Snap-in float-mount electrical connector

• US 7,077,697 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2004
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications RF, LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Gilbert Incorporated (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kooiman, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khiem
• Application Number:
  US10/938,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20060051997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 439/246, 439/247, 439/248, 439/180, 439/557, 439/558, 439/700, 439/745
• US Class Current: 439/557
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6315 allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating connection for coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, H01R12/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/743 integral with the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/0527 Connection to outer conductor by action of a resilient member, e.g. spring

Abstract

An electrical connector (800) for mounting in a mounting hole includes a body (804) and a mounting mechanism. The mounting mechanism includes a spring finger basket (806) that includes a base portion (808) and a plurality of spring fingers (809). Each spring finger (821–826) is commonly connected at the base portion and has a tip (812) at a free end opposite the base portion. The base portion is attached to an outer surface of the body adjacent to a flange (805) in the outer surface. The tip of each spring finger is spaced apart from the body. An end cap (818) is attached to the outer surface of the body. The end cap has an outer lip (819) limiting outward radial movement and permitting inward radial movement of the tip of each spring finger during radial movement of the body with respect to the mounting mechanism. A coil spring (404) is attached to the outer surface of the body. A shroud (827) is attached to the body adjacent to a front side of the coil spring. The mounting mechanism permits simultaneous radial and axial movement of the body relative to the mounting mechanism.

Claims

1. An electrical connector for mounting in a mounting hole, the mounting hole having a diameter, comprising:

a body having a body axis; and

a mounting mechanism attached to the body, the mounting mechanism having a mounting mechanism axis and comprising,

a spring finger basket comprising a base portion and a plurality of spring fingers, each spring finger having a back end commonly connected at the base portion and a free front end opposite the base portion, the base portion being attached to an outer surface of the body adjacent to a flange in the outer surface, the free front end of each spring finger being spaced apart from the body,

an end cap attached to the body, a back side of the end cap being adjacent to the free front end of each spring finger, the end cap having a backward-extending outer lip limiting outward radial movement and permitting inward radial movement of the free front end of each spring finger during radial movement of the body with respect to the mounting mechanism,

a spring attached to the body, a back side of the spring being adjacent to a front side of the end cap, and

a shroud attached to the body adjacent to a front side of the spring.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1, including a ramp at the free front end of each spring finger to facilitate inward radial movement of the free front end of each spring finger during insertion of the electrical connector into the mounting hole.

3. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein each spring finger of the plurality of spring fingers is integral with the base portion of the spring finger basket.

4. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the plurality of spring fingers of the spring finger basket have resiliency to return the body axis coincident with the mounting mechanism axis after a perturbation from being coincident.

5. The electrical connector of claim 1, in which the spring fingers are tapered, being thicker near the base portion and thinner near the free front end.

6. The electrical connector of claim 1, in which each spring finger has a protrusion near the free front end thereof, the protrusions of the plurality of spring fingers forming an interrupted ring having a protrusion diameter.

7. The electrical connector of claim 6, in which the interrupted ring formed by the protrusions near the free front end of each spring finger has a natural resting protrusion diameter greater than the diameter of the mounting hole.

8. The electrical connector of claim 7, in which the protrusion diameter reduces to less than the diameter of the mounting hole during insertion of the electrical connector into the mounting hole.

9. The electrical connector of claim 8, in which after complete insertion of the electrical connector into the mounting hole, the protrusion diameter returns toward its natural resting diameter, thereby locking the electrical connector in the mounting hole.

10. The electrical connector of claim 1, in which the body is axially movable relative to the mounting mechanism.

11. The electrical connector of claim 10, in which the mounting mechanism permits simultaneous radial and axial movement of the body relative to the mounting mechanism when the electrical connector is mounted in the mounting hole.

12. The electrical connector of claim 1, in which the spring is a coil spring coiled around the outer surface of the body.

13. The electrical connector of claim 12, in which the coil spring is rotatably attached to the outer surface of the body.

14. The electrical connector of claim 1, in which the mounting mechanism is slip-fit attached to the body.

15. The electrical connector of claim 1, in which the mounting mechanism is rotatably attached to the body.

16. The electrical connector of claim 1, in which the end cap is slip-fit attached to the outer surface of the body.

17. The electrical connector of claim 1, in which the end cap is rotatably attached to the body.

18. The electrical connector of claim 1, in which the shroud is press-fit attached to the outer surface of the body.

19. The electrical connector of claim 1, in which the shroud is integral with the body.

20. A mounting mechanism for mounting a body of an electrical connector in a mounting hole, the body having an axis, the mounting hole having a diameter, comprising:

a spring finger basket having an axis and comprising a base portion and a plurality of spring fingers, each spring finger having a back end commonly connected at the base portion and a tip at a front end opposite the base portion, the base portion being attached to an outer surface of the body adjacent to a flange in the outer surface, the tip of each spring finger being spaced apart from the body,

an end cap attached the body, a back side of the end cap being adjacent to the free front end of each spring finger, the end cap having a backward-extending outer lip limiting outward radial movement and permitting inward radial movement of the tip of each spring finger during radial movement of the body with respect to the mounting mechanism,

a spring attached to the body, a back side of the spring being adjacent to a front side of the end cap, and

a shroud attached to the body adjacent to a front side of the spring.

21. The mounting mechanism of claim 20, wherein the body is movable relative to the spring finger basket.

22. The electrical connector of claim 20, in which the shroud is press-fit attached to the outer surface of the body.

23. The electrical connector of claim 20, in which the shroud is integral with the body.

24. An electrical connector for mounting in a mounting hole, the mounting hole having a diameter, comprising:

a body having an axis; and

a mounting mechanism attached to the body, the mounting mechanism having an axis and comprising,

a spring finger basket comprising a base portion and a plurality of spring fingers, each spring finger having a back end commonly connected at the base portion and having a tip at a front end opposite the base portion, the base portion being attached to an outer surface of the body adjacent to a flange in the outer surface, the tip of each spring finger being spaced apart from the body,

an end cap attached to the body, a back side of the end cap being adjacent to the tip of each spring finger, the end cap having a backward-extending outer lip defining an annular space bounded by an inner surface of the outer lip, a back surface of the end cap and the outer surface of the body, within which the tip of each spring finger is free to move radially,

a spring attached to the body, a back side of the spring being adjacent to a front side of the end cap, and

a shroud attached to the body adjacent to a front side of the spring.

25. The electrical connector of claim 24, wherein the body is movable relative to the mounting mechanism.

26. The electrical connector of claim 25, wherein the body is axially movable relative to the mounting mechanism.

27. The electrical connector of claim 26, wherein the body is radially movable relative to the mounting mechanism.

28. The electrical connector of claim 25, wherein the body is radially movable relative to the mounting mechanism.

29. The electrical connector of claim 28, wherein the body is axially movable relative to the mounting mechanism.

30. The electrical connector of claim 24, in which the shroud is press-fit attached to the outer surface of the body.

31. The electrical connector of claim 24, in which the shroud is integral with the body.