# US 10,312,631 B1 · Detachable communications connector for vehicle stores and method therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,312,631 B1 - Document ID: US10312631B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/900,039 - Filed: 2018-02-20 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-20 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: James V Eveker; Cory G Keller; Alberto A Martinez - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312631B1 ## CPC - H01R 13/6205: {Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet} - H01R 27/02: for simultaneous co-operation with two or more {dissimilar} counterparts - H01R 43/26: for engaging or disengaging the two parts of a coupling device (structural association with two-part coupling device H01R13/629) - B60R 16/023: for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems - H01R 13/5219: {Sealing means between coupling parts, e.g. interfacial seal} - H01R 13/6315: {allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating connection (for coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, H01R12/91 takes precedence)} - H01R 2201/26: for vehicles - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A communications connector for a vehicle store, the communications connector includes a receptacle interface plate, and a communications receptacle configured for coupling with an umbilical lanyard plug of a host vehicle, the communications receptacle having at least one magnetic member configured to couple the communications receptacle to the receptacle interface plate so that the communications receptacle is decoupled from the receptacle interface plate upon release of the vehicle store from the host vehicle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A communications connector for a vehicle store, the communications connector comprising: a vehicle store receptacle interface plate; and a vehicle store communications receptacle configured for coupling with an umbilical lanyard plug of a host vehicle, the vehicle store communications receptacle having at least one magnetic member configured to couple the vehicle store communications receptacle to the vehicle store receptacle interface plate so that the vehicle store communications receptacle is decoupled from the vehicle store receptacle interface plate upon release of the vehicle store from the host vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The communications connector of claim 1, wherein: the vehicle store receptacle interface plate includes at least one surface communication contactor; the vehicle store communications receptacle including a housing having at least one mating surface communication contactor disposed at least partially within the housing, the at least one magnetic member being coupled to the housing so as to circumferentially surround the at least one mating surface communication contactor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The communication connector of claim 2, wherein one or more of the at least one surface communication contactor and the at least one mating surface communication contactor is a biased contactor so that when the vehicle store communications receptacle is coupled to the vehicle store receptacle interface plate the at least one surface communication contactor and the at least one mating surface communication contactor are in biased communicative contact. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The communications connector of claim 2, wherein the housing further includes a seal member that circumferentially surrounds the at least one mating surface communication contactor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The communications connector of claim 2, wherein the housing is configured to shield the at least one surface communication contactor and the at least one mating surface communication contactor from electromagnetic effects of the at least one magnetic member. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The communications connector of claim 2, further comprising: a resilient coating disposed on the at least one magnetic member, where the resilient coating seals an interface between the vehicle store receptacle interface plate and the vehicle store communications receptacle; and at least one standoff disposed between the housing and the vehicle store receptacle interface plate, the at least one standoff defines an air gap between the at least one magnetic member and a coupling surface of the receptacle interface plate, where a release force between the at least one magnetic member and the coupling surface of the vehicle store receptacle interface plate depends on the air gap. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The communications connector of claim 2, wherein: the vehicle store receptacle interface plate includes at least one recess or aperture, and the housing includes at least one protrusion configured to couple with the at least one recess or aperture where coupling of the at least one protrusion with the at least one recess or aperture aligns the at least one surface communication contactor with the at least one mating surface communication contactor and prevents rotation of the vehicle store communications receptacle relative to the receptacle interface plate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The communications connector of claim 2, wherein the housing defines an air gap between the at least one magnetic member and a coupling surface of the vehicle store receptacle interface plate, where a release force between the at least one magnetic member and the coupling surface of the vehicle store receptacle interface plate depends on the air gap. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The communications connector of claim 1, further comprising a coating disposed on the at least one magnetic member, where the coating defines an air gap between the at least one magnetic member and a coupling surface of the vehicle store receptacle interface plate, where a release force between the at least one magnetic member and the coupling surface of the vehicle store receptacle interface plate depends on the air gap. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The communications connector of claim 1, wherein the vehicle store receptacle interface plate is contoured to form a portion of an aerodynamic skin of the vehicle store. ### Claim 11 A vehicle store comprising: a communications connector including a receptacle interface plate, and a communications receptacle configured for coupling with an umbilical lanyard plug of a host vehicle, the communications receptacle having at least one magnetic member configured to couple the communications receptacle to the receptacle interface plate so that the communications receptacle is decoupled from the receptacle interface plate upon release of the vehicle store from the host vehicle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The vehicle store of claim 11, wherein: the receptacle interface plate includes at least one surface communication contactor; the communications receptacle including a housing having at least one mating surface communication contactor disposed at least partially within the housing, the at least one magnetic member being coupled to the housing so as to circumferentially surround the at least one mating surface communication contactor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The vehicle store of claim 12, wherein the at least one surface communication contactor includes a communication coaxial contactor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The vehicle store of claim 13, wherein the at least one mating surface communication contactor includes another communication coaxial contactor configured to communicably couple with the communication coaxial contactor of the at least one surface communication contactor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The vehicle store of claim 12, wherein the housing further includes a seal member that circumferentially surrounds the at least one mating surface communication contactor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The vehicle store of claim 12, wherein the housing defines an air gap between the at least one magnetic member and a coupling surface of the receptacle interface plate, where a release force between the at least one magnetic member and the coupling surface of the receptacle interface plate depends on the air gap. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The vehicle store of claim 11, wherein the at least one magnetic member is configured to independently generate an electromagnetic retention force between the receptacle interface plate and the at least one magnetic member. ### Claim 18 A method for decoupling a communications connector of a vehicle store when the vehicle store is released from a host vehicle where the communications connector includes a receptacle interface plate and a communications receptacle, the method comprising: decoupling the communications receptacle, that is coupled to an umbilical lanyard plug of a host vehicle, from the receptacle interface plate, that is coupled to the vehicle store; wherein a coupling force generated between at least one magnetic member, of the communications receptacle, and the receptacle interface plate is less than a coupling force between the umbilical lanyard plug and the communications receptacle so that the umbilical lanyard plug decouples the communications receptacle from the receptacle interface plate when the vehicle store is released from the host vehicle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising forming a portion of an aerodynamic skin of the vehicle store with the receptacle interface plate when the communications receptacle is decoupled from the receptacle interface plate. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising defining the coupling force generated between at least one magnetic member of the communications receptacle and the receptacle interface plate with an air gap disposed between the at least one magnetic member and the receptacle interface plate.