Patent Grant
11515665
This application is a United States National Phase filing of International Application No. PCT/US2018/054793, filed Oct. 8, 2018, which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates generally to electrical devices such as pin devices and corresponding sleeve devices, and more particularly to pin devices and sleeve devices incorporating one or more features to facilitate easier assembly.
Pin and sleeve devices including plugs, connectors, receptacles, inlets, mechanical interlocks, etc. are well known in the art. As used herein, pin devices and sleeve devices will be collectively referred to as pin and sleeve devices. Herein, a single device having either pins (e.g. a plug), sleeves (e.g. a connector), or both pins and sleeves will be referred to as a pin and sleeve device. However, reference to a pin and sleeve device is not intended to mean that any such device has to include both pins and sleeves. Such a device can include one or more pins, one or more sleeves, or both pins and sleeves.
Generally speaking, pin and sleeve devices are often used to supply electrical power in harsh or high abuse environments such as, for example, wet or corrosive environments. Pin and sleeve devices are well-suited to supply electrical power to heavy equipment such as, for example, welders, motors, compressors, conveyors, portable tools, portable lighting, etc. In use, pin and sleeve devices may provide electrical connections safe from dust and water. As such, pin and sleeve devices are designed to provide power connections that are safe and secure from the environment (e.g., moisture, dirt, grime, chemicals, etc.), prevent accidental disconnect under load, and ensure high strength durability. Pin and sleeve devices provide standardized connectors and may be rated at any suitable current and voltage levels. For example, pin and sleeve devices may be rated at current levels of 16 A, 20 A, 30 A, 32 A, 60 A, 100 A, 150 A, 200 A, 400 A, or the like. In addition, pin and sleeve devices may be rated at voltage levels of 125V, 240V, 250V, 480V, 600V, 100/130V, 125/250V, 102/208V, 200/250V, 208/250V, 277/480V, 346-415V, 347/600V, 380/415V, 440-460V, and others. Moreover, pin and sleeve devices may be rated for any suitable electrical phase configuration such as single-phase, three-phase delta, and three-phase wye.
It would be desirable to provide pin and sleeve devices with one or more features to facilitate easier assembly and use.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Disclosed herein is an electrical pin and sleeve device including an outer housing including a first housing portion and a second housing portion, a contact carrier at least partially positioned within the outer housing, the contact carrier including a plurality of holes, a body member at least partially positioned within the outer housing and coupled to the contact carrier, and a plurality of electrical contacts, each of the plurality of contacts being positioned at least partially within a respective one of the plurality of holes in the contact carrier, wherein the first and the second housing portions each include a coupling end having an interrupted thread formed thereon, each interrupted thread including a threaded segment and a threadless section.
In one embodiment, the interrupted thread formed on the coupling end of the first housing portion includes a plurality of threaded segments circumferentially spaced about a circumference thereof, the plurality of threaded segments being circumferentially spaced apart by the threadless sections formed on the coupling end of the first housing portion. The interrupted thread formed on the coupling end of the second housing portion includes a plurality of threaded segments circumferentially spaced about a circumference thereof, the plurality of threaded segments being circumferentially spaced apart by the threadless sections formed on the coupling end of the second housing portion. The threaded segments formed on the coupling end of the first housing portion being arranged and configured to be axially received within the threadless sections formed on the coupling end of the second housing portion. The threaded segments formed on the coupling end of the second housing portion being arranged and configured to be axially received within the threadless sections formed on coupling end of the first housing portion. In use, the second housing portion is coupled to the first housing portion via partial rotation of the second housing portion relative to the first housing portion after axially inserting the coupling end of the second housing portion and the coupling end of the first housing portion, one within the other.
In another embodiment, an electrical pin and sleeve device includes an outer housing including a first housing portion and a second housing portion, a contact carrier at least partially positioned within the outer housing, the contact carrier including a plurality of holes, a body member at least partially positioned within the outer housing and coupled to the contact carrier, and a plurality of electrical contacts, each of the plurality of contacts being positioned within a respective one of the plurality of holes in the contact carrier, wherein the first and the second housing portions each include a key arranged and configured to secure a final position of the second housing portion relative to the first housing portion when the second housing portion is coupled to the first housing portion.
In one embodiment, the key is a releasable lock arranged and configured to selectively lock and release the second housing portion relative to the first housing portion.
In one embodiment, the key is a spring plunger assembly arranged and configured to selectively lock and release the second housing portion relative to the first housing portion. One of the first and second housing portions include the spring plunger assembly and the other one of the first and second housing portions include a recess arranged and configured to receive a portion of the spring plunger assembly.
In various embodiment, the pin and sleeve device may include a hollow O-ring, the hollow O-ring being positioned between the first and second housing portions.
By way of example, a specific embodiment of the disclosed device will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The drawings are not necessarily to scale. The drawings are merely representations, not intended to portray specific parameters of the disclosure. The drawings are intended to depict example embodiments of the disclosure, and therefore are not be considered as limiting in scope. In the drawings, like numbering represents like elements.
Numerous embodiments of improved pin and sleeve devices in accordance with the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are presented. As will be described and illustrated, in some embodiments, the electrical pin and sleeve device incorporates one or more features to facilitate easier assembly. The pin and sleeve device of the present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will convey certain example aspects of the pin and sleeve device to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements throughout unless otherwise noted.
As will be described in greater detail below, in various embodiments, a pin and sleeve device according to the present disclosure may include one or more features to facilitate easier assembly. That is, for example, according to the present disclosure, an electrical pin and sleeve device may include a quick turn assembly for coupling a first portion of a pin and sleeve device such as, for example, a front housing portion of an outer housing to a second portion of the pin and sleeve device such as, for example, a main housing portion of the outer housing. That is, in one embodiment, the front housing portion may be coupled to the main housing portion by way of a discontinuous or interrupted thread (collectively referred to herein as an interrupted thread without the intent to limit) so that the outer housing can be assembled together with minimal number of turns to facilitate easier and faster assembly (e.g., a quarter turn, or less, can securely engage the complementary threads formed on the front housing portion and the main housing portion). Alternatively, the first or front housing portion and the second or main housing portion may be coupled to each other via a multi-start thread to facilitate easier and faster assembly. Additionally, and/or alternatively, the front housing portion and the main housing portion may include a key such as, for example, a releasable lock (e.g., a spring plunger assembly) for indexing/indicating the proper rotational position of the front housing relative to the main housing to limit or prevent over-rotation. Additionally, and/or alternatively, the pin and sleeve device may include a hollow O-ring positioned between the front housing and the main housing.
As will be described herein, the features according to the present disclosure may be used with any suitable electrical pin and sleeve device now known or hereafter developed. As such, details regarding construction and operation of the electrical pin and sleeve devices are omitted for sake of brevity of the present disclosure. In this regard, the present disclosure should not be limited to the details of the electrical pin and sleeve device disclosed and illustrated herein unless specifically claimed and that any suitable electrical pin and sleeve device can be used in connection with the principles of the present disclosure.
Generally speaking, as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, pin and sleeve devices are used to supply power to connected devices. As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, pin and sleeve devices may encompass plugs, connectors, receptacles, inlets, mechanical interlocks, etc. These devices will be collectively referred to herein as a pin and sleeve device without the intent to limit.
Referring to
In accordance with one or more various aspects of the present disclosure, referring to
In use, the connector 120 and the plug 130 may each include an outer housing 140 manufactured from one or more portions. For example, referring to
Referring to
In one embodiment, the threadless channels or sections 152 formed in the interrupted thread 150 and the threaded segments 151 formed in the interrupted thread 150 are circumferentially aligned with each other so that, for example, the threaded segments 151 on the front housing 142 can be aligned with the threadless sections 152 formed on the main housing 141. Thereafter, the front housing 142 can be coupled to the main housing 141 by axially sliding or inserting the front housing 142 and the main housing 141, one within the other, after which, for example, a quarter turn, or less, of rotation of the front housing 142 relative to the main housing 141 is needed to securely engage the two sets of complementary threads 150.
In this manner, the main housing 141 and the front housing 142 may each include a plurality of threaded segments 151 circumferentially spaced about its circumference. For example, as illustrated in
In use, the threaded segments 151 formed on the front housing 142 may be positioned within the threadless sections 152 formed on the main housing 141, or vice-versa. The threaded segments 151 formed on the front housing 142 may be received within the threadless sections 152 between the threaded segments 151 formed on the main housing 141 with minimum additional clearance. Thereafter, the front housing 142 can be rotated relative to the main housing 141 and, more specifically, the front housing 142 can be rotated approximately 90 degrees (e.g., a quarter diameter) relative to the main housing 141 to fully couple the front housing 142 to the main housing 141.
In this manner, the quick turn action allows for axial pre-positioning of the front housing 142 relative to the main housing 141 by aligning the threaded segments 151 formed on the front housing 142 in the threadless sections 152 formed in the main housing 141, and vice-versa. Thereafter, the connection can be completed by a simple quarter-turn thereby simplify assembly of the outer housing 140 as compared to a continuous threaded connection. Additionally, the quick turn action facilitates creation of axial compression on, for example, a gasket, O-ring, taper, or the like with minimal rotational motion requirements.
It should be appreciated that while the present disclosure is being described and illustrated in connection with coupling the front housing 142 of a pin and sleeve device 100 to the main housing 141, it is envisioned that the quick turn action can be used to couple any cylindrical components or parts thereof. For example, referring to
Additionally, it should be appreciated that the quick turn action in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure provides the added benefit that the threaded segments 151 formed on the front housing 142 can be coupled with any of the threaded segments 151 formed on the main housing 141. Thus, the quick turn action allows for quick and easy coupling since it isn't required to align a specific thread on the front housing 142 with a specific thread on the main housing 141.
It should be noted that while the main housing 141 and the front housing 142 have been described and illustrated as including four threaded segments 151 circumferentially spaced 90 degrees apart, it is envisioned that different number of threaded segments can be used. For example, three threaded segments can be used that are circumferentially spaced 120 degrees apart, two threaded segments can be used that are circumferentially spaced 180 degrees apart, six threaded segments can be used that are circumferentially spaced 30 degrees apart, and so on. Additionally, while it has been described and illustrated as each threaded segment 151 includes 3 individual threads, it is envisioned that each threaded segment 151 may include more or less individual threads such as, for example, 2, 4, 5, or more.
Alternatively, referring to
Referring to
Referring to
As such, in use, the spring plunger assembly 202 prevents over-tightening (e.g., provides positive tactile feedback and locking) of when the front housing 142 is properly positioned relative to the main housing 141. In addition, the spring plunger assembly 202 prevents accidental or unintentional loosening of the front housing 142 relative to the main housing 141.
It should be appreciated that while the present disclosure is being described and illustrated in connection with coupling the front housing 142 of the pin and sleeve device 100 to the main housing 141, it is envisioned that the spring plunger assembly 202 can be used in connection with any rotatable, mating components.
Referring to
Referring to
In contrast to standard O-rings that rely on heavy compression to affect a seal, hollow O-rings require much less force to compress and effect a seal. In addition, utilization of hollow O-rings also reduces stress and distortion on the mating components when assembled, ensuring proper and effective sealing with low torque applications in extreme environmental (wet, cold, icy) conditions.
While the present disclosure refers to certain embodiments, numerous modifications, alterations, and changes to the described embodiments are possible without departing from the sphere and scope of the present disclosure, as defined in the appended claim(s). Accordingly, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the described embodiments, but that it has the full scope defined by the language of the following claims, and equivalents thereof. The discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be explanatory and is not intended to suggest that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to these embodiments. In other words, while illustrative embodiments of the disclosure have been described in detail herein, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employed, and that the appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations, except as limited by the prior art.
The foregoing discussion has been presented for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to limit the disclosure to the form or forms disclosed herein. For example, various features of the disclosure are grouped together in one or more aspects, embodiments, or configurations for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. However, it should be understood that various features of the certain aspects, embodiments, or configurations of the disclosure may be combined in alternate aspects, embodiments, or configurations. Moreover, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description by this reference, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the present disclosure.
As used herein, an element or step recited in the singular and proceeded with the word “a” or “an” should be understood as not excluding plural elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly recited. Furthermore, references to “one embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.
The phrases “at least one”, “one or more”, and “and/or”, as used herein, are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. The terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein. All directional references (e.g., proximal, distal, upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, lateral, longitudinal, front, back, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, radial, axial, clockwise, and counterclockwise) are only used for identification purposes to aid the reader's understanding of the present disclosure, and do not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of this disclosure. Connection references (e.g., engaged, attached, coupled, connected, and joined) are to be construed broadly and may include intermediate members between a collection of elements and relative to movement between elements unless otherwise indicated. As such, connection references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and in fixed relation to each other. All rotational references describe relative movement between the various elements. Identification references (e.g., primary, secondary, first, second, third, fourth, etc.) are not intended to connote importance or priority but are used to distinguish one feature from another. The drawings are for purposes of illustration only and the dimensions, positions, order and relative to sizes reflected in the drawings attached hereto may vary.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2018/054793 | 10/8/2018 | WO |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2020/076282 | 4/16/2020 | WO | A |
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