Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-24
2001-08-28
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
C439S031000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06280258
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a removable electric connector that enables electric contact between electric devices that are mechanically attachable and detachable from each other.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
The technical evolution, in terms of features such as weight and size, in the field of portable mobile telephone terminals has reached a point where physiognomic considerations must be made. Limitations in terms of size of previous generations of mobile terminals were dictated by the size of the components of the terminal, not least the size of the battery pack. Present day terminals, on the other hand, comprise a small number of highly integrated low-power circuits that easily fit inside a palm-sized unit. In fact the dimensions of the smaller among the recently developed terminals are such that the distance between the loudspeaker and the microphone has become an important design factor. In order to further miniaturize the terminals, while still enabling a proper alignment between the loudspeaker/microphone and the ear/mouth of the user, mechanical solutions such as foldable lids and arms comprising a microphone or a speaker have become commonplace.
A problem relating to the foldable and flip-lid equipped terminals, and in fact to any device that comprise electric sub-units that are mechanically separable from each other, is obviously their sensitivity to mechanical abuse. Both in terms of normal every day wear as well as occasional abuse due to carelessness on the side of the user. This problem has led to a requirement of replaceable lids of the terminals and also to a requirement of replaceable connector means between the lid and the device, or between sub-units of devices.
A typical example of the state of the art in this respect is disclosed in the European patent application having publication number EP-0720339, where it is disclosed an electronic apparatus having a hinge structure. A removable hinge connector for connecting circuitry of two casing parts of an electronic apparatus comprises an electrically conductive member in the form of a flexible printed circuit board. Electric contact is enabled via PCMCIA connectors at opposite ends of the printed circuit board.
The connector disclosed in EP-0720339 forms part of a mechanical connector between the two casing parts of the device. In order to enable rotation of the two casing parts, the connector comprises two separate sleeve parts that rotate relative to each other. The conductive member is located within the sleeve parts and is subject to a bending motion when the sleeve parts rotate. It is hence necessary that the conductive member is in the form of a flexible printed circuit board, thus making the connector comprising the circuit board unnecessarily bulky.
Moreover, due to the fact that the coupling portions of the connector disclosed in EP-0720339 are in the form of PCMCIA connectors the connector is not suitable in situations where a small physical size is desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of prior art as discussed above, a number of problems remain to be solved regarding electric connectors for attachable and detachable lids of portable electrical devices, and in fact regarding connector for any electric device comprising of mechanically separable units. Hence, a first problem solved by the present invention is how to provide a connector that enables reliable galvanic contact between separate electrical units while at the same time be of small size and easy to replace.
Another problem solved by the present invention is how to provide an electric connector which enables reliable galvanic contact between mutually rotating electric devices.
The object of the present invention is to overcome the problems as stated above. This is in short achieved by providing a connector as well as a portable device comprising a connector which, when attached between two electric units, is in abutment with contact pads of the units.
In some more detail, it is shown an electric connector for enabling galvanic contact between a contact pad of a first electric device and a contact pad of a second electric device. The connector is mechanically attachable to and detachable from at least the first electric device and comprises a first resilient contact connected to a second resilient contact. When mechanically attached to at least the first electric device, the first resilient contact is in abutment with the contact pad of the first electric device and the second resilient contact is in abutment with the contact pad of the second electric device. It is also shown a portable electric apparatus at which such an electric connector is arranged.
An advantage of the present invention is that it is compact and thus easily implemented as an integral part of a hinge structure between two electric devices.
Another advantage of the present invention is that, by the fact that that it comprises resilient pins, it provides secure galvanic contact between electric devices while at the same time enabling relative motion between two units of an electric device.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that it provides an easily replaceable connector for a portable device due to the fact that the device does not have to be interfered with during replacement.
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Gushi Ross
Jenkens & Gilchrist P.C.
Paumen Gary
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
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