Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – With provision to conduct electricity from panel circuit to...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-22
2003-06-10
Enad, Elvin (Department: 2832)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
With provision to conduct electricity from panel circuit to...
C439S289000, C439S352000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06575764
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a means for providing contact between one or more engaging means of a first means and a second means—and especially to a means for providing electrical and/or fluid contact.
Normally, when e.g. two electrical plugs are to be interconnected, a resiliency is desired between the engaging means of the plugs in order to provide a biasing between the engaging means and in order to have the interconnection adapt itself to small deviations in the relative positions of the engaging means.
Typically, that resiliency is provided by the engaging means themselves being constituted by e.g. sheath metal being resilient in itself. However, resiliency generated in that manner has a number of disadvantages derivable from the metal in that metals bent often, even though the deformation of the metal is within the elastic limit, will eventually experience metal fatigue and consequently break. Also, metal bent beyond the elastic limit will remain deformed in relation to its intended shape, where after interconnection may not be possible.
The present invention relates to a solution to that problem by in a first aspect providing a contact element comprising:
a housing or frame,
an electrical or fluid conductor,
an engaging means for engaging with an engaging means of another contact element, the engaging means being in electrical or fluid connection with the electrical or fluid conductor,
where the element comprises a resilient means, the electrical or fluid conductor and the engaging means being at least partly embedded in the resilient means, and the engaging means being exposed at a surface part of the resilient means, the resilient means being adapted to render the engaging means displaceable in relation to the housing or frame.
In the present context, the “another” contact element may be of the type according to the first aspect of the invention or any other type adapted to engage the present contact element. The “another” contact element needs not have resilient engaging means, as a resiliency is provided by the present contact element.
Also, in this context, “a resilient means” is a means made of a material which is not totally stiff and hard. A resilient means may be a means made of a plastically compressible material, such as a friable foam, or an elastically compressible material, such as a rubber foam, or a plastically deformable material, such as clay, or an elastically deformable material, such as rubber or a silicone material. Deformable materials may be more or less compressible.
These materials have different properties and most of these are suitable for use indifferent embodiments of the contact element of the invention.
Preferably, the resilient means has
a Shore A hardness below 65,
such as below 60, such as below 55, such as below 50, such as below 45, such as below 40, such as below 35, such as below 30, such as below 35, such as below 30, such as below 25, such as below 20; such as below 15, such as below 10, such as below 5, and/or
such as in the interval 1-40, such as in the interval 2-30, such as in the interval 5-20, such as in the interval 6-10, and/or
such as in the interval 1-40, such as in the interval 4-30, such as in the interval 6-25, such as in the interval 10-20, and/or
such as in the interval 1-40, such as in the interval 10-35, such as in the interval 15-32, such as in the interval 20-30, and/or
such as in the interval 1-45, such as in the interval 15-43, such as in the interval 25-42, such as in the interval 30-40, and/or
such as in the interval 1-60, such as in the interval 20-58, such as in the interval 30-55, such as in the interval 40-50; and/or
such as in the interval 1-60, such as in the interval 20-60, such as in the interval 40-60, such as in the interval 50-60, and/or
a 25% compression deflection (kg/cm
2
) below 25
such as below 23, such as below 22, such as below 20, such as below 18, such as below 16, such as below 14, such as below 12, such as below 10, such as below 8, such as below 6, such as below 4, such as below 3, such as below 2, such as below 1, and/or
such as in the interval 1-20, such as in the interval 1-15, such as in the interval 1-10, such as in the interval 1-5, and/or
such as in the interval 1-20, such as in the interval 2-15, such as in the interval 2-12, such as in the interval 3-10, and/or
such as in the interval 1-20, such as in the interval 2-18, such as in the interval 3-15, such as in the interval 5-12, and/or
such as in the interval 1-24, such as in the interval 3-20, such as in the interval 5-17, such as in the interval 8-15, and/or
such as in the interval 1-24, such as in the interval 5-23, such as in the interval 10-22, such as in the interval 12-20, and/or
such as in the interval 1-24, such as in the interval 10-24, such as in the interval 15-23, such as in the interval 19-23.
However, as mentioned above, different materials falling within the different intervals and material types may be suitable for different embodiments of the invention.
Also, a “fluid contact” means that fluid may pass from the fluid conductor to the engaging means—and vice versa.
A “displacement” may be both a linear translations of the engaging means along a line and/or a rotation thereof around an axis. Normally, a combination thereof will be seen.
In one important embodiment of the first aspect, the contact element further comprises a second electrical or fluid conductor and a second engaging means in electrical or fluid connection with the second electrical conductor, the second electrical conductor and the second engaging means being at least partly embedded in the resilient means, and the second engaging means being exposed at a second surface part of the resilient means, the resilient means being adapted to render the second engaging means displaceable in relation to the housing or frame.
In this situation, the resilient means is preferably made of a non-conducting material, such as a silicone or a gel.
In this embodiment, the engaging means may be independently displaceable, or the displacement of one engaging means may depend on any displacement of the other engagement means. This dependency may be controlled by selecting a suitable material for the resilient material or by providing two separate resilient materials for the engaging means. A deformable material, such as rubber or a silicone material, having a relatively small compressibility, will be suitable for the generation of a dependent displacement in that a force generated by a displacement of one engaging means may be trans mitted by the deformable material to the other engaging means. This will be described in more detail below.
A compressible material is more suited for an independent displacement, as a displacement of one engaging means may generate a compression of parts of the resilient means. This compression may, however, not influence the parts of the resilient means contacting other engaging means of the element. Here, the compressibility or hardness of the material of the resilient means will depend on the force with which it is desired to bring about the electrical or fluid connection. If a large force is desired, a harder or less compressible material may be preferred, and vice versa. Normally, however, a hardness and/or compressibility at the middle of the broadest of the above-mentioned intervals may be preferred.
In one situation, the resilient means are further adapted to, when one engaging means is displaced in a predetermined direction, displace the other engaging means in another predetermined direction. In this situation, a deformable material may be preferred, and normally, the hardness thereof would be preferred in the lower half of the broadest of the above-mentioned intervals. Otherwise, it may be difficult to provide the force required to displace the material and move the other engaging means.
The directions in which the engaging means are displaced will, naturally, depend on the relative positioning of the engaging means in relation to each other and on the resilient means. However, it is preferred that if one engaging mea
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Enad Elvin
Lee Kyung S.
Reipur Technology A/S
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