MAGNETIC SELF-ALIGNING QUICK-DISCONNECT FOR A TELEPHONE OR OTHER COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT

• US 3,808,577 A
• Filed: 03/05/1973
• Issued: 04/30/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William R. Mathauser
• Original Assignee: William R. Mathauser
• Inventors: Mathauser, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gay, Bobby R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US05/337,869
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 339/12R,12V,12L,12G,64R,64M,65,27,46,47R,47C,48,222 335/205,285 48/26A
• US Class Current: 439/39
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/38 having concentrically or coaxially arranged contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/06 Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94

Abstract

A quick-disconnect, magnetic, self-aligning telephone jack or other communication equipment connection, including a male connector half and a female connector half, each with selfaligning magnetic means therein to hold the male and female halves together and cooperating electrical contact means in the male and female connector halves to establish electrical connection between a telephone or other communication equipment and a source of electrical energy.

Claims

1. A magnetic, self-aligning, quick disconnect electrical connector for communications equipment and the like, comprising male and female connector halves, a plurality of annular, radially spaced apart, ring-shaped electrical contacts in each half, the coNtacts in one half being in aligned, interengaged relationship with the contacts in the other half when the halves are connected together, means rigidly fixed substantially in the center of the respective halves including a magnet in at least one of the halves and concentric with the electrical contacts and in aligned, cooperating relationship with one another to releasably and magnetically hold the halves connected together, one of said halves having a shaped indexing recess in the magnetic means therein at the center thereof in concentric relationship with the contacts, and a shaped indexing projection on the magnet means in the other half in the center thereof in concentric relationship with the contacts and substantially identical in size and shape to the recess in the other half and fitting in the recess to index the halves together when they are connected to one another, said centrally disposed indexing recess and projection and said concentric contacts and magnet means enabling the halves to be quickly and easily connected together in any relative rotational position therebetween.

2. A connector as in claim 1, wherein the connector comprises a telephone jack, the male half of the jack is adapted to be connected to a telephone and the female half of the jack is connected to a source of electrical energy for the telephone, the electrical contacts in the female half being recessed therein and connected to said source of electrical energy, and the electrical contacts in said male half projecting outwardly therefrom for engagement with the recessed contact means in the female half when the halves are connected together.

3. A telephone jack as in claim 2, wherein the contact rings in the female half are floatably mounted and are yieldably urged outwardly toward the male half of the jack.

4. A telephone jack as in claim 3, wherein the electrical contact rings in the male half of the jack are fixed against movement and project forwardly therefrom toward the female half.

5. A telephone jack as in claim 2, wherein the female half of the jack is secured to a wall or like surface and is connected directly to the source of electrical energy, and the male half of the telephone jack is connected directly to a telephone by means of a cord or cable or the like.

6. A telephone jack as in claim 2, wherein the male and female halves of the jack comprise an adapter for use with a conventional telephone jack, and the female half of the telephone jack has electrical contact means thereon operatively connected to the ring shaped electrical contacts for cooperative engagement with a conventional female telephone jack secured to a wall or other surface, and the male half of the telephone jack has electrical contact means thereon operatively connected with the ring shaped electrical contacts for cooperative engagement with the electrical contact means on a conventional male telephone jack.

7. A telephone jack as in claim 6, wherein the female half of the adapter comprises a substantially frusto-conically shaped body having a rearwardly extending, flared skirt defining a recess therewithin for receiving the conventional female telephone jack, and said electrical contact means thereon comprises a pair of rearwardly axially extending electrical contact prongs secured to said body for insertion in a pair of spaced sockets in the conventional female telephone jack, and the electrical contact means in the male half of the telephone jack comprises a pair of spaced sockets therein for cooperative engagement with a pair of axially projecting electrical contact prongs on a conventional male telephone jack.

8. A connector as in claim 1, wherein the indexing recess and projection are each conically shaped.

9. A connector as in claim 8, wherein the female connector half comprises a body of electrical insulating material and having a front face and a rear face, said electrical contacts, said magnet means and said recess being in said front face thereof, said body Having an opening therethrough extending from the bottom of the recess through the rear face thereof, and a light means at said rear face adjacent said opening to render said connector half visible under conditions of low ambient light.

10. A telephone jack as in claim 5, wherein the female half of the jack comprises a circular body of electrical insulating material and having a front face and a rear face, an annular peripheral skirt on the rear face extending rearwardly from the rear face thereof, a plurality of fasteming means extended axially through a peripheral portion of said body and through said skirt and into the wall, said magnet means, said indexing recess and said electrical contacts in said front face, said male half of the jack comprises a circular body of electrical insulating material and having a front face and a rear face, a handle means secured to the rear face, and said electrical contacts, said magnet means and said indexing projection on said front face.