Connector for an electrical appliance, and a charger comprising such a connector

• US 6,461,190 B1
• Filed: 10/13/2000
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Boulay, Philippe, Pierart, Luc
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Assistant Examiner(s): NASRI, JAVAID H
• Application Number:
  US09/689,888
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 439/501, 439/502, 249/52, 241/30, 241/15.R, 191/12.4
• US Class Current: 439/501
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/60 Means for supporting coupling part when not engaged
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/72 Means for accommodating flexible lead within the holder

Abstract

The present invention relates to a connector for an electrical appliance, the connector comprising a housing supporting at least a pair of male pins designed to be electrically connected to conductive wires of a female socket, and a power cable. In the invention, said connector carries fixing means for fixing the power cable, which fixing means are suitable for receiving at least one of said male pins when the connector is in a storage position. Application in particular to mobile-telephone chargers.

Claims

1. A connector for an electrical appliance, the connector comprising a housing supporting at least a pair of male pins designed to be electrically connected to conductive wires of a female socket, and a power cable, the connector carrying fixing means for fixing the power cable, which fixing means are suitable for receiving at least one of said male pins when the connector is in a storage position;

and

wherein said fixing means includes a plate presenting a through-hole having dimensions that match a section of the at least one of the male pins onto which the plate is engaged in said storage position.

2. A connector according to claim 1, wherein said plate presents at least a second through-hole enabling fixing to be adjusted as a function of the length of the power cable.

3. A connector according to claim 1, wherein said pins extend substantially parallel and are separated along their entire length starting from the housing by a gap so as to enable a maximum amount of said power cable to be wound around said housing between the two pins.

4. A connector according to claim 1, wherein the two pins can be received simultaneously in said fixing means.

5. A connector according to claim 1, wherein the fixing means is fixed to said power cable.

6. A connector for an electrical appliance, the connector comprising a housing supporting at least a pair of male pins designed to be electrically connected to conductive wires of a female socket, and a power cable, the connector carrying fixing means for fixing the power cable, which fixing means are suitable for receiving at least one of said male pins when the connector is in a storage position;

and

wherein said fixing means is in the form of a cap, and in the storage position, one of the two pins is removably inserted in said cap.

7. A charger for a radio-communication terminal, the charger comprising:

a connector for an electrical appliance, the connector comprising a housing supporting at least a pair of male pins designed to be electrically connected to conductive wires of a female socket, and a power cable, the connector carrying fixing means for fixing the power cable, which fixing means are suitable for receiving at least one of said male pins when the connector is in a storage position; and

and electrical contact means situated at that end of said power cable which is remote from said housing, to make electrical contact between said power cable and the radio-communication terminal, wherein said fixing means form an integral part of said electrical contact means.

8. A charger according to claim 7, wherein said electrical contact means also have the function of supporting the radio-communication terminal.

9. A connector for an electrical appliance, comprising:

a housing supporting a pair of male pins for insertion into a female socket;

a power cable attached to said housing at a first end; and

a coupling device attached to a section of the power cable remote from the first end and having an insertion portion, the insertion portion removably couples to one of the pair of male pins and that secures the remote section of the power cable to said one of the pair of male pins when the connector is in a storage arrangement;

and wherein said coupling device is not in electrical contact with either of said male pins.

10. The connector according to claim 9, wherein said coupling device is a plate, and wherein said insertion portion is a through-hole in said plate and in which said one of the pair of male pins is resiliently inserted when said coupling device is coupled to said one of the pair of male pins.

11. The connector according to claim 10, wherein said plate has a second through hole in which said one of the pair of male pins can be resiliently inserted when said coupling device is coupled to said one of the pair of male pins to allow for a variation in distance between said coupling device and said pair of male pins.

12. The connector according to claim 9, wherein said coupling device is in the form of a cap, and in the storage arrangement, one of said two male pins is removably inserted in said cap.

13. The connector according to claim 9, wherein said power cable has a plug connection disposed at a second end that is opposite said first end for electrically connecting to one of a radiotelephone and a support for a radio telephone.

14. A connector for an electrical appliance, the connector comprising a housing supporting at least a pair of male pins designed to be electrically connected to conductive wires of a female socket, and a power cable attached to said housing at a first end, the connector carrying fixing means for fixing the power cable, which fixing means are suitable for receiving at least one of said male pins when the connector is in a storage position;

and

wherein said power cable has a plug connection disposed at a second end that is opposite said first end for electrically connecting to one of a radiotelephone and a support for a radio telephone.

15. A stowed connector for an electrical appliance, comprising:

a housing supporting a pair of male pins for insertion into a female socket;

a power cable attached to said housing at a first end and wound around the housing; and

a coupling device attached to a section of the power cable remote from the first end and having an insertion portion, the insertion portion removably coupled to one of the pair of male pins so as to secure the remote section of the power cable to said one of the pair of male pins while the connector is stowed.