ELECTROMAGNETIC CONNECTOR

• US 20130170258A1
• Filed: 12/30/2011
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Calvin, James, Rooyakkers, Albert
• Granted Patent: US 8,971,072 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2007/062 Details of terminals or connectors for electromagnets
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/06 Mounting, supporting or suspending transformers, reactors or choke coils not being of the signal type
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 3/14 Constrictions; Gaps, e.g. air-gaps in magnetic shunt paths H01F3/12
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 5/003 Printed circuit coils
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 5/04 Arrangements of electric connections to coils, e.g. leads
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/20 without armatures cores H01F3/00; coils H01F5/00 ; shaping metal by applying magnetic forces B21D26/14; electromagnets specially adapted for NMR applications G01R33/381
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5454 Adapter and plugs
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5483 using coupling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/548 the power on the line being DC arrangements for feeding power H04L12/10; extracting feeding power from signals H04L25/02

Abstract

An electromagnetic connector is disclosed that is configured to form a first magnetic circuit portion comprising a first core member and a first coil disposed of the first core member. The electromagnetic connector is configured to mate with a second electromagnetic connector, where the second electromagnetic connector is configured to form a second magnetic circuit portion comprising a second core member and a second coil disposed of the second core member. The first core member and the second core member are configured to couple the first coil to the second coil with a magnetic circuit formed from the first magnetic circuit portion and the second magnetic circuit portion when the electromagnetic connector is mated with the second electromagnetic connector. The magnetic circuit is configured to induce a signal in the first coil when the second coil is energized.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic connector configured to form a first magnetic circuit portion comprising:

a first core member; and

a first coil disposed of the first core member, the electromagnetic connector configured to mate with a second electromagnetic connector, the second electromagnetic connector configured to form a second magnetic circuit portion and comprising a second core member and a second coil disposed of the second core member, the first core member and the second core member configured to couple the first coil to the second coil with a magnetic circuit formed from the first magnetic circuit portion and the second magnetic circuit portion when the electromagnetic connector is mated with the second electromagnetic connector, the magnetic circuit configured to induce a signal in the first coil when the second coil is energized.

2. The electromagnetic connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the signal induced in the first coil comprises at least one of a communications signal or a power signal.

3. The electromagnetic connector as recited in claim 1, further comprising a cover for at least partially enclosing at least one of the first core member or the first coil.

4. The electromagnetic connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the first coil comprises a planar winding disposed of a printed circuit board.

5. The electromagnetic connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the first core member comprises an E-shaped core member.

6. The electromagnetic connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the magnetic circuit formed from the first core member and the second core member comprises an air gap.

7. A connector assembly configured to form a magnetic circuit, the connector assembly comprising:

a first electromagnetic connector comprising a first core member and a first coil disposed of the first core member; and

a second electromagnetic connector comprising a second core member and a second coil disposed of the second core member, the first core member and the second core member configured to couple the first coil to the second coil to form a magnetic circuit when the first electromagnetic connector is mated with the second electromagnetic connector, the magnetic circuit configured to induce a signal in the first coil when the second coil is energized.

8. The connector assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein the signal induced in the first coil comprises at least one of a communications signal or a power signal.

9. The connector assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein the first core member is configured to provide alignment with the second core member when the first electromagnetic connector is mated with the second electromagnetic connector.

10. The connector assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein the first coil comprises a planar winding disposed of a printed circuit board.

11. The connector assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein the first core member comprises an E-shaped core member.

12. The connector assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein the magnetic circuit formed from the first core member and the second core member comprises an air gap.

13. A system comprising:

a backplane for distributing an Alternating Current (AC) signal; and

a plurality of electromagnetic connectors coupled with the backplane, each one of the plurality of electromagnetic connectors comprising a first core member and a first coil disposed of the first core member, each one of the plurality of electromagnetic connectors configured to mate with a second electromagnetic connector, the second electromagnetic connector comprising a second core member and a second coil disposed of the second core member, the first core member and the second core member configured to couple the first coil to the second coil to form a magnetic circuit when the electromagnetic connector is mated with the second electromagnetic connector, the magnetic circuit configured to induce a signal in the second coil when the first coil is energized with the AC signal distributed via the backplane.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, further comprising Direct Current (DC)-to-AC (DC/AC) conversion circuitry coupled with the backplane for converting a DC signal to the AC signal distributed via the backplane.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the DC/AC conversion circuitry comprises Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) circuitry.

16. The system as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

a serial communications interface configured for connecting a plurality of modules in parallel; and

a parallel communications interface configured for separately connecting the plurality of modules.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein at least one of the serial communications interface or the parallel communications interface are connected to the plurality of modules with a second plurality of electromagnetic connectors.

18. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the serial communications interface comprises a multidrop bus.

19. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the parallel communications interface comprises a cross switch.

20. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the serial communications interface and the parallel communications interface are formed on a single printed circuit board with the backplane.