High cycle connector contact system

• US 20040115994A1
• Filed: 12/12/2002
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Wulff, Thomas, Bellows, David E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,878,016 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/700
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/03 characterised by the material, e.g. plating, or coating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2421 using coil springs
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2471 pin shaped

Abstract

A connector contact interface system for a portable device. The system includes a first arrangement of one or more fixed electrically conductive contacts of a first device, and a second arrangement of one or more electrically conductive pogo contacts in a second device, which pogo contacts of the second device are in substantially axial alignment with the respective fixed contacts of the first arrangement of the first device. When the connectors are in full engagement, the one or more pogo contacts and the respective one or more fixed contacts are in tip-to-tip abutment. The first arrangement is included either on a rigid or flexible circuit board or in connector housing of the first device, and the second arrangement is included in a connector housing of the second device. The contacts of either or both of the first and second arrangements are plated with a wear-resistant metal such as hard gold.

Claims

1. A connector interface for a portable device, comprising:

an interface connector having an arrangement of one or more pogo-style contacts for conducting at least one of power and signals;

whereby wearing of the pogo contacts and mating contacts of an accessory to which the portable device interfaces, is reduced substantially during engagement and disengagement of the portable device with the accessory.

2. The interface of claim 1, the one or more pogo contacts in substantially axial alignment with the mating contacts of the accessory.

3. The interface of claim 1, the arrangement of one or more pogo contacts adapted for tip-to-tip abutment with mating contacts of the accessory during engagement.

4. The interface of claim 1, the portable device including the capability of at least one of a dataform reading apparatus and a wireless telecommunication device.

5. The interface of claim 1, the contacts plated with a wear-resistant electrically conductive metal, which metal is hard gold.

13. The system of claim 1 the contacts of at least one of the first connector and the second connector are plated with a wear-resistant electrically conductive metal, which metal is hard gold.

15. The system of claim 1 the accessory contacts are pogo-style contacts.

6. A method of interfacing to a portable device, comprising:

providing an interface connector having an arrangement of one or more pogo-style contacts for conducting at least one of power and signals;

whereby wearing of the pogo contacts and mating contacts of an accessory to which the portable device interfaces, is reduced substantially during engagement and disengagement of the portable device with the accessory.

7. The method of claim 6, the one or more pogo contacts in substantially axial alignment with the mating contacts of the accessory.

8. The method of claim 6, the arrangement of one or more pogo contacts adapted for tip-to-tip abutment with mating contacts of the accessory during engagement.

9. The method of claim 6, the portable device including the capability of at least one of a dataform reading apparatus and a wireless telecommunication device.

10. The method of claim 6, the contacts plated with a wear-resistant electrically conductive metal, which metal is hard gold.

11. A connector interface system of a portable device and an accessory, comprising:

a device connector of the portable device having a first arrangement of one or more pogo contacts; and

an accessory connector of an accessory adapted to mate to the device connector, the accessory connector having a second arrangement of accessory contacts that align with the one or more pogo contacts of the device connector;

whereby wearing of the device contacts and accessory contacts is reduced substantially during engagement and disengagement of the portable device with the accessory.

12. The system of claim 11, the one or more pogo contacts and the accessory contacts in tip-to-tip abutment during engagement of the portable device with the accessory.

14. The system of claim 11, the portable device including the capability of at least one of a dataform reading device and a wireless telecommunication device.

16. The system of claim 11, the one or more pogo contacts in substantially axial alignment with the accessory contacts of the accessory.

17. The system of claim 11, the first arrangement is included in a connector housing and the second arrangement is included on a circuit board.

18. The system of claim 17, the circuit board is at least one of rigid and flexible.

19. A method of interfacing a portable device and an accessory, comprising:

providing a device connector of the portable device having a first arrangement of one or more pogo contacts; and

providing an accessory connector of an accessory adapted to mate to the device connector, the accessory connector having a second arrangement of accessory contacts that align with the one or more pogo contacts of the device connector;

whereby wearing of the device contacts and accessory contacts is reduced substantially during engagement and disengagement of the portable device with the accessory.

20. The method of claim 19, the one or more pogo contacts and the accessory contacts in tip-to-tip abutment during engagement of the portable device with the accessory.

21. The method of claim 19, the contacts of at least one of the first connector and the second connector are plated with a wear-resistant electrically conductive metal, which metal is hard gold.

22. The method of claim 19, the portable device including the capability of at least one of a dataform reading device and a wireless telecommunication device.

23. The method of claim 19, the accessory contacts are pogo-style contacts.

24. The method of claim 19, the one or more pogo contacts in substantially axial alignment with the accessory contacts of the accessory.

25. The method of claim 19, the first arrangement is included in a connector housing and the second arrangement is included on a circuit board.

26. The method of claim 25, the circuit board is at least one of rigid and flexible.

27. A method of contact interfacing between a portable device and an accessory, comprising:

providing a device connector of the device having a first arrangement of one or more pogo contacts; and

providing an accessory connector having a second arrangement of one or more accessory contacts in substantially axial alignment while in tip-to-tip abutment with the respective pogo contacts of the device connector;

whereby wearing of the device and accessory contacts is reduced substantially during engagement and disengagement of the portable device with the accessory.

28. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a bar code reader that facilitates collecting data;

a processor that processes at least a subset of the collected data; and

an interface connector disposed at least partially within a housing of the mobile terminal, the connector having an arrangement of one or more pogo-style contacts that facilitate electrically coupling the mobile terminal to another device.

29. A connector interface for an accessory, the accessory associated with a portable device and comprising:

an interface connector having an arrangement of one or more pogo-style contacts for conducting at least one of power and signals;

whereby wearing of the pogo contacts and mating contacts of the portable to which the accessory interfaces, is reduced substantially during engagement and disengagement of the accessory with the portable device.

30. The interface of claim 29, the one or more pogo contacts in substantially axial alignment with the mating contacts during engagement of the accessory with the portable device.

31. The interface of claim 29, the arrangement of one or more pogo contacts adapted for tip-to-tip abutment with the mating contacts of the portable device during engagement.

32. The interface of claim 29, the pogo contacts plated with a wear-resistant electrically conductive metal, which metal is hard gold.

33. The interface of claim 29, the accessory providing at least one of the power and signals to the portable device during engagement.

34. The interface of claim 29, the accessory communicating signals wirelessly with the portable device during disengagement.

35. A method of interfacing to an accessory, the accessory associated with a portable device and comprising:

providing an interface connector having an arrangement of one or more pogo-style contacts for conducting at least one of power and signals;

whereby wearing of the pogo contacts and mating contacts of the portable to which the accessory interfaces, is reduced substantially during engagement and disengagement of the accessory with the portable device.

36. The method of claim 35, the one or more pogo contacts in substantially axial alignment with the mating contacts during engagement of the accessory with the portable device.

37. The method of claim 35, the arrangement of one or more pogo contacts adapted for tip-to-tip abutment with the mating contacts of the portable device during engagement.

38. The method of claim 35, the pogo contacts plated with a wear-resistant electrically conductive metal, which metal is hard gold.

39. The method of claim 35, the accessory providing at least one of the power and signals to the portable device during engagement.

40. The method of claim 35, the accessory communicating signals wirelessly with the portable device during disengagement.

41. A method of interfacing a portable device and an accessory, comprising:

providing a device connector of the portable device having a first arrangement of one or more pogo contacts; and

providing an accessory connector of an accessory adapted to mate to the device connector, the accessory connector having a second arrangement of oversized accessory contacts that interface to the one or more pogo contacts of the device connector;

whereby wearing of the device contacts and accessory contacts is reduced substantially during engagement and disengagement of the portable device with the accessory.