Connector System

• US 20070123065A1
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dragerwerk AG & Company KGaA (FPS Vermögensverwaltung GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Draeger Medical Systems Incorporated (Dragerwerk AG)
• Inventors: Rosenfeldt, Bernd, Richer-Kelly, Clifford
• Granted Patent: US 7,497,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/62
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/707 Soldering or welding
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/716 Coupling device provided on the PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/721 cooperating directly with the edge of the rigid printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/64 Means for preventing incorrect coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6581 Shield structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6582 with resilient means for engaging mating connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery

Abstract

A connector system conveys signals supporting patient medical parameter data acquisition and includes a connector body supporting a plurality of clusters of pins, e.g. at least first, second and third clusters. An individual cluster includes a plurality of pins. The first, second and third clusters are mutually isolated by a minimum electrical creepage distance. The connector body supports mating with a corresponding connector attached to an electrical cable. The connector system also includes a metal connector housing for at least partially electrically shielding the plurality of clusters of pins and is electrically connected to a shield potential.

Claims

1. A connector system for conveying signals supporting patient medical parameter data acquisition, comprising:

a connector body supporting a plurality of clusters of pins including at least first and second clusters, an individual cluster comprising a plurality of pins, said first and second clusters being isolated by a minimum electrical creepage distance, said connector body supporting mating with a corresponding connector attached to an electrical cable; and

a metal connector for housing and at least partially electrically shielding said plurality of clusters of pins and for being electrically connected to a shield potential.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said connector body further comprises a third cluster comprising a plurality of pins, said third cluster being mutually isolated from said first and second clusters by a minimum electrical creepage distance.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein said connector body providing said mutual isolation and minimum electrical creepage distance between said first, second and third clusters by physical separation and electrical insulation.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein:

said physical separation comprising a first separation distance between said first cluster at one end of a connector and said second cluster adjacent to said first cluster and between said second cluster and said third cluster adjacent to said second cluster; and

said electrical insulation including a physical insulating barrier.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said connector body providing said isolation and minimum electrical creepage distance between said first and second clusters by physical separation and electrical insulation.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

said physical separation comprising a separation distance between said first cluster at one end of a connector and said second cluster adjacent to said first cluster; and

said electrical insulation including a physical insulating barrier.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said corresponding mating connector and said attached electrical cable maintain said minimum electrical creepage distance.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein

said metal connector housing includes integral contacts for direct insertion into a PC board and electrical connection to said shield potential with low resistance;

and

said corresponding mating connector and said electrical cable and said PC board maintain said minimum electrical creepage distance.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said metal connector housing includes integral contacts for direct insertion into a PC board and electrical connection to said shield potential with low resistance.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said integral contacts are directly solderable to said PC board.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein said integral contacts are a homogenous part of said metal connector housing.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein said metal connector housing includes contacts for making a relatively low resistance connection to a metal housing or shell of said corresponding mating connector.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said metal connector housing contacts to said corresponding mating connector metal housing or shell comprise at least one of, (a) spring contact and (b) a spring metal finger.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein said metal connector housing contacts are a homogenous part of said metal connector housing.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein said mating connector metal housing or shell makes a relatively low resistance connection to at least one of, (a) a shield and (b) a shielding braid, of said electrical cable attached to said corresponding mating connector.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein said mating connector metal housing or shell at least partially electrically shields said plurality of clusters of pins and is electrically connected to a shield potential.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second clusters convey first and second corresponding independent electrical communication links.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said first and second corresponding independent electrical communication links employ protocols compatible with at least one of, (a) the IEEE Ethernet standard, (b) a Bluetooth standard, (c) the RS 232 standard and (d) an IP protocol standard.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said first and second clusters individually convey a plurality of independent electrical communication links and at least one of said first and second clusters conveys a ground signal.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein at least one of said first and second corresponding independent electrical communication links conveys a patient monitoring signal.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein said patient monitoring signal is at least one of, (a) an alarm signal and (b) a patient vital sign representative signal.

22. The system according to claim 1, wherein pins of said plurality of clusters are staggered and in response to said mating with said corresponding connector, a first pin makes electrical contact before a different second pin and said second pin makes electrical contact before a different third pin.