electronic machinery

Abstract

We provide electronic devices that achieve a high level of both design and practicality. [Solution] The electronic device 100 includes a recess 110, a DC jack 120, and a rib 140. The recess 110, formed at the bottom of the housing 101, is surrounded by a wall having a notched opening 100b that opens toward at least one side of the housing 101. The DC jack 120 is an interface provided on the bottom surface of the recess 110. The rib 140, which protrudes from at least one of the bottom surface of the recess 110 or the wall having the notched opening 100b, restricts the range of rotation of the DC plug 130 connected to the DC jack 120.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The disclosure of this specification relates to electronic devices.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in an electronic device that converts alternating current supplied from a commercial power source into direct current and uses it, such as a printing device described in Patent Document 1, a DC jack for connecting to a DC plug of an AC (Alternating Current) adapter is provided. When the DC jack is provided on the surface of the housing of the electronic device, when a DC plug is connected to the DC jack, the DC plug protrudes significantly from the surface of the housing. Such a configuration is not preferable in terms of design and also in terms of practical use because the installation space of the electronic device is restricted.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As a method for suppressing the protruding amount of the DC plug, a method of forming a recess in the housing of the electronic device and providing a DC jack in the recess can be considered. In this case, by configuring the DC plug as a right-angle connector, the protruding amount of the DC plug can be effectively suppressed.

[0005] By the way, the DC plug is rotatably connected to the DC jack. However, when the DC jack is provided in the recess, if rotation is allowed without restriction on the DC plug, various inconveniences may occur. For example, depending on the orientation of the DC plug, the cable extending from the DC plug may be greatly bent in the recess, or the cable may be clogged in the recess. This is an example.

[0006] While the above explanation used the combination of a DC plug and a DC jack as an example, similar phenomena can occur with connectors in electronic devices in general.

[0007] Based on the circumstances described above, one aspect of the present invention is to provide an electronic device that can achieve a high level of both design and practicality. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An electronic device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a recess formed in the bottom of the housing of the electronic device, the recess being surrounded by a wall having an opening that opens toward at least one surface of the housing, an interface provided on the bottom surface of the recess, and a restricting portion that rises from at least one of the bottom surface of the recess or the wall having the opening, for restricting the range of rotation of a rotatable connector connected to the interface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the above embodiment, it is possible to provide electronic devices that can achieve a high level of both design and practicality. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of an electronic device relating to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention, seen from a different direction. [Figure 3] This is a front view of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the rear. [Figure 4] This figure shows the bottom view of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention, with the DC plug unplugged. [Figure 5] This figure shows the bottom view of an electronic device in a comparative example with the DC plug unplugged. [Figure 6] This figure shows the bottom view of an electronic device in a comparative example with a DC plug inserted. [Figure 7] This figure shows how the DC plug rotates from the state shown in Figure 6. [Figure 8] This figure shows the DC plug after it has rotated further from the state shown in Figure 7. [Figure 9] This figure shows the bottom view of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention, with a DC plug inserted. [Figure 10] This figure shows the position of the ribs and the rotation range of the DC plug in an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This figure shows the height of the ribs and the angle of the contact surface in an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The following describes an electronic device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device 100 is, for example, a label printer and operates on power supplied via an AC adapter (not shown). The electronic device 100 may also be equipped with a battery, and may be used by switching between an internal power supply and an external power supply.

[0012] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention from another direction. Figure 3 is a front view of the electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the rear. Figure 4 is a view of the bottom of the electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention with the DC plug unplugged. The XYZ Cartesian coordinate system shown in the drawings is for the convenience of directional reference. The electronic device 100 is generally installed and used so that the XY plane is horizontal.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the housing 101 of the electronic device 100 is a columnar body having a roughly rectangular bottom and an oval-shaped top. Of the surfaces of the housing 101, the parts corresponding to the sides of the columnar body consist of two sides that are roughly parallel to the X direction and two curved surfaces connecting these two sides.

[0014] On the front surface, which is one of the two curved surfaces, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, there is provided an outlet 100a through which a printed label is discharged. The outlet 100a is an opening parallel to the Y direction.

[0015] On the back surface, which is the other of the two curved surfaces, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a notch opening 100b is formed at an inconspicuous position adjacent to the bottom surface of the electronic device 100. As shown in FIG. 3, the notch opening 100b has a shape symmetrical with respect to the center line L1 on the back surface of the housing 101.

[0016] At the bottom of the housing 101 of the electronic device 100, as shown in FIG. 4, a recess 110 is formed adjacent to the region 160 for accommodating the battery. On the bottom surface of the recess 110, there are provided a DC jack 120 which is an interface, a rib 140, and an open lever 150.

[0017] A DC plug 130, which is a right - angle connector, is connected to the DC jack 120. The DC plug 130 and an AC adapter (not shown) are connected by a cable 133 extending from the DC plug 130 or connected to the DC plug 130.

[0018] The recess 110 is provided to prevent the DC plug 130 connected to the DC jack 120 from protruding significantly from the surface of the housing 101 of the electronic device 100. Also, by forming the recess 110 at the bottom of the housing 101, the presence of the recess 110 is made less conspicuous when the electronic device 100 is placed on a table.

[0019] The recess 110 further has the above - mentioned notch opening 100b facing the back surface of the housing 101. This enables access from the outside to the DC jack 120 inside the recess 110 through the notch opening 100b even when the electronic device 100 is placed on a table.

[0020] The rib 140 is an example of a restricting part that limits the rotational range of the DC plug 130 connected to the DC jack 120. The rib 140 is located closer to the center line L1 on the back of the housing 101 than the DC jack 120. The details of the placement of the rib 140 will be described in detail later.

[0021] Figure 4 shows an example in which the rib 140 protrudes from both the bottom and side surfaces of the recess 110. However, the rib 140 only needs to have sufficient strength and rigidity to restrict the rotation range of the DC plug 130, and to that extent, it only needs to protrude from at least one of the bottom or side surfaces of the recess 110. The side surface of the recess 110 is the wall having the notched opening 100b, and it stands on the bottom surface of the recess 110. That is, the recess 110 is surrounded by the bottom surface and the side surface, which is the wall having the notched opening 100b. This is an example of an opening formed in the wall of the notched opening 100b.

[0022] The open lever 150 is an operating part for opening the lid of the housing 101. The open lever 150 is located in the area of ​​the bottom surface that does not have the DC jack 120, which is one of the two areas of the bottom surface that are partitioned by the center line L1 from the center of the notched opening 100b, which is the opening.

[0023] By operating the open lever 150, the lid portion consisting of the top and side of the housing 101 can be removed from the electronic device 100. This allows the user to access the tape cartridge housed in the electronic device 100 and replace the tape cartridge.

[0024] The electronic device 100, configured as described above, addresses various inconveniences that may arise from the rotation of the DC plug relative to the DC jack, thanks to the rib 140 provided in the recess 110.

[0025] Figure 5 shows the bottom view of the comparative electronic device with the DC plug removed. Figure 6 shows the bottom view of the comparative electronic device with the DC plug inserted. Figure 7 shows the DC plug rotated from the state shown in Figure 6. Figure 8 shows the DC plug rotated further from the state shown in Figure 7. To facilitate understanding of the above advantages of electronic device 100, the comparative electronic device 200, which does not have the rib 140, will be described below with reference to Figures 5 to 8. Electronic device 200 is the same as electronic device 100 except that it does not have the rib 140.

[0026] Furthermore, electronic device 200 is not prior art, but merely a comparative example used to aid in understanding the features of electronic device 100. The following explanation does not constitute an acknowledgment by the applicant that electronic device 200 was a publicly known configuration as of the filing date of this application.

[0027] As shown in Figure 5, the DC jack 120 is often positioned off-center from the center of the recess 110 due to its relationship with the circuit board inside the electronic device 200. When a DC plug 130 is inserted into a DC jack 120 positioned in such a location, one end of the rotation range of the DC plug 130 is limited by contact between the DC plug 130 and the end of the notch opening 100b closest to the DC jack 120 (hereinafter referred to as edge E1), as shown in Figure 6.

[0028] On the other hand, if the DC plug 130 is rotated in the opposite direction (clockwise in this example), as shown in Figure 7, the DC plug 130 cannot reach the end of the notch opening 100b that is furthest from the DC jack 120 (hereinafter referred to as edge E2), so the range of rotation is not limited.

[0029] Therefore, as shown in Figure 8, the DC plug 130 rotates until it contacts the side of the recess 110, and ends up facing a direction significantly different from the notch opening 100b. As a result, the cable 133 bends significantly within the recess 110, making it prone to problems such as cable breakage. In addition, the bent cable 133 can hinder the rotation of the DC plug 130, making it difficult for the DC plug 130 to rotate easily.

[0030] Figure 9 shows the bottom view of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention with a DC plug inserted. The following explanation will describe how the electronic device 100 can avoid various inconveniences that may arise due to the rotation of the DC plug, with reference to Figure 9.

[0031] In the electronic device 100, the rib 140 is positioned closer to the center line L1 on the back of the housing 101 than the DC jack 120, as described above. This allows the rotation of the DC plug 130 toward edge E2 to be restricted by the rib 140, so that the DC plug 130 does not face in a direction significantly different from the cutout opening 100b. Therefore, according to the electronic device 100 of this embodiment, it is possible to avoid situations such as severe bending of the cable 133 or obstruction of the rotation of the DC plug 130 by the bent cable 133.

[0032] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the electronic device 100 has a recess 110 at the bottom of the housing 101, prioritizing design. As a result, when placed on a desk, the top surface of the recess 110 is blocked, leaving almost no space for the cable 133 to move. However, the rib 140 prevents any inconvenience to the cable 133, thus achieving a high degree of balance between design and practicality in this embodiment.

[0033] Figure 10 shows the position of the ribs and the rotation range of the DC plug in an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 11 shows the height of the ribs and the angle of the contact surface in an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the features of the particularly desirable rib 140 will be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11.

[0034] As shown in Figure 10, it is desirable that the rib 140 be positioned to restrict one end of the rotation range of the DC plug 130 to the direction connecting edge E2 and DC jack 120. By arranging the rib 140 as described above, bending of the cable 133 within the recess 110 can be further suppressed.

[0035] Furthermore, the rib 140 restricts the rotation range of the DC plug 130, preventing the cable from getting into a position that obstructs the operation of the open lever 150. In other words, it also prevents the DC plug 130 and cable 133 from interfering with access to the open lever 150, which is located away from the DC jack 120.

[0036] As shown in Figure 11, it is desirable that the rib 140 has a contact surface 141 that forms a right angle or acute angle with the bottom surface 110a of the recess 110. The contact surface 141 is a surface that limits the range of rotation of the DC plug 130 by contacting the DC plug 130. By making the angle between the contact surface 141 and the bottom surface 110a a right angle or less, it is possible to avoid the DC plug 130 being unintentionally pulled out of the DC jack 120 due to an axial force (in this example, the Z(-) direction) being applied to the DC plug 130 when it comes into contact with the rib 140.

[0037] Furthermore, the height H1 of the rib 140 from the bottom surface 110a (in other words, the height of the rib 140 relative to the bottom surface 110a) is preferably higher than the center height H2 of the cable 133 extending from the DC plug 130 when the DC plug 130 is connected to the DC jack 120, as shown in Figure 11. This prevents the DC plug 130 from riding up onto the rib 140, even if the side surface of the DC plug 130 is curved, and as a result, the DC plug 130 from coming loose from the DC jack 120.

[0038] The embodiments described above are specific examples provided to facilitate understanding of the invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Electronic devices can be modified and altered in various ways without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0039] In the embodiment described above, an example was shown where the electronic device 100 is a label printer, but the electronic device 100 is not limited to a label printer and may be other electronic devices.

[0040] In the embodiment described above, a notched opening 100b opening toward the rear of the housing 101 was illustrated, but the opening on the side of the recess 110 only needs to be directed toward at least one surface of the housing 101. For example, the opening may be directed toward the side of the housing 101. Furthermore, the opening may be directed toward two or more surfaces, for example, from the rear to the side of the housing 101.

[0041] The invention described in the original claims of this application is listed below. [Note 1] It is an electronic device, A recess formed in the bottom of the housing of the electronic device, the recess being surrounded by a wall having an opening that opens toward at least one side of the housing, An interface provided on the bottom surface of the recess, A restricting portion that rises from at least one of the bottom surface of the recess or the wall having the opening, which restricts the range of rotation of the rotatable connector connected to the interface, An electronic device characterized by having the following features. [Note 2] In the electronic equipment described in Appendix 1, The restricting portion is positioned to limit one end of the rotation range of the connector to a direction connecting the end of the opening furthest from the interface to the interface. An electronic device characterized by the following features. [Note 3] In the electronic equipment described in Appendix 1 or Appendix 2, The restricting portion is a contact surface that limits the rotational range of the connector by contacting the connector, and the contact surface has a right angle or acute angle with the bottom surface. An electronic device characterized by the following features. [Note 4] In any electronic device described in any one of the appendices 1 to 3, The connector is provided, The height of the restricting portion from the bottom surface is greater than the center height of the cable extending from the connector when the connector is connected to the interface. An electronic device characterized by the following features. [Note 5] In any electronic device described in any one of the appendices 1 to 4, When the bottom surface is divided by a center line from the center of the opening, the operating part for opening the lid of the housing is provided in the area of ​​the divided bottom surface that does not have the interface. An electronic device characterized by the following features. [Note 6] In the electronic equipment described in Appendix 5, A cable is connected to the aforementioned connector. The restricting portion prevents the cable from entering a position that interferes with the operation of the operating portion by restricting the rotation range of the connector. An electronic device characterized by the following features. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 100, 200 electronic equipment 100a outlet 100b Notched opening 101 cabinets 110 recess 110a Bottom 120 DC Jack 130 DC plug 133 Cable 140 Ribs 141 Contact surface 150 Open Lever E1, E2 Edge H1, H2 Height L1 center line

Claims

1. It is an electronic device, A recess formed in the bottom of the housing of the electronic device, the recess being surrounded by a wall having an opening that opens toward at least one side of the housing, An interface provided on the bottom surface of the recess, A restricting portion that rises from at least one of the bottom surface of the recess or the wall having the opening, which restricts the range of rotation of the rotatable connector connected to the interface, An electronic device characterized by having the following features.

2. In the electronic device described in claim 1, The restricting portion is positioned to limit one end of the rotation range of the connector to a direction connecting the end of the opening furthest from the interface to the interface. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

3. In the electronic device according to claim 1 or claim 2, The restricting portion is a contact surface that limits the rotational range of the connector by contacting the connector, and the contact surface has a right angle or acute angle with the bottom surface. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

4. In the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further, The connector is provided, The height of the restricting portion from the bottom surface is greater than the center height of the cable extending from the connector when the connector is connected to the interface. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

5. In the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further, When the bottom surface is divided by a center line from the center of the opening, the operating part for opening the lid of the housing is provided in the area of ​​the divided bottom surface that does not have the interface. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

6. In the electronic device according to claim 5, A cable is connected to the aforementioned connector. The restricting portion prevents the cable from entering a position that interferes with the operation of the operating portion by restricting the rotation range of the connector. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

Images