GB2272334A

GB2272334A - Wire-clamping terminal of electrical connector

Info

Publication number: GB2272334A
Application number: GB9222187A
Authority: GB
Inventors: George Seymour Curtis; Charmaine Gaye Curtis
Original assignee: CURTIS CHARMAINE G
Current assignee: CURTIS CHARMAINE G
Priority date: 1992-10-22
Filing date: 1992-10-22
Publication date: 1994-05-11
Also published as: GB9222187D0

Abstract

Each of the pins of a 13A B81363 connector may have a spring terminal Z onto which a wire (not shown) is clamped by a hinged retainer E biassed towards clamping by a resilient hinged deformable link S. The retainers E and links S are moulded integrally with an insert which carries the plug pins. The retainer is hinged at h, and the link at 5. A heat sink P may be formed integrally with each retainer. <IMAGE>

Description

13Amp 250v Electrical Connector The present invention relates to the field of electrical connectors, in particular to those employed in 13 amp. 250v.

three pin plugs laid out according to BS 1363A, and refers to GB 2215918, which describes a biased spring blade means cooperatively employed with hinged wire retainers to effect the electrical connections between the said pins and their respective wires in a wired-on plug. The said biased spring means are held in the base means of the said plug by an inner moulding co-operatively attached thereto, which also serves as a mounting means for the disconnectable live, earth and neutral wire retaining means, which same, in the application referred to, are separate items sprung into the their respective mounting means in said inner moulding.

In the present invention the same said biased spring blade connecting means is employed with a new embodiment of the said inner moulding, wherein the said hinged wire retainers are moulded integrally with the said inner moulding, thereby eliminating three components, and three assembly operations. The novelty of this application lies in the above and in the adaption of technology used in the field of plastic re-usable closure means employed, in general, in such items as plastic bottles used, for example, to contain house hold washing-up liquids and cleaners, to effect an electrical connection. A further advantage arising from the said adaption is that this means of effecting such a connection requires remarkably little force to complete the said connection, -which eases the problems encountered by those with impaired hands in wiring on a plug.

A plan upon the opened body of such a three pin plug may be seen in Figure 1, wherein at N, E, and L may be seen the Neutral, Earth and Live wire retainers in their closed position, the fuse at F on the right, and the lever employed to lock the lid means in place at A to the left as described in GB2237694.

Below is the cable clamp, whose jaws are shown at CC, and which is the subject of a separate application. In Figure 2 is a plan view upon the said inner moulding as seen in figure 1, at Figure 3 an elevation upon the cable entry end thereof, and at Figure 4 an elevation upon the opposite end. Figure 5 is a plan upon the said inner moulding with the wire retainers in the open position, in which, due to the radial layout it will noted that the outer ends thereof are well spaced, so easing the task of those with impaired movement of their hands in wiring up. In Figure 6 is a sectional view of the plug base, on the centreline of the earth pin, with the earth wire retainer in the closed position, showing the biased spring connector. Figure 7 is a scrap section on the same connector with the said connector in the open position, with a plan view on the same above.Figure 8 depicts the outline of the said connector isolated, for the purpose of clarification and illustration, from the moulding whereon it is mounted, and to which it is connected by it's hinge means. Figure 9 depicts an example of a further embodiment in which a metal heat sink is moulded into the said connector means. Figure 10 is an elevation Sf the sides of the inner moulding, the left being the uppermost, and right hand the lower.

In the above figures depicting the present invention the various items are all given common letters through out. The said inner moulding may be seen in plan in Figure 1, in a view on an open plug base, and on it's own in Figure 2: the said neutral, earth and live hinged wire retainers are shown as N, E, and L, and are moulded with the said inner moulding, to form an integral part thereof, being connected to the same by a section reduced in thickness sufficiently to permit the same to act as a hinge means, though flexing, shown as "h". Likewise connected to the said inner moulding, and to the said hinged wire retainers are deformable links, S, each being flexibly connected at each end by hinge means similar to "h* at points "s".This said deformable link means may be seen in section in the closed, position, in Figure 6, which is a section through the earth pin axis on the centreline of the said plug base, showing the biased spring connector at Z, and in Figure 7 open, in which position it is moulded, and in which the angle of the bend in the said link, as may be seen, is less than 90 degrees.Closure of the wire retainer causes the said angle to be opened to 90 degrees or thereabouts by deformation, providing thereby a springing force urging the said wire retainer shut, so pressing any wire thereunder downwards against the said biased spring blade connecting means, Z , thus retaining the wire against the same, held in the connected position, pending the replacement of the said plug lid means, which same prevents the said retainers from opening, thereby locking the said wire in position, since the bias of the said spring blade means holds the wire against the retainer by wedging the same against it. The said wire retainers have downward extensions at either side in the region of the biased spring blade, which same assist in retaining the wire correctly within the required space, and may be seen at the left of Figure 8 in cross section centred on the aperture T.

In a further embodiment the underside of the said wire retainers is fitted with a heat sink means, in the area over the said biased spring blade connector, to the shown by way of example, as a metallic plate, P, locked in place , in the preferred embodiment, by bent tags enveloped in the moulding.

The said heat sink plate is shown in Figure 9, in plan at "a", viewed in the direction of arrow "b", at b, in the same view after having tags c and d upwardly bent at e, and viewed on c and d at f and g. To assist the making of the said inner moulding the said wire retainers may be pierced by an aperture shown as T, or a plurality thereof, which admits a pin, or pins, from the mould tooling to hold the heats sink P firmly whilst injection takes place.

Claims

1. The employment in a 13 amp 250v 3 pin plug whose pins are laid out out according to BS 1363 of an inner moulding in the plug body, and in which the same is used to secure the said pins, -their respective biased spring wire connecting means, and fuse holding means within and to the said plug base, and moulded integrally with which are the neutral, earth and live wire retaining means, each of which same'is hinged to the said inner moulding by a section, or plurality thereof, sufficiently diminished in thickness to flex as hinge, and wherein a springing force urging each said wire retaining means shut when the same are in the closed position is generated by a deformable link similarly connected to the said inner moulding at one end, and to the said wire retaining means at the other, which same is moulded with the said inner moulding, and the said wire retaining means in the same operation.

2. An inner moulding having wire retainers according to the preceding claim wherein each said such wire retainer has downward extensions on either side in that region of the said wire reatiner that effects the contact of the wire and biased spring blade conductor.

3. An inner moulding according to claim 1 or 2 above wherein the said wire retaining means are fitted with a heat sink means on that face which effects the electrical connection between the wire placed under the said wire retaining means and the biased spring blade connector means by pressing the same into contact.

4. An inner moulding according to claims 1 & 2 above wherein each said heat sink means is held in it's respective wire retainer means by being so shaped that, on being moulded in situ it is locked into the same.

5. An inner moulding according to the preceding claims wherein each said wire may be pierced by an aperture or plurality thereof, for the admission of a pin or pins for the purpose of securing the said heat sink means within the mould whilst the said inner moulding is being made.