Low-voltage, high current capacity connector assembly and mobile power tool and appliance operating system

• US 5,217,395 A
• Filed: 11/04/1991
• Issued: 06/08/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bean, Frederick R., Bailey, R. Roby, Schiazza, Alfred III, Nickels, Richard Jr., Grieb, Dale C., Walter, Richard T., O'Banion, Michael L., Sell, Michael R., Gierke, Martin P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pirlot, David
• Application Number:
  US07/787,543
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 439/578-585, 439/668, 439/669, 439/677, 439/678, 439/679, 439/92, 439/94, 439/638, 439/621, 439/622
• US Class Current: 439/668
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/50 Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/35 for non-simultaneous co-operation with different types of contact member, e.g. socket co-operating with either round or flat pin
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 27/00 Coupling parts adapted for co-operation with two or more dissimilar counterparts for dissimilar contact members H01R13/35; supported only by co-operation with a counterpart H01R31/00; with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/90
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 29/00 Coupling parts for selective co-operation with a counterpart in different ways to establish different circuits, e.g. for voltage selection, for series-parallel selection, programmable connectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The cylindrical plug of a low-voltage, high current capacity connector assembly has an axially positioned sleeve wiping contact and a transversely positioned U-shaped channel member to provide two pairs of planar wiping contact surfaces parallel to the plug axis and substantially perpendicular to the plug housing surface. The socket component, which will accept standard low-voltage, low current car appliance plugs, includes an internally mounted, closed face pin contact and a barrel contact having depending ears positioned to engage the protruding sides of the plug U-shaped channel member. The socket also has an internal boss and housing lip to prevent electrical activation of a standard automotive cigarette lighter plug, and the plug component of the connector assembly has the sleeve contact recessed to prevent contact following insertion into a conventional cigarette lighter socket. The mobile power tool and appliance operating system includes a portable lead-acid battery pack having a high current capacity socket compatible with existing low current plugs used with appliances intended to operate from automotive cigarette lighter sockets. Matable high current capacity plugs are attached to power tools and appliances through retractable cords. The battery pack is receivable in a 120 VAC powered charging base having a self-contained charging circuit including a transformer and a voltage regulator.

Claims

1. A low-voltage, high direct current connector assembly comprising:

an elongated, hollow socket having an axis of elongation, a pair of socket leads, and a plug-receiving axial end;

a plug receivable in said socket end upon insertion along said axis and having a pair of plug leads;

means for retaining said plug in said socket at a predetermined axial insertion position;

first wiping contact means for electrically connecting a respective one of said pair of socket leads to a respective one of said plug leads at said insertion position, said first wiping contact means including first mating contact surfaces positioned proximate said axis; and

second wiping contact means for radially aligning said plug upon insertion into said socket and for electrically interconnecting the other of said pair of socket leads to the other of said pair of plug leads at said insertion position, said second wiping contact means including second mating contact surfaces positioned distant said axis with said second mating contact surface of said socket including a wiping contact element that extends radially outward from said socket,

wherein said retaining means includes a shoulder formed on said plug and at least one spring finger resiliently supported on said socket, said spring finger being engageable with said plug shoulder at said insertion position to restrain movement counter to the insertion direction.

2. The connector assembly as in claim 1 wherein said second wiping contact means also comprises means for orienting said plug circumferentially with respect to said axis, and wherein said socket includes an axial socket extension cooperating with said second wiping contact means for orienting said plug.

3. The connector assembly as in claim 1, wherein said retaining means includes a shoulder formed on said plug and at least one spring finger integral with said conductive element and resiliently supported on said socket, said spring finger being engageable with said plug shoulder at said insertion position to restrain movement counter to the insertion direction.

4. The connector assembly as in claim 1 wherein said first wiping contact means includes a pin-and-sleeve contact, and wherein said pin component is positioned within said socket at the end thereof opposite said plug-receiving end and said sleeve component is attached to said plug in axial alignment with said pin component.

5. The connector assembly as in claim 1 wherein said second mating contact surface of said plug comprises a conductive member protruding radially from said plug, and said second mating contact surface of said socket comprises a conductive element positioned on the periphery of said socket for receiving said radially protruding conductive member during plug insertion to said insertion position.

6. The connector assembly as in claim 5 further including means for shielding a user'"'"'s hand from said radially protruding member during insertion of said plug into said socket.

7. A socket for a low-voltage, high direct current connector of the plug-and-socket type comprising:

a non-conductive, generally cylindrical housing having an axis and a plug-receiving axial end;

a first wiping electrical contact element positioned within said housing at the other housing axial end proximate said axis;

a second wiping electrical contact element electrically isolated from said first element and proximate the outer housing periphery of said housing at a preselected circumferential position, said second wiping contact element having at least one wiping contact surface parallel to said axis and extending outwardly from said housing substantially perpendicular to said housing outer periphery at said circumferential position,

wherein said first and second wiping contact elements are configured for mating with complementary wiping contact members carried by a high current plug during plug insertion to a predetermined axial location, and

wherein said second wiping contact element, upon mating with said complementary wiping contact member, radially aligns said plug relative to said socket upon plug insertion to said predetermined axial location.

8. The socket as in claim 7 wherein said housing includes an axial extension having tapering slots cooperating with said second wiping contact element for guiding the plug complementary wiping member.

9. The socket as in claim 7, wherein the socket is further configured to optionally receive conventional low current automotive appliance plugs of the type having an axially positioned abuttable contact member at the insertable plug end and a spring contact member positioned at the low current plug periphery, said first wiping contact element including means for electrically connecting to the abuttable contact member and said second wiping contact element including means for electrically connecting to the spring contact member when the end of the low current plug is inserted in the socket to a predetermined axial location.

10. The socket as in claim 9 wherein said second wiping contact element includes a barrel portion positioned within said housing, and wherein said spring contact connecting means includes said barrel portion being formed of a conductive material and extending axially to the position of the spring contact member when the low current plug is at said predetermined insertion location.

11. The socket as in claim 9 wherein said first wiping contact element is the pin component of a pin-and-sleeve contact and wherein said abuttable contact connecting means includes a conductive pin end face sized and positioned for abutting engagement with the abuttable contact upon insertion of the low current plug.

12. The socket as in claim 11, the socket further including a socket lead electrically connected to said pin, said lead comprising a tab extending from, and integral with, said pin component.

13. The socket as in claim 7 wherein said second wiping contact element comprises a barrel portion positioned within said housing and opposed integral ear portions extending substantially radially outward from said barrel portion parallel to said housing axis and substantially perpendicular to said housing periphery, wherein said socket further includes a socket lead comprising a tab extending from, and integral with, said barrel portion.

14. The socket as in claim 13 further including spring means configured and positioned for engaging recesses in the periphery of a plug for restraining the inserted plug against axial movement counter to the insertion direction, said spring means comprising a second tab integral with said barrel portion.

15. The socket as in claim 7 further including lockout means for preventing electrical connection to at least one of said first and second wiping contact elements upon insertion into the socket of a conventional automotive cigarette lighter plug of a kind having a generally cylindrical housing with an axially insertable end and having a heating element coiled in the axial face of the insertable lighter plug housing end.

16. The socket as in claim 15 wherein said lockout means includes a boss formed on the inside periphery of said socket housing surrounding said first wiping contact element, said boss configured to have an inner diameter less than that of the insertable lighter plug housing end and to extend axially toward said plug receiving end a distance greater than the comparable axial extent of said first wiping contact element.

17. The socket as in claim 15 wherein the cigarette lighter plug is of the type having a flange extending radially outward of the lighter plug housing at an axial location spaced from the heating element, the socket further including a socket housing axial extension having a radially inwardly turned lip portion, the inner diameter of said lip portion being less than the outer diameter of the lighter plug flange, said socket housing axial extension being configured to space said lip portion from said first wiping contact element a distance greater than the spacing between the lighter plug flange and the heating element.

18. A plug for a low-voltage, high direct current connector assembly of the plug-and-socket type comprising:

a generally cylindrical housing formed from a non-conductive material and having an axis and a housing axial end insertable in a socket;

a first wiping contact member positioned at said insertable housing end;

a second wiping contact member electrically isolated from said first member and extending radially outward from the periphery of said plug housing, said second member having at least one planar wiping surface disposed parallel to said housing axis and substantially perpendicular to said plug housing periphery, said second wiping contact member radially aligning said plug housing relative to said socket upon insertion of said plug housing into said socket and upon interconnection between said second wiping contact member and a corresponding contact element extending radially outward from said socket,

wherein said second member is U-shaped and protrudes radially outward of said plug housing at diametrically opposed locations, the bottom of said U-shaped member being proximate the housing insertion end, and the sides of the U-shaped member forming two pairs of planar wiping surfaces.

19. The plug as in claim 18 wherein said first wiping contact member is the sleeve component of a pin-and-sleeve contact.

20. The plug as in claim 18 including a pair of flange members connected to said plug housing and positioned between a user'"'"'s hand and said protruding portion of said second wiping contact member.

21. The plug as in claim 18 further including safeguard means for preventing electrical connection to at least one of said first and second wiping contact members upon inadvertent insertion of the plug into a conventional automotive cigarette lighter socket of the type having a contact face disposed in a plane axially spaced from a plug-receiving end and perpendicular to the direction of plug insertion.

22. The plug as in claim 21 wherein said safeguard means includes a non-conductive wall connected to said plug housing at said insertable housing end, said end wall having a port, and said first wiping contact member being positioned in said port axially recessed from the outer surface of said non-conductive wall.

23. A low-voltage, high direct current connector assembly, comprising:

an elongated, hollow socket having a central axis and a pair of socket leads, said socket including a generally cylindrical housing;

a plug receivable in said socket upon insertion along said axis, said plug having a pair of plug leads;

first contact means for electrically connecting a respective one of said pair of socket leads to a respective one of said plug leads upon insertion of said plug into said socket, said first contact means being positioned proximate said axis; and

second contact means for electrically interconnecting the other of said pair of socket leads to the other of said pair of plug leads upon insertion of said plug into said socket, said second contact means being positioned radially distant from said axis,

said second contact means including pin-and-sleeve contact means for orienting said plug circumferentially with respect to said axis upon insertion of said plug into said socket, said pin-and-sleeve contact means engaging at a site longitudinally distant from said first contact means relative to said axis and outside the periphery of said housing.

24. The connector assembly recited in claim 23, wherein said housing is formed of a conductive material electrically coupled to said second contact means and electrically isolated from said first contact means.

25. The connector assembly recited in claim 23, wherein said first contact means includes pin-and-sleeve contact elements.

26. The connector assembly recited in claim 25, wherein said pin elements of said first and second contact means are disposed on said socket, and said sleeve elements of said first and second contact means are disposed on said plug.

27. The connector assembly recited in claim 26, wherein said pin elements of said first and second contact means are in parallel alignment with each other, and said sleeve elements of said first and second contact means are in parallel alignment with each other.

28. A socket for a low-voltage, high direct current connector of the plug-and-socket type, comprising:

a generally cylindrical housing having an outer periphery, a central axis, and plug-receiving proximal and distal ends;

a first electrical contact element comprising a pin component of a pin-and-sleeve contact positioned proximate said axis within said housing at said proximal end; and

a second electrical contact element electrically isolated from said first element, said second element comprising a pin component of a pin-and-sleeve contact positioned radially distant from said axis and outside said outer periphery of said housing proximate said distal end,

said first and second contact elements configured for engageably mating with complementary sleeve components carried by a high current plug upon insertion of the plug into said housing to a predetermined axial location.

29. The socket recited in claim 28, wherein said housing is formed of a conductive material, and is electrically coupled to said second contact element and electrically isolated from said first contact element.

30. The connector assembly recited in claim 28, wherein said pin components of said first and second contact elements are in parallel alignment with each other.

31. A plug for a low-voltage, high direct current connector assembly of the plug-and-socket type, comprising:

a generally cylindrical housing formed from a nonconductive material having a central axis and an axial end insertable in a socket;

a first contact element positioned within said housing at said insertable end, said first contact element comprising a sleeve of a pin-and-sleeve contact with said sleeve being positioned proximate said axis; and

a second contact element electrically isolated from said first contact element, said second contact element comprising a sleeve of a pin-and-sleeve contact with said sleeve being positioned at an external periphery of said housing radially distant from said axis and longitudinally distant from said housing axial end,

said first and second contact elements configured for engageably mating with complementary pin components carried by a high current socket upon insertion of the plug into the socket to a predetermined axial location.

32. The plug recited in claim 31, wherein said sleeve elements of said first and second contact elements are in parallel alignment with each other.