ELECTRIC CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY

• US 20080139005A1
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: LIU, CHANG-CHUN, HO, YU-KUANG, GUO, GUO-FU, GAN, XIAO-LIN
• Application Number:
  US11/828,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20080139005A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/39
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6215 using one or more bolts

Abstract

An electric connector assembly includes a plug includes a plurality of pins, at least one fastening member detachably mounted on the plug, and a socket comprising a plurality of slots. Each fastening member includes a magnetic shaft. At least one locking sleeve defining a hole with a magnetic wall is arranged beside the slots. The pins of the plug are inserted into the corresponding slots of the socket. Magnetic attraction between the fastening member and the locking sleeve firmly retains the shaft in the locking hole to hold the plug in the socket.

Claims

1. An electric connector assembly, comprising:

a male connector comprising a main body having at least one mounting portion positioned on a side thereof, and a housing fixed to one end of the main body for positioning therein a plurality of pins configured to electrically connect to an electronic device, a through hole defined in the at least one mounting portion;

a female connector comprising a receptacle having a plurality of slots electrically connected to a peripheral device, and at least one locking sleeve positioned on a side thereof, a hole defined in the at least one locking sleeve, the slots configured for receiving the corresponding pins of the male connector; and

at least one fastening member comprising an operation portion, and a shaft extending from an end of the operation portion, the shaft inserted through the through hole of the at least one mounting portion, wherein the at least one fastening member and the at least one locking sleeve has magnetic attraction formed therebetween to firmly retain the shaft of the at least one fastening member in the locking hole of the at least one locking sleeve respectively.

2. The electric connector assembly as described in claim 1, wherein both the at least one fastening member and the at least one locking sleeve are made of permanent material or electromagnetic material, arranged to attract magnetically to one another.

3. The electric connector assembly as described in claim 1, wherein one of the at least one fastening member and the at least one locking sleeve is made of permanent material or electromagnetic material, while the other is made of a ferromagnetic material.

4. The electric connector assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the main body is made of a non-conductive material.

5. The electric connector assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the operation portion of the at least one fastening member biases against the at least one mounting portion toward the at least one locking sleeve when the shaft is attached in the locking hole of the at least one locking sleeve.

6. An electric connector assembly, comprising:

a plug comprising a plurality of pins, and at least one fastening member detachably mounted on the plug, the at least one fastening member comprising a shaft being magnetic;

a socket comprising a plurality of slots configured to receive the pins respectively, and at least one locking sleeve defining a hole with a magnetic wall arranged besides the slots, magnetic attraction between the at least one fastening member and the at least one locking sleeve substantially retaining the shaft of the at least one fastening member adsorbed into the locking hole of the at least one locking sleeve respectively to hold the plug to the socket.

7. The electric connector assembly as described in claim 6, wherein both the at least one fastening member and the at least one locking sleeve are made of permanent material or electromagnetic material arranged to attract magnetically to one another.

8. The electric connector assembly as described in claim 6, wherein the main body is made of a non-conductive material.

9. An electric connector assembly comprising:

a female connector electrically connected to an electronic device, the female connector comprising a receptacle defining a plurality of slots and at least one locking sleeve positioned beside the receptacle, a hole being defined in the at least one locking sleeve;

a male connector configured to electrically connect to another electronic device, the male connector comprising a housing having a plurality of pins configured to be attached to the receptacle with the pins inserted into the slots respectively, and at least one mounting portion arranged beside the housing, a through hole defined in the at least one mounting portion; and

at least one fastening member comprising an operation portion and a shaft extending from the operation portion, the shaft of the at least one fastening member inserted through the through hole of the at least one mounting portion to be received in the hole of the at least one locking sleeve, wherein one of the shaft of the at least one fastening member and the at least one locking sleeve is made of magnetic material such that a magnetic attraction is formed therebetween to firmly retain the shaft in the locking hole.

10. The electric connector assembly as described in claim 9, wherein both the at least one fastening member and the at least one locking sleeve are made of permanent material or electromagnetic material.

11. The electric connector assembly as described in claim 9, wherein the other one of the at least one fastening member and the at least one locking sleeve is made of ferromagnetic material.