Low profile male connector

• US 8,414,337 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2011
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Dolci, Dominic E., Spielmann, Victoria A., Mariano, Ricardo A., Kwan, Alexander M., Smeenge, James G., De Iuliis, Daniele G., Villareal, Cesar Lozano
• Primary Examiner(s): Duverne, Jean F
• Application Number:
  US13/112,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20120295487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 439/660, 439/76.1, 439/55, 361/737, 361/748
• US Class Current: 439/660
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/592 connections to contact elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/65 characterised by the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/46 Bases; Cases
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/516 Means for holding or embracing insulating body, e.g. casing , hoods
• 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

Various embodiments of low profile male connectors are described. In one embodiment, a connector includes a plug housing having a depth and an interior cavity designed to accommodate pins that extend within the interior cavity in a direction of the depth. The plug housing may be designed to be fully insertable into a receptacle connector of an electronic device, and to have a rear surface that conforms with a shape of an exterior surface of the electronic device. The pins arranged in the plug housing may include various features, such as connecting portions protruding from the plug housing at an angle of approximately 90 degrees for coupling to a cable, bases including cutouts for extending a length of an elongated shaft of the pin, barbs for engaging the plug housing, and limit stops for distributing a force applied to the elongated shaft upon engagement with a receiving pin.

Claims

1. A cable assembly for connecting to a corresponding receptacle connector, the cable assembly comprising:

a plug housing having a depth and an interior cavity designed to accommodate a plurality of pins that extend within the interior cavity in a direction of the depth of the plug housing;

a cable coupled to the plug housing, the cable having a plurality of conductive traces that correspond to and are electrically coupled to the plurality of pins; and

a connector base, mechanically coupled to the plug housing by the cable, the connector base having a plurality of connection pads electrically coupled to respective ones of the plurality of conductive traces,

wherein the plurality of pins each include;

a base for supporting the pin within the plug housing;

an elongated shaft extending from the base; and

an engaging portion located on an end of the elongated shaft opposite the base for engaging a receiving pin, the elongated shaft including a limit stop protruding from a top surface of the elongated shaft for distributing a force applied to the elongated shaft upon engagement of the engaging portion with the receiving pin.

2. The cable assembly of claim 1 wherein the plug housing includes a rear surface that is at least one of curved and angled with respect to a front surface of the plug housing, the rear surface extending between a top surface of the plug housing and a bottom surface of the plug housing.

3. The cable assembly of claim 2 wherein the rear surface of the plug housing is angled such that the depth of the plug housing at the top surface is greater than a depth of the plug housing at the bottom surface.

4. The cable assembly of claim 2 wherein the rear surface of the plug housing is curved such that the rear surface protrudes in a direction opposite the front surface of the plug housing.

5. The cable assembly of claim 2 wherein the rear surface is curved and angled to match a contour of an outer surface of an electronic device in which the corresponding receptacle connector is housed so that, when the plug housing is fully inserted into and mated with the corresponding receptacle connector, the rear surface of the plug housing is flush with the outer surface of the electronic device.

6. The cable assembly of claim 2 wherein the plurality of pins each include a connecting portion extending substantially perpendicular to the rear surface of the plug housing.

8. The cable assembly of claim 1 wherein the plug housing includes a front surface, a rear surface, and a bottom surface, the front surface and the rear surface having a matching angle with respect to the bottom surface.

9. The cable assembly of claim 1 wherein the base includes a cutout for extending a length of the elongated shaft.

10. The cable assembly of claim 1 further comprising a pull tab mechanically coupled to the plug housing so that, when the plug housing is fully inserted into and mated with the corresponding receptacle connector, the pull tab can be utilized to disconnect the cable assembly from the receptacle connector.

7. A cable assembly for connecting to a corresponding receptacle connector, the cable assembly comprising:

a plug housing having a depth and an interior cavity designed to accommodate a plurality of pins that extend within the interior cavity in a direction of the depth of the plug housing, the plug housing including a rear surface that is at least one of curved and angled with respect to a front surface of the plug housing, the rear surface extending between a top surface of the plug housing and a bottom surface of the plug housing;

a cable coupled to the plug housing, the cable having a plurality of conductive traces that correspond to and are electrically coupled to the plurality of pins; and

a connector base, mechanically coupled to the plug housing by the cable, the connector base having a plurality of connection pads electrically coupled to respective ones of the plurality of conductive traces;

wherein the plurality of pins each include a connecting portion extending substantially perpendicular to the rear surface of the plug housing, and the connecting portions of adjacent pairs of the plurality of pins are staggered with respect to one another such that a connecting portion of one pin of an adjacent pair is located closer to the bottom surface of the plug housing than the top surface and a connecting portion of the other pin of the adjacent pair is located closer to the top surface of the plug housing than the bottom surface.

11. A cable assembly for connecting to a corresponding receptacle connector, the cable assembly comprising:

a plug housing having a depth and an interior cavity designed to accommodate a plurality of pins that extend within the interior cavity in a direction of the depth of the plug housing;

a cable coupled to the plug housing, the cable having a plurality of conductive traces that correspond to and are electrically coupled to the plurality of pins; and

a connector base, mechanically coupled to the plug housing by the cable, the connector base having a plurality of connection pads electrically coupled to respective ones of the plurality of conductive traces;

wherein the connector base includes an upper portion for receiving the cable and a lower portion for receiving at least one wire, the upper portion having a diameter greater than a diameter of the lower portion so that, when the connector base is fully inserted in and mated with a dock, a top surface of the connector base is flush with a surface of the dock for receiving an electronic device.

12. A pin for establishing an electrical connection with a receiving pin, the pin comprising:

a base for supporting the pin within a plug housing;

an elongated shaft extending from the base; and

an engaging portion located on an end of the elongated shaft opposite the base for engaging the receiving pin,

wherein the elongated shaft includes a limit stop protruding from a top surface of the elongated shaft for distributing a force applied to the elongated shaft upon engagement of the engaging portion with the receiving pin, and

wherein the base includes a connecting portion arranged to pass through a receiving hole of a flex cable.

13. The pin of claim 12 wherein the connecting portion protrudes from the plug housing at an angle of approximately 90 degrees.

14. The pin of claim 12 wherein the base includes a cutout for extending a length of the elongated shaft.

15. The pin of claim 12 wherein the base includes a barb for engaging the plug housing.

16. The pin of claim 15 wherein the barb includes:

a leading edge at a slanted angle relative to a top surface of the base for enabling the pin to be inserted into the plug housing; and

a stopping edge substantially perpendicular to the top surface of the base for resisting removal of the pin from the plug housing.

17. The pin of claim 12 wherein the engaging portion includes a leading edge at a slanted angle relative to a top surface of the elongated shaft for enabling the pin to engage the receiving pin.

18. An electrical connector comprising:

a substantially rectangular plug housing having a top plate, a bottom plate, a rear surface that extends between and is angled inwardly from the top plate to the bottom plate, and an interior cavity formed between the top and bottom plates, wherein the interior cavity is designed to accommodate a plurality of pins positioned in pin locations spaced apart in a single row along a width of the plug housing and the plurality of pins includes at least first and second differential data pins, a ground pin and a power pin each of which extend within the interior cavity in a direction of the depth of the plug housing;

a first elongated slot formed on the bottom plate between a first side of the plug housing and the interior cavity and a second elongated slot formed on the bottom plate between a second side of the plug housing, opposite the first side, and the interior cavity, the first and second elongated slots extending from a front edge of the plug housing in a direction of the depth of the plug housing;

a first recessed surface formed at an outer edge of the top plate on the first side of the plug housing and a second recessed surface formed at an outer edge of the top plate on the second side of the plug housing, the first and second recessed surfaces extending from a front edge of the plug housing in a direction of the depth of the plug housing;

a flex cable coupled to the plug housing, the flex cable having a plurality of conductive traces formed thereon that correspond to and are electrically coupled to the plurality of pins;

a connector base, mechanically coupled to the plug housing by only the flex cable, the connector base having a plurality of connection pads electrically coupled to respective ones of the plurality of conductive traces;

a plurality of insulated wires extending out of the connector base, each insulated wire being coupled to one of the plurality of connection pads within the base; and

a flexible pull tab including a first portion bonded to the top plate of the plug housing and a second portion extending from the first portion, the flexible pull tab being operable to disconnect the electrical connector from an electronic device and curve around the rear surface of the plug housing and the bottom plate.

19. The electrical connector of claim 18 wherein the rear surface of the plug housing is angled such that the depth of the plug housing at the top plate is greater than a depth of the plug housing at the bottom plate.

20. The electrical connector of claim 18 wherein the rear surface of the plug housing is curved such that the rear surface protrudes in a direction opposite a front surface of the plug housing.

21. The electrical connector of claim 18 wherein the plurality of pins each include:

a base for supporting the pin within a plug housing;

an elongated shaft extending from the base; and

an engaging portion located on an end of the elongated shaft opposite the base for engaging the receiving pin.