Patent Publication Number: US-6210201-B1

Title: Insertion connection assembly

Description:
The present invention relates to an insertion connection assembly for mobile equipment, in particular for a mobile telephone set. The mobile telephone set may thus be a handset for use both in a GSM context and also domestically. More generally, the invention relates to any equipment that needs to be simple to connect at will, e.g. any equipment that is put back on a stand in order to recharge its battery. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to solve a problem that arises in insertion connection assemblies. In the field of connectors, there are two families. A first family comprises insertion connectors, and the second family comprises pressure connectors. In both cases, a plug and a socket of an outlet must be brought together. The plug and the outlet have terminations for establishing contact, and electrical cables connected to said terminations. In the pressure connection mode, the contact between conductive portions (normally metal portions) of the plug and corresponding conductive portions of the socket serves to limit the extent to which the socket and the plug can be brought together. The conductive portions of the two parts are brought together “head on”, i.e. they are disposed on the “front” ends of said parts in the direction in which they are brought together. 
     In the insertion contact mode, the plug must be inserted into a cavity in the socket, the contact between the conductive zones of the plug and of the socket generally being established by sliding. The contact force is then lateral, i.e. it acts perpendicularly to the direction in which the plug and the socket are brought together. In the insertion connection mode, the metal portions can be subjected to wear as a result of them sliding against one another. To avoid such wear, “press-down” connectors may be provided. In such connectors, the plug advancing into the socket causes the conductive zones of the socket to move perpendicularly so that, at the end of the stroke, they come into contact with the metal zones on the plug. Pressure connection assemblies may be considered to be press-down devices whose angle of approach is large. 
     Pressure connectors are ill-suited to use in outlets but they are very useful for chargers and kits for vehicles. Insertion connectors are ill-suited to use in chargers and kits for vehicles, but they are well suited to use in outlets. 
     It is also known that it is possible to manufacture combined connectors, i.e. connectors whose sockets are suitable for receiving either pressure contact plugs or insertion contact plugs. In this field, PCT Patent Application WO-A-97/36350 describes a connector that can be used in two manners. In a connector of that type, the metal pressure-connection zones may be extended electrically into metal insertion-connection zones. To hold and guide the plugs in that socket, guide studs are provided on either side of a row of metal zones, which studs engage in or are locked in cavities. 
     The development in the use of electrical equipment, in particular in the field of telephony, has led to research into sockets having a variety of functions. For example, consideration has been given to a socket to be installed in a vehicle. In which case, the socket may serve to receive a mobile telephone in order to recharge the battery of the mobile telephone while it rests in the socket. In addition, in the same use, consideration has been given to cause the fact of placing the mobile telephone in the socket to switch over the audio channels (the loudspeaker and the microphone) either to a headset that may be worn by the driver of the vehicle, or to a loudspeaker-phone set installed in the vehicle facing the driver, so as to enable the driver to use the telephone in hands-free mode. Similarly, consideration has been given to connecting a buzzer for the driver, the buzzer replacing audible ringing for the purpose of alerting the wearer of the buzzer that the mobile telephone is receiving a call. Consideration has also been given to using the socket to relay transmission of messages forwarded by the mobile telephone. Such relaying is performed, for example, via a radio link at domestic frequency (e.g. 27 MHz). Finally, for data transmission, and in particular for facsimile transmission, provision is made to connect a microcomputer to the socket which is itself connected to the mobile telephone so as to use said mobile telephone as means for transmitting digital data. As has been observed, mobile telephone connection needs can be very varied. In addition, it has become necessary to organize simultaneous use of links of different types. In which case, the presence of side guide studs is inconvenient. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention solves that problem and, at the same time, can take advantage of the existence of combined pressure-and-insertion connectors to enable at least two connections to be made simultaneously from the socket to two different items of equipment. In the invention, it is possible to connect both a pressure plug and an insertion plug to the socket simultaneously. In which case, in preferred manner only the insertion connection is really locked, while the pressure connection remains free. As a result, rather than placing the lock of the pressure connection assembly on the sides of the connector, it is placed on the top thereof. It is shown below that it is thus possible to place other connectors on the sides, thereby increasing options for connecting different items of equipment. 
     The invention provides an insertion connection assembly, in particular for a mobile telephone, the assembly comprising a socket provided with a cavity, a contact flank of the cavity receiving a set of first metal zones juxtaposed across a ridge transversely to an insertion direction, and a plug provided with second metal zones on a contact face, provision being made for the first metal zones to come into contact with the second metal zones by the plug being inserted into the socket, wherein a retaining flank of the cavity, which flank is opposite the contact flank, and a retaining face of the plug, which face is opposite from the contact face, are provided with a resilient mechanism for engagement perpendicular to the retaining flank and to the retaining face. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood on reading the following description with reference to the accompanying figures which are given merely by way of non-limiting example, and in which: 
     FIGS. 1 a  to  1   c  are views in perspective and in section showing a combined connection assembly of the invention; and 
     FIGS. 2 a  to  2   c  are views in perspective and in section of an improvement showing a preferred implementation of the pressure contact mode. 
    
    
     MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 a  is a perspective view of a combined connection assembly for a mobile terminal, in particular a mobile telephone terminal. The connection assembly includes a socket  1  provided with a set  2  of front metal zones. The socket  1  is also provided with a set  3  of lateral metal zones. The front metal zones are designed to serve to enable pressure contact to be established by engaging a plug against a front  4  of the socket  1 . The metal zones of the set  3  serve to establish insertion contact with corresponding metal zones on a plug engaged in a cavity  5  in the socket  1 . In the preferred example shown, and for a combined connection assembly, the front metal zones  6  of the set  2  and the lateral metal zones  7  of the set  3  may be connected respectively to one another. They are also connected to items of equipment (not shown in FIG. 1 a ) as explained below. 
     The connection assembly also includes a set  8  of plugs which, in a preferred embodiment, are complementary. A first plug  9  is designed to enter into pressure contact with the metal zones  6  of the set  2 . A second plug  10  is designed to enter into insertion contact with the metal zones  7  of the set  3 . For the purposes of complementarity, the plug  9  is substantially rectangular block shaped with a front edge  11  on which flush metal zones such as  12  and  13  of a set of metal zones corresponding to the set  2  are disposed. The metal zones  12  and  13  may, in practice, be implemented in the form of blades. These blades are extended over a top face  14  of the rectangular block of the plug  9 . The plug  9  may be rigid, with extensions  15  and  16  to the front metal zone  12  ad  13  being brought into a flexible cable which is itself connected to equipment using this connection mode. The cable may be terminated at its other end by a connector that is preferably of the insertion type and that can be connected to the equipment (e.g. a mobile telephone). The extensions  15  and  16  may be placed at the bottoms of channels provided in the face  14  so that they are electrically isolated from any metal object placed on the face  14 . 
     The plug  10  is provided with metal or conductive zones  17 ,  18  designed to come into sliding contact with the metal zones  7  of the set  3 . For this purpose, the plug  10  also has a rigid end which engages in the cavity  5 . The rigid end is connected to a flexible cable which extends the metal zones  17  and  18  to another item of equipment (e.g. a microcomputer). For example, the metal zones  17  and  18  are connected to the metal zones  7  by implementing the metal zones in the form of flexible metal blades which push against one another on insertion. 
     The plugs  9  and  10  are preferably of complementary shapes. Thus, the plug  10  has a contact face  19  designed to be placed with or without electrical contact above the face  14 . The complementarity also concerns the existence of two pieces of relief relative to a surface defined by the faces  14  and  19 . The pieces of relief may project from or else be set back from the front face (i.e. in the cavity) of the socket  1 . In the example shown, the socket  1  thus a has two grooves  20  and  21  set back from its front face and situated on either side of a ridge  22  across which the sets  2  and  3  of metal zones extend transversely. Corresponding to the grooves  20  and  21 , the plugs  9  and  10  are respectively provided with a border  23  and with a border  24 . When the plug  9  is placed against the socket  1 , the border  23  engages in the groove  20  placed on the right of the ridge  22 . For this purpose, the engagement end of the border  23  is provided with a conical portion  25  facilitating engagement, and with a slide portion  26  guiding the border in the groove  20 . The border  24  is provided with corresponding means. For the border  24 , the slide portion may be longer so as to take advantage of the insertion length. 
     It is possible to use the plug  9  on its own, and to provide it symmetrically with a border  27  of the same type as the border  23 . In which case, the complementarity between the plugs  9  and  10  is obtained by sliding the plug  10  in a recess provided between the two borders  23  and  27 . It is also possible to provide other forms of complementarity. In particular, instead of being provided with insertion grooves  20  and  21 , the cavity  5  may be provided with other profiles. The other profiles must make it possible at least for each of the two plugs to be brought correctly onto the socket  1 , it being possible for the other plug to make use of the existence of relief or grooves provided in the first plug to be received in register in the socket  1 . In all cases, one plug may be in contact with the socket without the other plug being in contact therewith. 
     A shown, the socket  1  thus co-operates with two complementary plugs by them being superposed for connection purposes. It is possible, in the transverse direction of the ridge  22 , to provide other connection assemblies, each of which comprises a socket  1  provided with sets  2  and  3  of associated connections, and serving to co-operate with corresponding plugs. In one example, a triple socket  1  was formed with a set  2 - 3  of metal zones having eight contacts for data transmission purposes (for an eight-wire bus), a set  2 - 3  of three contacts for electrically charging the mobile equipment, and a set  2 - 3  of eight contacts also for diverting all of the audio functions, and for accommodating the existence of a buzzer, or a headset etc. The three sets are disposed side-by-side. Optionally, a groove  20  or  21  may be common to two sets. 
     FIG. 1 b  shows the preferred configuration in which the plugs  9  and  10  are mounted in the socket  1 . The socket  1  is thus provided with blades  29  for forming the metal zones  6  and  7  held in a molded structure constituting the socket  1 . Each of the blades  29  has a front portion  6  on the front of the socket  1 , and a lateral portion  7  extending inside the cavity  5 . In a preferred embodiment, each of the blades  29  also has a rear portion  30  which also penetrates into the cavity  5 . The portion  6  of the blade  29  serves to co-operate electrically by coming into contact with a contact front face  12  of a connection  16  of the plug  9 . The portion  7  of the blade  29  serves to co-operate electrically with a metal zone  18  of the plug  10 . The blade  29  thus has a front-and-lateral portion  6 - 7  capable of resiliently moving about an axis of rotation  31 . As explained below, this resilient movement contributes both to holding the pressure plug  9  properly and to keeping the insertion plug  10  properly in contact. 
     Via the rear of the cavity  5 , it is also possible to cause another insertion plug  32  to penetrate into the socket  1 , which plug is provided with lateral conductive zones  33  serving to come into contact with the extensions  30 . If necessary, the socket  1  may be fastened against a structure  34  by screws  35 . 
     In the example shown in FIG. 1 b , the pressure plug  9  is connected to an office charger, or a vehicle kit including a plug  39  for connection to a cigarette lighter of a vehicle. The plug  10  is connected to a microcomputer  38 . The rear plug  32  is connected to a mobile telephone. As explained above, other sets of connections  2 - 3  may be provided in the transverse direction  22  for connecting a headset or a small domestic-frequency transceiver for forwarding messages from the mobile telephone in cordless manner. This is particularly useful for people who, since they do not have pockets in which to place mobile telephones, put them in bags and prefer to use headsets, which are much lighter in weight, in order to converse. 
     FIGS. 1 a  and  1   b  show a preferred embodiment of the locking means of the invention for locking the plug  10  in the cavity  5 . For this purpose, the plug  10  (FIG. 1 a ) has a plane notch  40 . In register with the notch  40 , the socket  1  is provided with a retaining flank  41  provided with a resilient tongue  42 . The retaining flank  41  faces a flank  43  inside the cavity  5 , against which flank the metal zones  7  serving in the insertion connection mode are pressed. The tongue  42  has two slopes relative to the flank  41 . A first slope  44  slopes gently relative to the retaining flank  41 . This slope  44  serves to enable the front portion of the plug  10  to be engaged easily. On engaging the plug, one end of the tongue  42  is pushed back into a recess in the wall  41 . At its end, the tongue  42  is provided with an abutment  45  which slopes much more steeply. The abutment  45  serves to come into abutment against a wall  47  of the notch  40 . The slope  46  is steep in order to constitute effective locking to prevent the plug  10  from being withdrawn too naturally. The slope  46  is not perpendicular to the face  45  so that it is nevertheless possible to withdraw the plug by exerting a sufficient traction force on the plug  10 . For this purpose, it may be provided with an extraction ring  48 . The notch  40  is provided with a triangular profile complementary to the slopes  44  and  46 . Naturally, it is possible to invert the presence of the notch  40  and of the tongue  42  in the plug and in the wall  41 . The solution shown is however preferred because only the socket  1  in this example need be provided with the various tongues  29  and  42 . This simplifies manufacture if these tongues are all made of metal. The tongue  42  may also be made of plastic. The socket  1  and the plugs  9  and  10  may be obtained by entirely conventional molding. 
     FIG. 1 c  shows how three insertion plugs  10  with plane notches  40  may be juxtaposed. The three plugs simultaneously inserted in the socket  1  respectively serve for audio purposes, for charging purposes, and for data transfer purposes. The audio connector and the data transfer connector preferably have eight electrical contacts each. The presence of the notches  40  in the top faces makes such juxtaposition possible. The socket  1  is then provided with three juxtaposed cavities  5  in a transverse direction  22  in which the sets of metal zones extend, so that each cavity receives a respective one of the three plugs. 
     FIG. 2 a  is a perspective view of a preferred implementation of pressure connection. In this case, a plug  9  comes into position above the front blades  6  of the set  2 . The plug  9  is provided with corresponding blades  12 - 13  on a front edge  11 , which blades come into pressure contact with the blades of the set  2 . According to an important characteristic, by co-operating mechanically with the blades of the set  2 , the blades  12  and  13  generate a reaction force  49  tending to push the plug  9  upwards. 
     The socket  1  is further provided with a set of catches  50  and  51  serving to catch inside cavities provided in the edge  11 . The catches  50 - 51  are shown as projecting above the front face  55  of the socket  1 , but it is quite possible optionally to invert the mechanism and to provide the catches  50  in the conical projections  25  of the borders  26  and  27  (see FIG. 1 a ). By doing this, the catches  50  tend to attract the plug towards the socket  1  in the direction referenced  52  by means of a resilient configuration explained below. In the invention, the forces  49  and  52  thus generated form overturn torque tending to overturn the plug  9  (or the mobile telephone whose bottom end is equipped with such a plug). 
     This overturn torque is resisted either by the existence of a back  53  secured to the socket  1  or by the thickness  54  of the front  55  of the socket  1 . The corresponding reaction force  56  works in the same direction as the force  49 . 
     Under these conditions, the pressure contact between the blades  12  &amp;  13  and the metal zones  6  is much better. In the preferred example, a mobile telephone must be as light in weight as possible. If its weight alone is used to establish the pressure contact with the blades of the set  2 , the pressure is insufficient. In particular when the set  2  comprises about ten contacts, and when the mobile telephone weighs about 100 grams, the pressure forces on each blade are about 10 grams: they are very insufficient. In contrast, when the mobile telephone is placed in abutment against the face  55  in accordance with the invention, the operator has no difficulty in pressing for a short time with a non-negligible force, e.g. about 5 kg. In which case, the operator forces the catches  50  and  51  to engage in the corresponding cavities. It is possible to choose the resilient forces of the catches  50  and  51  so that each of them exerts a retaining force of about 1 kg. As a result, a force of 2 kg is then available for being distributed over about ten contacts: i.e. 200 grams per contact, which is quite sufficient. 
     FIG. 2 b  is a diagrammatic section view showing how the catches  50  and  51  co-operate. Cavities  57  are provided in the edge  11  of the plug  9  facing studs  58  carried by the socket  1  (or the reverse configuration is used). The studs  58  are provided with the catches  50 . The cavities are provided with catching tongues  59 . The catching tongues  59  can be provided at the time of manufacture by molding of the plug  9 . The tongues  59  project inside the cavity  57  and they are held in the structure of the plug  9 . For example, they may be held by molding. Each of the tongues  59  is provided with an end  60  serving to co-operate with a tip  61  of a catch  50 . On insertion, it is necessary to force (e.g. with a force of 5 kg) on the plug  9  or on the mobile telephone to engage it and to cause the end  60  of the tongue to go beyond the tip  61 . For disengagement, either the socket is heavy enough, or it is fixed to a non-removable portion (dashboard of the vehicle), or else the operator uses both hands to disengage the two parts. The tip  61  is thus provided with two slopes  62  and  63  relative to the end  60 , the inclination of the slopes being chosen as a function of the desired ease and difficulty of insertion and of removal. 
     By acting in this manner, the forces  49  and  52  balance out. The intermediate position of the force  52  between the forces  49  and  56  should be noted. Dashed lines show the distribution of the forces. In order to enable the stresses to be balanced out in this way, the front face  55  of the socket  1  is provided with a sloping surface  64  which can accommodate a tongue  6  on insertion if the engagement direction is not exactly perpendicular to the face  55 . The sloping surface  64  in particular facilitates putting the plug  9  in place in the socket  1  by effecting a slight rotation. This rotation associated with the special shape of the studs  58  makes it possible to insert the plug  9  into the socket  1  and to extract it therefrom without any effort. 
     FIG. 2 c  shows a variant of the catches. The edge  55  of the socket  1  is provided with a cavity  65  provided with an overhang  66 . The plug  9  is provided with a catch  67  provided with a resilient hook  68 . For engagement, the catch  67  of the plug  9  is lowered into the cavity  65 . Then the plug  9  is righted. Such righting is made easier by the presence of telescopic electrical contacts  69  which come into abutment in alignment above the overhang  66 .