US2321469A - Socket receptacle - Google Patents

Description

A-.- M. D RAVING 'SOQKETVRECEP'TAQLE' June' 8, 1943.

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .Filed July 12; 1958 7.. a 3 Z .5 Jv i 0 uli ww .yg #ww A. M. DRAVING SOCKET RECEPTACLE Filed July l2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 provide improvements in Patented June 8, 1943 Y Arum n. Draving Philadelphia, Pa

Philadelphia, Pa., a'corporation o! Pennsylvania Hugh, H. Eby, Inc.,

assigner to Application .my 12, 193s, serial 510.218.754 s claims. (ci. 17H28) This invention relates to socket receptacles.

It is among the objects of this invention: to the art of socket re-l ceptacles; to provide improvements in contacts for socket receptacles; to provide a molded socket receptaclepof economy, high insulating and contact eliiciency. and with enhanced ornamental appearance: to provide a socket receptacle orl molded base having contact apertures each formed with an internal lateral' window in com munication therewith so as to lockingly receive an'inserted .contact element; to provide a metallic element for tacle to create a female plug device; to provide a molded socket receptacle with a lateral recess in communication with a contact aperture so formed as to be susceptible to molding in a two association with a socket recep-v Fig. 7 represents a bottom the base shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 representsa vertical section through the or reilected plan of l. closed two-part mold, as used for the molded baseshown illustratively in Fig. 1, with thev between the mold parts molded base in position or dies, showing theoverlapping elements of the mold dies. prior to/.the axial separation of the die elements. g

Fig. 9 represents an exploded or separated section through the disassembled elements shown part mold having relative axial separating movements; to provide a molded socket receptacle with a contact aperture so shaped as to enable the contact to be anchored by mere axial insertion without the use of separate securing means or the use of special tools and the like; to provide a molded socket receptacle with a plurality of contact receiving apertures having lateral'recesses extending through the face o'f the socket with molded integral barriers arcuately disposed between adjacent're'cesses to prevent electrical .leakage between adjacent contacts; to provide a molded socket base of extreme economy as to volume of molding material necessary without sacrifice of strength; to provide a combined molded base and contact in which the contact is freely otable and self-aligning with an inserted prong regardless of the accuracy or contour of the latter, but without damage to contacts or molded base, or danger of separation of the base and contact; and many other objects of the invention will become more evident as the description proceeds.

` In the accompanying drawings;l forming part of this description:

Fig. 1 represents a plan and Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of an illuscording to this invention.

somewhat of the characteristics of the contacts tratve form of the molded socket base of this invention with which contacts may be associated. Fig. 3 represents a vertical sectionl through the base shown in Fig. 1

Fig. 4 represents a vertical section, partially on an arc about 'a vertical axis, through-the iliustrative form of base shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 5 and 6 represent respectively transverse partially arcuate sections through modified forms of molded bases.

in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 represents a transverse vertical section through a modiiied form of socket with an illustrative form of contact mounted therein, arranged to securewindow for anchoring the contact while enabling guiding relation to the guide prong of a plug-in device,

Fig. 11 represents a fragmentaryv plan of va molded base showing a modied form thereof in which the lateral recess for the contact aperture is in communication with the prong aperture.

\ Fig. 12`represents a fragmentary vertical section of the molded socket showing the contact aperture disclosed .in Fie. 11,

v vertical section through a still further modied form of amolded base acvThe invention relates ".to molded sockets for `plug-in electrical devices, and, also tocontacts associated therewith. So far as the contacts per se are concernedthey each preferably partake shown and claimed in Draving Reissue Patent #20,162, the broad features of which may b e stated in one regards at'least, as being the preference that they be substantially oval in cross-section, having a longitudinal clearance or slot. between armsor wings and arranged to establish a plurality-of lines 'of electrical contact with an inserted prong.

The molded socket of the invention may take have certain more or less fundamental and novel characteristics. It is to be borne in mind that the provision of a mounting for the contact elethe benefits of the apertured ment or contour or thickness.

' ornamental appearance of the assembly and that the complete socket may be easily and expeditiously mounted.

Referring to Fig. 1 'and' the related gures, including Fig. 3, a moulded base of the four contact type is disclosed as an integral homogeneous base 30, having a lower portion 3|, polygonal in external cross-section (illustratively only being hexagonal) beneath an over-hanging annular peripheral flange 32. The top of the socket shows the peripheral flange noted, the smaller concentric annular guide groove 33, within which the evenly spaced contact prong-receiving apertures in any desired number are in communication, as

at 34. A smaller interrupted deep recess 35, ex-

tends vertically downwardly about the solid cen-4 tral strengthening island 381, the upper surfaceof which preferably lies in a plane common to the upper surface of the socket including the peripheral flange 32 andl is .especially convenient for tube or plug-in device designation or indication. The characteristics ofthe recess 35, and its interruptions will become more clear as the description proceeds, especially in connection with the moldr and molding steps by the practice of which the socket base is formed as shown in Figs. 12

and 13.

The recess 35 may comprise a complete annular 4 recess as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, l5, or a plurality of arcuately aligned spaced apertures, as shown in Fig. 6 etc. The lower end of the base contains a plurality of contact receiving and housing openings 31 of any desired contour or section including cylindrical, oval or angular,

each larger than and usually slightly eccentricv to and registering with the respective prong apertures 34, so as to form an internal shoulder or abutment 38, against which the inserted contact element may abut to form a positive stop therefore in one direction. Each aperture. 31, includes a narrow slot 40, preferably more or -less tapered at its mouth as at 4|, and of such depth and width as to receive and guide the integral ear or tongue I5 and its tip I1 of the appropriate contact. The aperture 31 is of the proper size to loosely receive the appropriate contact, to enable both lateral and axial shifting and adjustment to accord with variations in prong align- It isv completely self aligning therewith. At a suitable distance from the lower end of slot 40, a shoulder 42, is provided by the overlapping of the recess 35 with the guide slot 48.

As shown in Fig. 3, the contact 9, preferred with the socket under discussion is inserted lon gitudinally vertically froml the bottom of the socket with the arms Il, and i2., and backing plate, more or less loosely `guided and aligned in contact, aperture 31, and with thev resilient tongue guided in the longitudinal groove 40 in which it is compressed toward the contact body momentarily during the insertion, until the shoulder 4| is reached over which the resilient tip l1 The relation of prong aperture 34, contact aperture 31, and contact 3 is preferably such-that the inserted -male contact member guided in the prong aperture is engaged in a resilient channel in which the arms Il and l2 resillently engage the prong on one side to form two spaced lines of contact, while forcing the prong and backing portion together to establish at least one more spaced line of contact, as disclosed in said Draving patent, although for general purpose of the instant molded base, any other sort of contact may be utilized, as will be clear.

The formation of the locking shoulder and the variation in ornamental and electrical effects incident thereto are shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, among others. The feature is an interesting attribute of the use of a two-part mold such as is shown in Figs. 8 and 9, wherein the elements are axially relatively movable to create the desired overlap by the juxtaposition of oppositely separable mold elements. This provides what may be designated as a window 42 which in one form or another is common to the several different forms of contact receptacles. As shown in Fig. 13, the upper lateral recess 35' may terminate below or in a line with the lower end of the prong aperture so as to be open on only that side which communicates` with contact aperture 31, or may be in communication with the prong aperture 34 throughout its axial length, as shown in Figs. 1l and 12, or may be a continuation of a vertical recess 35" leading through the upper surface of the base 30, asshown in Figs. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, etc. The prong aperture-spaced vertical recess 35. which terminates the'shoulder 42 is easily formed by the molding forming ring 39 (Fig. 9) of upper die 6, of suitable construction, and illustratively is formed in hills and valleys or serrations symmetrically disposed on its edge so as to impart the desired hill and valley contour to the loweror upwardly presenting surface of the recess 35,with the windows 42 in the lower parts or valleys of the recess, and with vertical separating partitions, baiiies or walls 43 extending in the finished molded base as hills upwardly on, each side of the windows 42. .These insulating barriers 43 may terminate within the arcuate recess 35, as shown for instance in Fig. 4, or may of the tongue engages to prevent retraction of the contact. This engagement is automatic and follows the mere axial insertion of the contact.

terminate in the plane of the upper surface of the base 30, as shown in Fig. 6. The lower half portion of the two part mold has upwardly extending pins 8 of the contour required to form the contact apertures 31. It will be evident that with the two part mold separable perpendicularly of the molded base, the sockets can be turned out rapidly and cheaply and with any desired number of contact apertures, according to predetermination in the mold and each will lbe separated from the adjacent ones by higher or lower solid walls of the molding material, so that electrical leakage and the like between contacts is substantially obviated.

It may be noted that the island 3B in the center of the form illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, is preferably hollow or cored out beneath, as lat 44 in order to save material and form a housing to receive resistor 3, or the like, as shown in Fig. 14. On the contrary as shown in Fig. 5, the central axial portion may be substantially solid except for a small or large upwardly disposed and presenting aperture, which may receive guide prongs or the like, (not shown), or, as shown in Fig. 10, the central part may be completely omittedso as to form the 'guide'prong receiving aperture 49, suitably vertically or longitudinally grooved, and

with the window forming annular recess 35a on the outer periphery of the base, outwardly of the prong apertures, in place of the inner location of recess 35 in Fig. 1, for instance. In Fig. 10,

the contacts are reversed before insertion in the contact apertures.

It will be understood that with the invention thus far disclosed the contacts can be simply pushed in from the lower end until the short supporting tongue snaps over the shoulder into the appropriate window d2, whereby the contact body is actually loosely held, but is furnished with upper and lower positive stops between which, and laterally the contact "iloats so as to align itself with any inserted prong, but without danger of coming out of the socket as a result of either a push or a pull thereon.

In the average and usual situation as indicated in Fig. 2, for instance, it is preferred that the longitudinal edges di be interrupted by a transverse substantially planar cut groove recess or indentation d, which may be formed by a sawcut or the like after the molding 'has been completed, or may be formed during the molding process in any desired manner.

A further modification of the provision of the external mounting lugs as formed by an axially separable two part mold, is shown in Fig. 15, in which the upper peripheral bead of the molded socket is interrupted by vertical recesses |20 separating the bead into teeth or lugs I2 l and which recesses extend to termination in the upwardly presenting shoulder portions |22. The modification of the upper half of the two part axially` separable molds to secure this construction will be obvious.

I claim as my invention:

1. A molded socket having an annular recess in one surface, a plurality of socket contact openings4 in the opposite surface communicating respectively with the recess and with each other through the recess, said socket having a transverse shoulder in each of said openings leading into the recess arranged to be engaged by contacts in said openings, and separating means disposed in the recess between shoulders to minimize leakage between socket contacts, and a plurality of tube contact openings in the rst mentioned surface each communicating with a releakage. between socket contacts, a plurality of tube contact. openings inthe first mentioned surface each communicating with a'respective socket contact opening,` each of said socket contact openingsv having a longitudinal guide groove extending into the shoulder to facilitate guided engagement o f the shoulder by a portion of said contact. f

3. A socket; receptacle comprising a molded insulating base having a plurality of female contact openings annularly arranged and extending inwardly in one face and a plurality of prong contact apertures annularly arranged and ex-.

tending inwardly in the oppositeface to registering communication with the respective female contact openings, a secondary annular recess concentric to the annularly arranged prong contact apertures extending inwardly of the said opposite face to overlapping lateral communication with the respective female contact openings to form a plurality of lateral shoulders in the female contact openings inwardly of the first mentioned face, and integral separating means between said shoulders in said annular reces's to minimize leakage between contacts.

ARTHUR M. DRAVING.

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