating connection module of the present invention and the floating docking device having the module can achieve the intended use purpose, and solve the lack of the prior art, and are completely consistent with the novelty and the progressiveness. The application for the invention patent is filed in accordance with the Patent Law. Please check and grant the patent in this case to protect the rights of the inventor.

100‧‧‧Floating connection module

1‧‧‧Limited structure

11‧‧‧Frame

111‧‧‧ Guide hole

12‧‧‧Chute

2‧‧‧Soft circuit board

21‧‧‧ first gap

3‧‧‧Connector

4‧‧‧Anti-wear parts

41‧‧‧ second gap

800‧‧‧pluggable device

8‧‧‧Docking connector

B‧‧‧Gap section

D1‧‧‧ side by side

D2‧‧‧Up and down direction

P‧‧‧hard circuit board

1 is an exploded perspective view of a floating connection module of the present invention.

2 is an exploded, isometric view of a portion of the components of FIG. 1 in another perspective.

3 is a perspective view of the floating docking device of the present invention before docking.

4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the floating docking device of the present invention before docking.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the floating docking device of the present invention before docking.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the floating docking device of the present invention after docking.

Claims (13)

A floating connection module comprising: a limiting structure fixed to a rigid circuit board at a standstill; at least one flexible circuit board; and at least one connector, the at least one connector being electrically connected via the at least one flexible circuit board Connected to the rigid circuit board, the at least one connector floats in the limiting structure. The floating connection module of claim 1, wherein the connector and the flexible circuit board are disposed in a plurality, and each of the flexible circuit boards is electrically connected between each of the connectors and the rigid circuit board. The floating connection module of claim 2, wherein the limiting structure comprises a sliding slot, the plurality of connectors are slidably coupled to the sliding slot to generate a side by side direction, and the plurality of connectors are along the side by side direction And an up-and-down direction intersecting the side-by-side direction slides in the chute. The floating connection module of claim 1, further comprising at least one anti-scratch member, wherein the connector floats in the limiting structure by the anti-scratch member. The floating connection module of claim 4, wherein the connector, the flexible circuit board and the flexo member thereof are all provided in plural, and each of the flexible circuit boards is electrically connected to each of the connectors and the Between the rigid circuit boards, each of the connectors is respectively floated in the limiting structure by the respective anti-scratch members. The floating connection module of claim 5, wherein the limiting structure comprises a frame and a sliding slot formed in the frame, the frame is disposed on the rigid circuit board, and the plurality of flexing members are slidably connected side by side. A parallel direction is generated in the sliding slot, and the plurality of flexure members respectively slide in the sliding groove along the side-by-side direction and an up-and-down direction intersecting the side-by-side direction. The floating connection module of claim 6, wherein the frame has a guiding hole corresponding to the interface position of each connector, and each of the guiding holes is externally expanded and tapered. And used for guidance. The floating connection module of claim 5, wherein one end of each of the flexible circuit boards is attached to each of the flexures and electrically connected to each of the connectors, and the other end of each of the flexible circuit boards is electrically Sexually connected to the rigid circuit board. The floating connection module of claim 8, wherein each of the flexure member and the one end of each of the flexible circuit boards are respectively stacked on one another and partially surround the periphery of each of the connectors. The floating connection module of claim 8, wherein each end of each of the flexible circuit boards has a first notch, and each of the anti-scratch members has a second notch, each of the first notch and each The second notches respectively correspond to each other to form a notch portion, and the connectors are respectively received in the notch portions. The floating connection module of claim 1, wherein the connector is configured to be plural, and the plurality of connectors are electrically connected to the rigid circuit board via the at least one flexible circuit board, wherein the plurality of connectors are in the limit structure Floating separately. A floating docking device comprising: a pluggable device having at least one pair of connectors; and a floating connection module comprising: a limiting structure fixed to a rigid circuit board at a standstill; at least one flexible circuit And the at least one connector is electrically connected to the at least one pair of connectors, the at least one connector is electrically connected to the hard circuit board via the at least one flexible circuit board, and the at least one connector floats at the limit In the bit structure. The floating docking device of claim 12, wherein the connector, the flexible circuit board and the docking connector therein are all provided in plurality, and each connector is electrically connected to each of the docking connectors, respectively. The connectors are electrically connected to the rigid circuit board via the flexible circuit boards, and the plurality of connectors respectively float in the limiting structure.