Heavy duty electrical connection system

• US 5,449,302 A
• Filed: 08/24/1993
• Issued: 09/12/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cooper Industries, Inc. (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Industries, Inc. (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Holloway, David C., Bedford, David K., Berry, Richard C., Yarbrough, Garrett S.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHIEM M
• Application Number:
  US08/111,260
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 439/92, 439/95, 439/97, 439/488, 439/491, 439/677, 439/680, 439/681, 439/695, 439/701
• US Class Current: 439/680
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/645 by exchangeable elements on case or base

Abstract

The present invention serves to prevent severe injury, loss of life or damage to expensive equipment by creating a system in which the conductors of a plug and the conductors of a receptacle can only be arranged, one with respect to the other, in a unique rotational manner depending upon the intended electrical rating of the plug and receptacle. The resulting plug will mate only with a receptacle having that same configuration. A separate indexer is disposed between the plug body and the conductor assembly to the conductors in the plug to prevent entry of the plug into a differently indexed receptacle. A polarizer in the receptacle fixes the conductor assembly of the receptacle in the same manner as the plug, to allow the plug and receptacle to be mated together when the receptacle is wired for the same electrical rating as the equipment to be energized by the plug. Visual means of identifying the rotational attitude of conductors is provided whereby the electrical rating of the plug or receptacle can be easily identified. The visual means of identification may include color as well as printed coding information.

Claims

1. A heavy duty electrical plug, said plug comprising:

a female conductor assembly for insertion into a receptacle, said female conductor assembly including;

a first end having a plurality of female conductors extending therefrom and having a substantially irregular shape;

a second end having means for electrical and mechanical connection to a plurality of wires;

a sleeve having a substantially circular interior for housing said female conductors and having a first inwardly facing shoulder in the interior thereof;

a substantially circular indexer, said indexer dimensioned to fit within said sleeve between said sleeve and said female conductor assembly, said indexer held within said sleeve by said first inwardly facing shoulder and;

means to prevent rotational movement between said conductor assembly and said sleeve including;

a plurality of indexing teeth formed around a second side of said indexer and a plurality indexing notches formed in said first inwardly facing shoulder in said interior of said sleeve, said indexing teeth adapted to engage said indexing notches upon insertion of said indexer into said sleeve thereby preventing rotation of said indexer with respect to said sleeve and,

a substantially irregular shaped aperture in said indexer, the interior of said aperture slightly larger than said substantially irregular-shaped first end of said female conductor assembly, whereby said first end of said female conductor assembly extends through said aperture thereby preventing rotation of said indexer with respect to said conductor assembly,

whereby, when said plug is assembled, said plurality of female conductors are held in a first rotational attitude with respect to said sleeve.

2. The heavy duty electrical plug defined in claim 1, whereby said means to prevent rotation between said conductor assembly and said sleeve further includes:

at least one notch in the outside diameter of said female conductor assembly, said at least one notch constructed and arranged to hold at least one protrusion extending from a first side of said indexer.

3. The heavy duty plug assembly defined in claim 2, further including a ground clip, said ground clip extending between the providing electrical grounding between said conductor assembly and said sleeve.

4. The heavy duty electrical plug defined in claim 3, whereby said at least one protrusion extending from said first side of said indexer includes a slot, said slot constructed and arranged to house said grounding clip.

5. The heavy duty plug assembly defined in claim 4, whereby said interior of said sleeve includes a second inwardly facing shoulder, said second inwardly facing shoulder including a plurality of ground notches formed therein.

6. The heavy duty plug assembly defined in claim 5, whereby said ground clip includes at least one grounding tooth formed at a first end thereof, said at least one grounding tooth constructed and arranged to engaged any of said plurality of grounding notches formed in said second inwardly facing shoulder of said sleeve.

7. The heavy duty plug assembly defined in claim 6, whereby one of said plurality of conductors is a ground conductor, said ground conductor having means for electrical and mechanical attachment to said grounding clip.

8. The heavy duty electrical plug defined in claim 7, including visual means for identification of said first rotational attitude of said female conductors, said visual means operable when said plug is assembled.

9. The heavy duty electrical plug defined in claim 8, whereby said visual means for identity of said first rotational attitude includes:

a window opening formed in said sleeve;

an arm and tab extending from said second side of said indexer, said tab constructed and attached to become visible through said window opening when said plug is assembled.

10. The heavy duty electrical plug defined in claim 9, whereby said indexer can only be inserted into said sleeve in a manner allowing said tab to become visible through said window opening when said plug is assembled.

11. The heavy duty electrical plug defined in claim 10, whereby said tab includes a first ramped portion at a first end and said window opening includes a mating ramped portion at a first end whereby said first and mating ramped portions cooperate to retain said tab in said window opening.

12. The heavy duty electrical plug defined in claim 11, whereby said tab includes a step formed at a second end, said step constructed and arranged to cooperate with said window opening to retain said indexer in said sleeve.

13. The heavy duty electrical plug defined in claim 12, whereby said tab includes printed information identifying the electrical rating of said plug.

14. The heavy duty electrical plug defined in claim 13, whereby said tab includes a color code to identify said electrical rating of said plug.

15. A heavy duty electrical plug, said plug comprising:

a female conductor assembly for insertion into a receptacle, said female conductor assembly including;

a first end having a plurality of female conductors extending therefrom and having a substantially irregular shape;

a second end having means for electrical and mechanical connection to a plurality of wires;

a sleeve having a substantially circular interior for housing said female conductors and having a first inwardly facing shoulder in the interior thereof;

a substantially circular indexer, said indexer dimensioned to fit within said sleeve between said sleeve and said female conductor assembly, said indexer held within said sleeve by said first inwardly facing shoulder; and

means to prevent rotational movement between said conductor assembly and said sleeve including;

a plurality of indexing teeth formed around a second side of said indexer and a plurality indexing notches formed in said first inwardly facing shoulder in said interior of said sleeve, said indexing teeth adapted to engage said indexing notches upon insertion of said indexer into said sleeve thereby preventing rotation of said indexer with respect to said sleeve;

a substantially irregular shaped aperture in said indexer, the interior of said aperture slightly larger than said substantially irregular-shaped first end of said female conductor assembly, whereby said first end of said female conductor assembly extends through said aperture thereby preventing rotation of said indexer with respect to said conductor assembly; and

visual means for identification of said first rotational attitude of said female conductors, said visual means including;

a window opening formed in said sleeve;

an arm and tab extending from said second side of said indexer, said tab constructed and attached to become visible through said window opening when said plug is assembled;

whereby said indexer can only be inserted into said sleeve in a manner allowing said tab to become visible through said window opening when said plug is assembled.