Electrical connector for a disposable electrode

• US 4,702,256 A
• Filed: 12/05/1986
• Issued: 10/27/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Andover Medical, Inc. (Hot Mama's Foods, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Andover Medical, Inc. (Hot Mama's Foods, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bare, Rex O., Robinson, Earl F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAY, RANDY CITRIN
• Application Number:
  US06/938,302
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 128/639, 128/640, 128/641, 128/798, 128/802, 339/17 F, 339/176 MF, 339/261, 403/111
• US Class Current: 600/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/273 Connection of cords, cables or leads to electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/274 using snap or button fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/909 Medical use or attached to human body
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32541 Rotatable members resiliently biased to one position

Abstract

A small plastic connector is provided with a unique electrical contact mounted in one jaw of the connector to mate with an angled edge on the other jaw of the connector to crimp and securely grip a thin, flat, flexible electrode in the connector while making good electrical contact. The jaws and the contact are further constructed so that the conductive surface on the electrode is pressed into engaging with a large contact surface.

Claims

1. An electrical connector for connecting to a thin flexible electrode of the type used for medical monitoring, said connector comprising:

an upper jaw member formed of an insulative material, said upper jaw member having a forward end, a rearward end, first means for pivotally mounting said upper jaw, an angled edge member extending downward from said upper jaw, located forward of said first means for pivotally mounting, and first and second ramp members, extending downward from said upper jaw, on either side of said angled edge member, and tapering toward the forward end of said upper jaw;

a lower jaw, having a forward end, a rearward end and a second means for pivotally mounting said lower jaw, said second means for pivotally mounting engaging said first means for pivotally mounting such that said forward ends of said upper and lower jaw members may be pivoted into contact with one another;

spring means for urging said forward ends of said upper and lower jaws together; and

electrical contact means, mounted to and extending upward from said lower jaw member and including a rearward facing shoulder, said electrical contact means located on said lower jaw such that when said forward ends of said upper and lower jaws are in contact, said electrical contact means is located intermediate said first and second ramps of said upper jaw and such that said rearward facing shoulder of said contact member is located forward of and adjacent to said angled edge member mounted to said upper jaw.

2. An electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein said ramp members on said upper jaw contact said lower jaw along the length of said ramp members when said forward ends of said upper and lower jaws are in contact with one another.

3. An electrical connector for connecting to a thin flexible electrode of the type used for medical monitoring, said connector comprising:

an upper jaw formed of an insulative material, said upper jaw having a forward end, a rearward end, first means for pivotally mounting said upper jaw intermediate said forward end and said rearward end, and an angled edge member forming a forward facing contact shoulder, extending downward from said upper jaw and located forward of said first means for pivotally mounting;

a lower jaw having a forward end, a rearward end, and a second means for pivotally mounting said lower jaw intermediate said forward and rearward ends of said lower jaw, said second means for pivotally mounting engaging said first means for pivotally mounting such that said forward ends of said upper and lower jaw members may be pivoted into contact with one another;

spring means for urging said forward ends of said upper and lower jaws together; and

electrical contact means, mounted to and extending upward from said lower jaw member, said electrical contact means including a frusto-conical portion extending upward from said lower jaw, said frusto-conical portion tapering toward the forward end of said lower jaw, said frusto-conical surface terminating rearwardly in a rounded contact shoulder located such that when said forward ends of said upper and lower jaws are in contact, said rounded contact shoulder of said contact member is located forward of and adjacent to said angled edge member mounted to said upper jaw.

4. An electrical connector for connecting a thin, flexible, disposable electrode to the lead wire from an electrocardiograph machine comprising:

a pair of pivotally mounted jaws made of lightweight, electrically insulating material, each of said jaws having a forward end and a rearward end, said jaws mounted pivotally to one another intermediate said forward ends and said rearward ends, one of said jaws having a recess forward of the point where said jaws are pivotally mounted to one another;

spring means urging said rearward ends of said jaws apart and urging said forward ends of said jaws into contact with each other;

an electrical contact including an enlarged tip portion positioned in said recess in said one of said jaws with a frusto-conical surface extending towards the other of said jaws, said frusto-conical surface tapering towards said forward end of said one of said jaws the rear of said enlarged tip portion forming a contact shoulder;

an angled edge member on said other of said jaws extending toward said enlarged tip portion, said angled edge member being located to overlap with, but not engage said contact shoulder so that a tab on said flexible electrode to be received between said jaws is crimped between said angled edge member and said contact shoulder; and

depending ramps on said other of said jaws that extend toward said one of said jaws containing said electrical contact, said ramps located to straddle said enlarged tip portion when said forward ends of said jaws are urged into contact with one another to wrap said flexible electrode around said frusto-conical surface of said enlarged tip portion, said ramps being tapered forwardly and extending toward said one of said jaws sufficiently far such that said ramps guide said jaws onto said flexible electrode and prevent said electrode from catching on said angled edge member.

5. An electrical connector for connection to a thin, flexible electrode used in performing electrocardiogram tests comprising:

a pair of pivotally mounted jaws having tips which are biased into gripping position; and

an electrical contact supported in one of said jaws having an angled shoulder extending towards the other jaw, an elongated cylindrical portion for connection to an electrical conductor and a tip portion having a convex surface extending towards the other jaw and sloping toward the forward tip of said one jaw; and

an angled edge portion carried by said other jaw and extending towards said one jaw closely overlapping but not engaging said shoulder so that the thin flexible electrode placed between the jaws is crimped between the shoulder and the edge portion with a conductive surface of the electrode engaging said contact.

6. An electrical connector for connection to a thin, flexible electrode used in performing electrocardiogram tests comprising:

a pair of pivotally mounted jaws having tips which are biased into gripping position;

an electrical contact supported in one of said jaws having an angled shoulder extending towards the other jaw; and

an angled edge portion carried by said other jaw and extending towards said one jaw closely overlapping but not engaging said shoulder so that the thin, flexible electrode placed between the jaws is crimped between the shoulder and the edge portion with a conductive surface of the electrode engaging said contact, the connector further comprising a pair of ramps formed on said other jaw extending downwardly toward said one jaw and sloping toward the forward tip of said other jaw, the ramps being located along the edges of said other jaw and extending towards said one jaw further than said angled edge carried by said other jaw so as to prevent interference between the flexible electrode and said angled edge when positioning the connector jaws on the electrode.