Electrical contact with embedded wiring

• US 8,636,551 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2011
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smiths Interconnect Americas, Inc. (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hypertronics Corporation (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Skidmore, Allyssa M.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THANH TAM T
• Application Number:
  US13/328,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20120178317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 439843-847, 439851-854, 439/882
• US Class Current: 439/843
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/025 formed by the conductors of a cable end
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/111 co-operating with pins having a circular transverse section
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/33 Contact members made of resilient wire
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49208 by assembling plural parts

Abstract

Embodiments include an electrical contact including a tubular body formed of a flexible and insulative material. The tubular body includes an inner surface. The electrical contact also includes at least one wire partially embedded into the tubular body such that at least a portion of the at least one wire is exposed within the inner surface of the tubular body. At least a portion of the inner surface of the tubular body and at least the exposed portion of the at least one wire forms a channel.

Claims

1. An electrical contact comprising:

a tubular body formed of a flexible and insulative material, the tubular body including an inner surface; and

a plurality of wires, each of the plurality of wires extending along the tubular body and being partially embedded and fixed into the tubular body such that at least a portion of said each of the plurality of wires is exposed within the inner surface of the tubular body;

wherein at least a portion of the inner surface of the tubular body and at least the exposed portion of said each of the plurality of wires forms a channel.

2. The electrical contact of claim 1, wherein the channel is configured to receive a conductive structure, and said each of the plurality of wires is configured to form an electrical connection with the conductive structure when the conductive structure is inserted into the channel.

3. The electrical contact of claim 1, wherein a majority of said each of the plurality of wires is embedded into the tubular body.

4. The electrical contact of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wires are formed in a braided, criss-cross, helical, mesh, or generally straight configuration.

5. The electrical contact of claim 1, wherein the channel extends along an entire length of the tubular body.

6. The electrical contact of claim 1, wherein the flexible and insulative material includes at least one of a polymeric material or an elastomeric material.

7. The electrical contact of claim 1, wherein said each of the plurality of wires is formed of a conductive material.

8. The electrical contact of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wires are not exposed on an outer surface of the tubular body.

9. The electrical contact of claim 1, wherein the tubular body is configured to be formed by extrusion.

10. The electrical contact of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wires are partially embedded into the inner surface of the tubular body.

11. An electrical connector comprising:

an electrical contact comprising;

a tubular body formed of at least one of a polymeric material or an elastomeric material, the tubular body including an inner surface; and

at least one wire partially embedded into the tubular body such that at least a portion of the at least one wire is exposed within the inner surface of the tubular body; and

a termination device comprising;

a conductive portion attached to the at least one wire of the electrical contact, the termination device being configured to form an electrical connection with the electrical contact; and

a cavity configured to receive a conductive structure of another electrical connector to form an electrical connection between the other electrical connector and the electrical contact;

wherein at least a portion of the inner surface of the tubular body and at least the exposed portion of the at least one wire forms a channel.

12. The electrical connector of claim 11, further comprising a housing including a plurality of cavities, wherein the electrical contact is one of a plurality of electrical contacts and said one of the plurality of electrical contacts is provided in each of the cavities of the housing.

13. The electrical connector of claim 11, further comprising:

a housing including at least one cavity;

the electrical contact is at least partially disposed within the at least one cavity of the housing;

the channel of the electrical contact is configured to receive the termination device; and

the at least one wire is configured to form an electrical connection with the termination device when the termination device is received within the channel of the electrical contact.

14. The electrical connector of claim 11, wherein the at least one of the polymeric material or the elastomeric material is a flexible and insulative material.

15. The electrical connector of claim 11, wherein the termination device includes a pin.

16. An electrical connector comprising:

an electrical contact comprising;

a tubular body formed of at least one of a polymeric material or an elastomeric material, the tubular body including an inner surface; and

at least one wire partially embedded into the tubular body such that at least a portion of the at least one wire is exposed within the inner surface of the tubular body;

wherein at least a portion of the inner surface of the tubular body and at least the exposed portion of the at least one wire forms a channel, the channel of the electrical contact being configured to receive a conductive structure;

wherein the at least one wire is configured to form an electrical connection with the conductive structure when the conductive structure is received within the channel of the electrical contact;

a housing including at least one cavity, the electrical contact being at least partially disposed within the at least one cavity of the housing, the at least one cavity in the housing connecting to a receptacle portion; and

a gasket inserted into the receptacle portion and at least partially into the at least one cavity, at least a portion of the conductive structure being inserted in the gasket so that the gasket forms a seal between the conductive structure and the housing.

17. A method of forming an electrical connector, the method comprising:

forming at least one wire partially embedded into a tubular body to form an electrical contact, the tubular body being formed of a flexible and insulative material, the at least one wire being formed of a conductive material, the tubular body including an inner surface, at least a portion of the at least one wire being exposed within the inner surface of the tubular body so that at least a portion of the inner surface of the tubular body and at least the exposed portion of the at least one wire forms a channel;

attaching a conductive portion of a termination device to the at least one wire to form an electrical connection between the termination device and the electrical contact; and

inserting a conductive structure of another electrical connector into a cavity of the termination device to form an electrical connection between the other electrical connector and the electrical contact.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein forming the at least one wire partially embedded into the tubular body includes forming a continuous length of the tubular body with the at least one wire partially embedded in the tubular body.

19. The method of claim 18, further including cutting off a desired length from the continuous length of the tubular body to form the electrical contact, wherein the electrical contact is seamless.

20. The method of claim 19, further including inserting the conductive portion of the termination device into the channel of the electrical contact to form the electrical connection between the electrical contact and the termination device.