Magnetic connector for electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11233356-B2
Application number	US-201916693331-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2019
Priority date	Sep 26, 2005
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

An electrical plug and receptacle relying on magnetic force from an electromagnet to maintain contact are disclosed. The plug and receptacle can be used as part of a power adapter for connecting an electronic device, such as a laptop computer, to a power supply. The plug includes electrical contacts, which are preferably biased toward corresponding contacts on the receptacle. The plug and receptacle each have a magnetic element. The magnetic element on one of the plug or receptacle can be a magnet or ferromagnetic material. The magnetic element on the other of the plug or receptacle is an electromagnet. When the plug and receptacle are brought into proximity, the magnetic attraction between the electromagnet magnet and its complement, whether another magnet or a ferromagnetic material, maintains the contacts in an electrically conductive relationship.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connector receptacle comprising:
a plurality of contacts, each having a contacting surface, the plurality of contacts located in a line;
a plurality of magnets positioned above, below, and to the sides of the plurality of contacts, wherein magnets above the plurality of contacts provide a greater flux than magnets below the plurality of contacts; and
a conductive casing around the plurality of magnets.

2. The connector receptacle of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of contacts extends in a first direction.

3. The connector receptacle of claim 2 wherein the plurality of magnets are positioned around the plurality of contacts in a second direction and a third direction, wherein the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are orthogonal to each other.

4. The connector receptacle of claim 3 wherein the contacting surfaces for the plurality of contacts are arranged in a line in the second direction.

5. The connector receptacle of claim 4 wherein the plurality of contacts includes a first contact to convey a power supply, a second contact to convey ground, and a third contact to convey a signal.

6. The connector receptacle of claim 5 wherein the third contact is located at a center of the plurality of contacts.

7. The connector receptacle of claim 5 wherein the third contact is between the first contact and the second contact.

8. The connector receptacle of claim 1 wherein one or more magnets above the plurality of contacts are larger than one or more magnets below the plurality of contacts.

9. A connector insert comprising:
a magnetic element having a central opening forming a recess, the recess having a bottom surface;
a plurality of contacts, each extending from the bottom surface and having a contacting portion located in the central opening, and each configured such that the contacting portion can move relative to the magnetic element, the plurality of contacts arranged in a line;
a nonconductive body supporting the plurality of contacts; and
a shell around the nonconductive body.

10. The connector insert of claim 9 wherein the plurality of contacts are arranged in a line in a first direction and each of the plurality of contacts extends in a second direction, the first direction orthogonal to the second direction.

11. The connector insert of claim 10 wherein for each contact in the plurality of contacts, the contacting portion can move relative to the magnetic element in the second direction.

12. The connector insert of claim 11 wherein the shell is nonconductive.

13. The connector insert of claim 9 wherein each of the plurality of contacts are spring-biased contacts.

14. A connector system comprising:
a connector receptacle comprising:
a first plurality of contacts having contacting surfaces, the first plurality of contacts located in a line;
a plurality of magnets positioned above, below, and to the sides of the first plurality of contacts, the plurality of magnets substantially around the first plurality of contacts; and
a conductive casing around the a plurality of magnets; and
a connector insert comprising:
a magnetic element having a central opening forming a recess, the recess having a bottom surface;
a second plurality of contacts, each to mate with corresponding contact in the first plurality of contacts in the connector receptacle when the connector insert is mated with the connector receptacle, each of the second plurality of contacts extending from the bottom surface and having a contacting portion located in the central opening, and each configured such that the contacting portion can move relative to the magnetic element when the connector insert is mated with the connector receptacle, the second plurality of contacts arranged in a line;
a nonconductive body supporting the second plurality of contacts; and
a shell around the nonconductive body.

15. The connector system of claim 14 wherein magnets above the first plurality of contacts provide a greater flux than magnets below the first plurality of contacts.

16. The connector system of claim 15 wherein for each contact in the second plurality of contacts, the contacting portion can move relative to the magnetic element in a first direction.

17. The connector system of claim 16 wherein the first plurality of contacts includes a first contact to convey a power supply, a second contact to convey ground, and a third contact to convey a signal.

18. The connector system of claim 17 wherein the third contact is located at a center of the first plurality of contacts.

19. The connector system of claim 15 wherein each of the second plurality of contacts are spring-biased contacts.

20. The connector system of claim 19 wherein one or more magnets above the first plurality of contacts are larger than one or more magnets below the first plurality of contacts.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Rohrbach Matthew Dean
• Doutt Mark Edward
• Andre Bartley K
• Lim Kanye
• Difonzo John C
• Gery Jean-Marc

Classifications

• H01R13/6205 Primary

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

• Y10T29/49117

  Conductor or circuit manufacturing · CPC title

• G06F1/1633

  Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626 · CPC title

• G06F1/18

  Packaging or power distribution · CPC title

• H01R13/24

  resilient; resiliently-mounted · CPC title