Abstract
A coil spring has a longitudinal component located within the coil spring, where the longitudinal component runs generally along the direction of a longitudinal axis of the coil spring and where the longitudinal component is in contact with the coil spring, characterized in that the longitudinal component biases the coil spring into a shape different from its natural shape and/or from the shape into which the coil spring is biased by a groove in which the coil spring is accommodated. Moreover, the coil spring may be shaped by means of the described longitudinal component. Further, a connector part is disclosed that has the described coil spring and is configured for being connected with a mating connector part. And finally, a connector is disclosed which has the described connector part and the mating connector part.
Claims
1. A coil spring comprising a longitudinal component located within the coil spring, wherein the longitudinal component runs generally along the direction of a longitudinal axis of the coil spring and wherein the longitudinal component is in contact with the coil spring, wherein the longitudinal component biases the coil spring into a shape different from the coil spring's natural shape.
2. The coil spring according to claim 1, wherein the coil spring is annular.
3. The coil spring according to claim 1, wherein the coil spring is a helical spring, a ribbon spring, a radial canted coil spring, or an axial canted coil spring.
4. The coil spring according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal component is a metal wire.
5. The coil spring according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal component extends only along part of the length of the coil spring.
6. The coil spring according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal component has at least one straight section.
7. A connector part configured for being connected with a mating connector part, wherein the connector part comprises a coil spring according to claim 1.
8. A connector part configured for being connected with a mating connector part, wherein the connector part has a coil spring, the coil spring comprising a longitudinal component located within the coil spring, wherein the longitudinal component runs generally along the direction of a longitudinal axis of the coil spring and wherein the longitudinal component is in contact with the coil spring, wherein the connector part comprises a groove in which the coil spring is accommodated and the longitudinal component of the coil spring biases the coils spring into a shape different from the shape into which the coil spring is biased by the groove.
9. The connector part according to claim 8, wherein the groove is annular and non-circular.
10. The connector part according to claim 8, wherein the longitudinal component biases at least a segment of the coil spring towards the groove.
11. The connector part according to claim 7, wherein at least one end of the longitudinal component is fixed to a housing of the connector part.
12. A connector comprising a connector part according to claim 7 and a mating connector part.
13. The connector of claim 12, wherein the coil spring provides an electrical contact between the connector part and the mating connector part.
14. The connector of claim 12, wherein the mating connector comprises a groove at least part of the coil spring can latch into.
15. A method of shaping a coil spring, the method comprising: locating a longitudinal component within the coil spring, wherein the longitudinal component runs generally along the direction of a longitudinal axis of the coil spring such that the longitudinal component is in contact with an inner surface of the coil spring, wherein the longitudinal component biases the coils spring into a shape different from the coil spring's natural shape and/or from the shape into which the coil spring is biased by a groove in which the coil, spring is accommodated.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0038] In the following, further preferred embodiments of invention are illustrated by means of examples. The invention is not limited to these examples, however.
[0039] The drawings schematically show:
[0040] FIG. 1A perspective view of a connector comprising of a connector part (right) and a mating connector part (left);
[0041] FIG. 2A view onto the connector face of the connector part with a coil spring accommodated in a groove of the connector part, the coil spring lacking a longitudinal component;
[0042] FIG. 3A view onto the connector face of the connector part with a coil spring accommodated into a groove of the connector part, the coil spring being provided with a longitudinal component;
[0043] FIG. 4A cross-sectional view of the connector part of FIG. 3;
[0044] FIG. 5A detail of FIG. 4;
[0045] FIG. 6A cross-sectional view of the connector part of FIGS. 3 to 5 in the plane of the coil spring exposing the coil spring and the longitudinal component inside the coil spring;
[0046] FIG. 7 The coil spring in its natural shape;
[0047] FIG. 8 The longitudinal component;
[0048] FIG. 9 The coil spring with the longitudinal component inside;
[0049] FIG. 10A cross sectional view of the connector with the connector part mated with the mating connector part;
[0050] FIG. 11A cross-sectional view of the connector part patent to the mating connector part in the plane of the coil spring exposing the coil spring and the longitudinal component inside the coil spring;
[0051] FIG. 12A detail of FIG. 10;
[0052] FIGS. 13 to 16 Four exemplary coil springs with longitudinal components of different shape;
[0053] FIG. 17A longitudinal component inside the coil spring wherein the ends of the longitudinal component are attached to the sleeve of the connector part inside the groove;
[0054] FIG. 18 Two longitudinal components inside the coil spring wherein the ends of the longitudinal components are attached to the sleeve of the connector part inside the groove.
[0055] FIG. 19A coil spring with a longitudinal component that urges the coil spring into the long parallel sides of the groove;
[0056] FIG. 20 The longitudinal component of the coil spring of FIG. 19 before it is applied to the coil spring and the groove; and
[0057] FIG. 21 Two longitudinal components inside the coil spring which, together, extend almost along the entire length of the coil spring.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0058] In the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar components.
[0059] A plug-in connector shown in FIG. 1 comprises a connector part 1 in the form of a plug shown, on the right, and a mating connector part 2 in the form of a receptacle, shown on the left. The connector part 1 has a sleeve 3 that can be inserted into a matching sleeve 4 of the mating connector part 2 to mate it with the latter. Both sleeves 3, 4 have a cross section that resembles an isosceles trapezium with two long parallel sides and rounded edges. The sleeves each surround a connector face 5, 6 comprising multiple pins (in the case of the connector part) and sockets (in the case of the mating connector part) and act as shielding members of the connector part 2 and the mating connector part 3 to shield the pins and the sockets from electromagnetic interference.
[0060] The sleeve 3 of the connector part 1 on its outer side comprises an annular groove 7, which, likewise, has the general shape of an isosceles trapezium with two long parallel sides and rounded edges. An annular helical coil spring 8 is accommodated in the groove 7, as can be best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5. The coil spring 8 comprises multiple windings of a wire of metal, for example spring steel, and it has been formed by welding two ends of the coil spring together.
[0061] The natural shape of the coil spring 8 is circular as shown in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 2, if this coil spring 8 is accommodated in the annular groove 7, its intrinsic resilience urges it into a shape in which it overly protrudes from the two long parallel sides. This can hamper insertion of the connector part 1 with the mating connector part 2, or it can damage the coil spring 8.
[0062] In order to overcome this problem, a longitudinal component 9 as shown in FIG. 8 is provided inside the annular coil spring 8, which runs generally along the direction of a longitudinal axis of the coil spring 8, is in contact with the inside of the annular coil spring 8 and biases the coil spring into a shape different from its natural shape. The longitudinal component 9 extends along about 80% of the length of the coil spring 8. More specifically, the longitudinal component 9 is C-shaped with two parallel long straight sections forming the two arms of the C-shape. A third, short diagonal straight section is connected to the two parallel long straight sections by sectors of a circle. In combination, the sections of the longitudinal component 9 resemble the course of part of the groove 7, namely the two long parallel sides and one of the diagonal sides. Accordingly, when inside the coil spring 8, the longitudinal component 9 biases the coil spring 8 into a shape that is more similar to that of the groove 7 and in particular has two essentially parallel long sides, as shown in FIG. 9.
[0063] As a result, if the coil spring 8 comprising this longitudinal component 9 is accommodated in the groove 7, an excessive protrusion of the coil spring 8 from the two long parallel sides of the groove 7 is prevented. This is shown in FIG. 3. Insertion of the connector part 1 with the mating connector part 3 is facilitated and damage to the coil spring 8 is avoided. This is, because the arms of the C-shaped longitudinal component 9 bias the corresponding segments of the coil spring 8 towards the groove. The elevation view of FIG. 6 shows how, for this purpose, the arms of longitudinal component 9 are in contact with the inner surface of the coil spring 8 to bias the coil spring 8 against the bottom of the long parallel sides of the groove 7.
[0064] FIGS. 3 and 6 also show that the coil spring 8 is entirely contained within the groove 7, with the exception of the long parallel sides of the groove 7, from which the coil spring 8 somewhat protrudes. This is, because, as can be best seen in FIG. 6, the groove 7 is of non-uniform depth; at the diagonal side portions (right and left in FIG. 6), the grove 7 is deep enough to fully accommodate the coil spring 8, while along the long parallel sides, the groove 7 is shallower in order to make the coil spring 8 protrudes somewhat beyond the groove's 7 outer edge. When the connector part 1 is mated with the mating connector part 2, these protruding parts of the coil spring 8, due to the coil spring's 8 resilience, are loaded between the connector part 1 and the counter connector part 2, more precisely between the sleeve 3 of the connector part 1 and the sleeve 4 of the mating connector part 2 as is shown in FIGS. 10 to 12. The coil spring 8 thereby provides an well-defined electrical contact between the connector part 1 and the mating connector part 2. Thereby, a continuity of radio frequency shielding from the connector part 1 to the mating connector part 2 is achieved.
[0065] As can also be seen in FIGS. 10 to 12, the sleeve 4 of the mating connector part 2 comprises two parallel straight grooves 10 on its inside for the parts of the coil spring 8 that protrude from the groove 7 of the sleeve 3 of the connector part 1 to latch into. As a result, the connector part 1 can latchingly be attached to the mating connector part 2 of the connector. The grooves 10 are considerably shallower than the groove 7 of the connector part 1 so that upon separation of the connector part 1 from the mating connector part 2, the coil spring 8 remains on the connector part 1.
[0066] In FIGS. 13 to 16, several exemplary shapes of the longitudinal component 9 are provided, and it is shown in which shape they can bias the coil spring 8 when the coil spring 8 with the longitudinal component 9 is accommodated in a corresponding groove 7 of the connector part 7. Typically, these shapes will resemble the shape of the groove 7 in which the coil spring 8 is accommodated. Generally, the longitudinal component 9 increases or decreases the curvature of at least a section along the length of the coil spring 8 as compared to the curvature this section has when the coil spring 8 is in its natural shape and/or in the shape into which the coil spring 8 is biased by the groove 7 alone. The longitudinal component 9 of FIG. 13 is similar to that discussed above but in addition has circular sectors attached to the end of its arms in order to even better bias the coil spring 8 into the trapezium shape of the groove 7 of the above-described connector part's 1 sleeve 3. The longitudinal component 9 of FIG. 14 differs from that originally discussed in that the parallel straight arms of the C-shape are slightly curved outwardly. The C-shaped longitudinal component 9 of FIG. 15 is suitable for biasing the coil spring 8 into a shape that better suits a rectangular rather than a trapezium groove 7. Finally, the longitudinal component 9 of FIG. 16 has the shape of the sector of an ellipse suitable for accommodation the coil spring 8 in an elliptical groove 7.
[0067] The longitudinal component 9 shown in FIG. 17 has its two ends fixed to the sleeve 3 of the connector part 1 inside the groove 7. FIG. 18 shows a similar arrangement but with two longitudinal components 9, each at its two ends fixed to the sleeve 3 of the connector part 1 inside the groove 7. Another embodiment with two longitudinal components 9 is shown in FIG. 21. Here, the two longitudinal components 9 are not fixed to the connector part 1. Rather, they extend almost along the entire length of the coil spring 8 so that their ends can touch or can almost touch, depending on the exact shape of the groove 7.
[0068] The longitudinal element 9 of FIG. 20 is similar to that of FIG. 13 with the difference that the two arms run slightly towards each other. As a result, when it is inside the coil spring 8 and the coil spring 8 is insider the connector part's 1 groove 7, the longitudinal component 9 urges the coil spring 8 with increased force against the bottom of the parallel long sides of the groove 7. Due to the longitudinal element's 9 bias, the coil spring 8 is clamped into the groove 7 and held firmly therein.
[0069] The features as described in the above description, claims and figures can be relevant individually or in any combination to realise the various embodiments of the invention.
