Connectors with electrical or signal carrying capabilities and related methods
View Patent ↗Aspects of the present disclosure include a connector, an array of connectors, a method for manufacturing the connectors, and a method for using the connectors. The connectors are capable of carrying electrical or electric signal and include geometries to operate in holding, latching, or locking applications. The connector can include a contact housing formed by a first electrically conductive housing, a second electrically conductive housing and a housing sealing component at least partially isolating said first and second electrically conductive housings from each other. A body, such as a pin, a rod, or an elongated member, is provided. A first electrically conductive spring is located in a first groove and a second electrically conductive spring is located in a second groove inside the contact housing. Wherein a first electrical path and a second electrical path are formed when the body is inserted into the contact housing. In other examples, more than two electrical paths can be provided.
1. A connector comprising:
a first housing comprising a first electrically conductive housing section, a second electrically conductive housing section and a housing sealing component at least partially isolating said first and second electrically conductive housing sections from each other; said first and second electrically conductive housing sections and housing sealing component having an outside diameter dimension and a bore;
a body insertable into said bore, said body comprising a first electrical terminal and a second electrical terminal;
a first electrically conductive spring positioned in a first groove defined at least in part by the first electrically conductive housing section and a second electrically conductive spring positioned in a second groove defined at least in part by the second electrically conductive housing section;
a second housing comprising a bore having the first housing disposed therein, wherein an opening of said bore of said second housing is larger than the outside diameter dimension of the first housing; and
said first electrically conductive housing section, said first electrically conductive spring and said first electrical terminal defining at least a portion of a first electrical path, and said second electrically conductive housing section, said second electrically conductive spring, and said second electrical terminal defining at least a portion of a second electrical path.
2. The connector of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second grooves is defined by a first groove on the inner surface of the bore and a second groove on the outer surface of the corresponding electrical terminal.
3. The connector of claim 1 , further comprising a non-conductive layer separating the first electrical terminal from the second electrical terminal on the body.
4. The connector of one of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion the bore and a portion of the body are tapered.
5. The connector of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the bore between the first and the second electrically conductive springs and a portion of the body are tapered.
6. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the housing sealing component is mechanically engaged to a second sealing component to at least partially isolate the first and second electrical terminals from each other.
7. The connector of claim 6 , wherein the mechanical engagement of the housing sealing component and second sealing component is a latch or a detent.
8. The connector of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second electrically conductive springs is a canted coil spring.
9. The connector of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second electrically conductive springs is one of a garter spring and a ribbon spring.
10. The connector of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second electrically conductive springs is a finger spring.
11. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the first housing is positioned in a planar structure; and wherein a third housing is positioned in the planar structure and spaced from the first housing.
12. The connector of claim 1 , further comprising a first structure secured to a second structure by the connector.
13. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the body is attached to a header or a can housing of an implantable medical device and the first housing is attached to the other one of the header or the can housing.
14. The connector of claim 13 , further comprising a gasket seal located between the header and the can housing.
15. The connector of claim 14 , wherein the gasket seal comprises an opening at a location of the body or the combination first and second electrically conductive housing sections and the housing sealing component.
16. The connector of claim 13 , wherein a printed circuit board is located in the header and defines a portion of the first and second electrical paths.
17. The connector of claim 13 , wherein the printed circuit board comprises two layers of printed circuits.
18. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the body is attached to a first structure and the first housing is attached to a second structure to put the first structure in electrical communication with the second structure.
19. The connector of claim 18 , wherein the first and the second structures are part of a land vehicle.
20. The connector of claim 18 , wherein the first and the second structures are part of a flying aircraft.
21. The connector of claim 18 , wherein the first and the second structures are part of a watercraft.
22. The connector of claim 18 , wherein the first and the second structures are part of a consumer electronic device.
23. An array of connectors spaced from one another, each connector comprising:
a first housing comprising a first electrically conductive housing, a second electrically conductive housing, and a housing sealing component at least partially isolating said first and second electrically conductive housings from each other; said first and second electrically conductive housings and said housing sealing component defining a bore with two seams defined by the first electrically conductive housing section and the housing sealing component and the second electrically conductive housing section and the housing sealing component;
a body insertable into said bore comprising a first electrical terminal and a second electrical terminal;
a first electrically conductive spring in a first groove defined at least in part by the first electrically conductive housing section and the housing sealing component and a second electrically conductive spring in a second groove defined at least in part by the second electrically conductive housing section and the housing sealing component;
a second housing comprising a bore receiving the first housing therein, said second housing comprising a seam that is parallel to at least one of the two seams of the first housing; and
said first electrically conductive housing section, said first electrically conductive spring, and said first electrical terminal defining at least a portion of a first electrical path, and said second electrically conductive housing section, said second electrically conductive spring, and said second electrical terminal defining at least a portion of a second electrical path.
24. The array of connectors of claim 23 , wherein at least one groove in one of the connectors is aligned with a groove on an outer surface of a corresponding electrical terminal to capture a corresponding electrically conductive spring therebetween.
25. The array of connectors of claim 23 , wherein, at least in one of the connectors, at least a portion of the bore is tapered.
26. The array of connectors of claim 23 , wherein, at least in one of the connectors, a portion of the bore between two consecutive electrically conductive springs is tapered.
27. The array of connectors of claim 23 , wherein, at least in one of the connectors, the housing sealing component is mechanically engaged to a second sealing component to at least partially isolate the first and second electrical terminals from each other.
28. The connector of claim 27 , wherein the mechanical engagement of the housing and second sealing components is a latch.
29. The array of connectors of claim 23 , wherein a length of the body of one of the connectors is different than a length of the body of another one of the connectors.
30. The array of connectors of claim 23 , further comprising at least one mechanical connector positioned with the array of connectors.
31. The array of connectors of claim 23 , wherein at least one of the first and second electrically conductive springs of at least one of the connectors is a canted coil spring.
32. The array of connectors of claim 23 , wherein at least one of the first and second electrically conductive springs of at least one of the connectors is one of a garter spring and a ribbon spring.
33. The array of connectors of claim 23 , wherein at least one of the first and second electrically conductive springs of at least one of the connectors is a finger spring.
34. A method for forming a connector comprising:
forming a first housing comprising by placing a housing sealing component in between a first electrically conductive housing section and a second electrically conductive housing section to at least partially isolate the first and second electrically conductive housing sections from each other; said first and second electrically conductive housing sections and said housing sealing component having an outside diameter dimension and a common bore;
assembling a first electrical terminal and a second electrical terminal together to form an insertable body;
placing a first electrically conductive spring in a first groove defined at least in part by the first electrically conductive housing section;
placing a second electrically conductive spring in a second groove defined at least in part by the second electrically conductive housing section;
forming a second housing comprising a bore having the first housing disposed therein, wherein an opening of said bore of said second housing is larger than the outside diameter dimension of the first housing; and
placing the insertable body into the bore of the first housing to form a first electrical path defined by the first electrically conductive housing section, the first electrically conductive spring, and the first electrical terminal and a second electrical path defined by the second electrically conductive housing section, the second electrically conductive spring, and the second electrical terminal.
35. The method of claim 34 , further comprising placing a non-conductive layer between the first electrical terminal and the second electrical terminal to isolate the first and second electrical terminals from one another.
36. The method of claim 34 , further comprising placing the first housing adjacent two or more first housings to form an array.
37. The method of claim 34 , further comprising placing the insertable body adjacent two or more insertable bodies to form an array.
38. The method of claim 34 , further comprising attaching the first housing to a first structure and attaching the insertable body to a second structure.
39. The method of claim 38 , wherein the first structure and the second structure is part of a flying aircraft, a land vehicle, a watercraft, a medical device, a consumer electronic device, a wind turbine, or a satellite.
40. The method of claim 38 , further comprising connecting the first housing and the insertable body.