Safety connector for household table-top electrical appliances

• US 6,623,276 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2002
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Furas SA (Leoni AG)
• Original Assignee: Furas SA (Leoni AG)
• Inventors: Pedroso García, Félix, Dalmau Ferrerfábrega, Octavi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ta, Tho D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Figueroa, Felix O.
• Application Number:
  US10/032,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20020086559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 439/38, 439/39, 439/40, 439/106, 439/101, 439/108, 335/205, 335/207
• US Class Current: 439/39
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet

Abstract

A safety connector for a table-top household electrical appliance, formed by a socket member (3) mounted in the appliance and a plug member (2) complementary to the socket member (3), and having magnets that allow a plugged-in position to be maintained and separation of both parts under an abnormal strain exerted on the plug member. The socket member (3) comprises pins (14) and a grounding arrangement (20), with a magnet arrangement (15) and two active armatures (16) between them. The plug member (2) comprises two flexible electrical contacts (7), spatially mating with the pins (14). An iron plate member (11) as passive armature is located between the electrical contacts (7) and when making connection, it faces the active armatures (16) of the magnet (15) and makes contact with the ground (20).

Claims

1. A safety connector for a household table-top electrical appliance, comprising an ensemble formed by two parts, one of which is fixed and comprises a socket member (3) mounted in the appliance, and the other is removable and comprises a plug member (2) mating with said socket member;

said plug member (2) comprises a terminal for an end of a flexible power cord (5), said power cord (5) having at the other end thereof a second plug member which is plugged into an electric main socket member;

said socket member further comprises magnetic means allowing a stable mechanical and electrical connection of said plug member and said socket member to be maintained and allowing the mechanical and electrical disconnection of said plug member and said socket member under an abnormal strain exerted on the plug member (2);

the socket member (3) comprises pins (14), associated with electrical load bearing members of the appliance, and a grounding arrangement (20), there being situated between said pins (14) (20) a magnet arrangement (15) and two active armatures (16);

further the plug member (2) comprises two resiliently flexible electrical contacts (7) spatially mating with a pins (14) of said socket member (3), there being situated between said electrical contacts (7) an iron plate member (11) as passive armature which, in the plugging in operation, is in facing alignment with the active armatures (16) of the magnet (15) and in contact with the ground (20).

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the socket member (3) is comprising an insulating capsular body member (12) mounted fixedly in the appliance and from the bottom of which the pins (14) and the grounding arrangement (20) disposed against a wall extend isolatedly and the magnet (15) and two active the armatures (16) thereof slightly project, having a hollow section (17) having an open end thereof directed toward an outside of the appliance, said hollow section (17) being complementary to a solid section (18) of an insulating body member (4) of the plug member (2).

3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the plug member (2) is comprising an insulating body member (4) that comprises in an interior thereof;

wires of one end of the power cord (5) connected to a fixed point (6) of each of the resiliently flexible electrical contacts (7) housed in said insulating body member (4), said electrical contacts (7) being located in respective passages (8) that debouch in respective openings spatially mating with the pins (14) of the socket member (3) and flanking the iron plate member (11) of the passive armature facing the active armatures (16) of the magnet (15) of said socket member (3).

4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the resilient electrical contacts (7) are provided with at least one functional part formed by a strip of resilient conductive material that is shaped in a portion having one or more opposed undulations (9) and terminating in a contact flange (10) for contacting tips of the pins (14), said electrical contacts (7), being in an unplugged position of said plug member and said socket member, longer than the distance defined between the fixed point (6) of anchorage of the electrical contacts (7) in the insulating body member (4) and the tips of the pins (14) when both parts are in the plugged-in position, whereby, in said plugged-in position, said electrical contacts (7) are compressed against the tips of the pins (14).

5. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the grounding arrangement (20) is comprising a tab (20a) arranged on a surface of a wall of the hollow section (17) of the insulating capsular body member (12).

6. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the plug member (2), inside the insulating body member, comprises the power cord (5) further including two current-bearing wires, a third ground wire that is connected to a fin (11a) of the iron plate member (11) forming the passive armature.

7. The connector according to claim 5, wherein the tab (20a) of the ground (2) of the socket member (3) has such a length as to make contact with the fin (11a) of the iron plate member (11) of the passive armature of the plug member (2) before the electrical contacts (7) make contact with the pins (14).

8. The connector according to claim 4, wherein the contact flange (10) of the resilient electrical contacts (7) is provided with a contact protuberance (10a) formed by stamping.

9. The connector according to claim 4, wherein the contact flange (10) of the resilient electrical contacts (7) is provided with a contact button of another good electrically conductive metal.