Stamped housings to facilitate assembly and related methods

• US 10,520,001 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2016
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bal Seal Engineering Incorporated (Kaman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bal Seal Engineering Incorporated (Kaman Corporation)
• Inventors: Ghasiri, Majid
• Primary Examiner(s): Skroupa, Josh
• Application Number:
  US15/068,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20160265574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,388 Days
• Field of Search: 403315, 403317-319, 403326, 403375, 403DIG 7, 403DIG 14
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 21/186 external, i.e. with contracting action

Abstract

Connector housings and connector assemblies for mechanically connecting a pin to a housing with or without electrical conductivity. A connector housing can be formed by attaching two housing sections together with one or both housing sections formed at least in part by a stamping process. The connector housing can have an outer contour, such as an outer perimeter, with one or more sides and with a joining section connecting two adjacent sides together. The two or more sides can be used for handling, aligning, and/or assembling of the connector housing to a cavity.

Claims

1. A connector housing comprising:

a first housing section comprising a body having a wall with an exterior surface, an opposed interior surface, an outer perimeter with two or more sides with a joining section located between two adjacent sides, an inner perimeter through the exterior and interior surfaces defining an opening, and a contoured structure having a wall formed by stamping and having the inner perimeter located therein or thereon;

a second housing section joined to the first housing section, said second housing section comprising a body having an exterior surface, an opposed interior surface, an outer perimeter with two or more sides with a joining section located between two adjacent sides, an inner perimeter through the exterior and interior surfaces defining an opening, and a contoured structure having a wall formed by stamping and having the inner perimeter located therein or thereon;

a spring groove formed by the two contoured structures having a canted coil spring located therein;

wherein the interior surfaces of the two housing sections contact one another adjacent the outer perimeter of each housing section and having a seam therebetween and wherein the wall of the contoured structure of the first housing section is located on a first side of the seam and the wall of the contoured structure of the second housing section located on a second side of the seam and spaced from the wall of the contoured structure of the first housing section; and

wherein the openings of the two housing sections define a bore and the two outer perimeters define a housing perimeter.

2. The connector housing of claim 1, further comprising a pin located in the bore.

3. The connector housing of claim 1, further comprising a flange section adjacent the contour section of the first housing section and wherein notches or holes are provided in the flange section.

4. The connector housing of claim 1, wherein the housing perimeter has four sides and four joining sections.

5. The connector housing of claim 1, wherein the first housing section comprises a first section attached to a second section along the outer diameter of the second section.

6. The connector housing of claim 1, wherein at least one of the joining sections is a corner tab extending outwardly from one of the sides.

7. The connector housing of claim 6, wherein the corner tab is attached to a fitment corner.

8. The connector housing of a claim 1, wherein the canted coil spring is a radial canted coil spring or an axial canted coil spring.

9. A method of manufacturing a connector housing comprising:

forming a first housing section by stamping, said first housing section comprising a body having an exterior surface, an interior surface, an outer perimeter with two or more sides with a joining section located between two adjacent sides, an inner perimeter defining an opening, and a contoured structure;

forming a second housing section by stamping, said second housing section joined to the first housing section, said second housing section comprising a body having an exterior surface, an interior surface, an outer perimeter with two or more sides with a joining section located between two adjacent sides, an inner perimeter defining an opening, and a contoured structure;

attaching the first housing section to the second housing section to form a spring groove from the two contoured structures;

positioning a canted coil spring between the first housing section and the second housing section at the spring groove;

wherein the interior surfaces of the two housing sections contact one another adjacent the outer perimeter of each housing section; and

wherein the openings of the two housing sections define a bore and the two outer perimeters define a housing perimeter.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising placing a pin into the bore.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising removing the pin from the connector housing.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of forming a corner tab by extending a structure from one of the sides.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising attaching a first section to a second section to form the first housing section.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising forming one or more notches or one or more holes in the flange section of the connector housing.