Male connector for non-arcing electrical coupling

• US 10,446,975 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2018
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Littelfuse Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Littelfuse Incorporated
• Inventors: Johnson, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Girardi, Vanessa
• Application Number:
  US16/040,997
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/03 characterised by the material, e.g. plating, or coating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/112 forked sockets having two legs
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/53 Bases or cases for heavy duty; Bases or cases for high voltage with means for preventing corona or arcing
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2101/00 One pole

Abstract

A non-arcing electrical coupling including a male connecter including an electrically conductive prong extending from an electrically insulating base member, the prong covered with an arc-mitigating coating formed of a resilient quantum tunneling compound, wherein the arc-mitigating coating exhibits a first electrical resistance when in an uncompressed state and exhibits a second electrical resistance when in a compressed state, the first electrical resistance greater than the second electrical resistance, and a female connecter including an electrically insulating base member defining a receptacle adapted to receive the prong of the male connecter, the receptacle containing an electrically conductive clip comprising a pair of electrically conductive tines adapted to compress at least a portion of the arc-mitigating coating when the prong is inserted into the receptacle.

Claims

1. A male connecter for a non-arcing electrical coupling, the male connecter comprising an electrically conductive prong extending from an electrically insulating base member, the prong covered with an arc-mitigating coating formed of a resilient quantum tunneling compound, wherein the arc-mitigating coating exhibits a first electrical resistance when in an uncompressed state and exhibits a second electrical resistance when in a compressed state, the first electrical resistance greater than the second electrical resistance.

2. The non-arcing electrical coupling of claim 1, wherein the quantum tunneling compound comprising a resilient rubber compound loaded with particles of electrically conductive material.

3. The non-arcing electrical coupling of claim 1, wherein the arc-mitigating coating has a uniform thickness.

4. The non-arcing electrical coupling of claim 3, wherein the thickness is in a range from 0.1 millimeters to 1 millimeter.

5. A non-arcing electrical coupling comprising:

a male connecter comprising an electrically conductive prong covered with an arc-mitigating coating, wherein the arc-mitigating coating exhibits a first electrical resistance when in an uncompressed state and exhibits a second electrical resistance when in a compressed state, the first electrical resistance greater than the second electrical resistance; and

a female connecter comprising a receptacle adapted to receive the prong, the receptacle containing an electrically conductive clip adapted to compress at least a portion of the arc-mitigating coating when the prong is inserted into the receptacle.

6. The non-arcing electrical coupling of claim 5, wherein the male connecter comprises a plurality of electrically conductive prongs.

7. The non-arcing electrical coupling of claim 5, wherein the arc-mitigating coating is formed of a quantum tunneling compound.

8. The non-arcing electrical coupling of claim 7, wherein the quantum tunneling compound comprising a resilient rubber compound loaded with particles of electrically conductive material.

9. The non-arcing electrical coupling of claim 5, wherein the arc-mitigating coating has a uniform thickness.

10. The non-arcing electrical coupling of claim 9, wherein the thickness is in a range from 0.1 millimeters to 1 millimeter.

11. The non-arcing electrical coupling of claim 5, wherein the clip comprises a pair of tines defining a gap therebetween for receiving the prong, wherein the tines forcibly engage the prong when the prong is disposed within the gap.

12. The non-arcing electrical coupling of claim 11, wherein the tines are flexible and engage opposing sides of the receptacle.

13. The non-arcing electrical coupling of claim 11, wherein terminal ends of the tines are angled away from one another for receiving the prong in a funnel-like fashion.

14. A non-arcing electrical coupling comprising:

a male connecter comprising an electrically conductive prong extending from an electrically insulating base member, the prong covered with an arc-mitigating coating formed of a resilient quantum tunneling compound, wherein the arc-mitigating coating exhibits a first electrical resistance when in an uncompressed state and exhibits a second electrical resistance when in a compressed state, the first electrical resistance greater than the second electrical resistance; and

a female connecter comprising an electrically insulating base member defining a receptacle adapted to receive the prong of the male connecter, the receptacle containing an electrically conductive clip comprising a pair of electrically conductive tines adapted to compress at least a portion of the arc-mitigating coating when the prong is inserted into the receptacle.

15. The non-arcing electrical coupling of claim 14, wherein the quantum tunneling compound comprising a resilient rubber compound loaded with particles of electrically conductive material.

16. The non-arcing electrical coupling of claim 14, wherein the male connecter comprises a plurality of electrically conductive prongs.

17. The non-arcing electrical coupling of claim 14, wherein the tines are flexible and engage opposing sides of the receptacle.

18. The non-arcing electrical coupling of claim 14, wherein terminal ends of the tines are angled away from one another for receiving the prong in a funnel-like fashion.

19. The non-arcing electrical coupling of claim 14, wherein the arc-mitigating coating has a uniform thickness.

20. The non-arcing electrical coupling of claim 19, wherein the thickness is in a range from 0.1 millimeters to 1 millimeter.