|Publication number||US8021183 B2|
|Application number||US 12/363,452|
|Publication date||Sep 20, 2011|
|Priority date||Oct 31, 2008|
|Also published as||CN101728683A, CN101728683B, CN102664336A, CN201570645U, US8215009, US8480410, US20100112848, US20120005897, US20120289088|
|Publication number||12363452, 363452, US 8021183 B2, US 8021183B2, US-B2-8021183, US8021183 B2, US8021183B2|
|Inventors||Malcolm Early, Brandon Connors, Kevin Walsh|
|Original Assignee||Apple Inc.|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (51), Non-Patent Citations (3), Referenced by (6), Classifications (17), Legal Events (4)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/110,474, filed Oct. 31, 2008, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
This is directed to providing an electric plug constructed from a single piece of material using a cold working process.
Power adapters include two or more plug arms that extend from a body to interface with wall sockets. To provide power from the arms to an electronic device, the power adapter can include one or more cables connecting the arms to an adapter operative to engage the electronic device. The arms can connect to the cables using any suitable approach, including for example via a pin that is soldered to the cables. As another example, a pin can be inserted in a circuit board operative to transform and direct power to the cables.
Some power adapters can include additional connectors or components for providing enhanced functionality. For example, some power adapters can include one or more USB, FireWire, 30-pin, or other connectors. The connectors can be fully integrated in the power adapters to provide a compact component that the user can easily carry and use. Integrating other connectors or components in a power adapter can restrict the space available for the arms to connect to the cables. In particular, if a connector is positioned immediately behind an arm, there may be insufficient space to route a cable around the connector to connect to the arm, or the connector can prevent substantially all direct access to the arm.
To accommodate the connector while retaining a small profile, one or more of the arms can include a plate extending from the base of the arm and providing a conductive path to a pin used for connecting to cable. The plate can be coupled to the arm and pin using any suitable approach. For example, the plate can be coupled to the arm using a screw, mechanical fastening mechanism (e.g., a pin passing through an opening and expanding), welding, soldering, or other coupling mechanism. While these approaches may allow an electrical current to pass from the arm to the pin, the inherent weakness due to connecting two distinct components together can cause the power adapter to fail.
This is directed to a power adapter plug arm having an integral plate for conducting power to a pin. The arm and plate can be constructed from a single piece of material using a bending and cold heading process.
The power adapter plug arm can include a plug operative to extend into a wall socket. The particular dimensions of the plug can be defined using any suitable standard, including for example the national standards agency of individual countries. A plate substantially perpendicular to the plug can be coupled to the end of the plug (e.g., the end that is not inserted into the wall socket) to provide a path between the plug and a cable extending from the power adapter. The plate can be substantially elongated, and positioned such that the plug extends from a first end of the plate and a pin connecting the plug to a circuit board extends from a second end of the plate. To increase the strength of the arm, the plug and plate can be constructed using a cold working process using a single piece of material, such as a single piece of brass or steel.
Any suitable manufacturing process or combination of manufacturing processes can be used to manufacture a power adapter arm from a single piece of material (e.g., brass or steel). In some embodiments, a block of material can first be drawn through a die to form a rectangular bar. The bar can be milled to form the power adapter plug, and lathed to form a tubular stem extending from the power adapter plug such that the plug and stem are substantially co-axial. To form the plate, the tubular stem may be bent, for example substantially perpendicular to the plug axis. The bent stem can be cold headed to flatten the stem and form a substantially flat plate. The plate can then be grinded or machined to shape the periphery of the plate, and a pin can be coupled to the opposite end of the plate such that it extends from the opposite surface of the plate as the stem and plug. Once the final shape has been reached, the arm can be finished for aesthetic purposes, for example using sand blasting and nickel plating. By bending the stem and cold heading the bent stem, the strength of the plate-stem interface (e.g., the strength of a bridging portion connecting the stem to the plate) can be increased by cold work, thus further improving the stiffness and strength of the power adapter arm and reducing failures due to fatigue use.
The above and other features of the present invention, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Each of plug arms 112, 114 and 116 can be connected to particular portions of circuit board 130. For example, circuit board 130 can include leads operative to direct power from a remote source (e.g., a wall socket) to an electronic device requiring power. Power adapter 100 can connect to an electronic device using any suitable approach, including for example via connector 132. Connector 132 can include any suitable type of electronic connector that supports the transfer of power, including for example a USB, AT, SATA, Molex, Firewire, PCI, or any other suitable powered connector. In some embodiments, circuit board 130 can instead or in addition include wires or cables directly connecting the circuit board to the electronic device. The components of circuit board 130, including the leads for receiving each of plug arms 112, 114 and 116 can be distributed based on any suitable criteria, including for example based on space considerations (e.g., to minimize the size of power adapter 100). In some embodiments, the distribution of circuit board components can require one or more the leads for receiving each of plug arms 112, 114 and 116 to be positioned away from the portions of plug arms 112, 114 and 116 that extend from front cap 120. In particular, the leads can be located such that each of plug arms 112, 114 and 116 cannot simply extend in the same axis as the plug arm to connect to the circuit board, but require a bridging portion to connect the plug arm to the circuit board (e.g., as shown in plug arms 114 and 116).
Power adapter 100 can include enclosure 140 for receiving circuit board 130 and protecting the circuit board components from damage due to the environment. In addition, enclosure 140 can be electrically isolating to prevent electrical charges from travelling from the wall socket to plug arms 112, 114 and 116, and to the user's hand. Enclosure 140 can be constructed from any suitable material, including for example plastic, a ceramic material, or any other suitable isolating material. Enclosure 140 can include opening 142 for providing access to connector 132. Enclosure 140 can include lip 144 operative to receive front cap 120 to assemble power adapter 100. Front cap can be coupled to enclosure 140 using any suitable approach, including for example an adhesive (e.g., placed on lip 144), a press fit, interlocking features of the front cap and enclosure (e.g., tabs extending into corresponding slots), a mechanical fastener, welding (e.g., ultrasonic welding), or any other suitable approach.
When, due to space or other considerations, a plug arm includes a bridging portion, additional stresses can be introduced in the power adapter. In particular, the connection between the plug stem and the plate forming the bridging portion can be at a large angle (e.g., substantially a perpendicular connection), and the length of the plate can create a large aspect ratio relative to the stem, which can combine to generate a significant bending moment. Then, forces applied to the plug arm during normal use (e.g., as a user manipulates the power adapter to plug it into a wall socket) can be transferred to the plate-plug interface and cause fatigue or other stresses.
To ensure that the plug stem-plate connection can resist the applied stresses, the plug arm can be constructed from a single piece of material.
Arm 200 can include plate 230 coupled to the end of stem 220 such that stem 220 extends from first surface 232 of plate 230. The plane of plate 230 can be angled relative to the axis of plug 210 and stem 220. For example, plate 230 can be substantially perpendicular to the axis of plug 210 and stem 220. In some embodiments, the angle may be at least 45 degrees, so that the aspect ratio of plate 230 and plug 210 is relatively large. Plate 230 can be coupled to stem 220 using any suitable component, including for example a bridging portion constructed from the same piece of material as arm 200 (e.g., bridging portion 231). Plate 230 can have any suitable thickness, periphery, or other characteristic length. For example, plate 230 can be 1.0 mm thick, and the components extending from plate 230 can be centered at opposite corners of a 13.23 mm×12.55 mm rectangle. In some embodiments, the thickness and periphery of plate 230 can be selected based on constraints set by the components on a circuit board, or constrains in the top cap or in the top cap manufacturing.
In some embodiments, plate 230 can be substantially elongated such that stem 220 extends from a first end of plate 230. Plate 230 can include aperture 236 at a second end of plate 230 that is opposite the first end. Pin 240, which can extend from second surface 234 of plate 230 (e.g., extend from the opposite surface as stem 220), can be operative to engage or electrically connect with a circuit board of the power adapter (e.g., circuit board 130,
Any suitable process or combination of processes can be used to construct arm 200 from a single piece of material. For example, a sequence of cold-working processes can be used to form arm 200.
Once the plug has been formed, the plate that is coupled to the end of the plug can be constructed.
To shape substantially round (e.g., lathed) material 314 into the flat plate of the plug arm, another cold heading operation can be performed.
Once plate 316 has the appropriate width, plate 316 can be processed to refine the shape of the plate, punch one or more holes for receiving a pin (e.g., pin 240,
At step 408, the end of the bar opposite the plug can be lathed to form an elongated tubular structure extending from the base of the plug, and substantially along the same axis as the plug. The tubular structure can define a stem having a length at least equal to the sum of lengths of the plug adapter stem and plate. The stem can have any suitable diameter or other characteristic length (e.g., if the stem has an elliptical cross-section). In particular, the diameter or characteristic length can be selected such that the volume of material is sufficient to form a plate having suitable dimensions when compressed (e.g., the volume of the stem is at least equal to the volume of the plate). Although this process describes the stem as being circular, it will be understood that the stem can have any suitable cross-section or other characteristic dimension (e.g., a rectangular cross-section). At step 410, the stem can be bent. For example, a press can be used to bend the stem to any suitable angle. In particular, the angle can be selected based on space requirements or other constraints within the power adapter (e.g., a substantially right angle, or any other angle based on the relative positions of the arm and other components in the power adapter). The stem can be bent at any suitable distance from the plug, including for example at a minimal distance for allowing another material to be molded over the stem (e.g., 10 mm). As another example, the stem can be bent at a distance from the plug such that the bent portion of the stem is at least equal to the length of the plate. As still another example, the stem can be bent at a distance from the plug defined by a standards agency.
At step 412, the bent portion of the stem can be cold headed or cold worked to flatten the bent portion of the stem and form a plate. The tool used for the cold heading process can include a die to substantially shape the plate (e.g., remove excess material during the cold heading to define the periphery of the plate). The force applied during the cold heading process and the die properties can be selected based any suitable criteria, including for example to provide a plate having a thickness within a desired range (e.g., 1 mm). At step 414, the plate can be machined, worked or ground to refine the shape of plate. For example, the plate can be trimmed to define the final periphery of the plate, one or more holes can be drilled or punched, tooling or fixture marks can be removed (e.g., by polishing the plate), or any other finishing process can be applied.
At step 416, the stem can be machined to provide surfaces better adapted to adhering to a material molded over the arm. For example, the rounded stem can be machined to create a substantially rectangular stem. In some embodiments, if the stem created at step 408 has sufficient surfaces to adhere to the molded material, step 416 can be skipped. At step 418, a pin can be coupled to the end of the plate. For example, a pin can be placed in a hole drilled at the end of the plate and fixed using a mechanical fastener (e.g., rivet or a screw) or a material deforming process (e.g., staking). The pin can extend from the opposite end of the plate as the stem and plug, and extend from the opposite surface of the plate. In some embodiments, the manufactured arm can then be finished, for example for aesthetic purposes (e.g., sand blasted and nickel plated). Process 400 can then end at step 420.
The above-described embodiments of the present invention are presented for purposes of illustration and not of limitation, and the present invention is limited only by the claims which follow.
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|U.S. Classification||439/382, 439/392|
|Cooperative Classification||H01R13/665, H01R2103/00, H01R24/22, Y10T29/49217, Y10T29/49181, H01R43/16, Y10T29/49204, Y10T29/49151, Y10T29/4914, Y10T29/49153, Y10T29/49218|
|European Classification||H01R43/16, H01R13/66D, H01R24/22|
|Feb 23, 2009||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: APPLE INC.,CALIFORNIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:EARLY, MALCOLM;CONNORS, BRANDON;WALSH, KEVIN;SIGNING DATES FROM 20090217 TO 20090220;REEL/FRAME:022296/0591
Owner name: APPLE INC., CALIFORNIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:EARLY, MALCOLM;CONNORS, BRANDON;WALSH, KEVIN;SIGNING DATES FROM 20090217 TO 20090220;REEL/FRAME:022296/0591
|May 1, 2015||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|Sep 20, 2015||LAPS||Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees|
|Nov 10, 2015||FP||Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee|
Effective date: 20150920