AU2002224584B2 - Electrical connector device - Google Patents

Description

WO 02/09239 PCT/AU01/00878 -1- ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR DEVICE This invention relates to an electrical connector device and relates particularly, though not exclusively, to an electrical connector device for electric light poles.

Vehicular accidents involving electric light poles are an unfortunate occurrence with such accidents often being fatal or leaving the victims injured. Light poles have typically been made from wood, concrete or steel which provides severe damage to the vehicle in view of the solid nature of the poles. In order to reduce the damage, poles are now increasingly being made using a hollow steel construction which will bend or crumple when hit by a vehicle.

Such a change has reduced the severity of the damage to the vehicle and to the passengers inside the vehicle. However this change has introduced a new problem where electrocution can occur. The electric power for the light fitting at the top of the pole is provided by cables from underground which enter the base of the pole and travel to the top of the pole. For ease of access and maintenance, a lockable door or flap is provided near the base of the pole to allow connection of the underground cables to the pole cables. This connection is via a connector which also includes a service fuse and switch. The connector is secured to a base plate which is affixed inside the pole. During assembly the bared ends of the underground cable are inserted into the electrical connector and similar bared ends for the light pole wiring are also inserted into the electrical connector to provide the appropriate electrical coupling.

This is standard wiring and simplifies assembly. Whilst under normal conditions such wiring is satisfactory a problem may arise when the pole is struck by a vehicle.

WO 02/09239 PCT/AU01/00878 -2- When the pole is struck, the movement of the pole can displace the back plate and pull the bared ends of the underground cable from the connector. If the pole has been crushed it is possible for the bared ends to make contact with the pole, vehicle or other electrically conductive part and make the pole live, in view of its electrical conductivity. A person touching the pole, or being in contact with an electrically conducting material indirectly coupled to the pole, eg the pole resting on the vehicle, may be electrocuted. A victim may survive the accident but be electrocuted from this freakish occurrence. Unfortunately this electrocution problem is not uncommon and provides an unnecessary risk to crash victims and rescue personnel.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector device which can be used with steel light poles which will overcome this problem.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electrical connector device which is simple to fit and will provide automatic disconnection of electrical power in the event of the device sensing a collision.

With these objects in view the present invention provides an electrical connector device including a male connector and a female connector adapted to be coupled together to allow at least one cable located in one of said male or female connector to be mated with at least one cable located in the other of said male or female connector, said male and female connectors being coupled together under resilient bias and a locking means to prevent said male and WO 02/09239 PCT/AU01/00878 -3female connectors from being disconnected under said resilient bias, said locking means adapted to disengage under said resilient bias at a predetermined tension applied to said male and female connectors and/or said cables to break electrical contact between said cables.

Preferably said cables are clamped within said male and female connectors. In a practical embodiment the male and female connectors are formed from half shells which are secured together.

Preferably the locking means is a spring loaded ball in one of said connectors which mates with an indentation in the other of said connectors.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a plan cutaway view of an electrical connector device made in accordance with the invention in the disengaged position; Fig. 2 is a side cutaway view of the electrical connector device shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a similar view to that of Fig. 1 showing the electrical connector device in the engaged position; and Fig. 4 is a similar view to that of Fig. 1 showing the electrical connector device in the engaged position.

In the drawings there is shown an electrical connector device having a male connector 12 and female connector 14. Both connectors 12,14 are preferably formed from a non-conductive plastics material. Electrical connector 12 is formed from two half shells 16,18 which are secured together by screw 20. Half shell 18 WO 02/09239 PCT/AU01/00878 -4has a terminal block 22 on the base thereof to receive the bared ends 24 of wires 26 from cable 28. Bared ends 24 are secured in terminal block 22 by screws 30 which clamp the bared ends 24 to the conductive part of terminal block 22. Terminal block 22 has its other end located well within connector 12 to ensure that prying fingers cannot touch it when the half shells 16,18 are assembled. A spreader 32 on the base of half shell 18 ensures that wires 26 are kept apart for electrical safety and receives screw 20. A cable clamp 34 is secured to half shell 18 by screws 36 to prevent cable 28 from being disengaged from connector 12. A captive ball 38 protrudes from bore 40 and is biased outwardly by spring 42 within bore The tension of spring 42 can be controlled by turning screw 44.

Female connector 14 is formed from two half shells 46,48 which are secured together by interlocking means or a screw (not shown).

Connector 14 has a passage 50 which slidingly receives male connector 12 as seen in Figs. 3 and 4. A terminal block 52 has complementary male members which can enter the terminal block 22 of male connector 12 to provide electrical contact therewith.

Conductive pins 54 will make electrical contact with conductive members within terminal block 22. An earth wire (not shown) can be inserted into terminal 56, if required. For safety reasons a service fuse 58 is provided between terminal block 52 and active wire 60 of cable 62. The bared end 64 of neutral wire 66 is located within terminal block 52 to complete electrical contact. A spreader 68 on the base of half shell 48 ensures that wires 60,66 are kept apart for electrical safety. A cable clamp 70 is secured to half shell 48 by screws 72 to prevent cable 62 from being disengaged from connector 14. Mounting slots 74,76 allow connector 14 to be affixed within a light pole (not shown).

WO 02/09239 PCT/AU01/00878 An indentation 78 is provided in the base of connector 14 which cooperates with the spring loaded captive ball 38 of connector 12 to lock connectors 12,14 together. A captive compression spring 80 is located in bore 82 as clearly seen in Fig. 1. Spring 80 will abut the end 84 of terminal block 22 of male connector 12 in its normal operating mode.

Operation of the electrical connector device 10 will now be described.

Cables 28,62 are coupled to respective connectors 12,14 and wires are clamped into respective terminal blocks 22, 52 and cable clamps 34,70 tightened to prevent the cables 28,62 from being pulled from the connectors 12,14. Female connector 14 is positioned within the light pole (not shown) and secured by fasteners using slots 74,76, adhesive or other suitable mounting means. The desired tension of spring 42 is set by screw 44 and male connector is inserted into passage 50 of female connector 14 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Towards the end of the insertion, spring 80 will abut 84 of terminal block 22 and cause resistance to further insertion. Male connector 12 is pushed further under spring tension until spring loaded captive ball 38 rolls into indentation 78 of female connector 14. Connectors 12,14 will then be locked together and cables 28,62 will be electrically coupled together.

Connectors 12,14 can be separated by firstly releasing the tension of spring 42 using screw 44 and pulling connectors 12,14 apart, or secondly, by applying sufficient tension on cables 28,62 and/or connectors 12,14 to force ball 38 from indentation 78. The second separation will occur if a vehicle hits a light pole as the cables and/or connectors will be stressed by the impact with the movement of the WO 02/09239 PCT/AU01/00878 -6pole. In this circumstance the resilient bias of spring 42 will be overcome and ball 38 will be released from indentation 78. Once ball 38 is released spring 80 will not be constrained and will push male connector 12 from female connector 14 to break the electrical connection between cables 28,62. The electrical circuit will be broken and there will be no chance of bared ends 24 making contact with the steel pole. The bared ends will be contained within male connector 12 and will remain separated to prevent any earthing thereof. The spring tension of spring 42 can be set to have a low threshold which will be sufficient to hold the connectors together under normal conditions, taking into consideration vibrations caused by wind and other environmental factors. This will allow a high safety factor to ensure that the connectors are separated very quickly at the first sign of trouble.

Although the preferred embodiment has been described with specific reference to its use with electric light poles the invention is not limited to that application. The invention has application for extension cords where a child may pull the plug from a socket and push a metallic object onto the exposed pins between the plug and socket. Other applications can be envisaged by the man skilled in the art. The spring loaded captive ball 38 can be replaced by any other device that will release under a predetermined tension. The preferred embodiment is not limited to the particular design or assembly shown in the drawings as other arrangements can be developed to suit particular applications.

The invention will be understood to embrace many further modifications as will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art and which will be deemed to reside within the broad scope and ambit WO 02/09239 PCT/AU01/00878 of the invention, there having been set forth herein only the broad nature of the invention and a certain specific embodiment by way of example.

Claims (7)

1. An electrical connector device including a male connector and a female connector adapted to be coupled together to allow at least one cable located in one of said male or female connector to be mated with at least one cable located in the other of said male or female connector, said male and female connectors being coupled together under resilient bias and a locking means to prevent said male and female connectors from being disconnected under said resilient bias, said locking means adapted to disengage under said resilient bias at a predetermined tension applied to said male and female connectors and/or said cables to break electrical contact between said cables.

2. The electrical connector device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cables are clamped within said male and female connectors.

3. The electrical connector device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the male and female connectors are formed from half shells which are secured together.

4. The electrical connector device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the locking means is a spring loaded ball in one of said connectors which mates with an indentation in the other of said connectors.

The electrical connector device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the tension in the spring of said spring loaded ball is adjustable.

6. The electrical connector device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said resilient bias is provided by a spring held in one of said male or female connectors and said spring abuts against a wall inside the other of said male or female connectors. WO 02/09239 PCT/AU01/00878

7. The electrical connector device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further including a fuse in one of said connectors.