Electric connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10014624-B2
Application number	US-201514959300-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2015
Priority date	Dec 24, 2014
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

A connector may include a plurality of contacts electrically connected to a mating connector and separated from one another. At least one of the contacts may include a magnet, and a conductive housing for surrounding at least one side of the magnet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connector comprising:
a first housing comprising a cavity, the cavity configured to detachably couple to a second housing of a mating connector;
at least one first magnet disposed within the cavity in a parallel configuration along a transverse direction perpendicular to an inserted direction in which the second housing is inserted into the cavity of the first housing, wherein a pole of the at least one first magnet faces in a vertical direction perpendicular to the insertion direction and the transverse direction; and
a first plurality of contacts disposed, facing in the vertical direction, on the at least one first magnet, wherein the first plurality of contacts are capable of electrically connecting with a second plurality of contacts disposed on at least one second magnet of the mating connector.

2. The connector of claim 1 , wherein each contact in the first plurality of contacts is ring-shaped and is surrounding at least one side of the at least one first magnet.

3. The connector of claim 1 , wherein each contact in the first plurality of contacts includes an elastically deformable section protruding thereof in the vertical direction,
each contact in the second plurality of contacts includes an elastically deformable support, and
when the first plurality of contacts and the second plurality of contacts are electrically connected, the elastically deformable section and the elastically deformable support are both elastically deformed.

4. The connector of claim 1 , wherein at least one side of the at least one magnet comprises a curved surface.

5. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the at least one magnet is bar-shaped extending along in the transverse direction.

6. The connector of claim 5 , wherein the at least one magnet comprises a first magnet and a second magnet disposed in a parallel configuration along the transverse direction,
and wherein the first magnet has an opposite pole with respect to the second magnet.

7. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the connector includes a socket, and
the mating connector includes a plug.

8. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the connector is mounted on a circuit board.

9. The connector of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cable or a Flexible Printed Circuit Board (FPCB) electrically connected to the first plurality of contacts.

10. The connector of claim 1 , wherein at least part of the at least one first magnet is overlapped to at least part of the at least one second magnet in view from the vertical direction when the second housing is inserted into the cavity of the first housing.

11. An electronic device comprising:
a socket configured to be coupled to an external plug,
wherein the socket comprises,
a cavity for accommodate the external plug; and
at least one first magnet disposed within the cavity in a parallel configuration along a transverse direction perpendicular to an inserted direction in which the external plug is inserted into the cavity of the socket, wherein a pole of the at least one first magnet faces in a vertical direction perpendicular to the insertion direction and the transverse direction; and
a first plurality of contacts disposed, facing in the vertical direction, on the at least one first magnet, wherein the first plurality of contacts are capable of electrically connecting with a second plurality of contacts disposed on at least one second magnet of the mating connector.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein each contact in the first plurality of contacts is ring-shaped and is surrounding at least one side of the at least one magnet.

13. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the socket is mounted on a circuit board inside the electronic device.

14. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the external plug is configured to charge the electronic device or receive data from the electronic device.

15. A connector system comprising:
a first connector electrically and detachably connected to a second connector,
wherein the first connector comprises:
a cavity configured to detachably couple to a second housing of a mating connector;
a first magnet disposed within the cavity in a parallel configuration along a transverse direction perpendicular to an inserted direction in which the second housing is inserted into the cavity of the first housing, wherein a pole of the first magnet faces in a vertical direction perpendicular to the insertion direction and the transverse direction; and
a first plurality of contacts disposed, facing in the vertical direction, on the first magnet, and
wherein the second connector comprises:
a plurality of second contacts disposed on a second magnet, and
wherein at least part of the first magnet is overlapped to at least part of the second magnet in view from the vertical direction when the second connector is inserted into the cavity of the first connector, and the plurality of second contacts are capable of electrically connecting with the plurality of first contacts of the first connector by a magnetic force between the first magnet and the second magnet in overlapped area.

16. The connector system of claim 15 , wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are bar-shaped elongated in the transverse direction.

17. The connector system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of the first contacts and the plurality of second contacts are ring-shaped and are surrounding at least one side of the first magnet and the second magnet respectively.

18. The connector system of claim 15 , wherein the first magnets and the second magnets have a same pole arrangement.

19. The connector system of claim 15 , wherein the first connector comprises a socket, and wherein the second connector comprises a plug.

20. The connector system of claim 15 , wherein the first connector or the second connector is mounted on a circuit board, or on a surface of a housing which forms an exterior of an electronic device.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chun Woo-Sung
• Choi Seung-Ki
• Kim Ju-Nyun

Classifications

• H01R13/6205 Primary

  Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet · CPC title

• H01R2107/00

  Four or more poles · CPC title

• H01R13/64

  Means for preventing incorrect coupling · CPC title

• H01R2201/16

  for telephony · CPC title

• H01R13/62

  Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement · CPC title