Stepped spring contact

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9312610-B2
Application number	US-201414467869-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2014
Priority date	Sep 6, 2013
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

In an embodiment, a stepped spring contact may have a first portion, a transition portion, and a second portion. The first portion may include a plurality of windings whose pitch may vary. The second portion may include a plurality of windings that are closely wound. A pitch of the windings contained in the second portion may be, for example, constant. The transition portion may include a winding that may make mechanical and electrical contact with a first electrical conductor (e.g., a pad contained on a printed circuit board (PCB)). The first portion may include a tip. The tip may be, for example, flat shaped or conically shaped. The tip may make electrical contact with a second electrical conductor (e.g., a terminal connector). In operation, the stepped spring contact may provide electrical continuity between the first electrical conductor and the second electrical conductor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A stepped spring contact comprising:
a first portion having a plurality of windings, the plurality of windings including a first active winding portion and a second active winding portion, a pitch associated with windings in the first active winding portion being different than a pitch associated with windings in the second active winding portion;
a second portion having a plurality of windings; and
a transition portion, the transition portion having a winding that makes electrical contact with a pad on a printed circuit board (PCB), a diameter of the winding in the transition portion being greater than a diameter of the plurality of windings in the second portion at their widest point.

2. The stepped spring contact of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the plurality of windings in the first portion at their widest point is greater than the diameter of the plurality of windings in the second portion at their widest point.

3. The stepped spring contact of claim 1 , wherein the first portion includes a tip.

4. The stepped spring contact of claim 3 , wherein the tip makes electrical contact with a terminal connector associated with a device.

5. The stepped spring contact of claim 4 , wherein the device is a micro-strain gauge (MSG) device.

6. The stepped spring contact of claim 3 , wherein the tip is flat shaped, and
wherein a plurality of windings associated with the tip taper towards a center of the stepped spring contact at an angle between 1 and 15 degrees with respect to an axis associated with the center of the stepped spring contact.

7. The stepped spring contact of claim 3 , wherein the tip is conical shaped having an envelope angle of tip diameter transition zone with respect to an axis associated with a center of the stepped spring contact of between 10 and 80 degrees.

8. The stepped spring contact of claim 1 , wherein the first active portion contains a winding that is associated with a pitch that is greater than pitches associated with windings contained in the second active portion.

9. The stepped spring contact of claim 1 , wherein the first portion contains a third active winding portion, and
wherein a pitch associated with a winding in the third active portion is greater than pitches associated with windings contained in the second active portion.

10. The stepped spring contact of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of windings in the second portion are closely-wound.

11. The stepped spring contact of claim 1 , wherein the stepped spring contact is mounted in a plated through-hole contained on the PCB, and wherein the second portion of the stepped spring contact makes electrical contact with the plated through-hole.

12. A stepped spring contact comprising:
a first portion having a plurality of windings, the plurality of windings including a first active winding portion and a second active winding portion, the first active portion containing a winding that is associated with a pitch that is greater than pitches associated with windings contained in the second active portion;
a second portion having a plurality of windings; and
a transition portion, the transition portion having a winding that makes electrical contact with a pad on a printed circuit board (PCB), a diameter of the winding in the transition portion being greater than a diameter of the plurality of windings in the second portion at their widest point.

13. The stepped spring contact of claim 12 , further comprising:
a tip having a plurality of windings that taper towards a center of the stepped spring contact at an angle between 1 and 15 degrees with respect to an axis associated with the center of the stepped spring contact.

14. The stepped spring contact of claim 12 , further comprising:
a tip having an envelope angle of tip diameter transition zone with respect to an axis associated with a center of the stepped spring contact of between 10 and 80 degrees.

15. The stepped spring contact of claim 12 , wherein the stepped spring contact is mounted in a plated through-hole contained on the PCB, and wherein the second portion of the stepped spring contact makes electrical contact with the plated through-hole.

16. A stepped spring contact comprising:
a first portion having a plurality of windings, the first portion containing a first active winding portion, a second active winding portion and a third active winding portion, a pitch associated with windings in the first active winding portion being different than a pitch associated with windings in the second active winding portion, and a pitch associated with a winding in the third active winding portion is greater than pitches associated with windings contained in the second active portion;
a second portion having a plurality of windings; and
a transition portion, the transition portion having a winding that makes electrical contact with a pad on a printed circuit board (PCB), a diameter of the winding in the transition portion being greater than a diameter of the plurality of windings in the second portion at their widest point.

17. The stepped spring contact of claim 16 , further comprising:
a tip having a plurality of windings that taper towards a center of the stepped spring contact at an angle between 1 and 15 degrees with respect to an axis associated with the center of the stepped spring contact.

18. The stepped spring contact of claim 16 , further comprising:
a tip having an envelope angle of tip diameter transition zone with respect to an axis associated with a center of the stepped spring contact of between 10 and 80 degrees.

19. The stepped spring contact of claim 16 , wherein the stepped spring contact is mounted in a plated through-hole contained on the PCB, and wherein the second portion of the stepped spring contact makes electrical contact with the plated through-hole.

20. The stepped spring contact of claim 16 , wherein the first portion includes a first active winding portion and a second active winding portion, and wherein a pitch associated with windings in the first active winding portion is different than a pitch associated with the second active winding portion.

Assignees

• Sensata Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Willner Andrew
• Fraone Giovanni
• Wiersma Dedde Hedzer
• Legendre Andrew
• Mandeville Raymond E
• Chen Shuo Robert
• Medeiros Ted
• Nelson Matt

Classifications

• H01R12/7076

  for connection between PCB and component, e.g. display · CPC title

• H01R13/2421 Primary

  using coil springs · CPC title

• H01R12/58

  terminals for insertion into holes · CPC title

• H01R4/48 Primary

  utilising a spring, clip, or other resilient member (H01R4/52 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/02 Primary

  Contact members · CPC title