Patent ID: 8375543
Filing Date: 2013-02-19
Classification: B23P,F16B,F16L,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for latching a pin to a housing and unlatching the pin from the housing a spring, said method comprising: providing a pin comprising an elongated body defining a pin longitudinal axis, a pin insertion end comprising a tapered surface relative to the pin longitudinal axis, and a pin groove disposed about said elongated body, said pin groove comprising a V-groove comprising two tapered surfaces that converge in a direction of the pin longitudinal axis; providing a housing comprising a housing bore defining a lengthwise housing axis; said housing bore comprising a housing groove disposed on an inside surface of said housing bore and comprising a tapered surface and a sidewall extending therefrom, said tapered surface being tapered relative to the lengthwise housing axis and said sidewall being generally perpendicular to the lengthwise housing axis; receiving a canted coil spring, said canted coil spring comprising a plurality of coils each comprising a major axis, a minor axis, and a wire diameter sized to cooperate with the pin groove and the housing groove to permit latching of the pin to the housing and unlatching of the pin from the housing; moving the pin in a first direction relative to the housing to capture the canted coil spring between the pin groove and the housing groove to latch the pin to the housing, said step of moving the pin in the first direction causes the tapered surface of the pin insertion end to lift the plurality of coils and produces a connect force; wherein at least one of the two tapered surfaces of the pin groove abuts the plurality of coils and lifts the plurality of coils when moving the pin in a second direction relative to the housing to disconnect the pin from the housing, said second direction being opposite the first direction and said movement in the second direction produces a disconnect force; and wherein the disconnect force to disconnect the pin from the housing is greater than the connect force to connect the pin to the housing.