WO2012009736A2

WO2012009736A2 - Electrical connector

Info

Publication number: WO2012009736A2
Application number: PCT/ZA2011/000049
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kyle Gradus-Samson; Brad Mckenzie Fraser
Original assignee: Kyle Gradus-Samson; Brad Mckenzie Fraser
Priority date: 2010-07-16
Filing date: 2011-07-18
Publication date: 2012-01-19
Also published as: WO2012009736A3; ZA201300354B

Abstract

An electrical connector 10 consisting of a body assembled from a main housing sub-assembly 12, a cartridge and connector plate sub-assembly 14, a safety gate and cover sub-assembly 16 and one of a number of pin or prong plates 18. The safety gate 36 is constituted by an occluder plate 38 and a grip formation 40 and includes a normally locked, manually operable locking mechanism that is adapted to lock the safety gate 36 in the blocked position thereof.

Description

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR

Field of the invention

[001] This invention relates to an electrical connector.

Background to the invention

[002] The electrical connector of the invention is a double adaptor-type electrical power plug and socket for connecting electrically operated devices to the mains power supply.

[003] A double adaptor-type electrical plug typically comprises a body that includes primary and secondary electrical connector assemblies. The primary electrical connector assembly normally includes an electrical connector formation, typically constituted by a set of male plug prongs that are adapted for insertion into a female electrical power socket. The secondary electrical connector assembly is normally constituted by a set of female plug sockets that are formed in the body and adapted to receive the plug prongs of a male plug that will be inserted into the adaptor plug body female sockets in use. Electrical conductors connect the double adaptor plug prongs and sockets to conduct electrical power to the male plug inserted into the adaptor plug in use. Summary of the invention

[004] According to this invention, an electrical connector comprises: a body; a primary electrical connector assembly including a primary, electrically conductive connection formation on the body for connecting the primary assembly electrically to a mains power supply in use and an electrical conductor electrically connected to the primary formation for connecting an electrically operable device to the mains power supply in use; a secondary electrical connector assembly including a plurality of sockets formed in the body, the sockets including electrical conductors electrically connected to the primary electrical connector assembly by means of which a secondary electrical plug connector may be connected electrically to the primary electrical connector assembly, in use to connect the secondary electrical connector to the mains power supply; and blocking means on the body that is movable, in use, between blocking and unblocking positions in which the blocking means, respectively, blocks and unblocks access to the electrically active connection of the secondary electrical connector assembly; the blocking means including a normally locked, manually operable locking mechanism adapted to lock the blocking means in the blocked position thereof; and the locking mechanism being manually actuable to release the blocking mechanism. [005] It will be appreciated that the secondary electrical plug connector does not form a part of the electrical connector of the invention.

[006] The primary electrical connector assembly is preferably constituted by a male electrical power plug assembly that includes two or more pins or prongs that are adapted for insertion into a female electrical power socket.

[007] The blocking means is preferably constituted by a safety gate movably housed within the connector body, the safety gate being reciprocable to and from a blocked position in which the gate blocks at least the LIVE connection (the phase or active connection) of the secondary electrical connector assembly and preferably both the NEUTRAL and LIVE connections of the secondary electrical connector assembly.

[008] The safety gate may be provided with a cam formation that is adapted, in use, to interact with the pin or pins of an electrical plug inserted into the secondary electrical connector assembly in use, the cam formation being adapted to urge the safety gate from the blocking to the unblocking position thereof as the plug pin is inserted in use.

[009] The safety gate is preferably biased, by spring-loading or the like to the blocking position thereof.

[0010] The safety gate is preferably locked in the blocking position thereof by a lock mechanism that is adapted to engage with and latch the safety gate in the blocked position, the lock mechanism including an externally accessible, actuator mechanism by means of which the lock mechanism may be disengaged from the safety gate to permit movement of the safety gate from the blocked to the unblocked position thereof in use. [0011] In the preferred form of the invention, the secondary electrical connector assembly is constituted by a three-aperture electrical socket arrangement that is adapted to accommodate the LIVE, NEUTRAL and EARTH pins or prongs of one of a number of male electrical plugs, selected from a predefined range of plugs.

[0012] In this form of the invention, the external socket apertures formed on the body of the electrical connector are conveniently dimensioned to accept the largest prongs of the range of male plugs, the secondary electrical connector assembly including resiliently deformable plug prong grip formations constituting the socket electrical connectors, located within the body of the electrical connector, the grip formations being dimensioned to engage, grip and retain the smallest prongs of the range of plugs and being deformable to grip and retain the smallest to the largest prongs of the range of prongs.

[0013] In this way, the secondary electrical connector assembly is adapted to accommodate from large to small prong sizes, with retention of the plug prong being accomplished by the grip formations located within the electrical connector body.

[0014] In the preferred form of this embodiment of the invention, the prong grip formations are preferably constituted by electrical connector plates forming part of the electrical connection between the primary and secondary electrical connector assemblies, the connector plates being constituted by curved, inwardly facing pairs of plates that are adapted to engage with and grip opposite sides of the plug prongs of a male electrical plug inserted into the secondary electrical connector assembly in use.

[0015] The electrical connector, in this embodiment of the invention, preferably includes an extended EARTH socket slot that is adapted to accommodate the EARTH pins of a large variety of electrical plugs to be inserted into the socket constituted by the secondary electrical connector assembly.

Brief Description of the drawings

[0016] The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic, exploded, isometric view of an electrical connector according to the invention, illustrating a number of standard prong plates;

Figure 2 is an isometric view of a cover and safety gate assembly for the electrical connector of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is an isometric view of the cover and safety gate assembly of Figure 2, viewed from below;

Figure 4 is an isometric view of a cartridge and connector plate sub-assembly for the electrical connector of Figure 1 ;

Figure 5 is an isometric view of the sub-assembly of Figure 2, viewed from below;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic, exploded isometric view of the cartridge of Figure 5 illustrating the electrical connector plates;

Figure 7 is a series of elevations of the connector plates of Figure 6 , in which Figure 7A is an elevation of the NEUTRAL plates; Figure 7B is an elevation of the EARTH plate; and Figure 7C is an elevation of the LIVE plate;

Figure 8 is an isometric view of an Australian-standard prong plate for use with the connector of Figure 1 ;

Figure 9 is an isometric view of a South African-standard prong plate for use with the connector of Figure 1 ;

Figure 10 is an isometric view of a European-standard prong plate for use with the connector of Figure 1 ;

Figure 11 is an isometric view of an alternative electrical connector configuration that embodies an EARTH slot instead of an EARTH aperture and that makes use of a lockable safety gate - Figure 11 illustrates the electrical connector in safe mode;

Figure 12 illustrates the unlocking mechanism that unlocks the safety gate, allowing insertion of a plug into the socket constituting the secondary connector assembly; and

Figure 13 illustrates the manner in which an inserted male plug (not shown) opens the safety gate to permit insertion of the male plug into the electrical connection of the electrical connector of Figures 11 and 12 - Figures 11 , 12 and 13 illustrate an electrical connector that is very similar to the electrical connector illustrated in Figures 1 to 10 and the description of similar parts will not be repeated. In the main, only the differences between two embodiments will be described and accordingly, components of the electrical connector first described with reference to Figures 1 to 10 having counterpart components in Figures 11 to 13 are denoted by similar reference numerals, but with the addition of a prime ('). Description of embodiments of the invention

[0017] The electrical connector 10 illustrated in Figures 1 to 10 consists of a body that is assembled from a main housing sub-assembly 12, a cartridge and connector plate sub-assembly 14, a safety gate and cover sub-assembly 16 and one of a number of pin or prong plates 18.

[0018] In essence, the main housing sub-assembly 12 and the cartridge and connector plate sub-assembly 14 together constitute the secondary electrical connector assembly and the pin or prong plates 18 and the main housing subassembly 12 together constitute the primary electrical connector assembly.

[0019] The electrical connector or plug 10 is provided with a replaceable fuse 20 that is adapted for insertion within a fuse housing 22 formed in the main housing sub-assembly 12 that is closed by means of a fuse housing cover 24 that can be secured to the plug 10 by means of mating bayonet-type closing formations formed on the fuse housing cover 24 and a fuse housing opening 26 formed in the prong plate 18 in use on the plug 0.

[0020] The safety gate and cover sub-assembly 16 is illustrated in more detail in Figures 2 and 3 from which it can be seen that the sub-assembly 16 includes an upper external cover plate 28 formed with NEUTRAL, EARTH and LIVE plug prong apertures 30, 32, 34, each shaped to accommodate the plug prongs of a number of different male electrical plugs, selected from a range of standard electrical plugs.

[0021] In addition, the safety gate and cover sub-assembly 16 includes a safety gate 36 that constitutes blocking means to block access to the body of the plug 10. The safety gate 36 is constituted by an occluder plate 38 and a grip formation 40.

[0022] The safety gate sub-assembly 16 is formed, on the inside face thereof, with a series of channels that are adapted to mate with a series of matching channels formed on the cartridge and connector plates sub-assembly 14 within which electrical connector plates are housed. When the prongs of a male plug (not shown) are inserted into the female socket constituted by the safety gate and cartridge sub-assemblies 16, 14, the male plug prongs extend into the apertures 30, 32, 34 to permit the male plug prongs to make electrical contact with the connector plates.

[0023] An electrical cord 42 forms a part of the primary electrical connector assembly. The cord 42 is electrically connected to the primary electrical connection formations constituted by the electrical prongs on the prong plates 18 and extends to a separate electrically operable device (not shown).

[0024] When a male plug (not shown) is inserted into the plug prong apertures 30, 32, 34 formed in the upper external cover plate 20, the plug prongs so inserted make electrical connection with the electrical connector plates (in the manner to be described below) housed within the cartridge and connector sub-assembly 14 which connector plates are connected, in turn, to the electrical prongs forming part of the prong plates 18.

[0025] As can be seen from Figures 4 to 7, the cartridge and connector plate sub-assembly 14 comprises a housing body formed, on one side, with deep connector plate channels 44, 46, 48, each adapted to house a corresponding electrical conductive connector plate 50, 52, 54. The channels consist of an EARTH plate channel 44 that is adapted to house the EARTH connector plate 50; a NEUTRAL plate channel 46 that is adapted to house the NEUTRAL connector plate 52 and a LIVE plate channel 48 that is adapted to house the LIVE connector plate 54. The channels 44, 46, 48 are inward facing within the body of the plug 10 and are adapted to mate with corresponding channels formed in the safety gate and cover sub-assembly 16.

[0026] The cartridge and connector plate sub-assembly also includes a fuse housing tube 56 within which the fuse 20 is housed. The fuse housing tube 56 is dimensioned such that the edges of the channels 44, 46, 48 are spaced apart from the inner surface of the safety gate and cover sub-assembly 16, to permit the safety gate 36 to move reciprocably in the gap between the emerging edges of the connector plates 50, 52, 54 and the inner surface of the upper exterior cover plate 28 of the safety gate and cover sub-assembly 16.

[0027] This allows the safety gate 36 to occlude the pin prong apertures in the upper external cover plate 28, or at least the NEUTRAL and LIVE apertures 30, 34 (as will be described below).

[0028] The outwardly facing surface 58 is adapted to mate with the prong plates 18 and is formed with the fuse housing recess 22; an EARTH post connector recess 60 and a NEUTRAL post connector recess 62.

[0029] The electrically non-conducting parts of the plug 10 are of injection moulded plastics and, aside from the electrical conductive connector plates 50, 52, 54, which are constituted by initially discrete, insertable components, the electrically conducting parts of the plug 10 are made up of metallic inserts that are injection moulded in place by co-injection. So, for instance, the prong plates 18 are each provided with a series of electrical pins or prongs 64 made up of metallic, electrically conductive prong inserts that are moulded in place by co- injection (as illustrated in Figures 8 to 10). [0030] The electrical conductive parts of the prongs 64 are extended to the inwardly facing surface of the prong plates 18 in the form of NEUTRAL, EARTH and LIVE prong posts 66, 68, 70. The electrically connected parts of the prongs 64 are extended onto the prong posts 66, 68, 70 to enable the prongs 64, through the posts, to make electrical contact with the connector plates 50, 54, 52 housed within the cartridge and connector plate sub-assembly 14 when a prong plate 18 is mated with and assembled to the main housing sub-assembly 12. This is done by engaging a set of engagements clips 72 formed on the prong plates 18 with matching clip recesses 74 and similar clip recesses 76 formed in the cartridge and connector plate sub-assembly 14, the clips 72 being dimensioned to extend through both sets of clip recesses 74, 76 and thereby securing the cartridge and connector plate sub-assembly 14 to the main housing sub-assembly 12 whilst, at the same time, securing the prong plate 18 into the plug body.

[0031] The prong plates 18 illustrated in Figures 8, 9 and 10 are virtually identical except for the shape and configuration of the prongs 64 which are configured according to various electrical male plug standards - the prong plate 18.1 of Figure 8 is configured according to the Australian standards; the prong plate 18.2 of Figure 9 is configured according to South African standards; and the prong plate 18.3 of Figure 10 is configured according to European Union standards.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2 in particular, the safety gate and cover subassembly 16 is provided with a top cover plate 28 formed with socket apertures that are adapted to accommodate the LIVE, NEUTRAL and EARTH pins or prongs of a number of different standard male electrical plugs. To ensure a proper electrical connection and retention of a male plug (not shown) inserted into the secondary electrical connector assembly of the plug 10, the connector plates 50, 52, 54 are shaped and dimensioned not only to make electrical connection, but also to grip and retain the prongs of an inserted plug. As can be seen from Figures 6 and 7, the connector plates 50, 52, 54 are shaped and dimensioned each to define a pair of inwardly curved facing plates 78, 80, 82, the primary function of which are to grip and retain the prongs of an inserted plug. The plates are preferably made of brass and the shapes of the plates, combined with the natural properties of brass, provide the plates 78, 80, 82 with a degree of resilient deformability, thereby enabling the location of the plates sufficiently closely together to accommodate the smallest of pins within the range of plugs to be inserted into the plug 10, but nevertheless to flex and deform to accommodate the largest of pins.

[0033] Electrical connection is made at the base of each connector plate 52, 50, 54.

[0034] The use of the flexible plates 50, 52, 54 enables the provision of the alternative embodiment of the plug of the invention illustrated in Figures 11 , 12, 13. In these drawings the plug 10' is illustrated with relatively large NEUTRAL, EARTH and LIVE apertures 30', 32', 34' which are much larger than the smallest prongs of the range of insertable plugs, to the extent that the EARTH aperture 32' is formed as a continuous slot. This is because the plug 10 does not rely on the conventional technique of a snug fit between the inserted prongs and the prong apertures used in existing plugs, but relies, instead, on retention of the prongs by the curved, sprung connector plates which, as indicated above are dimensioned to grip and retain the smallest prongs of the range of insertable plugs, but that are adapted to deform and flex to accommodate the largest prongs.

[0035] In the plug 10 illustrated in the Figures 1 to 10, the safety gate 36 is adapted for manual manipulation. The safety gate can be engaged by means of a thumbnail or the like in the area marked "SLIDE" in Figure 2, the safety gate 36 being biased to the closing position thereof by means of a set of springs 84 that draw the safety gate 36 into a slide way (not shown) formed between the channeled inner face of the top cover plate 28 and the inner surface of the top cover plate, thereby o+9ccluding the LIVE and NEUTRAL apertures 30, 34 formed in the top cover plate 28.

[0036] The safety gate 36 is locked in place by means of a locking mechanism constituted by a set of catch formations 86 that are adapted to engage complementary catch formations (not shown) on the under surface of the top cover plate. The locking mechanism is unlocked by inserting a male plug partially into the NEUTRAL and LIVE socket apertures 30, 34 (and the EARTH socket aperture 32 if appropriate), thereby depressing the safety gate occluder plate 38 and disengaging the catch formations 86 and allowing the withdrawal of the safety gate 36 against the bias of the springs 84 by means of manual manipulation of the slide handle grip formation 40.

[0037] In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 11 , 12 and 13, the plug 10' is formed with a slightly different locking mechanism and safety gate. The plug 10' is provided with a locking tab 88 that engages with a complementary locking formation (not shown) on an automatically operable safety gate 36' internally of the body of the plug 10'. Without manual actuation of the locking tab 88 (by depressing the locking tab 88 to the position illustrated in Figures 12 and 13) and manually releasing the locking mechanism, the safety gate 36' will not slide open to expose the LIVE and NEUTRAL apertures 30', 34' of the plug 10'.

[0038] Once the locking tab 88 has been depressed, as illustrated in Figure 12, the plug 10 is ready to receive the prongs of an inserted male plug (not shown). With the safety gate 36 unlocked, a cam formation (constituted by a sloping or chamfered surface 90) on the safety gate can now be acted upon by the NEUTRAL prong of the inserted plug, to urge the safety gate 36' out of the body of the plug 10' and to allow the insertion of the LIVE and NEUTRAL prongs of the inserted plug. This is the position illustrated in Figure 13 (in which the inserted plug is not shown for the sake of clarity). In this position, the safety gate 36' is slid open completely. Like the plug 10, the safety gate 36' of the plug 10' is spring biased to the closed position illustrated in Figures 11 and 12 and as soon as the inserted male plug is withdrawn, the safety gate 36' is sprung back to the closed, safe position illustrated in Figure 11.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising: a body; a primary electrical connector assembly including a primary, electrically conductive connection formation on the body for connecting the primary assembly electrically to a mains power supply in use and an electrical conductor electrically connected to the primary formation for connecting an electrically operable device to the mains power supply in use; a secondary electrical connector assembly including a plurality of sockets formed in the body, the sockets including electrical conductors electrically connected to the primary electrical connector assembly by means of which a secondary electrical plug connector may be connected electrically to the primary electrical connector assembly, in use to connect the secondary electrical connector to the mains power supply; and blocking means on the body that is movable, in use, between blocking and unblocking positions in which the blocking means, respectively, blocks and unblocks access to the electrically active connection of the secondary electrical connector assembly; the blocking means including a normally locked, manually operable locking mechanism adapted to lock the blocking means in the blocked position thereof; and the locking mechanism being manually actuable to release the blocking mechanism.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1 in which the primary electrical connector assembly is constituted by a male electrical power plug assembly that includes two or more pins or prongs that are adapted for insertion into a female electrical power socket.

3. The electrical connector of either of the preceding claims in which the blocking means is constituted by a safety gate movably housed within the connector body, the safety gate being movable to and from a blocked position in which the gate blocks at least the LIVE connection of the secondary electrical connector assembly.

4. The electrical connector of claim 3 in which the safety gate, in the blocked position, blocks the NEUTRAL and LIVE connections of the secondary electrical connector assembly.

5. The electrical connector of any one of the preceding claims in which the safety gate is provided with a cam formation that is adapted, in use, to interact with the pin or pins of an electrical plug inserted into the secondary electrical connector assembly in use, the cam formation being adapted to urge the safety gate from the blocking to the unblocking position thereof as the plug pin is inserted in use.

6. The electrical connector of claim 5 in which the safety gate is biased, by spring-loading or the like to the blocking position thereof.

7. The electrical connector of any one of the preceding claims in which the safety gate is locked in the blocking position thereof by a lock mechanism that is adapted to engage with and latch the safety gate in the blocked position, the lock mechanism including an externally accessible, actuator mechanism by means of which the lock mechanism may be disengaged from the safety gate to permit movement of the safety gate from the blocked to the unblocked position thereof in use.

8. The electrical connector of any one of the preceding claims in which the secondary electrical connector assembly is constituted by a three-aperture electrical socket arrangement that is adapted to accommodate the LIVE, NEUTRAL and EARTH pins or prongs of one of a number of male electrical plugs, selected from a pre-defined range of plugs.

9. The electrical connector of any one of the preceding claims in which the external socket apertures of the secondary electrical connector assembly formed on the body of the electrical connector are dimensioned to accept the largest prongs of the range of male plugs, the secondary electrical connector assembly including resiliently deformable plug prong grip formations constituting the socket electrical connectors, located within the body of the electrical connector, the grip formations being dimensioned to engage, grip and retain the smallest prongs of the range of plugs and being deformable to grip and retain the smallest to the largest prongs of the range of prongs.

10. The electrical connector of claim 9 in which the prong grip formations are constituted by electrical connector plates forming part of the electrical connection between the primary and secondary electrical connector assemblies, the connector plates being constituted by curved, inwardly facing pairs of plates that are adapted to engage with and grip opposite sides of the plug prongs of a male electrical plug inserted into the secondary electrical connector assembly in use.

11. The electrical connector of claim 10 which is formed with an extended EARTH socket slot that is adapted to accommodate the EARTH pins of a large variety of electrical plugs to be inserted into the socket constituted by the secondary electrical connector assembly.