Corrosion resistant electrical assembly with connectors and multi-port junction block

• US 8,888,535 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2012
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shur-Co LLC
• Original Assignee: Shur-Co LLC
• Inventors: Knight, Steven James, Anderson, Jason E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke, R S
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, HARSHAD C
• Application Number:
  US13/608,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20140073180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 439650-654, 439/588, 439/76.2, 439/272, 439/273, 439/281, 439/282, 439/347, 439/723, 439/724, 439/949, 439503-505, 439/511, 439/211, 439/212, 439/214, 174 48- 50, 174/56, 174/520, 174/541, 174/480, 174/481, 174/72.A, 174/72.R, 174/563, 361/679.01, 361/752, 361/823
• US Class Current: 439/650
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5221 having cable sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6392 for extension cord
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles

Abstract

A corrosion resistant electrical system for communicating between a power source and multiple electric devices on a truck box or trailer. A hard plastic junction block with a male connector for power input communicates internally with two or more female connectors for power output, allowing multiple electric motors or other devices to receive electricity from a single power cable. The assembly includes cables with female or male connectors at the ends, the connectors having corresponding projecting portions and passageways, and U-shaped flanges and spaces, that fit together. The space between the projecting portions and the passageways are sealed by a resilient gasket around the projecting portion, and the U-shaped flanges and projecting portions contain aligned apertures to receive a lock pin to secure the mated connectors together.

Claims

1. A corrosion resistant connection system, comprising:

a male connector and a female connector configured to move together in a longitudinal direction into a mated condition and being movable in an opposite longitudinal direction from the mated condition into an unmated condition, a primary interface plane being defined at a convergence of primary interface surfaces of the male and female connectors in the mated condition, a secondary interface plane being located in one said longitudinal direction from the primary interface plane and a tertiary interface plane being located in an opposite said longitudinal direction from the primary interface plane;

wherein the male connector has at least two electrically-conductive prongs and a male body formed of a non-conductive material, longitudinal axes of the prongs being oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction, the male body having a male primary interface surface lying substantially in the primary interface plane;

wherein the female connector has at least two electrically-conductive sockets and a female body formed of a non-conductive material, the sockets extending into the female body of the female connector, the female body having a female primary interface surface lying substantially in the primary interface plane for positioning adjacent to the male primary interface surface in the mated condition of the connectors;

wherein the male body of the male connector has a projecting portion protruding from the male primary interface surface, the female body of the female connector having a passageway configured to receive the projecting portion of the male body in the mated condition, the passageway extending into the female primary interface surface toward the secondary interface plane;

wherein the projecting portion and the passageway are located between the primary interface plane and the secondary interface plane in the mated condition of the connectors;

wherein the male body of the male connector has a recess extending about a portion of the male primary interface surface and a key extending about a remainder portion of the male primary interface surface;

wherein the female body of the female connector has a flange configured to be received in the recess of the male body of the male connector in the mated condition, the flange defining a key slot configured to receive the key when the connectors are in the mated condition such that the flange and the key form a continuous perimeter when the connectors are in the mated condition; and

wherein the recess and the key of the male body and the flange and key slot of the female body are located between the primary interface plane and the tertiary interface plane in the mated condition of the connectors.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the male body includes:

a male secondary interface surface lying substantially in the secondary interface plane, the at least two prongs extending outwardly from the male body at the male secondary interface surface

a male tertiary interface surface lying substantially in the tertiary interface plane;

wherein the female body includes;

a female secondary interface surface lying substantially in the secondary interface plane for positioning adjacent to the male secondary interface surface in the mated condition, the at least two sockets extending into the female secondary interface surface; and

a female tertiary interface surface lying substantially in the tertiary interface plane for positioning adjacent to the male tertiary interface surface in the mated condition.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the primary interface plane, the secondary interface plane and the tertiary interface plane are oriented substantially parallel to each other.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the primary interface plane, the secondary interface plane, and the tertiary interface plane are oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the flange of the female body has a substantially U-shaped configuration with a pair of legs defining the key slot therebetween.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the recess of the male body has a substantially U-shaped configuration with the key being located between ends of legs of the recess.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the flange of the female body is formed by a wall with a substantially uniform thickness between ends.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the projecting portion of the male body and the passageway of the female body are sized and shaped to produce a seal between the connectors in the mated condition of the connectors.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the mated condition of the connectors is characterized by an electrical connection being formed between the prongs and sockets of the connectors and the unmated condition being characterized by an electrical connection not being formed between the connectors.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the projecting portion of the male body and the passageway of the female body are elongated in a direction parallel to a plane including the longitudinal axes of the prongs.

11. The system of claim 1 additionally comprising a gasket extending continuously about the projecting portion of the male body in a plane oriented substantially parallel to the primary interface plane.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein an aperture is formed through the flange of the female body and into the male body, the aperture being configured to removably receive a lock pin to lock the male body and female body together.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the flange of the female body is substantially U-shaped, and a said aperture extends through two locations on the flange located on opposite sides of the male body, the apertures in the flanges and the male body being configured to simultaneously and removably receive the lock pin to lock the male body and female body together.

14. A corrosion resistant connection system, comprising:

a male connector and a female connector configured to move together in a longitudinal direction into a mated condition and being movable in an opposite longitudinal direction from the mated condition into an unmated condition, a primary interface plane being defined at a convergence of primary interface surfaces of the male and female connectors in the mated condition, a secondary interface plane being defined at a convergence of secondary interface surfaces of the connectors in the mated condition, a tertiary interface plane being defined at a convergence of tertiary interface surfaces of the connectors in the mated condition, the tertiary interface plane being located on an opposite side of the primary interface plane from the secondary interface plane;

wherein the male connector has at least two electrically-conductive prongs and a male body formed of a non-conductive material, longitudinal axes of the prongs being oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction, the male body having;

a male primary interface surface lying substantially in the primary interface plane;

a male secondary interface surface lying substantially in the secondary interface plane, the at least two prongs extending outwardly from the male body at the male secondary interface surface

a male tertiary interface surface lying substantially in the tertiary interface plane;

wherein the female connector has at least two electrically-conductive sockets and a female body formed of a non-conductive material, the sockets extending into the female body of the female connector, the female body having;

a female primary interface surface lying substantially in the primary interface plane for positioning adjacent to the male primary interface surface in the mated condition;

a female secondary interface surface lying substantially in the secondary interface plane for positioning adjacent to the male secondary interface surface in the mated condition, the at least two sockets extending into the female secondary interface surface;

a female tertiary interface surface lying substantially in the tertiary interface plane for positioning adjacent to the male tertiary interface surface in the mated condition;

wherein the male body of the male connector has a projecting portion protruding from the male primary interface surface and having the secondary interface surface formed thereon, the female body of the female connector having a passageway configured to receive the projecting portion of the male connector in the mated condition, the passageway extending into the female primary interface surface and forming the female secondary interface surface;

wherein the projecting portion and the passageway are located between the primary interface plane and the secondary interface plane in the mated condition of the connectors;

wherein the male body of the male connector has a recess extending about a portion of the male primary interface surface and a key extending about a remainder portion of the male primary interface surface;

wherein the female body of the female connector has a flange configured to be received in the recess of the male body of the male connector in the mated condition, the flange defining a key slot configured to receive the key when the connectors are in the mated condition such that the flange and the key form a continuous perimeter when the connectors are in the mated condition of the connectors.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the recess and the key of the male body and the flange and key slot of the female body are located between the primary interface plane and the tertiary interface plane in the mated condition of the connectors.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the flange of the female body has a substantially U-shaped configuration with a pair of legs defining the key slot therebetween.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the recess of the male body has a substantially U-shaped configuration with the key being located between ends of legs of the recess.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the flange of the female body is formed by a wall with a substantially uniform thickness between ends.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the projecting portion of the male body and the passageway of the female body are sized and shaped to produce a seal between the connectors in the mated condition of the connectors.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the mated condition of the connectors is characterized by an electrical connection being formed between the prongs and sockets of the connectors and the unmated condition being characterized by an electrical connection not being formed between the connectors.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein the primary interface plane, the secondary interface plane and the tertiary interface plane are oriented substantially parallel to each other.

22. The system of claim 14 wherein the primary interface plane, the secondary interface plane, and the tertiary interface plane are oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

23. The system of claim 14 wherein the projecting portion of the male body and the passageway of the female body are elongated in a direction parallel to a plane including the longitudinal axes of the prongs.

24. The system of claim 14 additionally comprising a gasket extending continuously about the projecting portion of the male body in a plane oriented substantially parallel to the primary interface plane.

25. The system of claim 14 wherein an aperture is formed through the flange of the female body and into the male body, the aperture being configured to removably receive a lock pin to lock the male body and female body together.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the flange of the female body is substantially U-shaped, and a said aperture extends through two locations on the flange located on opposite sides of the male body, the apertures in the flanges and the male body being configured to simultaneously and removably receive the lock pin to lock the male body and female body together.

27. A corrosion resistant connection system, comprising:

a male connector and a female connector configured to move together in a longitudinal direction into a mated condition and being movable in an opposite longitudinal direction from the mated condition into an unmated condition, a primary interface plane being defined at a convergence of primary interface surfaces of the male and female connectors in the mated condition;

wherein the male connector has at least two electrically-conductive prongs and a male body formed of a non-conductive material, longitudinal axes of the prongs being oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction, the male body having a male primary interface surface lying substantially in the primary interface plane;

wherein the female connector has at least two electrically-conductive sockets and a female body formed of a non-conductive material, the sockets extending into the female body of the female connector, the female body having a female primary interface surface lying substantially in the primary interface plane for positioning adjacent to the male primary interface surface in the mated condition of the connectors;

wherein the male body of the male connector has a projecting portion protruding from the male primary interface surface in a first direction away from the primary interface plane, the female body of the female connector having a passageway configured to receive the projecting portion of the male body in the mated condition, the passageway extending into the female primary interface surface from the primary interface plane and in the first direction away from the primary interface plane;

wherein the projecting portion and the passageway are located on a first side of the primary interface plane in the mated condition of the connectors;

wherein the male body of the male connector has a recess extending about a portion of the male primary interface surface and a key extending about a remainder portion of the male primary interface surface, the recess and the key extending in a second direction away from the primary interface plane, the second direction being opposite of the first direction;

wherein the female body of the female connector has a flange configured to be received in the recess of the male body of the male connector in the mated condition, the flange defining a key slot configured to receive the key when the connectors are in the mated condition such that the flange and the key form a continuous perimeter when the connectors are in the mated condition, the flange and the key slot extending in the second direction away from the primary interface plane; and

wherein the recess and the key of the male body and the flange and key slot of the female body are located on a second side of the primary interface plane in the mated condition of the connectors, the second side being located on an opposite side of the primary interface plane from the first side.