A ball plunger electrical connector for engaging and completing electrical contact with a receiving member having an electrically conductive ball-receiving contact portion, comprising:
- an electrically conductive pin operatively couplable to an electricity source, the pin member having first and second end portions and being electrically conductive, the first end being threaded with first threads;
- a connector body having a closed end, an open end, a sidewall extending between the closed and open ends, and an interior area, the closed end having a threaded aperture with second threads that mate with the first threads, the pin member being screwed into the threaded aperture with at least a portion of the first end portion of the pin member extending from the closed end and at least partially into the interior area;
- an electrically conductive connector plate axially disposed in the interior area of the connector body and positioned adjacent to the closed end of the connector body, the connector plate being electrically conductive and engaging the first end portion of the pin member and providing an electrical connection therebetween, the connector plate having a partially concave shape with a concave portion facing toward the closed end of the connector body with the first end portion of the pin extending into the concave portion;
- an insulator sleeve disposed in the interior area of the connector body and adhered to an inner surface of the sidewall of the connector body, the insulator sleeve being configured to prevent electrical stray noise during use of the ball plunger electrical connector;
- the insulator sleeve having a high wet dielectric strength;
- an electrically conductive beryllium copper coil spring disposed in the interior area of the connector body, the spring having an interior space and a first end portion with a beveled flat portion that mates with a perimeter portion of the connector plate, the spring having a second end portion with a flattened engagement surface;
- an electrically conductive ball track positioned within the interior area of the connector body and in engagement with a second end portion of the biasing member, the ball track having a cup portion with a concave seating portion facing toward the open end of the connector body and defining a rolling surface, the ball track having a stem portion extending from the cup portion toward the closed end portion of the connector body, the cup portion defining an annular engaging shoulder adjacent to and extending radially outward from the stem portion, the flattened engagement surface of the second end portion of the spring being in constant engagement with the annular engaging shoulder, and the stem portion is disposed within the interior space of the coil spring adjacent to the second end portion of the coil spring, the stem portion being sized to maintain a friction fit with the first end portion of the coil spring;
- an electrically conductive ball disposed in the open end portion of the connector body and seated in the concave seating portion of the cup portion of the ball track, the ball and ball track being configured to allow the ball to roll relative to connector body while maintaining engagement with the rolling surface of the ball track, the spring urging the ball track into engagement with the ball, the ball having a first diameter and the open end of the connector body defining a circular opening with a second diameter less than the first diameter, wherein the open end portion of the connector body sized to retain the ball at least partially within the interior area, and the ball being moveable with the ball track in the interior area toward the closed end of the connector body upon compression of the spring, the ball being configured to roll along a portion of the receiving member and to electrically engage the receiving contact portion while maintaining electrical contact with the ball track when any portion of the ball is extending from the connector body to achieve electrical contact with the electrically conductive ball-receiving contact portion.