Electrical connector and method of manufacturing same

• US 7,566,223 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2007
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wadsworth, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilman; Alexander
• Application Number:
  US11/788,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20080261430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 439/21, 439 20- 26, 439/27, 439/28, 439/640, 439/106, 439/11
• US Class Current: 439/21
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/652 with earth pin, blade or socket
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/30 with additional earth or shield contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 35/04 Turnable line connectors with limited rotation angle with frictional contact members
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 39/64 Devices for uninterrupted current collection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/532 Conductor

Abstract

An electrical connector (100) includes: (a) two or more conductors (120, 122, 124), each conductor of the two or more conductors has an inner radius (775) and an inner surface (721, 723, and 725) along the inner radius; (b) two or more electrical prongs (110, 112, 114), each prong of the two or more electrical prongs contacts and is electrically coupled to the inner surface of one of the two or more conductors; and (c) a housing (130) having a first portion (132) and enclosing the two or more conductors and a first portion of each of the two or more electrical prongs.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising:

two or more conductors, each conductor of the two or more conductors has an inner radius and an inner surface along the inner radius;

two or more electrical prongs, each prong of the two or more electrical prongs contacts and is electrically coupled to the inner surface of one of the two or more conductors; and

a housing having a first portion and enclosing the two or more conductors and a first portion of each of the two or more electrical prongs,

wherein;

a second portion of each of the two or more electrical prongs is capable of being inserted into an electrical outlet;

the two or more electrical prongs extend out of the first portion of the housing and are capable of being rotated about an axis substantially perpendicular to the first portion of the housing;

the two or more conductors are substantially stationary relative to the axis when the two or more electrical prongs are rotated; and

the two or more conductors comprise;

a first conductor comprising a first portion of a first ring;

a second conductor comprising a second portion of the first ring; and

a third conductor comprising a third portion of a second ring.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein:

the two or more conductors are parallel to two or more planes in the housing; and

the two or more planes are substantially perpendicular to the axis.

3. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein:

a second portion of the housing and the two or more electrical prongs are capable of being rotated about the axis relative to a third portion of the housing and the two or more conductors.

4. The electrical connector of claim 1, further comprising:

a cable comprising two or more electrical wires, wherein;

a portion of the cable is enclosed in the housing; and

each conductor of the two or more conductors is electrically coupled to one wire of the two or more wires.

5. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein:

each prong of the two or more electrical prongs comprises;

an arm having a distal end and a proximal end opposite the distal end; and

a flange coupled to the proximal end of the arm.

6. The electrical connector of claim 5, wherein:

the inner surface of each of the two or more conductors contacts and is electrically coupled to the flange of one of the two or more electrical prongs; and

the second portion of each prong of the two more electrical prongs comprises the distal end of each arm.

7. The electrical connector of claim 5, wherein:

the arm of a first prong of the two or more electrical prongs has a first length; and

the arm of a second prong of the two or more electrical prongs has a second length, different from the first length.

8. The electrical connector of claim 7, wherein:

the arm of a third prong of the two or more electrical prongs has a third length, different from the first and second lengths.

9. The electrical connector of claim 7, wherein:

the arm of a third prong of the two or more electrical prongs has the first length.

10. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein:

the housing comprises;

a first outer portion;

a second outer portion comprising a main face, the main face having an aperture; and

a plug face portion adjacent to the aperture in the main face of the second outer portion; and

the first portion of the housing comprises the plug face portion.

11. The electrical connector of claim 10, wherein:

the plug face portion is rotatably coupled to the first outer portion and the second outer portion and is rotatable with the two or more electrical prongs.

12. The electrical connector of claim 10, further comprising:

a cable coupled to the two or more conductors, wherein;

the first outer portion of the housing forms a first portion of a cable receiving aperture;

the second outer portion of the housing forms a second portion of the cable receiving aperture; and

a portion of the cable is located within the cable receiving aperture.

13. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein:

a first prong of the two or more electrical prongs contacts a first portion of the inner surface of a first one of the two or more conductors;

the first prong of the two or more electrical prongs contacts at least a second portion of the inner surface of the first one of the two or more conductors when the two or more electrical prongs are rotated about the axis;

a second prong of the two or more electrical prongs contacts a first portion of the inner surface of a second one of the two or more conductors; and

the second prong of the two or more electrical prongs contacts at least a second portion of the inner surface of the second one of the two or more conductors when the two or more electrical prongs are rotated about the axis.

14. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein:

the two or more prongs can rotate at least one hundred and twenty degrees about the axis.

15. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein:

the two or more prongs can rotate at least ninety degrees about the axis.