Claims
- 1. A cigar lighter receptacle construction, comprising in combination:
- a) a well part and a separate safety connector cartridge part,
- b) means for disconnectably carrying the cartridge part at the rear of the well part,
- c) said well part and said safety connector cartridge part having electrical connector means comprising engageable and disengageable pairs of contactors,
- d) at least one disconnectable pair of said contactors comprising telescopic separable cup-like formations, and
- e) bimetallic means carried by the well part, for shunting and electrically short-circuiting the connector means of the cartridge part in response to overheating of the well part.
- 2. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein:
- a) said cartridge part comprises a cup-like metal shell constituting part of said one disconnectable pair of contactors, and a cup-like insulating housing surrounding said disconnectable pair of contactors,
- b) said bimetallic means comprising a projecting bimetal finger on the well part, adapted to approach and electrically contact the cup-like metal shell of the cartridge part in response to overheating of the well part.
- 3. A cigar lighter receptacle construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
- a) said telescopic cup-like formations have mouth portions, one of which telescopically fits into the mouth portion of the other.
- 4. A cigar lighter receptacle construction, comprising in combination:
- a) a well part and a separate safety connector cartridge part adapted to be carried at the rear of the well part,
- b) said parts having cooperable electrical connector means forming engageable and disconnectable pairs of contactors,
- c) said cartridge part comprising a plastic molding surrounding said engageable and disconnectable pairs of contactors and having a pair of externally-accessible terminal means, both of which terminal means are carried by the cartridge part and which are connected respectively to the said connector means of the cartridge part.
- 5. A cigar lighter receptacle construction, comprising in combination:
- a) a well part having a grounding portion and an energizing contact adapted respectively for engagement with cooperable contacts of an ignitor plug to energize the same,
- b) a safety connector cartridge carried at the rear of the well part, said connector cartridge having a front face juxtaposed to the well part,
- c) said connector cartridge having a pair of spade lugs projecting from the rear face thereof, said spade lugs having connector means for connection respectively to said grounding portion and energizing contact of the well part, and
- d) a bimetal shunt connected to the energizing contact of the well part and extending into the connector cartridge, said bimetal shunt being activated in response to its being heated, a connector means of one of the spade lugs being normally disengaged from and engageable by the bimetal shunt in response to heating thereof, thereby to effect a short circuit from the said energizing contact to said one spade lug.
- 6. A cigar lighter receptacle construction as claimed in claim 5, wherein said bimetal shunt is carried by the well part.
- 7. A cigar lighter receptacle construction as claimed in claim 5, wherein the safety connector cartridge comprises a plastic body having an outer surface, said bimetal shunt extending into said body and being disposed within said body outer surface.
- 8. A cigar lighter receptacle construction as claimed in claim 5, wherein:
- a) said well part comprises a metallic heat shield with a transverse wall engaged with the grounding portion of the well part,
- b) said energizing contact of the well part comprising a screw projecting rearwardly from the well part,
- c) the connector means of the said one of the spade lugs comprising a threaded nut which is threaded onto the said energizing contact of the well part, and
- d) insulating means engaged by said threaded nut and engaging said heat shield to hold the shield against the well part.
- 9. A cigar lighter receptacle construction as claimed in claim 8, wherein:
- a) said well part comprises a tubular socket member disposed inside the heat shield.
- 10. A cigar lighter receptacle construction as claimed in claim 9, wherein:
- a) said socket member has a transverse wall with a central aperture,
- b) said heat shield having a central aperture,
- c) said central apertures being aligned with one another when the heat shield is mounted on the socket member.
- 11. A cigar lighter receptacle construction as claimed in claim 10, wherein:
- a) said energizing contact of the well part comprises a screw projecting rearwardly from the well part, said screw being electrically insulated from the socket member of the well part, and extending through said apertures in the socket member and heat shield.
- 12. A cigar lighter receptacle construction, comprising in combination:
- a) a well part and a separate safety connector cartridge part adapted to be carried at the rear of the well part,
- b) said well part and said safety connector cartridge part having cooperable electrical connector means forming engageable and disconnectable pairs of contactors,
- c) said cartridge part comprising a plastic molding surrounding said engageable and disconnectable pairs of contactors and having a pair of externally-accessible terminal means, both of which are carried in the cartridge part and which are connected through the said connector means of the cartridge part, to the electrical connector means of the well part respectively, so as to form a complete electrical circuit to the well part.
- 13. A cigar lighter receptacle construction as claimed in claim 12, wherein:
- a) said externally accessible terminal means comprises a pair of electrically conductive spade lugs projecting from the plastic molding, said spade lugs extending above the surrounding surface of the plastic molding.
- 14. A cigar lighter receptacle construction as claimed in claim 13, wherein:
- a) said plastic molding completely surrounds portions of said spade lugs.
- 15. A cigar lighter receptacle construction, comprising in combination:
- a) a socket member having a grounding portion and an energizing contact adapted respectively for engagement with cooperable contacts of an ignitor plug, to energize the same,
- b) said socket member having a tubular side wall and a bottom transverse wall formed integral therewith, said bottom transverse wall being perpendicular to the tubular side wall,
- c) a metallic heat shield comprising a tubular member having a side wall and a bottom transverse wall formed integral therewith, said bottom transverse wall of the heat shield being perpendicular to the side wall thereof and the side wall of the heat shield substantially surrounding the side wall of the socket member in spaced relation thereto,
- d) said socket member transverse wall having a central aperture and said heat shield bottom wall having a central aperture which is substantially aligned with the aperture of the socket member transverse wall, said walls being juxtaposed and parallel
- e) a threaded fastener extending through said aligned apertures, for applying a clamping force against and for holding the transverse wall of the heat shield directly superposed on and frictionally engaged with the transverse wall of the socket member whereby said transverse walls are maintained in both intimate physical frictional engagement and good electrical contact with one another,
- f) said intimate physical frictional engagement of the transverse walls restraining the heat shield against axial movement with respect to the socket member.
- 16. A cigar lighter receptacle construction as claimed in claim 15, and further including:
- a) interlocking structure for orienting the transverse wall of the socket member with respect to the transverse wall of the heat shield, so as to restrain the heat shield against inadvertent turning movement with respect to the socket member.
- 17. A cigar lighter receptacle construction, comprising in combination:
- a) a well part having a grounding portion and an energizing contact adapted respectively for engagement with cooperable contacts of an ignitor plug to energize the same,
- b) a safety connector cartridge carried at the rear of the well part, said connector cartridge having a front face juxtaposed to the well part, and having a rear face,
- c) said connector cartridge having a pair of spade lugs at the rear face thereof, said spade lugs being connected respectively to said grounding portion and energizing contact of the well part,
- d) said pair of spade lugs projecting beyond the rear of the surrounding surface of said rear face,
- e) the perimeter of said rear face of said safety cartridge completely surrounding both spade lugs at those locations respectively where the lugs project from said rear of the surrounding surface.
- 18. A cigar lighter receptacle construction as claimed in claim 17, wherein:
- a) the rear ends of said spade lugs are substantially flat, and are disposed perpendicularly with respect to one another.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/394,735, filed Feb. 27, 1995, now abandoned, which is a divisional of application Ser. No. 08/201,700, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,996, filed Feb. 25, 1994.
Government Interests
Research and development of the present invention and application have not been Federally-sponsored, and no rights are given under any Federal program.
US Referenced Citations (29)
Divisions (1)
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201700 |
Feb 1994 |
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Continuations (1)
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