Background of the Invention Connector cords for connecting power supplies to appliances are known. Also known are connectors, for such cords, which have coaxial connectors. The latter allow the user to plug in a cord without worrying about orientating the connector properly. It would be desirable to preserve the ease of use of coaxial connectors when a cable is required to have connectors at both ends, for example, to permit a power supply and a load to be interchanged at either end. However, it is easy for a user to mix the ends up unless they happen to be the same size, which cannot be predetermined since the load and the power supply may be made by different manufacturers.

Summary of the Invention Briefly, an adapter cord for use with a power supply provides a coaxial connector on one end and a bilaterally symmetric connector on the other end. The coaxial connector is adapted for connection to a load and the bilaterally symmetric connector is adapted for use with a power supply. The bilaterally symmetric connector is standard for use with replaceable power supply devices such as a battery charger. The coaxial connector (which may be other than a coaxial connector, but is preferably a coaxial connector) is adapted for the particular type of appliance. The bilaterally symmetric connector provides the same lead connections irrespective of its orientation, for convenience. Also, the bilaterally

symmetric connector is very different in shape to avoid confusion that would occur if both ends had (differently sized) coaxial connectors.

A connector that provides a benefit of coaxial connectors, but which is shaped substantially differently, is provided. The difference in shape allows the connection of a power supply to a load using a connection cord which acts as an adapter. That is, the cord has a respective connector for each device at either end of the cord. Since most loads, such as cell phones and radios, have coaxial female connectors for their power supply inputs, the connector of the invention provides a non-coaxial connector at the other end.

However, the connector is designed such that it does not matter which way it is oriented when inserted. The connector is bilaterally symmetric with one contact in the center flanked by two lateral contacts on either side. The lateral contacts are electrically interconnected so that it does not matter which of two orientations are chosen by the user when the user plugs it into a mating connection on the power supply.

The connectors are shaped to mate with each other in at least two alternative orientations. In one embodiment of the invention, a connector contains three pins. The pins are arranged in a single row, with the center pin (pin 2) being connected to one pole of the load connector (presumably coaxial at the other end of the connecting cable) and the two end pins (pins 1 and 3) being connected to the other pole of the load. As a result of this arrangement, the power supply connector can be mated with a corresponding female connector in either of two different orientations without reversing polarity. In an alternative embodiment, four pins are used with a center pair being electrically connected together. The redundancy of pins provides some insurance against breakage due to mishandling.

In an additional alternative embodiment, the connectors can be used as signal lines to relay an electrical signal, instead of DC power. In another alternative embodiment of the invention, each connector has 5 electrical leads (numbered in the same fashion as in the embodiment above). The electrical leads are arranged such that electrical leads 1 and 5 are used to carry a positive charge; leads 2 and 4 are used to carry a negative charge ; and lead 3 is used to carry a signal between the two devices that the connector connects. As in the previous embodiment, the connectors can be mated in two alternative orientations without

affecting the ultimate result, with leads 1,2,3,4, and 5 of a first connector matching with either leads 1,2,3,4, and 5 or leads 5,4,3,2, and 1 of a second connector.

While the invention will now be described in connection with a certain preferred embodiment and in reference to the appended figure, the described embodiment is not intended to limit the invention to this particular embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternative, modifications, and equivalents as may be included in the scope of the invention. Thus the following description and example of the preferred embodiment of the invention are only intended to illustrate the practice of the present invention. The particular embodiment are shown by way of an example and for the purpose of illustrative discussion of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. This particular embodiment is presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention. The description, taken with the drawing, make it apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice.

Brief Description of the Drawings FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a different isometric view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an alternative embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description of the Illustrated Embodiments Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a first connector 10 is attached to a cable 15 with two insulated wires, 15a, 15b. The first insulated wire 15a is connected to the negative pole of a connector for the load (not shown in the drawing). The second insulated wire 15b is connected to the positive pole of the load connector.

Within a housing 25 of the connector 10 are three female jacks 20a, 20b, and 20c.

The outer jacks 20a and 20c are electrically connected to the first wire 15a. The inner jack 20b is electrically connected to the second wire 15b. On a power supply, three pins 30a,

30b, 30c are mounted and electrically connected to a PC board 35. The PC board 35 electrically connects the first pin 30a with the third pin 30b. The pins 30a, 30b, 30b of the PC board are shaped to mate with the jacks 20a, 20b, 20c of the connector 10. The connection of the PC board to the pins 30a, 30b, 30b is such as to connect one or both of the outboard pins 30a and 30c with the negative pole of the power supply and the middle pin 30b with the positive pole of the power supply. In the first orientation, the pins 30a, 30b, 30c are inserted into the three sockets 20a, 20b, 20c, respectively. In the second orientation, the outer pins 20a, 20c are inserted in the outer pins 30c, 30a, respectively.

When inserted into the sockets 20a, 20b, 20c, the connectors provide for the electrical communication between the two electronic devices. Thus, the positive pole of the power supply is connected to the positive pole of the (preferably coaxial) load connector regardless of the orientation of the connector 10.

Note that the poles of the power supply may be interchanged without departing from the scope of the invention. That is, the positive pole of the power supply could be connected to the lateral pins 30a and 30c and the negative pole to the middle pin 30b with corresponding substitutions in the connector 10. Also note that preferably the shape of the connector 10 housing 25is distinctive so as not to be confused with a coaxial or other type of connector at the opposite end of the cable 15.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a female connector 40 is attached to a cable 45 with two insulated wires 45a, 45b. The first and second insulated wires 45a, 45b are connected to a first electronic device (not shown). The first insulated wire 45a is designed to transmit a first signal from the first electronic device to a second electronic device. The second insulated wire 45b is designed to transmit a second signal from the second electronic device to the first electronic device.

Within a housing 55 of the female connector 40 are five female jacks (not shown) arranged such that the center jack is surrounded by the remaining four outer jacks. The four outer jacks are arranged to be equidistant from the center jack and to form four corners of a square with the center jack at its center.

Connected to the second electronic device is a PC board 60 having 5 pins 65a, 65b, 65c, 65d, and 65e. The pins 65a, 65b, 65c, 65d, 65e are arranged and spaced to mate with

the five jacks of the female connector, with the center pin 65a mating with the center jack of the female connector. The outer jacks 65b, 65c, 65d, 65e are electrically connected with each other through the PC board 60.

Regardless of the orientation of the mating between the female connector and the PC board, an operable connection is achieved as long as the center pin mates with the center jack and at least one of the outer pins mate with at least one of the outer jacks of the female connector. In the event that one or more of the outer pins is damaged or breaks off from the PC board, a connection can still be achieved through the other operable outer pins.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing illustrative embodiments, and that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.