Patent ID: 8561274

Claim:
A method for latching a pin to a housing and unlatching the pin from the housing using a spring, said method comprising: providing a housing comprising a housing bore having two bore openings and a lengthwise housing axis; said housing bore comprising a generally flat housing surface disposed on an inside surface of said housing bore between the two bore openings, which is generally parallel to the lengthwise housing axis; 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; 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 bore to permit latching and unlatching between said pin and said housing; wherein said canted coil spring has a ratio value of major axis to minor axis of between 1.0 to 1.5; moving the pin in a first direction relative to the housing to capture the canted coil spring between the pin groove and the housing bore to latch the pin to the housing; wherein the tapered surface of the pin insertion end lifts the plurality of coils during insertion of the pin in the first direction into the housing bore, said movement in the first direction produces a connect force; wherein at least one of the two tapered surfaces of the pin groove abuts the plurality of coils during disconnection of the pin from the housing by moving the pin in a second direction relative to the housing, which is opposite the first direction, said movement in the second direction produces a disconnect force; and wherein the disconnect force to disconnect the pin from the housing differs from the connect force to connect the pin to the housing.