connector

Abstract

The present invention relates to a connector configured to mate with a mating connector for transmitting data and / or power, the connector having a central carrier wall, a plurality of pins disposed through the central carrier wall, a pin carrier, a conductive shield, and one or more pre-guiding elements.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector configured to mate with a mating connector for transmitting data and / or power. [Background technology]

[0002] Many different types of connectors for data and / or power connections are known. In medical applications, connectors are used, for example, with stationary and / or portable patient monitors (e.g., Philips IntelliVue patient monitors) to connect these monitors directly or via adapters or cables. For example, a portable patient monitor can be docked directly to a stationary patient monitor to synchronize all medical data and to charge the battery of the portable patient monitor.

[0003] A known connector is the IEEE 488 connector, also known as the HP-IB (Hewlett-Packard Interface Bus) or General Purpose Interface Bus (GPIB) connector, which is a short-range digital communications 8-bit parallel multi-master interface bus connector. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Next generation patient monitors and future application scenarios will require broadband width and / or increased bandwidth for secure high-speed data transmission. Further requirements are compact dimensions, high and stable signal quality, and ingress protection.

[0005] U.S. Patent Publication No. 2017 / 271820 A1 discloses an electrical connector suitable for mating with another mating connector, the electrical connector comprising a coupling body, a ground metal plate, and an outer shielding shell. The coupling body comprises a first terminal module and a second terminal module. The first terminal module has a first insulating component and a plurality of first terminals. The first insulating component has a first base portion and a first tongue portion. Each first terminal forms a first mating portion and a first solder portion. The second terminal module has a second insulating component assembled with the first insulating component and a plurality of second terminals. The second insulating component has a second base portion and a second tongue portion. Each second terminal forms a second mating portion and a second solder portion. A ground metal plate is disposed between the first terminal module and the second terminal module. The outer shielding shell surrounds the outer space of the first tongue portion and the outer space of the second tongue portion and forms a mating cavity for insertion of a mating connector. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector that can be used as an interface that provides increased broadband width and / or bandwidth for secure high speed data transmission. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a connector that allows smooth operation of the interface connector and / or that facilitates reliable automatic blind mating of the connector.

[0007] According to the present invention, there is provided a connector configured to mate with a mating connector for transmitting data and / or power, said connector comprising: a central carrier wall having a front surface, a rear surface, and a peripheral surface; a plurality of pins disposed through the central carrier wall, the pins having forward ends projecting from the front surface and rear ends projecting from the rear surface, the forward ends being disposed along one or more pin rows on the front surface of the central carrier wall; a pin carrier disposed on the front surface and having two or more rows of pin carriers carrying front ends of the pins; a conductive shield including a front end circumferential shield portion circumferentially disposed around the front ends of the pins, a rear end circumferential shield portion covering at least a portion of a peripheral surface of the central carrier wall, and an intermediate shield portion disposed between the front end circumferential shield portion and the rear end circumferential shield portion and covering a portion of a front surface of the central carrier wall; one or more pre-guide elements projecting from a front surface of the central carrier wall beyond at least a portion of the forward ends of the pins and beyond a leading circumferential shield portion, the one or more pre-guide elements being disposed in a circumferential region around the leading ends of the pins and between the leading ends of the pins and the leading circumferential shield portion; It has.

[0008] Preferred embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

[0009] The present invention is based on the idea of ​​providing an interface connector characterized by a compact overall size, an expanded number of contact pins arranged in multiple rows, a cover connector shield, and mechanical pre-guiding to achieve smooth operation of the interface connector. This connector is particularly configured to enable automatic mating with a mating connector. To this end, one or more pre-guiding elements are useful, protruding from the front surface of the central carrier wall, beyond at least a portion of the front ends of the plurality of pins, and beyond the front circumferential shield portion. In this manner, mating can be easily performed via a sliding or snapping action that can be achieved without the use of wrenches or other tools. Furthermore, the one or more pre-guiding elements provide a self-aligning function that allows for slight misalignment during mating and prevents unintentional deformation of the front circumferential shield portion during blind mating, thus protecting the shield portion and pins from damage and wear. The connector can be configured as a male or female connector that can mate / connect with a corresponding female or male mating connector.

[0010] In general, the connector can be used to connect any kind of device directly or indirectly via cables and / or adapters. Preferably, the connector can be used in medical devices (e.g., patient monitoring devices) and cables and adapters used to connect medical devices to each other to provide high speed data transmission and / or charge the medical devices. The present invention presents the concept of a (standalone) multi-pin row connector for several customer-specific applications.

[0011] In one embodiment, one or more pre-guiding elements providing mechanical pre-guidance are circumferentially disposed in a complete circumferential region around the first ends of the pins and are disposed between the front ends and the front end circumferential shield, thereby further enhancing the pre-guidance function and facilitating mating of the connector.

[0012] The one or more pre-guide elements are preferably spaced apart (radially, i.e., from the center of the connector toward the outer periphery of the connector) from the front ends and / or front circumferential shield portions, i.e., there is preferably an open space between the one or more pre-guide elements and the front ends and / or front circumferential shield portions. Furthermore, the one or more pre-guide elements are preferably attached directly to the front surface of the central carrier wall and protrude therefrom. Thus, the one or more pre-guide elements are preferably separate elements located apart from the conductive shield, the pins, and the pin holder, i.e., they are preferably not integrated into or directly attached to the shield or pin carrier. This allows the connector and the mating connector to be easily mated, and the respective components of the connector, particularly the front ends and front circumferential shield portions of the pins, can easily slide into the open space of the other connector. This arrangement further improves automatic blind mating of the connector and the mating connector.

[0013] Additionally, the pre-guiding element(s) are preferably made of a different material (most likely plastic) compared to the conductive shield, which is preferably made of metal, allowing for a choice of material depending on the application (e.g., to prevent premature wear of both mating ends).

[0014] According to another embodiment, the front end circumferential shield and / or one or more pre-guiding elements have an asymmetrical outer shape, particularly a D-Sub shape, which provides a poka-yoke function and prevents mis-mating. In particular, the one or more pre-guiding elements serve as mechanical keying / coding when the connector mating is performed, preventing any type of mis-orientation of the connector.

[0015] The conductive shield may include a separate circumferential shield portion circumferentially disposed around the rear ends of the pins, further improving the shielding function and signal quality of the transmitted signal. The conductive shield may be, for example, a metal shield, a metallized plastic element, or any other element that provides shielding against unwanted radiation.

[0016] The connector may further include a seal disposed circumferentially around the periphery of the central carrier wall and disposed on an outer surface of the trailing circumferential shield portion and / or on the periphery of the central carrier wall adjacent the end of the trailing circumferential shield portion, the incorporated seal preventing leakage when the connector is installed in an apparatus.

[0017] In another embodiment, at least one of the front ends of the pins or a row of pins at the front ends protrudes from the central carrier wall beyond the remaining front ends or rows of pins, such that the front ends or complete rows of pins are offset relative to the other front ends or rows of pins, thereby providing additional mechanical stability and protection from unintentional deformation of the pins during the connector mating process.

[0018] The connector may further include one or more snap connection elements, e.g., cable snap connection elements, projecting from the front surface of the central carrier wall and positioned outwardly of the leading circumferential shield portion, such that the connector used with a cable cannot be inadvertently unmated, e.g., by pulling on the cable or device.

[0019] Additionally, the connector may have potting material on the front and / or rear surfaces of the central carrier wall to prevent possible leakage through the front and rear ends of the connector.

[0020] In one embodiment, the pin carrier has one pin carrier spot per pin that supports the front end of each pin, and optionally one or more dummy pin carrier spots or a complete row of dummy pin carriers that do not support the front ends of the pins. The dummy (or blind) pin carrier spots allow manufacturers to easily modify and / or customize the connector for use in a variety of applications by simply adding or removing pins as needed.

[0021] The connector may further comprise additional seals arranged in the outer region of the front face of the central carrier wall and in the front region of the periphery of the central carrier wall adjacent said front face, which further improves the sealing function and in particular prevents leakage into the interior space of the connectors when the two connectors are mated.

[0022] The width and / or height of the one or more pre-guiding elements decreases with increasing distance from the front surface of the central carrier wall. This tapered design facilitates smooth mating of the connectors.

[0023] Preferably, the pin carrier rows are arranged in parallel, which allows for two different types of mechanisms (as the male connector end and the female connector end).

[0024] In one embodiment of the female connector, the pin carrier has a central pin carrier bar, an upper pin carrier bar and a lower pin carrier bar, with one pin carrier row positioned on the upper pin carrier bar facing the central pin carrier bar, another pin carrier row positioned on the lower pin carrier bar facing the central pin carrier bar, and the other two pin carrier rows positioned on opposite sides of the central pin carrier bar facing the upper pin carrier bar and the lower pin carrier bar, respectively.

[0025] In one embodiment of the male connector, the pin carrier consists of two parallel pin carrier bars, with the first and second pin carrier rows located on opposite sides of the first pin carrier bar and the third and fourth pin carrier rows located on opposite sides of the second pin carrier bar. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiment(s) described hereinafter. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows various views of a male version of a first embodiment of a connector according to the invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows various views of the female version of the first embodiment of the connector according to the invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows male and female versions of a first embodiment of a connector according to the present invention in mated and unmated states. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a front view of a male and female version of a second embodiment of a connector according to the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 shows a front view of a male and female version of a third embodiment of a connector according to the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows front and rear views of a male version of a fourth embodiment of a connector according to the present invention. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 shows a front view of a female version of a fifth embodiment of a connector according to the present invention, and side views of both the unmated and mated versions. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows a front view of a male and female version of a sixth embodiment of a connector according to the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows a rear view of a seventh embodiment of a connector according to the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 shows a front view of an eighth embodiment of a connector according to the present invention, including a protective cap in an exploded and assembled state. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 shows a front view of a male version of a ninth embodiment of a connector according to the present invention, and front views of both the unmated and mated versions. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 shows a front view of a female version of a tenth embodiment of a connector according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Figure 1 shows various views of a male version of a first embodiment of a connector 1A according to the present invention: Figure 1A is a perspective view, Figure 1B is an exploded perspective view, Figure 1C is a front view, Figure 1D is a side view, and Figure 1E is a rear view.

[0028] Connector 1 has a central carrier wall 10 having a front surface 11, a rear surface 12, and a peripheral surface 13. A plurality of pins 20 are disposed through central carrier wall 10, with the pins having a front end 21 projecting from front surface 11 and a rear end 31 projecting from rear surface 12. Front ends 21 are generally disposed on front surface 11 of central carrier wall 10 along one or more (preferably two or more, more preferably three or more) pin rows, four pin rows 22, 23, 24, 25 in this embodiment. Rear ends 31 are connected to the wires of a cable and may be disposed as a straight end, but may also be tilted or angled as desired, for example to allow for stack board setup within a device having the connector.

[0029] A pin carrier 40 is disposed on the front surface, and the pin carrier 40 has two or more (preferably three or more) pin carrier rows, four in this embodiment: 41, 42, 43, 44, that carry the front ends 21 of the pins 20. Preferably, there is one pin carrier row for each pin row, and all are preferably arranged in parallel. However, in general, there may be more pin carrier rows than pin rows, i.e., there may be one or more dummy / blind pin carrier rows to customize the connector to place the desired number of pins in the desired pin carrier spots as needed. Thus, exemplary implementations of the connector may have, for example, one pin row and two pin carrier rows (i.e., one dummy pin carrier row), two pin rows and three or four pin carrier rows (i.e., one or two dummy pin carrier rows), or three or four pin rows and three or four pin carrier rows (i.e., zero or one dummy pin carrier row).

[0030] In this embodiment of male connector 1A, there are four pin rows and four pin carrier rows. Pin carrier 40 has a center pin carrier bar 46, an upper pin carrier bar 45, and a lower pin carrier bar 47. One pin carrier row 41 is located on the upper pin carrier bar 46 facing the center pin carrier bar 46, another pin carrier row 44 is located on the lower pin carrier bar 47 facing the center pin carrier bar 46, and two other pin carrier rows 42, 43 are located on opposite sides of the center pin carrier bar 46 facing the upper and lower pin carrier bars 45, 47, respectively.

[0031] 1B , the connector 1A further includes a conductive shield, such as a metal shield 60 in the exemplary embodiment described herein. The metal shield 60 includes a front circumferential shield portion 61 circumferentially disposed around the front ends 21 of the pins 20, a rear circumferential shield portion 63 covering at least a portion of the circumferential surface 13 of the central carrier wall 10, and a middle shield portion 62 covering a portion of the front surface 11 of the central carrier wall 10, the middle shield portion 62 being disposed between the front circumferential shield portion 61 and the rear circumferential shield portion 63.

[0032] A ground contact 15 can be incorporated into the connector (female and male versions), for example, in any part of the central carrier wall 10 (e.g., front surface 11 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1B), which allows for a ground shield connection.

[0033] The pre-guide element 70 protrudes beyond at least a portion of the forward ends 21 of the pins 20 and the forward end circumferential shield portion 61, i.e., the pre-guide element 70 protrudes further from the front surface 11 of the central carrier wall 10 than the forward ends 21 and the forward end circumferential shield portion 61 of the pins 20. The pre-guide element 70 is disposed in a circumferential region around the forward ends 21 of the pins 20 and in a region between the forward ends 21 and the forward end circumferential shield portion 61 of the pins 20.

[0034] In this embodiment, the pre-guide element 70 is disposed in the complete circumferential region around the front ends 21 of the pins 20 and in the region between the front ends 21 and the front end circumferential shield portion 61. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the pre-guide element 70 is integrally formed with the bar 45 of the upper pin carrier and the bar 47 of the lower pin carrier.

[0035] In this embodiment, connector 1A further includes a sealing portion 80 circumferentially disposed about peripheral surface 13 of central carrier wall 10. Additionally, this sealing portion 80 may be disposed on the outer surface of trailing circumferential shield portion 63 and / or on peripheral surface 13 of central carrier wall 10 adjacent the end of trailing circumferential shield portion 63 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 6 ).

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the connector 1A has one or more (two in this embodiment) snap connection elements 90, 91 protruding from the front surface 11 of the central carrier wall 10 and positioned outside the front end circumferential shield portion 61.

[0037] In general, the front end circumferential shield portion 61 and the pre-guiding element 70 may have any shape as long as they mate with corresponding elements of the mating connector. In this embodiment, the front end circumferential shield portion 61 and the pre-guiding element 70 have an asymmetrical outer shape, particularly a D-sub shape, to enable fail-safe mating between the connector 1A and the mating connector 1B (shown in FIG. 1B).

[0038] Figure 2 shows various views of a female version of a first embodiment of a connector 1B according to the present invention. Figure 2A is a perspective view, Figure 2B is an exploded perspective view, Figure 2C is a front view, Figure 2D is a side view, and Figure 2E is a rear view. Many parts of the female version are identical to parts of the male version shown in Figure 1 and are therefore designated by the same reference numerals. Some other parts have been modified somewhat to allow connector 1B to mate with mating connector 1A. These other parts are described below.

[0039] In this embodiment of female connector 1B, pin carrier 50 is formed differently from pin carrier 40 of male connector 1A. Pin carrier 50 has two parallel pin carrier bars 55, 56, with first and second pin carrier rows 51, 52 located on opposite sides of first pin carrier bar 55, and third and fourth pin carrier rows 53, 54 located on opposite sides of second pin carrier bar 56. Thus, when mated, each of the front ends 21 of pins 20 of connector 1B contacts a corresponding front end 21 of pins 20 of connector 1A.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the pre-guiding element 70 has two sub-elements 71, 72 located on either side of the lateral ends of the pin carrier 40. The width and height of these sub-elements decrease with increasing distance from the front face 11 of the central carrier wall 10, thereby defining sloping front ends of the sub-elements 71, 72, which improves the insertion of the connector 1B into the mating connector 1A.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows male and female versions of a first embodiment of the connector in a mated (FIG. 3A) and unmated (FIG. 3B) state. As demonstrated, the two connectors 1A and 1B mate properly, thus enabling a desired compact design of the connector interface, for example, with a multi-row pin configuration that can provide sufficient space for up to 38 (or more) pins. The height of the metal shield 60 may be reduced, as shown in FIG. 3, for example, by providing an offset / recess between the metal shield 60 and the pre-guiding element 70, which protrudes further from the central carrier wall 10 than the metal shield 60. Furthermore, the metal shield 60 covers the entire connector interface (contact surfaces) in the mated state. Furthermore, error-proofing (achieved in this example by the D-sub geometry) can be seen in FIG. 3 by ensuring that the connector ends only mate in a specified orientation.

[0042] The D-sub connector design provides the connector coding function while the interior of the connector is protected by a plastic surrounding material. Furthermore, this design prevents contact with an operator's fingers (in terms of IP classification requirements). The injection-molded plastic central carrier wall (also called the connector insert) exhibits integrated pre-guiding elements, such as plastic guide pins, that allow for smooth connector mating.

[0043] Preferably, a (grounded sheet) metal shield is inseparably attached to the connector insert in the central carrier wall, covering the connector end and providing a shielding function to prevent interference (i.e., external device signal crosstalk / noise) when both connector ends are mated. To provide ingress protection, both connector ends may include potting (not shown) in the region of the front and / or rear ends of the connector (i.e., potting material on the front surface 11 and / or rear surface 12 of the central carrier wall 10) to avoid potential leakage from the connector end itself. A seal attached to the region of the rear surface of the connector provides additional sealing function when assembled into a device such as a patient monitor. The snap-fit ​​option for the integrated cable attachment provides beneficial device user operation with a customer-friendly usability concept.

[0044] Therefore, the connector according to the present invention can be used as a docking solution and / or as an interface for adapter cables, i.e., the connector can be placed on a cable, adapter, and / or device and provide data and / or power transmission. An additional advantage of the proposed connector is that the connector design allows for standard soldering operations to PCAs (printed circuit assemblies) or flexprinting. Furthermore, the pin ends can be designed to allow for straight and / or angled soldering operations. In addition to being a docking connector interface, the connector can also function as a cable connector. This feature maximizes the interconnectivity of multiple devices. Furthermore, the connector design provides scalability, i.e., the connector design can be modified according to specific requirements or demands of manufacturers, customers, standards, or other regulations.

[0045] FIG. 4 shows front views of a male (FIG. 4A) and female (FIG. 4B) version of a second embodiment of connectors 2A, 2B according to the present invention. Unlike the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3, at least one of the front ends 21 of the pins 20, or rows of pins at these front ends 21, protrudes from the central carrier wall beyond the remaining front ends 21 or rows of pins. For example, in female connector 2B, the top pin row 22 protrudes beyond the second-top pin row 23, and the bottom pin row 25 protrudes beyond the second-bottom pin row 24. Thus, the ends of the pins in pin rows 22 and 25 terminate in a first plane, and the ends of the pins in pin rows 23 and 24 terminate in a second plane that is closer to the front surface 11 of the central carrier wall 10 than the first plane. Similarly, in male connector 2A, second-top pin row 23 protrudes further than top pin row 22, and second-bottom pin row 24 protrudes further than bottom pin row 25. Thus, the ends of the pins in pin rows 22 and 25 terminate in a first plane, and the ends of the pins in pin rows 23 and 24 terminate in a second plane that is farther from front surface 11 of central carrier wall 10 than the first plane.

[0046] The pin carrier rows are preferably arranged in the same manner as the corresponding pin rows and in the same relative arrangement relative to each other. In the female connector 2B, the pin carrier 40 has four separate parallel pin carrier bars 140, 141, 142, 143 that carry the front ends 21 of the pins 20, the top and bottom pin carrier bars 140, 143 simultaneously forming part of the pre-guide element 70. In the male connector 2A, the pin carrier 50 consists of a single pin carrier bar 150 that carries the front ends 21 of the pins 20 in the different pin carrier rows.

[0047] The male connector 2A in this embodiment has pre-guiding elements in the form of integral plastic pins 73, 74 located at the upper corners of the circumferential pre-guiding element 70.

[0048] This second embodiment may require additional connector mating depth compared to the first embodiment. However, this connector design allows for various pin contact points due to the offset pin arrangement within the connector. Additionally, this multi-row offset pin configuration provides more mechanical stability during the process of mating both connector ends 2A, 2B.

[0049] FIG. 5 shows front views of a male version (FIG. 5A) and a female version (FIG. 5B) of a third embodiment of connectors 3A, 3B according to the present invention. This embodiment is similar to the first embodiment, except that in this embodiment, the male and female pin carriers 40, 50 not only comprise one pin carrier spot 145, 155 per pin that supports the front end of each pin, but also include one or more dummy / blind pin carrier spots 146, 156 (in one or more pin carrier rows) that do not support the front ends of the pins. This allows for customized connector configurations to meet specific customer needs. For example, in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 5, both connectors 3A, 3B have two dummy pin spots 146, 156, allowing for a 38+2 pin configuration.

[0050] FIG. 6 shows a front view (FIG. 6A) and a rear view (FIG. 6B) of a male version of a fourth embodiment of a connector 4A according to the present invention. Compared to the first embodiment, in this embodiment, a metal shield 60 has an additional circumferential shielding portion 64 circumferentially disposed around the rear ends 31 of the pins 20. The sheet-like metal shield thus extends to cover the entire length of the pins, including the solder joints (not shown) for soldering wires (not shown) to the rear ends 31. A sealing portion 80 is formed as an outer sealing portion attached over the intermediate shielding portion 62. The extended shielding ensures a "front-to-rear" shielding function for the entire connector, further improving protection against signal crosstalk and noise interference from external devices.

[0051] Note that the female version, not explicitly shown, may also have the same circumferential shield portion 64 .

[0052] 7 shows a female version of a fifth embodiment of a connector 5B according to the present invention (FIG. 7A), as well as a front view of the female connector 5B and the male connector 5A of this embodiment in the unmated state (FIG. 7B) and the mated state (FIG. 7C). The female connector 5B of this embodiment further comprises additional sealing portions 81 arranged in the outer region of the front face 11 of the central carrier wall 10 and in the front region of the peripheral surface 13 of the central carrier wall 10 adjacent to the front face 11. The additional sealing portions 81 may contact surfaces of the front end circumferential shield portion 61, the rear end circumferential shield portion 63 and the intermediate shield portion 62 that come into contact with the metal shield 60.

[0053] The male connector 5A may be designed similarly to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, without such additional sealing portions.

[0054] 7C, the additional seal 81 is assembled between the ends of both connectors when they are mated, preventing leakage into the internal space of the connectors. In one embodiment, the additional seal 81 may be designed to provide axial and / or radial sealing functions. Thus, even if the connector is sprayed with liquid (e.g., disinfectant or cleaning agent in a hospital environment), the risk of shorting between the pins is minimized.

[0055] FIG. 8 shows front views of a male (FIG. 8A) and female (FIG. 8B) version of a sixth embodiment of connectors 6A, 6B according to the present invention. This embodiment has dome-shaped plastic pre-guided pins 75, 76 integrated into the male connector 6A as pre-guided elements that have a mirrored pin configuration and fit into corresponding recesses 77, 78 in the female connector 6B. This embodiment allows for a more compact connector design but limits the number of contact pins, although this number can be reduced or increased as needed as shown in other embodiments. The same pre-guided elements can also be used in other connector embodiments.

[0056] The metal shield provided by the present invention allows for a reduction in connector height by protecting the sheet metal during connector handling and transportation. The connector shielding function is provided particularly at the connector ends in the mated state. Additionally, the potting resin can provide a collar design (front and rear ends). In other embodiments, the potting collar can be an integrated metal shielding function. The metal shield can also be provided with a straight and / or formed / shaped front end (e.g., flared or other desired shape) to allow any electrical contact between the male connector end and the female connector end in the mated state. The formed / shaped rear end can further prevent slippage of the seal during connector assembly.

[0057] The pins may have an offset pin arrangement, thus providing protection for the operator's fingers (e.g., avoidance of electric shock according to IP classification). The rear ends of the pins may have an angled and / or straight arrangement, which allows for stack board setup according to specific customer needs. Bent rear ends of the pins may offer the advantage of being mechanically self-supporting during shock and / or vibration impacts. A recessed pin configuration may offer an additional advantage as it increases the mechanical robustness of the connector.

[0058] FIG. 9 shows a rear view of a seventh embodiment of a connector 7 according to the present invention. In this embodiment, some of the pins' rear ends are straight (32) and other parts of the pins' rear ends are curved (33). This arrangement can generally be used with all other connector embodiments. This can be used to separate parameter signals into separate / separate pin rows, allowing for grouping of parameter signal pins across multiple pin rows. For example, ECG signals can be grouped on the top pin row, SpO2 signals on the second pin row below, etc.

[0059] Figure 10 shows front views of an eighth embodiment of a connector according to the present invention, including a protective cap, in an exploded state (Figure 10A) and an assembled state (Figure 10B). In this example, a male connector 1A, as shown in Figure 1, is shown including a protective cap 100 that covers at least the front ends 21 of the pins in the assembled state. The cable attachment mechanism, in this embodiment the snap connection elements 90, 91, is intentionally located outside the area of ​​the pin carrier. This allows the use of a tethered protective cap 100 and compatibility with such a cap. The protective cap 100 prevents corrosion, contamination, and / or mechanical deformation of the internal metal parts (e.g., in harsh environments outside a hospital).

[0060] 11 shows a front view of a male version of a ninth embodiment of a connector 8A according to the present invention (FIG. 11A), as well as front views of both the unmated (FIG. 11B) and mated (FIG. 11C) versions. In this embodiment, the male connector 8A has external cable attachment levers 92, 93 located on opposing exterior surfaces of the male connector 8A. The levers 92 positively lock the male connector 8A to the mating connector 8B so that they properly mate with opposing cable attachment snap connectors 90, 91 of the female connector 8B, thus providing secure connector mating.

[0061] 12 shows a front view of a female version of a tenth embodiment of a connector 9B according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the metal shield 60 is modified. The front circumferential shield portion 61, particularly its outer end 61a, is molded / shaped (e.g., has an embossed shape) to ensure electrical contact between the male and female connectors in the mated state.

[0062] In the mated state, the metal shield can cover the entire length of the pin in the front-to-rear direction (from the tip of the contact pin to the solder joint).

[0063] The rear end metal shield portion may include a punched recess (illustratively shown as a V-shaped recess in the figure) to enable mechanical fixation by plastic deformation with a plastic mating part (e.g., a pin carrier).

[0064] The potting material can provide mechanical fixation of the pins that are pressed against it to prevent movement inside the pin carrier (in the assembled state) due to vibration and / or shock effects (abuse).

[0065] For example, cable attachment elements, such as those in the form of snap connection elements, are intentionally placed outside the pin carrier, with optional use / compatibility with protective caps to prevent corrosion, contamination, and / or mechanical deformation of metal parts (e.g., in non-hospital environments).

[0066] While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description is considered to be exemplary or explanatory and not restrictive. The invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.

[0067] In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, nor does an absence of a plurality exclude a plurality. A single element or other unit may fulfill the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

[0068] Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

1. 1. A connector configured to mate with a mating connector to transmit data and / or power, comprising: a central carrier wall having a front surface, a rear surface, and a peripheral surface; a plurality of pins disposed through the central carrier wall, the pins having forward ends projecting from the front surface and rear ends projecting from the rear surface, the forward ends being disposed along one or more pin rows on the front surface of the central carrier wall; a pin carrier disposed on the front surface and having two or more rows of pin carriers carrying a plurality of front ends of the plurality of pins; a conductive shield including a front end circumferential shield portion circumferentially disposed around the front ends of the pins, a rear end circumferential shield portion covering at least a portion of a peripheral surface of the central carrier wall, and an intermediate shield portion disposed between the front end circumferential shield portion and the rear end circumferential shield portion and covering a portion of a front surface of the central carrier wall; one or more pre-guide elements projecting from a front surface of the central carrier wall beyond the forward ends of at least some of the pins and beyond the leading end circumferential shield portion, the one or more pre-guide elements being disposed in a circumferential region around the leading ends of the pins and between the leading ends of the pins and the leading end circumferential shield portion; A connector having:

2. 2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the one or more pre-guide elements are circumferentially arranged in an entire circumferential region around the front ends of the pins, and are arranged between the front ends and the front end circumferential shield portion, particularly at a certain distance from the front ends and / or the front end circumferential shield portion.

3. 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the front end circumferential shield portion and / or the one or more pre-guiding elements have an asymmetrical outer shape, in particular a D-sub shape.

4. 5. The connector of claim 1, wherein the conductive shield includes another circumferential shield portion circumferentially disposed around the rear ends of the plurality of pins.

5. 5. The connector of claim 1, further comprising a sealing portion circumferentially disposed around the peripheral surface of the central carrier wall and disposed on an outer surface of the rear end circumferential shield portion and / or on the peripheral surface of the central carrier wall adjacent an end of the rear end circumferential shield portion.

6. 6. The connector of claim 1, wherein at least one of the front ends of the plurality of pins or a row of pins at the front end protrudes from the central carrier wall beyond the remaining front ends or rows of pins.

7. The connector of claim 1 , further comprising one or more snap connection elements projecting from a front surface of the central carrier wall and positioned outwardly of the front end circumferential shield portion.

8. 8. The connector of claim 1, further comprising a potting material on the front and / or rear surfaces of the central carrier wall.

9. 9. A connector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the pin carrier has one pin carrier spot for each pin that supports the front end of the respective pin, and optionally one or more dummy pin carrier spots that do not support the front ends of the pins.

10. 10. The connector of claim 1, further comprising additional seals arranged on an outer region of a front surface of the central carrier wall and on a front region of a periphery of the central carrier wall adjacent to the front surface.

11. 11. The connector of claim 1, wherein the width and / or height of the one or more pre-guiding elements decreases with increasing distance from the front face of the central carrier wall.

12. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the rows of pin carriers are arranged in parallel.

13. the pin carriers include a center pin carrier bar, an upper pin carrier bar, and a lower pin carrier bar; one pin carrier row is disposed on the bar of the upper pin carrier facing the bar of the central pin carrier; another row of pin carriers is disposed on the bar of the lower pin carrier facing the bar of the central pin carrier; two other rows of pin carriers are disposed on opposite sides of the bar of the central pin carrier, facing the bar of the upper pin carrier and the bar of the lower pin carrier, respectively; The connector of claim 12.

14. 13. The connector of claim 12, wherein the pin carrier has two parallel pin carrier bars, the first and second pin carrier rows being arranged on opposite sides of the first pin carrier bar, and the third and fourth pin carrier rows being arranged on opposite sides of the second pin carrier bar.

15. 15. A device, in particular a medical device, and / or a cable and / or an adapter, comprising a connector according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

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