A wire (12) is bent into a row of contactors (14) that are each of miniature cloverleaf shape with each cloverleaf having a plurality of loops (21-24), the cloverleafs are then cut apart at cuts (40) to electrically isolate them from each other, and the middles of the cloverleafs are embedded into a block (43) of polymer. The combination of a row of cloverleafs and the block, are placed between upper and lower groups of terminals (30, 32) and compressed between them, to connect each upper terminal to a lower one.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Two electronic devices with multiple closely-spaced miniature terminals often must be connected. One example is a component such as a cell phone with component terminals spaced at a pitch of one millimeter or less and a circuit board with board terminals at a corresponding spacing. A contactor assembly that engages the terminals of the two devices to connect them should have contactors that are each resiliently compressible to assure that all terminals are firmly engaged with corresponding contactors for low resistance connections. A miniature contactor assembly that could be constructed at low cost and assured good contact with each of a plurality of pairs of closely spaced terminals, would be of value.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a miniature contactor assembly is provided which can reliably connect two rows of closely spaced terminals. The contactor assembly includes a wire bent into a row of contactors, with each contactor having at least three loops that lie one slightly behind another, but with all lying in primarily the same plane. The contactors are electrically separated by cutting the wire between adjacent contactors. The contactors are held together by a holder formed by a block of insulative polymer. The polymer block can be of elastomeric material so the wire portions within the block can bend, or the polymer block can be of rigid material with grooves near the surface to accommodate more bending.

In one contactor assembly, the contactors each have four 360° loops that each extends away from the contactor axis. The loops lie one slightly behind the other, but with the distance between the frontmost loop of the contactor and rearmost loop of the contactor being less than half, and usually less than one-quarter the height of the contactor.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1illustrates a contactor assembly10of the invention which includes a wire12that has been wound into a plurality of contactors14that lie in a row that extends along a horizontal front-rear F-R, or transverse direction T. Each of the contactors has four resilient wire loops21-24with loop axes angularly spaced about an axis26. The contactors are useful to connect mating surfaces28,29of two rows of terminals30,32of electronic devices34,36. For example device34may be a piece of electronic equipment while the device36is a circuit board. The particular contactor assembly10illustrated includes twenty-one contactors. The contactors were originally wound from a single wire, and are electrically separated by cuts at40that remove short lengths of the wire. A holder42formed by a block43of insulative polymer material that has been molded around the row of contactors, holds the contactors spaced apart. The horizontal planes45,47of the two groups of terminals30,32are perpendicular to longitudinal directions M.

FIG. 3shows one contactor14in the form of wire wound into four loops21-24. Each loop has a transversely-extending axis44-47. Each loop is a closed loop even though the wire does not connect at the loop inner ends52. The location of each axis is at the center of the area of the loop. Each loop is symmetric about a line50that passes though the axis and though the inner end52of the loop. Each loop inner end is the end closest to the opposite loop and to the contactor axis26. Each loop extends 360° about the corresponding axis. The upper pair of loops21,24are laterally L spaced, and the lower pair of loops22,23are laterally L spaced. The upper and lower loops are vertically, or longitudinally M spaced.

InFIG. 3the loops lie one behind another in the front-to-rear, or transverse direction T, with loop21frontmost, loop22lying rearward of loop21, loop23lying rearward of loop22, and loop24lying at the rear of the contactor.FIG. 2shows that the loops lie closely behind one another. The contactor lies primarily in a plane, in that the transverse depth A of the four loops of each contactor is less than one half, and preferably less than one-fourth, the longitudinal length or height B of the uncompressed contactors. Also, the lateral length (E,FIG. 3) of the contactor is more than twice and preferably more than four times the transverse depth B. InFIG. 3, the height B is about eight times the depth A. This allows the contactors to be closely spaced, so the terminals of the electronic devices can be closely spaced. The close spacing allows small electronic devices, such as cell phones, to use the contactors. The primarily vertical plane of each contactor is normal to the transverse direction T.

The contactors are especially useful to fit in a small space and connect miniature terminals. In a combination of a contactor assembly and devices with terminals that applicant has designed, the contactor14ofFIG. 3had a height B of 2.5 millimeters and the contactors of the row were located at a pitch C (FIG. 2) of about 0.3 millimeter. The particular contactor assembly illustrated, which has twenty-one contactors, therefore has a transverse length of only 6.3 millimeters.

FIG. 3shows, in phantom lines, the contactor at14A after it has been depressed by being compressed between the rows of terminals of two electronic devices. The contactor has been compressed by a height2J of about 0.25 millimeters. During the compression, the outer end60of each loop moves away from the axis26as the loop elongates. To allow such elongation, applicant can form the block43of the holder of elastomeric material. An elastomeric material is a material that has a Young's modulus of elasticity of no more than 50,000 psi. It is also possible to form the block of a rigid polymer. If the block is formed of a rigid polymer, it can be formed with grooves, indicated at64inFIG. 4, to receive wire portions near the surfaces of the block that are deflected in the block.

It is possible to connect two rows of terminals using a wire wound into only one loop, with the loop top and bottom contacting opposite terminals. It is also possible to connect two rows of terminals using a wire bent into only one top loop and one bottom loop. However, if one of such loops of a row of them is mounted so it is tilted considerably, then such tilted loop may not engage the corresponding terminal. Applicant's use of two loops at the top and bottom of the contactor, results in two widely spaced loops being compressed by a terminal. If a contactor is tilted, one of its two loops will be compressed a lot and the other will be compressed little or not at all, and at least one of the two loops will contact the corresponding terminal.

The use of at least two loops projecting from one of the faces of the block also helps in the manufacture of the contactor assembly. The contactors can be cut apart and laid on a surface of a jig, with the two lowermost loops helping to assure proper orientation of the contactors until the holder block is molded around the middles of the contactors.

FIG. 4is a front view of a contactor70of another embodiment of the invention, shown mounted in an insulative holder72in the form of a block. The contactor70has three loops, including two lower loops74,76and one upper loop78. The upper loop78does not provide the degree of stability as two upper loops, but the two lower loops properly orient the contactor during manufacture, so the finished assembly will properly contact upper and lower terminals80,82of the two electronic devices84,86. The outer ends of the three loops are equally spaced from a transverse axis90.

Although terms such as “vertical”, “top” and “bottom” are used herein to describe parts as illustrated, it should be noted that the contactor assembly can be used in any orientation.

Thus, the invention provides a miniature contactor assembly for connecting two rows of terminals, which can be made at low cost and can connect together terminals that are very closely spaced. A row of contactors is formed from a single wire that is wound into a set of least three loops for each contactor, with the sets of loops electrically separated by cutting the wound wire or cutting away a length of the wire between each set of loops. The loops are held in the proper orientations and at the desired spacing, by a holder block of insulative (polymer) material. At least two loops project from one of the faces of the holder block, to help orient the contactors during manufacture. In a preferred contactor assembly, each contactor has four loops that each has an inner end that is spaced form the axis of the contactor.