Apple Inc.

Maxtor Corporation

Paul Joseph Hack

George Tziviskos

Zheng Gao

Mahmoud R Amini

Bradley Joseph Hamel

Bartley K Andre

Mikael M Silvanto

Erik James Shahoian

Charles A Schwalbach

Gregory Allen Springer

William Francis Leggett

George V Anastas

Jae Hwang Lee

Sheng Yang

Joshua R Funamura

Hao Zhu

Ricardo Alba Mariano

Steven Charles Michalske

Eric Weijia Wang

Rui Zhou

Olivia M Ching

Chien Tsun Chen

Clayton R Woosley

Timothy Roger Milberger

Samuel Wing Man Yuen

John C Difonzo

Min Chul Kim

Jean-Marc Gery

John C DiFonzo

Timothy J Rasmussen

Nathan Nicholas Ng

Frank Ivan Morris

Matthew William Blum

James M Jeon

Colin J Abraham

Mani Razaghi Kashani

Srinivasa V Thirumalai Ananthan Pillai

Daniel A Bergvall

King L Wong

Yufan Liao

Ayoub Yari Boroujeni

David W Basehore

Leonard S Bleininger

Leo R Talbot

Samuel W Yuen

Jean-March Gery

Connector inserts having reliable contacts, as well as connector receptacles having improved magnetic circuits for use in electronic devices having a thin form factor. These and other examples can provide connector receptacles that can be easily aligned to an opening in an electronic device, as well as connector inserts and connector receptacles that can be readily manufactured.

Magnetic circuit for magnetic connector

A product-display system for displaying and securing a retail product. The system may include a retainer having a retainer bracket and a retainer body coupled to the retainer bracket. A retaining cable may be coupled to the retainer body at an opening in the retainer body. A fastener that may be unfastened to release the product from the retainer may only be accessed through the opening of the retainer body such that when the retaining cable is coupled to the opening, no fasteners of the retainer may be visible or accessible. The system may also include a display stem for holding the retainer and product. The display stem may include a recess for receiving at least a portion of the retainer body. The retaining cable may extend through the display stem and may simultaneously transmit power and data to a displayed product. The retainer may be returned to and held on top of the display stem using a retaining cable. The retainer may be oriented on top of the display stem in one or more predetermined positions through the use of magnetic forces.

Product-display system

A wireless power system has a wireless power transmitting device such as a charging puck and a wireless power receiving device such as a battery-operated device. The charging puck may be connected to a plug via a cable. The plug may include a boot and a connector. The boot may house a printed circuit board that is positioned closer to one of the boot housing walls.

Wireless power system housing

Connectors that have a low profile, can form strong and reliable connections despite connection alignment errors, and can be readily manufactured. One example can provide a connector receptacle having a magnetic array arranged to provide a strong attachment that allows the use of a low profile connector receptacle and connector insert. The magnetic array can include magnets and magnetic elements, where the magnetic elements can be magnetically conductive pole-pieces. Each pole piece can have magnets at two of its sides. Another example can provide contacts for a connector insert that can have more than one contacting surface to connect to a contact of a connector receptacle.

Magnetic connectors with self-centering floating contacts

Connector receptacles that are able to withstand insertion and other forces, are reliable, and are easy to manufacture. In various examples, the connector receptacle tongue or other portions may be reinforced such that they may withstand the insertion forces exerted through a connector insert.

Durable connector receptacles with reinforced tongue and ground contacts

Connector inserts having retention features with good reliability and holding force. These connector inserts may include ground contacts that provide an insertion portion having a reduced length. These connector inserts may be reliable, have an attractive appearance, and be readily manufactured.

Connector insert assembly

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

Durable connector receptacles

Circuits, methods, and apparatus that may provide audio jacks capable of providing a sufficient retention force to avoid some inadvertent extractions of an audio plug. Examples may also provide audio jacks that may be readily assembled. Other examples may provide other types of connectors. These audio jacks or other connectors may provide contact structures having one or more contacts, each having a contact support to increase contact retention force. Different materials may be used to form the contacts and the contact supports. In this way, contacts may be formed using a highly conductive material, while the contact supports may be formed of a material having good spring characteristics. While such a contact may not be able to provide an adequate retention force on its own, the use of a contact support may sufficiently increase the retention force to prevent accidental extractions of an audio plug or other connector.

Contact-support mechanism for increased retention force

Connector receptacles that are able to withstand insertion and other forces, are reliable, and are easy to manufacture. One example may provide a connector receptacle having one or more movable portions. These movable portions may move relative to an enclosure for an electronic device housing the connector receptacle. When a connector insert is inserted into the receptacle, the movable portions may move to help absorb insertion forces thereby protecting the connector receptacle from damage.

Flexible connector receptacles

Connector receptacles that have good signal integrity, are reduced in size, are reliable and durable, and are easy to assemble. One example may provide a connector receptacle having several ground connections to improve signal integrity and quality.

Connector receptacle having good signal integrity

Connector inserts having latches, bayonets, or similar structures as retention features. The connector inserts may include these bayonets on one or more sides or other portions of the connector insert. The bayonets may be located inside of a connector insert while the connector insert is being inserted into a receptacle, thereby reducing wear and marring of the receptacle. The bayonets may extend out of a connector insert when the connector insert is inserted into the connector receptacle and may engage corresponding retention features in the connector receptacle, thereby reducing the chances of an inadvertent disconnection. When the bayonets are located inside the connector insert, the connector insert may be in a first state, while when the bayonets are extended, the connector insert may be in a second state. The connector insert may retain state in either the first or second state in the absence of a user applied force.

Connector retention features for reduced wear

Sockets that provide easy access for users to change cards while allowing the use of thinner device enclosures. One example provides a socket having two positions. When the socket is in an open state, the card may be oriented in a direction substantially away from the main logic board. When the socket is in a closed state, the card moves such that it is oriented at least closer to being in parallel to the main logic board.

Folding SO-DIMM socket

Electronic device

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Paul Joseph Hack