A method of making a connector assembly includes attaching two stamped housing sections together to form a connector housing having a housing groove with a groove bottom and two side walls and providing the connector housings with a spring used as a mechanical connector and/or as an electrical connector for numerous applications and across numerous industries. The groove geometries can easily be altered using different stamping dies.

A method of making a connector assembly includes attaching two stamped housing sections together to form a connector housing having a housing groove with a groove bottom and two side walls and providing the connector housings with a spring used as a mechanical connector and/or as an electrical connector for numerous applications and across numerous industries. The groove geometries can easily be altered using different stamping dies.

A spring latching connector includes a housing having a bore therethrough, a piston slidably received in said bore, a circular groove formed in one of said bore and piston and a circular coil spring disposed in said groove for latching said piston and housing together. The groove is sized and shaped for controlling, in combination with a spring configuration, disconnect and connect forces of the spring latching connection.

Floating seal assemblies having a seal element, a support band, and at least two loading springs that produce different spring forces to apply different sealing loads at the first and second sealing flanges of the seal element. The seal assembly is without a locking ring to enable the seal assembly to float along an axis of one of the components to be sealed. The different sealing loads allow the seal assembly to grip against one surface to prevent relative rotation and to enable sealing and relative rotation with another surface.

A shock absorbing device having at least one nautilus spring disposed between two members is described. When the members move toward each other, the one or more nautilus coil springs are canted and compressed. The shock absorbing device takes advantage of the unique force-displacement curve of canted springs and reduces bounce back.

A coil spring for use in a cavity, such as in a groove of a pin, a housing, or both. The cavity can also be part of a seal assembly. The coil spring can have a longitudinal component positioned within the plurality of interconnected coils that runs along the spring coil axis in order to increase rigidity of the coil spring. The longitudinal component applies a load against the coil spring and/or provides restriction against the coil spring taking a shape or size different than that of the coil spring retaining groove.

A copper-coated steel wire includes: a core wire made of steel having a pearlite structure; and a coating layer covering a surface of the core wire and made of Cu or a Cu alloy. The steel contains C by greater than or equal to 0.5% by mass and less than or equal to 1.0% by mass, Si by greater than or equal to 0.1% by mass and less than or equal to 2.5% by mass, Mn by greater than or equal to 0.3% by mass and less than or equal to 0.9% by mass, and the balance consisting of Fe and inevitable impurities. In a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction, a value of surface roughness Ra of the core wire is greater than or equal to 25% and less than or equal to 70% of a thickness of the coating layer.

A shock or vibration absorption device, comprising: (1) a housing comprising a spring-guiding surface; (2) a piston positioned within the housing and comprising a spring-engagement surface, wherein the piston is configured to move relative to the housing in response to an applied force; and (3) a closed-loop resilient element positioned between the spring-engagement surface of the piston and the spring-guiding surface of the housing such that a ring axis of the resilient element is substantially parallel to a direction of the applied force; wherein the resilient element is configured to absorb kinetic energy as the piston moves relative to the housing in response to the applied force.

Spring rings and closed wire loops each can have two ends that are connected. The connected ends can be welded. The connected ends can be aligned for welding by incorporating complementary surfaces so that when joined, the tip at the first end mate to the tip at the second end. The mating can be self-aligning spatially and radially. The spring rings and the closed wire loops can be used in many applications, including in connector applications and seal applications.

A spring assembly having at least two canted coil spring lengths nested together are disclosed. Two sections of coils of a canted coil spring length can each be positioned between two adjacent coils of another canted coil spring. Each section of the coils of the canted coil spring length includes at least one coil and up to several coils or a plurality of coils. The canted coil spring lengths are nested together to increase the deflection force of the overall spring assembly. The spring assembly having two or more nested spring lengths can be used in connector applications.