Low profile male connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9142908-B2
Application number	US-201414281064-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2014
Priority date	May 20, 2011
Publication date	Sep 22, 2015
Grant date	Sep 22, 2015

Abstract

Various embodiments of low profile male connectors are described. In one embodiment, a connector includes a plug housing having a depth and an interior cavity designed to accommodate pins that extend within the interior cavity in a direction of the depth. The plug housing may be designed to be fully insertable into a receptacle connector of an electronic device, and to have a rear surface that conforms with a shape of an exterior surface of the electronic device. The pins arranged in the plug housing may include various features, such as connecting portions protruding from the plug housing at an angle of approximately 90 degrees for coupling to a cable, bases including cutouts for extending a length of an elongated shaft of the pin, barbs for engaging the plug housing, and limit stops for distributing a force applied to the elongated shaft upon engagement with a receiving pin.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cable assembly comprising:
a connector plug having a housing arranged to fit entirely in a connector receptacle in an electronic device, the connector plug having a rear surface contoured to be flush with a surface of the electronic device;
a plurality of contacts located in the connector plug housing, each contact having an engaging portion to contact a corresponding contact in the connector receptacle and a connecting portion extending to the rear surface; and
a cable attached to the plurality of contacts located in the connector plug.

2. The cable assembly of claim 1 wherein the cable is substantially flat.

3. The cable assembly of claim 2 wherein the cable is a flex cable.

4. The cable assembly of claim 1 further comprising a pull tab attached to the connector plug.

5. The cable assembly of claim 4 further wherein the pull tab is a ribbon.

6. The cable assembly of claim 1 wherein the cable is attached to the connecting portions of the contacts.

7. The cable assembly of claim 6 wherein the cable may be routed along an underside of the electronic device.

8. The cable assembly of claim 1 wherein the cable comprises a plurality of conductors, each conductor is attached to a connecting portion of a contacts at a rear surface of the connector plug.

9. The cable assembly of claim 8 wherein the plurality of conductors are arranged in parallel.

10. A cable assembly comprising:
a connector plug having a front surface, top surface, bottom surface, and side surfaces to fit in a connector receptacle of an electronic device, the connector plug having a rear surface contoured such that it is substantially flush with an outside surface of the electronic device adjacent to the connector receptacle;
a plurality of contacts located in the connector plug housing, each contact having an engaging portion to contact a corresponding contact in the connector receptacle and a connecting portion extending to the rear surface; and
a cable attached to the connecting portions of the plurality of contacts located in the connector plug.

11. The cable assembly of claim 10 wherein the cable comprises a plurality of conductors, each conductor is attached to a connecting portion of a contacts at a rear surface of the connector plug.

12. The cable assembly of claim 11 wherein the plurality of conductors are arranged in parallel.

13. The cable assembly of claim 12 wherein the cable is substantially flat.

14. The cable assembly of claim 13 wherein the cable is a flex cable.

15. The cable assembly of claim 14 wherein the cable may be routed along an underside of the electronic device.

16. The cable assembly of claim 10 further comprising a pull tab attached to the connector plug.

17. The cable assembly of claim 16 further wherein the pull tab is a ribbon.

18. A cable assembly comprising:
a connector plug having a housing arranged to fit in a connector receptacle in an electronic device, the connector plug having a rear surface contoured to be substantially flush with an outside surface of the electronic device adjacent to the connector receptacle;
a plurality of contacts located in the connector plug housing, each contact having an engaging portion to contact a corresponding contact in the connector receptacle and a connecting portion; and
a cable having a plurality of conductors arranged in parallel, each conductor attached to a connecting portion of a contact in the plurality of contacts located in the connector plug.

19. The cable assembly of claim 18 wherein the cable may be routed along an underside of the electronic device.

20. The cable assembly of claim 18 wherein the connecting portions of the plurality of contacts extend to the rear surface of the plug housing.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Villarreal Cesar Lozano
• Dolci Dominic E
• Spielmann Victoria A
• Mariano Ricardo A
• Kwan Alexander M
• Smeenge James G
• De Luliis Daniele

Classifications

• H01R12/65

  characterised by the terminal · CPC title

• G06F1/1632

  External expansion units, e.g. docking stations · CPC title

• H01R12/592 Primary

  connections to contact elements · CPC title

• H01R31/06

  Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter (with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94) · CPC title

• H01R13/46

  Bases; Cases · CPC title