Patent EP0467631A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0467631A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electrical-optical hybrid connector
Assignee: Puritan Bennett Corp
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Filing: 1991-07-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-07-16
Abstract
Abstract A hybrid electrical optical connector is described employing a push-pull plug receptacle combination. A hood structure (22) protruding from the plug component (14) of the connector simultaneously serves to ensure that the plug (14) is properly rotationally oriented with respect to the receptacle (12) prior to insertion, that the individual terminals (20,18) are guided toward the respective terminal receiving channels (28,26), and that the plug (14) is latched in place once fully engaged. A rigid armature (46) allows the plug (14) to be partially assembled and tested prior to final overmolding. In its final overmolded form the plug (14) is impervious to the influx of contamination and can withstand a substantial amount of physical abuse. The inexpensive materials used in the construction of the plug (14) and the ease of assembly yield a low cost plug (14) well suited for use in conjunction with a disposable peripheral device.
Inventors
- 👤 Gerald J Selvin
- 👤 Leslie M Borsuk
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 19:40
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R13/00; H01R13/64; A; A61; A61B; A61B90/00; A61B90/90; A61B90/92; G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/36; G02B6/38; G02B6/3807; G02B6/381; G02B6/3817; G02B6/3833; G02B6/3847; G02B6/3849; G02B6/3865; G02B6/3869; G02B6/3873; G02B6/3874; G02B6/3878; G02B6/3887; G02B6/3888; G02B6/3826; G02B6/3831; G02B6/389; G02B6/3893
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
255 words
A push-pull hybrid connector for simultaneously coupling electrical and optical conduits, comprising a receptacle (12), said receptacle (12) having arranged therein a first set of electrical and optical terminals (51,29) operatively attached to a first set of electrical and optical conduits (56,38), said receptacle (12) having formed therein receiving channels (28,26) extending from an exterior surface of said receptacle (12) to the terminals (51,29) arranged therein and further having formed therein a groove encircling said receiving channels (28,26) so as to define a proximal and distal wall with respect to said receiving channels (28,26); and a plug (14) having arranged therein and protruding therefrom a second set of electrical and optical terminals (20,18) operatively attached to a second set of electrical and optical conduits (58,37), said protruding terminals (20,18) being arranged so as to be receivable within said receptacle's receiving channels (28,26), said plug (14) further having a hood (22) extending therefrom encircling and substantially extending beyond said protruding terminals (20,18) and dimensioned for receipt within said receptacle's groove, said hood (22) having an interior surface dimensioned to be tightly received about the proximal wall of said receptacle (12), said hood (22) having an exterior surface (74) formed to enable said hood (22) to be received within said groove only when said plug (14) is in a preselected rotational orientation relative to the receptacle (12) and further formed to latchingly engage said distal wall upon insertion of said plug's terminals (20,18) into said receptacle's receiving channels (28,26) sufficiently far to contact said receptacle's terminals (51,29).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
230 words
A push-pull hybrid connector for simultaneously coupling electrical and optical conduits, such connector including a plug (14), having arranged therein and protruding therefrom electrical and optical terminals (20,18) operatively attached to a first set of such electrical and optical conduits (58,37), such connector further including a receptacle (12), having arranged therein electrical and optical terminals (51,29) operatively attached to a second set of electrical and optical conduits (56,38), said receptacle (12) having formed therein receiving channels (28,26) for receiving the protruding portion of the plug's terminals (20,18) to enable contact with the receptacle's terminals (51,29) and further having formed therein a deep groove encircling said receiving channels (28,26) to define a proximal and distal wall with respect to said receiving channels (28,26), said plug (14) further comprising a hood (22) extending from said plug (14) encircling and substantially extending beyond said protruding terminals (20,18) and dimensioned for receipt within said receptacle's groove, said hood (22) having an interior surface dimensioned to be tightly received about the proximal wall of said receptacle (12), said hood (22) having an exterior surface (74) formed to enable said hood (22) to be received within said groove only when said plug (14) is in a preselected rotational orientation relative to the receptacle (12) and further formed to latchingly engage said distal wall when said plug's terminals (20,18) are in contact with said receptacle's terminals (51,29).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
65 words
A connector in accordance with Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said receptacle (12) has a proximally extending raised segment (76) extending from said distal wall and where in the exterior surface of said plug's hood (22) has formed therein a groove (74) to enable said hood (22) to avoid the receptacle's raised segment (76) upon insertion of said hood (22) into said receptacle's groove.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
73 words
A connector in accordance with any preceding claim wherein said receptacle (12) has a void (32) formed in its distal wall, wherein said plug's hood (22) is formed of slightly resilient material and wherein a raised mound (34) is formed on said hood's exterior surface, dimensioned and positioned to snap into the void (32) of the receptacle's distal wall when said plug (14) is in a fully inserted position within said receptacle (12).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
A connector in accordance with Claim 4 wherein said raised mound (34) has a forward facing surface (35) and a rearward facing surface and wherein said forward facing surface (35) rises above the hood's exterior surface at a shallower angle than the angle at which the rearward facing surface rises above the exterior surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
126 words
A hybrid connector plug (14) for simultaneously coupling electrical and optical conduits (58,37) contained within a jacketed cable (16) to a receptacle (12) having positioned therein electrical and optical terminals (51,29), comprising a single piece, substantially rigid molding (46) to aid in the assembly of said plug (14) and ultimately to be substantially incorporated within said plug (14), said molding (46) including an apertured front wall (59) and further formed to releasably grasp an end of said cable's jacket, guide electrical and optical conduits (58,37) extending from within said cable (16) towards said front wall (59) and to enable electrical and optical terminals (20,18), operatively affixed to said conduits (58,37), to be removably positioned so as to protrude through said apertures of said front wall (59).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
A connector plug in accordance with Claim 6 further comprising an overmolding substantially encapsulating said rigid molding (46) having positioned therein said cable's jacket, said conduits (58,37) and said electrical and optical terminals (20,18).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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