High-density electrical connector for plural multi-contact linear-array connections

• US 9,583,891 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2015
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AD-Tech Medical Instrument Corp.
• Original Assignee: AD-Tech Medical Instrument Corp.
• Inventors: Pulvermacher, Ronald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): HYEON, HAE M
• Application Number:
  US14/735,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20160365677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 439/68, 439/71, 439/76.1, 439/700, 607/36, 361/752
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/718 Contact members provided on the PCB without an insulating housing contacts for abutting H01R12/714
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2421 using coil springs
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/512 assembled by screw or screws
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5224 for medical use
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/665 with built-in electronic circuit H01R13/70, H01R13/719 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/58 Contacts spaced along longitudinal axis of engagement

Abstract

An electrical connector for connecting plural multi-contact linear arrays with an electrical system, including: a base portion having a base member and an alignment member on the base member configured to hold the multi-contact linear arrays in place; an interconnect portion configured to mate with the base portion and having (1) a plurality of pins mounted thereto, each pin positioned for contact with a respective contact of the multi-contact linear arrays, and (2) an interconnect array having a plurality of conductive pathways to the electrical system; and one or more closure elements for holding the base and interconnect portions together, wherein each of the contacts of the multi-contact linear arrays is electrically connected to a corresponding point in circuits within the electrical system.

Claims

1. An electrical connector for connecting plural multi-contact linear arrays to an electrical system, the connector comprising:

a base portion including;

a base member; and

an alignment member on the base member configured to hold the multi-contact linear arrays in place;

an interconnect portion configured to mate with the base portion and including;

a plurality of pins mounted thereto, each pin positioned for contact with a respective contact of the multi-contact linear arrays;

a printed-circuit-board interconnect array having a plurality of conductive pathways to the electrical system, the circuit board having the plurality of pins mounted thereon; and

one or more interface connectors mounted to the circuit board and configured to mate with one or more corresponding system connectors of the electrical system; and

one or more closure elements for holding the base portion and the interconnect portion together, wherein each of the contacts of the multi-contact linear arrays is electrically connected to a corresponding point in circuits within the electrical system.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the alignment member is made of a resilient material.

3. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the pins are spring pins.

4. The electrical connector of claim 3 wherein the alignment member is made of a resilient material.

5. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the base portion and the interconnect portion are substantially planar.

6. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the alignment member is configured to hold substantially straight linear arrays.

7. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the alignment member is configured to hold to linear arrays which include substantially cylindrical contacts.

8. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the interconnect portion is configured to electrically connect with linear arrays which have different numbers of contacts.

9. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the interconnect portion is configured to electrically connect with one or more linear arrays having the same contact pitch.

10. The electrical connector of claim 9 wherein the interconnect portion is configured to electrically connect with linear arrays all of which have the same contact pitch.

11. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the alignment member is configured to permit individual installation and removal of linear arrays.

12. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the alignment member includes visible indicators of the intended placement of one or more of the linear arrays.

13. The electrical connector of claim 12 wherein the visible indicators are color-coded regions of the alignment member.

14. The electrical connector of claim 12 wherein the visible indicators are text characters.

15. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the base portion includes positioning elements for fixing the relative position of the base portion and the interconnect portion.

16. The electrical connector of claim 15 wherein at least a portion of the positioning elements are positioning pins.

17. The electrical connector of claim 15 wherein the base and alignment members are configured to be mated in only one relative position.

18. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein each of the contacts of the multi-contact linear arrays is contacted by a single corresponding pin.

19. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the closure elements removably hold the base portion and the interconnect portion together.

20. The electrical connector of claim 19 wherein the closure elements are threaded fasteners.

21. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the closure elements attach the base portion to the electrical system, thereby sandwiching the interconnect portion therebetween.

22. The electrical connector of claim 21 wherein the closure elements are threaded fasteners.

23. The electrical connector of claim 22 wherein the base portion is removable from the electrical connector independent of the interconnect portion.

24. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the base and alignment members form an integral base portion.

25. An electrical connector for connecting plural multi-contact tails of one or more in-body medical electrodes to an electrical system, the connector comprising:

a base portion including;

a base member; and

an alignment member on the base member configured to hold the multi-contact tails in place;

an interconnect portion configured to mate with the base portion and including;

a printed-circuit board interconnect array having a plurality of conductive pathways to the electrical system, the circuit board having a plurality of pins mounted thereon; and

one or more interface connectors mounted to the circuit board and configured to mate with one or more corresponding system connectors of the electrical system; and

one or more closure elements for holding the base portion and the interconnect portion together, wherein each of the contacts of the multi-contact tails is electrically connected to a corresponding point in circuits within the electrical system.

26. The electrical connector of claim 25 wherein the base portion is made of non-ferrous materials.

27. The electrical connector of claim 26 wherein the base portion is made of non-metallic materials.