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:
Mar. 04, 2003
Filed:
May. 02, 2000
Klaus D. Kloeppel, Watsonville, CA (US);
Robert M. Pelstring, Santa Cruz, CA (US);
Steven C. Knoche, Corralitos, CA (US);
Seagate Technology LLC, Scotts Valley, CA (US);
Abstract
A connector assembly comprising a base portion which plugs into the base of the motor shaft and a connector body having electrical interface rods along an axial face thereof. A flexible printed circuit having one end connected to the stator has dedicated connector pads on a surface thereof which line up with and are intended to be pressed against the molded body connector rods. To maintain the pads and rods in tight electrical contact, a connector snap spring assembly is snapped in place over the connector body. The snap spring assembly is assembled in two parts comprising a first U-shaped connector snap having a base and two arms, the arms being sized and adapted to snap over shoulders of the molded body; and a connector spring which is pressed in place over the body of the connector snap and includes a plurality of flexible fingers which are aligned with the flexible printed circuit pads and the molded body connector rods so that when the arms of the snap spring assembly are snapped over the shoulders of the body, the springlike fingers tightly press the pads and connector rods together. A hole is formed in the printed circuit axially displaced from the connector pads; a finger extending radially from the connector body passes through this hole to maintain the axial alignment of the flexible printed circuit with the remainder of the press fit connector.