CA1232955A - Electrical connector - Google Patents
Electrical connectorInfo
- Publication number
- CA1232955A CA1232955A CA000488732A CA488732A CA1232955A CA 1232955 A CA1232955 A CA 1232955A CA 000488732 A CA000488732 A CA 000488732A CA 488732 A CA488732 A CA 488732A CA 1232955 A CA1232955 A CA 1232955A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- coil spring
- plastic shell
- parts
- electrical connector
- spring
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
- A61N1/00—Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor
- A61N1/02—Details
- A61N1/04—Electrodes
- A61N1/0404—Electrodes for external use
- A61N1/0472—Structure-related aspects
- A61N1/048—Electrodes characterised by a specific connection between lead and electrode
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R11/00—Individual connecting elements providing two or more spaced connecting locations for conductive members which are, or may be, thereby interconnected, e.g. end pieces for wires or cables supported by the wire or cable and having means for facilitating electrical connection to some other wire, terminal, or conductive member, blocks of binding posts
- H01R11/11—End pieces or tapping pieces for wires, supported by the wire and for facilitating electrical connection to some other wire, terminal or conductive member
- H01R11/22—End pieces terminating in a spring clip
Landscapes
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Biomedical Technology (AREA)
- Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
- Radiology & Medical Imaging (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
- Measurement And Recording Of Electrical Phenomena And Electrical Characteristics Of The Living Body (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An electrical connector for connection to a medical electrode provides two methods of connection, either by a snap connection to a stud on an electrode or clip to a conductive substrate. The connector comprises a coil spring made of conductive wire, plastic shell around the coil spring having two parts, one part about coils at one end of the spring, the other part about coils at the other end of the spring with an opening remaining between the parts; extension member on one side of each of the two parts, such that squeezing the two extension members together, pivots one part about the other part to open a gap between the coils on one side of the spring, and lead connected to the coil spring through one of the two parts of the plastic shell.
An electrical connector for connection to a medical electrode provides two methods of connection, either by a snap connection to a stud on an electrode or clip to a conductive substrate. The connector comprises a coil spring made of conductive wire, plastic shell around the coil spring having two parts, one part about coils at one end of the spring, the other part about coils at the other end of the spring with an opening remaining between the parts; extension member on one side of each of the two parts, such that squeezing the two extension members together, pivots one part about the other part to open a gap between the coils on one side of the spring, and lead connected to the coil spring through one of the two parts of the plastic shell.
Description
:~32~5~;
ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR
The present invention relates to an electrical connector and more specifically to a lead connector or terminator for medical electrode devices.
Skin contactiny electrodes used for measuring bio-electric signals from the skin of a patient have many applications. Electrodes are used with monitoring attach-ments, diagnostic applications and other types of sensing devices. In nearly all cases the electrodes themselves are used once and thrown out, and a connection location is provided on each electrode Eor attachment of an electrical connector. The electrical connector has a lead feeding the bio-electric signal to the monitoring or diagnostic equipment.
Many types of electrodes are used today, some of -them have a stud integral with the electrode for a snap on connector, others have a conductive strip which can be gripped with an alligator clip connector.
Alligator clip connectors tend to have a high profile which can interfere with clothing and do not contribute to patient comfort. In some cases these types of connectors can become an obstruction. Furthermore, unless the alligator clip connector is of a su~ficient size, it does not have a large contact arèa for connecting to a conductive substrate of a~ electrode.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a low profile lead connector that connects to the conductive substrate of an electrode giving better contact area than an equivalent size alligator clip connector. Furthermore/ it is an object of the invention to provide a miniature light weight electrical connector that induces less strain on the adhesive of an electrode, has lower profile so that it does not inhibit the use of clothing ar~und an electrode, particularly when ~Z3'~55 used with EKG electrodes.
The present invention also pro~ides an electrical conn~ctor that may either clip to a conductive strip of an electrode, or alternatively, fits over and grips the stud terminal on an electrode. The ability of the electrode to be able to cope with either type of connection eliminates the number of different types of connectors that are necessary on monitoring and diagnostic devices.
The prèsent invention provides an electrical connector comprising: a coil spring made of conductive wire, plastic shell around the coil spîing having two parts, one part of the plastic shell about coils at one end of the spring, the other part of the plastic shell about coils at the other end of the spring with an opening remaining between the two parts;
extension member on one side of each of the two 15' parts, such that squee~ing the two extension members together pivots one part about the other part to open a gap betweenthe coils on one side of the spring, and lead connected to the coil spring through one of the two parts of the plastic shell.
In other embodiments of the invention an opening is provided in one part o~ the plastic shell at an end of the coil spring, and the last coil of the coil spring at the opening has an inner diameter to fit over and grip a stud terminal. In another embodiment the lead is molded into the extension member on one of the two parts of the plastic shell ~ith preferably,the opening in one part of,the plastic shell and the lead connected to the coil spring on the other part of the plastic shell~ The two parts of the plastic shell are preferably integrally molded and jolned at a pivot connection between the two extension members. The electrical connector is preferably a miniature connector with a coil spring less than a quarter inch outside diameter and overall depth o~
the connector along the a~is of the coil spring is less than a quarter inch. ' In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the j , ., ~
'`:
:
, .
3Z~
invention:
Figure 1 is a cross sectional side elevational view showing an electrical connector according to one embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a -top view of the connector shown in Figure l;
Figure 3 i5 a side elevational view showing a connector joined to a stud terminal o~ an electrode;
Figure 4 is a top view of the connector and electrode shown in Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a cross sectional side elevational view showing an electrical connector according to one embodiment of the present invention gripping a conductive strip of an electrode.
Referring to Figures ~ and 2, an electrode 10 is formed of a coil spring 11 with a molded plastic shell formed in two parts, a top part 12 and a bottom part 13 which surround the spring 11 and meet at a pivot point 14. The pivot point 14 may be integrally molded so that the top part 12 and the bottom part 13 are molded all as a single integral unit. The top part 12 has an extension member 15 which extends out beyond the pivot point 14 and has a sloped surface 16 allowing the extension member 15 to pivot about the pivot point 14. A grip 17 in the form o grooves is shown on top of the extension member 15.
The bottom part 13 also has an extension member 18 extending out under the extension member 15 of the top part 12 and a lead 19 is integrally molded with the extension member 18 and has a wire connector 20 which is arranged to pass between two coils 22 of the coil spring 11. The lead 19 fits into the extension member 18. Positioning posts for ~he lead 19 may occupy approximately the same shape shown in the Figure. An opening 25 is provided on the top part 12 over the coil spring 11 and the top coil 26 is arranged to have the correct inside diameter so that it can be slipped over a stud terminal on an ~.
electrode and grip the stud terminal.
Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a connector 10 attached to an electrode 30 wherein the so-called top part 12 of the molded plastic shell fits over a stud terminal 31 and is held in place to the stud terminal 31 by means of the top coil 26 which has suEficient flexibility to allow the stud terminal 31 to pass through the top coil 26 and sufficient rlgidity to grip and maintain good electrical contact.
Figure 5 illustrates another electrode 50 which comprises a conductive element 51 surrounded by a foam pad 52 and ha~ing a conductive substrate skin 53 which has a metal conductive backing and to which the connector 10 is clipped through the coil spring 11. By compressing the extension member 15 of the top part 12 and the extension member 18 of the bottom part 13 together, the top part 12 pivots about the pivot point 14 so that the coil spring 10 opens on one side sufficient to allow the conductive skin 53 to be inserted.
~hen the connector 10 is released, the coil spring 10 grips the conductive skin 53 on the electrode 50. The contact area
ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR
The present invention relates to an electrical connector and more specifically to a lead connector or terminator for medical electrode devices.
Skin contactiny electrodes used for measuring bio-electric signals from the skin of a patient have many applications. Electrodes are used with monitoring attach-ments, diagnostic applications and other types of sensing devices. In nearly all cases the electrodes themselves are used once and thrown out, and a connection location is provided on each electrode Eor attachment of an electrical connector. The electrical connector has a lead feeding the bio-electric signal to the monitoring or diagnostic equipment.
Many types of electrodes are used today, some of -them have a stud integral with the electrode for a snap on connector, others have a conductive strip which can be gripped with an alligator clip connector.
Alligator clip connectors tend to have a high profile which can interfere with clothing and do not contribute to patient comfort. In some cases these types of connectors can become an obstruction. Furthermore, unless the alligator clip connector is of a su~ficient size, it does not have a large contact arèa for connecting to a conductive substrate of a~ electrode.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a low profile lead connector that connects to the conductive substrate of an electrode giving better contact area than an equivalent size alligator clip connector. Furthermore/ it is an object of the invention to provide a miniature light weight electrical connector that induces less strain on the adhesive of an electrode, has lower profile so that it does not inhibit the use of clothing ar~und an electrode, particularly when ~Z3'~55 used with EKG electrodes.
The present invention also pro~ides an electrical conn~ctor that may either clip to a conductive strip of an electrode, or alternatively, fits over and grips the stud terminal on an electrode. The ability of the electrode to be able to cope with either type of connection eliminates the number of different types of connectors that are necessary on monitoring and diagnostic devices.
The prèsent invention provides an electrical connector comprising: a coil spring made of conductive wire, plastic shell around the coil spîing having two parts, one part of the plastic shell about coils at one end of the spring, the other part of the plastic shell about coils at the other end of the spring with an opening remaining between the two parts;
extension member on one side of each of the two 15' parts, such that squee~ing the two extension members together pivots one part about the other part to open a gap betweenthe coils on one side of the spring, and lead connected to the coil spring through one of the two parts of the plastic shell.
In other embodiments of the invention an opening is provided in one part o~ the plastic shell at an end of the coil spring, and the last coil of the coil spring at the opening has an inner diameter to fit over and grip a stud terminal. In another embodiment the lead is molded into the extension member on one of the two parts of the plastic shell ~ith preferably,the opening in one part of,the plastic shell and the lead connected to the coil spring on the other part of the plastic shell~ The two parts of the plastic shell are preferably integrally molded and jolned at a pivot connection between the two extension members. The electrical connector is preferably a miniature connector with a coil spring less than a quarter inch outside diameter and overall depth o~
the connector along the a~is of the coil spring is less than a quarter inch. ' In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the j , ., ~
'`:
:
, .
3Z~
invention:
Figure 1 is a cross sectional side elevational view showing an electrical connector according to one embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a -top view of the connector shown in Figure l;
Figure 3 i5 a side elevational view showing a connector joined to a stud terminal o~ an electrode;
Figure 4 is a top view of the connector and electrode shown in Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a cross sectional side elevational view showing an electrical connector according to one embodiment of the present invention gripping a conductive strip of an electrode.
Referring to Figures ~ and 2, an electrode 10 is formed of a coil spring 11 with a molded plastic shell formed in two parts, a top part 12 and a bottom part 13 which surround the spring 11 and meet at a pivot point 14. The pivot point 14 may be integrally molded so that the top part 12 and the bottom part 13 are molded all as a single integral unit. The top part 12 has an extension member 15 which extends out beyond the pivot point 14 and has a sloped surface 16 allowing the extension member 15 to pivot about the pivot point 14. A grip 17 in the form o grooves is shown on top of the extension member 15.
The bottom part 13 also has an extension member 18 extending out under the extension member 15 of the top part 12 and a lead 19 is integrally molded with the extension member 18 and has a wire connector 20 which is arranged to pass between two coils 22 of the coil spring 11. The lead 19 fits into the extension member 18. Positioning posts for ~he lead 19 may occupy approximately the same shape shown in the Figure. An opening 25 is provided on the top part 12 over the coil spring 11 and the top coil 26 is arranged to have the correct inside diameter so that it can be slipped over a stud terminal on an ~.
electrode and grip the stud terminal.
Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a connector 10 attached to an electrode 30 wherein the so-called top part 12 of the molded plastic shell fits over a stud terminal 31 and is held in place to the stud terminal 31 by means of the top coil 26 which has suEficient flexibility to allow the stud terminal 31 to pass through the top coil 26 and sufficient rlgidity to grip and maintain good electrical contact.
Figure 5 illustrates another electrode 50 which comprises a conductive element 51 surrounded by a foam pad 52 and ha~ing a conductive substrate skin 53 which has a metal conductive backing and to which the connector 10 is clipped through the coil spring 11. By compressing the extension member 15 of the top part 12 and the extension member 18 of the bottom part 13 together, the top part 12 pivots about the pivot point 14 so that the coil spring 10 opens on one side sufficient to allow the conductive skin 53 to be inserted.
~hen the connector 10 is released, the coil spring 10 grips the conductive skin 53 on the electrode 50. The contact area
2~ between the coil spring 10 and the conductive skin 53 extends for almost a complete coil. This is greater than most types of alligator clip cannectors which have a series of points.
In one embodiment the lead connector 10 is a mini-ature connector, the coil spring 11 is less than a quarter inch diameter and less than a quarter inch high and the molded plastic shell is molded in one piece with the join at the pivot point 1~. This join represents a thin strip so the extension member 15 on the top part 12 can still be pivoted by being pressed against the extension member 18 on the bottom part 13 The miniature connector 10 is particuIarly useful when used in association with e~ectrodes that are worn under ; clothes,inasmuch as it does not protrude-and interfere with a wearer. It also produces less strain or pull on the skin contacting adhesive of the electrode, thus the miniature , -~2~3~9~S
connector affords greater patient comfort than existing types of connectors, particularly when used wi-th EKG electrodes.
In other embodiments of the present inven~ion, the connnector may have varying proportions and holding character-istics to suit particular types of electrodes, however, theconcept is to have a universal electrode which fits the maximum number of different types of electrodes available. The coil spring 11 is preferably formed from stainless steel, having from 0.02~ to 0.024 gauge, however, other suitable conductive materials may be used. The molded shell may be a suitable plastic such as polyethylene or acrylic plastic and the lead 19 may be any commercially available conducting wire of small gauge, preferably silicon coated cloth fiber impreg-nated with silver. The wire connector 20 must be gripped lS firmly between coils 22 oE the coil spring ]1.
Various changes may be made to the embodiments shown and illustrated herein without departing from the scope of the present invention which is limitèd only by the following claims.
. :
In one embodiment the lead connector 10 is a mini-ature connector, the coil spring 11 is less than a quarter inch diameter and less than a quarter inch high and the molded plastic shell is molded in one piece with the join at the pivot point 1~. This join represents a thin strip so the extension member 15 on the top part 12 can still be pivoted by being pressed against the extension member 18 on the bottom part 13 The miniature connector 10 is particuIarly useful when used in association with e~ectrodes that are worn under ; clothes,inasmuch as it does not protrude-and interfere with a wearer. It also produces less strain or pull on the skin contacting adhesive of the electrode, thus the miniature , -~2~3~9~S
connector affords greater patient comfort than existing types of connectors, particularly when used wi-th EKG electrodes.
In other embodiments of the present inven~ion, the connnector may have varying proportions and holding character-istics to suit particular types of electrodes, however, theconcept is to have a universal electrode which fits the maximum number of different types of electrodes available. The coil spring 11 is preferably formed from stainless steel, having from 0.02~ to 0.024 gauge, however, other suitable conductive materials may be used. The molded shell may be a suitable plastic such as polyethylene or acrylic plastic and the lead 19 may be any commercially available conducting wire of small gauge, preferably silicon coated cloth fiber impreg-nated with silver. The wire connector 20 must be gripped lS firmly between coils 22 oE the coil spring ]1.
Various changes may be made to the embodiments shown and illustrated herein without departing from the scope of the present invention which is limitèd only by the following claims.
. :
Claims (6)
1. An electrical connector comprising:
a coil spring made of conductive wire;
plastic shell around the coil spring having two parts, one part of the plastic shell about coils at one end of the spring, the other part of the plastic shell about the coils at the other end of the spring with an opening remaining between the two parts;
extension member on one side of each of the two parts, such that squeezing the two extension members together, pivots one part about the other part to open a gap between the coils on one side of the spring, and lead connected to the coil spring through one of the two parts of the plastic shell.
a coil spring made of conductive wire;
plastic shell around the coil spring having two parts, one part of the plastic shell about coils at one end of the spring, the other part of the plastic shell about the coils at the other end of the spring with an opening remaining between the two parts;
extension member on one side of each of the two parts, such that squeezing the two extension members together, pivots one part about the other part to open a gap between the coils on one side of the spring, and lead connected to the coil spring through one of the two parts of the plastic shell.
2. The electrical connector according to claim 1 including an opening in one part of the plastic shell at an end of the coil spring, and the last coil of the coil spring at the opening having an inner diameter to fit over and grip a stud terminal.
3. The electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein the lead is molded into the extension member on one of the two parts of the plastic shell.
4. The electrical connector according to claim 2 wherein the opening is in one part of the plastic shell and the lead connected to the coil spring is molded into the extension member on the other part of the plastic shell.
5. The electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein the two parts of the plastic shell are integrally molded and join at a pivot connection between the two extension members.
6. The electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein the coil spring is less than a quarter inch outside diameter and overall depth of the connector along the axis of the coil spring is less than a quarter inch.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000488732A CA1232955A (en) | 1985-08-14 | 1985-08-14 | Electrical connector |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000488732A CA1232955A (en) | 1985-08-14 | 1985-08-14 | Electrical connector |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1232955A true CA1232955A (en) | 1988-02-16 |
Family
ID=4131181
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000488732A Expired CA1232955A (en) | 1985-08-14 | 1985-08-14 | Electrical connector |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1232955A (en) |
-
1985
- 1985-08-14 CA CA000488732A patent/CA1232955A/en not_active Expired
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |