GB2288078A

GB2288078A - Electrical connectors

Info

Publication number: GB2288078A
Application number: GB9404754A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Woodman; Christopher Norman Barnett
Original assignee: Horstmann Timers and Controls Ltd; Midlands Electricity PLC
Current assignee: Horstmann Timers and Controls Ltd; Midlands Electricity PLC
Priority date: 1994-03-11
Filing date: 1994-03-11
Publication date: 1995-10-04
Also published as: GB9404754D0

Abstract

A connection pin 6 having two connector portions 12 separated by a resilient waist portion 14 is used to join circuit modules (2 Figures 2, 5 and 6) each having a female connector (8, 8'). The resiliency of the waist portion accommodates misalignment of the connectors (8, 8'). The waist portion 14 is off-centre (Figure 3) 14 and the pin 6 has a flat 16 against which a screw (30 Figures 5 & amp; 6) bears to secure the pin in the connectors (8, 8'). There are sleeves (32, 32', 34) projecting from the housing (4) of the modules (2); the sleeves shroud the pins 6 closely (Figures 5 and 6) and also abut an adjacent module (Figure 6) when joined together by the pins 6. <IMAGE>

Description

ELECTRICAL DEVICE The present invention relates to a connector for interconnecting electrical circuits, in particular, electrical circuit modules such as for electricity metering, timing and control.

Conventional equipment for electricity metering consists of a meter in a sealed housing connected to a mounting board. Other circuits, separate from the meter are provided for isolation timing and control of metered electricity and these are housed in units which are connected to the mounting board with the meter. These circuits are interconnected electrically by flexible conductors.

A modular system of electrical circuit modules, has been proposed which consists of metering, isolation timing and control modules which are interconnected by rigid connectors but the rigid nature of the connectors can cause problems due to mounting and alignment errors between the modules especially on a distorted mounting board.

According to the present invention the electrical terminals of two modules are interconnected by a connector having terminal portions each adapted to make a male/female connection with a respective terminal and having an intermediate portion integral with said terminal portions which is flexible to accommodate misalignment between said electrical terminals of the two modules.

The invention consists in the aforesaid connector alone or in combination with one or more modules to which it is connected; and also consists in a method in which it is used to interconnect two modules by engagement with respective terminals of the modules.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the intermediate portion of the connector has a reduced cross-section so as to be flexible. The terminal portions of the connector are male so as to make a connection with a respective female terminal of a module. Having a connector with male terminal portions has the advantage of ease of connector construction. The connector preferably has male ends shaped to provide easy insertion into corresponding female recesses without the need for precise orientation. Good mechanical and electrical engagement is ensured by having the male ends flattened on one side against which screws in the female connector abut. The female terminals are preferably adapted to enable an electrical cable to be inserted in place of a male connector.

In the preferred embodiment, circuit modules are provided with female connectors on different or opposite sides. Accordingly, multiple modules may be connected together readily using the flexible connectors, to provide any particular functions desired by a user.

According to a second aspect of the invention, an electrical terminal of at least one of two circuit modules to be connected has a sleeve projecting outwards from the respective module and surrounding the respective terminal. The sleeve acts t shroud the connections upon interconnection of the terminals.

Preferably, the electrical terminals of the two modules to be connected each have sleeves, the sleeves being adapted to overlap upon interconnection of the terminals.

The overlapping sleeve arrangement prevents undesirable tampering with the connection, such as attempts to steal electricity by fraudulent users.

In a preferred embodiment, the overlapping sleeves of interconnected terminals of two modules are made of rigid and electrically-insulating material. The sleeves of two modules which are to be interconnected are preferably of differing cross-section enabling one sleeve to be positioned readily in the other.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a partially cut away front view of a module having two connector pins; Figure 2 is a side view of a connector pin; Figure 3 is a bottom view of a connector pin; Figure 4 is an end view of the connector pin of Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a plan view, with covers removed, of the module of Figure 1.

As shown in the figures, a module 2 of a modular electric meter consists of a housing 4 for metering, timing, or control equipment. The housing 4 includes apertures 10 to two female connectors 8,8' on the front side 18 of the housing 4. The female connectors 8,8' are shaped to accommodate connector pins 6.

Each connector pin 6 consists of two male terminal portions 12 separated by an intermediate portion 14 between, and integral with, the two end portions 12. The intermediate portion 14 has a smaller cross-sectional area than the terminal portions 12 and is aligned approximately parallel to, but somewhat offset from, the central axes of the terminal portions 12.

As shown, particularly in Figure 4, the terminal portions 12 are of a substantially cylindrical shape but are cut away to provide a flat 16 on one side. The substantially cylindrical shape enables a terminal portion 12 to be inserted into a female connector 8,8' within a wide range of orientations, provided it is aligned in a direction which is approximately axial with the corresponding female connector 8,8'. The terminal portion 12 is held fast in a female connector 8,8' by pairs of screws 30, the ends of which abut the flat 16 of the inserted terminal portion 12.

As shown in Figure 5, a module 2 includes two further female connectors 8,8' on the rear side 20 of the housing 4 in addition to the two female connectors 8,8' on the front side 18. The female connectors 8,8' are of two types. One female connector 8' on each side 18,20 is directly connected via a conducted element 22 to a corresponding female connector 8' on the opposite side 20,18. The other two connectors 8,8 connect via screw contacts 24 to respective mains cable leads 26,28. As regards the outside of the housing 4, the apertures 10 to the female connectors 6 each have surrounding sleeves 32,32' which project outwards from the housing 4.

The sleeves 32 on the front side 18 are narrower than the sleeves 32' on the rear side 20 of the module 2. When two modules 2 are connected together, having different sleeve sizing enables corresponding sleeves 32,32' on opposing faces of housings 4 to overlap. The narrower sleeves 32 and wider sleeves 30' overlap and fit snugly together shrouding the connector pins 6 so as to prevent tampering, and enhance safety.

In an alternative embodiment, there are sleeves on only one face of a module. When two modules are connected together the end of the sleeve extending from one module abuts the face of the other module, so as to shroud a connector pin.

Two modules 2 are connected together by fitting connector pins 6 on the front side 18 of one module 2. The pins 6 are held fast by screwing in the appropriate screws 30. The next step in making the connection is to insert the exposed terminal portions 12 of the connector pins 6 in to corresponding female terminals 8,8' on the rear side 20 of the other module. The appropriate screws 30 are then screwed in. The connector pins 6 flex at their intermediate portions 14 so as to overcome misalignments of female connectors 8 and connector pins 6.

Series of modules may be connected together in this way. The flexibility of the connector pins 6 overcomes misalignment problems, including those due to having a warped wall-mounted back-board against which the modular meter is fixed.

It is envisaged that leads of a conventional type can be connected to selected female connectors 8 in place of connector pins 6, for example, on an exposed face of the module furthest from the wall, in a wall-mounted modular meter. In this case, the screws 30 would be grub screws.

Claims

1. A connector for interconnecting the electrical terminals of two circuit modules, the connector having terminal portions each adapted to make a male/female connection with a respective terminal and having an intermediate portion integral with said terminal portions which is flexible to accommodate misalignment between said electrical terminals of the two modules.

2. A connector according to claim 1, in which the intermediate portion of the connector has a reduced crosssection so as to be flexible.

3. A connector according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the terminal portions of the connector are male so as to make a connection with a respective female terminal of a module

4. A connector according to claim 3, having male terminal portions each shaped for insertion without precise orientation into a corresponding recess of a female terminal.

5. A connector according to claim 4, in which the male terminal portions are substantially cylindrical to permit insertion irrespective of rotational orientation.

6. A connector according to claim 4 or claim 5, in which at least one male terminal portion includes a flattened side against which upon connection an adjustable screw means of the female terminal abuts.

7. An electrical circuit module for electricity metering, timing or control comprising an electrical terminal in connection with a respective terminal portion of a connector according to any preceding claim.

8. An electrical circuit module according to claim 7, in which the terminal is adapted to connect selectably to the terminal portion of the connector and to a cable end for connection to a remote circuit.

9. An electrical circuit comprising two circuit modules for electricity metering, timing or control each having an electrical terminal in connection with a respective terminal portion of a connector according to any of claims 1 to 6.

10. An electrical circuit according to claim 9, in which at least one of the circuit modules has a sleeve projecting outwards from and surrounding its respective terminal to shroud the connector upon interconnection.

11. An electrical circuit comprising a plurality of circuit modules for electricity metering, timing or control, having electrical terminals interconnected with connectors according to any of claims 1 to 6.

12. An electrical circuit according to claim 11, in which at least some circuit modules have termins for connection on different or opposite sides.

13. A method of interconnecting the electrical terminals of two circuit modules by providing a connector according to any of claims 1 to 6, and connecting the terminals to respective terminal portions of the connector.

14. An electrical circuit comprising two circuit modules for electricity metering, timing or control each having a respective terminal, at least one of the circuit modules having a sleeve projecting outwards from the respective terminal and surrounding the respective terminal to shroud the connection upon interconnection of the terminals.

15. An electrical circuit according to claim 14, in which the respective terminal of each module has a sleeve, the two sleeves cooperating upon interconnection of the terminals to shroud the connection.

16. An electrical circuit according to claim 15, in which the sleeves are adapted to overlap upon interconnection of the terminals.

17. An electrical circuit according to any of claims 14 to 16, in which the or each sleeve abuts the face of the other module upon interconnection of the respective terminals.

18. An electrical circuit according to any of claims 14 to 16, in which the or each sleeve is of electrically insulating material.

19. An electrical circuit according to any of claims 14 to 18, in which the or each sleeve is rigid.

20. An electrical circuit module for electricity metering, timing or control having an electrical terminal for connection to a terminal of another circuit module, the terminal having a sleeve projecting outwards from the module and surrounding the terminal, the sleeve being operative upon interconnection of the terminals to shroud the connection.

21. An electrical circuit module according to claim 20, comprising a connector according to any of claims 1 to 6, in which the sleeve is operative to shroud the connector.

22. A connector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

23. An electrical circuit module substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

24. An electrical circuit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.