Electrical connector for a controller

Abstract

An electronic device including a plurality of ports for electrically connecting the device to another device. The electronic device may include a housing including a front, a back and at least a first side and an opposing second side extending between the front and the back, a printed circuit board housed by the housing, and an electrical connector electrically connected to the printed circuit board. The electrical connector may include a first spring contact, a second spring contact, and an electrically conductive bridge mechanically and electrically connecting the first spring contact and the second spring contact. The electrically conductive bridge may be housed by the housing. The first and second spring contacts may extend outside of the housing and may be accessible from the first and second sides of the housing, respectively.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device comprising:
 a housing including a front, a back and at least a first side and an opposing second side extending between the front and the back;
 a first spring contact extending outside and away from the first side of the housing; and 
 a first terminal pin extending outside and away from the second side of the housing, wherein the first terminal pin is electrically coupled to the first spring contact. 
   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the second side of the housing defines a first terminal port about the first terminal pin for receiving a first terminal connector, wherein the first terminal connector is configured to electrically connect to the first terminal pin when the first terminal connector is received by the first terminal port. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the first terminal connector includes a wire for connecting the first terminal pin to a corresponding terminal pin of another device. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the first terminal port includes a first recess that is defined by the second side of the housing, wherein the first terminal pin extends into the first recess. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the first terminal pin extends into the first recess to a first terminal pin end, wherein the first terminal pin end remains within the first recess of the first terminal port. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first side of the housing has a mating face for mating with a mating face of an adjacent device, the mating face of the first side extends out to a first maximum lateral extent in a first direction, the second side of the housing extends out to a second maximum lateral extent in a second direction opposite to the first direction;
 the first spring contact extends out past the first maximum lateral extent of the mating face of the first side of the housing in the first direction; and   the first terminal pin does not extend out past the second maximum lateral extent of the second side of the housing in the second direction.   
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the second side of the housing defines a first terminal port about the first terminal pin, wherein the first terminal port includes a first recess that is defined by the second side of the housing, wherein the first terminal pin extends into the first recess but does not extend out past the second maximum lateral extent of the second side of the housing in the second direction. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 6 , further comprising an interconnect structure that extends out past the first maximum lateral extent of the mating face of the first side of the housing in the first direction, the interconnect structure configured to engage a complementary interconnect structure of the adjacent device. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a second spring contact extending outside and away from the second side of the housing, wherein the second spring contact is electrically coupled to the first spring contact and the first terminal pin. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a second terminal pin extending outside and away from the first side of the housing, wherein the second terminal pin is electrically coupled to the first spring contact and the first terminal pin. 
     
     
         11 . A method for installing a plurality of controllers, wherein each of the plurality of controllers include a housing, a plurality of first spring contacts extending outside and away from a first side of the housing, a plurality of first terminal pins extending outside of the housing and accessible from the first side of the housing, a plurality of second spring contacts extending outside and away from a second side of the housing, and a plurality of second terminal pins extending outside of the housing and accessible from the second side of the housing, the method comprising:
 mounting a first one of the plurality of controllers adjacent to a second one of the plurality of controllers such that the plurality of second spring contacts of the first one of the plurality of controllers mechanically engage and electrically connect to respective ones of the plurality of first spring contacts of the second one of the plurality of controllers;   mounting a third one of the plurality of controllers away from the second one of the plurality of controllers and away from the first one of the plurality of controllers; and   connecting a cable between one or more of the second terminal pins of the second one of the plurality of controllers and one or more of the first or second terminal pins of the third one of the plurality of controllers.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the cable includes a first terminal connector for connecting to one or more of the second terminal pins of the second one of the plurality of controllers and a second terminal connector for connecting to one or more of the first or second terminal pins of the third one of the plurality of controllers. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein connecting the cable includes:
 connecting a first cable between a first set of one or more of the second terminal pins of the second one of the plurality of controllers and a first set of one or more of the first or second terminal pins of the third one of the plurality of controllers; and   connecting a second cable between a second set of one or more of the second terminal pins of the second one of the plurality of controllers and a second set of one or more of the first or second terminal pins of the third one of the plurality of controllers.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 mounting a fourth one of the plurality of controllers adjacent to the first one of the plurality of controllers such that the plurality of second spring contacts of the fourth one of the plurality of controllers mechanically engage and electrically connect to respective ones of the plurality of first spring contacts of the first one of the plurality of controllers.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein connecting the cable includes connecting the cable between one or more of the second terminal pins of the second one of the plurality of controllers and one or more of the second terminal pins of the third one of the plurality of controllers, the method further comprising:
 mounting a fourth one of the plurality of controllers adjacent to the third one of the plurality of controllers such that the plurality of second spring contacts of the fourth one of the plurality of controllers engage and electrically connect to respective ones of the plurality of first spring contacts of the third one of the plurality of controllers.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein connecting the cable includes connecting the cable between one or more of the second terminal pins of the second one of the plurality of controllers and one or more of the first terminal pins of the third one of the plurality of controllers, the method further comprising:
 mounting a fourth one of the plurality of controllers adjacent to the third one of the plurality of controllers such that the plurality of first spring contacts of the fourth one of the plurality of controllers mechanically engage and electrically connect to respective ones of the plurality of second spring contacts of the third one of the plurality of controllers.   
     
     
         17 . A controller comprising:
 a housing including a front, a back and at least a first side and an opposing second side extending between the front and the back;   a first spring contact extending outside and away from the first side of the housing;   a second spring contact extending outside and away from the second side of the housing;   a first interconnect structure adjacent the first side of the housing; and   a second interconnect structure adjacent the second side of the housing, wherein the first interconnect structure and the second interconnect structure are complementary such that the first interconnect structure is configured to engage with the second interconnect structure of an adjacent controller placed adjacent to the first side of the housing, and the second interconnect structure is configured to engage with the first interconnect structure of an adjacent controller placed adjacent to the second side of the housing.   
     
     
         18 . The controller of  claim 17 , wherein the first interconnect structure and the second interconnect structure are integral with the housing. 
     
     
         19 . The controller of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a first terminal pin extending outside and away from the first side of the housing, wherein the first terminal pin is electrically coupled to the first spring contact; and   a second terminal pin extending outside and away from the second side of the housing, wherein the second terminal pin is electrically coupled to the second spring contact.   
     
     
         20 . The controller of  claim 19 , wherein the first terminal pin is part of a first terminal port accessible from the first side of the housing, and the second terminal pin is part of a second terminal port accessible from the second side of the housing.