CHARGING CONTACT CONNECTION FOR A CHARGER, MATING CONTACT CONNECTION, CHARGING CONTACT SYSTEM AND ELECTRICAL DEVICE

Abstract

A charging contact connection is provided for a charger, in particular for a hearing device. The charging contact connection contains a permanent magnetic magnet element for magnetically attracting a mating contact connection, a central contact pin for making contact with a first mating contact of the mating contact connection and a contact casing, annularly surrounding the central contact pin, that has a contact surface for making contact with a second mating contact of the mating contact connection, which contact surface is oriented obliquely and/or perpendicularly with respect to a longitudinal axis of the contact pin. The contact casing is electrically insulated from the contact pin, and the contact casing at least partially surrounds the magnet element.

Claims

1. A charging contact connection for a charger of an electrical device, the charging contact connection comprising: a permanent magnetic magnet element for magnetically attracting a mating contact connection; a central contact pin for making contact with a first mating contact of the mating contact connection; and a contact casing, annularly surrounding said central contact pin, and having a contact surface for making contact with a second mating contact of the mating contact connection, said contact surface being oriented obliquely and/or perpendicularly with respect to a longitudinal axis of said central contact pin, wherein said contact casing being electrically insulated from said contact pin, and wherein said contact casing at least partially surrounding said permanent magnetic magnet element.

2. The charging contact connection according to claim 1, wherein at least said contact surface of said contact casing is rotationally symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis of said central contact pin.

3. The charging contact connection according to claim 1, wherein said contact casing surrounds said permanent magnetic magnet element in a pot-shaped manner.

4. The charging contact connection according to claim 1, wherein said permanent magnetic magnet element is of an electrically conductive configuration and forms an electrical connection between said contact casing and an electrical line downstream of the charging contact connection.

5. The charging contact connection according to claim 1, wherein said permanent magnetic magnet element surrounds said central contact pin in a sleeve-shaped manner.

6. The charging contact connection according to claim 1, wherein said central contact pin penetrates said contact surface of said contact casing through an assigned opening and a free end of said central contact pin projects above said contact surface.

7. The charging contact connection according to claim 1, further comprising an insulating material, said central contact pin is covered by said insulating material at least in a contact region with respect to said permanent magnetic magnet element and said contact casing.

8. The charging contact connection according to claim 1, wherein the electrical device is a hearing device.

9. The charging contact connection according to claim 1, further comprising a sleeve formed from an insulating material, wherein said central contact pin is covered by said sleeve, at least in a contact region with respect to said permanent magnetic magnet element and said contact casing.

10. A mating contact connection for installation in an electrical device, comprising: a first mating contact for making contact with a contact pin of a charging contact connection; and a second mating contact, annularly surrounding said first mating contact, for making contact with a contact surface of a contact casing of the charging contact connection, wherein at least said second mating contact is formed from ferrimagnetic or ferromagnetic material.

11. The mating contact connection according to claim 10, wherein said first mating contact is set back from a contact surface of said second mating contact, and/or wherein said first and second mating contacts are connected to one another by means of an electrically insulating spacer.

12. A charging contact system for an electrical device, comprising: a charging contact connection according to claim 1; and a mating contact connection according to claim 10.

13. An electrical device, comprising: a charging contact connection according to claim 1; and a mating contact connection for making electrical contact with said charging contact connection, wherein said mating contact connection having a first mating contact for making contact with said central contact pin and a second mating contact, annularly surrounding said first mating contact, for making contact with said contact surface of said contact casing, wherein at least said second mating contact is formed from ferrimagnetic or ferromagnetic material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0034] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of a hearing device having a mating contact connection for connecting a charging contact connection for charging a rechargeable battery installed in the hearing device according to the invention;

[0035] FIG. 2 is a schematic detail view of the hearing device showing the mating contact connection;

[0036] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the hearing device and the charging contact connection for making contact with the mating contact connection;

[0037] FIG. 4 is a perspective, individual-part view of the mating contact connection;

[0038] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the charging contact connection in line with FIG. 4;

[0039] FIG. 6 is a schematic partial sectional view of the charging contact system, formed from the charging contact connection and the mating contact connection, in the coupled state;

[0040] FIG. 7 is an exploded, perspective view of the charging contact system; and

[0041] FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective views of the hearing device with different exemplary applications of the charging contact system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0042] Mutually corresponding parts are provided with the same reference signs throughout the figures.

[0043] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a hearing device 1. The hearing device 1 has an exterior housing 2 and a support hook 4 fastened thereto. For its electrical components (microphones, a loudspeaker, a signal processor and possibly a communication module, which are not depicted in more detail) to operate, the hearing device 1 has a rechargeable battery. So as not to have to remove the latter from the exterior housing 2 for charging purposes, the hearing device 1 has a charging connection 6 that forms a mating contact connection with respect to a charging contact connection, which is described in more detail below. In addition, the hearing device 1 also has charging electronics assigned to the rechargeable battery, the charging electronics being configured to monitor the charging process and the state of charge of the battery.

[0044] The charging connection 6 has two contact elements arranged concentrically with respect to one another, specifically a central first contact piece 8 and a second contact piece 10 annularly surrounding the latter (see FIGS. 2 and 4). The first and second contact pieces 8, 10 each form a mating contact for corresponding contact elements of the charging contact connection.

[0045] As can be seen from FIGS. 3 and 5, the charging contact connection (referred to as charging connector 12 below for short) likewise has two contact elements in rotationally symmetrical form that are arranged concentrically with respect to one another. These are a centrally arranged contact pin 14, specifically a spring contact pin (also: pogo pin), and a contact casing 16 surrounding the contact pin in the manner of a sleeve. The free end of the contact pin 14 has a contact end 18 projecting above a contact surface 20 of the contact casing 16. The contact surface 20 is oriented perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal extent or longitudinal axis of the contact pin 14.

[0046] The contact surface 20 of the charging connector 12 bears against a corresponding contact surface 22 of the charging connection 6 in an intended coupling state (see FIG. 6). The contact end 18 is embedded in a cup-like contact hollow 24 of the first contact piece 8 in this case. The first contact piece 8 is set back from the contact surface 22 of the second contact piece 10. As a result, the contact end 18 of the contact pin 14 exhibits a centering effect when the charging connector 12 is coupled to the charging connection 6.

[0047] In order to assist the coupling of the charging connector 12 to the charging connection 6, and in order to keep them against one another during the charging process, the charging connector 12 has a magnet element in the form of a magnet sleeve 26. The latter is fitted into the contact casing 16 shaped in a pot-like manner and is put onto the contact pin 14 with said contact casing (see FIG. 6). The magnet sleeve 26 is in permanent magnetic and electrically conductive form. On account of the electrical conductivity of the magnet sleeve 26, the contact casing 16 can make contact with an electrical line assigned to the charging connector 12 while saving installation space and additional components. To insulate the contact casing 16 and the magnet sleeve 26 from the contact pin 14, an electrically insulating material in the form of an insulating sleeve 28 is placed onto said contact pin.

[0048] The second contact piece 10 (optionally also the first contact piece 8) is formed from a ferrimagnetic or ferromagnetic material, so that the magnet sleeve 26 can exert a magnetic attraction on said contact piece.

[0049] To electrically insulate the first and second contact pieces 8, 10 from one another, an insulating ring 30 is arranged between them as an insulating spacer. The insulating ring is a plastic injection molded part. In an optional variant, this insulating ring 30 contains ferrimagnetic or ferromagnetic material. In this case, the second contact piece 10 can also be in nonmagnetic form.

[0050] As FIG. 6 also shows, the charging connection 6 is arranged directly on a printed circuit board 32 of the hearing device 1 and is in contact with corresponding conductor tracks of this printed circuit board 32 in the manner of an SMD. Specifically, the first contact piece 8 and the second contact piece 10 are each directly conductively connected to corresponding conductor tracks of the printed circuit board 32.

[0051] The charging connector 12, in a variant application, is integrated in a charger that has a charging cradle for receiving the hearing device 1.

[0052] In an alternative variant application, schematically depicted in FIG. 8, the charging connector 12 is an end piece of a charging cable 34 by means of which a power source (for example a power bank, a laptop, a neckband, a charging power supply unit for connection to a stationary power supply system or the like) is connected to the hearing device 1. Specifically, the charging cable 34 depicted is in Y form, a charging connector 12 (for connection to a respective hearing device 1) being arranged on each of the two Y limbs and a USB connector 36 for connection to the power source being arranged at the other end.

[0053] FIG. 9 schematically depicts a further variant of an application of the charging connector 12. The charging connector 12 in this instance is integrated directly in a battery pack 38 that can be coupled to the hearing device 1 by means of the charging connector 12 and the charging connection 6 for the purpose of charging and/or maintaining operation of the hearing device 1. Additionally, FIG. 9 also depicts a charging cradle 40 for multiple such battery packs 38. In the application depicted, the charging cradle 40 likewise has a charging connector 12 arranged in it for each battery pack 38, the charging connector making an electrical connection to a charging connection 6 (not depicted) arranged in the respective battery pack 38 at the side for the purpose of charging the battery pack 38.

[0054] In all of the depicted variants, the rotationally symmetrical designs of the charging connector 12 and the charging connection 6 allow freely rotatable positioning of the hearing device 1 with respect to the charging connector 12. The magnet sleeve 26 additionally simplifies the coupling of the charging connector 12 to the charging connection 6.

[0055] The subject matter of the invention is not restricted to the exemplary embodiment described above. Rather, further embodiments of the invention can be derived from the description above by a person skilled in the art.

[0056] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: [0057] 1 hearing device [0058] 2 exterior housing [0059] 4 support hook [0060] 6 charging connection [0061] 8 contact piece [0062] 10 contact piece [0063] 12 charging connector [0064] 14 contact pin [0065] 16 contact casing [0066] 18 contact end [0067] 20 contact surface [0068] 22 contact surface [0069] 24 contact hollow [0070] 26 magnet sleeve [0071] 28 insulating sleeve [0072] 30 insulating ring [0073] 32 printed circuit board [0074] 34 charging cable [0075] 36 USB connector [0076] 38 battery pack [0077] 40 charging cradle