# US 12,184,086 B2 · Baseplate inductive electrical connection system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,184,086 B2 - Document ID: US12184086B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/851,394 - Filed: 2022-06-28 - Published: 2023-04-13 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2021-10-11 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Matthew B. Rutman; Stuart C. Salter; Michael M. Azzouz; Michael Lozano; Eric Scott Levine; Jeff Sturges - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12184086B2 ## CPC - H02J 50/40: using two or more transmitting or receiving devices (H02J50/50 takes precedence) - B60R 16/03: for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems {or for (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00)} - F21V 15/01: Housings, e.g. material or assembling of housing parts (F21V15/02 takes precedence {housings forming signs or letters G09F13/04}) - H01F 38/14: Inductive couplings - H02J 50/005: {Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices} - H02J 50/10: using inductive coupling - H02J 50/80: involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices - H04B 5/79: for data transfer in combination with power transfer - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract An inductive connection system includes a baseplate that provides an attachment interface on a support surface. The baseplate is configured to engage with at least one accessory via the attachment interface to secure the accessory to the support surface. The attachment interface provides a plurality of different mounting positions for the at least one accessory. At least one puck is selectively coupled to the attachment interface to provide a desired one of the plurality of different mounting positions. One of the at least one puck and the at least one accessory includes an inductive transmitter and the other of the at least one puck and the at least one accessory includes an inductive receiver such that the at least one puck in the baseplate and the at least one accessory electrically connect to each other through a wireless electrical power link between the inductive transmitter and the inductive receiver when the at least one accessory is mounted in the desired one of the plurality of different mounting positions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An inductive connection system, comprising: a baseplate that provides an attachment interface on a support surface, the baseplate configured to engage with at least one accessory via the attachment interface to secure the accessory to the support surface, and wherein the attachment interface provides a plurality of different mounting positions for the at least one accessory; and at least one puck selectively coupled to the attachment interface to provide a desired one of the plurality of different mounting positions, wherein one of the at least one puck and the at least one accessory includes an inductive transmitter and the other of the at least one puck and the at least one accessory includes an inductive receiver such that the at least one puck in the baseplate and the at least one accessory electrically connect to each other through a wireless electrical power link between the inductive transmitter and the inductive receiver when the at least one accessory is mounted in the desired one of the plurality of different mounting positions. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The inductive connection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one puck comprises a head portion and a foot portion that is selectively moveable between a locked position where the at least one puck cannot be detached from the baseplate and an unlocked position where the at least one puck can be detached from the baseplate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The inductive connection system of claim 2, wherein the attachment interface comprises a plurality of puck holes formed within the baseplate, and wherein the plurality of puck holes are each configured to receive the foot portion such that once the foot portion is inserted through a selected one of the plurality of puck holes, the head portion is then rotated to move the at least one puck into the locked position. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The inductive connection system of claim 3, wherein the foot portion includes beveled sides to facilitate insertion through the selected one of the plurality of puck holes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The inductive connection system of claim 2, wherein the head portion and the foot portion are coupled together with at least one fastener connection that comprises a male portion secured to one of the head portion and the foot portion and a female portion that receives the male portion, and including a resilient member that cooperates with the at least one fastener connection to provide spring-loaded clamping which allows a desired range of compensation movement between the head portion and the foot portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The inductive connection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one puck comprises a polygonal shape. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The inductive connection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one puck comprises a plurality of pucks and the attachment interface comprises a plurality of puck holes formed within the baseplate, and wherein two or more of the plurality of pucks are inserted into selected ones of the plurality of puck holes to provide multiple desired mounting positions for two or more accessories. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The inductive connection system of claim 7, including a setup feature to determine where the two or more of the plurality of pucks have been inserted in the baseplate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The inductive connection system of claim 8, wherein the setup feature comprises one or more of the following: a user actuated setup button which generates a first command to connect with each accessory and to instruct each accessory to turn off, and then generates a second command to turn on each puck one by one to learn which pucks match which accessory; a camera that identifies where each puck is located on the baseplate; NFC or RFID tag that identify puck location; unique QR code on each puck that can be scanned by a smart device; a map is made of where each accessory is placed such that as accessories are placed over the pucks, the inductive transmitter and inductive receiver power up and report activation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The inductive connection system of claim 7, wherein all pucks of the plurality of pucks are powered in parallel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The inductive connection system of claim 7, wherein all pucks of the plurality of pucks are powered individually or by way of a switch. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The inductive connection system of claim 1, wherein each accessory includes a band shield to prevent any electromagnetic effects from affecting external surroundings. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The inductive connection system of claim 1, wherein each accessory includes a seal extending around a lower periphery of the accessory to prevent water and/or debris from entering a space between the accessory and the baseplate that surrounds the at least one puck. ### Claim 14 An inductive connection system, comprising: a baseplate that provides an attachment interface on a support surface, the baseplate configured to engage with a plurality of accessories via the attachment interface to secure the plurality of accessories to the support surface, and wherein the attachment interface provides a plurality of different mounting positions for the plurality of accessories; and a plurality of pucks selectively coupled to the attachment interface to provide a desired one of the plurality of different mounting positions for each accessory, wherein each puck includes an inductive transmitter and each accessory includes an inductive receiver such that the pucks in the baseplate and the plurality of accessories electrically connect to each other through a wireless electrical power link between the inductive transmitters and the inductive receivers when the plurality of accessories are mounted in the desired mounting positions. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The inductive connection system of claim 14, wherein the attachment interface comprises a plurality of puck holes formed within the baseplate, and wherein each puck comprises a head portion and a foot portion that is selectively moveable between a locked position where puck cannot be detached from the baseplate and an unlocked position where the puck can be detached from the baseplate, and wherein the plurality of puck holes are each configured to receive the foot portion such that once the foot portion is inserted through a selected one of the plurality of puck holes, the head portion is then rotated to move the at least one puck into the locked position. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The inductive connection system of claim 15, wherein the attachment interface further comprises a plurality of mounting holes, and wherein each accessory includes at least one accessory foot that is inserted within one of the plurality of mounting holes. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The inductive connection system of claim 14, wherein the at least one puck comprises a diamond shape. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The inductive connection system of claim 14, including a setup feature to determine where two or more of the plurality of pucks have been inserted in the baseplate, wherein the setup feature comprises one or more of the following: a user actuated setup button which generates a first command to connect with each accessory and to instruct each accessory to turn off, and then generates a second command to turn on each puck one by one to learn which pucks match which accessory; a camera that identifies where each puck is located on the baseplate; NFC or RFID tag that identify puck location; unique QR code on each puck that can be scanned by a smart device; a map is made of where each accessory is placed such that as accessories are placed over the pucks, the inductive transmitter and inductive receiver power up and report activation. ### Claim 19 An accessory attachment method, comprising: engaging at least one accessory to an attachment interface of a baseplate that provides a plurality of different mounting positions for the at least one accessory; selectively coupling at least one puck to the attachment interface to provide a desired one of the plurality of different mounting positions, wherein one of the at least one puck and the at least one accessory includes an inductive transmitter and the other of the at least one puck and the at least one accessory includes an inductive receiver; and electrically connecting the puck in the baseplate to the at least one accessory through a wireless electrical power link between the inductive transmitter and the inductive receiver when the at least one accessory is mounted in the desired one of the plurality of different mounting positions. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, including providing the at least one puck with a head portion and a foot portion, and selectively moving the foot portion between a locked position where the at least one puck cannot be detached from the baseplate and an unlocked position where the at least one puck can be detached from the baseplate.