ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR

• US 3,697,932 A
• Filed: 03/29/1971
• Issued: 10/10/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: August I. Keto, James R. Farley
• Original Assignee: August I. Keto, James R. Farley
• Inventors: Keto, August I., Farley, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Richard E.
• Application Number:
  US05/128,729
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 339/147,111,213,242,94 174/71C,72,73 337/187,201,188,189,202
• US Class Current: 439/183
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/02 Intermediate parts for distributing energy to two or more circuits in parallel, e.g. splitter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/92
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 15/12 for incorporating transformers, loading coils or amplifiers

Abstract

An electrical connector for connecting a plurality of electrical load circuits to an electrical distribution loop via a removable element, such as a current limiting fuse. The connector includes a housing formed of an insulating resin system, including a chamber in which the removable element is disposed. First and second spaced contacts are carried by the housing which cooperate with first and second spaced electrodes carried by the removable element, to interconnect the first and second spaced contacts via the removable element. The housing defines first and second integral, tubular outward projections in which contacts are disposed which are connected to the first contact, and a plurality of additional integral, tubular outward projections in which contacts are disposed which are connected to the second contact. The first and second tubular projections are adapted to removably receive and electrically interconnect first and second electrical cables, respectively, in the electrical distribution loop, and the plurality of additional tubular projections are adapted to removably receive electrical cables connected to load circuits. Arc extinguishing members are carried by the housing and by the removable member, to make the assembly and disassembly of the connector load-make and load-break at the contact connected to the electrical distribution loop.

Claims

1. An electrical connector for interconnecting an electrical distribution loop with a plurality of electrical circuits via a removable connecting element, comprising:

an insulating housing formed of a resin system, including a substantially cylindrical main body portion which defines a chamber having open and closed ends, first and second substantially tubular portions which extend outwardly from the main body portion near the closed end of the chamber, and a plurality of additional substantially tubular portions axially spaced from the first and second tubular portions, which also extend outwardly from the main body portion, said first and second and said plurality of additional substantially tubular portions each defining a recess having an open and a closed end, first contact means carried by said insulating housing, including first, second and third interconnected contact members, said first contact member extending coaxially into said chamber through its closed end, and said second and third contact members extending coaxially into the recesses of said first and second substantially tubular portions, respectively, through their closed ends, second contact means carried by said insulating housing, axially spaced from said first contact means, said second contact means including a tubular contact member disposed coaxially with the chamber of the insulating housing, having an inner surface which is accessible from within the chamber, and a plurality of contact members fixed to said tubular contact member which extend into the recesses of said plurality of additional substantially tubular portions, respectively, through the closed ends of the recesses, means removably disposed in the chamber of said insulating housing having first and second spaced contact assemblies, and means electrically interconnecting said first and second spaced contact assemblies, said first and second contact assemblies engaging the first contact member of said first contact means, and the inside surface of the tubular contact member of said second contact means, respectively, a first resilient, electrically conductive tubular member having first and second ends, disposed in each of said first and second and additional plurality of substantially tubular portions of said insulating housing, with the first end of the first resilient electrically conductive tubular member starting at the closed end of its associated recess, and surrounding the contact member which extends into the recess, whereby the first and second substantially tubular portions of said housing are adapted to receive plug-in connectors connected to the electrical distribution loop, and the additional plurality of substantially tubular portions of said housing are adapted to receive plug-in connectors connected to the electrical circuits to be connected to the electrical distribution loop via said means removably disposed in the chamber of said insulating housing.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1 including an electrically conductive coating disposed on the outer surface of the insulating housing.

3. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the outer surfaces of each of the first resilient electrically conductive tubular members are bonded to the insulating housing.

4. The electrical connector of claim 1 including a second tubular resilient member having first and second ends disposed in each of the recesses defined by the first and second and additional substantially tubular portions of the insulating housing, with its first end overlapping the second end of the first resilient member to provide a seal, and its second end starting adjacent to the open end of the recess.

5. The electrical connector of claim 4 wherein the second tubular resilient member includes an electrically conductive portion starting at its second end and an insulating portion starting at its first end, with the electrically conductive insulating portions joining intermediate the first and second ends.

6. The electrical connector of claim 5 including an electrically conductive coating disposed on the outside surface of the insulating housing, with the electrically conductive portion of each of the second tubular resilient members contacting said electrically conductive coating.

7. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the means removably disposed in the chamber of the insulating housing includes a current limiting fuse.

8. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the plurality of contact members fixed to the tubular contact of the second contact means include at least one elongated metallic member having first and second ends, with an intermediate portion of the elongated metallic member being fixed to the outer surface of the tubular contact, and with the first and second ends of the elongated metallic member extending into different recesses.

9. The electrical connector of claim 8 including a second elongated metallic member having first and second ends, with an intermediate portion of the second metallic member being fixed to the outer surface of the tubular contact, and with its first and second ends extending into different recesses.

10. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the means removably disposed in the chamber of the insulating housing seals the open end of the chamber.

11. The electrical connector of claim 1 including a cylindrical metallic housing having first and second open ends, with the second open end adjustably disposed about the insulating housing, and including cover means for closing the first open end of the cylindrical metallic housing.

12. The electrical connector of claim 11 including an intermediate housing of insulating material disposed within the cylindrical metallic housing, which encloses and seals the open end of the insulating housing.

13. The electrical connector of claim 1 including first and second arc extinguishing members carried by the insulating housing and means removably disposed in the chamber of the insulating housing, respectively, which are disposed to confine and extinguish an arc formed between the first contact member of the first contact means and the first contact assembly of the means removably disposed in the chamber of the insulating housing.

14. The electrical connector of claim 1 including an auxiliary removable element having a single contact adapted to engage the tubular contact member of the second contact means, and including an electrically conductive shaft member connected to said single contact, with said electrically conductive shaft member being accessible external to the electrical connector, enabling it to be visibly connected to ground.