Electrical connector
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A two-part electrical connector, comprising:
- a first part including a tongue portion having a base and a tongue extending longitudinally therefrom;
a second part including a socket portion having a base and walls extending therefrom defining a socket for slidably receiving the tongue, the tongue portion and socket portion having locking means to permit releasable mutual engagement, said locking means including a locking member moveable between a first position in which the tongue is held in the socket and a second position in which the tongue is removable from the socket;
a primary coupling element located in the tongue; and
a secondary coupling element located in at least one of the socket walls, which elements provide a contact-less electromagnetic coupling when the tongue is engaged in the socket, wherein the primary and secondary coupling elements are primary and secondary inductors, respectively, and each includes a conductive coil wound around a ferromagnetic core, and the secondary conductive coil is located in the socket base and the secondary inductor core has two elongate arms extending into the socket walls so that when the tongue is engaged in the socket, the primary inductor is located between the two arms.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention may provide a two-part electrical connector having
- a first part being a tongue portion having a base and a tongue extending longitudinally therefrom;
- a second part being a socket portion having a base and walls extending therefrom defining a socket for slidably receiving the tongue, the tongue portion and socket portion having locking means to permit releasable mutual engagement, said locking means including a locking member moveable between a first position in which the tongue is held in the socket and a second position in which the tongue is removable from the socket;
- a primary coupling element located in the tongue; and
- a secondary coupling element located in at least one of the socket walls, which elements provide a contact-less electromagnetic coupling when the tongue is engaged in the socket.
42 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A two-part electrical connector, comprising:
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a first part including a tongue portion having a base and a tongue extending longitudinally therefrom; a second part including a socket portion having a base and walls extending therefrom defining a socket for slidably receiving the tongue, the tongue portion and socket portion having locking means to permit releasable mutual engagement, said locking means including a locking member moveable between a first position in which the tongue is held in the socket and a second position in which the tongue is removable from the socket; a primary coupling element located in the tongue; and a secondary coupling element located in at least one of the socket walls, which elements provide a contact-less electromagnetic coupling when the tongue is engaged in the socket, wherein the primary and secondary coupling elements are primary and secondary inductors, respectively, and each includes a conductive coil wound around a ferromagnetic core, and the secondary conductive coil is located in the socket base and the secondary inductor core has two elongate arms extending into the socket walls so that when the tongue is engaged in the socket, the primary inductor is located between the two arms. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A two-part electrical connector comprising:
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a first part being a tongue portion having a base and a tongue extending longitudinally therefrom; a second part being a socket portion having a base and walls extending therefrom defining a socket for slidably receiving the tongue, the tongue portion and socket portion having locking means to permit releasable mutual engagement, said locking means including a locking member moveable between a first position in which the tongue is held in the socket and a second position in which the tongue is removable from the socket; a primary coupling element located in the tongue; and a secondary coupling element located in at least one of the socket walls, which elements provide a contact-less electromagnetic coupling when the tongue is engaged in the socket, wherein each of the primary and secondary elements is one half of a capacitor structure so that when the tongue is engaged in the socket a capacitor structure is formed to enable capacitive coupling. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A two-part electrical connector comprising:
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a first part being a tongue portion having a base and a tongue extending longitudinally therefrom; a second part being a socket portion having a base and walls extending therefrom defining a socket for slidably receiving the tongue, the tongue portion and socket portion having locking means to permit releasable mutual engagement, said locking means including a locking member moveable between a first position in which the tongue is held in the socket and a second position in which the tongue is removable from the socket; a primary coupling element located in the tongue; and a secondary coupling element located in at least one of the socket walls, which elements provide a contact-less electromagnetic coupling when the tongue is engaged in the socket, wherein at least one of the socket walls contains an aperture adjacent the socket base so that dirt and dust can escape from the socket when the tongue is engaged in the socket. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A two-part electrical connector comprising:
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a first part being a tongue portion having a base and a tongue extending longitudinally therefrom; a second part being a socket portion having a base and walls extending therefrom defining a socket for slidably receiving the tongue, the tongue portion and socket portion having locking means to permit releasable mutual engagement, said locking means including a locking member moveable between a first position in which the tongue is held in the socket and a second position in which the tongue is removable from the socket; a primary coupling element located in the tongue; and a secondary coupling element located in at least one of the socket walls, which elements provide a contact-less electromagnetic coupling when the tongue is engaged in the socket, wherein the socket portion includes two baffles located within the socket defining a guide channel for guiding the tongue, the baffles extending from the mouth end of the socket to a point spaced from the base of the socket portion so that dirt and debris pushed into the guide channel by the tongue can escape from the guide channel through the space between the socket base and the baffles.
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19. Apparatus for transmitting electrical signals between electrical equipment, including a two-part electrical connector comprising:
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a first part being a tongue portion having a base and a tongue extending longitudinally therefrom; a second part being a socket portion having a base and walls extending therefrom defining a socket for slidably receiving the tongue, the tongue portion and socket portion having locking means to permit releasable mutual engagement, said locking means including a locking member moveable between a first position in which the tongue is held in the socket and a second position in which the tongue is removable from the socket; a primary coupling element located in the tongue; and a secondary coupling element located in at least one of the socket walls, which elements provide a contact-less electromagnetic coupling when the tongue is engaged in the socket, wherein the apparatus further comprises a webbing strap connected to at least one part of the connector, wherein the webbing strap included electrical wires which are electrically connected to a coupling element in the connector.
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20. A method of modulating the current characteristics in one or both of the primary and secondary coupling elements in a two-part electrical connector said connector comprising:
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a first part being a tongue portion having a base and a tongue extending longitudinally therefrom; a second part being a socket portion having a base and walls extending therefrom defining a socket for slidably receiving the tongue, the tongue portion and socket portion having locking means to permit releasable mutual engagement, said locking means including a locking member moveable between a first position in which the tongue is held in the socket and a second position in which the tongue is removable from the socket; a primary coupling element located in the tongue; and a secondary coupling element located in at least one of the socket walls, which elements provide a contact-less electromagnetic coupling when the tongue is engaged in the socket, said method including the steps of; detecting the engagement status of the connector and adjusting the current characteristics in response to the detected status. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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Specification