POWER ADAPTER WITH A SINGLE-PIECE INSULATOR ASSEMBLY

• US 20140308853A1
• Filed: 10/11/2012
• Published: 10/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Colahan, Ian P., Vista, Fiedl "Nick"
• Granted Patent: US 9,343,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/628
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 17/64 with conductive admixtures, inserts or layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/504 different pieces being moulded, cemented, welded, e.g. ultrasonic, or swaged together
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6633 with inductive component, e.g. transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/665 with built-in electronic circuit H01R13/70, H01R13/719 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6675 with built-in power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/70 Insulation of connections end caps H01R4/22
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections

Abstract

An AC-to-DC power adapter comprises a single-piece insulator unit. The various components of the power adapter such as a transformer, other circuitry, etc. are attached to the single-piece insulator unit. The single-piece insulator unit has embedded channels to provide electrical connectivity between the circuitry, The entire assembly is placed in housing and a cap assembly having prongs to connect to a AC wall outlet is ultrasonically welded to the housing.

Claims

1. A power adapter comprising:

a first connector;

a first electrical assembly coupled to the first connector and configured to receive an incoming AC voltage and convert it to a DC voltage;

a second connector;

a second electrical assembly coupled to the second connector and configured to accept the DC voltage and output the DC voltage via the second connector; and

a single-piece insulator unit having a first side and a second side, wherein the first electrical assembly is coupled to the first side and the second electrical assembly is coupled to the second side, the insulator assembly further comprising one or more channels embedded therein to provide an electrical path between the first electrical assembly and the second electrical assembly at designated locations.

2. The power adapter of claim 1 wherein the second connector comprises a universal serial bus (USB) connector.

3. The power adapter of claim 1 wherein the first connector is configured to mate with a wall outlet that provides between 110-220 VAC.

4. The power adapter of claim 1 wherein the single-piece insulator unit comprises glass-filled nylon material.

5. The power adapter of claim 1 wherein the single-piece insulator unit comprises one or more channels configured to provide an electrical path between the first electrical assembly and the second electrical assembly.

6. The power adapter of claim 5 wherein each of the one or more channels includes a conducting member that provides electrical connectivity between the first electrical assembly and the second electrical assembly.

7. The power adapter of claim 1 further comprising:

a power transformer attached to the single-piece insulator unit; and

a common mode choke attached to the single-piece insulator unit.

8. The power adapter of claim 7 further comprising a housing enclosing the single-piece insulator unit, the first electrical assembly, the second electrical assembly, the power transformer, and the common mode choke.

9. The power adapter of claim 8 wherein the housing comprises materials selected from plastic, rubber, ceramic, or silicon.

10. An insulator assembly comprising:

a single-piece structure having a first side and a second side, the first and the second side, each side having features thereon to accept a first circuitry and a second circuitry, respectively;

one or more channels embedded in the single-piece structure, wherein each of the one or more channels extends from the first side to the second side; and

electrically conducting members disposed in each of the one or more channels to provide electrical connection between the first circuitry and the second circuitry.

11. The insulator assembly of claim 10 wherein the single-piece structure comprises glass-filled nylon material.

12. The insulator assembly of claim 10 wherein the conducting members comprise metal.

13. The insulator assembly of claim 10 wherein the second circuitry includes a connector for providing DC power to an external device connected to the connector.

14. The insulator assembly of claim 10 wherein the single-piece structure has a length in the range of about 20 mm to 22 mm, a width in the range of about 19 mm to 21 mm, and a height in the range of about 18 mm to 21 mm.

15. The insulator assembly of claim 10 wherein the single-piece structure comprises an insulating material having a V-0 flame rating.

16. A method comprising:

providing a single-piece insulator unit having a first side and a second side, wherein each of the first side and the second side includes features formed thereon;

attaching a transformer at a first predefined location of the single-piece insulator unit;

attaching a common mode choke at a second predefined location of the single-piece insulator unit;

attaching a primary printed circuit board (PCB) including a first circuitry to the first side of the single-piece insulator unit;

attaching a secondary PCB including a second circuitry to the second side of the single-piece insulator unit;

providing electrical connectivity between the primary PCB and the secondary PCB;

attaching a cap assembly to the single-piece insulator unit;

placing the single-piece insulator unit inside a housing; and

attaching the cap assembly to the housing to seal the single-piece insulator unit within the housing.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the single-piece insulator unit includes one or more channels that extend from the first side to the second side and providing the electrical connectivity further comprises placing conductive members in the one or more channels to provide an electrical path between the first circuitry and the second circuitry.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein attaching the transformer further comprises applying an adhesive to one or more portions of the transformer and applying a compressive force to the transformer.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein attaching the primary PCB and the secondary PCB to the single-piece insulator unit comprises using a wave soldering technique.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein attaching the cap assembly to the housing comprises ultrasonically welding the cap assembly to the housing.