Patent Grant
10971868
The present invention is directed to an electrical/mechanical switching module for use in an electrical connector assembly. In particular, the invention is directed to a switching module with mechanical switching for use in applications where high current load is required.
In order to safely control the delivery of high current, electrical switching devices must be provided with separate mechanical switches. However, the inclusion of the additional mechanical switches increases the cost and complexity of the switching device.
It would be, therefore, beneficial to provide an electrical connector which does not require a separate mechanical switch or an internal spring, but which includes an integral electrical/mechanical switching module, thereby simplifying the connector and reducing the cost of the connector. It would also be beneficial to provide such an electrical/mechanical switching module in which the flow of the electrical current is only permitted when the connector is fully mated, thereby increasing the safety of the module and the connector.
An embodiment is directed to an electrical/mechanical switching module having a housing with a front face, a rear face, a top wall, bottom wall and side walls extend from the front face to the rear face. Terminals are provided in the housing. A first terminal of the terminals is a hot terminal and has a first terminal power engagement tab, a first terminal engagement tab and a first terminal mounting portion. A second terminal of the terminals is a hot terminal and has a second terminal power engagement tab, a second terminal engagement tab and a second terminal mounting portion. A third terminal of the terminals is a ground terminal and has a third terminal power engagement tab, a third terminal engagement tab and a third terminal mounting portion. A fourth terminal of the terminals is a neutral terminal and has a fourth terminal power engagement tab, a fourth terminal engagement tab and a fourth terminal mounting portion. A fifth terminal of the terminals is a neutral terminal and has a fifth terminal engagement tab, a fifth terminal engagement tab and a fifth terminal mounting portion.
An embodiment is directed to an electrical/mechanical switching module having a housing having a front face, a rear face, a top wall, bottom wall and side walls extend from the front face to the rear face. A first terminal is positioned in the housing. The first terminal is a neutral terminal and has a first terminal power engagement tab, a first terminal engagement tab and a first terminal mounting portion. The first terminal power engagement tab extends from a side wall of the side walls of the housing. The first terminal engagement tab extends from the top wall of the housing. A second terminal is positioned in the housing. The second terminal is a neutral terminal and has a second terminal engagement tab, a second terminal engagement tab and a second terminal mounting portion. The second terminal engagement tab extends from the top wall of the housing. The second terminal engagement tab extends from the bottom wall of the housing. With the electrical/mechanical switching module in an open position, the first terminal is in an unstressed position and the first terminal engagement tab is spaced from the second terminal engagement tab. In the open position, neither a mechanical or electrical connection is made between the first terminal engagement tab and the second terminal engagement tab preventing electrical current from flowing across the first terminal engagement tab and the second terminal engagement tab. With the electrical/mechanical switching module is in a closed position, the first terminal is moved to a stressed position and the first terminal engagement tab is moved into engagement with the second terminal engagement tab. In the closed position, a mechanical and electrical connection is made between the first terminal engagement tab and the second terminal engagement tab allowing electrical current to flow across the first terminal engagement tab and the second terminal engagement tab.
An embodiment is directed to an electrical/mechanical switching having a housing. A first terminal is provided in the housing and is a neutral terminal. The first terminal has a first terminal power engagement tab, a first terminal engagement tab and a first terminal mounting portion. A second terminal is provided in the housing and is a neutral terminal. The second terminal has a second terminal engagement tab, a second terminal engagement tab and a second terminal mounting portion. A cam member is provided proximate the first terminal engagement tab of the first terminal. The cam member is movable between a first position and a second position to move the first terminal engagement tab into electrical and mechanical engagement with the second terminal engagement tab. An opening projection is provided proximate the first terminal engagement tab of the first terminal and the second terminal engagement tab of the second terminal. The opening projection is movable between a first position and a second position to separate the first terminal engagement tab and the second terminal engagement tab.
An embodiment is directed to an electrical/mechanical switching having a housing. A first terminal is provided in the housing. The first terminal is a neutral terminal and has a first terminal power engagement tab and a first terminal engagement tab. The first terminal engagement tab is movable between an open position and a closed position. A second terminal is provided in the housing. The second terminal is a neutral terminal and has a second terminal engagement tab and a second terminal mating engagement tab. The first terminal has a first terminal copper dimple attached to the first terminal engagement tab and the second terminal having a second terminal copper dimple attached to the second terminal engagement tab. The first terminal copper dimple is spaced from the second terminal copper dimple copper dimple when the first terminal engagement tab is in the open position. The first terminal copper engages the second terminal copper dimple copper dimple when the first terminal engagement tab is in the closed position allowing electrical current to flow from the first terminal copper dimple to the second terminal copper dimple.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles of the present invention is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivative thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated as such. Terms such as “attached,” “affixed,” “connected,” “coupled,” “interconnected,” and similar refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.
Moreover, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated by reference to the preferred embodiments. Accordingly, the invention expressly should not be limited to such embodiments illustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that may exist alone or in other combinations of features, the scope of the invention being defined by the claims appended hereto.
Referring to
In the embodiment shown, four tab receiving openings 24 (shown in
As best shown in
As best shown in
The power engagement tabs 60a, 62a, 64a, 66a extend through the tab receiving openings 26 and extend beyond the side wall 22 of electrical/mechanical switching module 10. The power engagement tabs 60a, 62a, 64a, 66a are configured to engage respective contacts of a mating connector.
The engagement tabs 60b, 62b, 64b and 68b extend through tab receiving openings 24 and extend beyond the bottom wall 20 of the electrical/mechanical switching module 10. The engagement tabs 60b, 62b, 64b and 68b are configured to provide an electrical engagement with wires through contacts (not shown) or the like. Various different wires and contacts may be used to make the connection between the wire engagement tabs 60b, 62b, 64b and 68b.
The mounting portions 60c, 62c, 64c, 66c and 68c are positioned in the terminal receiving cavities 46. The mounting portions 60c, 62c, 64c, 66c and 68c may be retained in the terminal receiving cavities 46 by interference fit or other know means to mount the mounting portions 60c, 62c, 64c, 66c and 68c.
As best shown in
In operation, when a cam member 34 is in a first or open position, as shown in
The copper button or dimple 66f of the terminal engagement tab 66b is spaced from the copper button or dimple 68f of the terminal engagement tab 68a. With the copper button or dimple 66f of the terminal engagement tab 66b spaced from the copper button or dimple 68f of the terminal engagement tab 68a, neither a mechanical or electrical connection is made between the copper button or dimple 66f of the terminal engagement tab 66b and the copper button or dimple 68f of the terminal engagement tab 68a. Consequently, the electrical current does not flow across the copper button or dimple 66f of the terminal engagement tab 66b and the copper button or dimple 68f of the terminal engagement tab 68a and the electrical/mechanical switching module 10 is in an open position.
In the position shown in
In the position shown in
In the position shown in
In contrast, when the cam member 34 is in the second or closed position, as shown in
When the electrical/mechanical switching module 10 is returned to the open position, the cam member 34 is moved from the position shown in
In the position shown in
The use of the opening projection 38 to engage the terminal engagement tab 66a when the electrical/mechanical switching module 10 is in the open position provides a redundant mechanical separator to ensure that the electrical current is stopped when the electrical/mechanical switching module 10 is in the open position. The use of the opening projection 38 also provides sufficient force to cause the terminal engagement tab 66b to separate from the terminal engagement tab 68a even if arcing and welding of the terminal engagement tab 66b to the terminal engagement tab 68a has occurred.
In alternate illustrative embodiments, the terminals 66, 68 may be replaced by a mechanical switch which is integrated into the electrical receptacle connector assembly 10.
The illustrative embodiment shown eliminates the need for a separate and costly mechanical switch to be incorporated into or be provide proximate the electrical receptacle connector assembly. As the terminals of the present invention provide a mechanical switching operation, the electrical receptacle connector assembly is simplified, and the cost of the electrical receptacle connector assembly is reduced. In addition, the configuration of the camming mechanism eliminates the need for an internal spring and only allows the current to flow when the mating connector and the receptacle connector are fully mated, thereby increasing the safety of the connector assembly.
One skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may be used with many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, sizes, materials and components and otherwise used in the practice of the invention, which are particularly adapted to specific environments and operative requirements without departing from the principles of the present invention. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims, and not limited to the foregoing description or embodiments.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3913054 | Wolfe | Oct 1975 | A |
| 4179175 | Farnworth | Dec 1979 | A |
| 4190751 | Roth | Feb 1980 | A |
| 4283102 | Richier | Aug 1981 | A |
| 4516819 | Le Magourou | May 1985 | A |
| 4707042 | Haden | Nov 1987 | A |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20200266588 A1 | Aug 2020 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62807943 | Feb 2019 | US |
