US2025550A - Electric connecter - Google Patents

Description

' 24, 1935. s soN 2,025,550

ELECTRIC CONNECTER Filed May 19, 1934 lnventor' Robert F. Samblesom Attorng.

Patented Dec. 24, 1935 ELECTRIC CONNECTER Robert F. Sambleson, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application May 19, 1934, Serial No. '726,545

3 Clams.

My invention relates to electric connecters and more particularly to detachable plug connecters such as are used on electric toasters, flat irons and other electric appliances.

Heretofore, difiiculty has been encountered in the use of electric connecters of the type above referred to because of poorly made electrical connections inside the connecter member which have resulted in short circuits with consequent injury to the connecter. Much of this difliculty has come about .because of carelessness in attempting to repair the device and improperly reassembling it. Hence, it is an object of my invention to provide an improved electric connecter which cannot be tampered with after it has been connected to an electric cord.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved electric connecter which will be more rugged and durable.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide an electric connecter of the type indicated which may be easily and economically manufactured.

What I consider to be nove] and my invention will be better understood by reference to the i following specication and appended claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electric connecter embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan View with the insulating casing shown in section; Fig. 3 is an exploded View of the connecter shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig. 4: is a perspective View of the terminal assembly prior to its insertion in the body member.

Referring to the drawing, indicates a body member of insulating material. As best shown in Fig. 2 the member !0 is a unita'y block having a large chamber !I open at one end and communicating with a smaller opening !2 at the other end. Insulating members !3 and !4 are mounted in face engagement in the chamber l The walls of the chamber i may be provided with grooves. as shown in Fig. 1 to receive the members !3 and !4 and prevent lateral movement thereof. Insulating member !3 and !4 are provided with lateral projections !5 and !6 respectively. I prefer to provide these lateral projections with upstanding lugs !l which engage the holes !B in terminal contacts !9. When the terminal assembly is completed as shown in Fig. 4 the terminal contacts !9 are held between the lateral projections !5 and !6 of insulating members !3 and l respectively. In order to prevent lateral movement of the terminal contacts,

projections 20 may be provided on the terminal contacts which engage shoulders 2! on the insulating members. i

Terminal contacts !9 are connected to wires 22 and 23 of conductor cord 24. The conductor 5 cord 24 is preferably provided with a strain reliever 25 which may be formed of rubber or other flexible insulating material .molded directly around the end of the cord, the wires 22 and 23 projecting beyond it. Thus the strain reliever is, in substance, an integral part of the cord. The strain reliever 25 surrounds a portion of the conductor cord 24 adjacent its end and exmnds beyond the point at which it leaves the opening !2 of body member !0 thus preventing fraying of the insulating covering of the cord through friction with the body member. The strain reliever 25 is provided with an enlargement 26 which is so shaped as to fit snugly against the interior wall of chamber !I'adjacent opening !2. Enlargement 26 is also provided with an indentation 2'! into which the ends of insulating V members !3 and !4 fit in order to hold the strain reliever firmly in place.

A U-shaped spring 28 with laterally projecting 25 ends 29 is carried by the insulating members !3 and !4. These insulating members are provided with registering grooves 30 adjacent holes 3!. The spring 28 is placed in the registering grooves 3!! with the ends 29 projecting through 30 holes 3 Notches 32 are provided in the opposite walls of chamber l! extending from opening !2 and forming shoulders 33 for engagement with the ends 29 of spring 28.

In assembling the connecter member described 35 above the terminal contacts !9 are attached to wires 22 and 23 of cord 24. Spring 28 is placed between insulating members !3 and !4 in the grooves 33 with its ends 29 projecting through holes 3!. The terminal contacts !9 are clamped between projections !5 and !E of insulating members !3 and !3. The assembly is completely while the end of cord 2 4 extends from the large opening of chamber The cord 24 is then pulled back through the chamber and the entire terminal assembly slipped into the body member !3, spring member 28 being compressed by engagement with the walls of chamber !L When the terminal assembly reaches its proper position the ends of spring 28 snap into notches 32 in engagement with shoulders 33 in the interior chamber so that the terminal assembly is firmly locked in place. The terminal contacts !9 are firmly clamped in place by the insulating members !3 and l which are mounted in the body member 10 as described above. The insulating members !3 and M when in their final position press firmly against notch z in enlargement 26 so that it is held rigidly in place, all possible strain on the connections being obviated. When the connecter is thus assembled it cannot be again disassembled without destroying the body member o since the looking means, namely spring 28, is entirely enclosed within the body member. It will thus be seen that I have provided an electric connecter which is relatively easy to manufacture and assemble, in which the parts are adequately protected from strain and injury and which when assembled form a complete non-tamperable unit.

While I have described my invention as embodied in concrete form in accordance with the patent statutes, it should be understood that I do not limit my invention thereto since various modifications thereof will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departirg from 'the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the annexed claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. An electric connecter comprising a body member of insulating material having an opening in one end thereof for the insertion'of a conductor cord, a pair of insulating members mounted in said body member, a plurality of terminal Contacts clamped between said pair of insulating members, and a compressible spring member carried by said pair of insulatng members and adapted to engage opposite interior walls of said body member.

2. An electric connecter comprising a. body member of insulating material having an open- 5 ing in one end thereof for the insertion of a conductor cord, a pair of insulating members Secured in face engagement in the center of said body member and divid'ing the latter into a plurality of parallel recesses, a terminal contact mcunted in each of said recesses and lateral projections on said pair of insulating members adapted to clamp said terminal members therebetween.

3. An electric connecter comprising a body member of insulating material having an opening in one end thereof for the insertion of a conductor cord, a pair of insulating members mounted in ;face engagement in the center of said body member and dividing the latter into a plurality of parallel recesses, a terminal contact mounted in each of said recesses, lateral projections on said pair of insulating members adapted to clamp said terminal members therebetween, notches on opposite interier walls of said body member, spring means provided with outwardly projecting ends carried by said pair of insulating members. said outwardly projecting ends engaging shoulders formed by said notches to hold said pair of insulating members in place.

ROBERT F. SAMBLESON.

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