Magnetic repulsion-based coupling in an electrical connector

• US 8,936,472 B1
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Christmas Northeast Inc.
• Original Assignee: Christmas Northeast Inc.
• Inventors: Gibboney, James W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Felix O
• Application Number:
  US13/792,284
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 439/38, 439/39, 439/879, 439677-679
• 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 13/64 Means for preventing incorrect coupling

Abstract

A magnetic repulsion-based coupler for an electrical connector includes a housing with two passages formed therein, a male terminal having a magnetic top on one of the passages, and a female terminal having a top made of a material attracted to a magnet in the other passage of the housing. Two such housings form an electrical connector for passing electric power from one conductor to another while preserving polarity when the couplers self-align. Self-alignment occurs when their opposing male terminals repel each other and are each attracted to the female terminals of the opposing couplers. Each passage in the housing of a coupler is formed to receive only the male or female terminal.

Claims

1. A connector for conducting electricity, said connector comprising,

(a) two universal couplers, a first universal coupler and a spaced-apart second universal coupler, each universal coupler of said two universal couplers including

(i) a housing having a first passage and a spaced-apart second passage formed therein, and

(ii) one male terminal and one female terminal, said first passage being formed to receive said one male terminal but not said one female terminal, said second passage being formed to receive said one female terminal but not said one male terminal, wherein said one male terminal has a male top made of a magnetic material, said one male terminal having an outer surface oriented so that only one pole of said magnetic material is permanently facing away from said housing when said one male terminal is in said first passage, and said one female terminal has a female top made of a material attracted to a magnet, said female top of said one female terminal having an outer surface facing away from said housing when said one female terminal is in said second passage, and wherein said one male terminal has a first tube electrically connected to said male top of said one male terminal, and said one female terminal has a second tube electrically connected to said female top of said one female terminal, wherein said first universal coupler of said two universal couplers is identical to and interchangeable with said second universal coupler of said two universal couplers;

and

(b) two conductors running between said two couplers, a first conductor of said two conductors running from said one male terminal of said first universal coupler to said one male terminal of said second universal coupler, and a second conductor of said two conductors running from said one female terminal of said first universal coupler to said one female terminal of said second universal coupler;

wherein said top surfaces have a pitch at an angle with respect to the plane of the interface between said universal coupler and any second universal coupler engaged therewith, and wherein said angled top surfaces each include a brake formed by said pitch not being angled all the way to the edges of said top surfaces, said brakes causing the angled top surfaces of said male terminals to be fully engaged with the angled top surfaces of said female terminals, and said fully engaged angled surfaces providing an interference with the bodies of said couplers that locks the engaged first and second terminals, respectively, in place against lateral movement.

2. An electrical connector, comprising,

(a) two universal couplers, a first universal coupler and a spaced-apart second universal coupler, each universal coupler of said two universal couplers including

(i) a housing having a first passage and a spaced-apart second passage formed therein, and

(ii) one male terminal and one female terminal, said first passage being formed to receive said one male terminal but not said one female terminal, said second passage being formed to receive said one female terminal but not said one male terminal, wherein said one male terminal has a male top made of a magnetic material, said one male terminal having an outer surface oriented so that only one pole of said magnetic material is permanently facing away from said housing when said one male terminal is in said first passage, and said one female terminal has a female top made of a material attracted to a magnet, said female top of said one female terminal having an outer surface facing away from said housing when said one female terminal is in said second passage, and wherein said one male terminal has a first tube electrically connected to said male top of said one male terminal, and said one female terminal has a second tube electrically connected to said female top of said one female terminal, wherein said first universal coupler of said two universal couplers is identical to and interchangeable with said second universal coupler of said two universal couplers;

and

(b) a conductive female fitting for connecting to a terminal end of a first conductor, and a conductive male fitting for connection to a terminal end of a second conductor, wherein said female fitting is adapted to receive therein said male tube of said one male terminal, and said male fitting is adapted to be received within said female tube of said one female terminal, said female fitting having a shape preventing reception of said female tube, and said male fitting having a shape preventing its reception within said male tube to assure that the polarity of the first and second conductors will be maintained by said terminals.

3. The electrical connector as recited in claim 2 further comprising two conductors running between said two couplers, a male conductor of said two conductors running from said one male terminal of said first universal coupler to said one male terminal of said second universal coupler, and a female conductor of said two conductors running from said one female terminal of said first universal coupler to said one female terminal of said second universal coupler;

wherein said two conductors each has a first end and an opposing second end, said first and second ends of said male conductor having said male fittings on the first and second ends thereof, and said first and second ends of said female conductor having said female fittings on the first and second ends thereof, wherein said male fittings are received into said first passages of said first and second couplers, and said female fittings are received into said second passages of said first and said second couplers.

4. The electrical connector as recited in claim 3 wherein said one female terminals and said first fittings are formed so as not to be removable from said housings once inserted therein.

5. The electrical connector as recited in claim 2, wherein each one female terminal of said one female terminals has a female top made of nickel-plated aluminum or steel.

6. The electrical connector as recited in claim 2, wherein said male tops of said one male terminals and said female tops of said one female terminals are made in mutually exclusive shapes.

7. The electrical connector as recited in claim 2, wherein said male tops of said one male terminals are round and said female tops of said one female terminals are square.

8. The electrical connector as recited in claim 2, wherein said female fitting is interchangeable with said female tube, and said male fitting is interchangeable with said male tube.

9. The electrical connector as recited in claim 2 further comprising two conductors running between said two couplers, a first conductor of said two conductors running from said one male terminal of said first universal coupler to said one male terminal of said second universal coupler, and a second conductor of said two conductors running from said one female terminal of said first universal coupler to said one female terminal of said second universal coupler.

10. A universal coupler for conducting electricity, said universal coupler comprising:

(a) a housing having two spaced-apart passages;

(b) one male terminal received in a first passage of said two spaced-apart passages, said one male terminal having a male top made of a magnetic material and a male tube in electrical connection with said male top, said male top of said one male terminal having a top surface oriented so that only one pole of said magnetic material is facing away from said housing when said one male terminal is in the first passage of said two spaced-apart passages, said male top and said tube of said male terminal being electrically conducting; and

(c) one female terminal received in a second passage of said two spaced apart passages, said one female terminal having a female top made of a material attracted to said magnetic material and a female tube in electrical connection with said female top, said female top of said female terminal having a top surface facing away from said housing when said female terminal is in the second passage of said two spaced-apart passages, said top and said tube of said female terminal being electrically conducting, wherein, when a second universal coupler identical to said universal coupler is moved proximate to said universal coupler, said second universal coupler self-aligns with said universal coupler, said one male terminal of said universal coupler and one male terminal of said second universal coupler repelling each other as said one male terminal of said universal coupler attracts one female terminal of said second universal coupler and said one female terminal of said universal coupler attracts said one male terminal of said second universal to engage together at an interface to form an electrically conducting connector that conducts electricity from said universal coupler to said second universal coupler across said interface, and

(d) a conductive female fitting for connecting to a terminal end of a first conductor, and a conductive male fitting for connecting to a terminal end of a second conductor, wherein said female fitting is adapted to receive therein said male tube of said one male terminal, and said male fitting is adapted to be received within said female tube of said one female terminal, said female fitting having a shape preventing reception of said female tube, and said male fitting having a shape preventing reception within said male tube to assure that the polarity of the first and second conductors will be maintained by said terminals.

11. The universal coupler as recited in claim 10, wherein said male top of said one male terminal and said female top of said one female terminal have different shapes.

12. The universal coupler as recited in claim 11, wherein said different shapes are mutually exclusive shapes.

13. The universal coupler as recited in claim 10, wherein said male and female tops of said one male and said one female terminals, respectively, are nickel-coated.

14. The universal coupler as recited in claim 10, wherein said male top of said one male terminal is made of a rare earth magnet.

15. The universal coupler as recited in claim 14, wherein said male top of said one male terminal is hollow.

16. The universal coupler as recited in claim 14, wherein said female top of said one female terminal is made of steel or aluminum.

17. The universal coupler as recited in claim 10, wherein said female fitting is interchangeable with said female tube, and said male fitting is interchangeable with said male tube.

18. The universal coupler as recited in claim 10, further comprising

(a) a housing having two spaced-apart passages;

(b) one male terminal received in a first passage of said two spaced-apart passages, said one male terminal having a male top made of a magnetic material and a male tube in electrical connection with said male top, said male top of said one male terminal having a top surface oriented so that only one pole of said magnetic material is facing away from said housing when said one male terminal is in the first passage of said two spaced-apart passages, said male top and said tube of said male terminal being electrically conducting; and

(c) one female terminal received in a second passage of said two spaced apart passages, said one female terminal having a female top made of a material attracted to said magnetic material and a female tube in electrical connection with said female top, said female top of said female terminal having a top surface facing away from said housing when said female terminal is in the second passage of said two spaced-apart passages, said female top and said tube of said female terminal being electrically conducting;

wherein, when a second universal coupler identical to said universal coupler is moved proximate to said universal coupler, said second universal coupler self-aligns with said universal coupler, said one male terminal of said universal coupler and one male terminal of said second universal coupler repelling each other as said one male terminal of said universal coupler attracts one female terminal of said second universal coupler and said one female terminal of said universal coupler attracts said one male terminal of said second universal to engage together at an interface to form an electrically conducting connector that conducts electricity from said universal coupler to said second universal coupler across said interface; and

,

wherein said top surfaces have a pitch at an angle with respect to the plane of the interface between said universal coupler and any second universal coupler engaged therewith, and wherein said angled top surfaces each include a brake formed by said pitch not being angled all the way to the edges of said top surfaces, said brakes causing the angled top surfaces of said male terminals to be fully engaged with the angled top surfaces of said female terminals, and said fully engaged angled surfaces providing an interference with the bodies of said couplers that locks the engaged first and second terminals, respectively, in place against lateral movement.