Coil spring and connector with a coil spring

A connector part configured for being connected with a mating connector part, wherein the connector part has a coil spring, the coil spring comprising a longitudinal component located within the coil spring, wherein the longitudinal component runs generally along the direction of a longitudinal axis of the coil spring and wherein the longitudinal component is in contact with the coil spring, and wherein the connector part comprises a groove, which is annular and non-circular in a circumferential direction, in which the coil spring is accommodated and the longitudinal component of the coil spring biases the coils spring into a shape different from the shape into which the coil spring is biased by the groove and that is different from a circular shape, wherein the groove has two long parallel sides in the circumferential direction, and the depth on the two long sides is shallower than the depth on other than the two long sides, and wherein the shape of the longitudinal component is determined so that, with the coil spring accommodated in the groove biased, the coil spring slightly protrudes from the groove on the two long sides, while preventing the coil spring from protruding from the groove other than on the two long sides.

A method of shaping a coil spring that is accommodated in a groove of a connector part, wherein the groove is annular and non-circular in a circumferential direction, the method comprising locating a longitudinal component within the coil spring, wherein the longitudinal component runs generally along the direction of a longitudinal axis of the coil spring such that the longitudinal component is in contact with an inner surface of the coil spring, and wherein the longitudinal component biases the coils spring into a shape different from the coil spring's natural shape and/or from the shape into which the coil spring is biased by the groove in which the coil spring is accommodated, and that is different from a circular shape, wherein the groove has two long parallel sides in the circumferential direction, and the depth on the two long sides is shallower than the depth on other than the two long sides, and wherein the shape of the longitudinal component is determined so that, with the coil spring accommodated in the groove biased, the coil spring slightly protrudes from the groove on the two long sides, while preventing the coil spring from protruding from the groove other than on the two long sides.