Magnetic electrical connection system for an electronic device
First Claim
1. A male electrical connector comprising:
- a male housing portion;
at least a first magnet carried by said male housing portion, said first magnet comprising a curved contact surface configured to abut with an inwardly curved contact surface of a substantially cylindrically shaped first ferrous contact included in a female electrical receptacle, the inwardly curved contact surface not having a ground material interfering with the abutting with the inwardly curved contact surface; and
at least a first resilient electrical contact carried by said male housing portion for making an electrical connection by abutting with a curved contact surface of a substantially cylindrically shaped first electrical contact included in the female electrical receptacle;
wherein said first magnet and said first resilient electrical contact are disposed in a parallel configuration along a transverse axis of said male housing portion, andwherein said first ferrous contact and said first electrical contact are disposed in a parallel configuration along a transverse axis of said female electrical receptacle; and
wherein the male electrical connector is configured to maintain the electrical connection between the first resilient electrical contact carried by said male housing portion and the first electrical contact included in the female electrical receptacle while the male housing portion pivots with respect to the female electrical receptacle.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Electrical connection systems (100) for electronic devices (102) are disclosed. In one embodiment, a male electrical connector (104) includes a male housing portion (138) and at least a first magnet (134a) carried by the male housing portion (138). The first magnet (134a) includes a curved contact surface (1200) configured to abut with a female electrical receptacle (106). At least a first resilient electrical contact (136a) is carried by the male housing portion (138) for making an electrical connection with the female electrical receptacle (106). The first magnet (134a) and the first resilient electrical contact (136a) are disposed in a parallel configuration along a transverse axis of the male housing portion (138).
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A male electrical connector comprising:
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a male housing portion; at least a first magnet carried by said male housing portion, said first magnet comprising a curved contact surface configured to abut with an inwardly curved contact surface of a substantially cylindrically shaped first ferrous contact included in a female electrical receptacle, the inwardly curved contact surface not having a ground material interfering with the abutting with the inwardly curved contact surface; and at least a first resilient electrical contact carried by said male housing portion for making an electrical connection by abutting with a curved contact surface of a substantially cylindrically shaped first electrical contact included in the female electrical receptacle; wherein said first magnet and said first resilient electrical contact are disposed in a parallel configuration along a transverse axis of said male housing portion, and wherein said first ferrous contact and said first electrical contact are disposed in a parallel configuration along a transverse axis of said female electrical receptacle; and wherein the male electrical connector is configured to maintain the electrical connection between the first resilient electrical contact carried by said male housing portion and the first electrical contact included in the female electrical receptacle while the male housing portion pivots with respect to the female electrical receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An electrical receptacle comprising:
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a female housing portion; at least a first ferrous contact carried by said female housing portion, said first ferrous contact comprising an inwardly curved contact surface configured to abut with a first magnet included in a male electrical connector; at least a first electrical contact carried by said female housing portion, said first electrical contact comprising a curved contact surface for making an electrical connection by abutting with a first resilient electrical contact included in the male electrical connector; and a shunt electrically insulated from the first ferrous contact and the first electrical contact; wherein said first ferrous contact and said first electrical contact are disposed in a parallel configuration along a transverse axis of said female housing portion, wherein said first magnet and said first resilient electrical contact are disposed in a parallel configuration along a transverse axis of said male electrical connector; and wherein the electrical receptacle is configured to maintain the electrical connection between the first electrical contact carried by said female housing portion and the first resilient electrical contact included in the male electrical connector while the male electrical connector pivots with respect to the female housing portion. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An electrical connection system comprising:
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a connector including a male housing portion; at least a first magnet carried by said male housing portion, said first magnet comprising a curved contact surface; a receptacle configured to engage said connector and including; a female housing portion; and at least a first ferrous contact carried by said female housing portion, said first ferrous contact comprising a substantially cylindrically shaped curved contact surface configured to abut with said curved contact surface of said first magnet, said substantially cylindrically shaped curved contact surface of said first ferrous contact not having a ground material interfering with the abutting with said curved contact surface of said first magnet; at least a first resilient electrical contact carried by one of said male housing portion and said female housing portion; and at least a second electrical contact carried by said other of said male housing portion and said female housing portion, and said first electrical contact comprising a substantially cylindrically shaped inwardly curved contact surface for making an electrical connection by abutting with said first resilient electrical contact; wherein said first magnet and said first resilient electrical contact are disposed in a parallel configuration along a transverse axis of said electrical connection system, and wherein said first ferrous contact and said first electrical contact are disposed in a parallel configuration along a transverse axis of said electrical connection system; and wherein the connector is configured to maintain the electrical connection between the electrical contacts of said male housing portion and said female housing portion while the male housing portion pivots with respect to the female housing portion. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An electrical connector comprising:
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a male housing portion having a substantially cylindrical magnetic contact surface configured to abut with a substantially cylindrical inwardly curved contact surface of a female electrical receptacle, the substantially cylindrical magnetic contact surface being configured to interconnect with said substantially cylindrical inwardly curved contact surface of the female electrical receptacle and hold a first resilient electrical contact interconnected with a female electrical receptacle; and the first resilient electrical contact carried by said male housing portion for making an electrical connection with the female electrical receptacle, wherein the electrical connector is configured to maintain the electrical connection between the first resilient electrical contact carried by said male housing portion and the female electrical receptacle while the male housing portion pivots with respect to the female electrical receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. An electronic device comprising:
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a device housing; electronic circuitry carried by said device housing; and a receptacle including; a female housing portion coupled to said device housing; at least a first ferrous contact carried by said female housing portion, and said first ferrous contact comprising a substantially cylindrically shaped inwardly curved contact surface configured to abut with a male electrical connector, the substantially cylindrically shaped inwardly curved contact surface not having a ground material interfering with the abutting with the male electrical connector; and at least a first electrical contact carried by said female housing portion and electrically coupled to said electronic circuitry, and said first electrical contact comprising a substantially cylindrically shaped outwardly curved contact surface for making an electrical connection with the male electrical connector, wherein the receptacle is configured to maintain the electrical connection between the first electrical contact carried by said female housing portion and the male electrical connector while the male electrical connector pivots with respect to the female housing portion. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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Specification