Source: http://patents.com/us-8075332.html
Timestamp: 2018-09-25 03:02:40
Document Index: 556532945

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1', 'art 2', 'art 1', 'art 2', 'art 1', 'art 2']

US Patent # 8,075,332. Releasably engaging high definition multimedia interface plug - Patents.com
United States Patent 8,075,332
Amidon December 13, 2011
Appl. No.: 13/149,351
12829929 Jul., 2010 7950947
12477257 Dec., 2010 7857652
12276833 Feb., 2011 7892014
11773465 Jan., 2009 7476118
11696716 Nov., 2008 7455545
Current U.S. Class: 439/353 ; 439/352
Current International Class: H01R 13/627 (20060101)
Field of Search: 439/352-354,357,358
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This application is a divisional of and claims priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 12/829,929 filed Jul. 2, 2010 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,950,947, and entitled RELEASABLY ENGAGING HIGH DEFINITION MULTIMEDIA INTERFACE PLUG, which is a divisional of and claims priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 12/477,257 filed Jun. 3, 2009, now issued on Dec. 28, 2010 as U.S. Pat. No. 7,857,652 and entitled RELEASABLY ENGAGING HIGH DEFINITION MULTIMEDIA INTERFACE PLUG, which is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 12/276,833 filed Nov. 24, 2008 now issued on Feb. 22, 2011 as U.S. Pat. No. 7,892,014 and entitled RELEASABLY ENGAGING HIGH DEFINITION MULTIMEDIA INTERFACE PLUG, which is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 11/773,465 filed Jul. 5, 2007 now issued on Jan. 13, 2009 as U.S. Pat. No. 7,476,118 and entitled RELEASABLY ENGAGING HIGH DEFINITION MULTIMEDIA INTERFACE PLUG, which is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 11/696,716 filed Apr. 4, 2007 now issued on Nov. 25, 2008 as U.S. Pat. No. 7,455,545 and entitled LOCKING HIGH DEFINITION MULTIMEDIA INTERFACE PLUG.
1. A releasably engaging high definition multimedia interface plug comprising: a connector body having an opening, the connector body being operable with an actuator having a ramped portion of a forward edge, the ramped portion of the forward edge of the actuator positioned to be slidably movable in contact with and below at least one flexible engagement member having a locking tab residing thereon; wherein, when the actuator is slidably moved in a first axial direction relative to the connector body, the ramped portion of the forward edge of the actuator obtains a position where it is in contact with and below the at least one flexible engagement member and bending the flexible engagement member in a plane not perpendicular with the direction of insertion of the plug into a corresponding standard interface receptacle so that the locking tab is located to protrude from the opening of the body; and wherein, when the actuator is slidably moved in a second opposite axial direction relative to the connector body, the ramped portion of the forward edge of the actuator obtains a position where it is not in contact with the at least one flexible engagement member and the locking tab resides substantially within the opening of the body.
4. The releasably engaging plug of claim 1, further comprising: a first position of the actuator, wherein the ramped portion of the forward edge of the actuator is in contact with and in a position below the at least one flexible engagement member, so that the locking tab residing on the at least one flexible engagement member physically contacts and extends into engagement with a typical sidewall opening of a corresponding standard high definition multimedia interface receptacle into which the releasably engaging plug has been inserted; and a second position of the actuator, wherein the ramped portion of the forward edge of the actuator is not in contact with and not in a position below the at least one flexible engagement member, so that the locking tab residing on the at least one flexible engagement member does not contact nor extend into engagement with a typical sidewall opening of the corresponding standard high definition multimedia interface receptacle into which the releasably engaging plug has been inserted.
5. The releasably engaging plug of claim 1, wherein the ramped portion of the forward edge of the actuator is located to move the locking tab residing on the at least one flexible engagement member into or out of engagement with a typical opening of the standard high definition multimedia interface receptacle.
The locking tab 150 of a locking high definition multimedia interface plug 100 may be configured to be moved into a locked position 161 (as shown in FIG. 7), wherein the locking tab 150 may be located so as to operably protrude into and engage the typical sidewall opening 25 of a receptacle 20. The shape of the locking tab may be configured to substantially hinder and/or stop the retraction of the locking high definition multimedia interface plug 100 from a mated position with the receptacle 20 in a locking, but be releasable simply by the provision of a motive force acting on the actuator 165 of the plug 100. The configuration of the locking high definition multimedia interface plug 100 may necessitate the movement of the locking tab 150 out of the opening 25 before the locking high definition multimedia interface plug may be retracted. However, tab 150 embodiments may be provided wherein the tabs 150 are configured to slip, move, break away, or otherwise facilitate release from a locked position 161 when sufficient force is placed upon the tabs 150. Hence, the tabs 150 may release to prevent damage from occurring to the high definition multimedia interface receptacle as a result of the force. With respect to FIG. 8, various configurations of locking tab embodiments 150a.sub.1, 150a.sub.2, and 150a.sub.3 are shown. A locking tab embodiment 150a.sub.1 may include a ramped rear edge 158a.sub.1 having a reverse incline. The reverse incline may be angled such that sufficient force may cause the rear edge 158a.sub.1 to slip out from engagement with the opening 25 of a receptacle 20 (see FIG. 7). Nevertheless, the rear edge 158a.sub.1 may be shaped so that typical forces due to gravity, dusting, cleaning, moving electrical devices, or otherwise bumping a cable 10 (see FIGS. 5-6) or high definition multimedia interface plug 100 will not be sufficient to break away the locking tab 150a.sub.1. But a substantial jerk on the cable 10 or a large push against the mated plug 100 will cause the tab 150a.sub.1 to release so that the receptacle 20 is not damaged as a result of the force from the jerk or push.
Referring further to FIG. 8, embodiments of the locking tab 150 are configured to permit easy insertion of the plug 100 into the receptacle 20. For example, a tab 150 may have rounded, beveled, or ramped forward edges 157 permitting unidirectional movement of the tab 150 into docking engagement with the receptacle 20. The plug 100 may be inserted into a receptacle 20 and the ramped forward edges 157 may allow the locking tabs 150 to slidably snap into a locked position 161 when the extension 120 is inserted such that the tab(s) 150 securely protrude into the opening(s) 25 of the receptacle 20 (see FIG. 7). Accordingly, a locking tab embodiment 150a.sub.1 may include a ramped edge 157a.sub.1 having a forward incline permitting the tab 157a.sub.1 to slidably snap into engagement with the opening 25 of the receptacle 20. However, as shown and described above the rear edge 158a.sub.1 may be ramped in a reverse direction and may have a steeper angle of incline making it harder for the tab 150a.sub.1 to slide in the reverse direction. Other embodiments of the locking tab 150, such as embodiments 150a.sub.2 and 150a.sub.3, may also include rear edges or impedance surface(s) 158 configured to obstruct movement in the opposite releasing direction while the tab 150 is snapped into the opening 25 of the receptacle 20. For instance, tab embodiment 150a.sub.2 includes a verticle rear edge 158a.sub.2 designed to hinder movement in the reverse direction when the tab 150a.sub.2 is in a locked position 161 (see FIG. 7). However, the transition between the ramped forward edge 157a.sub.2 and vertical rear edge 158a.sub.2 may be rounded so that the tab 150a.sub.2 may move if sufficient force is provided in the reverse direction. Tab embodiment 150a.sub.3 includes a forward inclined rear edge 158a.sub.3 designed to hinder movement in the reverse direction when the tab 150a.sub.3 is in a locked position 161. The tab embodiment 158a.sub.3 may be designed to snap off or break away if sufficient force is provided in the reverse direction. Thus, embodiments of a locking tab 150 may facilitate release from a locked position 161 when sufficient force is inflicted upon the tab 150.
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