Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-06
2002-05-28
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
C439S290000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06394855
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to the field of electrical connectors.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is well known that a great variety of electrical connecters are used for electrical connection in a wide variety of circumstances. It will be appreciated that significant cost and/or effort may be involved in making and/or breaking electrical connection between components.
For example, in conventional practice, in order to electrically connect all motors and potentiometers in a missile control actuation unit all wires are dressed and then individually soldered manually to their respective contact points during assembly. If there are four motors and four potentiometers to be connected in this manner, then there are over 64 soldering connections which must be made. Since missiles are critical components of our nation's air weapon systems, they require high reliability and high manufacturing tolerances. Individual manual soldering of these connections may be low in reliability, may be labor and inspection intensive, and may be costly.
One shortcoming of this conventional solder-based design is that the number of individual solders makes it difficult to trouble shoot the actuation unit in order to determine which connection is causing the problem. Additionally, the solder-based design makes it difficult to easily exchange or service a faulty motor or potentiometer in a missile control actuation unit. Further, the solder-based design makes it very difficult to service a motor or potentiometer in the field. In fact, the current practice is to ship the entire missile to a depot. From the depot, the missile is shipped to the manufacture for servicing the faulty motor or potentiometer.
Another shortcoming of this conventional solder-based design is that each time a newly designed actuation unit is to be tested all the connections have to be broken to disconnect the old components of the actuation unit and then new solder broken to disconnect the old components of the actuation unit and then new solder connections must be made to connect the components of the new actuation unit.
The number of connections required makes this process labor and inspection intensive, thus increasing costs.
Yet another shortcoming of this conventional solder-based design is that it makes it difficult to test the electrical connections to the motors and potentiometers of assembled actuator units. This testing is required before delivery to a customer.
As a consequence, a need exists for improvement in electrically coupling the components of a missile control actuation unit in order to reduce the cost associated with using, manufacturing, testing and servicing the missile control actuation unit components and thereby eliminate costly corrective measures required to be taken as a result thereof.
It will be understood from the foregoing example that a general need exists for improved means of electrically connecting components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An in-line multi-plug self-aligning electrical connector assembly includes a receptacle, and a pair of connectors that matingly engage the receptacle. The receptacle has an alignment feature on a mating face of an end of the receptacle which mates with mates with the connectors. In an exemplary embodiment, the alignment feature is a wedge-shaped protrusion which corresponds in cross-sectional shape to one of the connectors. The receptacle may be cylindrical, and the connectors may be complimentary such that when engaging the receptacle they together form a cylindrical shape. The connectors may be coupled to different components. In an exemplary embodiment one of the connectors is electrically connected to a motor of a missile fin actuator and the other of the connectors is electrically connected to a potentiometer of the actuator.
According to an aspect of the invention, an electrical connector includes a receptacle having an end with an alignment feature thereupon, and a pair of connectors which matingly engage the end.
According to another aspect of the invention, an electrical connector includes a receptacle and a pair of connectors which matingly engage the receptacle, the connectors being operatively configured to electrically couple respective components to the receptacle.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a missile control actuation unit includes a motor, a motor connector electrically coupled to the motor, a potentiometer, a potentiometer connector electrically coupled to the motor, and a receptacle for matingly engaging the connectors.
According to still another aspect of the invention, a missile control actuation unit includes a motor, a motor connector electrically coupled to the motor, a potentiometer, and a potentiometer connector electrically coupled to the motor. The motor connector and the potentiometer connection are complimentary, that is they fit together. According to a specific embodiment of the invention, the connectors combine to form a cylindrical shape when fit together.
According to a further aspect of the invention, an electrical connector assembly includes a wedge-shaped connector which fits into a wedge-shaped recess in another connector.
According to another aspect of the invention, an electrical connector assembly includes a receptacle and a pair of connectors operatively configured to matingly engage an end of the receptacle, wherein the end has a recess or protrusion, and one of the connectors has a mating surface having a shape which corresponds to a shape of the recess or protrusion.
According to another aspect of the invention, a missile fin actuator includes a motor operatively configured to couple to a fin; a potentiometer operatively configured to couple to the fin; and an electrical connector assembly which includes a receptacle and a pair of connectors operatively configured to matingly engage an end of the receptacle, the connectors electrically coupled to the motor and the potentiometer. The end has a recess or protrusion, and one of the connectors has a mating surface having a shape which corresponds to a shape of the recess or protrusion. The pair of connectors includes a motor connector coupled to the motor and a potentiometer connector coupled to the potentiometer.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, an electrical connector assembly includes a receptacle and a pair of connectors operatively configured to matingly engage an end of the receptacle, wherein the end of the receptacle has an alignment means thereupon for properly aligning the connectors relative to the receptacle.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention. These embodiments are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed. Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
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Owan Christopher P.
Sorvino Alfred
Bradley P. Austin
León Edwin A.
Raytheon Company
Renner , Otto, Boisselle & Sklar, LLP
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