GB2472411A

GB2472411A - Electrical connector not requiring alignment

Info

Publication number: GB2472411A
Application number: GB0913622A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael James Newman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-08-05
Filing date: 2009-08-05
Publication date: 2011-02-09
Also published as: GB0913622D0

Abstract

An electrical connector has a static part 2 comprising two or more conductive paths wound helically on an insulting tube. It is supplied with DC power from a control box 4. A sliding connector 1, for example on a vehicle to be charged from the power supply, comprises parallel stacked contacts. A budge rectifier 3 or diode adjusts the polarity of the received power. An induction loop (9, Fig 1) may be used to detect the presence of the vehicle.

Description

I

MULTI DIRECTIONAL ELECTRICAL POWER CONNECTOR

The invention relates to a device that can establish continuity of an electrical connection or connections between Identified Individual and separate power line sources and the identified Individual and separate power line destinations. The connection or connections can be established by means of mechanical contact between the Invention output connector component that is permanently connected to the power source and the invention Input connector component that is permanently connected to the power destination. The connection or connections can be made In any direction or elevation within the size parameters of the invention and can be established in the X,Y or Z axis. The connection or connections can be established either statically or dynamically and will still retain the integrity of phase or polarity orientation irrespective of contact direction, position, elevation, or speed of movement.

One example of the benefit of the Invention could be if the connector half that was permanently connected to the power source was Installed in a vehicle parking bay and the connector half that was permanently Installed under a vehicle and permanently connected to that vehicles battery were brought into physical contact with each other then the vehicles battery would be connected automatically and put on charge provided that the vehicle Is detected in the parking bay by means of the parking bay installed Induction loop and that the two main parts of the Invention are in contact with each other. To terminated the charging cycle the vehicle is simply removed from the parking bay In any direction leaving the parking bay connector electrically disconnected from the charging supply via the installed induction loop system and the contact detection switch in the static connector half.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings In which Figure 1 is a diagram showing the preferred construction of the static part of the connector and referred to collectively as the output component.

The key to the items illustrated in figure 1 are as follows:-Item I Is preferably the base of the output component and Is preferably designed to house a switching device (Item 2).

item 2 is preferably a proprietary switching device such as a cats whisker switch or other

suitable device.

Item 3 is preferably a coiled spring that is attached to the output component base (item I) at one end of the spring and the non electrically conducting tubular material (Item 4) at the other end of the spring.

Item 4 is preferably constructed of non electrically conducting tubular material with preferably several electrically conducting paths (Items 5 and 6) permanently arranged In a spiral layout around the circumference of the tube (item 4) over a substantial length of the tube and separated from each other with a designed non conducting spacing distance.

Item S Is preferably one of several electrically conducting paths that are permanently and continuously arranged in a spiral layout around the circumference of the tube (item 4) over a substantial length of the tube (item 4) and separated from any other electrically conducting paths and permanently and continuously arranged In a spiral layout around the circumference of the tube ( Item 4) with a designed non conducting spacing distance.

item 6 Is preferably one of several electrically conducting paths that are permanently and continuously arranged In a spiral layout around the circumference of the tube (item 4) over a substantial length of the tube (item 4) and separated from any other electrically conducting paths and permanently and continuously arranged in a spiral layout around the circumference of the tube (item 4) with a designed non conducting spacing distance.

Item 7 is preferably a control box that contains proprietary devices to supply the output component ( fig I) with a source of a suitably protected (short circuit, over current and fault current) power supply of the desired voltage via interconnecting wires (item 8). Preferably the control box also contains proprietary devices to supply the induction loop control (item 9) for use in conjunction with the control for the supply to the output component ( fig I) via the control box (item 7).

Item 8 Is preferably electrical power and control wires that connect the output component conducting paths ( items 5 and 6) and the switching device ( item 2) to the control box ( item 7).

Item 9 Is preferably a proprietary vehicle sensing induction loop that is connected to the propriety devices contained In the control box (item 7).

Figure 2 is a representation, showing the preferred relationship of the dynamic part of the connector and referred to collectively as the input component ( Fig 2 item I) and the static part of the connector, referred to collectively as the output component ( Fig 2 item 2).

The representation demonstrates the random positioning and the preferred component orientation of the two main connector components (Items I and Item 2).

It Is a design feature that when the Input component ( item I) Is In physical contact with the output component (item 2) there Is always an electrical connection between any two electrically conducting elements of the Input component ( item 1) and with both of the electrically conducting elements of the output component at all times.

The key to the items illustrated in figure 2 are as follows Item I is one of a multiple of parallel, stacked, electrical contact conductors or elements that are electrically connected to a battery preferably via an electrical bridge rectifier or electrical diode network ( As Illustrated in Figure 4). The multiple of mechanically parallel and stacked electrical contact conductors are preferably held in position by an Insulated frame arrangement that is preferably designed to mount the fully assembled device under a vehicle containing a battery in a manner that holds the arrangement In a vertically biased attitude while having the capability to swivel to the horizontal plane by external mechanical force and return to the vertical plane when released.

item 2 Is a representation of the static part of the connector and Is preferably constructed from an Insulated tubular component complete with helical electrically conducting contact tracks or elements (As illustrated In fig 4).

Figure 3 The key to the items illustrated in figure 3 are as follows Item I is one of a multiple of stacked, parallel electrical contact conductors that are electrically connected to a battery preferably via electrical bridge rectifiers or electrical diode networks and held in position by an insulated frame arrangement.

Item 3 represents the electrical bridge or diode networks that rectify the voltage collected by the in put component (item 1) and connects it to the battery or storage device (item 5) that is referred to as the in put destination.

Item 4 Is preferably a control box that contains a proprietary device or devices to supply the output component ( fig 3 item 2) with voltage and current for the power destination point when its in contact with the In put component (fig 3 item I). The control box is designed to provide short circuit, over current and fault current protection to the battery or device being supplied at the destination point ( fig 3 item 5) and connected to the input component ( fig 3 item I).

Preferably the proprietary device or devices will prevent the battery or device connected to the input component from supplying power to the Input component when the output and input components are separated.

Figure 4 is a flow and connection diagram that illustrates the relationship between the connectivity of the static output connection component ( item 1) complete with electrically conducting paths (items 2 and 3) and the dynamic input connection components (items 4,5,6 and 7) shown without the insulated assembly frame. The helical angle and width of the electrically conducting paths ( items 2 and 3) and the non conducting spacing distance (item 1) are arranged so that when they are combined with the diameter and separation air gap of the rigid or semi rigid conductor bars (items 4,5,6 and 7) and are brought together In physical contact the combination of incidence of contact is such that there is always at least one of the conducting bars (items 4,5,6 and 7) in contact with the conducting path (Item 2) which is at a positive potential and at least one of the conducting bars (items 4,5,6 and 7) in contact with a conducting path (item 3) which is at a negative potential.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A device that can provide a sliding electrical connection that can transfer a dc positive and negative potential and current from a source to a destination while maintaining the correct polarity of the output relative to the Input.
2. A device as claimed In claim I where the device is preferably designed with two separate main components individually known as an output component and an input component where the two components are presented for connection at right angles to each other and when touched together make electrical contact in a predetermined manner irrespective of alignment or orientation in the X, Y or Z axis.
3. A device as claimed In any proceeding claim where the two separate components can be moved while in contact with each other in the X,Y or Z axis over a substantial designed distance while transferring the electrical potential and current continuously and without interruption or introducing unwanted reversal of the required polarity.