COUPLING UNIT ATTACHED TO A COMPOSITE BOARD

Abstract

An electrical supply module including a composite board including a first and a second layer of an electrically conducting material separated by an insulator, which first layer forms an outer surface including a first electrical contact site, the composite board having a recess, allowing access to a second electrical contact site at the second layer, the recess having a coupling portion and a coupling unit having a complementary coupling portion allowing releasable coupling with the coupling portion of the recess, a first electrical contact area and a second electrical contact area, wherein coupling of the coupling portion and the complementary coupling portion establishes electrical connection from the first and second electrical contact sites to the first and second electrical contact areas, respectively. The electrical supply module provides a flexible device that allows freely adding and removing various electronic components to the composite board.

Claims

1. An electrical supply module comprising: a composite board comprising a first layer and a second layer of an electrically conducting material, which first layer and second layer are separated by an insulator of an electrically insulating material, which first layer forms an outer surface comprising a first electrical contact site, the composite board having a recess extending through the outer surface, the first layer and the electrically insulating material, which recess allows access to a second electrical contact site at the second layer, the recess having a coupling portion, and a coupling unit for attaching to an external unit using direct current, the coupling unit having a complementary coupling portion allowing releasable coupling with the coupling portion of the recess, a first electrical contact area and a second electrical contact area, wherein coupling of the coupling portion and the complementary coupling portion establishes electrical connection from the first electrical contact site to the first electrical contact area and electrical connection from the second electrical contact site to the second electrical contact area, whereby the attachment of the external unit to the coupling unit allows for the correct current direction to the external unit.

2. The electrical supply module according to claim 1, wherein the electrical supply module comprises a plurality of recesses and a plurality of coupling units.

3. The electrical supply module according to claim 1, wherein the coupling portion and/or the complementary coupling portion comprise(s) one or more magnets.

4. The electrical supply module according to claim 1, wherein the coupling unit and/or the recess comprise(s) a conductor for establishing electrical connection from the second electrical contact site to the second electrical contact area of the coupling unit when the coupling unit is coupled in the recess.

5. The electrical supply module according to claim 4, wherein the conductor comprises electrical insulation adapted to prevent contact between the conductor and the electrically conducting first layer.

6. The electrical supply module according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface comprises an electrically insulating layer, and a hole through the electrically insulating layer of the outer surface allows electrical contact to the first electrical contact site.

7. The electrical supply module according to claim 1, wherein the electrical supply module has a nominal voltage and the electrical supply module further comprises a power supply capable of providing between the first layer and the second layer, a first constant voltage equal to or higher than the nominal voltage and a second constant voltage lower than the nominal voltage.

8. The electrical supply module according to claim 7, wherein the composite board has an electronic component having the nominal voltage, or wherein the external unit has an electronic component having the nominal voltage.

9. The electrical supply module according to claim 7, wherein the electrical supply module comprises a light emitting diode (LED) electrically connected to the first layer and the second layer of electrically conducting material, and the power supply is capable of providing a first constant voltage equal to or higher than a nominal forward voltage (V.sub.f) of the LED and a second constant voltage below the nominal forward voltage (V.sub.f) of the LED.

10. A coupling unit for coupling in a recess of an electrical supply module comprising a composite board comprising a first layer and a second layer of an electrically conducting material, which first layer and second layer are separated by an insulator of an electrically insulating material, which first layer forms an outer surface comprising a first electrical contact site, the composite board having a recess extending through the outer surface, the first layer and the electrically insulating material, which recess allows access to a second electrical contact site at the second layer, the recess having a coupling portion; the coupling unit comprising a complementary coupling portion complementary to the coupling portion of the recess of the electrical supply module, a first electrical contact area and a second electrical contact area, wherein coupling of the complementary coupling portion and the coupling portion of the electrical supply module establishes electrical connection from the first electrical contact site of the electrical supply module to the first electrical contact area and electrical connection from the second electrical contact site of the electrical supply module to the second electrical contact area.

11. The coupling unit according to claim 10, which coupling unit is attached to an external unit having an electronic component in electrical communication with the first electrical contact area and the second electrical contact area.

12. The coupling unit according to claim 10 further comprising a conductor for establishing electrical connection from the second electrical contact area to the second electrical contact site of the electrical supply module when the coupling unit is coupled in the recess of the electrical supply module.

13. The coupling unit according to claim 12, wherein the conductor comprises a spring.

14. The coupling unit according to claim 11, wherein the electronic component is selected from the list consisting of a light emitting diode (LED), a series of LEDs, a resistor, a transistor, a controller, a chip on board (COB), a driver, a speaker, a USB hub, a power bank, a microphone, a camera, a sensor, a 3D sensor, a positioning device, a transmitter, a radio transmitter, a receiver, a radio receiver, an antenna, an access point for wireless communication, and a projector.

15. An electrical supply system comprising an electrical supply module according to claim 1, and an external unit having an electronic component, which external unit is adapted to being attached to the coupling unit so that an electrical circuit between the electronic component, the first electrical contact area and the second electrical contact area is established when the external unit is attached to the coupling unit.

16. The electrical supply system according to claim 15, wherein the electrical supply module comprises a plurality of recesses and a plurality of coupling units, wherein electrical supply system comprises: a first coupling unit attached to the external unit having a first electronic component in electrical communication with the first electrical contact area and the second electrical contact area, wherein the first electronic component is selected from the list consisting of a light emitting diode (LED), a series of LEDs, a resistor, a transistor, a controller, a chip on board (COB), a driver, a speaker, a USB hub, a power bank, a microphone, a camera, a sensor, a 3D sensor, a positioning device, a transmitter, a radio transmitter, a receiver, a radio receiver, an antenna, an access point for wireless communication, and a projector, wherein the first electronic component is for data collection; and a further coupling unit attached to the external unit having a further electronic component in electrical communication with the first electrical contact area and the second electrical contact area, wherein the further electronic component is selected from the list consisting of a light emitting diode (LED), a series of LEDs, a resistor, a transistor, a controller, a chip on board (COB), a driver, a speaker, a USB hub, a power bank, a microphone, a camera, a sensor, a 3D sensor, a positioning device, a transmitter, a radio transmitter, a receiver, a radio receiver, an antenna, an access point for wireless communication, and a projector, wherein the external unit is an electronic component for wireless data transmission.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0089] In the following the invention will be explained in greater detail with the aid of an example and with reference to the schematic drawings, in which

[0090] FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of an electrical supply module of the invention;

[0091] FIG. 2 shows a composite board of an electrical supply module of the invention;

[0092] FIG. 3 shows a recess in a composite board of an electrical supply module of the invention;

[0093] FIG. 4 shows a perspective top view of a coupling unit of an electrical supply module of the invention;

[0094] FIG. 5 shows a perspective top view of an external unit of the invention;

[0095] FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of an electrical supply system of the invention;

[0096] FIG. 7 shows an exploded view of an electrical supply system of the invention.

[0097] Reference to the drawings serves to explain the invention and should not be construed as limiting the features to the specific embodiments as depicted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0098] The present invention relates to an electrical supply module 1 comprising a composite board 2, and a coupling unit 6 as defined above. The coupling unit 6 can be attached to an external unit 10 having an electronic component 11, which is provided with power from the composite board 2. The electrical supply module 1 may also comprise a power supply 90, e.g. providing a constant voltage of direct current. The invention further relates to an electrical supply system 100 comprising the electrical supply module 1, the coupling unit 6, and the external unit 10 of the invention. The external unit 10 may comprise an electronic component 11, e.g. a component selected from the list consisting of a light emitting diode (LED), a series of LEDs, a resistor, a transistor, a controller, a chip on board (COB), a driver, a speaker, a USB hub, a power bank, a microphone, a camera, a sensor, a 3D sensor, a positioning device, a transmitter, a radio transmitter, a receiver, a radio receiver, an antenna, an access point for wireless communication, and a projector, or an electronic component may be part of the composite board 2. The invention thus provides a greatly flexible system for supplying electricity to the electronic component.

[0099] The power supply 90 may use any standardised voltage, e.g. in the range of 5 V to 12 V, although higher voltages, e.g. 24 V, 36 V or 48 V, are also contemplated. It is preferred that the power supply 90 provides a direct current of constant voltage. It is further preferred that the power supply 90 is capable of providing a direct current of constant voltage below a nominal voltage of the electrical supply system 1 and a constant voltage at or above the nominal voltage.

[0100] Referring now to the figures, FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of an electrical supply module 1 with the coupling unit 6 seen from below, and the composite board 2, likewise seen from below, is shown in FIG. 2. In an embodiment, the composite board 2 comprises two conductive layers 21, 23 that have been extruded from aluminium, magnesium or titanium; the extruded metals have subsequently been anodised to provide an oxide layer of about 20 μm thickness. The oxide layer provides an electrically insulating layer to the outer surface 24 of the first conducting layer 21.

[0101] The first conducting layer 21 is separated from the second conducting layer 22 by an insulator 23 of an electrically insulating material, e.g. polyethylene or polypropylene. The thickness of the insulator 23 is about 1 mm, and the total thickness of the composite board 2 is about 5 mm. In another embodiment, the first conducting layer 21 and the second conducting layer 22 are glued together, and the glue may be the insulator 23. When the insulator 23 is a layer of glue the thickness of the insulator 23, i.e. the glue layer, is typically in the range of 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm.

[0102] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 the composite board 2 is constructed for coupling with an extension module, in particular an extension module as described in WO 2018/077359. Any embodiment of the extension module, i.e. the composite board 2, disclosed in WO 2018/077359 is contemplated for the present electrical supply module 1, and its contents are hereby incorporated by reference. The composite board 2 has a connection surface A, and the first layer 21 and the second layer 22, e.g. the “anode layer” and “the cathode layer”, respectively, each has a trench 8 extending from the connection surface A. The trenches 8 have ridges 81 defining a circle in the plane of the cross-section of the trenches 8, e.g. in the plane of the connection surface A.

[0103] A recess 5, as also illustrated in FIG. 3, is provided in the composite board 2 extending through electrically insulating layer, the outer surface 24, the first layer 21 and the electrically insulating material 23. A locking ring is press-fitted into the recess 5 to provide a first electrical contact site 31 along the recess 5, and the recess 5 provides access to a second electrical contact site 32 at the second layer 22. The locking ring is made from stainless steel and it is in electrical contact with the first layer 21. The locking ring may be permanently magnetic or a permanent magnet may be included in the composite board to provide the coupling portion 61. The recess 5 having a locking ring may also be referred to as a female socket, and it is also contemplated that the locking ring may be the coupling portion 61 of a male-female interaction.

[0104] In the embodiment shown, the recess 5 has a circular perimeter, and the coupling unit 6, as shown in FIG. 4, can be mounted in the recess 5. The coupling unit 6 may have a ferromagnetic material or a permanent magnet, preferably a permanent neodymium/iron/boron (NdFeB) magnet, as the complementary coupling portion 62. When both the coupling portion 61 and the complementary the coupling portion 62 comprise a magnet, these will represent alignment points and they will be positioned so that the north pole of the magnet of the coupling portion 61 faces the south pole of the magnet of the complementary coupling portion 62, or vice versa. Alternatively, the coupling unit 6 may be the “male part” of a male-female interaction with the locking ring.

[0105] The recess 5 thus has a coupling portion 61 complementary to a complementary coupling portion 62 of the coupling unit 6.

[0106] The coupling unit 6 has a conductor 7 in the shape of a pogo-pin, which provides a first electrical contact area 41 and a second electrical contact area 42 for establishing electrical connection between the first electrical contact site 31 and the first electrical contact area 41, and between the second electrical contact site 32 and a second electrical contact area 42, when the coupling unit 6 is coupled with the coupling unit 6 mounted in the recess 5.

[0107] The coupling unit 6 is attached to an external unit 10 (FIG. 5). In the embodiment shown, the external unit 10 has a circular depression with electrical contact points, e.g. a first electrical contact point 51 and a second electrical contact point 52, for establishing contact to the layers 21,22 of the composite board 2 via the first electrical contact area 41 and the second electrical contact area 42 of the coupling unit 6, when the coupling unit 6 is mounted in the recess 5. The circular depression has a perimeter 63 of a size allowing the complementary coupling portion 62 to be press-fitted into the depression. This generally represents a “releasable” attachment of the coupling unit 6 and the external unit 10. However, it is also possible to permanently attach the coupling unit 6 and the external unit 10; for example, the coupling unit 6 and the external unit 10 may be attached by gluing, welding, soldering, etc.

[0108] The external unit 10 has an electronic component. In a certain embodiment, the external unit 10 has circuit with a plurality of electronic components. When the external unit 10 has circuit with a plurality of electronic components 11 the circuit with the electronic components is preferably located on a circuit board, e.g. a printed circuit board (PCB).

[0109] In FIG. 6 a cross-sectional view of an electrical supply system 100 of the invention is shown where the external unit 10 is attached to the coupling unit 6, which is mounted in the recess 5 to ensure releasable coupling between the coupling portion 61 and the complementary coupling portion 62. Both the attachment and the coupling between the respective parts will be strong enough, e.g. due to the magnetic forces, so that the external unit 10 can be held strongly in place and the electrical supply system 100 can be oriented freely without risk of uncoupling the coupling unit 6 and the external unit 10, e.g. due to gravity.

[0110] FIG. 7 shows an exploded view of the electrical supply system 100 of the invention where the arrows indicate how the coupling unit 6 may be attached to the external unit 10 before mounting the coupling unit 6 in the recess 5 or how the coupling unit 6 may be mounted in the recess 5 before attaching to the external unit 10 with the coupling unit 6 when this is mounted in the recess 5.