MAGNETIC CONNECTION DEVICE

• US 20140287601A1
• Filed: 03/20/2014
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: SUH, Hwan-soo
• Granted Patent: US 9,647,385 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/39
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/30 End pieces held in contact by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2421 using coil springs
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet

Abstract

A magnetic connection device including a first connector including a first housing and a plurality of first electrodes mounted on the first housing in a state of being partially exposed and having magnetic substances; and a second connector including a second housing, a plurality of second electrodes mounted on the second housing and having magnetic substances, and elastic members for elastically supporting the plurality of second electrodes, wherein an end portion of each of the plurality of second electrodes is located in the second housing due to an elasticity of the elastic members in a state where a magnetic attraction is not applied from the plurality of first electrodes, and protrudes out of the second housing to be electrically connected to each of the plurality of first electrodes when there is the magnetic attraction applied from the plurality of first electrodes.

Claims

1. A magnetic connection device comprising:

a first connector comprising a first housing and a plurality of first electrodes mounted on the first housing in a state of being partially exposed and having magnetic substances; and

a second connector comprising a second housing, a plurality of second electrodes mounted on the second housing and having magnetic substances, and elastic members for elastically supporting the plurality of second electrodes,

wherein an end portion of each of the plurality of second electrodes is located in the second housing due to an elasticity of the elastic members in a state where a magnetic attraction is not applied from the plurality of first electrodes, and protrudes out of the second housing to be electrically connected to each of the plurality of first electrodes in corresponding pairs when there is the magnetic attraction applied from the plurality of first electrodes.

2. The magnetic connection device of claim 1, wherein the first connector and the second connector are configured to be coupled to each other due to the magnetic attraction between the first electrodes and the second electrodes.

3. The magnetic connection device of claim 1, wherein the first connector and the second connector further comprise a first magnetic coupling portion and a second magnetic coupling portion, respectively.

4. The magnetic connection device of claim 1, wherein partially exposed parts of the first electrodes are concaved from an outer surface of the first housing.

5. The magnetic connection device of claim 1, wherein the first connector and the second connector respectively comprise a first guide member and a second guide member having complementary shapes configured to guide coupling positions of the first and second connectors.

6. The magnetic connection device of claim 1, wherein arrangements of the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes are symmetric with each other with respect to at least two positions where the first connector and the second connector are configured to be coupled to each other.

7. The magnetic connection device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first electrodes are arranged in a first magnetic arrangement and the plurality of second electrodes are arranged in a second magnetic arrangement, and the first magnetic arrangement and the second magnetic arrangement are arranged in arrangement orders by which all of the plurality of first electrodes and all of the plurality of second electrodes are configured to be electrically connected to each other in corresponding pairs due to magnetic attraction when the first connector and the second connector are coupled to each other at a first position.

8. The magnetic connection device of claim 7, wherein magnetic repulsive force is applied or magnetic attraction is not applied to at least one corresponding pair of the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes such that the at least one corresponding pair of the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes is configured to not be electrically connected to each other when the first connector and the second connector are coupled to each other at a second position that is different from the first position.

9. The magnetic connection device of claim 7, wherein the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes are configured to be electrically connected to each other in corresponding pairs due to the magnetic attraction even the first connector and the second connector are coupled to each other at a second position that is different from the first position.

10. The magnetic connection device of claim 1, wherein when the first connector and the second connector are coupled to each other at a first position, corresponding pairs of the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes are pairs of a ferromagnetic property and a paramagnetic property, or pairs of ferromagnetic properties of opposite polarities.

11. The magnetic connection device of claim 10, wherein when the first connector and the second connector are coupled to each other at a second position that is different from the first position, at least one of the corresponding pairs of the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes has paramagnetic properties, or ferromagnetic properties of the same polarity.

12. The magnetic connection device of claim 10, wherein when the first connector and the second connector are coupled to each other at a second position that is different from the first position, corresponding pairs of the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes are pairs of a ferromagnetic property and a paramagnetic property, or pairs of ferromagnetic properties of opposite polarities.

13. The magnetic connection device of claim 1, further comprising a signal processor configured to readjust signal transfer paths of the plurality of first electrodes in the first connector according to a coupling position between the first connector and the second connector.

14. The magnetic connection device of claim 13, wherein the signal processor is further configured to determine the coupling position between the first connector and the second connector according to whether at least one of the corresponding pairs of the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes is electrically connected or not.

15. The magnetic connection device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of first electrodes are arranged in a first magnetic arrangement and the plurality of second electrodes are arranged in a second magnetic arrangement, and the first magnetic arrangement and the second magnetic arrangement allow the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes to be electrically connected in corresponding pairs to each other due to the magnetic attraction when the first connector and the second connector are coupled to each other at a first position, and allow at least one of corresponding pairs of the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes to not be electrically connected because the magnetic repulsive force is applied to the pair or the magnetic attraction is not applied to the pair when the first connector and the second connector are coupled to each other at a second position that is different from the first position.

16. The magnetic connection device of claim 1, wherein the first connector comprises a first terminal, in which the plurality of first electrodes are located, configured to contact the second connector, and a second terminal attachable to a third connector, and the second connector comprises a first terminal, in which the plurality of second electrodes are located, configured to contact the first connector, and a second terminal attachable to a fourth connector.

17. The magnetic connection device of claim 16, wherein the second terminal of the first connector and the second terminal of the second connector are respectively a female connector terminal and a male connector terminal of the same type.

18. The magnetic connection device of claim 16, wherein the second terminal of the first connector and the second terminal of the second connector are connector terminals of different types.

19. The magnetic connection device of claim 16, wherein the second terminal of the first connector and the second terminal of the second connector satisfy at least one of USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard, IEEE 1394 standard, D-SUB standard, DIV (Digital Video Interface) standard, and HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) standard.

20. A connector configured to be connected to another connector including a plurality of other electrodes having magnetic properties, the connector comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of electrodes mounted in the housing and having magnetic properties;

an elastic member elastically supporting the plurality of electrodes;

wherein an end portion of each of the plurality of electrodes is located in the housing due to an elasticity of the elastic member in a state where a magnetic attraction is not applied, and protrudes out of the housing to be electrically connected to each of the plurality of other electrodes in corresponding pairs when there is the magnetic attraction applied from the plurality of other electrodes.