US2180569A - Electrical connector - Google Patents

Description

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i fnve71/Z0r 71 $411411! AZZorn/eys Nov. 21, 1939. w. H. wALLs ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed Feb. 23, 1938 Patented Nov. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE" 2,180,569 nnno'rarcar. comc'ron i Walter 1:. Walls, Darwin, Minn.

Application February 23, 193, Serial No. 192,033 1 Claim. (01. 173-361) This invention relates to separable electrical connectors.

It is the general object of this invention to provide a novel and improved separable electrical connector of cheap and simple construction including a receiver and a pronged plug and so constructed that when the plug and receiver are connected together they will be locked until it is' intentionally desired to disengage the same.

' Another object of the invention is to provide a separable electrical connector including a pronged plug and a receiver, the prongs of the plug being lockingly engageable with the receiver and push keys for disengaging the prongs from the receiver when it is desired to disengage the connector.

The objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description, made in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the various views and in which,

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the separable connector as it will appear just prior to the time that the pronged plug is engaged with the receiver;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal view taken through the engaged separable connector, the prongs and push keys being shown in one position in full lines and in another position in dotted lines;

the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, as indicated by the arrows; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, as indicated by the arrows, and A Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, as indicated by the arrows.

In accordance with the invention, a separable electrical connector is provided including a receiver designated as an entirety by the letter A and a plug designated as an letter B.

The receiver A in the illustrated embodiment, consists tor thej most part of a body 6 formed of suitable electrical insulating material such as 'hard rubber, Bakelite, porcelain, etc. The head end of this body 6 is provided with apair of spaced prong receiving recesses l, which as the connector is viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, extend up- 1 wardly from the lower end of the body 15. A

erably molded therein when the body .is cast, project radially toward the center or the body 6 and part way into the recesses I. An outer electrical contact 9 has a bar portion lining a part 15 ot the outer wall of one 01: the recesses I and it Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on entirety by. the

pair of pins 8 carried by the body 6 and prei.'-'

has a sleeve-like screw threaded portion which fits about the screw threaded exterior of the upper part of the body 6, as viewed in the drawing, as is conventional. A. center electrical contact I0 has a bar portion lining a part of the 5 outer wall of the other recesses l and it, in turn, is connected to a head II at the central part of the extreme upper end of the body 6, as viewed. Accordingly, the receiver A is adapted to .be screwed into an ordinary electrical socket to 10 make electrical. connection therewith. It will, of course, be appreciated that any type of electrical connections can be made between the bar portions of the two contacts 9 and I0 and other electrical conductors.

The plug B consists of an outer shell-like casing l2 and an inner cylindrical head l3 received therein, both of these parts being formed of suitable electrical insulating material, such as hard rubber, Bakelite, porcelain, etc. At its lower 20 end, as viewed in the drawing, the plug casing l2 tapers to a reduced portion through which a pair of electrical wires l4 extend. The upper part of the head B as viewed, is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed prong receiving notches I5. 25

Carried by the plug B are a pair of prongs it formed of spring metal. These springs are preferably inserted in the head I 3.at the time that the head is molded and in order to prevent shift-- ing movement of the prongs relative to the head iii, the prongs are provided with projecting tabs Ilia pressed therefrom embedded within the head l3. The lower .ends of the prongs l6, which lower ends'are designated IGb, bear against the bottom of the plug I 3, as viewed, and carry screws I! by means of which the ends of the wires I4. are connected to the prongs I 6. Recesses iii are provided in the head l3 to accommodate the screws IT. From their ends lGb the prongs project straight through the head l3 to present 40 outwardly extending portions I60 which project well beyond the connecting end of the plug B. From the outer ends of the outwardly pro.- J'ectmg portion We the prongs it are reversely bent inwardly to forminwardly projecting portions IN), the inner parts of which are received within the notches l5. Of course, portions ltd are disposed greater radial distances from thecentral longitudinal axis of the plug B than are the portions I60. Also in producing the reverse o bends-in the prongs It, the portions l6d are. placed under springtension urging these portions to move radially away from the central longitudinal axis of the plugB into contact with the inner walls of the casing l2. The portions of the 5'5 prongs l6 joining the portions 16c and ltd are bent as shown in Fig. 2, to form cam surfaces "is causing the portions "id to spring in toward the axial center line of the plug by reason of contact of the cam portions Hiewith the pins 8 during receptive movement of the prongs in the prong recesses I of the receiver A. Pin openings [9 are provided in the portions ltd of the prongs to receive the pins 8 when the plug B and receiver A are fully connected with the head ends of each in abutment A pair of press keys 20 are slidably mounted in radial passages in the casing l2 and these keys have heads which may be pushed into the notches l and these heads bear against the portions Nib of the prongs. To at times receive the heads of press keys without permitting the heads to project into the notches [5, the inner wall of the casing I2 is countersunk at the two points 21!. The head I3 is removably connected to the casing l2 as by a pin 22 which can be driven out of pin openings through the head and casing when it is desired to remove the head from the casing.

In connecting a pair-of wires such as the wires 14, to the plug B, the pin 22 is first removed whereupon the head l3 can be removed from the casing I2 and the ends of the wires It can then be secured to the prongs l6 by means of thescrews H. The head It can then be reinserted in place within the casing l2 whereupon the pin 22 may be reinserted. By reason of the fact that the heads of the push keys 20 may be received within the countersunk portions of the casing-i2 located at the points 2| the head can be easily slid in and out of the casing I2 without interference by the push keys 20.

To connect the plug B to the receiver A, it is merely necessary to aline the prongs IS with the recesses I and push the plug and receiver together. As this is done the cam portions l6e striking the pins 8 cam the prong portions iBd inwardly against their spring tension until the pin openings [9 aline with the pins 8, whereupon the portions l6d spring outwardly radially to receive the pins 8 within the pin openings {9. The

plug B is then securely locked to the receiver A- and cannot be removed therefrom until the two pushkeys 20 are pressed inwardly. When it is desired to'disconnect the connector, it is merely necessary to press the push keys 20 inwardly thereby swinging the portions Hid of the prongs ing the pins 8 from the pin openings 19, whereupon the plug B can be pulled apart from the receiver 'A.

It will be seen that a simple and efllcient locking type of electrical connector has been provided.

7 It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of the present invention, which generally stated, consists in the matter shown and described and set forth in the appended claim. Y

What is claimed is:

In a separable electrical connector, a plug comprising an outer shell, a block of insulating mate,- rial in said shell and substantially filling the forward portion of the shell, said block having a pair of oppositely disposed channels open at the front end thereof and at opposite sides thereof and terminating forwardly of the rear end of said block, a pair of contact bars having rear portions extending through and anchored in the rear portion of said block, the extreme rear ends of said contact bars being bent against the back of said block and having binding posts thereon, said barsv extending forwardly from the rear .of the block and having medial portions lying in the bottoms of said channels, the forward portions of said bars extending forwardly of said block and shell and being reversely bent to bring the outer ends of said bars 'into said channels in spaced relation to said medial bar portions, said forward ends being flexible toward said medial b'ar portions between the walls of said channels and having apertures therein, and pins slidably mounted in said shell and contacting the forward ends of said bars, said pins being slidable inwardly with respect to said shell to permit flexing of the ends of said bars inwardly, whereby said bars can be detachably connected-to projecting portions in a cooperating socket adapted to flt into said bars.

the apertures in the ends of WALTERrI-I. WALLS.

where said projections are,

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