Patent Application
20250167472
This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-196121 filed on Nov. 17, 2023, the contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The present invention relates to a connector-board assembly having a receptacle connector and a board mounted with the receptacle connector, and an electronic apparatus.
A laptop or tablet PC has a receptacle connector on the side of a flat-shaped chassis. The receptacle connector is often mounted on the edge of a motherboard. The receptacle connector may have a tongue portion equipped with electrodes at an approximately intermediate portion in the vertical direction in a plug insertion hollow portion (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-36484).
However, when an excessive force beyond that expected is applied to the receptacle connector, the tongue portion is damaged and the functions of the motherboard related to the receptacle connector (such as a charging function) are disabled. When it is difficult to identify the location of a failure by visual inspection, etc., the motherboard itself will need to be replaced, thereby resulting in the concern that a cost burden on a user increases.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a connector-board assembly and an electronic apparatus capable of detecting damage to a receptacle connector.
Embodiments of the present invention include a connector-board assembly according to a first aspect of the present invention, which includes a receptacle connector and a board on which the receptacle connector is mounted. The receptacle connector has a tongue portion having electrodes at an approximately intermediate portion in a vertical direction of a plug insertion hollow portion. The tongue portion has a first ground level conductor and a second ground level conductor which extend from a base end side toward an opening side of the receptacle connector and are electrically conductive to each other on the opening side. The first ground level conductor is connected to a signal input port of a detection determining unit in the board and connected to a power supply via a pull-up resistor. The second ground level conductor is connected to the ground.
An electronic apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a receptacle connector and a board on which the receptacle connector is mounted. The receptacle connector has a tongue portion having electrodes at an approximately intermediate portion in a vertical direction of a plug insertion hollow portion. The tongue portion has a first ground level conductor and a second ground level conductor which extend from a base end side toward an opening side of the receptacle connector and are electrically conductive to each other on the opening side. The first ground level conductor is connected to a signal input port of a detection determining unit in the board and connected to a power supply via a pull-up resistor, and the second ground level conductor is connected to the ground on the board.
According to the above-described aspects of present invention, it is possible to detect damage to a receptacle connector.
Hereinafter, embodiments of a connector-board assembly and an electronic apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by the embodiments.
Examples of the connector-board assembly and the electronic apparatus according to the embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by the examples.
The laptop PC10 includes a lid 16 which can be opened and closed by hinges 18 with respect to the chassis 14. The laptop PC 10 becomes compact by closing the lid 16 and is suitable for mobile use.
The chassis 14 is provided with a keyboard device 20 and a touch pad 22. A display device 24, which occupies most of the area of the front surface of the lid 16, and a speaker and a camera which are not illustrated in the drawing are provided on the front side of the lid 16.
The connector-board assembly 12 is incorporated into the chassis 14. The connector-board assembly 12 includes a receptacle connector 26 and a board 28. The board 28 serves as a main board in the laptop PC10 and is provided inside the chassis 14 across almost both left and right ends thereof. A CPU (detection determining unit) 28a which controls the entire laptop PC10 is mounted on the board 28. In the connector-board assembly 12, the board 28 on which the receptacle connector 26 is mounted may be a sub-board separate from the main board. The receptacle connector 26 is of a so-called top mount type with respect to one surface of the board 28, but may be attached by a so-called mid-mount type in which it fits into a notch formed in the board 28. The mounting form of the receptacle connector 26 on the board 28 is not limited to soldering, but may be a detachable pin contact type or the like.
For convenience of description, the side of the chassis 14 is defined as the outside around the receptacle connector 26, and conversely, the interior of the chassis 14 is defined as the inside. Further, on the basis of the board 28, the side on which the majority of components are mounted is defined as the top, and its opposite side is defined as the bottom. The reference for the top and bottom may be opposite to that of the chassis 14, with the side on which the keyboard device 20 is provided being the bottom. These directional names are given for the convenience of description, and the invention is not limited to this.
The receptacle connector 26 is, for example, a small connector called a standardized USB Type C, and is used for data transmission or charging. The receptacle connector 26 may be HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface, registered trademark) or the like. The receptacle connector 26 is configured based on a flat plug holding cylindrical body 30 with rounded corners. The plug holding cylindrical body 30 is generally made of metal. A connector hole 14a (refer to
The receptacle connector 26 has a tongue portion 34 at an approximately intermediate portion in a vertical direction of the plug insertion hollow portion 30b of the plug holding cylindrical body 30. The tongue portion 34 is formed into a plate shape, and extends from an inner mold base 36 of the receptacle connector 26 to the outside inside the plug holding cylindrical body 30. When viewed from the outside (refer to
A metal plate 38 is provided at a vertical intermediate portion of the tongue portion 34. Insulating layers 40 each made of a resin material are provided above and below the metal plate 38. The metal plate 38 and the upper and lower insulating layers 40 have approximately the same thickness. Both outer ends 38a of the metal plate 38 are slightly exposed from the insulating layers 40 and are adapted to come into contact with ground terminals of the plug connector. Both inner ends of the metal plate 38 form two mounting terminals 38ba and 38bb (refer also to
The tongue portion 34 is provided with a plurality of electrodes 42. The electrodes 42 are exposed on the upper and lower surfaces of the tip portion 34b and are adapted to come into contact with electrodes of the plug connector. In the present embodiment, a total of twenty-four electrodes 42 are provided twelve above and twelve below the tip portion 34b. Each electrode 42 passes through the base portion 34a and is bent downward inside the mold base 36 with its lower end forming a mounting terminal 44 electrically connected to the board 28.
Four mounting terminals 32a protrude from a lower edge of the shell 32 and are electrically connected to the ground of the board 28. The plug holding cylindrical body 30 is in contact with the shell 32 and has the same electrical potential as the shell 32. Incidentally, the mounting terminal 32a, the mounting terminal 38bb, and the ground terminal 44a which are at the ground level are not connected to each other inside the receptacle connector 26, but are connected via the ground of the board 28.
The high-speed transmission electrode 42b and the high-speed reception electrode 42c are electrodes which form a pair of signals for communication. The low-speed transmission electrode 42g and the low-speed reception electrode 42h are electrodes which form a pair of signals for communication. The communication through the high-speed transmission electrode 42b and the high-speed reception electrode 42c is faster than the communication through the low-speed transmission electrode 42g and the low-speed reception electrode 42h. In other words, the high-speed transmission electrode 42b and the high-speed reception electrode 42c are the highest speed signal line electrodes in the receptacle connector 26.
The high-speed transmission electrodes 42b, high-speed reception electrodes 42c, plug orientation detection electrodes 42e, extension electrodes 42f, low-speed transmission electrodes 42g, and low-speed reception electrodes 42h at the upper and lower stages are surrounded by the plug holding cylindrical body 30 at the ground potential and the ground electrodes 42a and provide little electromagnetic leakage. Further, the upper and lower stages are separated by the metal plate 38, so that there is little mutual interference. The metal plate 38 also acts to secure the strength of the tongue portion 34. The high-speed transmission electrode 42b and the high-speed reception electrode 42c are more likely to generate noise than the low-speed transmission electrode 42g and the low-speed reception electrode 42h, but are located at positions where they are sandwiched between the ground electrode 42a and the power supply electrode 42d on both sides thereof, so that there is little electromagnetic leakage.
The metal plate 38 is formed with a thin slit-like notch 46 which extends inwardly and outwardly and is open to the inside. The notch 46 is located toward the upper side of the paper in
The first portion 48a and the second portion 48b each extend from the base end side toward the plug insertion opening 30a side (outside) and are in electrical conduction with each other at their outer portions. Since the mounting terminal 38bb is connected to the ground G, the first portion 48a and the second portion 48b are each normally at a zero potential, i.e., at the ground level.
The first portion 48a is connected to a signal input port 28aa of the CPU 28a on the board 28 via the mounting terminal 38ba and the detection line D, and is connected to a power supply P via a pull-up resistor 50. Further, a capacitor 52 is provided between the detection line D and the ground G. The signal input port 28aa is, for example, a GPIO (General-purpose input/output), which detects an input voltage as 0 when it is at the ground G level and as 1 when it is at the power supply P level. Since the capacitor 52 short-circuits the first portion 48a and the ground G with respect to the AC component, it acts as a ground return for high-speed noise superimposed on the first portion 48a.
Since the first portion 48a is normally at the ground level, as indicated by an arrow A, the CPU 28a detects “0” and recognizes that the receptacle connector 26 is normal. On the other hand, when an excessive force beyond expectations is applied to the receptacle connector 26 via the plug connector or the like, the tongue portion 34 may be damaged. For example, it may be bent at the step 34c as indicated by an imaginary line in
When the first portion 48a is cut at the portion indicated by the reference numeral 54, the electrical conduction with the second portion 48b is lost, so that the potential of the detection line D becomes the same as that of the power supply P via the pull-up resistor 50. Therefore, as indicated by an arrow B, the CPU 28a can detect “1” and detect damage to the receptacle connector 26.
Incidentally, assuming that the first portion 48a and the second portion 48b are the same in thickness, neither thereof is cut and there is also a possibility that an abnormality cannot be detected. However, by setting the first portion 48a and the second portion 48b to different thicknesses as in the present embodiment, the thinner side is cut, thereby making is possible to detect an abnormality. It is conceivable that the metal plate 38 will be cut at the thin first portion 48a, but even when it is cut at the thick second portion 48b or at the boundary portion between the first portion 48a and the second portion 48b, it is possible to detect the cutting in like manner. For the first portion 48a and the second portion 48b, the electromagnetic shielding effect may be maintained by making the second portion 48b directly connected to the ground G relatively thicker than the first portion 48a.
When the signal detected at the signal input port 28aa is “1”, the CPU 28a performs a display such as “connector abnormality” on the display device 24 to notify the user or worker of it. Further, when the signal detected at the signal input port 28aa is “0”, the CPU 28a does not need to take any particular action, but may perform a display such as “connector normal” on the display device 24 depending on the specifications. The CPU 28a basically always checks for abnormalities in the receptacle connector 26 via the signal input port 28aa, but it may perform the check for it when the system is started, at a predetermined interval time, or at a predetermined timing (for example, when the user requests the investigation of abnormality). The detection of the state of the detection line D is not necessarily limited to digital processing by software, but may be performed by an analog circuit to sound a beep tone or light a lamp.
Further, there may be a case where the cutting of only the thin first portion 48a causes almost no hindrance to the electrical function of the receptacle connector 26, and charging, communication, and the like can be continued. In particular, when the detection by the signal input port 28aa is not always “1”, but is approximately “0” and rarely becomes “1”, “caution of connector”, “check connector”, or the like may be displayed instead of “connector abnormality” depending on the judgement of the CPU 28a.
When the charging or communication is not possible via the receptacle connector 26 in the laptop PC10, the user or worker is able to specify the location of a failure if “connector abnormality” is displayed on the display device 24, and can adjust and repair the receptacle connector 26 in a focused way. Further, it is no longer necessary to replace a relatively expensive motherboard itself by replacing the receptacle connector 26, thereby making it possible to reduce a cost burden on the user.
Return to
That is, when viewed in the surface normal direction of the tongue portion 34, the notch 46 is formed along the high-speed transmission electrode 42b and the high-speed reception electrode 42c being the highest speed signal line electrodes among the electrodes 42, so as not to overlap them. This prevents the notch 46 from dividing the metal plate 38 at the points facing the high-speed transmission electrode 42b and the high-speed reception electrode 42c, and ensures a path (return path) for a return current of a high-frequency signal as appropriate, thereby enabling a reduction in noise. When the notch 46 overlaps with the high-speed signal electrodes 42b and 42c, there is a concern that a return loss may deteriorate. Therefore, if a certain degree of width is required for processing reasons, etc., the notch 46 may be positioned so that it overlaps with the ground electrode 42a. Further, noise generated in the vertical direction by the high-speed transmission electrode 42b and the high-speed reception electrode 42c is blocked by the plug holding cylindrical body 30 or the metal plate 38. Furthermore, the metal plate 38 separates between the high-speed transmission electrode 42b and the high-speed reception electrode 42c, thereby making it possible to prevent mutual interference.
Next, a receptacle connector 26A according to a first modification and an electric circuit according to the receptacle connector 26A will be described.
The receptacle connector 26A has a tongue portion 34A and a metal plate 38A corresponding to the above-described tongue portion 34 and metal plate 38. The metal plate (second ground level conductor) 38A does not have the notch 46 in the metal plate 38 described above. In the tongue portion 34A, one of four ground electrodes 42a is used as an abnormality detection electrode (first ground level conductor) 56. A tip portion of the abnormality detection electrode 56 is in contact with and electrically conductive to the metal plate 38A as a contact portion 58. In other words, the tongue portion 34A has the abnormality detection electrode 56 and the metal plate 38A which extend from the base end side toward the opening side and are electrically conductive to each other on the opening side. The abnormality detection electrode 56 is connected to a signal input port 28aa and is connected to a power supply P via a pull-up resistor 50, and the metal plate 38A is connected to the ground G.
As illustrated in
In the receptacle connector 26A, a mounting terminal 38bb is electrically connected to the ground G (refer to
In the receptacle connector 26A, an abnormality detection terminal 60 which is connected to the abnormality detection electrode 56 and is one of four ground terminals 44a, is connected to a detection line D. Therefore, in the receptacle connector 26A, the abnormality detection electrode 56 has the same function as the first portion 48a in the above example. That is, as illustrated in
Although the tip of the electrode 42 is covered and protected by the insulating layer 40, it is conceivable that when unexpected strong stress is applied thereto where a plug connector is inserted or extracted, the resin may peel off as illustrated in
Next, a receptacle connector 26B according to a second modification and an electric circuit according to the receptacle connector 26B will be described.
The receptacle connector 26B has a tongue portion 34B and a metal plate 38B corresponding to the above-described tongue portion 34 and metal plate 38. In the tongue portion 34B, one of four ground electrodes 42a is used as an abnormality detection electrode 56 similar to that described above. Further, the other two are used as abnormality detection electrodes 56a and 56b. The abnormality detection electrode 56 and the abnormality detection electrodes 56a and 56b are on opposite sides. As illustrated in
In the receptacle connector 26B, an abnormality detection terminal 60a among four ground terminals 44a, which is connected to the abnormality detection electrode 56a, is connected to a detection line D. Further, an abnormality detection terminal 60b connected to the abnormality detection electrode 56b is connected to the abnormality detection electrode 56. In other words, the abnormality detection electrodes 56, 56a, and 56b are connected in series. Using such a receptacle connector 26B electrical conduction with the metal plate 38 is lost when any of the three abnormality detection electrodes 56, 56a, and 56b is cut off in the middle. Therefore, the potential of the detection line D becomes the same as that of the power supply P via a pull-up resistor 50. This improves the accuracy of detecting an abnormality.
The four ground electrodes 44a may each be used as the abnormality detection electrode, and a signal may be read at a signal input port 28aa via a four-input one-output OR circuit. Further, four signal input ports 28aa may be prepared and signals may be read individually.
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can of course be freely modified within the scope not departing from the spirit of the present invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-196121 | Nov 2023 | JP | national |
