Electrical Contacts and Connectors

• US 20140132550A1
• Filed: 01/23/2014
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: McLaughlin, Robyn Rebecca Reed, Evans, Duane Martin, Obie, Gene Robert, McCracken, Ivan Andrew, Hillyerd, Anthony Ernest, Schneider, Summer L., Aldehayyat, Yazan, Bitz, Brian David, Platt, David Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/162,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20140132550A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1669 Detachable keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675

Abstract

Electrical contact and connector techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a computing system includes a computing device and an input device that are configured to be physically and communicatively coupled using a projection that is configured to be disposed within a channel, communication contacts that are configured to contact contacts within the channel to support the communicative coupling; and a protrusion disposed on the projection, the protrusion configured to be received within a cavity formed as part of the channel. The protrusion includes an electrical contact that is configured to be self-cleaning due to movement of the protrusion in relation to the cavity and is configured to transfer power between the input device and the computing device.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

an input portion configured to generate signals to be processed by a computing device; and

a connection portion attached to the input portion using a flexible hinge, the connection portion configured to be communicatively coupled to the computing device to communicate the generated signals and physically coupled to the computing device using;

a projection that is configured to be disposed within a channel formed in a housing of the computing device; and

a protrusion disposed on the projection, the protrusion configured to be received within a cavity formed as part of the channel, the protrusion including an electrical contact that is configured to be self-cleaning due to movement of the protrusion in relation to the cavity and is configured to transfer power between the input device and the computing device.

2. An input device as described in claim 1, wherein the electrical contact is configured to be self-cleaning due to a wiping motion that is sufficient to remove at least part of an oxide disposed on the electrical contact through movement against at least part of the computing device.

3. An input device as described in claim 1, wherein the electrical contact is configured to be biased to contact an edge of the cavity thereby supporting a wiping motion to perform the self-cleaning and ability to transfer power between the input device and the computing device.

4. An input device as described in claim 1, wherein the protrusion includes a plurality of said electrical contacts.

5. An input device as described in claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of said electrical contacts are configured to transmit more than 1 amp of electricity.

6. An input device as described in claim 1, wherein the protrusion is configured to be removed from the cavity along an axis defined by a height of the protrusion from the projection and that coincides with the wiping motion and to resist movement along at least one different axis.

7. An input device as described in claim 6, wherein the protrusion is configured to mechanically bind within the cavity in order to resist the movement along the at least one different axis.

8. An input device as described in claim 1, wherein the connection portion further configured to form the physical connection through use of magnetism.

9. An input device as described in claim 8, wherein the magnetism is supported through use of a magnetic coupling device that is disposed on the connection portion or the computing device.

10. An input device as described in claim 1, wherein the connection portion further includes a plurality of communication contacts that are configured to contact contacts disposed within the channel of the computing device to provide the communicative coupling.

11. An input device as described in claim 10, wherein connection portion is configured to form an electrical connection to support the transfer of power using the electrical contact before communicative coupling is formed using the plurality of communication contacts as part of connection of the input device to the computing device.

12. A computing system comprising:

a computing device and an input device that are configured to be physically and communicatively coupled using;

a projection that is configured to be disposed within a channel;

communication contacts that are configured to contact contacts within the channel to support the communicative coupling; and

a protrusion disposed on the projection, the protrusion configured to be received within a cavity formed as part of the channel, the protrusion including an electrical contact that is configured to engage in a wiping motion when the protrusion is moved within the cavity and transfer power between the input device and the computing device.

13. A computing system as described in claim 12, wherein the computing device and the input device are configured to support the physical coupling using magnetism.

14. A computing system as described in claim 12, wherein the wiping motion is sufficient to remove at least part of an oxide disposed on the electrical contact through movement against at least part of the computing device.

15. A computing system as described in claim 12, wherein the electrical contact is configured to be biased to contact an edge of the cavity thereby supporting the wiping motion and ability to transfer power between the input device and the computing device.

16. A computing system as described in claim 12, wherein the protrusion is configured to be removed from the cavity along an axis defined by a height of the protrusion from the projection and that coincides with the wiping motion and to resist movement along at least one different axis.

17. A computing system comprising:

a computing device and an input device that are configured to be physically and communicatively coupled using;

a projection that is configured to be disposed within a channel;

communication contacts disposed on the projection that are configured to provide the communicative coupling with contacts within the channel; and

an electrostatic discharge device configured to protect the communication contacts from an electrostatic discharge by providing a path from the projection to ground the electrostatic discharge.

18. A computing system as described in claim 17, wherein the electrostatic discharge device includes a contact area that forms part of a perimeter around at communication contacts.

19. A computing system as described in claim 17, further comprising a magnetic coupling device configured to support the physical coupling of the computing device to the input device.

20. A computing system as described in claim 17, further comprising a protrusion disposed on the projection, the protrusion configured to be received within a cavity formed as part of the channel, the protrusion including an electrical contact that is configured to engage in a wiping motion when the protrusion is moved within the cavity and transfer power between the input device and the computing device