NL2011791C2

NL2011791C2 - Electrical connector, connector components of said connector and a device with such a connector component.

Info

Publication number: NL2011791C2
Application number: NL2011791A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Jürgen Honold
Original assignee: Silicon Hill B V
Priority date: 2013-11-13
Filing date: 2013-11-13
Publication date: 2015-05-19
Also published as: WO2015072849A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrical connector, comprising two connector components, wherein the connector components are mutually identical. The present invention also relates to a connector component of an electrical connector, wherein the connector component is identical to a corresponding connector component to form in combination an electrical connector. Each connector component comprises at least a first and a second contact, and a magnet, wherein the magnet is linked with or comprises one of the first and second contacts. The magnet exhibits at least two magnetic poles in a front surface, and the magnet is rotatable around a centre axis of the front surface. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a device, such as a lighting device, comprising a housing and at least a part requiring electrical power supply, such as a light source socket, and a connector component arranged in or in the housing and electrically connected with the part.

Description

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR, CONNECTOR COMPONENTS OF SAID CONNECTOR AND A DEVICE WITH SUCH A CONNECTOR COMPONENT

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an electrical connector, comprising two connector components, any one connector component of such a connector on its own, as well as a device, such as a lighting device, comprising at least one connector component of such a connector.

Electrical connector are generally known, for instance in embodiments of a socket and plug combination and a bayonet type connector, and the like.

All known connectors, with which the inventors of the embodiments of the present disclosure are familiar, rely for electrical contact and mechanical coupling on complementary connector components. For instance, a plug has two poles, often in the form of pins, which in a coupled state extend into clamps of a socket through holes or openings, where the clamps and pins are electrically conductive to establish simultaneously a mechanical coupling and electrical contact. Likewise, bayonet connectors are based on complementary and consequently mutually different connector components. Socket and plug combinations require a proper alignment during coupling thereof between pins of plugs and holes or openings of sockets, or the mechanical and/or electrical contact will not be established. Likewise, connection components of bayonet type connectors need to be properly aligned to engage on one another, and then turned, twisted or rotated to enforce a coupled connection between the connector components thereof.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed at providing a connector, which allows the connector components thereof to simply abut, i.e. to be places against each other, to establish electrical contact as well as a mechanical coupling or alternative principle for keeping the connector components together and maintain the electrical contact. Moreover, embodiments of the present disclosure allow for minimisation of production and storage costs and efforts, where in contrast prior art electrical connectors require separate production, transport, storage and marketing of complementary connector components.

To achieve this goal, embodiments of the present invention exhibit the property for an electrical connector, that the connector comprises two connector components, wherein the connector components are mutually identical. As a result, embodiments of the present disclosure allow electrical connection of connector components in any orientation relative to one another, merely by abutment, to establish electrical contact and mechanical engagement in any suitable shape or form.

In an embodiment, the connector components comprise at least a first and a second contact. In such an embodiment, the first and second contacts are coaxial.

In a further additional or alternative embodiment with first and second or even coaxial contacts, one of the first and second contacts is movable relative to the other of the first and second contacts.

In a further additional or alternative embodiment, the connector components may comprise a magnet.

In a further additional or alternative embodiment having at least two contacts and a magnet, the magnet is linked with or comprises one of the first and second contacts .

In a further additional or alternative embodiment having a magnet and possibly even a magnet forming at least one of the contacts, the magnet exhibits at least two magnetic poles in a front surface, which surface is oriented directed outward of the connector. In such an embodiment the magnet may be rotatable around a centre axis of the surface.

In an embodiment having a rotatable magnet forming at least one of the contacts, the one of the first and second contacts, which is linked with or is comprised by the magnet, may comprise an electrically conductive layer or coating on the surface of the magnet.

In an embodiment having a rotatable magnet forming at least one of the contacts, the one of the first and second contacts and potentially even a conductive layer on the magnet the magnet may be accommodated in a bearing, such as or may be even preferably a slide ring. In such an embodiment, having also first and second coaxial contacts, the bearing ring or slide ring may be accommodated in the other of the first and second contacts than the one of the first and second contacts with which the magnet is linked or comprised.

As previously indicated, the present disclosure also relates to a connector component on its own, of an electrical connector.

As previously indicated, the present disclosure also relates to a device, such as a lighting device, comprising a housing and at least a part requiring electrical power supply, such as a light source socket, and a connector component arranged in or in the housing and electrically connected with the part.

In an embodiment of such a device the connector component may be connectable to a low voltage DC power source .

The present disclosure further relates to a device for power supply to a device having a power consuming part, the power supplying device comprising a power source and/or a connection to a power source, a housing, and a connector component according to the present disclosure arranged in or in the housing.

After the foregoing reference to embodiments of the present disclosure in the essentially generic terms and expressions, corresponding with the appended claims herein below, more detailed embodiments of the present disclosure will be discussed herein below, referring to the appended drawings, wherein a limited number of exemplary embodiments are shown. It should be noted, that the scope of protection of the appended claims is by no means to limited to any specific, detailed feature of the shown or described specific embodiments, as alternatives for specific details will readily present themselves to the skilled person within the realm of the skilled person is normal professional capacity and knowledge. Further, the same or similar reference numbers may be employed in the drawings and the below description for the same, similar or comparable elements, components and/or aspects of the more detailed embodiments. In the drawings: FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a connector component; FIG. 2 shows a perspective view, partially in cross section of an assembly of two identical connector components of FIG. 1, together forming an electrical connector; FIG. 3 shows an assembly of a number of power consuming devices, which are designed to contain the power consuming parts, such as a light bulb, in particular an LED light source, and a power supply device; FIG.'s 4 and 5 show schematic electric circuits for respectively power consuming devices and power supply devices of FIG. 3; FIG.'s 6-8 show a further embodiment of a connector component; FIG. 9 shows a further embodiment; FIG.'s 10 and 11 show a couple of connector components of FIG. 9 in an approaching and a coupled state; and FIG. 12 show yet a further embodiment.

In figures 1 and 2, an embodiment of an electrical connector component 2 is shown. Connector component 2 comprises an electrically conductive, bus shaped contact 8 with a mounting flange 9 and an electrical abutment flange 10. Contact 8 can be made of electrically conductive material or can comprise an electrically conductive coating for electrical connection thereof with a power source 11. Alternatively, a connection can be established to a power consuming part, such as a LED light 15 in figure 2.

The connector component 2 further comprises a magnet 12, having two or more magnetic poles N and/or S in the frontal surface 13 thereof, where the frontal surface is surrounded by the abutment flange 10. The frontal surface is electrically conductive and/or has an electrically conductive coating or the like, for electrical connection thereof with the power source 11, or the power consuming part, such as a LED light 15 in figure 2. The magnet 12 is connected to either of a power consuming part 15 or the power source 11 via a brush 19 or the like.

There is a space between the abutment flange 10 and the frontal surface of the magnet 12, to prevent short circuits. The magnet is arranged in a slide ring 13 of for instance plastic and a flexible or compressible ring 14 of for instance rubber. The slide ring 13 can rotate within bus shaped contact 8 in the direction of double arrow A. The magnet 12 rotates with the slide ring 13 and with the flexible or compressible ring 14; the ring 13, the flexible or compressible ring 14 and the magnet 12 are a unit, which can rotate as a whole in the bus shaped contact 8. The magnet 12 can extend out of the slide ring 13 or be pressed into the slide ring 13, depending on attraction or repelling forces from a neighbouring magnet, as shown in figure 2.

Figure 2 further shows that connector components 2, 3 are arranged in a housing 16 of a device 17, for instance a lighting device 17 as in figure 3.

When the devices 17 in figure 2 approach each other, the two or more magnetic poles of the magnets 12, here four magnetic poles in the frontal surfaces of magnets 12, will align by rotation in the direction of arrow A with the unit to attract one another. The magnets will be attracted to extend out of the ring 13 in the direction of arrow B, where the flexible ring 14 allows for this movement. The abutment rings 10 of the connector components 2, 3 will be pressed together, as well as the frontal surfaces of the magnets. Also, the configuration of four or more magnetic poles as in figures 1 and 2 will ensure alignment along central axis 18, as a consequence of which the magnets 12 and the frontal rings will also align along the axis 18, to prevent misalignment of the rings 10 onto one another, and prevent short circuit of a ring 10 contacting a magnet 12.

Figure 6 shows a power supply bar 6 having a housing 7, a power cord 20 and a plug 21. The housing 7 may accommodate a rectifier and/or transformer (not shown). Next to bar 6 are a number of cube shaped devices 5 having a number of connector components 2, 3 integrated in or on the housings 4 thereof. The bar 6 also has the connector components 2, 3. The devices 5 can be connected to power supply by simply arranging the cubes against the bar 6 and/or against each other. The connector components will augment or complements to for connecting connectors 1 and relay power to components in need thereof, for example one of a number of light bulbs 22 in figure 4 in the interior of the cubes, such as LED lights (not shown) for which the rectifier and/or transformer in the housing 7 of bar 6 may be required if the LED lights are DC and/or low voltage. Figure 4 also exhibits the connector components 2, 3 of the device 5, whereas figure 5 exhibits the connector components 2, 3 of the bar 6.

In figures 6, 7 and 8, an embodiment of an electrical connector component 23 is shown. Figure 6 shows an assembled state in perspective view, whereas figure 7 exhibits an exploded view, also in perspective, and figure 8 exhibits a cross sectional, exploded side view.

Connector component 23 comprises an electrically conductive, bus shaped contact 24 with a mounting flange 27 and an electrical abutment flange 28. Contact 24 can be made of electrically conductive material or can comprise an electrically conductive coating for electrical connection thereof with a power source. Alternatively, a connection can be established to a power consuming part, such as a LED light.

The connector component 23 further comprises a magnet 29, having two or more magnetic poles N and/or S in the frontal surface 13 thereof, where the frontal surface is surrounded by the abutment flange 28.

The magnet 29 is arranged in a bus 26 of electrically conductive material and/or bus 26 has an electrically conductive coating or the like, for electrical connection thereof with the power source or a power consuming part, such as a LED light. The bus 26 is connected to either of a power consuming part or the power source in any arbitrary manner, for instance the via brush as shown in figure 2, or the like.

There is a space between the abutment flange 28 and the frontal surface of the bus 30, to prevent short circuits.

The bus 26 is arranged in a ring 25 of for instance plastic or any other non-conductive and flexible or compressible material of for instance rubber. The ring 25 can rotate within contact 24. The magnet 29 rotates with the ring 25; the ring 25 forms a singular or unitary embodiment of the both the slide ring 13 and the flexible or compressible ring 14 in FIG.'s 1 and 2, and can rotate as a whole in the contact 24. The assembly of bus 26 and magnet 29 can extend out of the ring 25 or be pressed into the ring 25, depending on attraction or repelling forces from a magnet in or of a neighbouring connector component 23. The ring 25 comprises a cylindrical accommodation 31 for of the bus 26, which in turn houses the magnet 29. Further, the ring 25 comprises a cylindrical wall 32, where a flexible bridge 33 is arranged between the cylindrical wall 32 and the cylindrical accommodation 31. Especially where the bus 26 is fixed in the cylindrical accommodation 31, the flexible bridge 33 enables depression or extension of the bus 26, relative to the top surface of the connector component 23, which is defined by a top surface of the abutment flange 28 of the contact 24. The curved, flexible bridge 33 is most clearly depicted in the cross sectional view of figure 8.

Next to the singular configuration of the ring 25 in the present embodiment, additionally also a spring 30 is provided. The spring 30 is connected on the one hand to for instance flange 27 and on the other hand to at least the bus 26. This spring 30 does not need to be extremely strong, but can serve to limit the amount of rotation, through which the bus 26 can be rotated. Thereby, the need for up brush or other slipping or sliding contact like the brush 19 in figure 2 can be omitted and welded or soldered connection can be established to the bus 26, for connection thereof to a power source or a power consuming component.

The embodiment of figure 12 differs from the embodiment of figures 6 through 8 in that the flexible, curved bridge 33 is replaced in ring 34 of figure 12 (comparable with ring 25 of figures 6 - 8) by an element 35, which is W shaped in the side sectional view of figure 12. The W shaped element 35 can funnel tenuously perform the function of the spring 30 in combination with the depressible or extendable function of the bridge 33.

The embodiment of figure 9 exhibits in more detail, that contact flange 28 extends over a bridge 33 over a considerable distance. Preferably, the contact flange 28 can form a shield over bridge 33 or W shaped element 35 against penetration of dust or the like.

In any case, the representation of figure 9 clearly exhibits that the top surface 36 of bus 26 is, in a rest state of the connector component in figure 9, positioned at a distance d below or behind the outer surface of contact flange 28. Consequently, when connector components 23, 37, which are mutually identical, are made to approach as shown in figure 10, contact flanges 28 thereof will come into contact with each other first. In the absence of any magnet 29, the buses 26 will not be in contact, when the contact flanges 28 abut. Only on the basis of an attracting force, for which the buses 26 or at least the magnets 29 within the buses 26 may need to rotate, will the buses 26 be attracted against each other to abut and establish electrical contact there between, as shown in figure 11. When the connector components 23, 27 in figure 10 approach each other, the two or more magnetic poles of the magnets 29, here four magnetic poles in the frontal surfaces of magnets 29, will align by rotation to attract one another. The magnets will be attracted to extend out of the ring 25, where the flexible ring 25 allows for this movement. The abutment flanges 28 of the connector components 23, 37 will be pressed together, as well as the frontal surfaces of the busses 26 accommodating the magnets 29.

It is self evident, on the basis of the preceding description in conjunction with the appended drawing, that many alternative and additional features, components, elements and aspects are possible within the framework of the embodiments according to the present disclosure, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims. For instance, the magnet contact of the connector components may comprise six or eight or more poles. The shapes of components may be altered to more creative shaped of the bus shaped contact 8 and/or of the magnet 12 (forming the second contact in addition to the bus shaped contact 8), for instance rectangular, star shaped and the like. Also shapes of devices may vary from cube shapes, for instance device may have a ball shape or a rectangular or box shape and even combination of shapes are possible. For security, especially in case of application with high AC voltages, a screen may be provided to be retracted automatically, when connector components approach one another.

Claims

An electrical connection, comprising two connection components, wherein the connection components are mutually identical.

The connection of claim 1, wherein the connection components comprise at least a first and a second contact.

The connection of claim 2, wherein the first and second contacts are coaxial.

The connection of claim 2 or 3, wherein one of the first and second contacts is movable relative to the other of the first and second contacts.

The connection according to any of the preceding claims 2-4, comprising a magnet, wherein the magnet is coupled to or comprises one of the first and second contacts.

The connection of claim 5, wherein the magnet comprises at least two magnet poles in a front surface, which surface is oriented outwardly relative to the connection.

The connection of claim 6, wherein the magnet is rotatable about a central axis of the surface.

The connection of claims 5, 6 and 7, wherein the one of the first and second contacts, which is connected to or comprised by the magnet, comprises an electrically conductive coating on the surface of the magnet.

The connection according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the magnet is accommodated in a bearing, preferably a sliding ring.

The connection according to claims 3 and 9, wherein the bearing or the sliding ring is accommodated in the other of the first and second contacts than the one of the first and second contacts, to which the magnet is coupled or which is included by the magnet.

The connection according to any of the preceding claims 2-10, wherein at least one of the first and second contacts is manageable in a housing and is connected to a return component, for example a spiral spring, which is arranged to at least approximately of the first and second contacts to an initial rotational position thereof.

12. A connection component of an electrical connection, wherein the connection component is identical to a corresponding connection component, to form an electrical connection in combination.

A device such as a lighting device, comprising a housing and at least a part that requires electrical power, such as a base for a light source, and a connecting component according to claim 12, which is mounted on or in the housing and is electrically connected to the part.

The device of claim 13, wherein the connecting component is connectable to a low voltage direct current power source.

A power supply device to a device according to claim 13 or 14, comprising a power source and / or a connection to a power source, a housing and a connection component according to claim 12, which is arranged on or in the housing.