PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10263381-B2
Application Number: US-201715665249-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Sealed corrosion-resistant contacts

Abstract:
Contacts and connector assemblies that may be space efficient, provide direct connections to flexible circuit boards, provide corrosion resistance, prevent moisture leakage into an electronic device housing the connector assembly, are readily assembled, and have an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A connector assembly comprising:
 a flexible circuit board terminating in a left tab, a center tab, and a right tab, the left tab having an opening and an attachment area on a front side, the right tab having an opening and an attachment area on a front side; 
 a first contact assembly having a mating surface attached to the attachment area of the left tab; 
 a second contact assembly having a mating surface attached to the attachment area of the right tab; 
 a support structure attached to a rear of the center tab, the support structure having a first opening and a second opening; 
 a first bracket behind the left tab and the support structure and having a first opening and a second opening; 
 a second bracket behind the right tab and the support structure and having a first opening and a second opening; and 
 a third bracket having bracket portions behind the first bracket and the second bracket, the bracket portions having a first opening and a second opening. 
 
     
     
       2. The connector assembly of  claim 1  wherein the third bracket is a housing for an antenna. 
     
     
       3. The connector assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of contacts on a front surface of the center tab. 
     
     
       4. The connector assembly of  claim 3  further comprising:
 a first fastener through the first opening of the third bracket, the first opening of the first bracket, and the opening of the left tab; 
 a second fastener through the second opening of the first bracket and the first opening of the support structure; 
 a third fastener through the first opening of the second bracket and the second opening of the support structure; and 
 a fourth fastener through the second opening of the third bracket, the second opening of the second bracket, and the opening of the right tab. 
 
     
     
       5. The connector assembly of  claim 4  wherein the left tab is split into a first portion and a second portion, the opening on the first portion and the attachment area on the second portion, and wherein the right tab is split into a first portion and a second portion, the opening on the first portion and the attachment area on the second portion. 
     
     
       6. The connector assembly of  claim 5  wherein each contact assembly comprises:
 a contact body having a contact surface at a first end; 
 a contacting portion attached to a second end of the contact body, the contacting portion having a mating surface away from the second end of the contact body; 
 a first injection molded housing around the contacting portion and the contact body, wherein the mating surface of the contacting portion is exposed; 
 a second injection molded housing around the contact body, the second injection molded housing separate from, and spaced away from, the first injection molded housing, wherein the contact surface of the contact body is exposed; and 
 an O-ring around the contact body and between the first injection molded housing and the second injection molded housing. 
 
     
     
       7. A connector assembly comprising:
 a contact assembly comprising: 
 a contact body formed of a first material and having a contact surface at a first end; 
 a contacting portion formed of a second material, the second material different from the first material, and attached to a second end of the contact body, the contacting portion having a mating surface away from the second end of the contact body; 
 a first housing around the contacting portion and the contact body, wherein the mating surface of the contacting portion is exposed; 
 a second housing around the contact body, the second housing separate from, and spaced away from, the first housing, wherein the contact surface of the contact body is exposed; and 
 a sealing component around the contact body and between the first housing and the second housing. 
 
     
     
       8. The connector assembly of  claim 7  wherein the contacting portion is formed separately from the contact body. 
     
     
       9. The connector assembly of  claim 7  wherein the sealing component is circumferentially around the contact body. 
     
     
       10. The connector assembly of  claim 7  wherein the sealing component is around a perimeter of the contact body. 
     
     
       11. The connector assembly of  claim 7  wherein the first material is consistent with ASTM Standard B540. 
     
     
       12. The connector assembly of  claim 7  wherein the first material is consistent with ASTM Standard B540 and the second material comprises copper. 
     
     
       13. The connector assembly of  claim 7  wherein the contact body is clad with a material consistent with ASTM Standard B540. 
     
     
       14. The connector assembly of  claim 7  wherein the contacting portion is riveted to the contact body. 
     
     
       15. The connector assembly of  claim 14  wherein the first housing and the second housing are insert-molded housings. 
     
     
       16. The connector assembly of  claim 15  wherein the mating surface is arranged to be attached to a flexible circuit board. 
     
     
       17. The connector assembly of  claim 16  wherein the sealing component is an O-ring. 
     
     
       18. The connector assembly of  claim 17  wherein the contact body is machined to have a curved contact surface. 
     
     
       19. The connector assembly of  claim 18  wherein the contact body is further machined to have a narrowed portion at the second end, wherein the second end is riveted to the contact body. 
     
     
       20. The connector assembly of  claim 19  wherein the contacting portion is formed as part of a carrier before being attached to the contact body. 
     
     
       21. A method of manufacturing a connector assembly, the method comprising:
 forming a contact assembly by: 
 machining a contact body to have a contact surface at a first end and a narrowed portion at a second end; 
 attaching a contacting portion to a second end of the contact body, the contacting portion having a mating surface away from the second end of the contact body; 
 injection molding a first housing around the contacting portion and the contact body such that the mating surface of the contacting portion is exposed; 
 injection molding a second housing around the contact body, the second housing separate from, and spaced away from, the first housing, such that the contact surface of the contact body is exposed; and 
 placing a sealing component around the contact body and between the first housing and the second housing. 
 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21  wherein the contacting portion is attached to the contact body by riveting. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22  wherein the mating surface is arranged to be attached to a flexible circuit board. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 23  wherein the sealing component is an O-ring. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 24  wherein the contact body is machined to have a curved contact surface. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 25  wherein the contact body is computer numerical control (CNC) machined.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/396,974, filed Sep. 20, 2016, which is incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Electronic devices often include one or more connector receptacles though which they may provide and receive power and data. This power and data may be conveyed over cables having connector inserts at each end of a cable, which may be inserted into receptacles of the communicating electronic devices. In other electronic systems, contacts on a first device may be in physical and electrical contact with contacts on a second device, obviating the need for an intervening cable. In such systems, a first connector may be formed as part of the first electronic device, while a second connector may be formed as part of the second electronic device. 
     But these connectors consume space in electronic devices. The larger a connector is, the larger the electronic device may be, unless some degree of functionality is compromised. Further, while typical connector receptacles may be designed to be placed on a printed circuit board, smaller electronic devices may include flexible instead of printed circuit boards. 
     Also, the contacts in these various connectors may be exposed to liquids and fluids that may cause the contacts to corrode. For example, a user may purposely or inadvertently submerge or spill liquid on electronic device. This may cause one or more contacts to corrode, particularly where a voltage is present on the one or more contacts. This corrosion may impair the operation of the electronic device or cable and in severe cases may render the device or cable inoperable. This moisture may also leak into the electronic device causing further damage. 
     These electronic devices may be very popular and may therefore be manufactured in large volumes. Therefore it may be desirable that these contacts be readily manufactured such that demand for the devices may be met. Also, any reduction in cost in contacts may lead to a large reduction in total costs. 
     Also, it may be desirable that these contacts have an aesthetic appearance. For example, it may be desirable that these contacts have an appearance that matches an appearance of a device enclosure around the contacts. 
     Thus, what is needed are contacts and connector assemblies that may be space efficient, provide direct connections to flexible circuit boards, provide corrosion resistance, prevent moisture leakage into an electronic device housing the connector assembly, are readily assembled, and have an aesthetically pleasing appearance. 
     SUMMARY 
     Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention may provide contacts and connector assemblies that may be space efficient, provide direct connections to flexible circuit boards, provide corrosion resistance, prevent moisture leakage into an electronic device housing the connector assembly, are readily assembled, and have an aesthetically pleasing appearance. 
     An illustrative embodiment of the present invention may provide contacts and connector assemblies that may be space efficient by using an enclosure of an electronic device instead of a connector receptacle housing. That is, contacts may be placed in openings in device enclosures to eliminate the need for bulky connector receptacle housings. This may allow the device to be smaller, for additional functionality to be included in the electronic device, or a combination thereof. 
     These and other embodiments of the present invention may provide a connector assembly formed to connect to a flexible circuit board or other type of circuit board. One example may provide a connector assembly formed around tabs at an end of a flexible circuit board. The flexible circuit board may terminate in a left tab, a center tab, and a right tab. The left tab may have a first opening and a first attachment area on a front side. The right tab may have a first opening and a first attachment area on a front side. A first contact assembly may have a mating surface attached to the first attachment area of the left tab, while a second contact assembly may have a mating surface attached to the first attachment area of the right tab. A first support structure may be attached to a rear of the center tab and it may have a first opening and a second opening. A first bracket may be behind the left tab and the first support structure, and it may have a first opening and a second opening. A second bracket may be behind the right tab and the first support structure, and it may have a first opening and second opening. A third bracket may have contacting portions behind the first bracket and the second bracket, and the contacting portions may provide the third bracket with a first opening and a second opening. 
     In these and other embodiments of the present invention, one or more of the tabs may be split into one or more portions. Such a split may aid in aligning the connector assembly structures to the device enclosure. For example, the left tab may be split into a first portion and a second portion, where the first opening is on the first portion and the first attachment area is on the second portion. Also, the right tab may be split into a first portion and a second portion, where the first opening is on the first portion and the first attachment area is on the second portion. 
     In these and other embodiments of the present invention, the brackets and tabs may be fixed to a device enclosure using fasteners. These fasteners may be stainless steel screws, push pins, collets, or other fasteners. They may be inserted through the brackets and into holes or openings, which may be threaded, in the device enclosure. The fasteners may include a first fastener passing through the first opening of the third bracket, the first opening of the first bracket, and the first opening of the left tab. The fasteners may further include a second fastener passing through the second opening of the first bracket and the first opening of the first support structure, and a third fastener passing through the first opening of the second bracket and the second opening of the first support structure. A fourth fastener may be passed through the second opening of the third bracket, the second opening of the second bracket, and the first opening of the left tab. Again, each of these fasteners may terminate in holes or openings, which may be threaded, in the device enclosure or other structure associated with or fixed to the device enclosure. 
     In these and other embodiments of the present invention, the contact assemblies may include a contact body having a contact surface at a first end, where the contact surface is exposed at an opening of a device enclosure. The contact surfaces may thus be exposed to moisture, liquids, and other corroding substances. Accordingly, the contact body may be formed of, or clad or plated with, a corrosion-resistant material. For example, the contact body including the contact surface may be formed of, or clad or plated with, gold, palladium, a palladium silver alloy, copper, phosphor bronze, silver, yellow gold, a high entropy material, such as materials consistent with ASTM Standards B540, B563, B589, B683, B685, or B731, or other material or combination of materials. 
     The entry of these liquids or other fluids into an electronic device may be damaging. Accordingly, in this and other embodiments of the present invention, a sealing structure, such as an O-ring, gasket, or other seal may be placed around the contact body such that it is between the contact body and an opening passage in the device enclosure. This sealing structure may prevent moisture or water leakage into the electronic device housing the connector assembly. 
     More specifically, in this and other embodiments of the present invention, the contact assembly may include a contact body having a contact surface at a first end. A contacting portion may be riveted or otherwise attached to a second end of the contact body. The contacting portion may have a mating surface away from the second end of the contact body. A first injection molded housing may be around the contacting portion and the contact body, wherein the mating surface of the contacting portion is exposed. A second injection molded housing may be around the contact body. The second injection molded housing may be separate from, and spaced away from, the first injection molded housing, wherein the contact surface of the contact body is exposed. Instead of simply relying on the injection molded housings to prevent moisture ingress, embodiments of the present invention may further provide a sealing structure between the contact body and device enclosure. For example, an O-ring or other sealing structure may be placed around the contact body and between the first injection molded housing and the second injection molded housing. 
     In these and other embodiments of the present invention, contact assemblies may provide paths for power, signals, or both, between the electronic device housing the contact assemblies and a second device. For example, paths where data and power share two contacts may be provided by embodiments of the present invention. In these embodiments, data may RF or IF modulate the power supply, data and power may be time-division multiplexed, or another technique may be used. In other embodiments of the present invention, additional contacts may be needed in some circumstances. These contacts may be used to a much lesser extent. It may therefore be desirable to use more cost-effective materials and manufacturing processes for these contacts and then only make them accessible when needed. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention may provide a number of surface-mount contacts on a front of the center tab. These contacts may be exposed though an opening in the device enclosure when needed. The opening may be sealed or otherwise covered after the contacts are used, or when the contacts are not needed. This may improve the manufacturability of the contacts and connector assemblies, thereby improving yield and reducing costs. 
     These and other embodiments of the present invention may provide contacts having an aesthetically pleasing or cosmetic appearance. For example, a surface of a contact may be provided with a finish that matches, or stylistically mismatches, a surrounding area of a device enclosure. The contacts may be finished, for example using blasting, polishing, tumbling, or other process to match an enclosure finish and to provide an aesthetically pleasing or cosmetic appearance. 
     In these and other embodiments of the present invention, other circuitry of the electronic device may be able to make use of portions of the connector assembly. For example, the third bracket may be used to convey current for a power supply, it may be used as an antenna, a guide or housing for an antenna, or it may be used for other purposes. For example, the third bracket may be a plastic housing for an antenna. 
     In various embodiments of the present invention, the contacts and their connector assemblies may be formed in various ways of various materials. For example, contacts and other conductive portions may be formed by stamping, coining, metal-injection molding, machining, micro-machining, 3-D printing, or other manufacturing process. The conductive portions may be formed of stainless steel, steel, copper, copper titanium, phosphor bronze, palladium, palladium silver, or other material or combination of materials, as described herein. They may be clad, plated, or coated with nickel, gold, palladium, or other material, as described herein. The nonconductive portions, such as the housings and other portions, may be formed using injection or other molding, 3-D printing, machining, or other manufacturing process. The nonconductive portions may be formed of silicon or silicone, Mylar, Mylar tape, rubber, hard rubber, plastic, nylon, elastomers, liquid-crystal polymers (LCPs), ceramics, or other nonconductive material or combination of materials. 
     Embodiments of the present invention may provide contacts and their connector assemblies that may be located in, or may connect to, various types of devices, such as portable computing devices, tablet computers, desktop computers, laptops, all-in-one computers, wearable computing devices, cell phones, smart phones, media phones, storage devices, keyboards, covers, cases, portable media players, navigation systems, monitors, power supplies, adapters, remote control devices, chargers, and other devices. These contacts and their connector assemblies may provide pathways for signals that are compliant with various standards such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), High-Definition Multimedia Interface® (HDMI), Digital Visual Interface (DVI), Ethernet, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt™, Lightning, Joint Test Action Group (JTAG), test-access-port (TAP), Directed Automated Random Testing (DART), universal asynchronous receiver/transmitters (UARTs), clock signals, power signals, and other types of standard, non-standard, and proprietary interfaces and combinations thereof that have been developed, are being developed, or will be developed in the future. In various embodiments of the present invention, these interconnect paths provided by these contacts and connector assemblies may be used to convey power, ground, signals, test points, and other voltage, current, data, or other information. 
     Various embodiments of the present invention may incorporate one or more of these and the other features described herein. A better understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be gained by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a front view of an electronic device incorporating a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a front of the electronic device of  FIG. 1  where a protective cover has been removed; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an exploded view of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a rear view of the device enclosure of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a rear view of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 6-12  illustrates the manufacturing of a contact assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 13  illustrates a side view of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 14  illustrates another side view of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a front view of an electronic device incorporating a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. This figure, as with the other included figures, is shown for illustrative purposes and does not limit either the possible embodiments of the present invention or the claims. 
     Contacts  100  of the connector assembly may be available at a surface of an electronic device housed in device enclosure  110 . They may be located in a notch, groove, or other contoured surface portion  116  of device enclosure  110 . Contacts  100  may have a contacting surface that is sub-flush (set behind) or substantially flush with, the local surface of the device enclosure  110 . Contacts  100  may have surfaces that are curved or have other shapes to match (or purposefully mismatch) the contours of surface portion  116  of device enclosure  110  near contacts  100 . Contacts  100  may be located in openings  112  in device enclosure  110  and contacts  100  may be insulated from device enclosure  110  by insulating rings  102 . 
     The surfaces of contacts  100  may be formed having an aesthetically pleasing or cosmetic appearance. For example, a surface of contacts  100  may be provided with a finish that matches, or stylistically mismatches, a surrounding surface portion  116  of a device enclosure  110 . Contacts  100  may be finished, for example using blasting, polishing, tumbling, or other process to match an enclosure finish and to provide an aesthetically pleasing or cosmetic appearance. 
     In this example, two contacts  100  are shown, though in other embodiments of the present invention, one, three, four, or more than four contacts may be included and available at a surface of device enclosure  110 . These contacts  100  may form pathways for data signals, power, ground, or other data or power supply voltages. In these and other embodiments of the present invention, data and power may share two contacts  100 . For example, the data may RF or IF modulate the power supply voltage, the data and the power may share the contacts  100  in a time-division multiplexing manner, or another technique may be used. 
     Since the surfaces of contacts  100  are exposed at a surface of device enclosure  110 , they may encounter moisture, liquids, or other corrosive substances. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention may include contacts  100  having surfaces that are formed of, or clad or plated with, corrosion resistive materials. For example, a contact body  600  (shown below in  FIGS. 5-11 ), which may form a contact  100 , may be formed of, or clad or plated with, gold, palladium, a palladium silver alloy, copper, phosphor bronze, silver, yellow gold, a high entropy material, such as materials consistent with ASTM Standards B540, B563, B589, B683, B685, or B731, or other material or combination of materials. 
     In various embodiments of the present invention, these contacts  100  may be used on a regular basis and so a relatively high cost of manufacturing to provide corrosion resistance contacts may be justified. In these in other embodiments of the present invention, it may be desirable to also include other additional contacts that are not regularly used, or at least used less often. For example, these additional contacts may be used for initial or restorative programming for the electronic device. In such a device, lower cost additional contacts may be used and they may be covered or otherwise not exposed at a surface of device enclosure  110  when not in use. 
     In this example, cover  120  may be placed in recess  114  of device enclosure  110 . Cover  120  may be removed to expose these additional contacts. In these in other embodiments of the present invention, once these additional contacts are used, they may be sealed and covered by cover  120 . Cover  120  may provide a cosmetic function as well, particularly when a color of the cover matches a color of the surrounding device enclosure  110 . A dimple or raised portion  122  may be used to facilitate removal of cover  120 . An example of these contacts is shown in the following figure. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a front of the electronic device of  FIG. 1  where a protective cover has been removed. In this example, cover  120  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) has been removed, thereby exposing additional contacts  210  in recess  114  in device enclosure  110 . Additional contacts  210  may be located in opening  214  of insulator  212 . Contacts  210  may be formed as solder pads, though they may be formed in other ways. Again, contacts  210  may be less robust and made using lower cost materials as compared to contacts  100 , since they may be ordinarily covered. As before, contacts  100  may be located in openings  112  in device enclosure  110 . Insulating rings  102  may isolate contacts  100  from device enclosure  110 . 
     Various connector assemblies may be employed by embodiments of the present invention. In some devices, these connector structures may be very small and may have very precise alignment targets. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention may employ various techniques and structures to simplify the manufacturing of these connector assemblies. An example is shown in the following figure. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an exploded view of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. Again, contacts  100  may be available at an opening  112  in device enclosure  110 . Contacts  210  may be available at openings  112  in recess  114  in device enclosure  110 . Contacts  210  may be available via openings  214  of insulator  212 . Insulator  212  may include a rib or raised portion  216  to provide a seal to protect against the ingress of liquids through openings  112  in recess  114  in device enclosure  110  into the electronic device. Sealing components, such as O-rings  342 , may fit around contact assemblies  340  to provide seals to protect against the ingress of liquids through openings  112  in device enclosure  110  into the electronic device. A cover  120  may be placed in recess  114 . Cover  120  may be held in place by adhesive layer  124 . 
     Contacts  210  may be formed at an end of flexible circuit board  300 . Contacts  210  may be formed as solder pads on flexible circuit board  300 , though they may be formed in other ways. Flexible circuit board  300  may terminate in a left tab  310 , a center tab  320 , and a right tab  330 . Left tab  310  may include an opening  312  and an attachment area (not shown) for attaching a contact assembly  340 . In various embodiments of the present invention, the left tabs may be split into two portions, where a first portion includes opening  312  and a second portion includes the attachment area. Right tab  330  may include an opening  332  and attachment area (not shown) for attaching a contact assembly  340 . In these in other embodiments of the present invention, the right tab may be split into two portions, where a first portion may include opening  332  and a second portion may include the attachment area. 
     Center tab  320  may be mechanically supported by support structure  350 . Support structure  350  may include a first opening  352  and a second opening  354 . Support structure  350  may be conductive or nonconductive. For example, it may be formed of metal, plastic, or other material. A front surface of center tab  320  may support contacts  210 . 
     In these and other embodiments of the present invention, various conductive or nonconductive brackets may be used to secure the various tabs to each other and to a device enclosure  110 . In these and other embodiments of the present invention, one or more of these brackets may be used for other purposes. For example, they may be used to convey voltages or currents, they may be used as antennae or to provide mechanical holders or guides for antennae, or they may be used for other purposes. They may be formed of metal, plastic or other conductive or nonconductive material. In various embodiments of the present invention, a bracket (the third bracket  380  below) may be a plastic housing for an antenna. 
     In this example, a first bracket  360  may include a first opening  362  and a second opening  364 . The first bracket  360  may be used to secure the left tab  310  to center tab  320 . A second bracket  370  may include a first opening  372  and a second opening  374 . The second bracket  370  may be used to secure the right tab  330  to the center tab  320 . 
     A third bracket  380  may be used to secure the remainder of the connector assembly to device enclosure  110 . Third bracket  380  may include a first opening  382  and a second opening  384 . Third bracket  380  may further include posts  386  which may be inserted into corresponding holes in device enclosure  110 . 
     In various embodiment of the present invention, the brackets may be secured to device enclosure  110  using fasteners. These fasteners may be stainless steel screws, push pins, collets, or other types of fasteners. They may be inserted into corresponding holes in device enclosure  110 . The corresponding holes may be threaded. For example, fastener  390  may be inserted through first opening  382  of third bracket  380 , first opening  362  of first bracket  360 , opening  312  of left tab  310 , and into to corresponding hole, opening, or recess  391  in device enclosure  110 . Fastener  392  may be inserted through second opening  364  of first bracket  360 , first opening  352  of support structure  350  and into corresponding hole, opening, or recess  393  in device enclosure  110 . Similarly, fastener  394  may be inserted through first opening  372  of second bracket  370 , through second opening  354  of support structure  350 , and into hole, opening, or recess  395  in device enclosure  110 . Fastener  396  may pass through second opening  384  on third bracket  380 , second opening  374  on second bracket  370 , opening  332  on right tab  330 , and into corresponding hole, opening, or recess  397  in device enclosure  110 . 
     Again, in various embodiments of the present invention, the two contact assemblies  340  may be used to convey power and data, where data is RF or IF modulated on the power supply. A low impedance ground path may help to facilitate data transfer using this method. Accordingly, the first opening  312  on left tab  310  and first opening  332  on right tab  330  may be plated and electrically connected to ground. Conductive screws or other fasteners  390  and  396  may be used to secure these grounded openings to the device enclosure, thereby reducing the impedance to ground for the connector assembly. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a rear view of the device enclosure of  FIG. 3 . Device enclosure  110  may include openings  112  for accepting contact assemblies  340  and for providing access to contacts  100  (as shown in  FIG. 3 ). Device enclosure  110  may include recesses  391 ,  393 ,  395 , and  397  for accepting fasteners  390 ,  392 ,  394 , and  396 , respectively (as shown in  FIG. 3 ). Recess  414  may accept center tab  320  (as shown in  FIG. 3 ). Openings  214  in recess  414  may provide access to contacts  210  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ). 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a rear view of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fastener  390  may be inserted into an opening in bracket piece  388 . Bracket piece  388  may be soldered or laser or spot welded to third bracket  380  at point  389 . Fastener  390  may also pass through an opening in first bracket  360 . Fastener  392  may pass through an opening in bracket  360  and an opening in support structure  350 . Fastener  394  may pass through opening and second bracket  370  and an opening in support structure  350 . Fastener  396  may pass through another bracket piece  388 , which may be similarly attached to third bracket  380 . Fastener  396  may also pass through an opening in second bracket  370 . 
     The contact assemblies  340  may be manufactured in various ways in various embodiments of the present invention. An example is shown in the following figures. 
       FIGS. 6-12  illustrates the manufacturing of a contact assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 6  illustrates a contact body  600  that may be used in a contact assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. This contact body may be formed of, or clad or plated with, one or more corrosion resistant materials. For example, contact body  600  and its surface may be formed of, or clad or plated with, gold, palladium, a palladium silver alloy, copper, phosphor bronze, silver, yellow gold, a high entropy material, such as materials consistent with ASTM Standards B540, B563, B589, B683, B685, or B731, or other material or combination of materials. 
     In  FIG. 7 , contact body  600  of contact  100  has been machining or otherwise altered to have a top narrow portion  710  and a band  720 . Contacts  100  may be formed having an aesthetically pleasing or cosmetic appearance. For example, a surface of contact  100  may be provided with a finish that matches, or stylistically mismatches, a surrounding area of a device enclosure  110  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ). Contacts  100  may be finished, for example using blasting, polishing, tumbling, or other process to match an enclosure finish and to provide an aesthetically pleasing or cosmetic appearance. 
     In  FIG. 8 , a contacting portion may be attached to the top narrow portion  710  (as shown in  FIG. 7 ) of the contact body  600 . The contacting portion may be formed of a better material for soldering than the contact body  600 . The contacting portion may include a ring  810  that may fit over narrow portion  710 . Narrow portion  710  of contact body  600  may be riveted to secure ring  810  in place. A portion of mating surface  820  may be pulled over a top of ring  810  as shown. Carrier portions  822  may be used in handling the contacting portions of several contacts such that several contacts may be processed at a time. 
     In  FIG. 9 , a first housing portion  900  may be formed around a top of contact body  600  and around the contacting portion of such that mating surface  820  is exposed. Gate  902  may be the gate for the molds to form first housing portion  900  during an injection molding process, an insert molding process, or other appropriate process. Similarly, a second housing portion  910  may be formed around a bottom of contact body  600  such that a surface of contact  100  remains exposed. In other embodiments of the present invention, second housing portion  910  may be formed and the surface of contact  100  and second housing portion  910  may be machined or otherwise formed together at the same time. Gate  912  may be the gate for the mold during the injection molding process, the insert molding process, or other appropriate process. Carrier portion  822  may be removed, leaving behind mating surface  820 , thereby yielding the resulting structure shown in  FIG. 10 . In  FIG. 11 , a portion of flexible circuit board  300  may be attached to mating surface  820 . 
     Again, it may be desirable to prevent or limit the ingress of liquids or other fluids into the electronic device housing these contacts assemblies. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention may employ a sealing structure, such as a ring, gasket, or other seal.  FIG. 12  illustrates a contact assembly having an O-ring  342  between first housing portion  900  and second housing portion  910 . In various embodiments of the present invention, moisture may still reach the contact body  600  in the area between the second housing portion  910  and the O-ring  342 . This moisture may corrode the contact body  600 . To avoid this corrosion, embodiments of the present invention may coat the sides of the contact body  600  with a nonconductive material. For example, the contact body may be coated with a physical vapor deposition (PVD) to prevent corrosion. The PVD step may be performed before the contact body is machined to further reduce costs. 
       FIG. 13  illustrates a side view of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. This side view is taken along cut-line A-A as shown in  FIG. 5 . Contact body  600  may have a curved contacting surface exposed at a surface of device enclosure  110 . Contact body  600  may be insulated from device enclosure  110  by second housing portion  910 , an outside surface of which may be insulating ring  102  in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 . Contact body  600  may further be insulated from device enclosure  110  by first housing portion  900 . 
     Instead of relying on the first housing portion  900  and second housing portion  910  to prevent moisture or liquid ingress into the electronic device, embodiments of the present invention may employ a sealing structure between the contact body  600  and device enclosure  110 . In this example, an O-ring  342  between contact body  600  and device enclosure  110 , and further between first housing portion  900  and second housing portion  910 , may limit the ingress of fluids or other damaging materials into the electronic device. In this way, the first housing portion  900  and second housing portion  910  may electrically insulate or isolate the contact body  600  from the device enclosure  110  while O-ring  342  prevents leakage past the contact body  600 . A contacting portion including mating surface  820  may be attached to contact body  600  by riveting as described above. Mating surface  820  may be physically and electrically connected to an attach area (not shown) of flexible circuit board  300 . Second bracket  370  may be located behind the left tab  310  of flexible circuit board  300  (as shown in  FIG. 3 .) 
       FIG. 14  illustrates another side view of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. This side view is taken along cut-line B-B as shown in  FIG. 5 . Cover  120  may be secured to device enclosure  110  by adhesive layer  124 . Contacts  210  may have a curved surface and may reside on center tab  320  of flexible circuit board  300  (as shown in  FIG. 3 .) Support structure  350  may be located behind center tab  320 . Insulator  212 , which may be a gasket, may include rib or raised portion  216 , which may provide a seal protecting against the ingress of liquids or other fluids into the electronic device. 
     In various embodiments of the present invention, the components of contacts and their connector assemblies may be formed in various ways of various materials. For example, contacts and other conductive portions may be formed by stamping, coining, metal-injection molding, machining, micro-machining, 3-D printing, or other manufacturing process. The conductive portions may be formed of stainless steel, steel, copper, copper titanium, phosphor bronze, palladium, palladium silver, or other material or combination of materials, as described herein. They may be clad, plated, or coated with nickel, gold, palladium, or other material, as described herein. The nonconductive portions, such as the housings and other portions, may be formed using injection or other molding, 3-D printing, machining, or other manufacturing process. The nonconductive portions may be formed of silicon or silicone, Mylar, Mylar tape, rubber, hard rubber, plastic, nylon, elastomers, liquid-crystal polymers (LCPs), ceramics, or other nonconductive material or combination of materials. 
     Embodiments of the present invention may provide contacts and their connector assemblies that may be located in, or may connect to, various types of devices, such as portable computing devices, tablet computers, desktop computers, laptops, all-in-one computers, wearable computing devices, cell phones, smart phones, media phones, storage devices, keyboards, covers, cases, portable media players, navigation systems, monitors, power supplies, adapters, remote control devices, chargers, and other devices. These contacts and their connector assemblies may provide pathways for signals that are compliant with various standards such as Universal Serial Bus, High-Definition Multimedia Interface, Digital Visual Interface, Ethernet, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt, Lightning, Joint Test Action Group, test-access-port, Directed Automated Random Testing, universal asynchronous receiver/transmitters, clock signals, power signals, and other types of standard, non-standard, and proprietary interfaces and combinations thereof that have been developed, are being developed, or will be developed in the future. In various embodiments of the present invention, these interconnect paths provided by these connectors may be used to convey power, ground, signals, test points, and other voltage, current, data, or other information. 
     The above description of embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form described, and many modifications and variations are possible in light of the teaching above. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Thus, it will be appreciated that the invention is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20170731
Publication Date: 20190416
Grant Date: 20190416
Priority Date: 20160920
Inventors: KALLMAN, BENJAMIN J.
WITTENBERG, MICHAEL B.
JOL, ERIC S.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H01R43/005", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/73", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/73", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/774", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/405", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/777", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/521", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/4922", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R43/205", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/5202", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/5202", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/4922", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/7047", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/405", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/73", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R43/005", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/4922", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/777", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/521", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R43/205", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/7047", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/774", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/5202", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/777", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 61620622