Multipole electric plug and socket

• US 4,923,408 A
• Filed: 11/08/1988
• Issued: 05/08/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Grote & Hartmann GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Grote & Hartmann GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Zinn, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khiem
• Application Number:
  US07/268,813
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 439/357, 439/341, 439/367, 439/499, 439/686, 439/689, 439/695, 439/701
• US Class Current: 439/341
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/506 assembled by snap action of the parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/516 Means for holding or embracing insulating body, e.g. casing , hoods

Abstract

This invention concerns a multipole electric plug and socket device consisting of a plug enclosure and a socket box enclosure in which there are contact elements and mating contact elements connected to electric lines and accommodated in appropriate compartments, where the enclosure can be connected to a pivot hinge device and can be locked with a catch mechanism opposite the pivot hinge device, and box-shaped magazines having contact elements compartments can be inserted into the plug enclosure and/or the socket box enclosure, and these magazines have catch devices that interlock with mating catch devices on the housing walls, and the plug enclosure has an insertion orifice for frontal insertion of magazines at the front.

Claims

1. Multipole electric plug and socket device including a plug enclosure and a socket box enclosure each having a front and a rear and in which contact elements and mating contact elements attached to electric lines are accommodated in corresponding compartments, where the enclosures can be connected to a pivot hinge device and can be locked with a catch mechanism opposite the pivot hinge device, and box-shaped magazines each having at least one compartment for the contact elements can be inserted into the box-shaped interior of the plug enclosure or the socket box enclosure or both such enclosures, and the magazines have catch lock devices that lock with mating catch devices on the enclosure walls,

characterized in that at least one of the plug enclosure (13) and the socket box enclosure (3) have an insertion orifice (24) at either the front or the rear for insertion of at least one magazine (15, 16), the insertion orifice being adapted to the form and size of the magazine (15, 16), and that side walls (17, 18) of the plug enclosure extend forwardly from the rear wall (19) in a fork shape, and the side walls 917, 18) have angle bars (20) that are designed identically toward an interior space (4) at the top and bottom of the side walls and define angle recesses 921) facing toward the interior (14), the plug enclosure (13) is open between the upper angle bars (2)) and the lower angle bars (21) of the plug enclosure 913), and the box-shaped magazine (15, 16) has bar pieces 929) that are open toward the top and bottom in an extension of its side walls 927, 28) and fit so as to lock in the angle recesses 921) of angle bars (20) and free end edges (20a) of the angle bars (20) rest on upper edges 925a) of the walls of the compartments (25).

2. Electric plug and socket device according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two magazines (15, 16) are arranged in an extensible manner axially to the insertion orifice (24).

3. Plug and socket device according to claim 2, characterized in that one magazine (15) has a projection (30) that runs parallel with the longitudinal axis and forms a first half and another magazine (16) has a projection (31) that forms the mating half so when themagazines are placed together, they interlock to form the box shape of the magazine.

4. Plug and socket device according to claim 3, characterized in that the projections (30 and 31) are provided with compartments (25).

5. Plug and socket device according to claim 3, characterized in that tabs (32) with catch holes (33) are provided on the front end of the side walls (17, 18) of the plug enclosure (13) and form one part of the interlocking mechanism for the magazines (15, 16) where the other part consists of tabs (34) that are attached to the side walls (27, 28) of the magazine (16) at the front and have catch noses (35) on the outside that lock in the catch holes (33).

6. Plug and socket device according to claim 5 characterized in that grip pieces (36) are provided on the ends of the tabs (34) and run across the tab, forming a slit (37) between the tab.

7. Plug and socket device according to claims 5 or 6, characterized in that the tabs (32 and 34) do not cover the entire width of the walls (17, 18) and (27, 28) and a hinge tongue (40) with a mating hinge piece (41) extending toward the front is located beneath the tabs (34) so the mating hinge piece (41) can lock under a hinge piece (9) of the socket box enclosure (3).

8. Plug and socket device according to claim 1, characterized in that the socket box enclosure (3) has a catch block (10) on the rear end, and the plug enclosure (13) is provided with a spring tongue (42) that projects freely upward from the bottom with a catch nose piece (43) on the rear end, and the catch nose piece (43) locks in an undercut (12) on the catch block (10).

9. Plug and socket device according to claim 8, characterized in that a grip plate (44) that extends toward the rear is molded on the rear end of the plug enclosure (13) and has a hole (45) through which the upper part of spring tongue (42) passes.

10. Plug and socket device according to claim 3, characterized in that the magazines (15, 16) are designed identically and a closing wall (46) assumes the closing and locking mechanism function for the magazine with the plug enclosure (13).

11. Plug and socket device according to claim 10, characterized in that the closing wall (46) has two vertical angle bars (47) extending in the direction of the enclosure (13), a stop piece (48) projecting in the direction of the enclosure (13) is provided on the lower edge of the closing wall (46), a catch spring tongue (49) with a catch spring nose (50) is provided in the area of the upper edge, the closing wall (46) has hinge tongue (40) n the outside, and vertical bar pieces 951) running across the longitudinal extent of the enclosure and extending outward to lock into bar recesses (47a) of angle bars (47) are provided as the outer support for the closing wall (46) on the end of the side walls (17, 18).

12. Plug and socket device according to claim 3, characterized in that spring tongues (53) are provided opposite each other for interlocking the magazines (15, 16) in the side walls (17, 18) and extend in the direction of the insertion orifice (24) and have a grip piece (54) projecting over the outside surface of the walls (17, 18) on the outside so that the spring tongues (55) serve as mating catch devices on the magazines (15, 16) with catch noses (56) on the outside provided on the side walls (27, 28) opposite the projections (30, 31) and practically forming an extension of the side walls which is approximately as long as the projections (30, 31), and rectangular recesses (57) that are deeper than the thickness of the spring tongues (55) are provided in the side walls (27, 28).

13. Plug and socket device according to claim 3, characterized in that the insertion orifice (24) is provided on the rear end and a stop (60) is provided on the front end, and a hinge tongue (41) is provided on the outside of the front wall (60) on the housing (13) and said catch device comprise the catch devices for the magazines in the enclosure (13).

14. Plug and socket device according to claim 13, characterized in that the magazine (15) has a grip plate (44) and catch spring tongue (42) on the rear end.

15. Plug and socket device according to claim 1, characterized in that the plug enclosure (13) has a bottom wall (61) with holes (62) for contact pin (6) to pass through.