Patent Application
20100317233
The present invention relates to a connection structure between electronic modules, each of which having a plurality of terminals and a plurality of electrodes, and more particularly, to an electrical connection system between electrical modules in which terminals and electrodes included in electronic modules are easily and electrically connected to each other.
When modules, each having a plurality of terminals and a plurality of electrodes, are coupled with each other, they have to be positioned suitably for polarities between the respective terminals and electrodes. That is, according to a position in a module where another module is cradled, electrical connection between these modules is maintained or released. For this reason, a user has to take account of the characteristics of the terminals and the electrodes included in the modules for the electric connection between the modules.
Conventional electrical connection systems for facilitating electrical connection between modules have been often suggested in the field of electric charging for portable devices. In this regard, a conventional charging device will be described below.
In the conventional capacitive-coupled contactless charging system illustrated in
The capacitive-coupled contactless charging system illustrated in
As illustrated in
In addition to the charging systems illustrated in
In a conventional contact-type charging system, ‘+’ polarity power is supplied in multiple power patches of a power supply unit and at the same time, ‘−’ polarity power is supplied in another multiple power patches of the power supply unit. For this reason, which power patch is to be connected to the ‘+’ pole of a storage capacitor and which power patch is to be connected to the ‘−’ pole of the storage capacitor may be an issue.
To solve such a polarity problem of the power patches, a charging device as illustrated in
As illustrated in
The charging systems illustrated in
Since the rectifier illustrated in
As discussed above, conventional connection structures between modules (e.g., charging modules and portable apparatus modules) are based on electronic devices, requiring an additional structure for electronic device control and inevitably resulting in heat emission and power efficiency problems.
The present invention is conceived to solve the foregoing problems occurring in the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connection system which performs electrical connection by using the characteristics of a mechanical structure included in a module.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connection system capable of performing electrical connection regardless of a position of each module.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connection system which is cheap and simple to manufacture.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrical connection system between a fixed module and a moving module, in which the fixed module comprises a cradle surface on which a concave-convex surface comprising a plurality of convex surfaces and a plurality of concave surfaces is repetitively arranged, in which a commonly connected first-pole terminal is formed on the plurality of convex surfaces and a commonly connected second-pole terminal is formed on the plurality of concave surfaces, the moving module comprises a contact surface corresponding to the cradle surface of the fixed module, the contact surface comprising a planar portion and at least one protruding portion protruding from the planar portion, a first load electrode, which is a conductive member connected to a first pole of a moving module load included in the moving module, is formed on at least a part of a surface of the planar portion, and a second load electrode, which is a conductive member connected to a second pole of the moving module load, is formed in an end portion of the protruding portion, the first load electrode and the second load electrode being insulated from each other, the end portion of the protruding portion is received in any one of the plurality of concave surfaces of the fixed module such that the second load electrode is connected to the second-pole terminal of the fixed module, and the first load electrode is connected to the first-pole terminal of the fixed module.
The electrical connection system comprises a transverse movement unit for moving the protruding portion in a direction parallel to the contact surface.
The transverse movement unit comprises a conductive movable member connected to the protruding unit, a rotation member inserted into a plurality of grooves formed on a surface of the conductive movable member to move the conductive movable member, and a conductive support supporting the rotation member wherein the conductive support is connected to the second pole of the moving module load.
The electrical connection system further comprises a longitudinal movement unit for moving the protruding portion in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface.
The longitudinal movement unit comprises an elastic member connected to the protruding portion and elastically transformed in the direction perpendicular to the contact surface, and a support supporting the elastic member.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrical connection system between a fixed module and a moving module, in which the fixed module comprises a cradle surface on which a concave-convex surface comprising a plurality of convex surfaces and a plurality of concave surfaces is repetitively arranged, in which a commonly connected first-pole terminal is formed on the plurality of convex surfaces and a commonly connected second-pole terminal is formed on the plurality of concave surfaces, the moving module comprises a contact surface corresponding to the cradle surface of the fixed module, in which the contact surface comprises a planar portion and a plurality of holes and an electrode pin comprising a push type on-off switch is installed in each of the plurality of holes, a first load electrode, which is a conductive member connected to a first pole of a moving module load included in the moving module, is formed on at least a part of a surface of the planar portion, and the electrode pin is turned off when being withdrawn and is connected to a second load electrode, which is a conductive member connected to a second pole of the moving module load, when protruding, the first load electrode and the second load electrode being insulated from each other, the electrode pin short-circuits the second load electrode and the second-pole terminal of the fixed module when being received in any one of the plurality of concave surfaces of the fixed module, and electrically opens the second load electrode and the second-pole terminal of the fixed module when corresponding onto any one of the plurality of convex surfaces of the fixed module, and the first load electrode is connected to the first-pole terminal of the fixed module.
The push type on-off switch comprises a first elastic member connected to a side of the electrode pin and elastically transformed in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface, a conductive member connected to the first elastic member to move in the direction perpendicular to the contact surface, a second elastic member connected to a side of the conductive member and elastically transformed in the direction perpendicular to the contact surface, and a support supporting the second elastic member.
The conductive member has a cylindrical shape and comprises a reception unit formed therein to receive the first elastic member and the electrode pin.
If a pressure applied to the electrode pin is less than a first threshold, a bottom portion of the conductive member is in contact with the second load electrode, and if a pressure applied to the electrode pin is greater than the first threshold, the bottom portion of the conductive member is separated from the second load electrode.
A magnet is further disposed on back surfaces of the first-pole terminal and the second-pole terminal, the electrode pin comprising the push type on-off switch has a ferromagnetic property such that it is in a withdrawn position when a magnetic force does not reach the electrode pin, and is turned to a protruding position when the magnetic force reaches the electrode pin, and the electrode pin is turned to the protruding position by the magnet when corresponding onto any one of the plurality of concave surfaces of the fixed module, such that the second load electrode and the second-pole terminal of the fixed module are short-circuited.
The push type on-off switch comprises a first elastic member connected to a side of the electrode pin and elastically transformed in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface, a conductive member connected to the first elastic member to move in the direction perpendicular to the contact surface, a second elastic member connected to a side of the conductive member and elastically transformed in the direction perpendicular to the contact surface, and a support supporting the second elastic member.
The conductive member has a cylindrical shape and comprises a reception unit formed therein to receive the first elastic member and the electrode pin.
If a pressure applied to the electrode pin is less than a first threshold, a bottom portion of the conductive member is in contact with the second load electrode, and if a pressure applied to the electrode pin is greater than the first threshold, the bottom portion of the conductive member is separated from the second load electrode.
The first-pole terminal and the second-pole terminal of the fixed module supply powers having different electrical potentials.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrical connection system between a fixed module and a moving module, in which the fixed module comprises a cradle surface on which a concave-convex surface comprising a plurality of convex surfaces and a plurality of concave surfaces is repetitively arranged, in which a commonly connected first-pole terminal is formed on the plurality of convex surfaces and a commonly connected second-pole terminal is formed on the plurality of concave surfaces, the moving module comprises a contact surface corresponding to the cradle surface of the fixed module, in which the contact surface comprises a planar portion and a plurality of holes and an electrode pin comprising a push type selection switch is installed in each of the plurality of holes, the electrode pin is connected to a first load electrode, which is a conductive member connected to a first pole of a moving module load included in the moving module, when being withdrawn, and is connected to a second load electrode, which is a conductive member connected to a second pole of the moving module load, when protruding, the first load electrode and the second load electrode being insulated from each other, and the electrode pin short-circuits the second load electrode and the second-pole terminal of the fixed module to be short-circuited when being received in any one of the plurality of concave surfaces of the fixed module, and short-circuits the first load electrode and the first-pole terminal of the fixe module when corresponding onto any one of the plurality of convex surfaces of the fixed module.
The push type selection switch comprises a first elastic member connected to a side of the electrode pin and elastically transformed in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface, a conductive member connected to the first elastic member to move in the direction perpendicular to the contact surface, a second elastic member connected to a side of the conductive member and elastically transformed in the direction perpendicular to the contact surface, and a support supporting the second elastic member.
The conductive member has a cylindrical shape and comprises a reception unit formed therein to receive the first elastic member and the electrode pin.
If a pressure applied to the electrode pin is less than a first threshold, a bottom portion of the conductive member is in contact with the second load electrode, and if a pressure applied to the electrode pin is greater than a second threshold, a top portion of the conductive member is in contact with the first load electrode.
A magnet is further disposed on back surfaces of the first-pole terminal and the second-pole terminal, the electrode pin comprising the push type selection switch has a ferromagnetic property such that it is in a withdrawn position when a magnetic force does not reach the electrode pin, and is turned to a protruding position when the magnetic force reaches the electrode pin, the electrode pin short-circuits the first load electrode and the first-pole terminal of the fixed module when contacting any one of the plurality of convex surfaces of the fixed module, and the electrode pin is turned to the protruding position by the magnet when corresponding onto any one of the plurality of concave surfaces of the fixed module, such that the second load electrode and the second-pole terminal of the fixed module are short-circuited.
The push type selection switch comprises a first elastic member connected to a side of the electrode pin and elastically transformed in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface, a conductive member connected to the first elastic member to move in the direction perpendicular to the contact surface and made of other components than ferromagnetic substances, a second elastic member connected to a side of the conductive member and elastically transformed in the direction perpendicular to the contact surface, and a support supporting the second elastic member.
The conductive member has a cylindrical shape and comprises a reception unit formed therein to receive the first elastic member and the electrode pin.
If a pressure applied to the electrode pin is less than a first threshold, a bottom portion of the conductive member is in contact with the second load electrode, and if a pressure applied to the electrode pin is greater than a second threshold, a top portion of the conductive member is in contact with the first load electrode.
The first-pole terminal and the second-pole terminal of the fixed module supply powers having different electrical potentials.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrical connection system between a fixed module and a moving module, in which the fixed module comprises a cradle surface on which a concave-convex surface comprising a plurality of convex surfaces and a plurality of concave surfaces is repetitively arranged, in which a commonly connected first-pole terminal is formed on the plurality of convex surfaces, a commonly connected second-pole terminal is formed on the plurality of concave surfaces, and a magnet is further disposed on a back surface of the second-pole terminal, the moving module comprises a contact surface corresponding to the cradle surface of the fixed module, in which the contact surface comprises a planar portion and a plurality of holes and an electrode pin comprising a depressed electrode unit is installed in each of the plurality of holes and has a ferromagnetic property such that the electrode pin is in a withdrawn position when a magnetic force does not reach the electrode pin and is turned to a protruding position when the magnetic force reaches the electrode pin, the withdrawn position of the electrode pin being determined as a back of a surface of the planar portion, a first load electrode, which is a conductive member connected to a first pole of a moving module load included in the moving module, is formed on at least a part of the surface of the planar portion, and the electrode pin is connected to a second load electrode, which is a conductive member connected to a second pole of the moving module load, the first load electrode and the second load electrode being insulated from each other, the electrode pin short-circuits the second load electrode and the second-pole terminal of the fixed module when being received in any one of the plurality of concave surfaces of the fixed module, and the first load electrode is connected to the first-pole terminal of the fixed module.
The depressed electrode unit further comprises a first elastic member connected to the electrode pin to cause the electrode pin to be withdrawn when the electrode pin protrudes towards the cradle surface, and a support supporting the first elastic member.
The electrical connection system according to the present invention can be applied to various systems such as charging devices and data communication devices for portable apparatuses.
With the electrical connection system according to the present invention, electrical connection is possible irrespective of a position of each module. For example, when the present invention is used in a charging device for a portable apparatus, charging is possible regardless of a position of the portable apparatus, thereby providing convenient charging.
Moreover, with the electrical connection system according to the present invention, electrical connection is made without the use of complicated electronic devices, thereby significantly reducing manufacturing cost. Furthermore, even when large current flows for charging, any resistance resulting from semiconductor devices (diodes, BJT, MOSFET) does not occur and thus power waste and heat emission problems can be solved.
Detailed operations and characteristics of the present invention will become clear from the following detailed description of embodiments of the present invention.
The current embodiment of the present invention relates to an electrical connection system between a moving module and a fixed module in which the moving module is cradled. The moving module or the fixed module may be any type of module including electrodes and data terminals. For example, the moving module or the fixed module may be any one of a mobile phone, a portable mp3 player, an adaptor for power supply, a data signal supply source for data signal supply, and the like.
Hereinafter, an electrical connection system according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As illustrated in
The concave surface 410 includes at least one second-pole terminal 411 and the convex surface 420 includes at least one first-pole terminal 421. The first-pole terminal 421 and the second-pole terminal 411 may be formed over the entire concave-convex surface 430 or on a part of the concave-convex surface 430. As illustrated in
The moving module 450 cradled in the fixed module 400, as illustrated in
At least one protruding portion 470 corresponding to the second-pole terminal 411 is formed on the contact surface 451, and a second load electrode 471 is provided in an end portion of the protruding portion 470. The second load electrode 471, which is a conductive member, is connected to a second pole 481 of a moving module load (not shown) included in the moving module 450.
In the region where the planar portion 480 exists, a first load electrode 461 corresponding to the first-pole terminal 421 is provided. The first load electrode 461 is connected to a first pole 482 of the moving module load. To prevent a short circuit between electrodes, preferably, the first load electrode 461 and the second load electrode 471 are insulated from each other. The insulation between these electrodes may be achieved in various ways. For example, the insulation may be achieved by an interval between the protruding portion 470 and the first load electrode 471. Alternatively, the first load electrode 461 and the second load electrode 471 may be insulated from each other by forming the second load electrode 471 in the end portion of the protruding portion 470 without using the interval.
The moving module load (not shown) is an electrical load of various types such as a battery, an electronic circuit board, a universal serial bus (USB) module, a motor, and the like.
The protruding portion 470 preferably has a shape protruding towards the cradle surface 401, and the shape of an electrode can be liberally determined. For example, it may be manufactured to have a semi-spherical shape, a cylindrical shape, a multi-pillar shape, or the like.
As illustrated in
As previously described, since the second-pole terminal 411 corresponds to the second load electrode 471 and the first-pole electrode 421 corresponds to the first load electrode 461, the first-pole terminal 421 and the second-pole terminal 411 of the fixed module 400 are electrically connected to the first pole 482 and the second pole 481 of the moving module load, respectively.
In the electrical connection system illustrated in
Although a short circuit may occur between the first-pole terminal 421 and the second-pole terminal 411 due to coupling between those two modules 400 and 450, this problem may be solved by properly designing arrangement of those terminals 411 and 412 relative to each other or adding a conventionally suggested over current protection (OCP) or over voltage protection (OVP) module to the fixed module 400.
For example, when the fixed module 400 is a charging device including a power supply source (not shown) and a moving module 450 is a portable device including a battery (not shown), the second-pole terminal 411 and the second load electrode 471 may be VCC terminals of a charging power and a battery having a predetermined potential (e.g., ‘5 ’ volt) and the first-pole terminal 421 and the first load electrode 461 may be GND terminals of the charging power and the battery having a ground potential. In this case, once the portable device is liberally cradled in the cradle surface 401 of the charging device, the portable device slides along the concave-convex surface 430, whereby the VCC terminal of the charging device and the VCC terminal of the portable device are electrically connected to each other and the GND terminal of the charging device and the GND terminal of the portable device are electrically connected to each other, thus normally performing a charging operation.
The modules 400 and 450 having a connections structure as illustrated in
In an example illustrated in
The second embodiment of the present invention has an additional feature that the protruding portion 470 including the second load electrode 471 moves in a transverse direction and/or a longitudinal direction, in addition to features of the first embodiment of the present invention.
When the modules 400 and 450 disclosed in the first embodiment are manufactured to small sizes, the second load electrode 471, even if positioned on the convex surface 420, may not slide from the convex surface 420 to the concave surface 410. In other words, since gravity applied to the moving module 450 is not large due to light weight of the moving module 450, the second load electrode 471 may be held on the convex surface 420. Moreover, if tolerance is generated on the cradle surface 401, clearance may be generated on the load electrodes 461 and 471 and the concave-convex surface 430.
To improve the first embodiment, the second embodiment has added thereto a feature that the second load electrode 471 moves in a transverse direction and/or a longitudinal direction.
As illustrated in
A conductive lubricant is applied to the rotation members 505 to enable electrical connection between the second load electrode 471, and the rotation members 505 and the support 502. One end 504 of the support 502 is connected to the second pole 481 of the moving module load in order to deliver an electrical signal being input from the second load electrode 471 and to output an electrical signal being input from the second pole 481 of the moving module load through the second load electrode 471.
At least one transverse movement unit 500 is preferably in the moving module 450, and at least one second load electrode 471 is positioned in each transverse movement unit 500. That is, a plurality of second load electrodes 471 may be formed in the conductive movable member 506.
According to another aspect of the second embodiment, a longitudinal movement unit 510 for moving the second load electrode 471 in the longitudinal direction may be further included.
The longitudinal movement unit 510 illustrated in
When the second load electrode 471 is moved as illustrated in
The longitudinal movement unit 510 and the transverse movement unit 500 may be manufactured as one unit.
When the protruding portion 470 is moved in various directions by using the illustrated electrical connection system, the second load electrode 471 included in the moving module 450 can easily slide along the concave-convex surface 430. Moreover, even if tolerance is generated in the cradle surface 401 of the load module, clearance between the moving module 450 and the load module can be prevented.
The third embodiment is an improvement of the moving module 450. The third embodiment further includes a push type on-off switch for controlling an electrode pin 660 moving in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface 451. The push type on-off switch performs various operations according to various aspects of the present invention, in which the electrode pin 660 included in a push type on-off switch 600A suggested according to the third embodiment is withdrawn or protrudes in the direction perpendicular to the contact surface 451. In addition, the push type on-off switch 600A according to the third embodiment turns on or off electrical connection between the electrode pin 660 and the second load electrode 471 as the electrode pin 660 protrudes or is withdrawn.
The moving module 450 illustrated in
The first load electrode 670 is connected to the first pole 482 of the moving module load and the electrode pine 660 is connected to the second pole 481 of the moving module load through the second load electrode 650. More specifically, the electrode pin 660, when protruding, is connected to the second load electrode 650, and is released from the second load electrode 650 when being withdrawn. It is preferable that the first load electrode 670 and the second load electrode 650 be insulated to prevent a problem such as a short circuit.
As illustrated in
As shown in
Since the conductive member 620 may be connected to the second load electrode 650 according to its position, it can deliver an electrical signal from the electrode pin 660 to the second load electrode 650 and an electrical signal from the second load electrode 650 to the electrode pin 660.
When a pressure of less than a first threshold is applied to the electrode pin 660 (i.e., the electrode pin 660 is positioned on the second-pole terminal 411), the conductive member 620 is in contact with the second load electrode 650, for which electrical connection between the electrode pin 660 and the second load electrode 650 is maintained. That is, the second-pole terminal 411 and the second load electrode 650 are electrically connected through the electrode pin 660.
However, when a pressure of greater than the first threshold is applied to the electrode pin 660 (i.e., the electrode pin 660 is positioned on the first-pole terminal 421), connection of the conductive member 620 to the second load electrode 650 is released, for which electrical connection between the electrode pin 660 and the second load electrode 650 is released. In other words, the second-pole terminal 411 and the second load electrode 650 are electrically opened.
When the third embodiment is applied to a charging system, it may function as will be described below. For example, it is assumed that the fixed module 400 is a charging device including a power supply source (not shown), the moving module 450 is a portable device including a battery (not shown), the second-pole terminal 411 and the second load electrode 650 are VCC terminals of a charging power and a battery having a predetermined potential (e.g., ‘5’ volt) and the first-pole terminal 421 and the first load electrode 670 are GND terminals of the charging power and the battery having a ground potential.
In this case, only when the electrode pin 660 protrudes, the second-pole terminal 411 and the second load electrode 650 are electrically connected, thus maintaining electrical connection between the VCC terminals. When the electrode pin 660 is withdrawn, the second-pole terminal 411 and the second load electrode 650 are electrically isolated from each other, thus releasing electrical connection between the VCC terminals.
By properly adjusting the number and arrangement of the electrode pin 660, one or more electrode pins 660 can be connected to the second-pole terminal 411 even when the moving module 450 is freely positioned. Therefore, it is desirable to properly adjust the number and arrangement of the electrode pin 660.
The fourth embodiment is a further improvement of the moving module 450. The fourth embodiment has added thereto a push type selection switch 600B, in which the electrode pin 660 is moved in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface 451. In the fourth embodiment, the first load electrode 670 is not provided on the contact surface 451, and the electrode pin 660 is connected to the first load electrode 670 or the second load electrode 650 included in the moving module 450 as the electrode pin 660 is withdrawn or protrudes.
The moving module 450 of
The electrode pin 660 according to the fourth embodiment corresponds to the second-pole terminal 411 when protruding and corresponds to the first-pole terminal 421 when being withdrawn.
As illustrated in
As shown in
The second load electrode 650, connected to the second pole 481 of the moving module load, corresponds to the second-pole terminal 411. The first load electrode 670, connected to the first pole 482 of the moving module load, corresponds to the first-pole terminal 421.
As is shown, the second-pole terminal 411 is connected to the second pole 481 of the moving module load through the electrode pin 660 when the electrode pin 660 protrudes, whereas the first-pole terminal 421 is connected to the first pole 482 of the moving module load when the electrode pin 660 is withdrawn.
Since the conductive member 620 may be connected to the second load electrode 650 or the first load electrode 670 according to its position, the electrode pin 660 and the first and second load electrodes 650 and 670 may be selectively short-circuited with each other.
When a pressure of less than the first threshold is applied to the electrode pin 660 (i.e., the electrode pin 660 is positioned on the second-pole terminal 411), the conductive member 620 is in contact with the second load electrode 650, for which the electrode pin 660 and the second load electrode 650 are short-circuited.
When a pressure of greater than a second threshold is applied to the electrode pin 660 (i.e., the electrode pin 660 is positioned on the first-pole terminal 421), the conductive member 620 is in contact with the first load electrode 670 and the electrode pin 660 and the first load electrode 670 are short-circuited with each other.
A plurality of electrode pins 660 may be formed and an interval therebetween may be liberally determined.
The fifth embodiment is a further improvement of the moving module 450 and the fixed module 400. In the fifth embodiment, unlike in the third and fourth embodiments, the electrode pin 660 is withdrawn towards the contact surface 451 in normal times. In the third and fourth embodiments described above, the electrode pin 660 protrudes out of the contact surface 451 in normal times, causing inconvenience to a user who uses the moving module 450 and a problem in terms of product design. Thus, in the fifth embodiment, a suggestion will be made in which the electrode pin 660 is withdrawn towards the contact surface 451 in normal times and protrudes when necessary.
The fixed module 400 preferably further includes a magnet 810 on a back surface of the concave surface 410. The magnet 810 is provided to cause the electrode pin 660 made of a ferromagnetic substance according to the fifth embodiment to protrude out of the contact surface 451.
The moving module 450 includes at least one electrode pin 660 made of a ferromagnetic substance. When a magnetic force of the magnet 810 reaches the electrode pin 660, the electrode pin 660 is turned to a protruding position outward from the contact surface 451. When the magnetic force of the magnet 810 does not reach the electrode pin 660, the electrode pin 660 is turned to a withdrawn position inward from the contact surface 451.
It is more preferable that the withdrawn position be positioned deeper than a planar portion of the contact surface 451 in order to prevent the electrode pin 660 from contacting the first-pole terminal 421.
The electrode pin 660 is connected to the second load electrode 650 corresponding to the second-pole terminal 411. Thus, when the electrode pin 660, protruding due to the magnet 810 disposed adjacent to the concave surface 410, is in contact with the second-pole terminal 411, electrical connection between the second-pole terminal 411 and the second load electrode 650 is maintained. In this case, the second load electrode 650 is connected to the second pole 481 of the moving module load, resulting in a short circuit between the second-pole terminal 411 and the second pole 481 of the moving module load.
Since the magnetic 810 is not provided around the convex surface 420, the electrode pin 660 made of a ferromagnetic substance does not protrude even when positioned on the first-pole terminal 421, thereby preventing contact between the electrode pin 660 and the first-pole terminal 421.
At least one first load electrode 670 corresponding to the first-pole terminal 421 is provided on the contact surface 451 of the moving module 450 of
As illustrated in
The first elastic member 820 causes the electrode pin 660 to be disposed in the withdrawn position inward from the contact surface 451 in normal times when a magnetic force does not reach the electrode pin 660.
The electrode pin 660 is electrically connected to the second load electrode 650, and it protrudes only when being adjacent to the second-pole terminal 411. Thus, the electrode pin 660 is connected only to the second-pole terminal 411 without being connected to the first-pole terminal 421.
The number of electrode pins 660 can be determined variously, and more electrode pins mean more advantages for electric connection.
The sixth embodiment is a further improvement of the moving module 450 and the fixed module 400. The sixth embodiment has a feature that the electrode pin 660 is disposed in the withdrawn position in normal times and is disposed in the protruding position when a magnet is adjacent thereto like in the fifth embodiment. However, the fifth embodiment is associated with a structure where the electrode pin 660 and the second load electrode 650 are electrically connected at all times, whereas the sixth embodiment is associated with a structure where the electrode pin 660 and the second load electrode 650 are electrically on/off in some cases.
The moving module 450 illustrated in
The moving module 450 includes the contact surface 451 on which the first load electrode 670 corresponding to the first-pole terminal 421 is provided and a plurality of openings, i.e., holes 680 are provided. Each of the plurality of holes 680 is provided with the push type on-off switch 600D which further includes the electrode pin 660 contacting the first-pole terminal 421 and the second-pole terminal 411.
The first load electrode 670 is connected to the first pole 482 of the moving module load, and the electrode pin 660 is connected to the second pole 481 of the moving module load through the second load electrode 650. More specifically, the electrode pin 660 is connected to the second load electrode 650 when protruding by the magnet 910, and is released from the second load electrode 650 when being withdrawn. It is preferable that the first load electrode 670 and the second load electrode 650 be insulated from each other to prevent a problem such as a short circuit.
As illustrated in
As shown in
The first elastic member 916 and the second elastic member 930 are preferably compression springs which contracts in normal times to prevent the electrode pin 660 from being exposed to outside when the magnetic force does not reach the electrode pin 660.
Since the conductive member 920 is connected to the second load electrode 650 when the electrode pin 660 protrudes by the magnetic force, it can deliver an electrical signal from the electrode pin 660 to the second load electrode 650 and an electrical signal from the second load electrode 650 to the electrode pin 660.
When a pressure of less than the first threshold is applied to the electrode pin 660 (i.e., the electrode pin 660 is positioned on the second-pole terminal 411), the conductive member 920 is in contact with the second load electrode 650, for which the electrode pin 660 and the second load electrode 650 are short-circuited. That is, the second-pole terminal 411 and the second load electrode 650 are electrically connected through the electrode pin 660.
However, when a pressure of greater than the first threshold is applied to the electrode pin 660 (i.e., the electrode pin 660 is positioned on the first-pole terminal 421), the conductive member 920 is electrically separated from the second load electrode 650, for which the electrode pin 660 and the second load electrode 650 are electrically opened.
By properly adjusting the number and arrangement of the electrode pin 660, one or more electrode pins 660 can be connected to the second-pole terminal 411 even when the moving module 450 is freely positioned. Therefore, it is desirable to properly adjust the number and arrangement of the electrode pin 660.
The seventh embodiment is a further improvement of the moving module 450. The seventh embodiment has added thereto a push type selection switch which causes the electrode pin 660 to be withdrawn in normal times. However, in the sixth embodiment, the first load electrode 670 is not provided on the contact surface 451, and the electrode pin 660 is connected to the first load electrode 670 or the second load electrode 650 included in the moving module 450 as the electrode pin 660 is withdrawn or protrudes.
The moving module 450 of
The electrode pin 660 according to the seventh embodiment corresponds to the second-pole terminal 411 when protruding and corresponds to the first-pole terminal 421 when being withdrawn.
As illustrated in
As shown in
The second load electrode 650, connected to the second pole 481 of the moving module load, corresponds to the second-pole terminal 411. The first load electrode 670, connected to the first pole 482 of the moving module load, corresponds to the first-pole terminal 421.
As shown in
The first elastic member 916 and the second elastic member 930 are preferably compression springs which contracts in normal times to prevent the electrode pin 660 from being exposed to outside when the magnetic force does not reach the electrode pin 660. In addition, if the conductive member 980 is made of a ferromagnetic substance, the electrode pin 660 and the conductive member 980 move together when the magnetic force reaches the electrode pin 660. As a result, electrical connection between the conductive member 980 and the first load electrode 670 may be unintentionally opened. Therefore, it is preferable that the conductive member 980 be made of other substances than a ferromagnetic substance, i.e., a paramagnetic substance, a diamagnetic substance, a non-magnetic substance, and the like.
Since the conductive member 980 is connected to the second load electrode 650 or the first load electrode 670 according to its position, the electrode pin 660, and the first and second load electrodes 650 and 670 may be selectively short-circuited.
When a pressure of less than the first threshold is applied to the electrode pin 660 (i.e., the electrode pin 660 is positioned on the second-pole terminal 411), the conductive member 980 is in contact with the second load electrode 650, for which the electrode pin 660 and the second load electrode 650 are short-circuited.
However, when a pressure of greater than the second threshold is applied to the electrode pin 660 (i.e., the electrode pin 660 is positioned on the first-pole terminal 421), the conductive member 980 is in contact with the first load electrode 670, for which the electrode pin 660 and the first load electrode 670 are short-circuited.
A plurality of electrode pins 660 may be formed and an interval therebetween may be liberally determined.
When the first through seventh embodiments are used, electrical connection is possible irrespective of a position of each module. For example, when the present invention is used in a charging device for a portable apparatus, charging is possible regardless of the position of the portable apparatus, thereby providing convenient charging.
The preferred embodiments of the present invention described above have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, and those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various modifications, changes, and additions can be made within the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such modifications, changes, and additions are within the scope of the appended claims.
The present invention is applicable to various types of electronic modules, and thus it is reasonable to admit the industrial applicability of the present invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2007-0137580 | Dec 2007 | KR | national |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/KR2008/007714 | Dec 2008 | US |
| Child | 12824033 | US |
