Electrical connector for removable components
First Claim
1. A removable battery cover for a device comprising:
- a latch; and
a stacked connector having a connector contact housing adapted to at least partially surround at least a portion of the latch, and wherein the connector contact housing has a plurality of stacked contacts to provide an electrical connection between the removable battery cover and an electrical circuit housed in a separate housing of the device.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical connector assembly combines a latch (34) and electrical contacts (60a-60f) into an integral connector assembly. The latch (34) is partially surrounded by a stacked connector (36). The latch (34) lathes with a housing (22) and the stacked connector (36) includes a connector contact housing (40) that includes a plurality of stacked contacts (60a-60f) to provide an electrical connection between a first (60) and second (64) electrical circuit. In one embodiment, the connector contact housing (40) is in a “U” shape and partially surrounds at least a portion of the latch (34). The stacked connector (36) engages with a receptacle well (38) having a plurality of corresponding stacked receptacle contacts (62a-62f). The plurality of stacked contacts (60a-60f) is positioned in a manner to provide balanced contact loading along at least one axis (100) of the stacked connector (36). As such, in one embodiment, the stacked contacts (60a-60f) are arranged in an opposing manner.
215 Citations
44 Claims
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1. A removable battery cover for a device comprising:
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a latch; and
a stacked connector having a connector contact housing adapted to at least partially surround at least a portion of the latch, and wherein the connector contact housing has a plurality of stacked contacts to provide an electrical connection between the removable battery cover and an electrical circuit housed in a separate housing of the device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
at least a first set of stacked contacts wherein each contact is positioned in a vertical direction with respect to a horizontal plane defined by a base of the connector contact housing, on an outer surface of the connector contact housing;
at least a second set of stacked contacts wherein each contact is positioned in a vertical direction with respect to the horizontal plane defined by the base, on an outer surface of the connector contact housing; and
wherein the first and second set of stacked contacts are symmetrically located about a longitudinal axis of the connector contact housing.
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10. The removable battery cover of claim 2 wherein the plurality of stacked contacts are compliant.
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11. The removable battery cover of claim 2 wherein the plurality of stacked contacts are non-compliant.
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12. The removable battery cover of claim 2 wherein each of the plurality of stacked contacts have a curved compliant portion and an attachment tab that is engageable with a surface in the connector contact housing.
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13. A removable battery cover for a device comprising:
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a combined latch and connector arrangement that comprises;
a latch having a three dimensional latch well protruding from a surface of the removable battery cover and operative to latch the removable battery cover to a separate housing of the device; and
a stacked connector, operatively engageable with the latch wherein the stacked connector has a three dimensional connector contact housing adapted to at least partially surround at least a portion of the latch, and wherein the connector contact housing has a plurality of stacked contacts to provide an electrical connection between the removable battery cover and an electrical circuit housed in the separate housing of the device, and wherein the plurality of stacked contacts are positioned in a manner to provide balanced contact loading along at least one axis of the stacked connector. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
at least a first set of stacked contacts wherein each contact is positioned in a vertical direction with respect to a horizontal plane defined by a base of the connector contact housing, on an outer surface of the connector contact housing;
at least a second set of stacked contacts wherein each contact is positioned in a vertical direction with respect to the horizontal plane defined by the base, on an outer surface of the connector contact housing; and
wherein the first and second set of stacked contacts are symmetrically located about a longitudinal axis of the connector contact housing.
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20. The removable battery cover of claim 13 wherein the plurality of stacked contacts are compliant.
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21. The removable battery cover of claim 13 wherein the plurality of stacked contacts are non-compliant.
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22. The removable battery cover of claim 13 wherein each of the plurality of stacked contacts has a curved compliant portion and an attachment tab that is engageable with a surface in the connector contact housing.
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23. An electrical connector assembly comprising:
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a latch;
a stacked connector having a connector contact housing adapted to at least partially surround at least a portion of the latch, and wherein the connector contact housing has a plurality of stacked contacts to provide an electrical connection between a first electrical circuit and a second electrical circuit; and
a receptacle well having a plurality of corresponding stacked receptacle contacts operative to engage the plurality of stacked contacts to provide electrical connection between the first and second electrical circuits. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
at least a first set of stacked contacts wherein each contact is positioned in a vertical direction with respect to a horizontal plane defined by a base of the connector contact housing, on an outer surface of the connector contact housing;
at least a second set of stacked contacts wherein each contact is positioned in a vertical direction with respect to the horizontal plane defined by the base, on an outer surface of the connector contact housing; and
wherein the first and second set of stacked contacts are symmetrically located about a longitudinal axis of the connector contact housing.
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28. The electrical connector of claim 23 wherein the plurality of stacked contacts are compliant.
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29. The electrical connector of claim 23 wherein the plurality of stacked contacts are non-compliant.
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30. The electrical connector of claim 23 wherein each of the plurality of stacked contacts have a curved compliant portion and an attachment tab that is engageable with a surface in the connector contact housing.
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31. An electronic appliance comprising:
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a housing with a battery storage area, a connector receptacle well and a first electrical circuit operative to receive energy from a battery stored in the battery storage area; and
a removable battery cover that comprises, a latch; and
a stacked connector, engageable with the connector receptacle well, wherein the stacked connector has a connector contact housing adapted to at least partially surround at least a portion of the latch, and wherein the connector contact housing has a plurality of stacked contacts to provide an electrical connection between the removable battery cover and the electrical circuit housed in the housing. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
at least a first set of stacked contacts wherein each contact is positioned in a vertical direction with respect to a longitudinal axis of the removable battery cover, on an outer surface of the connector contact housing;
at least a second set of stacked contacts wherein each contact is positioned in a vertical direction with respect to a longitudinal axis of the removable battery cover, on an outer surface of the connector contact housing; and
wherein the first and second set of stacked contacts are symmetrically located about the longitudinal axis.
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40. The electronic appliance of claim 31 wherein the plurality of stacked contacts are compliant.
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41. The electronic appliance of claim 31 wherein the plurality of stacked contacts are non-compliant.
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42. The electronic appliance of claim 31 wherein each of the plurality of stacked contacts have a curved compliant portion and an attachment tab that is engageable with a surface in the connector contact housing.
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43. The electronic appliance of claim 31 wherein the electronic appliance is a telephone appliance and wherein the housing has a telephone input interface.
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44. The electronic appliance of claim 31 wherein the connector receptacle well has an extension adapted to receive a flexible connector extension to position the flexible connector to complete a connection with contacts on a PCB in the housing.
Specification