GB2097202A - Electrical adaptor - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrical adaptor comprises a body 2 having a front end at which a plurality of arrays of conductive pins are selectively available and a rear end provided with a socket for a three-pin plug. The adaptor may comprise conductive plates 4, 5 each having a retractable flat connector pin 9 mounted in a slot 8 and a threaded hole for alternatively receiving a round pin 7; a pin 14 and two sockets 17 may be provided for earthing. The flat pins 9 may be used for connection to a light socket; they may also be used in the USA (with their faces parallel) or in the Southern Hemisphere (faces not parallel); the round pins 7 may be used in certain European countries. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electrical connector This invention relates to a device, hereinafter referred to as an adaptor, which has a front end part with at least one frontwardly extending array of electrically conductive pins to mate with a corresponding array of sockets in an electric power point. The rear end of the device is adapted for connection to an appliance.

More specifically the invention is concerned with an adaptor wherein a plurality of pin arrays are selectively available at the front end. Each array has the pins retractable into the body of the adaptor and means are provided for securing the pins in their projecting functional positions. The electrically conductive pins extend from electrically conductive plates, a live plate and a neutral plate positioned behind a masking member movable selectively to expose the live and neutral pins of a desired array. The plates are then electrically connected to the rear end of the adaptor.

In accordance with the present invention the rear end of the adaptor body has three sockets to be engaged by a three pin plug of an electrical appliance. Thus one socket is connected to the live plate, the other socket is connected to the neutral plate and the third socket is either a blind bore or extends to make an earthing connection.

The three sockets may be rectilinear in form and for example in the 1 3 amp formation adopted in the U.K. Alternative three-pin arrays are of course possible and indeed there may be more than three sockets so that more than one array of pins can be received.

A particular embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying informal drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a side view of an adaptor in accordance with the invention with certain internal parts shown in ghosted form; Figures 2 and 3 are views of the front end of the adaptor with the selector plate removed and in place respectively; Figures 4 and 5 are views of the rear end of the adaptor with the cover plate removed and in place respectively; Figure 6 is a view showing the engagement of a plug with the adaptor; Figure 7 shows the use of the adaptor for connection to a lamp holder; and Figures 8 and 9 are views showing two contact orientations of the adaptor front end.

Referring initially to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the adaptor illustrated comprises a body 1 or rearwardly flared trumpet shape with a generally cylindrical and solid front end part 2 with the selectable array of contact pins and a flared hollowed rear end part 3 which, when viewed end-on as in Fig. 4, has an inverted Ushaped configuration with a straight lower edge part. A 13 amp three-pin plug of U.K.

form enters the rear end.

Turning now to Fig. 2 the front end surface of solid body part 2 being made of insulating material, is recessed to receive live and neutral electrically conductive plates 4 and 5.

Each plate 4, 5 has a round hole 6 with a cylindrical insulating socket to receive a round, i.e. cylindrical contact pin 7. The base of each round contact pin 7 is threaded and engages threads around hole 6 so that on withdrawal (see Fig. 1) it can be rotated and conductively fixed in the extended condition to plate 4, 5. A narrow rectangular slit 8 is formed in each plate 4, 5 to receive a flat strip-like contact pin 9. Each flat pin 9 can be withdrawn and turned through a right angle to locate the base of the extended pin in conductive contact with plate 4, 5, springs being provided in the sockets to bias the pins to retraction in this extended position thus to provide location. A seating recess 10 is provided on each plate 4, 5 for the rearwardly directed seating part of each flat pin 9.The construction and operation of the retractable and flat contact pins is known and disclosed, for example in our EPC Patent Application No.

81 303 010.3 (published under No.

0,048,078).

An electrically conductive screw 11 engages a threaded socket in each live and neutral plate 4, 5 and extends from the rear of the body in a manner to be explained (see Figs. 1 and 4). Also provided, in accordance with the invention, is an electrically conductive earthing plate 1 2 recessed into body part 2. Plate 1 2 has a round hole 1 3 with contact pin 1 4 constructed and arranged for retraction extension and location as pin 7.

An earthing socket defined by arcuate conductive strips 1 5 is provided at the 1 2 o'clock position of Fig. 2 in a recess in body front end part 2.

Electrically conductive earthing leaves 1 6 are, moreover, provided in the base of diametrically opposed recesses 1 7 in the periphery of the front of the adaptor at the 1 2 and 6 o'clock positions, these being adapted to engage earthing elements in the recessed power sockets used in certain parts of Europe.

At the 3 and 9 o'clock positions on the periphery are locating lugs 1 8.

The contact elements described above are selectively exposable by the selector disc 1 9 illustrated in Fig. 3 pivotally secured by a pin 20 to a socket 24 in the insulated front body part 2. The plate has shaped openings 21, 22 and 23 selectively to expose the elements in a manner to be described.

The earthing elements 12, 14, 1 5 and 1 7 form part of an electrically conductive bridging structure 25 shown in dotted lines in Fig.

1 of the accompanying drawings. Reference numeral 27 indicates the conductive rivet fix ing earthing plate 12 to structure 25. At the rear end part of the electrically conductive bridging structure 25 are the two flanges 26 constituting the earthing socket as can be best seen in Fig. 4.

Referring further to Fig. 4 of the drawings an insulating caging structure 28 extends rearwardly from solid body front end part 2 and contains as well as the earthing socket two electrically conductive channel clips 29 being the live and neutral sockets. The channels 29 have arcuate end portions 30 to receive inserted round-ended plugs the main body of the channel receiving the conventional flat-ended pins. The channels 29 each form part of an angle strip secured 31 to the plug body by a pin 32. The electrically conductive screws 11 extend through the plug body to engage the plates 5, 6 as previously described. A shaped insulating plate 33 with the plug openings 34 and 35 closes the rear of the adaptor.

Fig. 6 shows a U.K. type 3-pin 1 3 amp plug 36 about to enter the rear of the adaptor 1.

As can be seen in Fig. 7 of the drawing when the two flat pins 9 are extended a socketed adaptor 37 threaded for connection to a threaded light socket can be fitted and the adaptor assembly as sold is completed by a push-on cap 38.

Referring now to Fig. 8 the adaptor is shown with the two round pins 7 extended at 9 and 3 o'oclock with respect to the earthing leaves 1 7 at 1 2 and 6 o'clock. This is achieved by rotating plate 1 9 till the openings 21 and 22 are appropriately positioned. This orientation is suitable for certain European countries with earthing socket 1 6 exposed as required. With the adaptor front end plugged into the electrical mains socket an appliance with a British type 3-pin plug can be plugged to the rear end as shown in Fig. 6 and the appliance used subject to correct electrical power matching.

For the U.S.A., as shown in Fig. 9, the flat pins 9 are withdrawn and exposed with the earthing pin 14 extended if required. The flat pins can be turned from the mutually parallel giving an orientation for use in certain countries in the Southern Hemisphere.

Claims (4)

1. An electrical adaptive connector having a plurality of arrays of conductive pins selectively available at the front end characterised in that the rear end has three sockets to be engaged by a three-pin plug of an electrical appliance.

2. A connector as claimed in Claim 1 comprising at the front end electrically conductive live and neutral plates supporting retractable contact pins said plates being electrically connected to live and neutral power sockets at the rear of the connector and at least one electrically conductive earthing element electrically connected to an earthing socket at the rear of the connector.

3. A connector as claimed in Claim 2 comprising as said earthing elements a socket, an extendable pin and opposed peripheral leaves all forming part of an electrically conductive structure supporting the said earthing socket.

4. A connector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.