Electrical swivel contact assembly

Abstract

An assembly including a support plate carrying a contact member on each face. A power cord terminal has an electrically-conductive pin projecting through aligned holes in the support plate and contact members, and an electrically-conductive ring surrounding the pin and insulated from it. A spring cooperates with the pin to press the ring against one of the contact members and electrically connect the pin to the other contact member.This invention relates to an electrical swivel contact assembly which permits relative rotation between interconnected electrical terminals while permitting flow of electricity between the terminals.The invention will be described in connection with an electrically-heated curling iron. However, it is to be understood that the invention may be used advantageously with other hand-held electrical appliances, and other types of electrically-powered apparatus.When a curling iron is used, it is rotated about its longitudinal axis in order to coil hair around it. This rotation of the curling iron causes the electrical cord supplying electricity to it to become twisted. As time goes on, the twisted electrical cord becomes both an inconvenience and a danger. Therefore, it has been suggested in the past that curling irons include electrical swivel contact assemblies which permit rotation of the curling iron without twisting of the electrical cord. However, such swivel contact assemblies have been complex and expensive, both in the initial cost of materials and the cost of assembly.It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an electrical swivel contact assembly which is very simple, inexpensive, and easy to assemble.It is another object of the invention to provide a swivel contact assembly in which one pair of relatively moving contacts is spring biased into engagement, the other pair of relatively moving contacts being electrically connected through the spring which provides the bias.A further object of the invention is to provide a swivel contact assembly in which two contact members are mounted on a single support plate adapted to be fixed within the housing of an electrical appliance, these contact members being cooperable, respectively, with two coaxial electrically-conductive elements presented by a power cord terminal.It is an additional object of the invention to provide such a swivel contact assembly wherein the power cord terminal and its electrically-conductive elements are rotatable with respect to the support plate and contact members which it carries, while good electrical contact is maintained between the electrically-conductive power cord elements and the two contact members, respectively.Additional objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description, in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings:

Description

Claims

1. An electrical swivel contact assembly comprising:

a. a support plate having a hole,

b. two electrical contact members, one of said contact members being arranged against each face of said support plate, and each of said contact members having a hole aligned with the holes in said support plate and the other contact member,

c. a power cord terminal having an electrically-conductive pin surrounded by an electrically-conductive ring, said pin and ring being electrically insulated from each other, and said pin projecting beyond said ring and through the aligned holes in said support plate and contact members, and

d. resilient means for pressing said ring against one of said contact members and for electrically connecting said pin to the other of said contact members.

2. An electrical swivel contact assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said resilient means includes an electrically-conductive fastener secured to said pin and an electrically-conductive spring extending between said fastener and said other contact member.

3. An electrical swivel contact assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said spring is a helical coil spring surrounding said pin.

4. An electrical swivel contact assembly as defined in claim 1 including means for preventing relative rotation between said contact members and said support plate.

5. An electrical swivel contact assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein said rotation-preventing means includes a finger projecting from each of said contact members toward said support plate, and an aperture in said support plate for snugly accommodating each of said fingers.

6. An electrical swivel contact assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the diameter of the hole in said one contact member is larger than the diameter of said pin so that said pin can pass through said hole without engaging said one contact member.

7. An electrical swivel contact assembly as defined in claim 1 including means for connecting an electrical conductor to each of said contact members.

8. An electrical swivel contact assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said connecting means includes an apertured tab projecting from each of said contact members.

9. An electrical swivel contact assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the swivel contact assembly is adapted for use in an electrical appliance having a housing, and means for preventing relative rotation between said support plate and the housing.

10. An electrical swivel contact assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein said power cord terminal includes means cooperating with the appliance housing for preventing relative longitudinal movement between said terminal and the housing while permitting relative rotation between said terminal and the housing.