Apple Inc.

James M Jeon

Mahmoud R Amini

Rui Zhou

Daniele De Iuliis

Ruihua Ding

Richard P Howarth

Christopher J Stringer

Brett W Degner

Matthew Phillip Casebolt

David H Narajowski

George Tziviskos

Jae Hwang Lee

Paul Joseph Hack

Reuben J Williams

James E Harper

Daniel A Bergvall

Jonathan A Matheson

Yufan Liao

Erik A Gutfeldt

Unhyi Yang

Alex Le Roux

Deep Karpe

Marc Soriano Baliarda

Tianrun Jiang

Connector receptacles that can provide a robust and reliable connection to a board and have a small form factor. An example can provide connector receptacles that provide a robust and reliable connection to a board by providing contacts having highly planarized solder tails. The solder tails can be supported by extensions of housing portions to provide consistent placement and alignment, as well an amount of shock absorption. The solder tails can include chamfered surfaces to improve soldered connections to pads of a board. The chamfered surfaces can also enable a reduced pitch between solder tails thereby helping to provide a reduced form factor.

Connector having narrow surface-mount contact pitch

Power connector systems that can have an asymmetric insertion-to-extraction force ratio such that they are easy to mate and can reliably remain connected during use. The power connector systems can have a low-profile for use in thin electronic devices.

Power connector with asymmetric insertion-to-extraction force ratio

Power connectors that are easy to connect, have a low profile, and can convey one or more data signals. One example can provide a power connector that is easy to connect by providing an axisymmetric connector receptacle and connector insert. Magnets can be used to help guide a connection between a connector insert and a connector receptacle. Canted springs can be used to provide a tactile response to the insertion of the connector insert into the connector receptacle and to help to secure the connector insert in place when mated with the connector insert. Keying or self-aligning features can be included on either or both the connector insert and the connector receptacle to help guide mating.

Low-profile axisymmetric power connectors

Sockets that have a simplified design and are readily manufactured, and also provide easy access for users to change cards while allowing the use of thinner device enclosures.

Mechanical spring diode contact

Connector receptacles and connector inserts that may be reliable, may readily manufactured, and may provide high signal quality for high speed signals with minimized signal noise, distortion losses, radiation, and interference. An example may provide a reliable connector receptacle by including a plurality of contacts, where each contact includes a first bend angling a contacting portion away from a tongue and a second bend angling a contacting portion towards the tongue, where the second bend is between the first bend and a front of the connector receptacle. Another example may provide a connector receptacle that may be readily manufactured by providing a tongue having tapered lead-ins for receiving contacting portions of contacts during assembly. Another example may provide a connector receptacle that provides isolation among signals by arranging through-hole portions of signal contacts in lines that are separated from each other by intervening through-hole portions of ground contacts.

Reliable connector receptacles having high signal quality

Connector receptacles having protective doors. A protective door can block a card, module, or connector insert from being inserted at an oblique angle to protect contacts in a connector receptacle from damage due to an improper insertion. The protective door can normally be closed in the absence of a card inserted in the connector receptacle. The door can be a front of a cam. A spring or magnet can bias the door in the closed position when no card is inserted. The door can be arranged to stay closed when a card is inserted at an oblique angle. When the card is inserted properly, the cam can rotate about an axis and the door can open allowing the card to access to the contacts of the connector receptacle. A second door in front of the protective door can be included to provide enhanced functionality and to provide a more uniform appearance.

Integrated protector for a connector

Connector tongues that may provide a high signal quality or signal integrity to allow high speed data transfers, may be reliably manufactured, and may be durable and have good wear performance. One example may provide a connector tongue having contacts and traces formed on a printed circuit board. Using a printed circuit board for pathways through a connector tongue may provide low impedances for power traces, matched impedances for differential signal pairs, and shielding. This may provide a connector tongue that may provide a high signal quality or signal integrity to allow high speed data transfers. These and other examples may provide a connector tongue that is durable and has good wear performance by including side retention features on each side of the printed circuit board. The side retention features may be metallic, ceramic, or other durable material.

Connectors having printed circuit board tongues with reinforced frames

Connector receptacles that are arranged to avoid inadvertent connections. One example may provide contacts for a first connector receptacle that may be located behind a movable gate. The first connector receptacle may be combined with a second connector receptacle that is user accessible to save space and simplify device assembly. Combining the first connector receptacle and a second connector receptacle may also remove the movable gate from a surface of an electronic device, thereby further preventing inadvertent connections.

Gated connector receptacles

Connector receptacles that may be modular, may be reliable and durable, and may provide a high signal quality. Examples may provide modular connector receptacles having a shielded housing around a tongue supporting a number of contacts. They may provide a high signal quality by using printed circuit boards as tongues and for routing signals, and they may be made durable by using through-hole contacting portions soldered to the printed circuit board and mechanically supported by a header.

Modular connector receptacles having printed circuit board tongues

Combined connector receptacles that provide isolation between individual connector receptacles and have structures arranged to reduce or eliminate damage to through-hole contact portions during insertion of the combined connector into a board.

Pin alignment and protection in combined connector receptacles

Combined connector receptacles, examples of which comprise tongues configured to be aligned to openings in a device enclosure; EMI shield contact rails, a central ground plane, a connector receptacle shield to provide isolation between the individual connector receptacles to reduce signal noise; and organizers and other structures arranged to reduce or eliminate damage to through-hole contact portions during their insertion into corresponding openings in a printed circuit board.

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Mountain House, CA, United States of America

James M Jeon