ELECTRICAL COUPLING WITH PRESSURE CONTACTS AND MULTIPLE CONDUCTANCE PATHS

• US 3,789,346 A
• Filed: 09/05/1972
• Issued: 01/29/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Baker Mine Services Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Eric D.E. Brick
• Inventors: De Brick, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): McGlynn, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US05/286,012
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 339/45,89,90,94,177,258,259,262
• US Class Current: 439/283
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/02 Contact members

Abstract

Electrical coupling includes a plug and receptacle. The plug has multiple pin contacts engageable within socket contacts in the receptacle. The pin contacts are split expandable tubes telescopically engageable within bores in the socket contacts which are non-expandable. Auxiliary pressure and contact means includes tapered plugs within the socket contacts, pressed outwardly by springs to engage tapered bores in the tubular pin contacts to expand the latter into substantial electrically conductive engagement with the bores of the socket contacts. Two conductive paths are thereby created between each corresponding pin contact and socket contact. One conductive path is established through the outer surface of the pin contact and the bore of the socket contact, and another conductive path is established through the bore of the pin contact and the tapered plug.

Claims

1. A detachable two-part multiple pin and socket electrical coupling comprising:

a housing including a pair of housing shells with open-ended confronting portions;

one of said housing shells being a plug housing shell and having a plurality of pin contacts embedded in a body of electrical insulating material therein, said pin contacts having expandible forward tubular portions extending from the insulating material in said plug housing shell and having forwardly open axial bores;

the other of said housing shells being a receptacle housing shell and having a plurality of socket contacts embedded in a body of electrical insulating material therein, said socket contacts having bores suitably dimensioned and suitably disposed in said receptacle housing shell to telescopically receive said pin contacts in electrically conductive relation when said plug and receptacle housing shells are assembled;

auxiliary pressure and contact means including tapered plugs independently telescopically movable within the bores of said socket contacts and electrically connected thereto and biasing means within the bores of said socket contacts biasing said tapered plugs in an outward direction and engageable with said forwardly open axial bores in said pin contacts effective to expand said pin contacts and press the outer surfaces thereof into substantial electrically conductive engagement with the bores of corresponding socket contacts;

whereby a first conductive path between each corresponding pin and socket contact is established through the outer surface of the pin contact and the bore of the socket contact, and a second conductive path is established through the bore of the pin contact and the socket contact.

2. A detachable two-part multiple pin and socket electrical coupling according to claim 1 in which said biasing means comprises separate spring-like elements in the bores of said socket contacts acting to press said tapered plug independently into said forwardly open axial bores in said pin contacts to thereby independently expand said pin contacts into electrically conductive engagement with the bores of the corresponding socket contacts.

3. A detachable two-part multiple pin and socket electrical coupling comprising:

a housing including a pair of housing shells with open-ended confronting portions;

one of said housing shells being a plug housing shell and having a plurality of pin contacts embedded in a body of electrical insulating material therein, said pin contacts having expandible forward tubular portions extending from the insulating material in said plug housing shell and having forwardly enlarging tapered bores;

the other of said housing shells being a receptacle housing shell and having a plurality of socket contacts embedded in a body of electrical insulating material therein, said socket contacts having bores suitably dimensioned and suitably disposed in said receptacle housing shell to telescopically receive said pin contacts in electrically conductive relation when said plug and receptacle housing shells are assembled;

auxiliary pressure and contact means including tapered plugs within said socket contacts and electrically connected thereto and engageable with said tapered bores in said pin contacts effective to expand said pin contacts and press the outer surfaces thereof into substantial electrically conductive engagement with the bores of corresponding socket contacts, and said tapered plugs are guided for limited telescopic movement within the respective socket contacts and are urged in an outward direction by spring-biasing means;

whereby a first conductive path between each corresponding pin and socket contact is established through the outer surface of the pin contact and the bore of the socket contact, and a second conductive path is established through the bore of the pin contact and the socket contact.

4. A detachable two-part multiple pin and socket electrical coupling according to claim 3 in which said spring-biasing means comprises a spring seated in the bore of each socket contact compressibly interposed between the inner ends of each socket contact and the tapered plug contained therein.

5. A detachable two-part multiple pin and socket electrical coupling comprising:

a housing including a pair of housing shells with open-ended confronting portions;

sealing means between said housing shells including mutually engageable continuous peripheral seats extending about said open-ended confronting portions;

positive assembling and disassembling means between said housing shells including a locking ring rotatably secured on and limitedly axially movable relative to one of said housing shells;

said locking ring being threadedly connected with the other of said housinG shells, for moving said housing shells and locking them together in assembled position with said seats engaged to seal the interior of said housing in response to rotation of said locking ring in one direction, and for moving said housing shells apart to disassemble them in response to rotation of said locking ring in the opposite direction;

said locking ring being engageable with said one housing shell while threadedly engaged with said other housing shell to enable said locking ring to cam said shells apart and forcibly disengage said seats in response to rotation of said locking ring in said opposite direction;

one of said housing shells bieng a plug housing shell and having a plurality of pin contacts embedded in a body of electrical insulating material therein, said pin contacts having expandible forward tubular portions extending from the insulating material in said plug housing shell and having forwardly open axial bores;

the other of said housing shells being a receptcle housing shell and having a plurality of socket contacts embedded in a body of electrical insulating material therein, said socket contacts having bores suitably dimensioned and suitably disposed in said receptacle housing shell to telescopically receive said pin contacts in electrically conductive relation when said plug and receptacle housing shells are in said assembled position; and

auxiliary pressure and contact means including tapered plugs independently telescopically movable within the bores of said socket contacts and electrically connected thereto and biasing means within the bores of said socket contacts biasing said tapered plugs in an outward direction and engageable with said forwardly open axial bores in said pin contacts effective to expand said pin contacts and press the outer surfaces thereof into substantial electrically conductive engagement with the bores of corresponding socket contacts;

whereby a first conductive path between each corresponding pin and socket contact is established through the outer surface of the pin contact and the bore of the socket contact, and a second conductive path is established through the bore of the pin contact and the socket contact.

6. A detachable two-part multiple pin and socket electrical coupling according to claim 6 in which the plug housing shell includes a main shell member with a first annular flange encircling an open end thereof, a sleeve member threadedly engaged with said main shell member within said open end and having a second annular flange disposed forwardly of said first annular flange, the axial spacing between said flanges being determined by rotational adjustment of said sleeve member, said peripheral seat on said plug housing shell being disposed on the forward end of said sleeve member, and said locking ring having an inner flange disposed in said axial spacing between said first and second flanges and engageable respectively therewith upon rotation of said locking ring in one direction or the other.