Compressible core electrical connector

Claim 2

An elongate compressible core electrical connector including: (A) a plurality of conductive spiral strands each being wound in the same direction and extending along the length of the connector; and (B) an elongate resilient core including a corner, said core being confined within the spiral strands with at least one strand bent around the corner to form a contact and defining a contact portion extending a distance along the length of the connector; (C) the strands at one end of the contact portion extending beyond the contact portion a distance approximately equal to the length of the contact portion and being spiral wound together to define an elongate lead-in portion having a transverse cross-sectional smaller than the transverse cross-section of the contact portion; (D) whereby the lead-in portion of the connector may be freely piloted into a circuit board hole having an area greater than the transverse cross-section of the lead-in portion of the connector and less than the transverse cross-section of the contact portion and then pulled through the hole to move the contact portion into the hole, compress the core and bias the contact against the hole to form an electrical connection between the strand and the surface of the circuit board hole.

Claim 3

A connector as in claim 1 where the core is generally cylindrical.

Claim 4

A connector as in claim 1 wherein the corner extends along the core and the strands are wrapped around the corner to define a plurality of corner contacts spaced along the contact portion.

Claim 5

A chain of indefinite length including a plurality of connectors as in claim 3, said connectors joined end to end along the length of the chain with each strand in each connector forming part of continuous conductive spiral strand extending along the length of the entire chain and forming a part of each connector in the chain, said contact portions and lead-in portions being regularly spaced along the chain.

Claim 6

A connector as in claim 3 wherein the strands include a trailing portion on the other end of the contact portion.

Claim 7

A connector as in claim 5 wherein the strands in the trailing portion are spiral wound.

Claim 8

A connector as in claim 3 wherein the core is polygonal in cross-section and includes at least three longitudinal corners, the contact portion including at least three pluralities of corner contacts.

Claim 9

A connector as in claim 7 wherein the core is triangular in cross-section.

Claim 10

A connector as in claims 1, 6 or 7 wherein the strands in the lead-in portion surround a longitudinally extending central opening.

Claim 11

A connector as in claims 1, 6, 3 or 7 including six metal strands.

Claim 12

A connector as in claims 1, 6, 3 or 7 wherein the lead-in portion includes a tapered transition portion adjacent the contact portion to facilitate movement of the contact portion into a circuit board hole.

Claim 13

A connector as in claims 1, 6, 3 or 7 wherein the strands at the contact portion are separated from each other to define spiral window openings extending around the core.

Claim 14

A connector as in claim 12 wherein the strands at the lead-in portion extend across the axis of the connector at about 45 degrees and the strands at the contact portion extend across the axis of the connector at an angle greater than 45 degrees.

Claim 15

An elongate compressible core electrical connector including: (A) a plurality of conductive spiral strands each being wound in the same direction and extending along the length of the connector; and (B) a resilient hollow core confined within the spiral strands and defining a contact portion extending a distance along the length of the connector; (C) the strands at one end of the contact portion extending beyond the contact portion a distance approximately equal to the length of the contact portion and being spiral wound together to define an elongate lead-in portion having a transverse cross section smaller than the transverse cross section of the contact portion; (D) whereby the lead-in portion of the connector may be freely piloted into a circuit board hole having an area greater than the transverse cross-section of the lead-in portion of the connector and less than the transverse cross-section of the contact portion and then pulled through the hole to move the contact portion into the hole, compress the core and biases the surrounding strands outwardly against the hole to form electrical connections between the strands and the surface of the circuit board hole.

Claim 16

An elongate compressible core electrical connector including: (A) a plurality of conductive spiral strands each being wound in the same direction and extending along the length of the connector; and (B) a resilient hollow core confined within the spiral strands and defining a contact portion extending a distance along the length of the connector; (C) the strands at one end of the contact portion extending beyond the contact portion a distance approximately equal to the length of the contact portion and being spiral wound together to define an elongate lead-in portion having a transverse cross section smaller than the transverse cross section of the contact portion; (D) whereby the lead-in portion of the connector may be freely piloted into a circuit board hole having an area greater than the transverse cross-section of the lead-in portion of the connector and less than the transverse cross-section of the contact portion and then pulled through the hole to move the contact portion into the hole, compress the core and biases the surrounding strands outwardly against the hole to form electrical connections between the strands and the surface of the circuit board hole.

Claim 17

A connector as in claim 14 wherein the core includes a pair of interior openings and a compressible web separating the openings.

Claim 18

An elongate compressible core electrical connector including: (A) a plurality of spiral metal strands each being wound in the same direction and extending along the length of the connector; (B) an elongate resilient core having a corner extending along the core, the core being confined within the spiral strands and defining a contact portion extending a distance along the length of the connector, said strands being bent around the corner to form a plurality of contacts; (C) the strands at one end of the contact portion extending beyond the contact portion a distance approximately equal to the length of the contact portion and being spiral wound together to define an elongate lead-in portion having a transverse cross-section smaller than the transverse cross-section of the contact portion; (D) the strands at the other end of the contact portion extending beyond the contact portion and being spiral wound together; (E) the lead-in portion including a tapered transition portion adjacent the contact portion to facilitate movement of the contact portion into a circuit board; and (F) whereby the lead-in portion of the connector may be freely piloted into a circuit board hole having an area greater than the transverse cross-section of the lead-in portion of the connector and less than the transverse cross-section of the contact portion and then pulled through the hole to move the contact portion into the hole, compress the core and bias a number of contacts outwardly against the hole to form electrical connections with the surface of the circuit board hole.

Claim 19

An elongate compressible core electrical connector including: (A) a plurality of spiral metal strands each being wound in the same direction and extending along the length of the connector; (B) an elongate resilient core having a corner extending along the core, the core being confined within the spiral strands and defining a contact portion extending a distance along the length of the connector, said strands being bent around the corner to form a plurality of contacts; (C) the strands at one end of the contact portion extending beyond the contact portion a distance approximately equal to the length of the contact portion and being spiral wound together to define an elongate lead-in portion having a transverse cross-section smaller than the transverse cross-section of the contact portion; (D) the strands at the other end of the contact portion extending beyond the contact portion and being spiral wound together; (E) the lead-in portion including a tapered transition portion adjacent the contact portion to facilitate movement of the contact portion into a circuit board; and (F) whereby the lead-in portion of the connector may be freely piloted into a circuit board hole having an area greater than the transverse cross-section of the lead-in portion of the connector and less than the transverse cross-section of the contact portion and then pulled through the hole to move the contact portion into the hole, compress the core and bias a number of contacts outwardly against the hole to form electrical connections with the surface of the circuit board hole.

Claim 20

A connector as in claim 16 wherein the core is generally cylindrical.

Claim 21

A connector as in claim 16 wherein the core is polygonal in cross-section and includes at least three longitudinally extending corners, said strands being bent around the corners to define a number of corner contacts on the outside of each corner extending along the length of the contact portion.

Claim 22

A connector as in claim 18 wherein the core is triangular in cross-section.

Claim 23

A connector as in claim 16 or 18 wherein the strands to either end of the contact portion surround a central opening.

Claim 24

A connector as in claim 16 or 18 wherein the strands at the contact portion are separated from each other to define spiral window openings extending around the core.

Claim 25

A chain of indefinite length including a plurality of connectors as in claim 16 or 18, said connectors arranged end to end along the length of the chain with each strand in each connector forming part of a continuous metal spiral strand extending along the length of the entire chain and forming a part of each connector in the chain, said contact portions and lead-in portions being regularly spaced along the chain.

Claim 26

An elongate connector for forming an electrical connection between circuit board holes in two adjacent circuit boards, the connector including a contact portion having a compressible core with a corner and a conductor on the outside of the core extending along the length of the core and bent around the corner to form a contact; and a lead-in portion extending from one end of the contact portion at least approximately equal to the length of the contact portion and having a cross-section less than the cross-section of the contact portion.

Claim 27

An elongate connector for forming an electrical connection between circuit board holes in two adjacent circuit boards, the connector including a contact portion having a compressible core with a corner and a conductor on the outside of the core extending along the length of the core and bent around the corner to form a contact; and a lead-in portion extending from one end of the contact portion at least approximately equal to the length of the contact portion and having a cross-section less than the cross-section of the contact portion.

Claim 28

A connector as in claim 23 wherein said lead-in portion forms an extension of said conductor.

Claim 29

A connector as in claim 23 wherein the conductor surrounds the core.

Claim 30

A connector as in claim 25 wherein said conductor comprises a metal strand, said strand being sprial wound around the core.

Claim 31

A connector as in claim 26 wherein said lead-in portion comprises a length of said strand.

Claim 32

A connector as in claim 26 wherein said core is formed from a resilient plastic material and has a polygonal cross-section defining a plurality of corners, said strand being repetitively bent around the corners to form a plurality of contacts.