Electronic device with integral connectors
US7247032B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 17, 2003 |
| Grant date | Jul 24, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 17, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH05K2201/10325
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An electronic device having one or more integral connectors is disclosed. The connector includes an electromagnetically-shielded cavity defined by an outer shell integrally formed in the housing and having a cross-sectional profile of a plug to which the connector may mate. The connector also includes a tongue integrally formed in and extending from a component (such as a printed circuit board) of the electronic device and protruding into the cavity. The tongue may have one or more electrical contacts on one or both sides. The connector may also include one or more snap features for retaining a mated plug at a predetermined force. The connectors may conform to one or more connector standards, such as the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard and/or the IEEE 1394 (FireWire®) standard. Devices incorporating such integral connectors may be smaller and manufactured less expensively than devices having conventional, non-integral, connectors.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.