Abstract:
Various connectors are provided that allow establishment of one or more connections in minimal space. Numerous pins of typical radial pin related art connectors are replaced with longitudinally extending connector portions that are able to matingly engage a receiving connector portion. The connectors ease the initial manufacture of parts in which they are used, and allows the part to be more easily maintained, lighten the wiring system or harnessing system for the final product in which the part is incorporated over conventional connectors, and typically permit the harness and wiring system for the product to fit within an allotted envelope for size, weight, and other limitations.

Description:
This application claims priority from U.S. Patent Application No. 60/907,238, titled “Connector Usable with Multiple Layered Connections and Method of use Thereof,” filed on Mar. 26, 2007. The contents of U.S. Patent Application No. 60/907,238 are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     Aspects of the present invention relates to a connector device and method of use thereof, and in particular to a connector device that allows connection to connection points in multiple layers of a composite or other material or part. 
     2. Background of the Related Art 
     There is a general need in the art of connectors for parts, such as electrical connectors for aircraft components, for such connectors to be robust, have minimal profile (e.g., cross-sectional size), minimal weight, and to allow simple replacement of the part being connected and the connector itself. 
     Conventional connectors are typically relatively heavy, compared to the wires or other components to which they are connected. Such conventional connectors generally contain numerous pins, such as in a radial pattern, to which individual wires must be individually connected, and are therefore often difficult to manufacture and to incorporate into more complex parts, such as parts comprised of composite materials and having multiple connection points or layers. 
     There remains a need for parts providing increased robustness and replaceability over prior art connectors. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Aspects of the present invention solve the above identified problems of the conventional art, as well as others, by providing various connectors that allow establishment of one or more connections in minimal space (e.g., cross sectional area of the connector). With various aspects of the present invention, the numerous pins of typical radial pin prior art connectors are replaced with longitudinally extending connector portions that are able to matingly engage a receiving connector portion. 
     Among other advantages, the connector in accordance with aspects of the present invention eases the initial manufacture of parts in which it is used, and allows the part to be more easily maintained (e.g., with replacement of the part and/or connector). Aspects of the connector of the present invention lighten the wiring system or harnessing system for the final product (e.g., an aircraft or any other vehicle) in which the part is incorporated over related art connectors, and typically permit the harness and wiring system for the product to fit within an allotted envelope for size, weight, and other limitations. 
     A first exemplary connector in accordance with aspects of the present invention includes a male connector portion and a female connector portion, the male connector portion being engageable with the female connector portion such that multiple couplings (e.g., electrical circuit paths or optical connections) are formed therebetween. The male portion of the first exemplary connector may include a base portion and single connector extension, the single connector extension possibly including a plurality of connector portions separated by insulator portions. In some variations, each connector portion or groups of the connector portions may have differing diameters, such that concentric, stepped extension levels are produced in the extension. 
     In the first exemplary connector, a female connector portion may include an opening for receiving the stepped or non-stepped extension of the male portion, with corresponding connector elements being contained within the opening so as to allow connection with the connection portions of the extension of the male connector portion. In addition, the female connector portion of some embodiments includes one or more connection points, such as solder pads, coupled to the connector elements. 
     A second exemplary connector is similar in design and function to the first exemplary connector, but includes a male connector portion having multiple extensions from the base portion. The female connector portion of this embodiment may include multiple openings for receiving the multiple male extensions of the male connector portion. 
     Among other uses, aspects of the connectors and connector portions of the present invention may be usable with aircraft composite part manufacturing, such as is disclosed in applicant&#39;s copending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/690,151 titled “HYDRAULIC PRESSURIZING CONTAINMENT VESSEL METHOD OF USE THEREOF” filed Jun. 14, 2005, and corresponding U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/451,300 titled “HYDRAULIC PRESSURIZING CONTAINMENT VESSEL METHOD OF USE THEREOF” filed Jun. 13, 2006; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/814,075 titled “DEVICE FOR PREFORMING CONSOLIDATION AND METHOD OF USE THEREOF” filed Jun. 16, 2006; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/801,046 titled “SMART COMPOSITES AND METHOD OF USE THEREOF” filed May 18, 2006, each of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety herein by reference. 
     Additional advantages and novel features in accordance with aspects of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or upon learning by practice of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       Various exemplary variations of this invention will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows a photostat of the male portion of a first exemplary connector, in accordance with aspects of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 2A-2C  contain representative views of the male portion of a second exemplary connector, in accordance with aspects of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 3A-3C  show representative views of the female portion of an exemplary connector, in accordance with aspects of the present invention, that is usable, for example, with the male portion of the connector shown in  FIGS. 2A-2C ; 
         FIG. 4  shows the exemplary male connector of  FIGS. 2A-2C  matingly engaged with the female connector of  FIGS. 3A-3B , in accordance with aspects of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  shows another male portion of an exemplary connector having two extending portions, in accordance with aspects of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Although the variations shown in the below figures are generally described in the context of electrical connection, the connectors may similarly be employed for optical or other connection applications. For example, rather than coupling electrical connections, the connector can connect optical paths. 
     These and other features and advantages of this invention are described in, or are apparent from, the following detailed description of various exemplary aspects of this invention. 
       FIG. 1  shows an image of an exemplary connector  10  (also interchangeably referred to herein as a “male connector portion”) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the connector portion  10  of this exemplary variation of the present invention includes multiple circuits and has a general resemblance to a single pin connector. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the connector portion  10  includes an end or attachment portion  11 . In some variations, the attachment portion constitutes a graspable base portion for engaging the connection portion  10  into an opening in a corresponding female connector portion attachable to, incorporatable in, or otherwise associated with a part, such as a composite part having multiple layers of connection locations, into which the connector portion  10  is to be matingly coupled (the attachment portion  11  also interchangeably being referred to herein as a “base portion”). The connector portion  10  further includes a plurality of connector portions  10   a - 10   i  and a plurality of insulating portions  12   a - 12   h  for electrically insulating the connector portions  10   a - 10   i . In some embodiments, the attachment portion  11  contains leads (e.g., wires for connection to a control or power circuit associated with the part to be connected) and is designed for strain relief while connected or during connection/disconnection with the female receiving portion (see, e.g.,  FIGS. 3A-3B  below and accompanying description). 
     In the exemplary variation of  FIG. 1 , subgroups (e.g., one or more) of the plurality of connector portions  10   a - 10   i  and insulating portions  12   a - 12   h  are separated by grouping at differing cross-sectional diameters, such that a shoulder  15   a - 15   f  separates these subgroups. For example, in  FIG. 1 , a first shoulder  15   a  separates the attachment portion  11  from a first subgroup of connector portions  10   a - 10   d  and insulating portions  12   a - 12   d ; a second shoulder  15   b  separates the first subgroup from a second subgroup of connector portion  10   e ; a third shoulder  15   c  separates the second subgroup from a third subgroup of connector portion  10   f  and insulating portion  12   e ; a fourth shoulder  15   d  separates the third subgroup from a fourth subgroup of connector portion  10   g  and insulating portion  12   f ; a fifth shoulder  15   e  separates the fourth subgroup from a fifth subgroup of connector portion  10   h  and insulating portion  12   g ; and a sixth shoulder  15   f  separates the fifth subgroup from a sixth subgroup of connector portion  10   i  and insulating portion  12   h . Alternatively, the connector portions and the insulation portions may all have the same or approximately the same outer diameter, with coupling via the attachment portions occurring via internal couplings or other features. 
     In operation, the connector portion  10  if  FIG. 1  is inserted into a multiple shouldered opening, such as an opening in a female receiving portion incorporated in, coupled to, or otherwise associated with a multilayered composite part. The opening shoulders correspond to the shoulders  15   a - 15   f  of the connector portion  10  and allow mating engagement therewith. Between the shoulders of the opening are corresponding connector portions connected to the multiple shouldered opening. 
     To further illustrate aspects of the present invention,  FIGS. 2A-2C  contain representative diagrams of a male connector portion usable with a female receiving portion incorporated in, coupled to, or otherwise associated with a part to receive the male connector portion, such as the female connector portions shown in  FIGS. 3A-3C .  FIG. 2A  presents a side representative view of an embodiment of a male connector portion  20  that includes an attachment portion  21  frictionally fittable into or against, or otherwise engageable with, a matingly receiving opening. In the exemplary variation shown in  FIG. 2 , the attachment portion  21  includes a molding portion  21   a,  stepped (also interchangeably referred to herein as “sleeved”) portions  21   b - 21   d , and a plurality of leads  22   a - 22   c  coupled (e.g., electrically connected) to the corresponding steps of the stepped portions  21   b - 21   d.  The leads  22   a - 22   c,  in turn, are coupleable to another component or components. For example, if the part containing the connector portion  20  and the receiving opening is a part in an aircraft or any other vehicle, and the connector portion  20  is for electrically communicating information or supplying heating electricity, for example, to the receiving opening of the part, the connector may connect via the leads  22   a - 22   c  to a controller, a processor, or an electricity source for generating heating current. 
       FIGS. 2B and 2C  show end views of the connector  20  of  FIG. 2A .  FIG. 2B  illustrates a representative cutaway end view from the end containing the attachment portion  31  of the connector  20 , showing sleeved connector layers  21   b ,  21   c ,  21   d  separated by insulating layers  25   a ,  25   b .  FIG. 2C  shows an end view of the connector  20  from the end opposite the attachment portion  21 . As shown in  FIG. 2C , connector layer  21   b  is solid and circularly cross-sectionally shaped, connector layers  21   c , and  21   d  are circularly cross-sectionally sleeve shaped, and insulating layers  25   a ,  25   b  are circularly cross-sectionally sleeve shaped. Insulating layer  25   a  isolates (e.g., electrically) connector layer  21   b  from connector layer  21   c , and insulating layer  25   b  isolates (e.g., electrically) connector layer  21   c  from connector layer  21   d.    
       FIG. 3A  illustrates a side view of a representative receiving connector portion  30  (also referred to interchangeably herein as a “female connector portion”) for a part, such as an aircraft or vehicle composite part, having a receiving opening  31  for receiving the shouldered extending connector layers and insulating layers of the male connector portion  20  of  FIGS. 2A-2C . As shown in  FIG. 3A , the opening  31  includes a series of stepped sections  31   a - 31   e  corresponding to the connector layers  21   b - 21   d  and insulating layers  25   a ,  25   b  of the connector  20  of  FIGS. 2A-2C . For those stepped sections  31   a ,  31   c ,  31   e  to be connected to connector layers of the connector, connector elements  34   a ,  34   b ,  34   c  are provided that are coupled  35   a ,  35   b ,  35   c  (e.g., by connecting circuit paths) to connection points  36   a ,  36   b ,  36   c , such as solder pads for connection to a flex circuit for connecting to components or other portions of the part in which the receiving connector  30  is emplaced or to which the receiving connector  30  is otherwise coupled. 
       FIG. 3B  shows an end view of the female connector  30  from the end containing the opening  31 , including stepped sections  31   a ,  31   b ,  31   c ,  31   d ,  31   e , connector elements  34   a ,  34   b ,  34   c , couplings  35   a ,  35   b ,  35   c , and connection points  36   a ,  36   b ,  36   c.    
       FIG. 3C  presents a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary part  39  containing the female connector receiving opening  31  and showing a coupling  35   a  to an exemplary connection point  36   a , in accordance with aspects of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  shows the exemplary male connector  20  of  FIGS. 2A-2C  matingly engaged with the female connector portion  30  of  FIGS. 3A-3C . 
       FIG. 5  shows another exemplary embodiment of a connector  50  in accordance with aspects of the present invention. Similarly to the connectors of  FIGS. 1-4 , the connector  50  of  FIG. 5  includes electrically or otherwise isolated connection portions alternating with insulator portions, but extending in two extensions  52 ,  53 . A base portion  51  includes wiring and other circuit portions, such as connection points. 
     Although exemplary aspects of the present invention have now been discussed in accordance with the above advantages, it will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that these examples are merely illustrative of aspects of the present invention and that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.