Electronic Connector Having Flexible Region

Abstract

An electronic connector includes a housing and a plug extending from the housing. The plug includes at least one flexible region that provides flexing of the plug. In some example embodiments, the plug also includes at least one rigid region. The plug has at least one interconnect. Each interconnect includes a lead and a contact. The contacts are exposed on an exterior surface of the plug, such exposure being provided so as to enable electrical coupling between the plug and an electronic receptacle into which the plug may be removably inserted.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electronic device comprising:
 an electronic connector including a plug having:
 (a) a flexible region formed of a flexible polymer material having sufficient flexibility so as to support flexing of the plug up to an angle of ±10° from a natural state, 
 (b) a contact carrier extending from the flexible region and having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, wherein a notch is defined in the bottom surface of the contact carrier, and 
 (c) a plurality of exposed contacts supported on the top surface of the contact carrier; and 
   a non-electronic receptacle for receiving the electronic connector, wherein the non-electronic receptacle includes a complementary structure that engages the notch defined in the bottom surface of the contact carrier to releasably retain the electronic connector in the non-electronic receptacle.   
     
     
         2 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of leads are electrically coupled to the plurality of exposed contacts, and wherein the plurality of leads are at least partially embedded in the flexible polymer material of the flexible region. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the flexible polymer material of the flexible region has sufficient flexibility so as to support flexing of the plug up to an angle of ±30° from the natural state. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the flexible polymer material of the flexible region has sufficient flexibility so as to support flexing of the plug up to an angle of ±60° from the natural state. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the flexible region comprises a flexible beam of the flexible polymer material extending between a housing and the contact carrier. 
     
     
         6 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the non-electronic receptacle has a curved insertion path, and wherein the flexible polymer material of the flexible region has sufficient flexibility so as to enable the electronic connector to be inserted into the curved insertion path. 
     
     
         7 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the flexible polymer material of the flexible region has a hardness of between 60-100 Shore A. 
     
     
         8 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the contact carrier is formed on a rigid region of the plug that is engaged with the flexible region of the plug, and wherein the rigid region is formed of one or more materials having a hardness of at least 70 Shore D. 
     
     
         9 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of leads are electrically coupled to the plurality of exposed contacts, wherein the plurality of leads are at least partially embedded in the flexible polymer material of the flexible region, and wherein the plurality of leads extend into a housing from which the plug of the electronic connector extends. 
     
     
         10 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the notch and the complementary structure that engages the notch are releasable from one another by a pulling force. 
     
     
         11 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the flexible polymer material of the flexible region has a hardness of between 60-100 Shore A, wherein the contact carrier is formed on a rigid region of the plug that is engaged with the flexible region of the plug, and wherein the rigid region is formed of one or more materials having a hardness of at least 70 Shore D. 
     
     
         12 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the plug of the electronic connector is a USB plug. 
     
     
         13 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is an athletic performance monitoring device. 
     
     
         14 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is a watch having a controller and a plurality of user inputs associated with operations of the controller. 
     
     
         15 . An electronic device comprising:
 a housing;   an electronic connector including a plug having:
 (a) a flexible beam extending from the housing and formed of a flexible polymer material having sufficient flexibility so as to support flexing of the plug up to an angle of ±10° from a natural state, 
 (b) a contact carrier engaged with the flexible beam and having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and 
 (c) a plurality of exposed contacts supported on the top surface of the contact carrier; 
   a non-electronic receptacle for receiving the electronic connector; and   a locking structure configured to releasably secure the electronic connector in the non-electronic receptacle, wherein the locking structure includes a notch defined in the bottom surface of the contact carrier and a complementary structure included in the non-electronic receptacle, wherein the notch engages the complementary structure to releasably retain the electronic connector in the non-electronic receptacle.   
     
     
         16 . The electronic device according to  claim 15 , wherein a plurality of leads are electrically coupled to the plurality of exposed contacts, and wherein the plurality of leads are at least partially embedded in the flexible polymer material and extend into the housing. 
     
     
         17 . The electronic device according to  claim 15 , wherein the non-electronic receptacle has a curved insertion path, and wherein the flexible polymer material has sufficient flexibility so as to enable the electronic connector to be inserted into the curved insertion path. 
     
     
         18 . The electronic device according to  claim 15 , wherein the flexible polymer material has a hardness of between 60-100 Shore A, and wherein the contact carrier is formed on a rigid region of the plug, wherein the rigid region is formed of one or more materials having a hardness of at least 70 Shore D. 
     
     
         19 . The electronic device according to  claim 15 , wherein the plug of the electronic connector is a USB plug. 
     
     
         20 . The electronic device according to  claim 15 , wherein the electronic device is an athletic performance monitoring device.