AU593777B2 - A connector - Google Patents

Description

'r AUSR A LX( Form PATENTS ACT 1952-1973 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Class: Int. Cl: Application Number: Lodged: Complete Sriecification-Lodged: Accepted: Published: Thj, drnUn j A .P~rity: *900 Os *1 S S 0 0 o 0 ~Related Art: 0 TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Aplicant; tAddress of Applicant.

ATCO CONTROLS PTY. LTD Esae- kef SAtcxual Inventor: 4,Address for Service: SANDERCOCK, SMITH BEADLE 203 Riversdale Road, HAWTHORN, VIC. 3122 Complete Specification for the nvention entitled: IV ur The following statement is a full description of this invention, Including the best method 6ft performing it known to me:-' *Note. The description H. to be typed in double spacing, pica type face, In an a. ea not exceeding 250 mm in depth and 160 mm in. width, on toug~h white paper of good quality and It Is to be inserted inside this form.

12333173--L r 1 D. Alklmn.o Coverniment Printer, Canberra w

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0@ t The present invention relates to an in-line connector, and in particular relates to an electrical connector adapted to be plugged into a standard power point, for the supply of electricity to lighting and electrical appliances.

Conventional fluorescent tubes are large, and accordingly fluorescent light housings are correspondingly large. Thus, to date, it has been easy to locate the ballast in the housings of fluorescent fittings. Now, however, new compact fluorescent lamps have baen developed and are available for use in fittings Vihich do not readily permit the inclusion of a ballast without detracting from the appearance thereof.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device which will facilitate the use of the new compact fluorescent lamps.

The present invention provides an in-line connector comprising a houw ing, contacts adapted to enable connection of said )nnector to a standard electricity supply outlet, a ballast disposed in said housing( and connected to one of said contacts, and, means for connecting said ballast and at least one of the other contacts to a remote fluorescent lamp, such that said ballast appears in 5eries with said supply, said contacts be~ing disposed in an arrangement such that the position of said contacts with respect to one another is fixed, said arrangement being moveable *i 2a Sbetween a number of positions relative to said housing so as to enable said conrector to be connected to said supply outlet without being obstructed by a switch of said outlet.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described, by way of example only, in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- SFig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of a connector; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the interior of the S*o connector housing; o o o a0 0 a o 46 6 o o 0.

0 0 T I I 0 '0* I! -3- 1 Fig. 3 is an underneath view of a snap-in plate to be 2 associated with the housing of Fig. 2; 3 Fig. 4 is a series of three views showing the 4 -o-f"-a--tiaen of Fig. 1 in various positions relative to a power point; 6 Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one use for the 7 je=a-a--e t -fi:&en; 8 Fig. 6 is a perspective view of another use for the Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a further use for the 11 en- =r-c-b 12 Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a still further use for It t, 13 t h e g iwe i=o-; 14 Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic circuit diagram of one use; Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic circuit diagram of another 16 use; and 17 Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic circuit diagram of a further 18 use of the /fne:Gt4o~en.

19 Referring firstly to Fig. 1, the,/jc -n e-t:i-o:~n:n 10 includes a housing 12 consisting of a lower housing member 14 and an 21 upper housing member 16. The two housing members, which are 22 preferably formed from plastics material, are secured 23 together by screws 18.

24 Each housing member has a respective semi-circular flange 20,22 which together define an opening 24 (see also 26 Fig. 6) into the generally hollow interior of the housing 27 12.

28 Apart from the co-operating internally threaded pins 26 9 and hollow cylindrical members 28, Figs. 2 and 3 show the 8 510011,icsspe.s01.atco.spe, hIYh A,.

8- 4 1 mechanism associated with male pins 30, which are for 2 insertion into the socKets of a power point 32.

3 The male pins 30 are encased in a generally circular 4 member 34. The member 34 has a circumferential shoulder which enables it to locate on the circular flange of a 6 cir:ular opening in the shallow cuhoidal extension 36 of 7 housing member 16.

8 Member 34 can rotate through 1800 in its position in 9 the circular opening, the extreme positions being defined by shoulders 38,40, which lug 42 (which extends slightly 11 upwardly as well is radially of member 34) contacts.

12 An apertured member 44 (Fig. 3) is snap-fitted over the 13 arrangement of Fig. 2 to secure the rotatable member 34 in 14 position, and to provide means to more securely 'ock the o a s 15 member in three positions. In the annular face of member 0 60 16 44 there are three recesses 46,48,50, which act as detents, 0 S 17 in co-operation with lug 42, to provide three locations for 18 member 34 in relation to housing member 16, the locations S 19 being 900 apart, as shown in Fig. 4.

20 The top (upper) side of member 44 may be fitted with -o s 21 upright support members to locate a ballast 52 (Fig. one g22 end of which is electrically connected to the appropriate .4 23 pins 30 by electrical connecting wires of sufficient length 24 to cater for the rotation of the member 34 carrying the t 25 pins, or by any other suitable means. The other end of the 26 ballast 52 may be connected via terminals 54 to a three-wire 27 electrical cable 56.

C.C V\N W -CuM1- 28 The e-wse-et i l 1l 0 is intended to be used to provide a 29 remote ballast 52 for a fluorescent lamp. However, the 7 8510011, !csspe.sOl, atco.spe, r- 1 arrangement of Figs. 2 to 4 particularly can be used for 2 any plug-in electrical module. Fig. 4 shows how the 3 -Lin 10 can be rotated about its pins into one of 4 three positions, whichever is appropriate. Of course, other positions could be provided.

6 As stated in the preceding paragraph, thereMrf1=i=tn 7 is preferably used to provide a remote ballast 52 for a 8 fluorescent lamp fitting. Figs. 5 to 8 illustrate examples 9 of such a use.

In Fig. 5, the m-Cn=-~-=inv 10 is shown wired to a table 11 lamp 58 with a 7w,9w or 11w fluorescent lamp 60 therein.

12 Fig. 6 shows a downlight 62 wired to a connector 10. Fig. 7 13 shows a reading lamp 64 wired to a c=e=e=z=e and Fig. 8 14 shows a portable lamp 66, such as those used in garages, wired to a a e-it e 16 Figs. 9,10 and 11 show diagrammatic circuit diagrams of 17 alternative uses. Fig. 9 shows a s eFt> e. 10 wired 18 through a switch 68 to a single 7w,9w or 11w fluorescent 19 lamp 60. Fig. 10 shows a -"=e4i€n 10 wired through a switch 68 to dual 7w,9w or 11w fluorescent lamps 60,61.

21 Fig. 11 shows a ,t=ote= *4"i 10 wired through a switch 68 to a 22 16w fluorescent lamp 23 It must be stressed that many of .the new compact 24 fluorescent lamps can be inserted into the bayonet or other fittings where incandescent lamps have previously been used 26 (see Figs. 5 and 6 for example). Thus, with the use of 27 -rze=e 10, the conversion to a luminaire for the new lamps is complete, with the ballast 52 in a housing 12 Sc 9 adjacent to the power point 32 and not near the fitting.

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8510011,1csspe.sOl,atco.spe, r -6- 1 The -Her=mie-t-=ien 10 offers a new and fresh approach to 2 the development of luminaires for the new compact 3 fluorescent lamps, thereby providing more scope for original 4 luminaire design ideas. It will assist in the adoption of the new lamps into luminaires for domestic, commercial and 6 other lighting. Its importance in saving energy cannot be 7 underestimated; it is suggested that approximately $35 per 8 annum can be saved in each of the applications of Figs. 9 and 6.

The entire contents of the provisional specification 11 and drawings lodged with Australian patent applicaton no. PG 12 7596 on 11th October 1984 are hereby imported into this 13 specification.

o 14 The claims form part of the disclosure of this 15 specification, a a .aaI a m -I I 8510011, csspe,.sO1, atco. spe, p 4 L.a r e i n id a I i l a s st i h d p i n o

Claims (6)

1. An in-line connector comprising a housing, contacts adapted to enable connection of said connector to a standard electricity supply outlet, a ballast disposed in said housing and connected to one of said contacts, and means for connecting said ballast and at least one of the other contacts to a remote fluorescent lamp, such that said ballast appears in series with said supply, said contacts being disposed in an arrangement such that the position of said ontacts with respect to one another is fixed, said arrangement being moveable between a *o°o onumber of positions relative to said housing so as to 0 enable said connector to be connected to said supply Q 0 «outlet without being obstructed by a switch of said outlet.

2. A connector according to claim 1, wherein said contacts are mounted on said housing for limited t rotational movoment relative thereto. 4 4 t S.

3. A connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein location means are provided to retain said contacts at said positions.

4. A connector according to claim 3, wherein there are three said positions, each position being substantially 900 from the adjacent position.

An electrical connector substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings. 1'- 1 7 n I 8

6. An electrical connector in combination with a fluorescent lamp, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 24th day of November 1939. DAVIES COLLISON Patent Attorneys for ATCO CONTROLS PTY LTD 1 Ir Irt I I 1 1 'I i c I'