Electrical Coupling Arrangement

Abstract

Two like coupling elements are each formed of a pair of rectangular metallic plates fastened together at their centers and cleft to one side of the center. These plates are spread at one side of the cleft to form a jack (female coupling member) and a plug (male coupling member) where the plates are not spread, the jack and plug of one element being simultaneously matable with the jack and plug of another like element. In addition, at the other side of the central region the plates are spread to form a second jack (female coupling member) adapted to receive a plug on the end of a conductor. The two elements are mated as intermediate connector elements together and then the conductors are plugged into their backs to make the connection.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an arrangement for electrically coupling together two conductors (e.g. conductors of an electrical power system, automotive electrical harness or telephone or telegraph systems). More particularly this invention concerns a solderless connecting arrangement for electrical wires.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is known a type of coupling wherein two similar coupling elements each are formed with a plug and a jack at their confronting sides such that the two can fit together with the plug of one received in the jack of the other and vice versa. Such an arrangement is advantageous in that it gives the greatest possible amount of contact surface and allows a single connector configuration to be used. However the system has the disadvantage that, while unconnected, at least one of the coupling elements remains hot or electrically active, so that this easily accessible elements presents a considerable shock hazard and may come into contact with some other conductive member to produce a short circuit.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved electrical coupling arrangement of the above-described general type.

Another object is the provision of an electrical connector which is safer than the above-described type of connector.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These objects are attained according to the present invention in a connector formed on one side with both a plug (male coupling element) and a jack (female coupling element) complementary to the male coupling element and on the other side with another jack. In this manner two such connectors can be joined together with their first-mentioned sides plugged into each other (upon rotation of one connector through 180.degree. relative to another). While a jack mounted on a conductor can be plugged into the rear of each such connector. Such an arrangement is extremely versatile, as it allows conductors to be connected together in many ways.

According to another feature of this invention, first the two connectors are plugged into each other to form an intermediate coupling, and then the conductors are plugged into their rear ends, so that no shock hazard is present while the connectors are accessible.

In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the connector is made of a pair of small rectangular metal plates riveted together along a center line intermediate the two sides mentioned above. The conductor-receiving socket at the rear of the connector is the full width of this connector and is simply a rearwardly open channel whose flanks are formed by the plates which are cantilevered at and spread apart from the central junction zone so as to constitute leaf-spring elements hugging the conductor plug received between them. At the front plate is cleft and formed to one side of the cleft with the front socket and to the other side of the cleft with the front plug, the latter being complementary to the front socket; the front socket and plug being disposed on opposite sides of a median plane through the connector perpendicular to the plates and to the aforementioned center line. This plug is simply formed by the two plates in flat contacting relation so that it is of rectangular section; the front socket is cassette-shaped like the back socket, except that it is only about half as wide as the back socket or jacket. The front socket is also formed by cantilever flaps which can be resiliently spread apart when a plug portion of the front of a similar connector is inserted.

According to yet another feature of the invention the inner flat surfaces of the jacks are formed with transverse dove-tail grooves in which are received resilient metal plates which are formed with a plurality of longitudinal cuts (parallel to the median plane and perpendicular to the centerline) defining a plurality of longitudinally extending tongues which are twisted relative to the plane of the plate in which they are formed. The edges of these twisted tongues project up into the socket so that they bear firmly and resiliently on the jacks inserted therein for best electrical conductivity.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The above and other objects, features, and advantages will become apparent from the following, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a top sectional view illustrating an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a connector according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a view in enlarged scale of the FIG. 2 connector;

FIG. 4 is a perspective exploded view illustrating the connector of FIG. 2 in use;

FIGS. 5A-5C are diagrams which illustrate how the connector arrangement of FIG. 4 is assembled; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGS. 5A-5C illustrating another arrangement.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a pair of connectors 1' and 2' which are formed as identical connector elements 3'. Each is formed with a forwardly projecting pin 4' and, electrically attached thereto, a forwardly directed cylindrical socket or jack 5'. Obviously the two connectors 1' and 2' can be plugged into each other, with the pin 4' of one element 3' engaging in the jack 5' of the other and vice versa. The inside of the sleeve 5' is formed as described in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,453,587 issued on July 1, 1969 wherein the sleeve is provided internally with a groove receiving a conductor strip 7' integrally provided constituted with a multiplicity of resiliently deformable and substantially parallel tongues constituting a tubular array and projecting beyond the side of the strip remote from an annular surface for engagement with the complementary prong 4'. These tongues are separated from one another by slite perpendicular to the principal dimension of the conductor strip and are connected to both ends of the strip while projecting obliquely beyond the faces of the strip. Since the plugs 4' project only partly into each sleeve 5; further plugs 4" can be inserted into the rear ends of the sleeves 5' and can be connected to respective conductors.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show a connector 3 which has on its front side a forwardly directed plug 4 and a forwardly open jack 5, and on its rear end with a backwardly directed or open jack 6. This connector is formed by a pair of metal plates 13 which are riveted together at their centers at 14 and cleft at its front end at 15 subdividing the front end into the plug 4 and jack 5. To one side of the cleft 15 the plates 13 are bent apart to form the jacks 5, and these plates are similarly bent apart in back of region 14 to form the jack 6. In this manner each jack 5 and 6 is formed by a spaced pair of parallel tongues which are veveled at 17 at their outer ends so as to permit entry of a plug. The plug 4 is of rectangular section and beveled at 18 to a point for easiest insertion between the sides of the receiving jack 5.

Each of the jacks 5 and 6 is formed relative to the insertion direction of the respective plug with a transverse groove 16 as a dovetail cross section shown in FIG. 3. Received in this groove is a conductive resilient metal strip 7 formed with a plurality of longitudinal slots 9 that define a plurality of longitudinally extending tongues 8 as described in my above-dited patent. These strips 7 are slightly arcuate since they are bent and thus fit into the grooves 10 for a spring fit.

FIGS. 4 and 5A-5C show how the connectors 3 according to the present invention are used. First (FIG. 5B) the two conductors are pushed longitudinally together so that the plug 4 of each one engages in the other's jack 5. Advantageously each connector is provided with a synthetic-resin insulating cover 19 so that the two connectors, when mated (FIG. 5C) present no surface which would create a shock hazard. After the two are joined male coupling elements 11 on conductors 12 are plugged into their jacks 6. In this manner the arrangement is not hot until it is fully hooked up, at which time the connectors 3 are inaccessible. Of course an apparatus may be provided for such a hookup sequence in the order shown by FIGS. 5A-5C, as in a circuit breaker or the like.

In FIG. 6, there is shown a system, according to the invention, using an intermediate pair of plug-and-jack connectors 103, 103' structurally similar to the connectors 3 described earlier.

In FIG. 6, the rear socket, jack or female coupling member 106 is formed with an upstanding abutment 106a which prevents total withdrawal of a rigid insulating sleeve 120 to the left when the system is to be decoupled, by engagement with an inwardly projecting ledge 121. The insulating sleeve 120, adapted to be gripped by the user, is fixed at 122 to a plug 111 attached to the end of a conductor (not shown) of the flat or band type as described for the plugs 11 previously.

Each plug 111, 111' is formed with an insulating sleeve 120, 120' and has a conductive portion 11a, 111a' terminating in a beveled insulating tip 111b, 111b' adapted to be thrust into and withdrawn from the rear socket 106, 106' of an associated intermediate connector 103, 103'. The male coupling elements 104 are, as described with respect to FIGS. 2-4, receivable in socket portions 105' at the front side of the connectors 103, 103'. To this end, the beveled plug 104 of each connector may have a thickness t, twice the thickness t/2 of the plates, which is slightly greater than the width T of the gap between the plate portions forming the socket 105' so that the latter are spread slightly upon insertion of the plug into the socket. The plug 104 has a length L equal at least to the depth of the socket 105'. The inner faces of the socket 105' and/or the outer faces of the plug 104 may be provided with transverse grooves of dovetail cross section receiving a contact strip 7 as described in connection with FIG. 3.

The rear sockets 106, 106' are formed with dovetail grooves receiving the contact strips 107 identical to those illustrated in FIG. 3 and described with reference thereto.

In the disengaged condition of the connector, represented at the left in FIG. 6, only the tip to 111b remains in engagement with the socket 106 and cannot be withdrawn farther therefrom by reason of the engagement of the projection 106a and 121 with one another. The electrical connection between conductive portion 111a and socket 106 is broken.

When the electrical connection is made, socket 105' is held stationary while plug 111 is advanced to the right by gripping the sleeve 120 and thrusting the same in this direction. Since there is a friction fit between the tip 111b, the coupling member 103 is shifted to the right to insert its plug 104 in the socket portion 105' (the plug and sockets of the members 103' and 103, nt seen in FIG. 6, are likewise interengaged). When plug 104 is fully received in socket 105', the member 103 is immobilized and further movement to the right of the plug 111 brings the conductive member 111a into electrical contact and interfitting relation with the socket 106. The electrical connection between member 111 and member 103 is thus completed. Similarly, the electrical connection between plug 111' and socket 103' is completed by insertion of the conductive portion 111a' into socket 106' after the member 103' has been interfitted with member 103.4.

When either plug 111 or 111' is withdrawn, the conductive portion 111a or 111a' is initially pulled out of the respective socket 106 or 106' to break electrical contact. When the respective projections 106a, 121 engage, however, the members 103 and 103' are withdrawn and decoupling is effected.

Claims

1. An electrical coupling arrangement comprising, in combination with a pair of conductors,

a pair of like coupling elements each having a front side formed with a plug and next to said plug with a first jack, and a back side formed with a second jack, whereby said front sides of said elements are mutually matable with each of said plugs engaged in the first jack of the other element; and

a respective second plug on each of said conductors, each of said second plugs being engageable in a respective one of said second jacks, said elements being each formed of a pair of metallic plates having a central region between said sides connect the plates together, said plates being formed at said front side with a cleft and being spread apart to one side of said cleft to form said first jack, said plates being spread apart at

2. The arrangement defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of said plates is formed in each of said jacks with a transverse notch, each of said elements being provided with a metallic strip received in said notch and formed with a plurality of longitudinally extending cuts subdividing said strip centrally into a plurality of tongues, each of said tongues being twisted relative to said strip and projecting into the respective jack, whereby a plug introduced into the jack engages resiliently against said

3. An electrical coupling arrangement comprising, in combination with a pair of conductors,

a pair of like coupling elements each having a front side formed with a plug and next to said plug with a first jack, and a back side formed with a second jack, whereby said front sides of said elements are mutually matable with each of said plugs engaged in the first jack of the other element; and

a respective second plug on each of said conductors, each of said second plugs being engageable in a respective one of said second jacks, said elements being each formed of a pair of metallic plates having a central region between said sides connect the plates together, said plates being formed at said front side with a cleft and being spread apart to one side of said cleft to form said first jack, said plates being spread apart at said back to form said second jack, each of said conductors having a generally flat band and the respective second plug being a flat bar having a width substantially equal to the width of the respective second jack,

said bar having a beveled forward edge insertable into the respective second jack, and second jacks having respective inwardly facing parallel surfaces confronting outwardly facing parallel surfaces of the respective second plug substantially coextensive with said surfaces of said second

4. The arrangement defined in claim 3 wherein each of said first plugs has a thickness equal to substantially twice the thickness of said plates and a pair of outwardly facing surfaces confronting inwardly facing surfaces of the first jack receiving same, said first plugs having beveled forward

5. The arrangement defined in claim 4 wherein at least one of said surfaces is formed with a transverse groove of dovetail cross section extending perpendicular to the direction of insertion of said plugs into said jacks,

6. The arrangement defined in claim 5 wherein said contact strip is formed with a plurality of slits parallel to said direction and a subdividing the

7. The arrangement defined in claim 6 wherein each of said parallel contacts is twisted relative to the plane of the surface in which the contact strip is received to present an edge to the confronting surface.

8. The arrangement defined in claim 7, further comprising means ensuring interconnection of said elements prior to electrical connection of at least one of said second plugs with the respective coupling element upon assembly of said elements and said second plug.