Communication connector system and method

• US 9,407,034 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2014
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sizelove, Steven Lee, Rhoads, Cedric, Kirby, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Riyami, Abdullah
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, HARSHAD C
• Application Number:
  US14/330,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20140322930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 439/39, 439/38, 439/40
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0624 Arrangements of electrical connectors, e.g. for earphone, internet or electric supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/20 for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49208 by assembling plural parts

Abstract

A communication connector system for connecting with a peripheral communication connector having a peripheral housing with at least one of a peripheral contact, a peripheral magnet and a peripheral detent and methods for manufacturing and using same. The communication connector system includes a housing assembly with a mating surface. A system contact is disposed on the mating surface and can cooperate with the peripheral contact; whereas, a system magnet is provided in the housing assembly and can cooperate with the peripheral magnet. A magnetically coupling between the system magnet and the peripheral magnet can retain the housing assembly in connection with the peripheral housing during use. The housing assembly likewise can include a housing assembly detent for cooperating with the peripheral detent. An electrical connection between the communication connector and the peripheral communication connector thereby can advantageously be formed via the system contact or the housing assembly detent.

Claims

1. A system communication connector for connecting with a peripheral communication connector having a peripheral connector housing with at least one of a plurality of peripheral connector contacts, a peripheral connector magnet and a peripheral connector detent, comprising:

a housing assembly having a mating system surface;

a plurality of system contacts disposed flatly on said mating system surface for cooperating with the peripheral connector contacts and having a uniform spacing between adjacent system contacts, said system contacts including a first system contact with a first width and a first length that are different from at least one of a second width and a second length of a second system contact;

a system magnet provided in said housing assembly for magnetically coupling with the peripheral connector magnet to physically retain said housing assembly in connection with the peripheral connector housing in use; and

a housing assembly detent provided in said housing assembly for cooperating with the peripheral connector detent,

wherein an electrical connection with the peripheral communication connector is formed via one of said system contacts and said housing assembly detent; and

wherein said system contacts include at least one central circular-shaped contact disposed within a plurality of semicircular-shaped contacts, at least one central straight contact disposed within a plurality of straight contacts, at least one central circular-shaped contact disposed within a plurality of pie-shaped contacts, or a plurality of polygon-shaped contacts disposed about a central point.

2. The system communication connector of claim 1, wherein said mating system surface comprises a recessed region of said housing assembly.

3. The system communication connector of claim 1, wherein said system contacts provide a flat surface-to-surface coupling with the peripheral connector contacts.

4. The system communication connector of claim 1, wherein said system contacts are not concave on said mating system surface.

5. The system communication connector of claim 1, wherein said system contacts are disposed adjacent to each other and in the same plane.

6. The system communication connector of claim 1, wherein at least one of said system contacts is a power contact operable to make a power supply available to the peripheral communication connector.

7. The system communication connector of claim 6, wherein said power contact is operable to make power available to the peripheral communication connector in response to the system communication connector being connected with the peripheral communication connector.

8. The system communication connector of claim 1, wherein at least one of said system contacts is a ground contact.

9. The system communication connector of claim 1, wherein said housing assembly detent corresponds to the peripheral connector detent to facilitate correct alignment of the peripheral communication connector with the system communication connector.

10. The system communication connector of claim 1, wherein said system contacts are disposed on said mating system surface in a plurality of rows.

11. The system communication connector of claim 1, wherein said system magnet and said housing assembly detent are disposed in said housing assembly adjacent to said mating system surface.

12. A method of manufacturing a system communication connector for connecting with a peripheral communication connector having a peripheral connector housing with at least one of a plurality of peripheral connector contacts, a peripheral connector magnet and a peripheral connector detent, comprising:

forming a mating system surface on a housing assembly;

disposing a plurality of system contacts flatly on said mating system surface for cooperating with the peripheral connector contacts, said system contacts having a uniform spacing between adjacent system contacts and including a first system contact with a first width and a first length that are different from at least one of a second width and a second length of a second system contact;

disposing a system magnet on said housing assembly for magnetically coupling with the peripheral connector magnet to physically retain said housing assembly in connection with the peripheral connector housing in use; and

forming a housing assembly detent in said housing assembly for cooperating with the peripheral connector detent such that an electrical connection with the peripheral communication connector is provided via said system contacts or said housing assembly detent;

wherein said system contacts include at least one central circular-shaped contact disposed within a plurality of semicircular-shaped contacts, at least one central straight contact disposed within a plurality of straight contacts, at least one central circular-shaped contact disposed within a plurality of pie-shaped contacts, or a plurality of polygon-shaped contacts disposed about a central point.

13. A system communication connector for connecting with a peripheral communication connector having a peripheral connector housing with at least one of a peripheral connector contact and a peripheral connector detent, comprising:

a housing assembly having a mating system surface;

a plurality of system contacts being disposed flatly on said mating system surface, the plurality of system contacts having a uniform spacing between adjacent system contacts, and at least two of the system contacts having different widths or different lengths;

a system magnet being disposed in said housing assembly; and

a housing assembly detent being formed in said housing assembly,

wherein an electrical connection with the peripheral communication connector is formed via said system contacts or said housing assembly detent; and

wherein said system contacts include at least one central circular-shaped contact disposed within a plurality of semicircular-shaped contacts, at least one central straight contact disposed within a plurality of straight contacts, at least one central circular-shaped contact disposed within a plurality of pie-shaped contacts, or a plurality of polygon-shaped contacts disposed about a central point.

14. The system communication connector of claim 13, wherein at least one of:

said system contacts cooperate with the peripheral connector contact;

said system magnet magnetically couples with a peripheral connector magnet of the peripheral communication connector to physically retain said housing assembly in connection with the peripheral connector housing in use; and

said housing assembly detent cooperates with the peripheral connector detent.

15. The system communication connector of claim 13, wherein said system contacts are not concave on said mating system surface.

16. The system communication connector of claim 13, wherein said system contacts provide a flat surface-to-surface coupling with the peripheral connector contact.