Patent Application
20070287302
In the following detailed portion of the present description, the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, in which:
In the following detailed description, the connector and the mobile electronic device according to the invention in the form of a mobile telephone.
A connector part 30 is disposed at the bottom of the mobile phone 1. A connector part 40 at the end of a cable 50 is disposed in the vicinity of the connector part 30. The cable 50 can be a cable that connects to a battery charger (not shown) or a cable that connects to earphones (not shown) or a cable that connects to a personal computer (not shown). The connector 40 could also be disposed of the end of other cables that can be used to connect to a mobile electronic device.
The connector part 30 and the connector part 40 are magnetically attracted to one another, which has been diagrammatically illustrated by the magnetic field lines in
The connector part 40 is complementary with the connector part 30.
The connector part 30 includes a ring 34 of magnetic material, such as a ferrous material, and a permanent bar magnet 32 that is concentrically disposed inside the ring magnet 34. The bar magnet 32 is held in place inside the ring magnet by a hollow cylindrical bushing 36. The magnetic north pole of the bar magnet 32 is facing the contact side of the connector part 30. The connector part 30 also includes a resiliently suspended contact ring 37 of a magnetic material. The contact ring 37 is urged away from the ring 34 by a light spring 61.
The movable ring magnet 37 assumes a position in which it is not in contact with the ring 34 when the connector part 40 is not engaging the connector part 30. An electrical wire 33 is connected to the bar magnet 32 and an electrical wire 35 is connected to the ring contact 37.
The magnetism of the connector part 40 creates an attractive force to the magnetic material in the connector part 30. When the connector parts 30 and 40 are in engagement, the bar magnet 43 is in contact with the bar magnet 32 and an electrical connection is established between the electrical wire 43 and the electrical wire 33. Simultaneously, the ring magnet 44 is in contact with the ring 34. In this situation the ring 34 becomes magnetized and creates a magnetic attractive force between the ring 34 and the ring contact 37 that is strong enough to urge the ring contact 37 against the resilience force of the spring 61 into contact with the ring 34, thereby establishing an electrical connection between electrical wire 45 and electrical wire 35.
In a variation of the present embodiment, the electrical wires 43 and 45 can be connected to a battery charger (not shown), whilst the electrical wires 33 and 35 are connected electrical components (not shown) and the battery of the mobile phone 1.
According to a not shown alternative version of the embodiment of
A cable 50a is provided at its end with a connector part 40a. Another cable 50b is provided at its end with a connector part 40b. The cables 50a and 50b are different cables with different functions such as for example a charging cable 50a and a cable 50b for connecting the mobile electric device 1 to a personal computer. The connector part 40a includes a bar magnet 42a that is oriented with its magnetic North Pole towards its contact surface 43a. The connector part 40b includes a bar magnet 42b that is oriented with its magnetic south pole towards its contact surface 43b.
The contact surfaces 43a and 43c are provided with electrical contacts (not shown) that are connected to electrical wires (not shown) in the respective cables 50a and 50b.
Due to the polarity arrangement connector part 40b is repulsed by connector part of 30a and connector part 40a is repulsed by connector part 30b. Thus, it is practically impossible to place the connector parts 40a and 40b on the wrong counterpart on the mobile electronic device 1. When the connector part 40a or 40b is brought in proximity with the correct counterpart 30a or 30b the magnetic attractive force between the permanent bar magnets will keep the respective connectors in engagement.
Connector part 140a includes a plate magnet 142a that is disposed in the connector part 140a with its magnetic south pole towards the contact side of the connector 140a. The connector 140a includes three concentrically disposed electrical contacts 143, 144 and 145, that are separated by insulating bushings. The electrical contact 145 is disposed at the bottom of a central cylindrical recess formed in the front surface of the connector. The recess serves to receive a cylindrical projection formed by electrical contact 135 that is protruding from the contact surface of the connector part 130. The electrical contacts 143,144 and 145 are connected to wires (not shown) in the cable that is attached to the connector part 140.
Connector part 130 is provided with concentric ring contacts 133, 134 and 135. The contacts 133, 134 and 135 are made of magnetic material so that the contacts 143, 144 and 145 that are magnetized by the plate magnet 142a are magnetically attracted to the electrical contacts 133,134 and 135, thereby keeping the connector parts 140a and 130 in engagement. The electrical contacts 133, 134 and 135 are connected via respective wires to a magnetically operated switch 131.
A slidable permanent magnet 139 is disposed inside the magnetically operated switch 131 with its magnetic south pole towards the contact surface of the connector part 130. The slidable permanent magnet 139 is provided with three longitudinally spaced electrical contacts 136, 137 and 138. When the connector part 140a is placed in engagement with the connector part 130 the magnetic repulsive force between the plate magnet 142 and the slidable permanent magnet 139 that have their magnetic south poles facing one another causes the slidable permanent magnet 139 to be urged away from the connector part 140a. Thus, the slidable permanent magnet 139 assumes the “lower” position shown in
Connector part 140b (
Thus, when the connector part 140b is in engagement with connector part 130 (
The type of electrical connection that is established between the mobile electronic device 1 and the external connector part that engages the connector part in the mobile electronic device 1 is controlled by the magnetic characteristics of the external connector part. Thus, visually and mechanically completely identical external connector parts can establish different electric connections. Thereby, it has become possible to use a mechanically and visually identical connector parts on different cables that are to be connected to the mobile electronic device. The connector part 140a could for example be placed at the end of a cable of a battery charger and the connector part 140b could for example be placed at the end of a cable for connecting the mobile electronic device to a personal computer. The magnetic differences between the connector parts ensure the proper connection with the electronic components of the mobile electronic device 1. This concept facilitates the use of the mobile electronic device, since the user can place the connector part of the different cables at one the same connector part on the mobile electronic device 1, and as there is no need to make a correct choice where to place the connector part that is attached to the cable onto the mobile electronic device 1. Further, having only a single connector part on the mobile electronic device has the advantage that it takes less space on the mobile electronic device.
Although the connectors according to the embodiments disclosed above have been described as rotation symmetrical (circular cross-section), it should be understood that these connectors do not need to be rotation symmetrical and could have any other suitable shaped cross-section, such as for example rectangular or triangular.
The term “comprising” as used in the claims does not exclude other elements or steps. The term “a” or “an” as used in the claims does not exclude a plurality. The reference signs used in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope.
Although the present invention has been described in detail for purpose of illustration, it is understood that such detail is solely for that purpose, and variations can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.
