WO2009035354A1

WO2009035354A1 - Electrical connection of tubular connecting terminals and segment for a kit for assembling electrical circuits comprising such electrical connection

Info

Publication number: WO2009035354A1
Application number: PCT/PL2008/000064
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pawel Owczarek
Original assignee: Pawel Owczarek
Priority date: 2007-09-11
Filing date: 2008-09-04
Publication date: 2009-03-19

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical connection of tubular connecting terminals (1), comprising an intermediate element (2). In order to enable simple and frequent joining and disjoining of the connection the intermediate element (2) has a substantially convex shape and ferromagnetic features, wherein the connection is maintained by forces of magnetic attraction generated by permanent magnets (3) constructionally fastened to the tubular connecting terminals (1) which are preferably fixed inside the tubular connecting terminals (1) and preferably distanced away from the intermediate elements (2). The invention also relates to a segment for a kit for assembling electrical circuits which may be employed in particular for experimental and didactical purposes and which is provided with said electrical connection (1', 2', 3') to form electrical connections between the segments.

Description

PL_SL01 PCT - 1 -

ELECTRICAL CONNECTION OF TUBULAR CONNECTING TERMINALS AND SEGMENT FOR A KIT FOR ASSEMBLING ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS COMPRISING SUCH ELECTRICAL CONNECTION

[01] The present invention relates to an electrical connection of tubular connecting terminals, comprising an intermediate element, as well as to a segment for a kit for assembling electrical circuits provided with said electrical connection to electrically connect the segments. The segment may be employed in particular for experimental and didactical purposes.

[02] Patent US 6,566,992 B1 discloses a module for the creation of assemblies comprising at least one active magnetic element of attraction and a least one ferromagnetic element suitable for defining areas for connection to other modules, with it is possible to create an assembly of modules which provides a magnetic circuit which closes totally or at least partially via said ferromagnetic elements.

[03] There are many different types of constructional magnetic connections known from the state of art which typically employ an elementary feature of magnets, i.e. acting on ferromagnetic materials placed in the range of effective activity of their magnetic forces.

[04] From the state of art there are also known kits for assembling electrical circuits on a magnetic board comprising plates of various shapes having terminals extending from its side and/or bottom surfaces. Such plates are provided with suitably mounted magnets for fastening a plate to the magnetic board. The surfaces of the plates are depicted with graphical symbols representing a virtual element which the plate is provided with. A construction of known plates makes it possible to compose various electronic circuits, wherein mutual electrical connections are formed by means of terminals arranged on the sides of plates.

[05] Polish patent PL 176367 discloses a segment comprising a plate provided with printed circuits and fastening magnets. The segment comprises double-track connecting elements which are fixed to the bottom side of the segment plate and comprise a body having two contact springs, magnet and movable sphere. The segments may be composed in various configurations, by inserting the segment PL_SL01 PCT - 2 - from above or from a side with no need of decomposition of the whole circuit. Electrical connection between the segments is achieved by attraction of the movable sphere with the contact spring by the magnet. The soldering terminals of the double-track connecting element are directed to the centre of the segment plate, enabling to fix required connections with paths of the printed circuit.

[06] The specification of Polish utility model Ru-52390 discloses a segment having a form of a square plate with magnetic element fastened to its bottom surface. Terminals with electrical contacts are disposed on each side edge of the plate. The first terminals are placed on the outer side of the plate edge, and the second terminals are placed on the inner side of the plate edge, wherein the first terminals are situated on the bottom and the second terminals are situated on the upper surface of the plate respectively. Circuits are assembled from the segments on the surface of a blackboard using magnetic elements. The electrical connections between the segments are realized by means of contacts installed on the edge terminals of the segments.

[07] As used in this specification all elements denominated as "electrical", such as for example electrical module, electrical element, electrical circuit, should also be recognized respectively as "electronic" elements, such as for example electronic module, electronic element, electronic circuit, etc.

[08] The object of the present invention is to provide electrical connection of tubular connecting terminals which would feature easy joining and disjoining. Another object of the present invention is to provide a segment for a kit for assembling electrical circuits. The kit comprises intermediate elements for forming connections between the segments. Such a segment might be advantageously employed for experimental and didactical purposes and in which such a novel electrical connection might be used.

[09] According to the present invention, there is provided electrical connection of tubular connecting terminals, comprising an intermediate element, which according to the invention has a substantially convex shape and ferromagnetic features. The connection is maintained by forces of magnetic attraction generated PL_SL01 PCT - 3 - by permanent magnets constructionally fastened to the tubular connecting terminals.

[10] Preferably the tubular connecting terminals are made of material which is a good electrical conductor (such as for example copper). It is irrelevant that the lines of magnetic field that close magnetic circuits permeate through several material mediums (including air), as the required force of connection does not need to be as great as in the case of constructional connections. In case of spherical intermediate elements it is the proportion of the radius of the sphere to the size of the magnets that matters. For typical popular permanent neodymium magnets N38 of cylindrical shape having both diameter and height equalling about 3 mm and spherical intermediate element having radius at least 30% greater than the magnet diameter, magnetic forces are sufficient to obtain acceptable electrical contact between the tubes and to connect many branches to one node, even in such extremely disadvantageous instance when the poles of all magnets retaining the connection with the intermediate element have the same polarity.

[11] In the preferred embodiment at least two fragments of the surface of the intermediate element are substantially adapted to cooperate with the tubular connecting terminals, while the surface of these fragments is preferably of spherical, conical or pyramidal shape.

[12] Additionally the permanent magnets are preferably fixed inside the tubular connecting terminals. Advantageously the magnets are distanced away from the intermediate elements.

[13] In preferred embodiments of the invention electrical contact (A) between the tubular connecting terminals and the intermediate element is a multipoint contact.

[14] The tubular connecting terminals are advantageously of a circular, oval or polygonal cross-section.

[15] The unique electrical connection of tubular connecting terminals according to the invention is much more universal than known solutions and enables exceptionally simple forming of various types of connections, including among other single and multiple connections, required to be simple and quick for PL_SL01 PCT - A - assembling and disassembling, such as for example connections on switchboards or connection matrixes.

[16] In contrast to known solutions, due to employment of the intermediate element, the invention enables forming of reliable electrical connections including connections at any angles or connections between many terminals. A number of terminals connected by means of one intermediating element depends practically only on the ratio between the cross-section of the terminals and the area of the outer surface of the intermediate element.

[17] The electrical connections according to the invention may be employed for example to construct connection matrixes and/or assemble electrical circuits for example in research and educational applications.

[18] According to the present invention, there is also provided a segment for a kit for assembling electrical circuits comprising the electrical connection described above with intermediate elements forming electrical connections between the segments, which is according to the invention provided with connecting terminals, constituting electrical terminals of an electrical module, that cooperate with intermediate elements having a substantially convex shape and ferromagnetic features, and are provided with permanent magnets.

[19] Preferably at least two fragments of the surface of the intermediate element are substantially adapted to cooperate with the tubular connecting terminals, wherein the surface of these fragments is preferably of spherical, conical or pyramidal shape.

[20] The exemplary embodiments of the present invention are presented below, in a manner not limiting its scope, with reference to the attached drawings on which Fig. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of electrical connection according to the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a side view of the resistor segment comprising electrical connection from

Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the segment from Fig. 2, Fig. 4 shows a connecting link being a special embodiment of the segment PL_SL01 PCT - 5 - according to the present invention, and

Fig. 5 is a top view of an exemplary electrical circuit constituting a controlled- frequency generator circuit with unbalanced loading, composed of the segments according to the invention.

[21] As shown in Fig. 1 , a steel sphere 2 having suitably processed surface is an intermediate element that intermediates in electrical contact between tubular connecting terminals 1. Permanent magnets 3 sustaining the connection are constructionally fastened to the tubes 1 and are installed in particular distances from the ends of tubes 1 ensuring that magnets do not contact the intermediate element 2 but only act on the intermediate element 2 by forces of magnetic attraction.

[22] To the other ends (the ends not shown in Fig. 1 being opposite relative to the ends with magnets) of tubular connecting terminals 1 any kind of electrical terminals may be connected, including electric conductors, using for example clamping, screwing or soldering techniques.

[23] One of advantages of the connection according to the invention is high quality of the electrical connection as the connection is formed by two suitably prepared surfaces A (provided for example with tin, silver or gold plating) and in the result of their shapes the elements forming the connection contact with each other in a multipoint manner. It is advantageously if the magnets sustaining the connection do not participate in forming the surface of electrical contact.

[24] Although in the presented embodiment the intermediate elements are spheres, according to the invention intermediate elements may have a form of any other substantially convex solid, and in particular they may advantageously have a form of a solid the surface of which has at least two fragments being substantially conformable to cooperate with the tubular connecting terminals 1 , wherein the surface of these fragments is preferably of spherical, conical or pyramidal shape.

[25] As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, a novel segment according to the invention is provided with an electrical module (element) 4 soldered on the base plate 5. The plate 5 has a form of a typical backplane made of copper-plated epoxide laminate PL_SL01 PCT - 6 - which is commonly used in electronic constructions. The electric terminals of the module 4 are connected with conductive copper tubes V by means of electric connections 6. In the terminal sections of tubes V there are arranged typical permanent magnets 3' (such as for example neodymium magnet N38) having diameter of 3 mm. The permanent magnets 3' enabling forming a connection are constructionally fastened to the tubes and are installed in particular distances from the ends of the tubes ensuring that magnets do not contact the intermediate elements but only act on these intermediate elements by forces of magnetic attraction.

[26] The remaining parts of the segment comprise constructional base stands 7 made of plastic and covering partially the bottom of the plate 5. Owing to the stands 7 the segment has a form of a stable block provided with tubes V serving as connecting terminals. The space between the stands 7 enables forming an independent (perpendicular) connection.

[27] The connecting terminals may be connected to intermediate elements in the form of steel spheres 2' (constituting separated parts of a kit for assembling electrical circuits) by means of magnetic forces. The diameter of the spheres 2' is about 2.5-fold greater than the diameter of the magnets 3'.

[28] Although in the presented embodiment the intermediate elements are spheres, according to the invention intermediate elements to which segment terminals may be connected may have a form of any other substantially convex solid, and in particular they may advantageously have a form of a solid the surface of which has at least two fragments being substantially conformable to cooperate with the tubular connecting terminals 1 , wherein the surface of these fragments is preferably of spherical, conical or pyramidal shape.

[29] The segment according to the present invention means a functionally-active fragment of a bigger electrical circuit in a form of a module 4 provided with constructional elements such as for example base plate 5 and connecting terminals 1'. Wherein the module 4 should be understood as a single electronic (electrical) element or a given number of such elements mutually connected using electrical means and/or mechanical means. Generally, the segment is an PL_SL01 PCT - 7 - equivalent of a single electronic element having two output terminals, such as for example a resistor or a diode, an element of three terminals such as for example a transistor or a potentiometer, or an element having more terminals, such as for example an integrated circuit. Particularly, the segment may be a connector serving as a typical path of a printed circuit or an electric conductor - two-terminal element - which from the electrical point of view may have a construction being analogous to a typical segment according to the present invention having a simple electrical jumper instead of the electrical module 4. However more obvious shape of the connector is a conductive tube 8 itself on the ends of which there are installed magnets, i.e. the tube formed by two coupled connecting terminals.

[30] The segment may have any shape, but it is advantageous when it is possible to create connections at right angles between the segments. Electrical circuits assembled in common practice have usually a form of circuits composed of mutually perpendicular and parallel lines, therefore all segments, designed to be interconnected with one another, should be substantially dimension-identical modules enabling for assembling circuits in which right angles of connections and parallelism between particular elements are maintained in a stable manner.

[31] One of advantages of the segment according to the invention is facility of simple and frequent joining and disjoining of circuit connections between similarly constructed segments with retaining sufficiently reliable electrical connection.

[32] The segments according to the present invention enable for repeated and effortless assembling any number of segments into electrical circuits, with no need of using, considerably more difficult in realization, fixed connections such as for example soldered-, clamped- or screw-connections, or disconnectable connections such as plug-socket type connections.

[33] The quality of the electrical connection obtained with use of segments according to the invention is satisfactory as the connection is formed by two suitably prepared surfaces (provided for example with tin, silver or gold plating) and as in the result of their shapes the elements form the connection contact with each other in a multipoint manner. PL_SL01 PCT - 8 -

[34] Construction of electrical circuits, using segments according to the present invention, does not require a user to have advanced knowledge in the field of electronics. Assembled electrical circuits may be constructed in a manner that provides obtaining detailed reflection of their schematic diagrams - owing to this they are intelligible and clear for a user.

[35] The embodiments of the present invention described above should not be considered as exhausting and restricting the present invention, which is characterized in patent claims.

Claims

PL_SL01 PCT - 9 -Patent claims

1. An electrical connection of tubular connecting terminals, comprising an intermediate element, characterized in that the intermediate element (2) has a substantially convex shape and ferromagnetic features, wherein the connection is maintained by forces of magnetic attraction generated by permanent magnets (3) constructionally fastened to the tubular connecting terminals (1).

2. The electrical connection according to Claim 1 , characterized in that at least two fragments of the surface of the intermediate element (2) are substantially adapted to cooperate with the tubular connecting terminals (1), wherein the surface of these fragments is preferably of spherical, conical or pyramidal shape.

3. The electrical connection according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the permanent magnets (3) are fixed inside the tubular connecting terminals (1).

4. The electrical connection according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the permanent magnets (3) are distanced away from the intermediate elements (2).

5. The electrical connection according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that electrical contact (A) between the tubular connecting terminals (1) and the intermediate element (2) is a multipoint contact.

6. The electrical connection according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the tubular connecting terminals (1) are of circular, oval or polygonal cross-section.

7. A segment for a kit for assembling electrical circuits with intermediate elements electrically connecting the segments, characterized in that the segment is provided with connecting terminals (1'), constituting electrical terminals of a module (4), that cooperate with intermediate elements (2¹) having a substantially convex shape and ferromagnetic features, and said connecting terminals (T) are provided with permanent magnets (3¹). PL_SL01 PCT - 10 -

8. The segment with intermediate elements according to Claim 7, characterized in that at least two fragments of the surface of the intermediate element (2') are substantially adapted to cooperate with the tubular connecting terminals (Y), wherein the surface of these fragments is preferably of spherical, conical or pyramidal shape.

9. The segment according to Claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the permanent magnets (3^J) are fixed inside the tubular connecting terminals (1').

10. The segment according to one of Claims 7 to 9, characterized in that permanent magnets (3¹) are distanced away from the intermediate elements (2¹).

11. The segment according to one of Claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the number of connecting terminals (1¹) corresponds to the number of electrically-active terminals of the electrical module (4).

12. The segment according to one of Claims 7 to 11 , characterized in that electrical contact between the connecting terminal (1') and the intermediate element (2¹) is a multipoint contact.

13. The segment according to one of Claims 7 to 12, characterized in that connecting terminals (1¹) are tubes having circular, oval or polygonal cross- section.