Electrical cable coupler with rotatable protective covers

• US 4,203,640 A
• Filed: 01/24/1979
• Issued: 05/20/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Interior
• Original Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Interior
• Inventors: Cooper, John H., Fenger, Michael L., Bice, Charles D.
• Primary Examiner(s): McGlynn, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US06/006,138
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 339/41, 339/42
• US Class Current: 439/139
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/4532 Rotating shutter

Abstract

An improved electrical cable coupler incorporates rotatable protective covers on its plug and socket members to automatically protect the plug and socket contacts against contamination when the plug and socket members are disconnected and to allow the contacts to be electrically engaged when the plug and socket members are connected together. Each protective cover includes one or more openings which correspond in number and location to the electrical contacts on the plug and socket members. Each cover is rotatable between a protective position in which its openings are out of alignment with the respective contacts to provide protection against contamination and an operative position in which the openings are aligned with the respective contacts to expose the contacts for electrical engagement. The protective covers are adapted to interlock when moved into face-to-face engagement so that, by twisting the plug and socket members in opposite directions, the cover openings are moved into registration with the contact elements to allow electrical engagement therebetween. At least one of the protective covers is slidably mounted to permit relative axial movement of the plug and socket members to bring the contacts into electrical engagement.

Claims

1. An electrical cable coupler, comprising:

a first coupler section including one or more electrical contact elements;

a second coupler section including one or more electrical contact elements adapted for engagement with said contact elements of said first coupler section;

a protective cover rotatably mounted on each coupler section for movement between a protective position wherein the respective contact elements are covered to an operative position wherein said contact elements are exposed; and

means for nonrotatably coupling said covers together upon movement of said covers into face-to-face engagement whereby upon relative rotation of said coupler sections each cover rotates to its operative position to expose said contact elements of each coupler section for electrical engagement.

2. The electrical cable coupler of claim 1, each coupler section includes:

means for normally biasing its protective cover toward the protective position to cover the respective electrical contact elements thereon.

3. The cable coupler of claim 1, which includes:

stop means provided on one of said coupler sections for limiting the rotation of its protective cover to define the protective and operative positions of said cover.

4. The electrical cable coupler of claim 1, wherein said coupling means comprises:

a key element provided on one of said protective covers for engagement with a slot formed in the other protective cover to interlock said covers for simultaneous rotation.

5. The electrical cable coupler of claim 1, which includes:

means for securing said coupler sections together to maintain said contact elements in electrical engagement.

6. The electrical cable coupler of claim 1, wherein:

each protective cover includes one or more openings therein for registration with the respective contact elements with said cover rotated to its operative position.

7. The electrical cable coupler of claim 6, wherein:

at least one of said protective covers is slidably mounted on its coupler section to permit axial movement of said coupler sections together to move said contact elements into electrical engagement upon rotation of each cover to its operative position.

8. An electrical cable coupler, comprising:

a plug member including one or more male electrical contact elements;

a socket member including one or more female electrical receptacles for receiving said male contact elements;

a first protective cover rotatably mounted on said plug member and provided with one or more openings therein for registration with said male contact elements, said first cover being normally biased to a protective position with its openings out of registration with said male contact elements and rotatable to an operative position with said openings in registration with said male contact elements;

a second protective cover rotatably mounted on said socket member and provided with one or more openings therein for registration with said female receptacles, said second cover being normally biased to a protective position with its openings out of registration with said female receptacles and rotatable to an operative position with said openings in registration with said female contact elements; and

coupling means for nonrotatably coupling said covers together upon movement of said covers into face-to-face engagement whereby upon relative rotation of said plug and socket members said covers rotate into the operative positions to move the respective openings into registration with said male contact elements and said female receptacles to permit electrical engagement therebetween.

9. The electrical cable coupler of claim 8, which includes:

first spring means on said plug member for normally biasing said first cover to its protective position; and

second spring means on said socket member for normally biasing said second cover to its protective position.

10. The electrical cable coupler of claim 8, wherein said coupling means comprises:

a key element provided on one of said protective covers for engagement with a slot formed in the other protective cover to interlock said covers for simultaneous rotation.

11. The electrical cable coupler of claim 8, which includes:

means for securing said plug and socket members together to maintain said male contact elements and said female receptacles in electrical engagement.

12. The electrical cable coupler of claim 8, wherein:

said plug member includes a recessed face from which said male contact elements project; and

said first protective cover is slidably mounted for movement toward and away from said recessed face in its operative position to permit said male contact elements to be received in said female receptacles upon axial movement of said plug and socket members together.

13. The electrical cable coupler of claim 12, which includes:

means for normally biasing said first protective cover outwardly away from said recessed face of said plug member.

14. The electrical cable coupler of claim 12, wherein said plug member includes:

an inner nonrotatable cover mounted adjacent to said protective cover for slidable movement toward and away from said recessed face, said inner cover including one or more openings therein aligned with said male contact elements to permit said male contact elements to project therethrough when said first protective cover is rotated to its operative position and moved inwardly toward said recessed face.

15. The electrical cable coupler of claim 8, which includes:

stop means provided on said socket member and engageable with said second protective cover to limit the rotation of said second protective cover relative to said socket member.

16. The electrical cable coupler of claim 15, wherein said stop means comprises:

a pin formed on said socket member and receivable in an arcuate slot formed in said second protective cover.