Continuous wireform connector
View Patent ↗Apparatuses and methods of manufacturing woven electrical connectors is disclosed. In one embodiment, the connector is formed with a continuous wire having adjacent sections with passageways formed from the wire through which loading elements may be inserted. In some embodiments, the loading elements include spring band clips and/or helical spring coils.
1. A multi-contact electrical connector comprising:
a conductive wire defining a plurality of adjacent sections including a first section and an adjacent second section, the first section having a first portion of the first section comprising a plurality of peaks and valleys and a second portion of the first section continuous with the first portion of the first section comprising a plurality of valleys and peaks, the second portion of the first section is looped back adjacent the first portion of the first section whereby the plurality of peaks and valleys of the first portion of the first section align with the plurality of valleys and peaks, respectively, of the second portion of the first section to define a plurality of passageways in the first section of a plurality of sections, wherein the second portion of the first section is continuous with a first portion of the adjacent second section, the first portion of the second section comprising a plurality of peaks and valleys and a second portion of the second section continuous with the first portion of the second section comprising a plurality of valleys and peaks, the second portion of the second section is looped back adjacent the first portion of the second section whereby the plurality of peaks and valleys of the first portion of the second section align with the plurality of valleys and peaks, respectively, of the second portion of the second section to define a plurality of passageways in the second section of the plurality of sections; and
a loading element disposed within corresponding ones of the first section passageways and second section passageways to bias a plurality of peaks into contact with a mating connector when connected thereto.
2. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sections are aligned substantially adjacent to one another such that each of the first section passageways is aligned substantially adjacent to a corresponding one of the second section passageways.
3. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sections are offset from one another such that each of the first section passageways is offset from a corresponding one of the second section passageways.
4. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sections are disposed about an arc to form a substantially arcuate shape.
5. The connector of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of sections are disposed about a circumference to form a substantially cylindrical shape.
6. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the loading element comprises a tensioned loading fiber.
7. The connector of claim 6 , wherein the loading element is non-conductive.
8. The connector of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of sections are disposed about a circumference to form a substantially cylindrical shape.
9. A method of forming an electrical connection, the method comprising:
providing a conductive wire, the wire having a first section and a second section;
plastically deforming a first portion of the first section of the wire to define a plurality of peaks and valleys and plastically deforming a second portion of the first section of the wire to loop back adjacent the first portion of the first section of the wire and to define a plurality of valleys and peaks that are substantially aligned with the plurality of peaks and valleys, respectively, of the first portion of the first section of the wire, thereby defining at least one first section passageway;
with the same wire, plastically deforming a first portion of the second section of the wire to define a plurality of peaks and valley and plastically deforming a second portion of the second section of the wire to loop back adjacent the first portion of the second section of the wire and to define a plurality of valleys and peaks that are substantially aligned with the plurality of peaks and valleys, respectively, of the first portion of the first second of the wire;
arranging the first and second sections to be laterally adjacent one another such that the at least one first section passageway generally aligns with the at least one second section passageway; and
inserting a loading element through the passageways of adjacent sections.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the steps of plastically deforming the first section of the wire to define a first elongated region and plastically deforming the second section of the wire to define a second elongated region, whereby the elongated regions of adjacent sections generally align with each other.
11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of arranging adjacent sections to form an arcuate shape.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of inserting a loading element through passageways formed by the wire comprises inserting a tensioned loading element.
13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of longitudinally offsetting each section and arranging adjacent sections to form a cylindrical shape such that the passageways define a helical passageway.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of inserting a loading element through the passageways of adjacent sections comprises inserting a helical loading element through the passageways of adjacent sections.