Retractable Protection Mechanism For Electrical Connection Pins
OwnerDavid R. Ekstrominventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Retractable protection apparatus, and methods for use, provide protection for vertically oriented electrical connection pins from unintended bending, while further providing operability that allows protected pins to be uncovered to at least the extent necessary to make electrical connection with one or more connectors, and covered after coupling with the connectors is no longer required. In a further aspect, a locking mechanism is provided to prevent the retractable protection mechanism from retracting during shipping or similar handling. In a still further aspect, the retractable protection apparatus is segmented so that only selected portions of the vertically oriented electrical connection pins may be exposed for electrical access.
Claims18
A retractable pin protection apparatus, comprising:
- a layer of inflatable material having a first set of openings therein;
- a layer of a second material disposed on the layer of first material, the second material having a first set of openings therein that are arranged such that the first set of openings in the layer of inflatable material, and the first set of openings in the layer of second material are coaxially aligned;
- and
- wherein the layer of second material has a second set of openings through which one or more gases are introduced to the layer of inflatable material.
A vacuum-activated retractable protection mechanism for electrical pins that are substantially vertically oriented with respect to a substrate on which the electrical pins are disposed, comprising:
- a layer of open cell foam having a first major surface and a second major surface, the layer of open cell foam further having a first set of openings therethrough;
- and
- a guard plate having a first major surface and a second major surface and further having a first set of openings and a second set of openings therethrough, the second major surface of the guard plate disposed on the first major surface of the layer of open cell foam such that the first set of openings of the guard plate are coaxially aligned with the first set of openings of the layer of open cell foam;
- wherein the first set of openings of the guard plate and the first set openings of the layer of open cell foam are sized so that the electrical pins may fit through those openings.
A method of protecting and accessing vertically oriented electrical connection pins, comprising:
- providing a layer of compressible material having a plurality of openings therethrough, the openings in predetermined locations;
- disposing the layer of compressible material on a substrate having a plurality of vertically oriented electrically conductive pins in predetermined locations corresponding to predetermined locations of the openings in the layer of compressible material;
- providing a socket having a plurality of receptacles arranged in a pattern corresponding to the locations of the vertically oriented pins, the socket further having an evacuation path therethrough;
- disposing the socket over at least a portion of the layer of compressible material such that the receptacles and at least a portion of the vertically oriented pins are coaxially aligned;
- and
- evacuating air from the layer of compressible material through the evacuation path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.