Electronic connectors with magnetic copper alloys

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019027861-A1
Application number	US-201816039820-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 19, 2018
Priority date	Jul 20, 2017
Publication date	Jan 24, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Connectors including one or more electrical contacts and a magnetic portion are disclosed. The magnetic portion is made from a copper alloy comprising nickel, tin, manganese, and balance copper. In some embodiments, the electrical contact(s) are the magnetic portion. In other embodiments, the magnetic portion is a separate element from the electrical contact(s). Also disclosed are connectors for mating a host electronic device with an accessory which both include magnetic portions. Further described herein are methods for mating host electronic devices with an accessory using such connectors.

First claim

1 . A connector, comprising:
a body; and at least one magnetic portion on the body, wherein the magnetic portion is made from a copper alloy comprising nickel, tin, manganese, and balance copper.

2 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the connector is a plug connector or a receptacle connector.

3 . The connector of claim 1 , having one or more electrical contacts on the body, wherein at least one of the electrical contacts includes the at least one magnetic portion.

4 . The connector of claim 3 , wherein the one or more electrical contacts have a spring beam construction or an embedded plate construction.

5 . The connector of claim 3 , wherein the one or more electrical contacts are fabricated by stamping or photochemical machining.

6 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the body of the connector is made from a material that is different from the at least one magnetic portion.

7 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the body of the connector is made from a non-magnetic copper alloy.

8 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the at least one magnetic portion comprises a first magnetic portion located at a first end of the connector and a second magnetic portion located at a second end of the connector.

9 . The connector of claim 8 , wherein the first magnetic portion and the second magnetic portion are located on different surfaces of the connector.

10 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic portion is monolithically formed from the magnetic copper alloy or is a composite material.

11 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic copper alloy is magnetic in an as-cast form.

12 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the alloy of the magnetic portion contains from about 8 wt % to about 16 wt % nickel, about 5 wt % to about 9 wt % tin, and from about 1 wt % to about 21 wt % manganese.

13 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the alloy of the magnetic portion contains from about 14 wt % to about 16 wt % nickel, about 7 wt % to about 9 wt % tin, and from about 1 wt % to about 21 wt % manganese.

14 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the alloy of the magnetic portion contains from about 8 wt % to about 10 wt % nickel, about 5 wt % to about 7 wt % tin, and from about 1 wt % to about 21 wt % manganese.

15 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the alloy of the magnetic portion contains from about 10 wt % to about 12 wt % nickel, about 5 wt % to about 7 wt % tin, and from about 1 wt % to about 21 wt % manganese.

16 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic portion is formed by placing the copper alloy in a non-magnetic form on the body and then heat treating to convert the non-magnetic copper alloy into a magnetic copper alloy.

17 . A method for making an electrical connector, comprising:
placing a copper alloy on a body, the copper alloy comprising nickel, tin, manganese, and balance copper; and heat treating the copper alloy to convert the copper alloy into a magnetic copper alloy.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the magnetic copper alloy forms at least a portion of at least one electrical contact.

19 . An electronic device comprising a connector, wherein the connector includes at least one magnetic portion formed from a copper alloy comprising nickel, tin, manganese, and balance copper.

20 . The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the magnetic copper alloy forms at least a portion of at least one electrical contact.

21 . The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the connector is a plug connector or a receptacle connector.

22 . A method of mating a host electronic device with an accessory comprising:
inserting a plug connector of the accessory into a receptacle connector of the host electronic device, wherein the receptacle connector and the plug connector each include a magnetic portion that attract each other, such that the withdrawal force is increased; wherein at least one of the magnetic portions is made from a copper alloy comprising nickel, tin, manganese, and balance copper.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the at least one magnetic portion that is made from the copper alloy is part of an electrical contact.

24 . A system comprising:
an accessory with a plug connector, wherein the connector includes at least one magnetic portion, wherein the at least one magnetic portion is made from a copper alloy comprising nickel, tin, manganese, and balance copper; and a host electronic device with a receptacle connector, the receptacle connector including a magnetic sensor adapted to sense the magnetic portion of the accessory.

Assignees

• Materion Corp

Inventors

• Brown Derrick L
• Grensing Fritz C
• Kaiser Joseph G
• Gedeon Michael J
• Craft Amy E
• Elliott Ryan C

Classifications

• H01R43/16

  for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending · CPC title

• H01R43/00

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors (of trolley lines B60M1/28) · CPC title

• C22F1/08

  of copper or alloys based thereon · CPC title

• H01R13/03

  characterised by the material, e.g. plating, or coating materials · CPC title

• H01R4/58

  characterised by the form or material of the contacting members (H01R4/01 takes precedence) · CPC title