An extendable operating rod for assisting the installation of a plug-in set-top box

Abstract

The utility model discloses an extendable operating rod for assisting the installation of plug-in set top box, which comprises a base, two clamping plates symmetrically arranged in the base, a transmission mechanism arranged in the base and capable of simultaneously driving the two clamping plates to move relative to each other, an operating rod arranged at the rear end of the base, a drive rod arranged in the operating rod, a drive mechanism arranged at the front end of the drive rod and capable of driving the transmission mechanism, a handle arranged at the rear end of the operating rod, and a locking mechanism arranged between the rear end of the drive rod and the operating rod or between the rear end of the drive rod and the handle and capable of locking the drive rod. The utility model aims to overcome the shortcomings in the prior art and provides an extendable operating rod with a simple structure and capable of facilitating the insertion of the plug-in set top box, the male head of the HDMI line and the male head of the USB line into the corresponding interfaces on the back of a television set.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of set-top box installation tools, specifically to an extendable operating lever for assisting in the installation of a plug-in set-top box. Background Technology

[0002] Plug-in mini set-top boxes and universal remote controls offer advantages such as plug-and-play functionality, space saving, ease of operation, and excellent performance, making them the primary terminals for serving television users in the future. Nationwide deployment began in 2025. They typically plug directly into the TV's HDMI port or via an HDMI extension cable, and are powered by the TV's USB port, requiring no additional power adapter. The set-top box can be hidden behind the TV, improving the aesthetics of home wiring layouts.

[0003] In the standard installation of plug-in set-top boxes, there are generally two cables that need to be plugged into the interfaces on the back of the TV. One is the HDMI cable responsible for transmitting video signals, and its male end needs to be plugged into the HDMI female connector on the back of the TV. The other is the USB cable responsible for power supply, and its male end needs to be plugged into the USB female connector on the back of the TV.

[0004] Since most TVs in users' homes are currently wall-mounted, the distance between the back of the TV and the wall is less than 10cm, and the distance between the HDMI and USB female ports of the TV and the edge of the TV varies from 20-40cm. When cable TV installation and maintenance personnel or users themselves plug and unplug cables, it is generally difficult to reach into the gap with one hand. The operating space is very small, making operation extremely inconvenient. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing construction techniques and provide an extendable operating lever with a simple structure that facilitates the insertion of a plug-in set-top box and its HDMI cable male connector and USB cable male connector into the corresponding interfaces on the back of the television. The extendable operating lever can accommodate the installation of 50-100 inch wall-mounted televisions for home use.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following solution: an extendable operating lever for assisting in the installation of an insertable set-top box, comprising a base, two symmetrically arranged clamping plates within the base, a transmission mechanism within the base capable of simultaneously driving the two clamping plates to move relative to each other, an operating lever within the rear end of the base, a drive rod within the operating lever, a drive mechanism at the front end of the drive rod capable of driving the transmission mechanism, a handle at the rear end of the operating lever, and a locking mechanism between the rear end of the drive rod and the operating lever or between the rear end of the drive rod and the handle capable of locking the drive rod.

[0007] As another improvement to the extendable operating lever for auxiliary insertion set-top box installation of this utility model, the transmission mechanism includes an installation through groove opened in the base, a vertical installation groove perpendicular to the installation through groove is provided in the middle of the installation through groove, a transmission gear is provided in the vertical installation groove, a transmission rack is provided on the inner side of the clamping plate, the transmission rack meshes with the transmission gear, and the side of the transmission rack away from the teeth abuts against the inner wall of the installation through groove.

[0008] As another improvement of the extendable operating lever for the auxiliary insertion set-top box installation of this utility model, the driving mechanism includes a driving gear disposed on the lower side of the transmission gear, an oblong groove provided at the front end of the driving rod, and a driving rack disposed on one side of the oblong groove, which can drive the two clamping plates to close when the driving rod moves forward, and the driving rack meshes with the driving gear.

[0009] As another improvement to the extendable operating lever for auxiliary insertion set-top box installation of this utility model, the locking mechanism includes a limiting slot provided on the rear end of the operating lever or the handle, the limiting slot being connected to the shaft hole inside the operating lever, a limiting protrusion provided on the outer wall of the rear end of the drive lever, the limiting protrusion being movably disposed in the limiting slot, a drive button provided on the upper end of the limiting protrusion, and a top pressure spring provided between the rear end of the drive lever and the limiting slot.

[0010] As another improvement to the extendable operating lever for the auxiliary insertion set-top box installation of this utility model, a collar is movably provided on the outer wall of the rear end of the drive lever, the limiting protrusion is provided on the collar, and positioning grooves are respectively provided on one side of both ends of the limiting slot.

[0011] As another improvement to the extendable operating lever for assisting in the installation of the insertable set-top box of this utility model, anti-slip textures are provided on the inner side of the clamping plate to facilitate clamping. As another improvement to the extendable operating lever for the auxiliary insertion set-top box installation of this utility model, a guide rod is provided on the clamping plate on one side of the transmission rack, and a guide hole is provided on the base at a position corresponding to the guide rod, with the guide rod movably disposed in the guide hole.

[0012] As another improvement to the extendable operating lever for the auxiliary insertion set-top box installation of this utility model, a push plate is provided on the rear end of the clamping plate, and a notch is provided on the inner side of the push plate.

[0013] As another improvement to the extendable operating lever for assisting in the installation of the insertable set-top box of this utility model, the handle is screwed onto the rear end of the operating lever.

[0014] As another improvement to the extendable operating lever for the auxiliary insertion set-top box installation of this utility model, several anti-slip grooves are evenly distributed and spaced on the outer wall of the handle.

[0015] In summary, the advantages of this utility model compared to the prior art are as follows: This utility model has a simple structure and cleverly solves the problem of difficulty in inserting the HDMI or USB plugs of the set-top box due to the limited space behind the TV during wall mounting. The operator can accurately and securely insert both plugs into the corresponding ports on the back of the TV with one hand, significantly improving the convenience and efficiency of installation. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the clamping plate of this utility model when it is open.

[0017] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged diagram of point A in the middle.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the clamping plate of this utility model when it is closed.

[0019] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged diagram of point B in the middle.

[0020] Figure 5 This is one of the partial cross-sectional schematic diagrams of this utility model.

[0021] Figure 6 This is an exploded view of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Enlarged diagram of point C in the middle.

[0023] Figure 8 This is the second partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of this utility model.

[0024] Figure 9 for Figure 8 Enlarged diagram of point D in the middle.

[0025] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 11 for Figure 10 Enlarged diagram of point E in the middle.

[0027] Figure 12 for Figure 10 Enlarged schematic diagram at point F in the middle.

[0028] Figure 13This is a schematic diagram of the limiting slot and positioning slot of this utility model.

[0029] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the limiting protrusion installed on the collar in this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The above-mentioned and other technical features and advantages of this utility model will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] It should be noted that in the description of this utility model, the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", "outer", etc., indicating the direction or positional relationship are based on the direction or positional relationship shown in the drawings. This is only for the convenience of description and does not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

[0033] Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0034] like Figure 1-14 As shown, an extendable operating lever for assisting in the installation of an insertable set-top box includes a base 1, two symmetrically arranged clamping plates 2 within the base 1, a transmission mechanism 3 within the base 1 capable of simultaneously driving the two clamping plates 2 to move relative to each other, an operating lever 4 at the rear end of the base 1, a drive rod 5 within the operating lever 4, a drive mechanism 6 at the front end of the drive rod 5 capable of driving the transmission mechanism 3, a handle 7 at the rear end of the operating lever 4, and a locking mechanism 8 between the rear end of the drive rod 5 and the operating lever 4, or between the rear end of the drive rod 5 and the handle 7, capable of locking the drive rod 5.

[0035] By incorporating an extendable control lever, operators no longer need to awkwardly reach into the narrow gap between the back of the TV and the wall for blind operation. The lever extends the operating point to an open area on the side or below the TV, allowing operators to complete the installation from a position with good visibility and ample space, completely solving the operational difficulties caused by the limited space behind a wall-mounted TV.

[0036] The symmetrically arranged clamping plates 2 within the base 1, together with the transmission mechanism 3 that can simultaneously drive the relative movement of the two clamping plates, can stably and reliably clamp both the HDMI male connector and the USB male connector or the set-top box itself. This effectively ensures that the set-top box and its two key connectors maintain the correct relative position and orientation throughout operation.

[0037] Guided by the joystick, the two plugs can be precisely aligned and pushed into the HDMI and USB female ports on the back of the TV in one go, avoiding the problem of traditional methods that require two separate operations and repeated adjustments to position and angle, greatly improving the accuracy and efficiency of alignment and insertion.

[0038] The operator only needs to push or pull the handle to transmit power to the drive mechanism at the front, which in turn drives the transmission mechanism to control the opening and closing of the clamping plate. This allows the operator to perform the actions of clamping the plug, aligning the interface, and inserting it with one hand, while the other hand can be used to stabilize the TV or the control lever. The operation is simple, intuitive, time-saving, and labor-saving.

[0039] Once the clamping plate grips the plug, the locking mechanism securely locks the drive rod, preventing it from accidentally retracting or loosening during operation, such as when forcefully inserting the plug or moving it in a confined space. This ensures a stable and reliable clamping position, preventing the plug from falling off or shifting during insertion and improving the installation success rate.

[0040] Using this new type of operating lever effectively avoids the risk of finger injuries and scratches that may occur when operators are forced to operate in confined spaces, or damage to plugs, interfaces, or even the television due to improper force. It significantly lowers the technical and physical requirements for installation, allowing even ordinary users to easily complete installation or replacement, thus increasing user confidence and satisfaction in self-operation. For professional installers (such as broadcasting staff), it significantly improves installation efficiency, shortens service time, and reduces workload.

[0041] This utility model's operating lever, as an independent auxiliary tool, can be adapted to various models of plug-in set-top boxes, HDMI plugs, or USB plugs, and has good versatility.

[0042] The transmission mechanism 3 of this utility model includes a mounting slot 9 formed in the base 1, a vertical mounting groove 10 perpendicular to the mounting slot 9 is provided in the middle of the mounting slot 9, a transmission gear 11 is provided in the vertical mounting groove 10, a transmission rack 12 is provided on the inner side of the clamping plate 2, the transmission rack 12 meshes with the transmission gear 11, and the side of the transmission rack 12 away from the teeth abuts against the inner wall of the mounting slot 9.

[0043] This invention utilizes a transmission gear 11 that simultaneously meshes with two symmetrically arranged transmission racks 12, effectively ensuring that when one clamping plate 2 moves, the other clamping plate 2 will necessarily move in the opposite direction and at the same distance. This achieves precise and synchronized clamping and release of the two plugs. The transmission gear 11 acts as a motion synchronizer, completely avoiding problems such as plug misalignment, misalignment, or uneven force caused by asynchrony.

[0044] The gear and rack meshing of this utility model is a rigid transmission method. Compared with flexible transmission schemes such as connecting rods and steel wires, it can directly, efficiently and without delay transmit the motion of the drive rod to the clamping plate, with small force transmission loss and rapid response.

[0045] The transmission rack 12, on the side away from the teeth, abuts against the inner wall of the mounting slot 9, providing a rigid guide rail with strong constraints for the movement of the rack. This effectively prevents the rack from twisting, swaying laterally, or disengaging when under force, ensuring the stability and reliability of the action throughout the clamping process.

[0046] The transmission gear 11 and transmission rack 12 of this utility model are cleverly integrated into the mounting through slot 9 and vertical mounting slot 10 opened inside the base 1. This makes full use of the internal space of the base 1, resulting in a compact and small-sized transmission mechanism. It also helps to keep the overall size of the front end of the operating lever small, making it easy to operate in narrow spaces.

[0047] This utility model features a gear and rack meshing system with a large contact area, enabling it to withstand significant loads. This effectively ensures that the transmission system operates stably and reliably, even when requiring considerable force to clamp the plug or overcome resistance during plug insertion, preventing damage or failure.

[0048] In this invention, the transmission gears and transmission racks are generally made of metal or high-strength engineering plastics, which have good wear resistance and ensure the durability and lifespan of the transmission mechanism under repeated use.

[0049] The drive mechanism 6 of this utility model includes a drive gear 13 disposed on the lower side of the transmission gear 11, a waist-shaped groove 14 disposed at the front end of the drive rod 5, and a drive rack 15 disposed on one side of the waist-shaped groove 14, which can drive the two clamping plates 2 to close when the drive rod 5 moves forward. The drive rack 15 meshes with the drive gear 13.

[0050] In this invention, the axial linear motion of the drive rod 5 is efficiently and directly converted into the rotational motion of the drive gear 13 by directly meshing the drive rack 15 with the drive gear 13. The meshing transmission method of the drive gear 13 and drive rack 15 in this invention has high transmission efficiency and low energy loss, ensuring that the thrust applied by the operator to the drive rod 5 can be converted into effective power to drive the clamping mechanism.

[0051] The drive rack 15 is only provided on one side of the waist-shaped groove 14, and is designed to engage with the drive gear 13 only when the drive rod 5 moves forward, ensuring reliable triggering of the clamping action and clear control logic, and avoiding the possibility of reverse action due to misoperation.

[0052] The drive gear 13 is located below the transmission gear 11. The stacked structure makes full use of the height space inside the base 1, achieving vertical integration of the drive mechanism and the transmission mechanism, greatly saving horizontal space and making the entire drive and transmission structure more compact.

[0053] In this invention, an end plate is provided on the opening end of the waist-shaped groove 14. This effectively prevents the drive rack 15 from disengaging from the drive gear 13.

[0054] The locking mechanism 8 of this utility model includes a limiting slot 16 provided on the rear end of the operating rod 4 or the handle 7. The limiting slot 16 is connected to the shaft hole inside the operating rod 4. A limiting protrusion 17 is provided on the outer wall of the rear end of the driving rod 5. The limiting protrusion 17 is movably disposed in the limiting slot 16. A driving button 18 is provided on the upper end of the limiting protrusion 17. A top pressure spring 19 is provided between the rear end of the driving rod 5 and the limiting slot 16.

[0055] In this invention, the operator can easily apply unlocking force by pushing and pulling the drive button 18 located on the upper end of the limiting protrusion 17. When the drive button is pushed back, the limiting protrusion 17 is pulled back against the spring force. At this time, the drive rack 15 drives the drive gear 13 to rotate, causing the two clamping plates 2 to separate and open relative to each other, thus facilitating the placement of the HDMI male connector, USB male connector, or plug-in set-top box into the base 1 between the two clamping plates 2. When the drive button 18 is released, under the action of the top pressure spring 19, the drive rod 5 returns to its previous position, and the drive rack 15 drives the drive gear 13 to rotate in the opposite direction, thereby causing the two clamping plates 2 to move closer together and hold the HDMI male connector, USB male connector, or plug-in set-top box in place.

[0056] To make the locking mechanism 8 more stable, a collar 20 is movably disposed on the outer wall of the rear end of the drive rod 5 in this invention. The limiting protrusion 17 is disposed on the collar 20, and positioning grooves 21 are respectively disposed on one side of both ends of the limiting slot 16. When the limiting protrusion 17 is engaged with the positioning groove 21 at the front end of the limiting slot 16, the two clamping plates 2 are in the open state and are locked; when the limiting protrusion 17 is engaged with the positioning groove 21 at the rear end of the limiting slot 16, the two clamping plates 2 are in the closed state and are locked.

[0057] This invention provides anti-slip texture 22 on the inner side of the clamping plate 2 to facilitate clamping. This can effectively improve the clamping force of the clamping plate 2.

[0058] This invention provides a guide rod 23 on the clamping plate 2 on one side of the transmission rack 12, and a guide hole 24 is provided on the base 1 at a corresponding position to the guide rod 23. The guide rod 23 is movably disposed within the guide hole 24. This effectively improves the stability of the clamping plate 2 during movement.

[0059] This invention provides a push plate 25 on the rear end of the clamping plate 2, and a notch 26 is provided on the inner side of the push plate 25. In this invention, the push plate 25 can effectively apply a forward pushing force to the plug during the plug insertion process.

[0060] The handle 7 of this utility model is screwed onto the rear end of the operating lever 4.

[0061] The present invention provides a plurality of anti-slip grooves 27 evenly distributed at intervals on the outer wall of the handle.

[0062] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles and main features of this utility model, as well as its advantages. Those skilled in the art should understand that this utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of this utility model. Various changes and modifications can be made to this utility model without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claims. The scope of protection of this utility model is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An extendable operating lever for assisting in the installation of an insertable set-top box, comprising a base (1), two symmetrically arranged clamping plates (2) within the base (1), a transmission mechanism (3) within the base (1) capable of simultaneously driving the two clamping plates (2) to move relative to each other, an operating lever (4) at the rear end of the base (1), a drive rod (5) within the operating lever (4), a drive mechanism (6) at the front end of the drive rod (5) capable of driving the transmission mechanism (3), a handle (7) at the rear end of the operating lever (4), and a locking mechanism (8) capable of locking the drive rod (5) between the rear end of the drive rod (5) and the operating lever (4) or between the rear end of the drive rod (5) and the handle (7).

2. The extendable operating lever for assisting in the installation of a plug-in set-top box according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission mechanism (3) includes an installation through groove (9) opened in the base (1), a vertical installation groove (10) perpendicular to the installation through groove (9) is provided in the middle of the installation through groove (9), a transmission gear (11) is provided in the vertical installation groove (10), a transmission rack (12) is provided on the inner side of the clamping plate (2), the transmission rack (12) meshes with the transmission gear (11), and the side of the transmission rack (12) away from the teeth abuts against the inner wall of the installation through groove (9).

3. The extendable operating lever for assisting in the installation of a plug-in set-top box according to claim 2, characterized in that: The drive mechanism (6) includes a drive gear (13) disposed on the lower side of the transmission gear (11), a waist-shaped groove (14) is provided at the front end of the drive rod (5), and a drive rack (15) is provided on one side of the waist-shaped groove (14) to drive the two clamping plates (2) to close when the drive rod (5) moves forward. The drive rack (15) meshes with the drive gear (13).

4. The extendable operating lever for auxiliary insertion set-top box installation according to claim 3, characterized in that: The locking mechanism (8) includes a limiting slot (16) on the rear end of the operating rod (4) or the handle (7), the limiting slot (16) is connected to the shaft hole inside the operating rod (4), a limiting protrusion (17) is provided on the outer wall of the rear end of the drive rod (5), the limiting protrusion (17) is movably disposed in the limiting slot (16), a drive button (18) is provided on the upper end of the limiting protrusion (17), and a top pressure spring (19) is provided between the rear end of the drive rod (5) and the limiting slot (16).

5. The extendable operating lever for assisting in the installation of a plug-in set-top box according to claim 4, characterized in that: A collar (20) is movably disposed on the outer wall of the rear end of the drive rod (5), and a limiting protrusion (17) is disposed on the collar (20). A positioning groove (21) is disposed on one side of both ends of the limiting slot (16).

6. The extendable operating lever for assisting in the installation of a plug-in set-top box according to claim 1, characterized in that: Anti-slip texture (22) is provided on the inner side of the clamping plate (2) to facilitate clamping.

7. The extendable operating lever for assisting in the installation of a plug-in set-top box according to claim 2, characterized in that: A guide rod is provided on the clamping plate (2) on one side of the transmission rack (12), and a guide hole is provided on the base (1) at the corresponding position of the guide rod. The guide rod is movably disposed in the guide hole.

8. The extendable operating lever for assisting in the installation of a plug-in set-top box according to claim 1, characterized in that: A push plate (25) is provided on the rear end of the clamping plate (2), and a notch (26) is provided on the inner side of the push plate (25).

9. The extendable operating lever for assisting in the installation of a plug-in set-top box according to claim 1, characterized in that: The handle (7) is screwed onto the rear end of the operating lever (4).

10. The extendable operating lever for assisting in the installation of a plug-in set-top box according to claim 1, characterized in that: Several anti-slip grooves (27) are evenly distributed at intervals on the outer wall of the handle.

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