Electrical device with magnetic connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11823835-B2
Application number	US-202117368517-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2021
Priority date	Jul 6, 2021
Publication date	Nov 21, 2023
Grant date	Nov 21, 2023

Abstract

An electrical device, such as a camera controller includes a connector having a first magnetic element and a first cam surface. An electrical housing includes a housing panel having an outer surface configured to receive the connector. A target element is disposed within the electrical housing. The target element includes a second magnetic element. The outer surface includes a second cam surface configured to engage the first cam surface and translate a rotation of the connector into an axial displacement of the connector. In one aspect, a target positioning member is configured to position the target element into the first position when the connector is removed from the outer surface. The targeting positioning member is further configured to position the target element into the second position when the first cam surface engages the second cam surface.

First claim

We claim:

1. An electrical device for transmitting and receiving signals, the electrical device including electrical components for receiving, transmitting and processing the signals, the electrical device comprising:
a connector having a first magnetic element and a first engagement surface, the first engagement surface including a first cam surface;
an electrical housing configured to hold the electrical components, the electrical housing having a housing panel with an outer surface configured to receive the connector and an inner surface facing an interior of the electrical housing, the outer surface including a second cam surface configured to engage the first engagement surface and the first cam surface; and
a target element disposed within the electrical housing, the target element including a second magnetic element, wherein the first cam surface and the second cam surface are configured to translate a rotation between the first cam surface and the second cam surface into an axial displacement of the connector with respect to the housing panel so as to diminish a magnetic attraction between the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element.

2. The electrical device as set forth in claim 1 , further including a target positioning member configured to position the second magnetic element between a first position to a second position, wherein in the first position, the second magnetic element is further from the inner surface, and in the second position the second magnetic element is closer to the inner surface relative to the first position, wherein the target positioning member is configured to position the second magnetic element into the first position when the connector is removed from the outer surface and positions the target element into the second position when the first cam surface engages the second cam surface.

3. The electrical device as set forth in claim 2 , further including a first mount, the targeting positioning member coupling the first mount to the second magnetic element, the targeting positioning member configured to dampen a movement of the second magnetic element towards the first magnetic element.

4. The electrical device as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the target positioning member is a damping device.

5. The electrical device as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the damping device is a pneumatic piston having a damping compression value that is lower than a damping rebound value.

6. The electrical device as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the target positioning member is a biasing member.

7. The electrical device as set forth in claim 2 , further including a retaining mechanism mechanically coupled to the second magnetic element and configured to releasably hold the second magnetic element in the first position.

8. The electrical device as set forth in claim 7 , further including an actuator configured to actuate the retaining mechanism between a release position and an engaged position.

9. The electrical device as set forth in claim 8 , further including a receiver configured to receive a command signal, the actuator processing the command signal so as to actuate the retaining mechanism.

10. The electrical device as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the connector includes a wireless transmitter configured to transmit the command signal.

11. The electrical device as set forth in claim 10 , wherein the wireless transmitter is an RFID transmitter, the actuator processing a strength of the command signal to actuate the retaining mechanism into the release position and the engage position.

12. The electrical device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein one of the first cam surface and the second cam surface is a bead and the other of the first cam surface and the second cam surface is an indent having a shape complimentary to the bead.

13. The electrical device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein one of the first cam surface and the second cam surface is ramp shaped and includes a back wall and the other of the first cam surface and the second cam surface is an indent having a shape complimentary to the first cam surface.

14. The electrical device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein one of the first cam surface and the second cam surface is a bead having a ring concentric to the bead and the other of the first cam surface and the second cam surface is an indent having a bead shaped indent and a ring shaped indent concentric to the bead shaped indent that is complimentary to the bead and the ring.

15. The electrical device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein one of the first cam surface and the second cam surface is an indent and the other of the first cam surface and the second cam surface is a protrusion.

16. The electrical device as set forth in claim 15 , wherein the indent is concave and protrusion is convex.

17. A camera controller for transmitting and receiving signals, the camera controller including electrical components for receiving, transmitting and processing the signals, the camera controller comprising:
a connector having a first magnetic element and a first engagement surface, the first engagement surface including a first cam surface;
an electrical housing configured to hold the electrical components, the electrical housing having a housing panel with an outer surface configured to receive the connector and an inner surface facing an interior of the electrical housing, the outer surface including a second cam surface configured to engage the first engagement surface and the first cam surface; and
a target element disposed within the electrical housing, the target element including a second magnetic element, wherein the first cam surface and the second cam surface and configured to translate a rotation between the first cam surface and the second cam surface into an axial displacement of the connector with respect to the housing panel so as to diminish a magnetic attraction between the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element.

18. The camera controller as set forth in claim 17 , further including a target positioning member configured to position the second magnetic element between a first position to a second position, wherein in the first position, the second magnetic element is further from the inner surface, and in the second position the second magnetic element is closer to the inner surface relative to the first position, wherein the target positioning member is configured to position the second magnetic element into the first position when the connector is removed from the outer surface and positions the target element into the second position when the first cam surface engages the second cam surface.

19. The camera controller as set forth in claim 18 , wherein the target positioning member is a pneumatic piston having a damping compression value that is lower than a damping rebound value.

20. The camera controller as set forth in claim 19 , wherein the target positioning member is a biasing member.

21. The camera controller as set forth in claim 18 , further including a retaining mechanism mechanically coupled to the second magnetic element and configured to releasably hold the second magnetic element in the first position.

22. The camera controller as set forth in claim 21 , further including an actuator configured to actuate the retaining mechanism between a release position and an engaged position.

23. The camera controller as set forth in claim 22 , further including a receiver configured to receive a comma

Assignees

• Storz Karl Imaging Inc

Inventors

• Oslie Larry
• Zimmer Christopher
• Skender Maxim J
• Belding Mark Gregory

Classifications

• H01F7/04 Primary

  Means for releasing the attractive force · CPC title

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title

• H04N7/183

  for receiving images from a single remote source · CPC title

• H04N23/60

  Control of cameras or camera modules · CPC title

• H01F38/14 Primary

  Inductive couplings {(for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10)} · CPC title