Speaker interconnect

• US 8,858,271 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2012
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Yeung, Alex, Peterson, Carl, Quintero, Julio, Gibbs, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilman, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US13/654,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20140113478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 439/801, 439/810, 439/796, 439/797, 439/910, 439/271, 439/507, 439/359, 174/541, 174/521
• US Class Current: 439/792
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/65 characterised by the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/34 Conductive members located under head of screw
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/70 Insulation of connections end caps H01R4/22
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

An interconnect for an internal device, such as a speaker, coupling power from a flexible connector to the speaker at two or more terminals. The interconnect includes a flexible element, such as a “minus” terminal, and a second element, such as a “plus” terminal, which are coupled to corresponding terminals on the flexible connector. A screw can be threaded through a hole in the flexible element, the corresponding terminals, and can be terminated at the second element. The screw presses the “minus” terminal and the “plus” terminal into their corresponding terminals, making an electrical connection and a physical connection.

Claims

1. Apparatus including

a device subassembly including a first connector and a second connector, said first connector and said second connector being coupleable to a first device, the first connector defining a first hole and the second connector defining a receiving aperture;

a contact subassembly including a first contact and a second contact formed on opposing sides of a contact subassembly structure, said first contact and said second contact being coupleable to a second device, and a second hole extending through the first contact, second contact and the contact subassembly structure;

said first connector and said second connector defining a space therebetween, said space allowing insertion of said first contact and said second contact and said contact subassembly structure, wherein insertion thereof aligns said first hole and said second hole; and

a fastener extending through said first hole and said second hole, whereby said fastener affixes said first connector with respect to said first contact and affixes said second connector with respect to said second contact;

wherein said first connector and said first contact are electrically coupled, and said second connector and said second contact are electrically coupled.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1, including

an electrical isolator disposed between said fastener and one or more of:

said first contact pad, said second contact pad.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

said first device includes at least one of:

a speaker having a first electrical power connector coupleable to said first connector and having a second electrical power connector coupleable to said second connector;

a haptic feedback element.

4. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

said fastener includes at least a portion thereof consisting of an electrically nonconductive material.

5. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

said fastener includes at least a portion thereof electrically isolated from one or more of:

said first contact pad, said second contact pad.

6. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

said contact subassembly structure is formed from a flex element.

7. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

said contact subassembly structure includes a physically flexible member.

8. Apparatus as in claim 6, wherein

said flex element includes a T-shape having a first contact subassembly at a first arm of said T-shape and a second contact subassembly at a second arm of said T-shape.

9. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

an end of said fastener is received in said receiving aperture.

10. Apparatus as in claim 9, wherein

contact between said fastener affixes said position of said first connector with respect to said second connector in combination with said stop element.

11. Apparatus as in claim 9, wherein

said receiving aperture is coupled to one or more of:

said first connector, said second connector.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fastener comprises:

a body; and

al electrical insulator on less than all of the body.

12. A method, including steps of

disposing a first connector at an angle with respect to a second connector, said first connector and said second connector being coupleable to a first device, said first connector defining a first hole and, disposed with respect to said second connector to define a space therebetween;

inserting a contact subassembly, including a first contact and a second contact formed on opposing sides of the contact subassembly, into said space, said first contact and said second contact being coupleable to a second device, said contact subassembly defining a second hole;

aligning said first hole and said second hole; and

inserting a fastener through said first and second holes to affix a position of said first connector with respect to a position of said first contact and affix a position of said second connector with respect to a position of said second contact;

tightening said fastener, thereby electrically coupling said first connector and said first contact, and whereby said steps of tightening electrically coupling said second connector and said second contact.

13. A method as in claim 12, including steps of

disposing an electrical isolator between said fastener and one or more of:

said first contact pad, said second contact pad.

14. A method as in claim 12, including steps of

electrically coupling said first contact pad to a remote location.

16. An interconnection mechanism, comprising:

a tab;

a base receptacle physically connected to the tab;

a flex element having a first side opposing a second side;

a first coupling pad formed on the first side of the flex element;

a second coupling pad formed on the second side of the flex element;

a connector extending through the base receptacle, the first coupling pad, and the second coupling pad and received in the base receptacle;

wherein

the connector is electrically isolated at least from the tab by an isolator.

17. The interconnection mechanism of claim 16, wherein the isolator forms a collar about a segment of the connector.

18. The interconnection mechanism of claim 16, wherein the connector electrically contacts the base receptacle.

19. The interconnection mechanism of claim 18, wherein the connector is electrically isolated from each of the tab, base receptacle, first coupling pad and second coupling pad.

20. The interconnection mechanism of claim 16, wherein the isolator is a coating on the connector.