Contact design for external accessories

• US 10,579,096 B1
• Filed: 05/20/2019
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Emgin, Senem E., Ow, Florence W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Adrian S
• Application Number:
  US16/416,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20200097042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 288 Days
• Field of Search: 710303, 439 39, 361683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6456 comprising keying elements at different positions along the periphery of the connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/38 having concentrically or coaxially arranged contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/06 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

Abstract

The described embodiments relate generally to contact designs for electrically coupling electronic devices and electronic accessories. Some embodiments of the present invention relate to an electronic device including a housing, one or more magnets configured to align and removably couple the electronic accessory to the electronic device, and a contact area disposed at an external surface of the housing, the contact area including two or more spaced apart contacts. Each of the contacts includes a conductive contact surface positioned at the external surface of the housing, the contact surface configured to directly contact a corresponding contact of the electronic accessory when the electronic device is coupled to the electronic accessory, and an electrically-conductive via extending from the contact surface through the outer surface of housing.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

electronic circuitry disposed within the housing;

one or more magnets configured to align and removably couple the electronic accessory to the electronic device; and

a contact area disposed at an external surface of the housing, the contact area including two or more spaced apart contacts, wherein each of the contacts is electrically coupled to the electronic circuitry and comprises;

a conductive contact surface positioned at the external surface of the housing, the contact surface configured to directly contact a corresponding contact of the electronic accessory when the electronic device is coupled to the electronic accessory; and

an electrically-conductive via extending from the contact surface through the outer surface of housing.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 comprising a plurality of identical contacts areas distributed across the external surface of the housing, each of the contact areas including a plurality of spaced apart contacts arranged in a pattern with each contact in the plurality of contacts being electrically coupled to the electronic circuitry and including a conductive contact surface positioned at the external surface of the housing and an electrically-conductive via extending from the contact surface through the outer surface of housing.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the two or more contacts comprise at least one negative contact and at least one positive contact.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising two or more contact areas spaced apart from each other, each having two or more spaced apart contacts disposed on the external surface of the housing such that the electronic accessory may be coupled to the electronic device at the two or more contact areas spaced apart from each other.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein data and power are configured to be alternately transferred via the two or more spaced apart contacts.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein conductive contact surfaces of the two or more spaced apart contacts are deposited over the external surface of the housing such that they are essentially flush with the external surface.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 wherein the one or more intermediary layers comprise an adhesive for coupling the contact surface of the contacts to the outer surface of the housing.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising a circuit board within the housing and wherein the contacts are electrically coupled to processing circuitry disposed on the circuit board.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein a first contact of the two or more contacts extends concentrically in a ring configuration around a second contact of the two or more contacts, the second contact being a point contact disposed in a center of the first contact.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first contact comprises multiple contacts extending concentrically in the ring configuration.

11. An electronic accessory device comprising:

a housing including an upper surface, a lower surface, and one or more side surfaces extending along an outer periphery of the housing between the upper and lower surfaces, the lower surface including a rigid footing portion having a bottom surface aligned in a first plane;

at least one electronic component positioned within the housing;

first and second electrical contacts electrically coupled to the at least one electronic component and spaced apart along the lower surface, each of the first and second contacts including a conformable contact surface that extends away from the housing beyond the first plane; and

one or more magnets positioned along the bottom surface.

12. The electronic accessory of claim 11 wherein the contacts are electrically coupled to processing circuitry disposed on a circuit board within the housing.

13. The electronic accessory of claim 11 wherein the conformable contact surface comprises a compliant conductive material comprises wire mesh.

14. The electronic accessory of claim 11 wherein the first and second electrical contacts comprise at least one negative contact and at least one positive contact.

15. The electronic accessory of claim 11 wherein polarities of the two or more spaced apart contacts are selectively switchable.

16. The electronic accessory of claim 11 wherein the one or more magnets are configured to align and couple the electronic accessory to a second electronic device.

17. The electronic accessory of claim 11 wherein a first contact of the two or more contacts extends concentrically around a second contact of the two or more contacts in a ring configuration, the second contact being a point contact disposed at a center of the ring configuration.

18. The electronic accessory of claim 11 wherein multiple contacts of the two or more contacts extend concentrically around a second contact of the two or more contacts in a ring configuration, the second contact being a point contact disposed at a center of the ring configuration.

19. The electronic accessory of claim 11 wherein the conformable contact surface of the first and second concentric contacts are bonded to conductive rings.

20. A system comprising:

a first electronic device and a second electronic device, the first electronic device comprising;

a first device housing;

a contact area disposed at an external surface of the first device housing, the contact area including two or more spaced apart contacts, each of the contacts comprising;

a conductive contact surface positioned at the external surface of the device housing, the contact surface configured to directly contact a corresponding contact of the electronic accessory when the electronic device is coupled to the electronic accessory; and

an electrically-conductive via extending from the contact surface through the outer surface of device housing; and

a first magnetic component disposed adjacent to or within the contat area; and

the second electronic device comprising;

a second device housing including an upper surface, a lower surface, and one or more side surfaces extending along an outer periphery of the second device housing between the upper and lower surfaces, the lower surface including a rigid footing portion having a bottom surface aligned in a first plane;

at least one electronic component positioned within the second device housing;

first and second electrical contacts electrically coupled to the at least one electronic component and spaced apart along the lower surface, each of the first and second contacts including a conformable contact surface that extends away from the second device housing beyond the first plane; and

a second magnetic component positioned along the bottom surface in an arrangement aligned with the first magnetic component of the first electronic device, wherein during a mating event, the first and second magnetic components cooperate to facilitate alignment of the second electronic device to the first electronic device and impart a sufficient normal force such that the compliant first and second electrical contacts of the second device deform and are pushed into the contacts of the first device creating a strong and secure electrical connection to the two or more spaced apart contacts in the contact area of the first electronic device.