Elastomeric connector

• US 5,788,516 A
• Filed: 10/03/1996
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Uggmark, Johan Georg Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, TULSIDAS C
• Application Number:
  US08/722,032
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 439/86, 439/91, 439/63
• US Class Current: 439/86
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/714 with contacts abutting directly the printed circuit; Button contacts therefore provided on the printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2414 conductive elastomers
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7195 with planar filters with openings for contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/06 Arranging circuit leads; Relieving strain on circuit leads

Abstract

An elastically deformable, elastomeric connector (10) has electrically conductive elements (11a, 11b) extending in parallel between opposite ends of said connector (10). A first conducting path (13) is formed by a first set of electrically conductive elements (11a, 11b) and is substantially surrounded by a second conducting path (14) formed by a second set of electrically conductive elements connected to ground, thereby providing a shielding of said first path.

Claims

1. An elastically deformable, elastomeric, electrical connector comprising:

electrically conductive elements extending in parallel between opposite ends of said connector;

a first conducting path formed by a portion of the electrically conductive elements;

a second conducting path which substantially coaxially surrounds the first conducting path and is formed by a set of the electrically conductive elements that may be connected to ground to provide a shielding of the first path;

alternating conductive slices and intermediate non-conducting slices, said conducting slices defining said electrically conductive elements, at least one of said conducting slices being interrupted by at least two apertures in the form of through holes extending parallel with said conducting slices to thereby form said first conducting path located in a central part of the interrupted slice and the second conducting path, the first conducting path being conductively independent of the second conductive path, the second conducting path connectable to ground by engaging the elastomeric connector to an annular conducting element surrounding the interrupted slice.

2. An elastomeric connector according to claim 1, wherein the first conducting path is connectable to a central conducting pad on a substrate and the second conducting path is connectable to an annular conducting pad on the substrate.

3. An elastomeric connector according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive elements include spaced apart wires.

4. An elastomeric connector according to claim 3, wherein the metal wires are gold or goldplated metal wires.

5. An elastomeric connector according to claim 1, further comprising a cylindrical gasket of elastically deformable, electrically conductive material forming an outer part of the elastomeric connector, said gasket receiving in a first open end electrical means to be connected by the connector, and in a second end having said electrically conductive elements.

6. An elastomeric connector according to claim 1, further comprising an elongated sheet of elastomeric material comprising one or more layers of spaced apart conducting metal wires arranged in parallel, said sheet being rolled up into a roll, thereby forming said first and second conductive paths.

7. An elastomeric connector according to claim 1 in combination with a piece of radio communication equipment having an electrical circuit, said piece of radio communication equipment being arranged in a rubber gasket and electrically connected with a circuit path of an electrical circuit on a substrate by the elastomeric connector.

8. An elastomeric connector in combination with a piece of radio communication equipment according to claim 7, wherein the piece of radio communication equipment and the elastomeric connector are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, said substrate having connection pads provided on an edge portion thereof.

9. An elastomeric connector in combination with a piece of radio communication equipment according to claim 7, wherein the piece of radio communication equipment and the elastomeric connector are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, said substrate having a spring contact soldered thereto which is electrically connected to the elastomeric connector.

10. An elastically deformable electrical connector comprising:

a first and second end;

alternating electrically conductive elements and non-conductive elements extending between the first and second ends of said connector;

a first aperture and a second aperture extending from the first end to the second end, said first aperture interrupting a set of said conductive elements, said second aperture also interrupting said set of conductive elements, said first and second apertures defining a first conducting path and a second conducting path, the first conducting path formed by a portion of the set of conductive elements that is located between said apertures, said second conducting path located external of said portion.

11. The elastically deformable electrical connector according to claim 10, wherein said first and second ends of said connector oppose one another.

12. The elastically deformable electrical connector according to claim 10, wherein said alternating electrically conductive elements are strips of parallel conductive material.

13. The elastically deformable electrical connector according to claim 12, wherein said apertures extend parallel to said strips.