Usb connector usable with a battery charger and otherwise

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016268731-A1
Application number	US-201615053539-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 25, 2016
Priority date	Mar 12, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A connector may comprise: an elongated connector body defining a longitudinal direction with an electrical connector frame at one end thereof; the connector body having a longitudinal alignment feature on the connector body configured for aligning the connector body, a guide feature defining a unique orientation thereof, and a retaining feature configured for retaining the connector body in the connector guide.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrical USB connector comprising:
an elongated USB connector body defining a longitudinal direction and having an electrical cable extending from the elongated USB connector body; an electrical USB connector frame at one end of said elongated USB connector body; a longitudinal alignment feature on said elongated USB connector body configured for aligning said elongated USB connector body with a connector guide; a guide feature on said elongated USB connector body defining a unique orientation of said elongated USB connector body; and a retaining feature on said elongated USB connector body configured for retaining said elongated USB connector body in the connector guide, whereby said elongated USB connector body when inserted into the connector guide is aligned with the connector guide by the longitudinal alignment feature, is in the unique orientation defined by said guide feature and is retained in the connector guide by said retaining feature.

2 . The electrical USB connector of claim 1 wherein:
said longitudinal alignment feature includes a raised longitudinal rib; or
said guide feature includes a raised guide member; or
said longitudinal alignment feature includes a raised longitudinal rib and said guide feature includes a raised guide member; or
said retaining feature includes at least one raised transverse rib; or
said longitudinal alignment feature includes a raised longitudinal rib and said retaining feature includes at least one raised transverse rib; or
said guide feature includes a raised guide member and said retaining feature includes at least one raised transverse rib; or
said longitudinal alignment feature includes a raised longitudinal rib and said guide feature includes a raised guide member and said retaining feature includes at least one raised transverse rib.

3 . The electrical USB connector of claim 1 in combination with a connector guide, said connector guide comprising:
one or more guide members extending outwardly from a base adjacent a mating electrical USB connector for said electrical USB connector frame;
said one or more guide members configured to be adjacent to said elongated USB connector body to align said elongated USB connector body and the mating electrical USB connector when said electrical USB connector frame mates with the mating electrical USB connector.

4 . The electrical USB connector and combination of claim 3 wherein said one or more guide members have:
a longitudinal alignment guide complementary to said longitudinal alignment feature of said elongated USB connector body;
said longitudinal alignment guide being configured to receive said guide feature on said elongated USB connector body when the elongated USB connector body is in the defined unique orientation;
a complementary retaining feature configured to receive said retaining feature on said elongated USB connector body for retaining said elongated USB connector body in said connector guide and mated to the mating electrical USB connector.

5 . The electrical USB connector and combination of claim 4 wherein:
said longitudinal alignment feature on said elongated USB connector body includes a raised alignment rib configured for aligning with a groove on an inward facing surface of said one or more guide members of said connector guide;
said guide feature on said elongated USB connector body includes a raised guide defining a unique orientation of said elongated USB connector body and engages the groove on an inward facing surface of said one or more guide members; and
said retaining feature on said elongated USB connector body is a raised rib or a recess that engages a complementary recess or raised rib on an inward facing surface of said one or more guide members.

6 . The electrical USB connector and combination of claim 3 wherein said elongated USB connector body is a slip fit with said connector guide and wherein said retaining feature is an interference fit or a snap fit with said connector guide.

7 . The electrical USB connector of claim 1 configured to connect an external electrical power supply to a charger housing, said charger housing including an electronic circuit for determining the level of current available from the external power supply via said electrical USB connector including:
measuring a voltage provided by the external power supply;
determining whether the voltage provided by the external power supply is less than a predetermined voltage and, if so:
decreasing the current drawn from the external power supply by a predetermined amount;
repeating the foregoing steps of measuring, determining and decreasing until the voltage provided by the external power supply is not less than the predetermined voltage.

8 . The electrical USB connector of claim 1 configured to connect a first external power supply to a first electrical connector of a charger housing:
the charger housing including a second electrical connector configured for receiving electrical power from a second external electrical power supply,
wherein said first electrical connector and said second electrical connector are closely adjacent each other such that an external electrical connector mated with said first electrical connector or with said second electrical connector physically interferes with and prevents an external electrical connector from being mated with the other of said first electrical connector and said second electrical connector.

9 . An electrical USB connector comprising:
an electrical USB connector frame supported on a base and defining a longitudinal direction extending from the base; an alignment and retaining structure including first and second opposing guide members extending from the base in the longitudinal direction, said first and second opposing guide members each having an inward facing surface that faces the other guide member, wherein said first and second guide members are located spaced apart by a distance configured for an elongated USB connector body to be placed therebetween with an electrical USB connector frame of the elongated USB connector body positioned to mate with said electrical USB connector frame supported on the base; said first guide member having on the inward facing surface thereof a longitudinal alignment feature configured to align a complementary longitudinal alignment feature of the USB connector body with said electrical USB connector frame supported on the base, wherein the longitudinal alignment feature of said first guide member is configured to receive a guide feature on the elongated USB connector body that defines a unique orientation of the elongated USB connector body; and at least one of said first and second guide members having on the inward facing surface thereof a retaining feature configured to engage a complementary retaining feature of the elongated USB connector body for retaining the elongated USB connector body between said first and second guide members with the electrical USB connector frame of the elongated USB connector body mated with said electrical USB connector frame supported by the base, whereby the elongated USB connector body when inserted to mate with the electrical USB connector frame supported by the base is aligned therewith by the complementary longitudinal alignment features, is in the unique orientation defined by the guide feature and is retained between said first and second guide members by the complementary retaining features.

10 . The electrical USB connector of claim 9 wherein:
the longitudinal alignment feature of said first guide member includes a longitudinal groove; or
the retaining feature of the at least one of said first and second guide

Assignees

• Streamlight Inc

Inventors

• Ziegenfuss Peter J
• Zeisler Jon C
• Sharrah Raymond L
• Boris Thomas D

Classifications

• H02J7/975

  in response to temperature · CPC title

• H02J7/963

  in response to battery voltage gradient · CPC title

• H02J7/825

  Detection of fully charged condition · CPC title

• H02J7/751

  concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries · CPC title

• H02J7/663

  using battery or load disconnect circuits (H02J9/002 takes precedence) · CPC title