Connectors for e-textiles
AssigneeTyco Electronics Corporation
InventorsKIMBERLY ANN DEBOCK, DAVID JAMES FABIAN, JAMES SCOTT SHOWERS
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A connector for an e-textile that has conductors that define a conductive layer of the e-textile includes a terminal subassembly that has terminals configured to be electrically connected to corresponding conductors of the e-textile. The terminal subassembly has an insulator holding the terminals. The terminals have mating interfaces. A shell holds the terminal subassembly. The shell has a front and a rear. The rear is configured to receive the e-textile. The shell has a bottom and a top. The top is open sided to provide access to the mating interfaces of the terminals for mating with a mating connector.
Claims29
A connector for an e-textile having conductors defining a conductive layer of the e-textile, the connector comprising:
- a terminal subassembly having terminals configured to be electrically connected to corresponding conductors of the e-textile, the terminal subassembly having an insulator holding the terminals, the terminals having mating interfaces;
- and
- a shell holding the terminal subassembly, the shell having a front and a rear, the rear being configured to receive the e-textile, the shell having a bottom and a top, the top being open sided to provide access to the mating interfaces of the terminals for mating with a mating connector.
A connector for an e-textile having conductors defining a conductive layer of the e-textile, the connector comprising:
- a shell defining a cavity extending along a cavity axis between a front and a rear of the shell, the cavity being defined by a bottom wall, a top wall and side walls that provide electrical shielding for the cavity, the top wall being shorter than the bottom wall such that the shell has an open top at the front of the shell;
- and
- a terminal subassembly received in the cavity, the terminal subassembly having a plurality of terminals held by an insulator, the terminals having mating ends and terminating ends, the insulator having a mating window proximate to a front of the terminal subassembly, the insulator having a terminating window proximate to a rear of the terminal subassembly, the terminals being exposed in the mating window and in the terminating window, the terminating ends of the terminals configured to be electrically connected to corresponding conductors of the e-textile in the terminating window, the mating ends of the terminals being exposed in the mating window for mating with a mating connector.
A connector system for an e-textile wearable article having conductors defining an e-textile layer and a fabric layer holding the e-textile layer, the connector system comprising:
- a holder configured to be secure to an exterior of the fabric layer of the e-textile wearable article, the holder having a base and an opening in the base through which the e-textile layer extends from inside the wearable article;
- and
- a connector coupled to the holder, the connector comprising:
- a terminal subassembly having terminals configured to be electrically connected to corresponding conductors of the e-textile, the terminal subassembly having an insulator holding the terminals, the terminals having mating interfaces;
- and
- a shell holding the terminal subassembly, the shell having a front and a rear, the rear being configured to receive the e-textile, the shell having a bottom and a top, the top being open sided to provide access to the mating interfaces of the terminals for mating with a mating connector.
A connector system for an e-textile having conductors defining a conductive layer of the e-textile, the connector comprising:
- an e-textile connector configured to be terminated to the conductors of the e-textile and a mating connector mated to the e-textile connector;
- the e-textile connector comprising a terminal subassembly having terminals configured to be electrically connected to corresponding conductors of the e-textile and an insulator holding the terminals, the e-textile connector further comprising a shell holding the terminal subassembly, the shell having a front and a rear, the shell having a bottom and a top, the top being open sided to provide access to the terminals;
- the mating connector comprising a mating terminal subassembly having mating terminals connected to corresponding terminals of the e-textile connector and a mating insulator holding the mating terminals, the mating connector further comprising a mating shell holding the mating terminal subassembly, the mating shell having a front and a rear, the mating shell having a bottom and a top that is open sided to provide access to the mating terminals;
- the mating connector coupled to the e-textile connector with the open sided portions of the shell and mating shell being aligned such that the terminals and mating terminals are electrically connected.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.