# US 10,320,101 B2 · Connector for an electronic device

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- Number: US 10,320,101 B2
- Document ID: US10320101B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/580,813
- Filed: 2016-06-09
- Published: 2018-06-14
- Granted: 2019-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2015-06-10
- Assignees: Fairphone B.V.
- Applicants: Fairphone B.V.
- Inventors: Hugh Daniel Brogan; Olivier Hébert; George Henry Hines
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10320101B2

## CPC

- H01R 12/714: {with contacts abutting directly the printed circuit; Button contacts therefore provided on the printed circuit}
- G06F 1/1637: {Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing}
- G06F 1/1658: {related to the mounting of internal components, e.g. disc drive or any other functional module}
- H01R 12/7076: {for connection between PCB and component, e.g. display}
- H01R 13/2407: {characterized by the resilient means}
- H01R 13/5216: {characterised by the sealing material, e.g. gels or resins}
- H01R 13/5219: {Sealing means between coupling parts, e.g. interfacial seal}
- H01R 13/6594: the shield being mounted on a PCB and connected to conductive members
- H01R 13/6598: Shield material
- H04M 1/0266: {for a display module assembly}
- H05K 7/1069: {with spring contact pieces}
- H01R 13/6584: formed by conductive elastomeric members, e.g. flat gaskets or O-rings
- H01R 2107/00: Four or more poles
- H01R 2201/16: for telephony
- H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS

## Abstract

The invention provides a connector (16) for functionally coupling a module (8) in a modular electronic device, in particular a portable device, more in particular a handheld device (1), comprising a first connector end, wherein said first connector end comprises a series of contacts (34) and an electromagnetic shielding (81) surrounding said contacts (34). Said connector (16) is in particular suited for a modular electronic device (1), for electronically coupling its modules (8) to a chassis (9).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A connector for functionally coupling a module into a modular electronic device, said connector comprising:
a first connector end which comprises a series of first contacts and a first shielding part;
a second connector end comprising a series of second contacts and a second shielding part, wherein when said first and second connector ends are mutually connected, at least part of said first and second contacts are in electrical contact, and said first and second shielding parts are in electrical contact and provide an electromagnetic shielding surrounding said first and second contacts, wherein at least one of said first and second shielding parts comprise a conductive ring which comprises a shielding gasket around said contacts, which shielding gasket is an elastically compressible and electrically conductive shielding gasket,
wherein said shielding gasket is attached into an opening in a housing holding one of said first or second connector ends providing coupling access to said connector end via said opening,
and wherein said second contacts are conducting patches, positioned for a patch to correspond to a first contact, and said patches surrounded by a peripheral conductive track surrounding said contact patches for providing at least part of said second shielding part.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The connector of claim 1, wherein said shielding gasket comprising an elastomeric ring moulded onto said housing.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The connector of claim 1, wherein said first contacts comprise biased contact pins comprising a spring-biased end movable in an axial direction of said contact pins, said first contacts comprise spring-biased ends axially movable in a cylinder,
wherein said first connector end comprise a connector body housing said contact pins and at least one of said shielding parts further comprise a conductive ring around said connector body, and
wherein said second contacts are conducting patches, positioned for a patch to correspond to a first contact, and said patches surrounded by a peripheral conductive track surrounding said contact patches for providing at least part of said second shielding part.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A plug for a connector of claim 1, forming a first connector end of said connector.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A socket for a connector claim 1, forming a second connector end of said connector.

### Claim 6

A connector for functionally coupling a module into a modular electronic device, said connector comprising:
a first connector end which comprises a series of first contacts and a first shielding part; and
second connector end comprising a series of second contacts and a second shielding part;
wherein when said first and second connector ends are mutually connected, at least part of said first and second contacts are in electrical contact, and said first and second shielding parts are in electrical contact and provide an electromagnetic shielding surrounding said first and second contacts, wherein at least one of said first and second shielding parts comprise a conductive ring which comprises a shielding gasket around said contacts, which shielding gasket is an elastically compressible and electrically conductive shielding gasket, and wherein at least one of said shielding parts comprise a conductive ring, in particular enclosing a connector body, said conductive ring comprising connector lips that extend substantially parallel to said shielding ring and that are flexible in radial direction toward said shielding ring, and the other shielding part comprises conductive walls extending at opposite sides of the contacts, and having a mutual distance adapted for engaging the connector lips biased towards the connector end.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The connector of claim 6, wherein at least one of said first and second shielding parts comprise a conductive ring, wherein said conductive ring comprises a shielding gasket around said contacts, said shielding gasket is an elastically compressible and electrically conductive shielding gasket, wherein said shielding gasket comprises a conductive elastomer ring, said shielding gasket comprises a ridged metal insert, in said elastomer ring.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The connector of claim 6, further comprising a conductive, slide-protective surface on said shielding gasket.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The connector of claim 6, wherein at least one of said shielding parts comprises a conductive ring comprising contact lips extending in an axial direction of said conductive ring at least up to the ends of the contacts, said contact lips being flexible to allow flexing away from said connector body, for contacting the other shielding part, for instance a grounding track on an opposite circuit board.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The connector of claim 6, wherein said second contacts are conducting patches, positioned for a patch to correspond to a first contact, and said patches surrounded by a peripheral conductive track surrounding said contact patches for providing at least part of said second shielding part.

### Claim 11

A modular electronic device, said modular electronic device comprising a connector for functionally coupling a module into said modular electronic device, said connector comprising a first connector end which comprises a series of first contacts and a first shielding part, said connector further comprising a second connector end comprising a series of second contacts and a second shielding part, wherein when said first and second connector ends are mutually connected, at least part of said first and second contacts are in electrical contact, and said first and second shielding parts are in electrical contact and provide an electromagnetic shielding surrounding said first and second contacts, wherein at least one of said first and second shielding parts comprise a conductive ring which comprises conductive ring comprises a shielding gasket around said contacts, which shielding gasket is an elastically compressible and electrically conductive shielding gasket, said modular device comprising a chassis comprising a bus comprising at least two first connector ends, and at least two modules each comprising a second connector end, and further comprising:
a chassis comprising a frame holding a computational module comprising a circuit board holding a data processor and said bus, and
a display module comprising a planar display device having a viewing side and a rear side, said display module comprising a back plate on the rear side of the display device,
wherein said chassis comprises at least one of said first or second connector ends and said modules comprises said other of said first and second connector end.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The modular electronic device of claim 11, wherein said back plate of said display module comprises an electrically conductive plate forming an electromagnetic shielding layer for providing a common ground for said modular electronic device, said conductive back plate is from one selected from magnesium and a magnesium alloy, for providing rigidity to said display module, and said conductive back plate is electrically coupled to at least one of said shielding parts.