BREAK-AWAY CONNECTION FOR IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An electrical connector comprising:
- a receptacle having an asymmetric shape which facilitates removable seating of a plug having a corresponding asymmetric shape;
a plurality of electrical contacts disposed within the receptacle, each electrical contact being electrically insulated from the other electrical contacts of the plurality of electrical contacts; and
a magnetic retainer disposed within the receptacle, the magnetic retainer having sufficient magnetic force to magnetically hold the plug seated in position in the receptacle.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A break-away electrical connection for a passenger audio, audio/video, or data interface in an in-flight entertainment system comprises a magnetic retainer in either or both of a plug and receptacle and an asymmetric mechanical guide for proper alignment of signal polarity.
30 Citations
18 Claims
-
1. An electrical connector comprising:
-
a receptacle having an asymmetric shape which facilitates removable seating of a plug having a corresponding asymmetric shape; a plurality of electrical contacts disposed within the receptacle, each electrical contact being electrically insulated from the other electrical contacts of the plurality of electrical contacts; and a magnetic retainer disposed within the receptacle, the magnetic retainer having sufficient magnetic force to magnetically hold the plug seated in position in the receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. An electrical connector comprising:
-
a plug having an asymmetric shape which facilitates removable seating of the plug into a receptacle having a corresponding asymmetric shape; a plurality of electrical contacts disposed within the plug, each electrical contact being electrically insulated from the other electrical contacts of the plurality of electrical contacts; and a ferromagnetic material disposed within the plug, the ferromagnetic material sufficiently attractive to a magnetic force of a magnetic retainer of the receptacle to magnetically hold the plug seated in position in the receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. An electrical connector assembly comprising:
-
a plug having a first plurality of electrical contacts disposed in a first arrangement, each of the first plurality of electrical contacts being electrically insulated from the other electrical contacts of the first plurality of electrical contacts; a receptacle having a corresponding shape to the plug which facilitates removable seating of the plug into the receptacle, the receptacle having a second plurality of electrical contacts disposed in a second arrangement which corresponds to the first arrangement such that each of the second plurality of electrical contacts of the receptacle electrically connects with a respective one of the first plurality of electrical contacts of the plug, each of the second plurality of electrical contacts being electrically insulated from the other electrical contacts of the second plurality of electrical contacts; a first magnetic retainer disposed within the plug, the first magnetic retainer having a magnetic polarity oriented from one end region of the plug to an opposite end region of the plug; a second magnetic retainer disposed within the receptacle, the second magnetic retainer having a magnetic polarity oriented from one end region of the receptacle corresponding to the opposite end region of the plug to an opposite end region of the receptacle corresponding to the one end region of the plug, the orientation of the magnetic polarity of the second magnetic retainer being complementary to the orientation of the magnetic polarity of the first magnetic retainer such that the mated magnetic retainers of the plug and the receptacle have sufficient magnetic force to magnetically hold the plug seated in position in the receptacle in only a single orientation. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
Specification