The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 06, 1994
Filed:
Jun. 03, 1993
Roger A Lopez, Louisville, CO (US);
Robert J Miosek, Berthoud, CO (US);
Robert Walsh, Boulder, CO (US);
Storage Technology Corporation, Louisville, CO (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for mounting mated floating, electrical connectors is disclosed. Floating connectors are used to isolate the component parts of the connectors from the vibrations of devices which are semi-rigidly mounted with respect to one another and to which the connectors are movably mounted. The floating connector of the present invention provides a high degree of freedom to float both side to side and up and down. The connector has flanges extending over the walls of an opening into which the connector is movably mounted. This allows the connector a wide range of freedom to float. Both a snap-in and a twist-in connector design are shown. A flexible wiring circuit attached to the floating connector provides both electrical connections to an associated device as well as a spring bias tension to further retain the connector within the receptacle. Obscured (often called 'blind') connections are simplified by the connector because the high degree of float permits a wide range of misalignment as the floating connector mates with another connector. This easy to assemble connector apparatus allows for inexpensive, reliable, floating, blind connections between devices.