US2977567A

US2977567A - Separable clasp connector

Info

Publication number: US2977567A
Application number: US274688A
Authority: US
Inventors: Matthysse Irving Frederick
Original assignee: Burndy Corp
Current assignee: FCI USA LLC
Priority date: 1944-03-31
Filing date: 1952-03-04
Publication date: 1961-03-28
Anticipated expiration: 1978-03-28

Description

March 1961 I. F. MATTHYSSE 2,977,567

SEPARABLE CLASP CONNECTOR Original Filed March 51, 1944 ATTO NEY 2,977,567 SEPARABLE CLASP connncron V Frederick Matthy sse, New York, N.Y., assignor to v Burndy Corporation, a corporation of New York Original application Mar. 31, 1944, Ser. No. 528,991. and application Mar; 4, 1952, Ser: No.

zclan s. or. 339- 253 i This invention relates to improvements in clasp connectors ofith'e separable type,'in, which two separate sectionsxare interlocked. together and pivotally opened to permit separation of thetw'o halves. The invention com prises an improvement of the,Hegenauer Patent. No. 2,288,192 owned by applicants assignee and is a division of m'y parent application Ser. No. 528,991 filed March 31, 194,4, entitled Separable Clasp Connector, now abandoned.

' The principal object of my invention is to. provide automatic locking. means to prevent separation of the two connector halvesby one half accidentally pivoting on the other.

Additional objects are to provide a separable connector designed to lock the two halves of the connector toegther upon the application of a longitudinal pull; to provide a separable connector with a lock which permits disconnection of the two halves only after the halves are pushed together a predetermined distance; to provide a separable connector having a lock which has the added function of providing additional electrical contact when the two halves are pulled longitudinally; to provide a separable connector having resilient snapping means, locking the halves together and requiring a predetermined force to separate'the two halves by rotating one half with respect to the other; to provide a connecting base for attachment of a plurality of separable connector halves; to provide a'base with means for accommodating the locking means of the separable connector halves; to provide a separable terminal for connecting a separable connector half to a flat surface; and to, provide a separable connector, separable connector base, separable connector terminal and similar connector items which may be made economically by simple production methods from tubing or sheet metal.

I accomplish these and other objects and obtain my new results as will be apparent from the device described in the following specification, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view partially in section of a connector half.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of two pivoting halves.

Fig. 4 is a side view illustrating the interlocking action.

Fig. 5 is a similar view with the two halves pulled into final locking position.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of locking means attached to a separable half with terminal lug connection.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of such halves interlocked.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a connecting base for attaching a plurality of connector halves.

Fig. 9 is a modification thereof with the halves attached.

In the drawing, reference numeral 10 designates a tubular connector body for insertion of a conductor 11 therein which is indented as at 12 to lock the conductor tact 16. The end of the tongue terminates in a 'lock-' to the connector body. A shroud 13 may be additionally provided for the insulation 14 of the conductor i nponwhich theshroud is compressed.

.The tubular body is flattened into an extending tongue 15, provided with a transversely overhanging spring coning tab 17 normally extending from the edge of the tongue. At the junction of the tongue 15 and body 10, a groove 18 is formed to permit passage of the tab "of the complementary half of theseparableconnector. The slot 17X 'at the end of the tongue 15 provides means for giving the tab of a complementary half a spring effect as it slides in groove 18.

Along one edge of the tongue 15, adjacent the groove,

a small camv surface 19 is formed which engages the tab; of the complementary half as the two connector halves are locked. This takes place by taking an identical half.

10a, the remaining parts of 10a being similarly "identified, and placing the tongue 15a across the fiat oftongue- 15 of connector 10, with the two spring contacts on opposite sides, and pivoting the two halves together i of the groove to a point 20 below the edge, as indicated scissor-like, until tab 17a passes through groove 18, and tab 17 enters groove 18a. This is shown in Figf3. When the tabs pass beyond their engaging grooves, their springy action causes them to snap from the surface in Fig. 5. This prevents the tab from being accidentally forced back into the groove. During this movement tongue 15 enters the space between tongue 15a and contact spring 16a, and tongue 15a enters the space between tongue 15 and spring contact 16, against the springs of the contacts.

The locking action is further accomplished by pulling the two halves longitudinally until the edges of the spring contacts engage, as shown in Fig. 5. During this movement, tab 17a scrapes over cam 19, and tab 17 over cam 19a, which insures a good electrical connection. To separate the two halves the different operations are reversed.

By the foregoing I have accomplished a satisfactory lock of the two connector halves which will prevent their accidental separation.

The spring lock action of the tab may be eliminated, together with the cam surface 19, and yet retain ample electrical contact and satisfactory locking action.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the connector clasp is made of sheet metal and comprises the pierced terminal lug 25, with upwardly bent section 26, extending tongue 27, spring contact 28 provided with an extension 29 thereof, and a side tab 30. Two such connector halves may be longitudinally interlocked as shown in Fig. 7, the spring contact extension of one connector half being maintained in longitudinal position by the side tab of the complementary half. The terminal lug method of connection illustrated here may be interlocked with any other type.

In Fig. 8, l have shown a base member 31 upon which four separable connector halves may be mounted and individually locked. Adjacent the ends of the upper surface of the base member, which may be of sheet metal, I have provided two transversely overhanging

spring contacts

32 and 33. These are similar to those shown in Fig. 1.

Spring contacts

34 and 35 are mounted on the lower surface. The base member has grooves as at 36 and 37 midway betweeneach set of spring contacts to enable the locking tabs, similar to those shown in Fig. l, to enter the grooves and interlock the four

connector halves

38, 39, 40 and 41 as is shown in Fig. 9.

The base member may be stamped from a single plate of metal 31 with a longitudinal slot 42 inbetween two

longitudinal sections

43 and 44 of metal with tran s- Patented Mar. 28, 196.1

verse end sections

45 and 46 holding the two longitudinal sections together as shown in Fig. 8, or a single strip of metal 47 may be bent to form a U, as indicated in Fig. 9.

In the foregoing modification I have shown a separable connector comprising two halves which may be attached to each other by springy contacts which insure good con-.

vention, and, therefore, I claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claims, and by means of which, objects of my invention are attained, and new results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments herein shown and described are only some of the many that can be employed to attain these objects and accomplish these results.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. A clasp connector for transmitting electric current comprising main and separable interlocking body sections, means for pivoting the separable body sections on tions to permit individual engagement with a plurality of separable body sections whereby a plurality of separable connections may be made with 'said plate section.

2. A clasp connector for transmitting electric current 1 comprising a main and a plurality of separable engaging body sections; means for pivoting the body sections one on the other to engaging position; and not less than one of said body sections being provided with spring clasp contacts whereby said separable body sections are clasped to said main body section to establish a mechanical and electrical connection with each other; said body section consisting of. a plate section bent to form spaced-apart body sections to permit individual engagement with the plurality of separable body sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Heath May 8, 1917 Xenis Dec. 23, 1941 Matthysse Apr. 21, 1953