STACKABLE MAGNETICALLY-RETAINED CONNECTOR INTERFACE

• US 20150093922A1
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jol, Eric S., Golko, Albert J., Terlizzi, Jeffrey J., Minoo, Jahan C., Bosscher, Nathan P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,300,083 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/39
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2038/143 for signals
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0247 Orientating, locating, transporting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/514 composed as a modular blocks or assembly, i.e. composed of co-operating parts provided with contact members or holding contact members between them
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6616 with resistor
• 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 13/6683 with built-in sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7031 Shorting, shunting or bussing of different terminals interrupted or effected on engagement of coupling part, e.g. for ESD protection, line continuity
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/003 the coupling part being secured only to wires or cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/006 the coupling part being secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. duplex wall receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 29/00 Coupling parts for selective co-operation with a counterpart in different ways to establish different circuits, e.g. for voltage selection, for series-parallel selection, programmable connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/26 for engaging or disengaging the two parts of a coupling device structural association with two-part coupling device H01R13/629
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 : Electrical device making

Abstract

A stackable connector interface with magnetic retention for electronic devices and accessories can allow power and data to be transferred between one or more stacked connectors. Each interconnected stackable connector may include one or more magnetic elements, which magnetic elements may have poles arranged to facilitate mating with other stackable connectors. The magnetic elements may also provide a magnetic retention force that holds mated connectors in contact with each other. The connectors can also include connection detection circuitry for determining whether the connectors are mated with other connectors, thereby allowing the connectors to prevent live contacts from being exposed at an unmated surface of the connectors. In addition to connection detection circuitry, routing circuitry may also be included to determine how signals should be transferred between the interconnected stackable connectors and/or corresponding devices.

Claims

1. A stackable connector comprising:

a body having a first connector, contacts positioned on the first connector, and a first magnet having poles arranged to align and mate the first connector with a corresponding second connector;

a cable extending from the body, the cable including one or more wires;

connection detection circuitry configured to determine whether the first connector is mated with the second connector; and

routing circuitry coupled to the connection detection circuitry and the one or more wires, the routing circuitry configured to route signals between the one or more wires and the contacts when the connection detection circuitry detects the first connector is mated with the second connector.

2. The stackable connector set forth in claim 1 wherein the contacts are oriented in a plane;

wherein the first connector is configured to be mated with the second connector along an insertion axis; and

wherein the plane is orthogonal to the insertion axis.

3. The stackable connector set forth in claim 1 wherein a portion of the cable that extends away from the body is coupled to a third connector.

4. The stackable connector set forth in claim 1 wherein the detection circuitry includes one or more of the following:

a Hall Effect sensor, a resistance sensor and a rotary encoder.

5. The stackable connector set forth in claim 1 wherein a portion of the cable that extends away from the body is coupled to a device.

6. The stackable connector set forth in claim 5 wherein the device corresponds to a docking station, a power adapter, earphones, speakers or an external battery.

7. The stackable connector set forth in claim 5 wherein the device corresponds to an adapter having a plug connector, a receptacle connector that is incompatible with the plug connector and conversion circuitry configured to convert signals received at the receptacle connector to a format that can be transmitted by the plug connector and to convert signals received from the plug connector to a format that can be transmitted by the receptacle connector.

8. The stackable connector set forth in claim 1 wherein the contacts are first contacts;

wherein the signals are first signals;

wherein the body further includes a third connector, second contacts positioned on the third connector and a second magnet having poles arranged to align and mate the third connector to a corresponding fourth connector;

wherein the connection detection circuitry is further configured to determine whether the third connector is mated with the fourth connector; and

wherein the routing circuitry is further configured to route second signals between the one or more wires and the second contacts when the connection detection circuitry detects the third connector is mated with the fourth connector.

9. The stackable connector set forth in claim 8 wherein the routing circuitry is further configured to route third signals between the first and second contacts when the connection detection circuitry detects the first and third connectors are mated with the second and fourth connectors, respectively.

10. The stackable connector set forth in claim 9 wherein the third signals originate from the second connector or the fourth connector;

and wherein the routing circuitry further includes a microcontroller configured to determine the third signals.

11. A stackable connector comprising:

a body having first and second connectors, first contacts positioned on the first connector, second contacts positioned on the second connector, a first magnet having poles arranged to align and mate the first connector to a corresponding third connector, and a second magnet having poles arranged to align and mate the second connector to a corresponding fourth connector;

a cable extending from the body, the cable including one or more wires;

connection detection circuitry configured to determine whether the first and second connectors are mated with the third and fourth connectors, respectively; and

routing circuitry coupled to the connection detection circuitry and the one or more wires of the cable, the routing circuitry configured to;

(1) route first signals between the one or more wires and the first contacts when the connection detection circuitry detects the first connector is mated with the third connector;

(2) route second signals between the one or more wires and the second contacts when the connection detection circuitry detects the second connector is mated with the fourth connector; and

(3) route third signals between the first contacts and the second contacts when the connection detection circuitry detects the first connector and second connector are mated with the third connector and the fourth connector, respectively.

12. The stackable connector set forth in claim 11 wherein the first contacts are oriented in a plane;

wherein the first connector is configured to be mated with the third connector along an insertion axis; and

wherein the plane is orthogonal to the insertion axis.

13. The stackable connector set forth in claim 11 wherein the routing circuitry further includes a microcontroller configured to determine the third signals.

14. The stackable connector set forth in claim 11 wherein the body has first and second opposing surfaces and a side surface extending around an outer periphery of the body between the first and second opposing surfaces;

and wherein the first connector protrudes from the first surface, includes a mating surface parallel to the first surface and inset from the side surface and is configured to be mated with the third connector in a direction orthogonal to the mating surface.

15. The stackable connector set forth in claim 14 wherein the second opposing surface forms a rim opposite the first connector and defines a receptacle sized and shaped to correspond to the fourth connector;

and wherein the second contacts are positioned within the receptacle.

16. A method for forming an electrical connection between stackable connectors, the method comprising:

mating a first plug connector of a first cable assembly with a first receptacle connector of a second cable assembly, the first plug connector coupled to a first cable of the first cable assembly, the first receptacle connector coupled to a second cable of the second cable assembly;

providing, by the first cable via the first plug connector, first signals to routing circuitry of the second cable assembly;

providing, by the second cable, second signals to the routing circuitry of the second cable assembly;

routing, using the routing circuitry, third signals to a second plug connector of the second cable assembly, the third signals including one or more signals of the first and second signals;

mating the second plug connector with a second receptacle of an electronic device;

receiving, at the second receptacle via the second plug connector, the third signals; and

processing, by the electronic device, the third signals.

17. The method set forth in claim 16 wherein the first signals include one or more power and data signals provided by a peripheral device or a power source.

18. The method set forth in claim 16 further comprising receiving at the second plug connector fourth signals provided by the device via the second receptacle.

19. The method set forth in claim 16 further comprising:

routing, using the routing circuitry, the second signals to the first cable via the first plug connector and first plug receptacle; and

routing, using the routing circuitry, the first signals to the second cable.

20. The method set forth in claim 16 wherein the third signals include one or more power and data signals provided by the first plug connector.

21. The method set forth in claim 20 wherein a microcontroller is used by the routing circuitry to determine which of the first and second signals are included in the third signals.