Electronic connector having flexible region

• US 9,293,851 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Orand, Austin, Cash, Brian L., Weast, Aaron B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Riyami, Abdullah
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, HARSHAD C
• Application Number:
  US13/841,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20140273607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 439/345, 439/219, 439/447, 439/474, 439/475
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/04 Mounting of electronic components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/05 Resilient pins or blades carrying separate resilient parts H01R13/15
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/405 Securing in non-demountable manner, e.g. moulding, riveting
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5025 one or more pieces being of resilient material
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/562 Bending-relieving
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/60 Contacts spaced along planar side wall transverse to longitudinal axis of engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 35/02 Flexible line connectors without frictional contact members
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors of trolley lines B60M1/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/24 Assembling by moulding on contact members
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

An electronic connector includes a housing and a plug extending from the housing. The plug includes at least one flexible region that provides flexing of the plug. In some example embodiments, the plug also includes at least one rigid region. The plug has at least one interconnect. Each interconnect includes a lead and a contact. The contacts are exposed on an exterior surface of the plug, such exposure being provided so as to enable electrical coupling between the plug and an electronic receptacle into which the plug may be removably inserted.

Claims

1. An electronic connector, the electronic connector being configured for removable insertion into an electronic receptacle, comprising:

a housing; and

a plug extending from the housing,

the plug including;

(a) a flexible region formed of a flexible material and (b) a rigid region, wherein the flexible region comprises a flexible beam and the rigid region comprises a contact carrier, wherein the flexible beam extends between the housing and the contact carrier, wherein the contact carrier comprises a plurality of platforms separated by a plurality of recesses that are recessed with respect to the platforms, wherein the flexible material at least partially fills the recesses, and wherein the flexible region is configured to provide flexing of the plug up to an angle of at least +/−

10 degrees from a natural state.

2. The electronic connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible region is configured to provide flexing of the plug up to an angle of at least +/−

30 degrees from the natural state.

3. The electronic connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible region is configured to provide flexing of the plug up to an angle of at least +/−

60 degrees from the natural state.

4. The electronic connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible region is configured to provide flexing of the plug up to an angle of at least +/−

90 degrees from the natural state.

5. The electronic connector as claimed in claim 1, further comprising one or more leads, at least one of said leads being at least partially embedded within the flexible beam.

6. The electronic connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plug is further configured for insertion into a non-electronic receptacle having a curved insertion path.

7. The electronic connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible region is formed of one or more materials having a hardness of between 60-100 Shore A.

8. The electronic connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rigid region is formed of one or more materials having a hardness of at least 70 Shore D.

9. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a printed circuit board at least partially within the housing;

a plurality of leads in communication with the printed circuit board and extending from the housing; and

a connector comprising;

a plug connected to the housing and extending from the housing and having a plurality of exposed contacts connected to the leads, wherein the plug is configured for insertion into a receptacle to place the contacts in communication with the receptacle and enable electronic communication between the plug and the receptacle;

wherein the plug comprises a flexible region and a rigid region, wherein the flexible region comprises a flexible beam and the rigid region comprises a contact carrier, wherein the flexible beam extends between the housing and the contact carrier, wherein the contact carrier comprises a plurality of platforms separated by a plurality of recesses that are recessed with respect to the platforms, wherein the plurality of exposed contacts are supported by the plurality of platforms, wherein the flexible material at least partially fills the recesses, and wherein the flexible region is configured to provide flexing of the plug up to an angle of at least +/−

10 degrees from a natural state.

10. The electronic device claimed in claim 9, wherein the electronic device is a flash memory drive.

11. The electronic device claimed in claim 9, wherein the electronic device is a USB plug.

12. The electronic device claimed in claim 9, wherein the electronic device is an athletic performance monitoring device.

13. The electronic device claimed in claim 9, wherein the electronic device is a watch having a controller and a user interface and a plurality of user inputs operably associated with the controller.

14. The An-electronic device claimed in claim 9, wherein the flexible region is configured to provide flexing of the plug up to an angle of at least +/−

30 degrees from the natural state.

15. The electronic device claimed in claim 9, wherein the flexible region is configured to provide flexing of the plug up to an angle of at least +/−

60 degrees from the natural state.

16. The electronic device claimed in claim 9, wherein the flexible region is configured to provide flexing of the plug up to an angle of at least +/−

90 degrees from the natural state.

17. The electronic device claimed in claim 9, wherein the contact carrier is connected to the flexible region and extends from the flexible region, and wherein the contacts are at least partially mounted on the contact carrier.

18. The electronic device claimed in claim 17, wherein the flexible beam is connected to the housing and the contact carrier.

19. The electronic device claimed in claim 18, wherein the leads are at least partially embedded within the flexible beam.

20. The electronic device claimed in claim 9, wherein the electronic device further includes a non-electronic receptacle, wherein the plug is configured to be removably received within the non-electronic receptacle.

21. The electronic device claimed in claim 9, wherein the flexible region is formed of one or more materials having a hardness of between 60-100 Shore A.

22. A method for manufacturing an electronic connector comprising:

assembling a housing, a plurality of conductive members, and a contact carrier, such that the conductive members extend from the housing and are engaged with the contact carrier;

molding a flexible polymer material around the conductive members and the contact carrier to connect the contact carrier to the housing and to form a plug extending from the housing, the plug comprising a flexible region including the flexible polymer material and a rigid region including the contact carrier, wherein the flexible region comprises a flexible beam, wherein the flexible beam extends between the housing and the contact carrier, wherein the contact carrier comprises a plurality of platforms separated by a plurality of recesses that are recessed with respect to the platforms, wherein the flexible polymer material at least partially fills the recesses, wherein the flexible region is configured to provide flexing of the plug up to an angle of at least +/−

10 degrees from a natural state;

wherein the conductive members have;

(a) exposed portions forming contacts on an outer surface of the plug that are supported by the plurality of platforms of the contact carrier and (b) embedded portions forming leads extending from the contacts to the housing through the flexible polymer material, and wherein the plug is configured for insertion into a receptacle to place the contacts in communication with the receptacle and enable electronic coupling between the plug and the receptacle.

23. The method for manufacturing an electronic connector as claimed in claim 22, wherein the flexible polymer material connects the housing and the contact carrier.