AU2022204553A1 - Phase isolated electrical plug - Google Patents

Abstract

PHASE ISOLATED ELECTRICAL PLUG Disclosed herein is an industrial electrical plug that includes a body portion having a hollow bridging portion that defines an aperture between said bridging portion and a lower region of said body portion, said bridging portion being configured to receive an active conductor and said lower region being configured to receive a neutral conductor. The electrical plug also includes a pin assembly including an active pin for coupling to a terminating end of said active conductor, and a neutral pin for coupling to a terminating end of said neutral conductor. The active pin and neutral pin are arranged to be received in a corresponding power socket. The plug further includes a proximal sealing arrangement for providing a level of protection against ingress of at least one of solids and liquids at a proximal end of said plug, and a distal sealing arrangement for providing a level of protection against ingress of at least one of solids and liquids at a distal end of said plug. U) C CtCD

Description

PHASE ISOLATED ELECTRICAL PLUG

Disclosed herein is an industrial electrical plug that includes a body portion having a hollow bridging portion that defines an aperture between said bridging portion and a lower region of said body portion, said bridging portion being configured to receive an active conductor and said lower region being configured to receive a neutral conductor. The electrical plug also includes a pin assembly including an active pin for coupling to a terminating end of said active conductor, and a neutral pin for coupling to a terminating end of said neutral conductor. The active pin and neutral pin are arranged to be received in a corresponding power socket. The plug further includes a proximal sealing arrangement for providing a level of protection against ingress of at least one of solids and liquids at a proximal end of said plug, and a distal sealing arrangement for providing a level of protection against ingress of at least one of solids and liquids at a distal end of said plug.

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PHASE ISOLATED ELECTRICAL PLUG

Related Application

[0001] This application is related to Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2021901960 titled "Phase isolated electrical plug" and filed on 29 June 2021 in the name of 4Cabling Pty Ltd, the entire content of which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to an electrical plug. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an industrial electrical plug having an isolated live wire to facilitate measurement of current in the live wire.

Background

[0003] Electrical wiring is used throughout residential and commercial premises to couple electrical devices to power supplies, such as mains power, batteries, and generators. In this context, the term "electrical devices" is broad and encompasses any device that can be powered by electricity. Such electrical devices may include, for example, but are not limited to, lights, fans, smoke alarms, computers, air-conditioning units, generators, kitchen appliances, and the like.

[0004] Electrical wiring typically includes one or more conductors within a protective sheath. In the case in which an electrical wire includes multiple conductors, each conductor is encased within its own protective sheath to stop conduction of electricity between conductors and minimise magnetic interference and crosstalk. Conductors come in different gauges, depending on the application, and can be of single core or multi-strand construction.

[0005] A common type of electrical wiring used for interior applications utilises non-metallic (NM) cable, such as the "Romex" branded cable. NM cable often uses three or more conductors within a flexible plastic or rubber sheath. Different colours are used for both the outer sheath and the sheaths of the internal conductors, in order to identify the purpose of the respective wires and the nature of the wires. The colour of external sheaths typically relates to the amperage rating of that wire. For example, white-sheathed NM cable is rated for use with 15A circuits and yellow NM cable is rated for use with 20A circuits.

[0006] The colour of internal sheaths typically relates to the purpose of the conductor. Under the current Australian code, for single phase power the active wire is red, the neutral wire is black, and the earth wire is green and yellow. For multiphase power, phase 1 is red, phase 2 is white, phase 3 is dark blue, earth is green and yellow, and neutral is black.. Other wiring codes in different jurisdictions may stipulate different coloured sheaths to identify the respective wires.

[0007] Electrical devices that are permanent, such as ceiling lights and fans, are typically hard-wired to a mains power supply. In such cases, wiring from the mains power supply is connected to the electrical device in a permanent or semi-permanent way, such as by soldering the electrical wires to the electrical devices or coupling the electrical wires directly to the electrical device.

[0008] Many electrical devices are not hard-wired to mains power. Such electrical devices typically include a male electrical plug having one or more pins to be inserted into a corresponding female electrical socket. There are many different types of sockets and plugs for different applications. Further, different geographical regions have different wiring standards, which may include different requirements for plug shape, pin shape, pin orientations, sheath colours, and protocols for terminating electrical conductors (i.e., wires) to the different pins.

[0009] Electrical plugs typically receive two or three conductors, being a live conductor, neutral conductor, and an optional ground conductor. It is often desirable to measure a current flowing through the live conductor. Existing approaches include affixing a clamp meter adapted for measuring electrical current around a portion of the live conductor for which the outer sheath has been removed. Due to the exposure to live electrical current and the risk of electrocution, utilising such clamp meters is restricted to authorised electricians.

[0010] Thus, a need exists to provide an improved apparatus and method by which to measure current in a live conductor.

Summary

[0011] The present disclosure relates to an industrial electrical plug having an isolated live wire to facilitate measurement of current in the live wire.

[0012] A first aspect of the present disclosure provides an industrial electrical plug comprising: a body portion having: a hollow bridging portion that defines an aperture between said bridging portion and a lower region of said body portion, said bridging portion being configured to receive an active conductor and said lower region being configured to receive a neutral conductor, a pin assembly including: an active pin for coupling to a terminating end of said active conductor, and a neutral pin for coupling to a terminating end of said neutral conductor, wherein said active pin and neutral pin are arranged to be received in a corresponding power socket; a proximal sealing arrangement for providing a level of protection against ingress of at least one of solids and liquids at a proximal end of said plug; and a distal sealing arrangement for providing a level of protection against ingress of at least one of solids and liquids at a distal end of said plug.

[0013] Other aspects of the present disclosure are also provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described by way of specific example(s) with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an industrial electrical plug in the form of a straight connector;

[0016] Fig. 2 is a side view of the industrial electrical plug of Fig. 1;

[0017] Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of a longitudinal cross-section of the industrial electrical plug of Figs 1 and 2;

[0018] Fig. 4 is an exploded view of constituent components of an embodiment of the industrial electrical plug of Figs 1 to 3;

[0019] Fig. 5 is a front end view of the plug 100 from the distal end;

[0020] Fig. 6 is a proximal perspective view of the industrial electrical plug of Figs 1 to 3;

[0021] Fig. 7 is a top above view of the industrial electrical plug of Figs 1 to 3;

[0022] Fig. 8 is an exploded view of a collar, gland, and rear body portion of an electrical plug;

[0023] Fig. 9 illustrates an embodiment of a clamp arrangement within the body of an electrical plug;

[0024] Fig. 10 is a side view of an ammeter coupled to an industrial electrical plug with an isolated live wire;

[0025] Fig. 11 is a first perspective view of the ammeter coupled to an industrial electrical plug of Fig. 10;

[0026] Fig. 12 is a second perspective view of the ammeter coupled to an industrial electrical plug of Fig. 10;

[0027] Fig. 13 is a top view of the ammeter coupled to an industrial electrical plug of Fig. 10;

[0028] Fig. 14 is a third perspective view of the ammeter coupled to an industrial electrical plug of Fig. 10;

[0029] Fig. 15 is a rear perspective view of the ammeter coupled to an industrial electrical plug of Fig. 10;

[0030] Fig. 16 is a side view of an angled industrial electrical plug;

[0031] Fig. 17 is a top view of the angled industrial electrical plug of Fig. 16;

[0032] Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the angled industrial electrical plug of Fig. 16;

[0033] Fig. 19 is a rear perspective view of the angled industrial electrical plug of Fig. 16; and

[0034] Fig. 20 is a front view of the industrial electrical plug of Fig. 16.

[0035] Features in the accompanying drawings that have the same reference numerals are to be considered to have the same function(s) or operation(s), unless the contrary intention is expressed or implied.

Detailed Description

[0036] The present disclosure provides an industrial electrical plug having an isolated live wire to facilitate measurement of current in the live wire. In particular, the plug includes a body portion having a bridge portion through which an isolated electrical conductor is routed. The bridge portion defines an aperture in the body portion, through which a clamp meter can be readily connected. Providing an electrical plug with an isolated active conductor and an aperture through which a clamp meter can be connected enables current to be readily measured in a safe manner without requiring a licensed electrician. The clamp meter can be readily moved among such industrial electrical plugs to measure current for different equipment, without the need for repeated visits from a licensed electrician.

[0037] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an industrial electrical plug 100 in the form of a straight connector. Such an industrial electrical plug is suitable for use in terminating a wire having one or more conductors. The plug 100 includes a central body portion 110, a rear body portion 115, a collar (or cable gland) 120, and a coupling portion 130.

[0038] In the example of Fig. 1, the body portion 110 is substantially cylindrical and may be slightly tapered. It will be appreciated that other shapes may equally be practised for different embodiments, depending on the application for which the plug 100 is intended. For example, other cross-sections, such as hexagonal or octagonal cross-sections, may be utilised to provide greater grip. Depending on the implementation, the outer surface of the body portion 110 may be smooth, textured, or a combination thereof. The body portion is made from a non-conductive material, such as a plastic or composite material.

[0039] In some embodiments, the rear body portion 115 is releasably engageable with the central body portion 110. Different engagement means may be utilised, including, but not limited to, matching screw threads, clips, screws, and the like. In other embodiments, the rear body portion 115 and central body portion 110 are integrally formed. The rear body portion 115 and central body portion 110 may define a straight electrical connector or an angled electrical connector, depending on the implementation.

[0040] The coupling portion 130 has a shape suitable to be received by a corresponding female power outlet (also referred to as an electrical socket). The plug 100 also includes a hollow bridge portion 140, formed in the central body portion 110, through which a single electrical conductor of the wire can be routed before being terminated at the coupling portion 130.

[0041] Fig. 2 is a side view of the plug 100 of Fig. 1. The bridge portion 140 spans from a proximal side of the body portion 110 to a distal side of the body portion 110 so as to define an aperture 150, being an opening in the body portion 110 between the bridge portion 140 and a lower region 160 of the body portion 110 through which a clamp meter can be placed in order to read an instantaneous current value of current flowing through the isolated conductor routed through the bridge portion 140. The lower region 160 of the body 110 is suitable for routing any other conductors from the wire, other than the isolated conductor routed through the bridge portion 140. For example, when the plug 100 is utilised to terminate a three conductor wire containing an active conductor, a neutral conductor, and a grounded conductor, the active conductor is routed through the bridge portion 140 and the neutral conductor and grounded conductor are routed through the lower region 160.

[0042] Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of a longitudinal cross-section of the plug 100 of Figs 1 and 2. In the example of Fig. 3, a three conductor wire 300 is terminated in the plug 110. The wire 300 includes an active conductor 310 routed through the bridge portion 140 and a neutral conductor 320 and ground conductor 330 routed through the lower region 160 of the plug 100. Each of the active conductor 310, neutral conductor 320, and ground conductor 330 is covered in a corresponding sheath.

[0043] During installation of the wire 300 to the plug 100, a terminating end portion of each of the active conductor 310, neutral conductor 320, and ground conductor 330 is stripped of its respective sheath, exposing the internal conductor. Depending on the application, the stripped portion of each conductor is in the range of about 10mm to mm. The wire 300 is passed through the collar 120 and the rear body portion 115. In some embodiments, the neutral conductor 310 and ground conductor 330 are secured using a clamp in the lower portion 160 of the body 110. The active conductor 310 is fed through the bridge portion 140.

[0044] As can be seen from Fig. 3, the collar 120 is releasably engaged to the rear body portion 115 by a screw threaded arrangement 380. Similarly, the rear body portion 115 is releasably engaged to the central body portion 110 by a screw threaded arrangement 370.

[0045] In the example of Fig. 3, the coupling portion 130 includes three conductive pins for a single phase power supply: an active pin 340, a neutral pin 350, and a ground pin 360. Depending on the implementation and application, different coupling portions may utilise a different number of pins, such as two pins in the case in which a ground wire is not used. The terminating end of the active conductor 310 is coupled to the active pin

340. The terminating end of the neutral conductor 320 is coupled to the neutral pin 350, and the terminating end of the ground conductor 330 is coupled to the ground pin 360.

[0046] In some embodiments, the coupling portion 130 is releasably engaged to the body portion 110. Once the conductors 310, 320, and 330 have been fed through the body 110, with the active conductor 310 passing through the bridge portion 140, a user can secure the conductors 310, 320, 330 to the respective pins 340, 350, 360 by separating the coupling portion 130 from the central body portion 110. The coupling portion 130 may alternatively be separated from the central body portion 110 before feeding the conductors 310, 320, 330 through the body portion 110. In some arrangements, the coupling portion 130 is attached to the body portion 110 by a screw threaded engagement. In other arrangements, the coupling portion 130 is attached to the central body portion 110 by one or more screws or nuts and bolts. Coupling of the conductors 310, 320, 330 to the respective pins 340, 350, 360 may be effected in a number of ways, including through the use of grub screws, twisting the conductors around the respective pins, clamping, soldering, and the like.

[0047] Fig. 4 is an exploded view of constituent components of an embodiment of the plug 100 of Figs 1 to 3. The wire 300 to be terminated in the plug 100 is fed through an annular cable gland 410 corresponding to the collar 120 of Fig. 1. The cable gland 410 protects the point at which the wire 300 enters the plug 100 and provides strain-relief and also provides protection from moisture and dust. The wire 300 then passes through a rubber gland 420, which provides some protection against ingress of solids and/or liquids, such as dust and moisture. The rubber gland 420 may be a single rubber annulus or a rubber annulus with an associated O-ring, as shown in Fig. 8. The rubber gland is configured to sit flush against the rear body portion 115, shown as a sealing nut 430 in Fig. 4.

[0048] In the example of Fig. 4, the cable gland 410 has a screw thread to be received in a corresponding thread of a proximal end of the rear body portion 115/sealing nut 430. A distal end of the sealing nut 430 is threaded for releasable engagement to a corresponding thread on a proximal end of the body portion 110. In the embodiment of Fig. 4, a gasket 440 is interposed between the body portion 110 and the sealing nut 430 to provide a seal. The gasket 440 may be, for example, an elastomer ring, such as an 0 ring.

[0049] The active conductor 310 is routed through the bridge portion 140, whereas the neutral conductor 320 and ground conductor 330 are routed through the lower portion 160 of the body 110.. Isolating the active conductor 310 from the neutral conductor 320 and ground conductor 330 facilitates instantaneous measurement of current flowing through the active conductor 310 in an easy and safe manner that does not require a licensed electrician. In particular, the aperture 150 defined by the bridge portion 140 may be utilised to couple a clamp meter to read the current in the isolated active conductor 310.

[0050] The plug 100 in Fig. 4 also includes a pin assembly 450 that includes the pins 340, 350, 360 to which respective terminating ends of each of the active conductor 310, neutral conductor 320, and ground conductor 330 are coupled. As described above, coupling of the terminating ends of each of the active conductor 310, neutral conductor 320, and ground conductor 330 to the respective pins 340, 350, 360 may be effected through the use of grub screws, twisting the conductors around the respective pins, clamping, soldering, and the like. The plug 100 also includes a lock ring 460 and a gasket 470. The lock ring 460 has a thread for releasably engaging with a corresponding thread on a socket outlet to which the plug 100 is to be connected. When the lock ring 460 is attached to the socket outlet, the lock ring 460 and gasket 470 act to protect against the ingress of moisture and dust. In some embodiments, the lock ring 460 and gasket 470 act to provide ingress protection when connected to a corresponding socket outlet. In some embodiments, ingress protection (IP) rating of 3X or above is provided. In particular implementations, IP ratings of 65 or above are provided.

[0051] The gasket 470, O-ring seal 440, rubber gland 420, and gland 410 protect the inner components of the plug 100 from the ingress of solids and liquids, such as dust and moisture. In some embodiments, the plug 100 has an ingress protection (IP) rating of 3X or higher, such as 65 or 66. In other embodiments, the plug 100 has an ingress protection rating of 67. Other ingress protection ratings may be achieved through using thicker or better seals, glands, lock rings, and the like.

[0052] Fig. 5 is a front end view of the plug 100 from the distal end, showing the pins 340, 350, 360 in an arrangement that is commonly referred to as "3 Round Pins" and is used for single phase power supplies. For multiphase power supplies, an arrangement involving "5 Round Pins" is used.

[0053] Fig. 6 is a proximal perspective view of the central body portion 110 of the plug 100 showing a first aperture 610 through which the active conductor 310 is fed to be routed through the bridge portion 140. In this implementation, the first aperture 610 is shaped with an indentation to receive and direct the active conductor 310 upwards towards the bridge portion 140. The plug 100 also includes a second aperture 620 through which the neutral conductor 320 and ground conductor 330 are fed to be routed through the lower region 160 of the body 110. In an alternative implementation, the neutral conductor 320 and ground conductor 330 are fed through separate apertures.

[0054] As indicated above, some embodiments include retention means in the form of a clamp to secure the neutral conductor 310 and ground conductor 330 in the lower portion 160 of the body 110. Depending on the location and implementation of the clamp, the clamp may also secure the active conductor 310. Alternative retention means, such as grub screws or plates may equally be practised to secure one or more of the conductors 310, 320, 330. Fig. 9 illustrates one embodiment of a clamp 910 within the body 110 for securing one or more of the conductors 310, 320, 330.

[0055] Fig. 7 is a top view of the plug 100. In the embodiment of Fig. 7, the bridge portion 140 has a width of 12mm. In practice, any suitable width may be utilised that is sufficiently wide to house the active conductor being used. For example, the width of the bridge portion 140 may range from 5mm to 100mm, depending on the application for which the plug 100 is intended. In some embodiments, the bridge portion 140 has a width of 15mm.

[0056] Whilst the examples shown and described herein relate to a single phase power supply, it will be appreciated that the electrical plug having an isolated live wire may equally be practised in a multiphase power supply by isolating a selected one of the active phase conductors and feeding the selected active phase conductor through the bridge portion 140, with the remaining active phase conductors, earth conductor, and neutral conductor passing through the lower body portion 160 of the plug 100. In a multiphase power supply implementation, the pin assembly 450 may have four or five pins depending on the presence of an earth conductor and neutral conductor.

[0057] Further, the electrical plug illustrated in the examples describe herein is presented as a straight electrical plug. Other embodiments may be equally be practised in which the electrical plug is an angled electrical plug. In some arrangements, the rear body portion 115 includes a portion angled at approximately 45 degrees relative to the central body portion 110 when the rear body portion 115 and central body portion 110 are engaged. In other arrangements, the central body portion 110 includes an angled portion and the rear body portion 115 is straight.

[0058] In an alternative embodiment, the plug 100 includes an integrated current meter positioned within the body portion 110 so as to read the current present in the active conductor 310 when routed through the bridge portion 140.

[0059] The plug 100 further optionally includes a wireless transmitter for transmitting current readings made by the current meter to an external device. Such a wireless transmitter may utilise, for example, LoRa, ZigBee, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, BLE, Z-Wave, 6LoWPAN, Thread, WiFi-ah, NFC, SigFox, ANT+, or other suitable wireless protocol. Suitable external devices include computing devices with a compatible receiver for receiving wireless transmissions from the wireless transmitter. For example, a portable computing device with a Bluetooth transceiver can be utilised to receive wireless transmissions from an embodiment of the industrial electrical plug that utilises a Bluetooth wireless transmitter. The portable computing device may be, for example, but is not limited to, a smartphone, a tablet computing device, a laptop computer, or the like.

[0060] Some embodiments include a current meter that is self-powered. In some implementations, the active conductor is surrounded by a coil such that an induced current within the coil is converted to a signal that can be transmitted by a wireless transmitter. A lower power switch mode power supply (SMPS) can be embedded in the plug 100 in order to power the wireless transmitter and/or current meter. Input current for the SMPS can be drawn from the termination screws for the active conductor 310.

[0061] Fig. 10 is a side view of an ammeter 1000 coupled to an industrial electrical plug 100 having an isolated live wire in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 11 is a first perspective view of the ammeter 1000 coupled to the industrial electrical plug 100 of Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a second perspective view of the ammeter 1000 coupled to the industrial electrical plug 1000 of Fig. 10. Fig. 13 is a top view of the ammeter 1000 coupled to the industrial electrical plug 100 of Fig. 10. Fig. 14 is a third perspective view of the ammeter 1000 coupled to the industrial electrical plug of Fig. 10. Fig. 15 is a rear perspective view of the ammeter 1000 coupled to the industrial electrical plug of Fig. 10.

[0062] The ammeter 1000 is an electrical meter with an integral alternating current (AC) current clamp. Such clamp-on ammeters are well known in the art, such as the Fluke 323 AC Current Clamp or RS PRO RS330 AC Auto-ranging Clamp Meter.

[0063] The ammeter 1000 includes a body 1010 to which is mounted a pair of releasably engageable jaws 1050, 1060. A proximal end of each jaw 1050, 1060 is coupled to the body 1010 in a pivoting arrangement, such that a distal end of the respective jaw 1050, 1060 can move to open and close the distal ends of the jaws 1050, 1060 relative to each other. In the example of Fig. 10, the proximal end of each jaw 1050, 1060 is enclosed within the body 1010 of the ammeter 1000.

[0064] The jaws 1050, 1060 are configured to fit around an electrical conductor in order to measure a property in the electrical conductor, such as current, impedance, inductance, voltage, or the like. The body 1010 includes a display 1020 for displaying a measured current and a set of controls 1030 for selecting the property to be measured and the manner in which the measurement is to be displayed on the display 1020. In the example of Figs 10 to 15, the set of controls includes three buttons and a dial.

[0065] A biasing device acts to place the jaws 1050 in a closed position at rest, wherein the jaws 1050, 1060 can be separated by depressing an actuator 1070. The biasing device may be implemented, for example, by a spring or other resiliently deformable device that is configured to press the ends of the jaws 1050, 1060 against each other in a resting state and separate the ends of the jaws 1050, 1060 when the actuator is depressed, so as to allow the ammeter 1000 to clamp around an electrical conductor. The actuator may be implemented, for example, using a trigger mechanism 1070, as shown in Figs 10 to 15.

[0066] In the example of Figs 10 to 15, the ammeter 1000 is coupled to the industrial electrical plug 100 by depressing the actuator 1070 to open the jaws 1050, 1060 so that one of the jaws, in this case lower jaw 1060, is fed through the aperture 150 defined between the bridge portion 140 and the lower region 160 of the body 110 of the industrial plug 100. The actuator is then released, causing the clamping the jaws 1050, 1060 around the bridge portion 140 through which an isolated electrical conductor, being the active conductor 310, is routed. This enables the ammeter 1000 to measure a property of the active conductor 310 without interference from the neutral conductor 320 and ground conductor 330, which are routed through the lower region 160 of the electrical plug100.

[0067] Fig. 16 is a side view of an angled industrial electrical plug 1600. The industrial electrical plug 1600 includes a body 1610 that is configured to receive electrical conductors of an electrical wire. The industrial electrical plug 1600 includes a central body portion 1610, a rear body portion 1615, a collar 1620, and a coupling portion 1630. The coupling portion 1630 and rear body portion 1615 are angled relative to each other, with the angle being in the range of 10 to 90 degrees. In some embodiments, the coupling portion 1630 and rear body portion 1615 of the assembled industrial plug are angled at 45 degrees.

[0068] The central body portion 1610 includes a hollow bridge portion 1640 that spans from a proximal side of the body portion 1610 to a distal side of the body portion 1610, so as to define an aperture 1650 between the bridge portion 1640 and a lower region 1660 of the central body portion 1610. The bridge portion 1640 is configured in a manner similar to that of the bridge portion 110 of Fig. 1, so as to receive an isolated electrical conductor, with other electrical conductors able to be received through the lower body region 1660. The aperture 1650 is able to receive opposing jaws of a clamp ammeter to read one or more properties of an isolated electrical conductor routed through the bridge portion 1640.

[0069] In the example of Fig. 16, the central body portion 1610 is angled such that a proximal side of the central body portion 1610 is angled in the range of 10 to 90 degrees relative to a distal side of the central body portion 1610. As a result, the coupling portion 1630 and rear body portion 1615 are angled relative to each other.

[0070] In some embodiments, the central body portion 1610 is straight, with a proximal side of the rear body portion 1615 being angled relative to a distal side of the rear body portion 1615 in the range of 10 to 90 degrees. In particular embodiments, a proximal side of the body portion 1615 is angled at 45 degrees relative to a distal side of the body portion 1615.

[0071] In some embodiments, the coupling portion 1630, rear body portion 1615, and collar 1620 are identical to the coupling portion 120, rear body potion 115, and collar 1620 of the embodiment of Fig. 1, with the shape of the central body portion 1610 providing an angle between the coupling portion 1630 and the collar 1620.. In other embodiments, the coupling portion 1630 and central body portion 1610 are identical to the coupling portion 130 and central body portion 110 of Fig. 1, with the rear body portion 1615 providing an angle between the coupling portion 1630 and the rear body portion 1615. In other embodiments, different shapes and configurations are utilised for one or more of the coupling region 1630, the central body portion 1610, the rear body portion 1615, and the collar 1620 relative to the coupling region 130, central body portion 110, rear body portion 115, and collar 120 of Fig. 1.

[0072] Fig. 17 is a top view of the angled industrial electrical plug of Fig. 16. Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the angled industrial electrical plug of Fig. 16. Fig. 19 is a rear perspective view of the angled industrial electrical plug of Fig. 16. Fig. 20 is a front view of the industrial electrical plug of Fig. 16.

Industrial Applicability

[0073] The arrangements described are applicable to the electrical industry.

[0074] Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms. The foregoing describes only some embodiments of the present invention, and modifications and/or changes can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, the embodiments being illustrative and not restrictive.

[0075] In the context of this specification, the word "comprising" and its associated grammatical constructions mean "including principally but not necessarily solely" or "having" or "including", and not "consisting only of". Variations of the word "comprising", such as "comprise" and "comprises" have correspondingly varied meanings.

[0076] As used throughout this specification, unless otherwise specified, the use of ordinal adjectives "first", "second", "third", "fourth", etc., to describe common or related objects, indicates that reference is being made to different instances of those common or related objects, and is not intended to imply that the objects so described must be provided or positioned in a given order or sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking, or in any other manner.

[0077] Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "some embodiments," or "embodiments" means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, but may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments.

[0078] While some embodiments described herein include some but not other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention, and form different embodiments, as would be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

[0079] Furthermore, some of the embodiments are described herein as a method or combination of elements of a method that can be implemented by a processor of a computer system or by other means of carrying out the function. Thus, a processor with the necessary instructions for carrying out such a method or element of a method forms a means for carrying out the method or element of a method. Furthermore, an element described herein of an apparatus embodiment is an example of a means for carrying out the function performed by the element for the purpose of carrying out the invention.

[0080] In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practised without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description.

[0081] Note that when a method is described that includes several elements, e.g., several steps, no ordering of such elements, e.g., of such steps is implied, unless specifically stated.

[0082] The term "coupled" should not be interpreted as being limitative to direct connections only. The terms "coupled" and "connected," along with their derivatives, may be used. It should be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other, but may be. Thus, the scope of the expression "a device A coupled to a device B" should not be limited to devices or systems wherein an input or output of device A is directly connected to an output or input of device B. It means that there exists a path between device A and device B which may be a path including other devices or means in between. Furthermore, "coupled to" does not imply direction. Hence, the expression "a device A is coupled to a device B" may be synonymous with the expression "a device B is coupled to a device A". "Coupled" may mean that two or more elements are either in direct physical or electrical contact, or that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other but yet still co-operate or interact with each other.

Claims (1)

1. The claims defining the invention are as follows: 1. An industrial electrical plug comprising: a body portion having: a hollow bridging portion that defines an aperture between said bridging portion and a lower region of said body portion, said bridging portion being configured to receive an active conductor and said lower region being configured to receive a neutral conductor, a pin assembly including: an active pin for coupling to a terminating end of said active conductor, and a neutral pin for coupling to a terminating end of said neutral conductor, wherein said active pin and neutral pin are arranged to be received in a corresponding power socket; a proximal sealing arrangement for providing a level of protection against ingress of at least one of solids and liquids at a proximal end of said plug; and is a distal sealing arrangement for providing a level of protection against ingress of at least one of solids and liquids at a distal end of said plug.

   2. The electrical plug according to claim 1, further comprising a retention means for securing said active conductor when routed through said bridging portion.

   3. The electrical plug according to either one of claims 1 and 2, wherein said pin assembly further includes a ground pin for coupling to a terminating end of a ground conductor, said lower region being configured for routing of said ground conductor.

   4. The electrical plug according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said proximal sealing arrangement comprises: a sealing nut releasably secured to said body portion with a gasket interposed between said sealing nut and said body portion; and a cable gland releasably secured to said sealing nut.

   5. The electrical plug according to 4, further comprising: a gasket positioned between said body portion and sealing nut.

   6. The electrical plug according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said distal sealing arrangement comprises: a lock ring adapted to engage with a distal end of said body portion to retain said pin assembly.

   7. The electrical plug according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said distal sealing arrangement further comprises: a front facing gasket.

   8. The electrical plug according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said retention means is selected from the group consisting of: a clamp, a grub screw, and a spring.

   9. The electrical plug according to claim 8, wherein said plug is an industrial plug with an ingress protection (IP) rating of at least 65.

   10. The electrical plug according to either one of claims 8 and 9, wherein said plug is an is industrial straight connector, said body portion having an elongated substantially cylindrical shape.

   11. The electrical plug according to either one of claims 8 and 9, wherein said plug is an industrial angled connector, said body portion having a straight portion and an angled portion.

   12. The electrical plug according to claim 11, wherein said body portion includes an angled central body portion and a straight rear body portion, wherein a distal end of said central body portion is angled relative to said straight body portion in the range of 10 to 90 degrees.

   13. The electrical plug according to claim 11, wherein said body portion includes an angled rear body portion and a straight central body portion, wherein a distal end of said rear body portion is angled relative to a proximal end of said straight central body portion in the range of 10 to 90 degrees.

   14. The electrical plug according to any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising: an integrated current meter housed with said body portion configured to read current flowing through said active conductor when routed through said bridge portion.

   15. The electrical plug according to claim 14, further comprising: memory coupled to said current meter for storing current readings taken by said current meter.

   16. The electrical plug according to either one of claims 14 and 15, further comprising: a processor for controlling storage of said current readings to said memory.

   17. The electrical plug according to claim 16, wherein said processor is programmed to store current readings from said current meter to said memory at predefined period intervals.

   18. The electrical plug according to claim 17, further comprising: a wireless transmitter configured to transmit current readings from at least one of said integrated current meter and said memory.

   19. The electrical plug according to claim 18, wherein said wireless transmitter operates using a wireless protocol selected from the group consisting of: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LoRa, ZigBee, BLE, Z-Wave, 6LoWPAN, Thread, WiFi-ah, NFC, SigFox, and ANT+.

   20. The electrical plug according to any one of claims 14 to 19, further comprising: a battery for powering said integrated current meter.

   21. The electrical plug according to any one of claims 14 to 19, wherein said current meter is self-powered.

   22. The electrical plug according to claim 4, wherein said proximal sealing arrangement further comprises: a rubber gland positioned between said sealing nut and said cable gland.

   23. The electrical plug according to either one of claims 12 and 13, further comprising: a coupling portion coupled to said central body portion and comprising said pin assembly.

   4CABLING PTY LTD By Patent Attorneys for the Applicant

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