Electromechanical connecting device

• US 6,561,815 B1
• Filed: 03/18/2002
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik GmbH & Company KG (Rosenberger Technology (Kunshan) Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Siegfried Schmidt
• Inventors: Schmidt, Siegfried
• Primary Examiner(s): Bradley, P. Austin
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEON MUNOZ, EDWIN A
• Application Number:
  US10/018,947
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 439/38, 439/39, 439/40, 439/188, 439/289, 336/DIG.2, 336/107, 200/51.1
• US Class Current: 439/38
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7037 making use of a magnetically operated switch

Abstract

An electromechanical connector having a pair of detachably mateable contact mechanisms the housing of at least one of which includes an elastic wall to which is coupled at least one electrical contact which is either itself a magnetic member or which is coupled to a magnetic member. When the mechanisms are brought into mating proximity of one another, the magnetic member generates a force due to magnetic interaction with the other mechanism. The force causes the elastic wall to elastically yield, causing the contact to undergo an excursion into conducting relation with a corresponding contact of the other mechanism.

Claims

1. An electromechanical connector, comprising:

a first mechanism including at least one first electrical contact, and

a second mechanism including at least one second electrical contact, said first mechanism and said second mechanism being detachably mateable to one another,

said first mechanism further including a magnetic member and a housing, said housing including an elastic wall, said elastic wall being elastically yieldable in response to a force generated by said magnetic member under magnetic influence of said second mechanism when said first mechanism and said second mechanism are mated to one another, said magnetic member and said first contact both being located at least partially within said housing, said first contact being mechanically coupled to said magnetic member for movement with said magnetic member, at least one of said magnetic member and said first contact being mechanically coupled to said elastic wall, said elastic wall being elastically yieldable in response to said force generated by said magnetic member as to permit said first contact to undergo an excursion toward said second contact and to make physical and electrical contact with said second contact when said first mechanism and said second mechanism are mated to one another,

whereby, upon mating of said first mechanism with said second mechanism, said excursion of said first contact due to yielding of said elastic wall in response to said force provides a reliable electrical connection between said first contact and said second contact.

2. The electromechanical connector of claim 1 wherein said magnetic member comprises a magnet.

3. The electromechanical connector of claim 1 wherein said magnetic member comprises a member of magnetic material which is not a magnet.

4. The electromechanical connector of claim 1 wherein said first contact includes a face which lies substantially flush with a surface of said elastic wall.

5. The electromechanical connector of claim 1 wherein said first contact and said magnetic member comprise a unitary member which is a magnet.

6. The electromechanical connector of claim 1 wherein said first contact and said magnetic member comprise a unitary member which is of a magnetic material which is capable of being attracted by a magnet but which is not a magnet.

7. The electromechanical connector of claim 1 wherein said first contact is partially embedded within said elastic wall in fluid-tight engagement with said elastic wall.

8. The electromechanical connector of claim 1 wherein said elastic wall comprises a plastic diaphragm.

9. The electromechanical connector of claim 1 wherein said first contact includes a face which engages said second contact when said first mechanism and said second mechanism are mated to one another, and said elastic wall includes a circumferential convexity which surrounds said face and projects outwardly from the remainder of said elastic wall to extend beyond said face, said convexity engaging said second mechanism when said first mechanism and said second mechanism are mated to one another,

whereby said convexity forms a peripheral seal surrounding said face of said first contact.

10. The electromechanical connector of claim 1 wherein said first mechanism further comprises an amplifying magnet mounted in fixed relation to said housing and positioned as to increase said force.

11. The electromechanical connector of claim 1 wherein said first mechanism further comprises a connecting contact for forwarding RF signals and said second mechanism further comprises a mutually opposed RF contact.

12. The electromechanical connection of claim 1 wherein said second mechanism further comprises,

a second housing,

a slide mounted interiorly of said housing for movement between a first position and a second position,

a third contact mechanically coupled to said slide for movement between said first position and said second position, said third contact being located to make physical and electrical contact with said second contact when said slide is in said second position and to be physically separated from said second contact and electrically isolated from said second contact when said slide is in said first position,

a second magnetic member mechanically coupled to said slide for moving said slide between said first position and said second position, and

a retaining member mounted to said housing in a location operable to exert a magnetic retaining force on said second magnetic member, said retaining force retaining said slide and said third contact in said first position when said first mechanism and said second mechanism are not mated to one another to maintain physical separation and electrical isolation between said second contact and said third contact when said first mechanism and said second mechanism are not mated to one another,

said retaining force being sufficiently low as to be overcome by said force generated by said magnetic member of said first mechanism when said first mechanism and said second mechanism are mated together to permit said force imparted by said magnetic member of said first mechanism to overcome said retaining force and cause said magnetic member to move said slide into said second position to bring said third contact into physical and electrical contact with said second contact, whereby, said second contact is maintained electrically isolated from said third contact unless and until said first mechanism and said second mechanism are mated to one another to establish electrical continuity between said third contact and said first contact by way of said second contact.

13. The electromechanical connector of claim 12 wherein said second magnetic member comprises a magnet and said retaining member is a member comprised of magnetic material.

14. The electromechanical connector of claim 12 wherein said second magnetic member is a member comprised of magnetic material and said retaining member comprises a magnet.

15. The electromechanical connector of claim 12 wherein said retaining member is mounted in a location such that said slide lies interposed between said retaining member and said first mechanism when said first mechanism and said second mechanism are mated to one another.

16. The electromechanical connector of claim 1 wherein said first mechanism further comprises a stop member mounted in fixed relation to said housing, said first contact having a surface which engages said stop member to limit said excursion of said first contact.

17. The electromechanical connector of claim 16 wherein said excursion of said first contact is limited by said stop member to a distance of between 0.1 millimeters and 0.5 millimeters.

18. An electromechanical connector, comprising:

a first mechanism including a plurality of first electrical contacts, each one of said first contacts being electrically isolated from each other one of said first contacts, and

a second mechanism including a plurality of second electrical contacts, each one of said second contacts being electrically isolated from each other one of said second contacts, said first mechanism and said second mechanism being detachably mateable to one another,

said first mechanism further including at least one magnetic member and a housing, said housing including an elastic wall, said elastic wall being elastically yieldable in response to a force generated by said magnetic member under magnetic influence of said second mechanism when said first mechanism and said second mechanism are mated to one another, said magnetic member and each said first contacts all being located at least partially within said housing, each of said first contacts being mechanically coupled to said magnetic member for movement with said magnetic member, at least one of, said magnetic member and at least one of said first electrical contacts being mechanically coupled to said elastic wall, said elastic wall being elastically yieldable in response to said force generated by each said magnetic member as to permit each of said first electrical contacts to undergo an excursion toward said second contact and to make physical and electrical contact with a corresponding one of said second electrical contacts when said first mechanism and said second mechanism are mated to one another,

whereby, upon mating of said first mechanism with said second mechanism, said excursion of said first electrical contacts due to yielding of said elastic wall in response to said force generated by each said magnetic member provides a reliable electrical connection between each one of said first electrical contacts and each said corresponding one of said second electrical contacts.

19. The electromechanical connector of claim 18 wherein at least one of said first electrical contacts is mechanically coupled to said magnetic member by way of a rib which is not electrically conductive.

20. The electromechanical connector of claim 18 wherein said magnetic member comprises a magnet.

21. The electromechanical connector of claim 18 wherein said magnetic member comprises a member of magnetic material which is not a magnet.

22. The electromechanical connector of claim 18 wherein said magnetic member comprises a magnet.

23. The electromechanical connector of claim 18 wherein said magnetic member and said first electrical contacts are embedded in said elastic wall.

24. An electromechanical connector, comprising:

a first mechanism including at least one first electrical contact, and

a second mechanism including at least one second electrical contact, said first mechanism and said second mechanism being detachably mateable to one another,

said first mechanism further including a housing having an elastic wall, said elastic wall being elastically yieldable in response to a force generated by said first contact under magnetic influence of said second mechanism when said first mechanism and said second mechanism are mated to one another, said first contact being located at least partially within said housing and being mechanically coupled to said elastic wall, said elastic wall being elastically yieldable in response to said force generated by said first contact as to permit said first contact to undergo an excursion toward said second contact and to make physical and electrical contact with said second contact when said first mechanism and said second mechanism are mated to one another,

whereby, upon mating of said first mechanism with said second mechanism, said excursion of said first contact due to yielding of said elastic wall in response to said force provides a reliable electrical connection between said first contact and said second contact.

25. The electromechanical connector of claim 24 wherein said first contact comprises a magnet.

26. The electromechanical connector of claim 24 wherein said magnetic member comprises a member of magnetic material which is not a magnet.

27. The electromechanical connector of claim 24 wherein said first contact includes a face which lies substantially flush with a surface of said elastic wall.

28. The electromechanical connector of claim 24 wherein said first contact is partially embedded within said elastic wall in fluid-tight engagement with said elastic wall.

29. The electromechanical connector of claim 24 wherein said elastic wall comprises a plastic diaphragm.

30. The electromechanical connector of claim 24 wherein said first contact includes a face which engages said second contact when said first mechanism and said second mechanism are mated to one another, and said elastic wall includes a circumferential convexity which surrounds said face and projects outwardly from the remainder of said elastic wall to extend beyond said face, said convexity engaging said second mechanism when said first mechanism and said second mechanism are mated to one another,

whereby said convexity forms a peripheral seal surrounding said face of said first contact.

31. The electromechanical connector of claim 24 wherein said first mechanism further comprises an amplifying magnet mounted in fixed relation to said housing and positioned as to increase said force.

32. The electromechanical connector of claim 24 wherein said first mechanism further comprises a connecting contact for forwarding RF signals and said second mechanism further comprises a mutually opposed RF contact.

33. The electromechanical connector of claim 24 wherein said first mechanism further comprises a stop member mounted in fixed relation to said housing, said first contact having a surface which engages said stop member to limit said excursion of said first contact.

34. The electromechanical connector of claim 33 wherein said excursion of said first contact is limited by said stop member to a distance of between 0.1 millimeters and 0.5 millimeters.

35. The electromechanical connection of claim 24 wherein said second mechanism further comprises,

a second housing,

a slide mounted interiorly of said housing for movement between a first position and a second position,

a third contact mechanically coupled to said slide for movement between said first position and said second position, said third contact being located to make physical and electrical contact with said second contact when said slide is in said second position and to be physically separated from said second contact and electrically isolated from said second contact when said slide is in said first position,

a magnetic member mechanically coupled to said slide for moving said slide between said first position and said second position, and

a retaining member mounted to said housing in a location operable to exert a magnetic retaining force on said magnetic member, said retaining force retaining said slide and said third contact in said first position when said first mechanism and said second mechanism are not mated to one another to maintain physical separation and electrical isolation between said second contact and said third contact when said first mechanism and said second mechanism are not mated to one another,

said retaining force being sufficiently low as to be overcome by said force generated by said first contact when said first mechanism and said second mechanism are mated together to permit said force generated by said first contact to overcome said retaining force and cause said first contact to move said slide into said second position to bring said third contact into physical and electrical contact with said second contact,

whereby, said second contact is maintained electrically isolated from said third contact unless and until said first mechanism and said second mechanism are mated to one another to establish electrical continuity between said third contact and said first contact by way of said second contact.

36. The electromechanical connector of claim 35 wherein said magnetic member comprises a magnet and said retaining member is a member comprised of magnetic material.

37. The electromechanical connector of claim 35 wherein said magnetic member is a member comprised of magnetic material and said retaining member comprises a magnet.

38. The electromechanical connector of claim 35 wherein said retaining member is mounted in a location such that said slide lies interposed between said retaining member and said first mechanism when said first mechanism and said second mechanism are mated to one another.