Method of forming an electrical connector

• US 7,805,838 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2007
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smiths Interconnect Americas, Inc. (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hypertronics Corporation (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ayzenberg, Mark M., Morana, Francis P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan; Thiem
• Application Number:
  US11/882,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20090036003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 298/68, 298/72, 298/76, 298/78, 298/81, 298/82, 439/675, 439/843, 439/844, 439/847, 439/851, 439/882, 439/891
• US Class Current: 29/868
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/187 with spring member in the socket
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/16 for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49194 Assembling elongated conductors, e.g., splicing, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49208 by assembling plural parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49217 by elastic joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49218 with deforming

Abstract

A method of forming an electrical connector includes winding a conducting wire around a carrier strip, cutting the carrier strip to a desired length, forming the carrier strip into a cylindrical member to form an inner tube subassembly, and inserting the inner tube subassembly into an outer tube.

Claims

1. A method of forming an electrical connector comprising:

winding a conducting wire around a carrier strip;

cutting the carrier strip to a desired length;

modifying the shape of the carrier strip into a cylindrical member to form an inner tube subassembly; and

inserting the inner tube subassembly into an outer tube.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the conducting wire is wound around the carrier strip when the carrier strip is cut to the desired length and formed into the cylindrical member.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the conducting wire is wrapped around a width of the carrier strip, and the carrier strip is rolled along a lengthwise dimension of the carrier strip to form the carrier strip into the cylindrical member.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, during the winding of the conducting wire, a single conducting wire is wound around the carrier strip.

5. The method of claim 4, further including feeding the carrier strip into a braiding machine, and further wherein the braiding machine winds the single conducting wire around the carrier strip.

6. The method of claim 1, further including forming a plurality of notches in the carrier strip, the conducting wire being held in place by the plurality of notches when wrapped around the carrier strip.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of notches are formed in the carrier strip by stamping.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of notches are formed in a staggered pattern.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the conducting wire is in a generally hyperboloid shape when the inner tube subassembly is formed.

10. The method of claim 1, further including rolling over a front edge of the outer tube to capture the inner tube subassembly inside the outer tube.

11. The method of claim 1, further including reeling the carrier strip.

12. The method of claim 1, further including compressing the inner tube subassembly before inserting the inner tube subassembly into the outer tube.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the inner tube subassembly is compressed by pressing together opposing ends of the carrier strip that extend in an axial direction of the inner tube subassembly.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the inner tube subassembly is inserted into a single outer tube.

15. The method of claim 1, further including connecting the conducting wire to the carrier strip before cutting the carrier strip to the desired length.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a connection is formed at a target cut line when connecting the conducting wire to the carrier strip.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the connection includes a first portion that connects a cut portion of the conducting wire to a cut portion of the carrier strip and a second portion that connects a remainder portion of the conducting wire to a remainder portion of the carrier strip.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the conducting wire is wound around the carrier strip through at least one rotation.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps are performed in the order recited.