Cartridges for automotive accessory equipment

Abstract

The present invention aims to facilitate the insertion of cartridges into in-vehicle accessory devices. [Solution] The cartridge 10 comprises a columnar housing 14 that can be inserted into and removed from the insertion guide 38 of the fragrance unit 100, and a plurality of contact conductors 42 provided at the tip of the columnar housing 14. The plurality of contact conductors 42 are arranged in positions that are rotationally symmetrical by N around the axis in the insertion / removal direction of the columnar housing 14, where N is an integer of 2 or more. When the columnar housing 14 is inserted into the insertion guide 38, each of the plurality of contact terminals 42 provided on the fragrance unit 100 contacts a contact conductor 42 corresponding to the rotation angle around the axis in the insertion / removal direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cartridge for in-vehicle accessory devices, and particularly to a cartridge that can be inserted into and removed from in-vehicle accessory devices.

Background Art

[0002] In a vehicle cabin, a fragrance unit (aroma generator) may be mounted as an in-vehicle accessory device. A columnar cartridge, which is a component containing a fragrance agent, is inserted into the fragrance unit. A plurality of cartridges corresponding to a plurality of types of fragrances are provided, and the fragrance unit emits a fragrance according to the cartridge. By replacing the cartridge from one that emits a certain fragrance to one that emits another fragrance, the fragrance emitted by the fragrance unit is changed.

[0003] In the following Patent Document 1, an in-vehicle intelligent aroma generator is described as such a fragrance unit. An aroma agent container containing an aroma agent is inserted into the in-vehicle intelligent aroma generator, and the in-vehicle intelligent aroma generator emits an aroma by the aroma agent. The identification circuit board and the aroma agent container provided in the in-vehicle intelligent aroma generator are electrically connected by the contact of the terminals provided on each of them. The in-vehicle intelligent aroma generator reads ID information from an ID identification chip provided in the aroma agent container, and displays information such as fragrance type as information related to the ID information on an in-vehicle display or the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In conventional fragrance units, a cartridge can only be inserted into the fragrance unit if its rotation angle around its longitudinal axis is a predetermined angle. This is because the multiple terminals on the cartridge and the multiple terminals on the fragrance unit make contact with each other in a predetermined manner, allowing the fragrance unit to read information from the cartridge. This sometimes made it difficult for the user to insert the cartridge into the fragrance unit.

[0006] The present invention aims to facilitate the insertion of cartridges into in-car accessory devices such as fragrance units. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention comprises a columnar housing that can be inserted into and removed from an insertion guide of an in-vehicle accessory device, and a plurality of contact conductors provided at the tip of the columnar housing, wherein the plurality of contact conductors are arranged in positions that are rotationally symmetrical by N around the axis in the insertion / removal direction of the columnar housing, with N being an integer of 2 or more, and when the columnar housing is inserted into the insertion guide, each of the plurality of contact terminals provided on the in-vehicle accessory device contacts the contact conductor corresponding to the rotation angle around the axis in the insertion / removal direction.

[0008] In one embodiment, the columnar housing is guided in the insertion / removal direction by the insertion guide at a rotation angle that is rotationally symmetrical by N around the axis of the insertion / removal direction.

[0009] In one embodiment, a reference conductor is provided at the tip of the columnar housing and surrounds a plurality of contact conductors arranged in an annular or arc shape at the N rotationally symmetrical positions, and when the columnar housing is inserted into the insertion guide, a reference contact terminal provided on the insertion guide contacts the reference conductor.

[0010] In one embodiment, the columnar housing is provided with a central contact conductor located at the tip of the columnar housing and positioned on a rotation axis that is N rotationally symmetric.

[0011] In one embodiment, when the device is rotated 360° / N around the axis in the insertion / removal direction from a certain rotation angle, each of the contact conductors located at the same position is electrically conductive.

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention comprises a columnar housing that can be inserted into and removed from an insertion guide for an in-vehicle accessory device, and a plurality of contact conductors provided at the tip of the columnar housing, wherein the plurality of contact conductors form rings or arcs of different curvatures when viewed with the axis in the insertion / removal direction of the columnar housing facing inward, and are arranged from the inside to the outside in order from the curvature with the greatest curvature, and when the columnar housing is inserted into the insertion guide, each of the plurality of contact terminals provided on the insertion guide contacts the corresponding contact conductor among the plurality of contact conductors.

[0013] In one embodiment, the multiple contact conductors are arranged concentrically, forming circles or arcs of different curvatures.

[0014] In one embodiment, a central contact conductor is provided at the tip of the columnar housing and is located in a position surrounded by a plurality of contact conductors.

[0015] In one embodiment, the in-vehicle accessory device is a fragrance generator. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily insert cartridges into in-vehicle accessory devices. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the fragrance unit and cartridge. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the fragrance unit and cartridge. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of the fragrance unit and cartridge. [Figure 4]It is a perspective view of a contact pin substrate and each contact pin. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view of the tip of the cartridge and each contact pin. [Figure 6] It is a view showing the back of the cartridge. [Figure 7] It is a view showing the back of the cartridge together with each contact pin. [Figure 8] It is a view showing the back of the cartridge. [Figure 9] It is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge substrate. [Figure 10] It is a view showing the back of the cartridge substrate according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a view showing the back of the cartridge substrate according to the third embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the respective drawings. The same reference numerals are assigned to the same components shown in a plurality of drawings to simplify the description. In addition, the terms representing shapes with "substantially" in this specification indicate not only geometrically defined shapes but also shapes obtained by modifying geometrically defined shapes within the range where the functions of members having those shapes are exhibited.

[0019] FIGS. 1 and 2 show perspective views of a fragrance unit 100 (aroma generating device) and a cartridge 10 (cartridge for in-vehicle accessory equipment) according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The fragrance unit 100 is one of the devices classified as in-vehicle accessory equipment, similar to an air conditioner, an audio device, a car navigation system, and the like.

[0020] The fragrance unit 100 is fixed to the console, for example, with the front panel 32 facing the passenger compartment. In the following description, the direction in which the front panel 32 faces the passenger compartment is defined as the front, and the vertical direction in Figures 1 and 2 is defined as the vertical direction of the fragrance unit 100. The fragrance unit 100 has removable cartridges 10 containing fragrance. Figure 1 shows the fragrance unit 100 with three cartridges 10 inserted, and Figure 2 shows the fragrance unit 100 before the three cartridges 10 are inserted.

[0021] The cartridge 10 consists of a knob 12 and a columnar housing 14. The columnar housing 14 is the part that is inserted into the fragrance unit 100. The knob 12 is widened in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (insertion / removal direction) of the columnar housing 14 and is the part that is grasped by the user. In the example shown in Figure 2, the knob 12 is formed in a roughly cylindrical shape, and the columnar housing 14 is formed in a roughly rectangular prism shape.

[0022] The fragrance unit 100 emits a fragrance into the vehicle compartment using a fragrance agent contained within the columnar housing 14 of the cartridge 10. In this embodiment, the fragrance unit 100 has three cartridge openings 30 on the front panel 32, into which the cartridges 10 can be inserted and removed. Three cartridges 10 with different types of fragrance agents may be inserted into the three cartridge openings 30. The user performs an operation to select one of the three cartridges 10 from the fragrance unit 100. The fragrance unit 100 emits a fragrance based on the fragrance agent contained in the selected cartridge 10.

[0023] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the fragrance unit 100 and cartridge 10 when cut along line AA shown in Figure 1. The fragrance unit 100 comprises a front panel 32, a main body housing 34, and an aroma generator 36. The front of the main body housing 34 is covered by the front panel 32. The aroma generator 36 is an electrical device that emits fragrance based on the fragrance agent contained in the cartridge 10. The aroma generator 36 is housed in the main body housing 34. However, for the sake of explanation, the aroma generator 36 is depicted schematically.

[0024] The main housing 34 has an insertion guide 38 formed at the bottom into which the cartridge 10 is inserted. The insertion guide 38 is formed behind the cartridge opening 30 provided on the front panel 32. The insertion guide 38 may be a wall surface that forms a cylinder extending from the cartridge opening 30 into the fragrance unit 100.

[0025] The insertion guide 38 guides the columnar housing 14 of the cartridge 10 in the front-rear direction while maintaining a constant rotation angle around its axis. In this embodiment, the insertion guide 38 guides the columnar housing 14 at a certain rotation angle, and also guides the columnar housing 14 when it has been rotated 180° around its axis from that state. That is, even if the orientation of the cartridge 10 is upside down, the insertion guide 38 can guide the columnar housing 14 in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the columnar housing 14 has a shape that allows for such guidance.

[0026] The insertion guide 38 may be a rail structure that guides the columnar housing 14 into the fragrance unit 100 from the cartridge opening 30. The rail structure may consist of a plurality of rod-shaped members that run along the side of the columnar housing 14. The plurality of rod-shaped members may be configured to support the cartridge 10 around the columnar housing 14 and guide the columnar housing 14 in the front-rear direction. In this case, the columnar housing 14 may be provided with grooves into which the rod-shaped members fit.

[0027] The cartridge 10 is equipped with a memory 40 in which cartridge information is stored. The cartridge information may include information to identify the cartridge 10, information indicating the type of fragrance, information indicating the remaining amount of fragrance, etc. As will be described later, the tip of the cartridge 10 is provided with a plurality of contact conductors 42 for reading cartridge information from the memory 40. Here, the tip of the cartridge 10 refers to the end of the cartridge 10 that is inserted into the insertion guide 38 from the cartridge opening 30, on the side facing inward into the insertion guide 38.

[0028] A contact pin board 50 extending in the vertical, horizontal, and vertical directions is provided at the rear of the insertion guide 38 and the space into which the cartridge 10 is inserted. Multiple contact pins 52, which serve as multiple contact terminals, extend forward from the contact pin board 50. When the cartridge 10 is inserted into the insertion guide 38, each of the multiple contact conductors 42 provided at the tip of the cartridge 10 makes contact with the corresponding contact pin 52. In this state, the fragrance generator 36 reads cartridge information from the memory 40 provided in the cartridge 10. The fragrance unit 100 may perform processing to display the type of fragrance, the remaining amount of fragrance, etc. This display may be performed by the fragrance generator 36 on a display provided on the console in the vehicle compartment, etc.

[0029] Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the contact pin substrate 50 and contact pins 52a to 52d. In the example shown in Figure 4, a pin fixing base 54 made of an insulator is fixed to the front of the contact pin substrate 50. Four contact pins 52a to 52d extend forward from the pin fixing base 54. The rear end of each contact pin is electrically connected to a conductor pattern provided on the contact pin substrate 50.

[0030] Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the tip of the cartridge 10 and the contact pins 52a, 52b, 52c, and 52d. The tip of the cartridge 10 is provided with a cartridge substrate 16 that extends in the vertical, horizontal, and vertical directions. On the back of the cartridge substrate 16 are five contact conductors 42c1, 42d1, 42e, 42d2, and 42c2, and one reference conductor R that surrounds these five contact conductors. In the example shown in Figure 5, with the cartridge 10 inserted into the insertion guide 38, the contact conductor 42e, the reference conductor R, and the contact conductors 42c1 and 42d2 are provided at the tip positions of the corresponding contact pins 52a, 52b, 52c, and 52d, respectively.

[0031] Figure 6 shows the back of the cartridge 10. The cross-section of the columnar housing 14 perpendicular to the axial direction has a roughly rectangular shape that bulges convexly in the left-right direction. Two faces facing opposite directions, top and bottom, each have recessed portions 18α and 18β that extend in the longitudinal direction of the columnar housing 14. The insertion guide 38 of the fragrance unit 100 may be provided with a protruding structure that fits into the recessed portions 18α and 18β of the columnar housing 14. When the cartridge 10 is inserted into the insertion guide 38, the cartridge 10 is guided in the longitudinal direction by the user moving the cartridge 10 in its longitudinal direction so that the protruding structure aligns with the recessed portions 18α and 18β of the columnar housing 14.

[0032] A contact conductor 42c1 is located in the upper left corner of the back of the cartridge substrate 16, and a contact conductor 42d1 is located in the lower left corner. A contact conductor 42d2 is located in the upper right corner of the back of the cartridge substrate 16, and a contact conductor 42c2 is located in the lower right corner. A contact conductor 42e is located between contact conductors 42c1 and 42c2, and between contact conductors 42d2 and 42d1. That is, a contact conductor 42e is located as a central contact conductor in the area surrounded by contact conductors 42c1, 42d1, 42d2, and 42c2 (near the center of the back of the cartridge substrate 16). In addition, a reference conductor R is provided on the back of the cartridge substrate 16, surrounding the contact conductors 42c1, 42d1, 42e, 42d2, and 42c2. The shape of the reference conductor R may be annular or arc-shaped, surrounding the contact conductors 42c1, 42d1, 42e, 42d2, and 42c2.

[0033] In Figure 7, the contact pins 52c, 52a, and 52d (contact terminals) that contact the contact conductors 42c1, 42e, and 42d2, respectively, and the contact pin 52b (reference contact terminal) that contacts the reference conductor R are shown by dashed lines.

[0034] The insertion guide 38 of the fragrance unit 100 according to this embodiment is configured such that the cartridge 10 can be inserted and removed even when the cartridge 10, which is in a removable position, is rotated 180° around its longitudinal axis. In other words, the insertion guide 38 of the fragrance unit 100 is configured such that the cartridge 10 can be inserted and removed even when the cartridge 10, which is in a removable position, is inverted. The backs of the cartridge 10 are shown on the left and right sides of Figure 8, and the backs of the cartridge 10 rotated 180° around its longitudinal axis are shown in comparison.

[0035] The contact conductors 42c1 and 42c2 are positioned in a 2-rotationally symmetric position about the longitudinal axis of the cartridge 10. Here, N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and a position with N rotational symmetry is a position in which, when the cartridge 10 is rotated by 360° / N about the longitudinal axis, each of the multiple contact conductors moves to the position where the other contact conductors were before the rotation.

[0036] In this embodiment, N=2, and when the cartridge 10 is rotated 360° / 2=180° around its longitudinal axis, one of the contact conductors 42c1 and 42c2 moves to the position where the other was before the rotation. The other contact conductor 42c1 moves to the position where the other was before the rotation. That is, contact conductor 42c1 moves to the position where contact conductor 42c2 was before the 180° rotation, and contact conductor 42c2 moves to the position where contact conductor 42c1 was before the 180° rotation. Similarly, contact conductor 42d1 moves to the position where contact conductor 42d2 was before the 180° rotation, and contact conductor 42d2 moves to the position where contact conductor 42d1 was before the 180° rotation.

[0037] Before the 180° rotation, contact pin 52c contacts contact conductor 42c1, but after the 180° rotation, it contacts contact conductor 42c2. Before the 180° rotation, contact pin 52d contacts contact conductor 42d2, but after the 180° rotation, it contacts contact conductor 42d1. Contact pins 52a and 52b remain unchanged before and after the 180° rotation, contacting contact conductor 42e and reference conductor R, respectively.

[0038] Figure 9 shows a cross-sectional view of the cartridge substrate 16 when it is cut along the BB line in Figure 7. Through-holes 20 extend forward from each of the contact conductors 42d1 and 42d2 into the cartridge substrate 16. The tip of the through-hole 20 extending from contact conductor 42d1 and the tip of the through-hole 20 extending from contact conductor 42d2 are connected by a conductor pattern 22 provided on the front surface of the cartridge substrate 16. Therefore, contact conductors 42d1 and 42d2 are electrically connected in common (conductive) and have the same potential.

[0039] Figure 9 shows the structure relating to contact conductors 42d1 and 42d2, and the structure relating to contact conductors 42c1 and 42c2 is similar. That is, the cartridge substrate 16 has a structure in which through-holes 20 extend forward from each of the contact conductors 42c1 and 42c2, and the tip of the through-hole 20 extending from contact conductor 42c1 and the tip of the through-hole 20 extending from contact conductor 42c2 are connected by a conductor pattern 22 provided on the front surface of the cartridge substrate 16.

[0040] Therefore, even if the cartridge 10 is reversed and reinserted into the insertion guide 38 after being inserted into the insertion guide 38, the contact conductors 42c1 and 42c2 will be connected to the contact pin 52c, and the contact conductors 42d1 and 42d2 will be connected to the contact pin 52d.

[0041] Furthermore, the contact conductor 42e is located on the longitudinal axis of rotation of the cartridge 10. The reference conductor R surrounds the five contact conductors 42c1, 42d1, 42e, 42d2, and 42c2. Therefore, even if the cartridge 10 is reversed and reinserted into the insertion guide 38 after being inserted into the guide, the contact conductor 42e will still contact the contact pin 52a and the reference conductor R will still contact the contact pin 52b.

[0042] Therefore, even if the cartridge 10 is inserted into the insertion guide 38 with its orientation reversed, the fragrance unit 100 will still be able to read the cartridge information from the cartridge 10. This makes it easier to insert the cartridge 10 into the fragrance unit 100.

[0043] Thus, in the cartridge 10 according to this embodiment, the multiple contact conductors 42c1, 42c2, 42d1, and 42d2 are positioned at locations that are N rotationally symmetric about the longitudinal axis of the cartridge 10. N is an integer of 2 or more, and in the cartridge 10 according to this embodiment, N=2. For the sake of explanation, the integer 2 is denoted as N in this embodiment. A position that is N rotationally symmetric is a position in which, when the cartridge 10 is rotated by 360° / N around the longitudinal axis, each of the multiple contact conductors moves to the position in which the other contact conductors were before the rotation.

[0044] Furthermore, each contact conductor located at the same position when the cartridge 10 is rotated 360° / N around its longitudinal axis is electrically connected by through-holes 20, conductor patterns 22, etc. The fragrance unit 100 is provided with contact pins at positions corresponding to each contact conductor located at the same position when the cartridge 10 is rotated 360° / N around its longitudinal axis.

[0045] Furthermore, the insertion guide 38 for the cartridge 10 and the fragrance unit 100 is configured such that the cartridge 10 can be inserted and removed even when the cartridge 10, which is in a position where it can be inserted and removed, is rotated by 360° / N around its longitudinal axis.

[0046] Therefore, even if the cartridge 10 is rotated 360° / N around its longitudinal axis and then reinserted into the insertion guide 38 after being inserted into the insertion guide 38, the fragrance unit 100 will still be able to read cartridge information from the cartridge 10.

[0047] In other words, even if the cartridge 10, which is in a position that allows it to be inserted into the insertion guide 38, is rotated 360° / N around its longitudinal axis and then inserted into the insertion guide 38, the fragrance unit 100 will still be able to read cartridge information from the cartridge 10A. This makes it easier to insert the cartridge 10 into the fragrance unit 100.

[0048] When some of the multiple contact conductors arranged on the cartridge substrate 16 are positioned in a position with N rotational symmetry, the remaining contact conductors may be located on the longitudinal axis of rotation of the cartridge 10. Furthermore, even when the cartridge 10 rotates around the longitudinal axis, the shape and range of the remaining contact conductors may be determined so that the contact pins corresponding to those remaining contact conductors contact those remaining contact conductors. For example, the remaining contact conductors may surround the multiple contact conductors positioned in a position with N rotational symmetry.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the integer N is 2, but N may be an integer of 3 or greater.

[0050] Figure 10 shows the back surface of the cartridge substrate 16A in the cartridge 10A according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The cartridge substrate 16A is provided with a central contact conductor 60-0, a first annular contact conductor 60-1, a second annular contact conductor 60-2, and an arc-shaped contact conductor 60-3.

[0051] The central contact conductor 60-0 is located near the center of the back surface of the cartridge substrate 16A. The first annular contact conductor 60-1 surrounds the central contact conductor 60-0 in a roughly circular shape, with the central contact conductor 60-0 as its center. The second annular contact conductor 60-2 forms a roughly concentric circle together with the first annular contact conductor 60-1. The arc-shaped contact conductor 60-3 surrounds the upper part of the second annular contact conductor 60-2 in an arc shape. In this way, the first annular contact conductor 60-1 and the second annular contact conductor 60-2 have different radii and are arranged in a roughly concentric circle around the center point where the central contact conductor 60-0 is located. The arc-shaped contact conductor 60-3 forms an arc with a curvature smaller than that of the second annular contact conductor 60-2, and surrounds the second annular contact conductor 60-2 in a ring shape on the outside of the second annular contact conductor 60-2. Here, the curvature is defined, for example, as the reciprocal of the radius of curvature.

[0052] Figure 10 shows the position of the contact pins located at the innermost part of the insertion guide 38 of the fragrance unit 100, indicated by dashed black circles. The tips of contact pins 62-0, 62-1, 62-2, and 62-3 make contact with the central contact conductor 60-0, the first annular contact conductor 60-1, the second annular contact conductor 60-2, and the arc-shaped contact conductor 60-3, respectively.

[0053] As described above, the cartridge 10A according to the second embodiment includes a first annular contact conductor 60-1, a second annular contact conductor 60-2, and an arc-shaped contact conductor 60-3 as a plurality of contact conductors provided at the tip of the columnar housing 14. The first annular contact conductor 60-1, the second annular contact conductor 60-2, and the arc-shaped contact conductor 60-3 form rings of different curvatures when viewed with the axis in the insertion / removal direction of the columnar housing 14 facing inward, while the second annular contact conductor 60-2 and the arc-shaped contact conductor 60-3 form an arc. The first annular contact conductor 60-1, the second annular contact conductor 60-2, and the arc-shaped contact conductor 60-3 are arranged from the inside to the outside in order of increasing curvature. The central contact conductor 60-0 is located in a position surrounded by the first annular contact conductor 60-1, the second annular contact conductor 60-2, and the arc-shaped contact conductor 60-3. When the columnar housing 14 is inserted into the insertion guide 38, the contact pins 62-1, 62-2, and 62-3, which are multiple contact terminals provided on the insertion guide 38, contact the corresponding first annular contact conductor 60-1, second annular contact conductor 60-2, and arc-shaped contact conductor 60-3, respectively.

[0054] With this configuration, even if the cartridge 10A is reversed and reinserted into the insertion guide 38 after being inserted into the insertion guide 38, the tips of the contact pins 62-0, 62-1, 62-2, and 62-3 will contact the central contact conductor 60-0, the first annular contact conductor 60-1, the second annular contact conductor 60-2, and the arc-shaped contact conductor 60-3, respectively. Therefore, even if the cartridge 10A is reversed from an orientation that allows it to be inserted into the insertion guide 38 and inserted into the insertion guide 38, the fragrance unit 100 will be able to read cartridge information from the cartridge 10A. This makes it easier to insert the cartridge 10A into the fragrance unit 100.

[0055] Figure 11 shows the back surface of the cartridge substrate 16B in the cartridge 10B according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The cartridge substrate 16B is provided with a central contact conductor 70-0, a first annular contact conductor 70-1, a second annular contact conductor 70-2, and a third annular contact conductor 70-3. The columnar housing 14 may be formed in a substantially cylindrical shape.

[0056] The central contact conductor 70-0 is located near the center of the back surface of the cartridge substrate 16B. The first annular contact conductor 70-1 surrounds the central contact conductor 70-0 in a roughly circular shape, with the central contact conductor 70-0 as its center. The second annular contact conductor 70-2 forms a roughly concentric circle together with the first annular contact conductor 70-1. The third annular contact conductor 70-3 forms a roughly concentric circle together with the first annular contact conductor 70-1 and the second annular contact conductor 70-2. In this way, the first to third annular contact conductors 70-1 to 70-3 have different radii and are arranged in a roughly concentric circle around the central point where the central contact conductor 70-0 is located.

[0057] Figure 11 shows the position of the contact pins located at the innermost part of the insertion guide 38 of the fragrance unit 100, indicated by dashed black circles. The tips of the contact pins 72-0, 72-1, 72-2, and 72-3 make contact with the central contact conductor 70-0, the first annular contact conductor 70-1, the second annular contact conductor 70-2, and the third annular contact conductor 70-3, respectively.

[0058] As described above, the cartridge 10B according to the third embodiment is equipped with a first annular contact conductor 70-1 to a third annular contact conductor 70-3 as a plurality of contact conductors provided at the tip of the columnar housing 14. The first annular contact conductor 70-1 to the third annular contact conductor 70-3 form rings with different degrees of curvature when viewed with the axis in the insertion / removal direction of the columnar housing 14 facing inward. The first annular contact conductor 70-1 to the third annular contact conductor 70-3 are arranged from the inside to the outside in order from the greatest curvature. The central contact conductor 70-0 is located in a position surrounded by the first annular contact conductor 70-1 to the third annular contact conductor 70-3. When the columnar housing 14 is inserted into the insertion guide 38, the contact pins 72-1 to 72-3, which are a plurality of contact terminals provided on the insertion guide 38, each contact the corresponding first annular contact conductor 70-1 to the third annular contact conductor 70-3. Furthermore, the contact pin 72-0 provided on the insertion guide 38 contacts the central contact conductor 70-0.

[0059] With this configuration, regardless of the rotation angle at which the cartridge 10B is inserted into the insertion guide 38 with respect to its longitudinal axis, the tips of the contact pins 72-0, 72-1, 72-2, and 72-3 will contact the central contact conductor 70-0, the first annular contact conductor 70-1, the second annular contact conductor 70-2, and the third annular contact conductor 70-3, respectively. Therefore, regardless of the rotation angle at which the cartridge 10B is inserted into the insertion guide 38 with respect to its longitudinal axis, the fragrance unit 100 will be able to read cartridge information from the cartridge 10B. This makes it easy to insert the cartridge 10B into the fragrance unit 100.

[0060] The in-vehicle accessory cartridge according to the present invention and the structure into which the cartridge is inserted, such as the insertion guide 38, may be used in other in-vehicle accessory devices. For example, the in-vehicle accessory cartridge according to the present invention may be used in a charging connector for a remote controller. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0061] 10, 10A, 10B Cartridge, 12 Knob section, 14 Columnar housing, 16, 16A, 16B Cartridge circuit board, 18α, 18β Recessed section, 20 Through hole, 22 Conductor pattern, 30 Cartridge opening, 32 Front panel, 34 Main housing, 38 Insertion guide, 40 Memory, 42c1, 42c2, 42e, 42d1, 42d2 Contact conductors, 50 Contact pin circuit board, 52a, 52b, 52c, 52d, 62-0~62-3, 72-0~72-3 Contact pins, Pin fixing base, 60-0, 70-0 Center contact conductor, 60-1, 60-2, 70-1~70-3 Annular contact conductor, 60-3 Arc-shaped contact conductor, 100 Fragrance unit, R Reference conductor.

Claims

1. A columnar housing that can be easily inserted into and removed from the plug-in guide of an in-car accessory device, The columnar housing comprises a plurality of contact conductors provided at the tip of the columnar housing, The multiple contact conductors are, The columnar housing is positioned at a location that is N rotationally symmetrical to the axis in the insertion / removal direction, where N is an integer of 2 or more. A cartridge for an in-vehicle accessory device, characterized in that when the columnar housing is inserted into the insertion guide, each of the plurality of contact terminals provided on the in-vehicle accessory device contacts the contact conductor corresponding to the rotation angle around the axis in the insertion / removal direction.

2. A cartridge for an in-vehicle accessory device according to claim 1, The cartridge for an in-vehicle accessory device is characterized in that the columnar housing is guided in the insertion / removal direction by the insertion guide at a rotation angle that is N rotationally symmetrical with respect to the axis of the insertion / removal direction.

3. A cartridge for an in-vehicle accessory device according to claim 2, The columnar housing is provided at the tip of the columnar housing and includes a reference conductor that surrounds the plurality of contact conductors arranged in the N rotationally symmetric positions in an annular or arc shape, A cartridge for an in-vehicle accessory device, characterized in that when the columnar housing is inserted into the insertion guide, a reference contact terminal provided on the insertion guide contacts the reference conductor.

4. A cartridge for an in-vehicle accessory device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A cartridge for automotive accessory equipment, characterized by having a central contact conductor provided at the tip of the columnar housing and located on a rotation axis that is N rotationally symmetric.

5. A cartridge for an in-vehicle accessory device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A cartridge for automotive accessory equipment, characterized in that when rotated 360° / N around the axis in the insertion / removal direction from a certain rotation angle, each of the contact conductors located at the same position is electrically conductive.

6. A columnar housing that can be easily inserted into and removed from the plug-in guide of an in-car accessory device, The columnar housing comprises a plurality of contact conductors provided at the tip of the columnar housing, The multiple contact conductors are, When the axis in the insertion / removal direction of the columnar housing is viewed from the inside, it forms rings or arcs of different curvatures, arranged from the inside to the outside in order from the curvature with the greatest curvature. A cartridge for an in-vehicle accessory device, characterized in that when the columnar housing is inserted into the insertion guide, each of the multiple contact terminals provided on the insertion guide contacts a corresponding contact conductor among the multiple contact conductors.

7. A cartridge for an in-vehicle accessory device according to claim 6, A cartridge for automotive accessory equipment, characterized in that multiple contact conductors are arranged concentrically, forming circles or arcs of different curvatures.

8. A cartridge for an in-vehicle accessory device according to claim 6 or claim 7, A cartridge for automotive accessory equipment, characterized by having a central contact conductor provided at the tip of the columnar housing and positioned in a location surrounded by a plurality of contact conductors.

9. A cartridge for an in-vehicle accessory device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 6 and 7, The aforementioned in-vehicle accessory device is A cartridge for in-car accessory equipment, characterized by being a fragrance generating device.

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