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Electrical interface for a portable electronic physiological instrument having separable components

  • US 5,605,150 A
  • Filed: 11/04/1994
  • Issued: 02/25/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A portable electronic physiological instrument having first and second separable components and an electrical interface therebetween to allow electrical connection between the first and second components, the instrument comprising:

  • (a) a first component having a housing, said first component including groove member means coupled to the housing of the first component for mating the first component to a second component, said first component also including support means coupled to the housing for mounting a plug assembly to the housing so that the plug assembly has a limited freedom to move, wherein the plug assembly comprises;

    (i) a body;

    (ii) a first connector fixedly mounted to the body; and

    (iii) a pair of guide fingers extending from the body, one of the pair of guide fingers located on one side of the first connector and the other of the pair of guide fingers located on the other side of the first connector, wherein the guide fingers extend from the body in a direction that is substantially parallel with a path that the first connector must travel in order to mate with a complementary connector; and

    (b) a second component having a housing, said second component including tongue member means coupled to the housing of the second component, the tongue member means receiving the groove member means of the first component with a translative, sliding fit to provide mechanical interconnection between the first and second components, said second component also including a socket assembly formed in the housing of the second component, said socket assembly comprising;

    (i) a socket having a floor, a ceiling, a left wall, a right wall, and a rear wall, the walls of the socket forming an opening opposite the rear wall of the socket that is sized to receive the plug assembly;

    (ii) a second connector fixedly mounted on the rear wall of the socket and oriented to face the opening of the socket, the second connector complementary formed to mate with the first connector; and

    (iii) a pair of guides, one of the pair of guides formed in the floor of the socket and the other of the pair of guides formed in the ceiling of the socket, the set of guides substantially aligned along a path that a corresponding connector must travel to mate with the second connector, so that as the first component is slidably connected with the second component, the guides channel the guide fingers of the plug assembly and bring the first connector into alignment and eventual connection with the second connector.

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