Electrical connecting structure of mounted part, computer apparatus, and electronic equipment

• US 20010029128A1
• Filed: 03/22/2001
• Published: 10/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Horiuchi, Mitsuo, Yonemochi, Kenshin
• Granted Patent: US 6,595,786 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/578
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/79 connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6315 allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating connection for coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, H01R12/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/06 for computer periphery
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0271 Arrangements for reducing stress or warp in rigid printed circuit boards, e.g. caused by loads, vibrations or differences in thermal expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0133 Elastomeric or compliant polymer elastomeric conductor H05K2201/0314
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09063 Holes or slots in insulating substrate not used for electrical connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10189 Non-printed connector
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0058 Laminating printed circuit boards onto other substrates, e.g. metallic substrates H05K1/0281 takes precedence

Abstract

To obtain connector connecting structure that makes it easy to connect connectors when a mounted part is mounted in a part-receiving part. In a keyboard unit mounted in a PC body of a notebook PC, a connector implemented on a flexible cable is movably supported through a cushion, which is made of urethane rubber and is fixed on a installation side 14B of the keyboard unit, and a support plate fixed to the cushion. Owing to this, by just mounting the keyboard unit in the PC body, the connector is connected to the connector in the PC body side, and hence connection becomes simple. Therefore, even if the misalignment between the connectors and arises, the connector moves according to an amount of the misalignment, and hence adequate connection can be performed.

Claims

1. An electrical connecting structure for electrically connecting a component constituting a part of an electronic equipment to another part of the electronic equipment by fitting the component to another part of the electronic equipment, the structure comprising:

a first connector provided in the component;

a support member movably supporting the first connector in the first component; and

a second connector provided in another part of the electronic equipment, the second connector to be used for connecting with the first connector.

2. An electrical connecting structure according to

claim 1

, wherein the first connector is connected to an electronic circuit mounted on the component through a flexible cable.

3. The electrical connecting structure according to

claim 2

, wherein said flexible cable is a flexible printed-circuit cable in which an electric circuit is formed on a flexible and deformable flat substrate by printed-wiring, the first connector is surface-mounted on the flexible printed-circuit cable, and the flexible printed-circuit cable has a form of absorbing a force applied to the first connector when the first connector and the second connector are connected to each other.

4. The electrical connecting structure according to

claim 3

, wherein the component or another part of the electronic equipment includes a guide member for connecting the first connector to the second connector when the component is fitted to another part of the electronic equipment.

5. The electrical connecting structure according to

claim 4

, wherein the support member is an elastic body made of a high molecular compound.

6. The electrical connecting structure according to

claim 5

, wherein the elastic body is made of urethane rubber.

7. The electrical connecting structure according to

claim 1

, wherein the component or another part of the electronic equipment includes a guide member for connecting the first connector to the second connector when the component is fitted to another part of the electronic equipment.

8. The electrical connecting structure according to

claim 1

, wherein the support member is an elastic body made of a high molecular compound.

9. The electrical connecting structure according to

claim 8

, wherein the elastic body is made of urethane rubber.

10. An electrical connecting structure for electrically connecting a component constituting a part of an electronic equipment to another part of the electronic equipment by fitting the component to another part of the electronic equipment, the structure comprising:

a first connector provided in another part of the electronic equipment;

a support member movably supporting the first connector in another part of the electronic equipment; and

a second connector provided in the component, the second connector to be used for connecting with the first connector.

11. The electrical connecting structure according to

claim 10

, wherein said first connector is connected to an electronic circuit mounted on another part of the electronic equipment through a flexible cable.

12. The electrical connecting structure according to

claim 11

, wherein said flexible cable is a flexible printed-circuit cable in which an electric circuit is formed on a flexible and deformable flat substrate by printed-wiring, the first connector is surface-mounted on the flexible printed-circuit cable, and the flexible printed-circuit cable has a form of absorbing a force applied to the first connector when the first connector and the second connector are connected to each other.

13. The electrical connecting structure according to

claim 12

, wherein the component or another part of the electronic equipment includes a guide member for connecting the first connector to the second connector when the component is fitted to another part of the electronic equipment.

14. The electrical connecting structure according to

claim 13

, wherein the support member is an elastic body made of a high molecular compound.

15. The electrical connecting structure according to

claim 14

, wherein the elastic body is made of urethane rubber.

16. The electrical connecting structure according to

claim 10

, wherein the component or another part of the electronic equipment includes a guide member for connecting the first connector to the second connector when the component is fitted to another part of the electronic equipment.

17. The electrical connecting structure according to

claim 10

, wherein the support member is an elastic body made of a high molecular compound.

18. The electrical connecting structure according to

claim 17

, wherein the elastic body is made of urethane rubber.

19. A computer apparatus having an electrical connecting structure for electrically connecting a component constituting a part of an electronic equipment to another part of the electronic equipment by fitting the component to another part of the electronic equipment, the structure comprising:

a first connector provided in the component;

a support member movably supporting the first connector in the first component; and

a second connector provided in another part of the electronic equipment, the second connector to be used for connecting with the first connector.

20. An electronic equipment having an electrical connecting structure for electrically connecting a component constituting a part of the electronic equipment to another part of the electronic equipment by fitting the component to another part of the electronic equipment, the structure comprising:

a first connector provided in the component;

a support member movably supporting the first connector in the first component; and

a second connector provided in another part of the electronic equipment, the second connector to be used for connecting with the first connector.