ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FORMED FROM COIL SPRING

• US 3,795,884 A
• Filed: 03/06/1973
• Issued: 03/05/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yasumasa Kotaka
• Original Assignee: Yasumasa Kotaka
• Inventors: Kotaka, Yasumasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Champion, Marvin A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Terrell P.
• Application Number:
  US05/338,492
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• Field of Search: 339/17,18,59,19,67,95,154,156,174,182,183,199C,246,249,252,270,271,263 335/207 338/303,311 317/101 29/625,629
• US Class Current: 439/591
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/7082 Coupling device supported only by cooperation with PCB

Abstract

Connector for connecting conductors on printed circuit board comprises insulating block having coil spring encapsulated therein. The block has an axial cut extending through the spring to separate the individual turns. The turns are exposed on the upper and lower sides and PC boards are clamped against these sides. The turns serve as conductors extending between the terminal pads on the PC boards.

Claims

1. A multi-contact electrical connector for connecting conductors as two panel-like members which are adjacent to each other, said connector comprising:

a body of insulating material having two oppositely directed faces, said faces constituting contact faces, a plurality of side-by-side contact members supported in said body, each of said members comprising a section of wire having an intermediate portion which extends arcuately between said contact faces, each of said contact members having arcuate contact portions which extend beyond said faces, a recess on one side of said body which is between said faces, said contact members having end portions which extend from said faces through said body and to the sides of said recess, said contact members having originally been a continuous generally helical member, said recess having been formed by removal of a portion of said body and removal of segments of each turn of said helical member.

2. A multi-contact electrical connector as set forth in claim 1, said body of insulating material being an elastomer.

3. A multi-contact electrical connector as set forth in claim 1, said contact members being of a resilient conductive metal, said contact members being spring members.

4. A multi-contact electrical connector as set forth in claim 1, said body of insulating material being an elastomer, said contact member being of soft copper.

5. A method of making a multi-contact elEctrical connector comprising the steps of:

winding a continuous coil of a conductive wire, encapsulating said coil in a block of insulating material, removing a longitudinal element of said block from one side thereof which element contains a segment of each turn of said coil thereby to electrically separate adjacent turns of said coil, and removing portions of two sides of said block which adjoin said one side thereby to expose portions of each of said turns on said two sides, said exposed portions serving as contact areas for conductors on panel-like members located against said two sides.

6. The method set forth in claim 5 including the step of plating said exposed areas with a conductive metal.

7. The method set forth in claim 5 wherein said coil is encapsulated in an insulating material which is elastomeric.