Modular electronic building systems with magnetic interconnections and methods of using the same

• US 9,831,599 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2016
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sphero Inc.
• Original Assignee: LittleBits Electronics Inc (Sphero Inc.)
• Inventors: Bdeir, Aya
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Hung S
• Application Number:
  US15/228,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20160344136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 361792
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/30 End pieces held in contact by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet

Abstract

Electrical connectors, electrical modules, and systems are provided. In one aspect, an electrical connector includes a housing defining a side surface, an electrical conductor supported by the housing and including an engagement portion proximate the side surface of the housing. The engagement portion is adapted to engage another electrical conductor of another electrical connector. The connector also includes a magnet supported by the housing proximate the side surface of the housing, a projection extending from the side surface of the housing, and a receptacle defined in the side surface of the housing. In other aspects, an electrical module includes at least one of these electrical connectors. In further aspects, a system includes a plurality of these modules and the modules are selectively couplable together.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first circuit board having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the top surface and the bottom surface each being different than and excluding each of the first end and the second end;

a first connector having a first housing, the first housing fixedly mounted to the first end of the first circuit board;

a second connector having a second housing, the second housing fixedly mounted to the second end of the first circuit board, a portion of the top surface of the first circuit board between the first connector and the second connector being unconcealed and visible during use of the apparatus by a user; and

at least one electrical component disposed on the portion of the top surface of the first circuit board such that the electrical component is visibly and physically accessible to a user during use of the apparatus,

at least one of the first connector or the second connector configured to be removably coupled to a third connector having a third housing fixedly mounted to a second circuit board.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first circuit board, the first connector and the second connector collectively form a module, the module configured to provide a single electrical function.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the first circuit board, the first connector and the second connector collectively form a first module configured to provide a first electrical function, the apparatus further comprising;

a second module, the second module including the third connector and the second circuit board, the second module configured to provide a second electrical function different than the first electrical function.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first connector includes a first mounting portion configured to couple the first connector to a mounting board and a second mounting portion configured to couple the first connector to the mounting board, the second connector includes a first mounting portion configured to couple the second connector to the mounting board and a second mounting portion configured to couple the second connector to the mounting board.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first connector includes a first magnet and a second magnet configured to contact a third magnet and a fourth magnet, respectively, of the third connector to removably couple the first connector to the third connector.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the first housing of the first connector has a top surface disposed substantially parallel to the top surface of the first circuit board and at least one protrusion extending upward from the top surface of the first housing, and

the second housing of the second connector has a top surface disposed substantially parallel to the top surface of the first circuit board and at least one protrusion extending upward from the top surface of the second housing.

7. A system, comprising:

a first module including a first circuit board having a first end surface and a second end surface opposite the first end surface of the first circuit board, the first module including a first connector having a first housing fixedly mounted to the first end surface of the first circuit board, the first housing having a first end surface and a second end surface on a side of the first housing opposite from a side of the first end surface of the first housing, the first end surface and the second end surface of the first housing each being disposed substantially parallel to the first end surface and the second end surface of the first circuit board, the first housing including a first protrusion extending outwardly from the first end surface of the first housing, the first housing including a first recess defined by the first end surface of the first housing and disposed adjacent to the first protrusion, the first housing including a first conductor extending outwardly form the first end surface of the first housing; and

a second module including a second circuit board having a first end surface and a second end surface opposite the first end surface of the second circuit board, the second module including a second connector having a second housing fixedly mounted to the first end surface of the second circuit board, the second housing having a first end surface and a second end surface on a side of the second housing opposite from a side of the first end surface of the second housing, the first end surface and the second end surface of the second housing each being disposed substantially parallel to the first end surface and the second end surface of the second circuit board, the second housing including a second protrusion extending outwardly from the first end surface of the second housing, the second housing including a recess defined by the first end surface of the second housing and disposed adjacent to the second protrusion, the second housing including a second conductor extending outwardly from the first end surface of the second housing;

the first module configured to be removably coupled to the second module by matingly coupling the first protrusion of the first module to the second recess of the second module and matingly coupling the second protrusion of the second module to the first recess of the first module, such that the first conductor of the first module engages the second conductor of the second module.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the first connector includes a first mounting portion configured to couple the first connector to a mounting board and a second mounting portion configured to couple the first connector to the mounting board,

the second connector includes a first mounting portion configured to couple the second connector to the mounting board and a second mounting portion configured to couple the second connector to the mounting board.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the first connector has a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion, each of the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion extending below a bottom surface of the first circuit board, the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion each configured to be coupled to a mounting board,

the second connector has a third mounting portion and a fourth mounting portion, each of the third mounting portion and the fourth mounting portion extending below a bottom surface of the second circuit board, the third mounting portion and the fourth mounting portion each configured to be coupled to the mounting board.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the first circuit board defines a first cut-out portion at a first corner and a second cut-out portion at a second corner,

the first connector including a first mounting portion disposed at least partially within the first cut-out portion and a second mounting portion disposed at least partially within the second cut-out portion,

the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion each configured to removably couple the first connector to a mounting board.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

at least one electrical component disposed on at least one of a top surface of the first circuit board or a top surface of the second circuit board such that the at least one electrical component is visibly and physically accessible to a user.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the first housing of the first module has a top surface disposed substantially parallel to the top surface of the first circuit board and at least one protrusion extending upward from the top surface of the first housing, and

the second housing of the second module has a top surface disposed substantially parallel to the top surface of the second circuit board and at least one protrusion extending upward from the top surface of the second housing.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the first module further includes a first magnet and a second magnet extending outwardly from the first side surface of the first housing,

the second module further includes a third magnet and a fourth magnet extending outwardly from the first side surface of the second housing,

the first magnet and the second magnet configured to contact the third magnet and the fourth magnet, respectively, when the first module is removably coupled to the second module.

14. A system, comprising:

a plurality of electrical modules selectively couplable together to transmit electrical current from a first electrical module from the plurality of electrical modules to a second electrical module from the plurality of electrical modules, each electrical module from the plurality of electrical modules having at least one functionality associated therewith, and including a connector adapted to couple to a connector of another electrical module from the plurality of the electrical modules,

the connector of each electrical module from the plurality of electrical modules having a side surface, a coupling member disposed on the side surface, a top surface orthogonal to the side surface, and a bottom surface orthogonal to the side surface and parallel with the top surface,

each electrical module from the plurality of electrical modules configured to be coupled to another module from the plurality of modules and placed on the same planar support surface such that the bottom surface of each connector from each module contacts the planar support surface,

the coupling member of a first connector of an electrical module from the plurality of electrical modules configured to be coupled to a coupling member of a second connector of another electrical module from the plurality of electrical modules such that the side surface of the first connector abuts and contacts the side surface of the second connector, and the top surface of the first connector and the top surface of the second connector are disposed substantially aligned in the same plane.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the connector of each electrical module from the plurality of electrical modules includes a first mounting portion configured to couple the connector to a mounting board and a second mounting portion configured to couple the connector to the mounting board.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein:

each electrical module from the plurality of electrical modules includes a circuit board coupled to a respective connector of each electrical module from the plurality of the electrical modules,

each connector of each electrical module from the plurality of electrical modules includes a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion each of which is configured to be coupled to a mounting board and extend below a bottom surface of the respective circuit board coupled to that connector.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein:

each electrical module from the plurality of electrical modules includes a circuit board, each circuit board of an electrical module from the plurality of the electrical modules defining a first cut-out portion at a first corner, a second cut-out portion at a second corner, a third cut-out portion at a third corner, and a fourth cut-out portion at a fourth corner,

each electrical module from the plurality of electrical modules includes;

a first connector with a first mounting portion disposed at least partially within the first cut-out portion and a second mounting portion disposed at least partially within the second cut-out portion, and

a second connector with a third mounting portion disposed at least partially within the third cut-out portion and a fourth mounting portion disposed at least partially within the fourth cut-out portion,

the first mounting portion the second mounting portion, the third mounting portion and the fourth mounting portion, each configured to removably couple that electrical module to a mounting board.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein each electrical module from the plurality of electrical modules includes a circuit board coupled to a respective connector of that electrical module and at least one electrical component disposed on a top surface of the circuit board such that the at least one electrical component is visibly and physically accessible to a user.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the connector of each electrical module from the plurality of electrical modules includes a top surface and at least one protrusion extending upward from the top surface of that connector.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the connector of each electrical module from the plurality of electrical modules includes a protrusion and a recess,

for the connector of each electrical module from the plurality of electrical modules;

the protrusion configured to be received within a recess of another electrical module from the plurality of modules, and

the recess configured to receive a protrusion of another electrical module from the plurality of electrical modules.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein each electrical module from the plurality of electrical modules has only one functionality associated therewith.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein each electrical module from the plurality of electrical modules has at least one functionality associated therewith that is absent from the remaining electrical modules from the plurality of electrical modules.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the electrical functionality of a first electrical module from the plurality of electrical modules is a power functionality, the at least one functionality of a second module from the plurality of electrical modules is an input functionality, and the at least one functionality of a third electrical module from the plurality of electrical modules is an output functionality.