MAGNETIC CONNECTOR

• US 20100233889A1
• Filed: 03/10/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Masimo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cercacor Laboratories
• Inventors: Vo, Hung The, Lamego, Marcelo M., Kiani, Massi Joe E., Dalvi, Cristiano
• Granted Patent: US 8,388,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/39
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/30 End pieces held in contact by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/631 for engagement only
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6591 Specific features or arrangements of connection of shield to conductive members
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7037 making use of a magnetically operated switch
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7175 Light emitting diodes (LEDs)
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/95 Electrical connector adapted to transmit electricity to mating connector without physical contact, e.g. by induction, magnetism, or electrostatic field
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A magnetic connector has a receptacle and a plug. The receptacle has an electromagnet comprising an inner core, an outer core, a coil disposed around the inner core and an air gap defined by the edges of the inner and outer cores. The plug has a plug core and an anchor defined by the plug core edge. The anchor is configured to insert into the air gap as a receptacle socket electrically connects with plug pins. The coil is energized and de-energized so as to assist in the insertion or removal of the anchor from within the air gap and the corresponding connection and disconnection of the socket and pins.

Claims

1. A magnetic connector comprising:

a receptacle having a wiring end and a receptacle contact end;

the receptacle having a receptacle core, a coil and a receptacle contact set;

an air gap defined by the receptacle core at the receptacle contact end; and

the coil, the core and the air gap forming a magnetic circuit so that energizing the coil creates a magnetic field in the air gap.

2. The magnetic connector according to claim 1 further comprising:

a plug having a cable end and a plug contact end;

the plug having a plug core and a plug contact set;

an anchor defined by the plug core at the plug contact end so as to fit within the air gap; and

the receptacle contact set and the plug contact set electrically connect as the anchor inserts into the air gap.

3. The magnetic connector according to claim 2 wherein:

the receptacle core comprises an inner core and an outer core; and

the coil is disposed around the inner core.

4. The magnetic connector according to claim 3 wherein:

the inner core and the outer core form concentric elongated circular receptacle edges defining the air gap.

5. The magnetic connector according to claim 4 wherein:

the plug core forms an elongated circular plug edge defining the anchor.

6. The magnetic connector according to claim 5 wherein the receptacle contact set comprises:

a socket block;

a plurality of contact apertures defined within the socket block; and

a plurality of contacts at least partially disposed within the contact apertures.

7. The magnetic connector according to claim 6 wherein the plug contact set comprises:

a pin block;

a plurality of pin apertures defined within the pin block;

a plurality of pins at least partially disposed within the pin apertures; and

the pins are configured to insert into the contacts.

8. The magnetic connector according to claim 7 further comprising at least one permanent magnet disposed proximate at least one of the anchor and the air gap.

9. The magnetic connector according to claim 8 further comprising:

a plurality of power leads in communications with the coil and a current source;

a switch in series with one of the power leads; and

the switch actuated so as to alter the flow of current in the power leads and the energization of the coil accordingly.

10. The magnetic connector according to claim 9 further comprising:

an LED in series with one of the power leads; and

the LED illuminating according to the flow of current in the power leads so as to indicate the energization of the coil.

11. A magnetic connector method for interconnecting an optical sensor and a physiological monitor, the magnetic connector having a monitor receptacle and a cable plug, the magnetic connector method comprising the steps of:

defining a receptacle core and a plug core each comprising a magnetically permeable material;

defining a plug core comprising a magnetically permeable material;

housing receptacle contacts within the receptacle core;

housing plug contacts within the plug core;

interconnecting the receptacle core and the plug core so as to electrically connect the receptacle contacts and the plug contacts; and

magnetically coupling the receptacle core and the plug core so as to maintain the interconnection.

12. The magnetic connector method according to claim 11 wherein the magnetically coupling further comprises disposing a coil around a first one of the receptacle and the plug cores so as to form an electromagnet.

13. The magnetic connector method according to claim 12 wherein the magnetically coupling further comprises:

disposing an air gap in the first one of the cores;

extending an anchor from a second one of the cores; and

magnetically locking the anchor within the air gap.

14. The magnetic connector method according to claim 13 wherein the magnetically coupling further comprises switching current to the coil so as to unlock the anchor from the air gap.

15. The magnetic connector method according to claim 14 wherein the magnetic coupling further comprises embedding at least one permanent magnet within one of the cores.

16. The magnetic connector method according to claim 15 wherein the magnetic coupling further comprises:

embedding at least one permanent magnet proximate the anchor;

the switching comprising energizing the coil so as to create an opposing field to the permanent magnet within the air gap.

17. The magnetic connector method according to claim 15 wherein the magnetic coupling further comprises:

embedding at least one permanent magnet proximate the air gap;

the switching comprising energizing the coil so as to create an opposing field to the permanent magnet within the air gap.

18. A magnetic connector comprising:

a first magnetic element;

a second magnetic element;

a first contact set housed proximate the first magnetic element;

a second contact set housed proximate the second magnetic element;

at least one of the magnetic elements responsive to a current input so as to alter a magnetic coupling between the magnetic elements;

the magnetic coupling assists in at least one of making and breaking an electrical connection between the first contact set and the second contact set.

19. The magnetic connector according to claim 18 wherein the first magnetic element comprises:

a core of magnetically permeable material;

a conductive coil having “

N”

turns disposed around at least a portion of the core;

a plurality of coil leads in communications with a current source;

an air gap defined within the core; and

the current source having “

I”

amps energizing the coil so as to generate a electromagnetic field within the air gap proportional to N times I.

20. The magnetic connector according to claim 19 wherein the second magnetic element comprises:

an anchor of magnetically permeable material sized to closely fit within the air gap;

the contact sets making an electrical connection as the anchor is manually inserted into the air gap and breaking an electrical connection as the anchor is manually withdrawn from the air gap;

the anchor locking within the air gap in response to a magnetic field within the air gap so as to maintain the electrical connection between the contact sets.

21. The magnetic connector according to claim 20 further comprising:

a switch in series with the coil so as to control coil energization; and

an LED in series with the switch so as to indicate coil energization.

22. The magnetic connector according to claim 21 further comprising:

a permanent magnet disposed within the second magnetic element proximate the anchor; and

the permanent magnet having poles oriented so that the permanent magnet field opposes the air gap field.

23. The magnetic connector according to claim 21 further comprising:

a permanent magnet disposed within the first magnetic element proximate the air gap; and

the permanent magnet having poles oriented so that the permanent magnet field opposes the air gap field.

24. A magnetic connector comprising:

a plug means and a corresponding receptacle means for interconnecting a sensor and a corresponding monitor;

a socket means and a corresponding pin means housed within the plug means and the receptacle means for making and breaking electrical communications between sensor conductors and monitor conductors as the plug is inserted into and removed from the receptacle, respectively; and

a pair of mating magnetic element means housed within the plug means and the receptacle means for assisting in at least one of the making and breaking of electrical communications of the socket means and the pin means.

25. The magnetic connector according to claim 24 wherein the mating magnetic element means comprises:

an electromagnet means for generating a magnetic field within an air gap; and

an anchor means for locking within and releasing from the air gap according to power provided to the electromagnet means.

26. The magnetic connector according to claim 25 further comprising:

a permanent magnet means for opposing the air gap magnetic field; and

the permanent magnet means disposed proximate at least one of the air gap and the anchor means.

27. The magnetic connector according to claim 26 further comprising:

a switch means for manually controlling the air gap magnetic field so as to secure or release the anchor means within the air gap.

28. The magnetic connector according to claim 27 further comprising:

an indicator means for visually identifying the state of the air gap magnetic field.