Patent Application
20080171456
The present invention generally pertains to electrical connectors or electrical interconnecting devices. More specifically, the present invention pertains to single pole electrical connectors having an electrical contact and a connector body for connecting to a mating electrical connector in which the connector body and the electrical contact can rotate relative to each other, i.e. swivel. In embodiments of the present invention, electrical connectors provide for rotation of the connector body during coupling to the mating electrical connector without rotation of an electrical cable electrically connected to the electrical contact. The present invention also pertains to methods related to the electrical connectors, such as methods of making electrical connectors and methods of using electrical connectors.
Single pole electrical connectors exist. Single pole electrical connectors typically have a housing and an electrical contact which are rigidly connected to each other. An electrical cable is rigidly connected to the electrical connector and electrically connected to the electrical contact. Accordingly, the housing cannot rotate relative to the electrical contact and the electrical cable. Rather, the housing, the electrical contact and the electrical cable must rotate or twist together as one unit. When the single pole electrical connector is connected to a mating electrical connector, the housing and the electrical contact are rotated and the electrical cable is twisted to couple with the mating electrical connector. The rotation and twisting action during coupling can require a high rotational force, particularly for large diameter cables, to twist the cable and rotate the electrical connector. The operator who is connecting the two electrical connectors together is required to apply the high rotational force. Also, the rotational forces stress the components of the two electrical connectors. For example, the locking mechanism, which locks the two electrical connectors together, is subject to rotational stress due to the twisted cable. The operator may also need to apply rotational forces to twist the electrical cable to uncouple the two electrical connectors. The rotational forces and stresses can be detrimental to the electrical connector components. Also, the operator is required to apply the rotational forces necessary to twist the cable.
Examples of electrical connectors can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,500,291; U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,730; U.S. Pat. No. 6,309,231 and United Kingdom Patent No. 2,397,181.
Accordingly, needs exist to improve electrical connectors, particularly single pole electrical connectors, for the reasons mentioned above and for other reasons.
The present invention provides new electrical connectors and methods, including new single pole electrical connectors. Electrical connectors of the present invention can also be referred to as electrical interconnecting devices. In embodiments, the electrical connectors or electrical interconnecting devices can receive electrical power, transmit electrical power, receive electrical signals or transmit electrical signals, for example. The electrical connectors have an electrical contact and a connector body for connecting to a mating electrical connector in which the electrical contact and the connector body can rotate relative to each other. The present invention is described in an embodiment of a single pole electrical connector, particularly a receptacle. However, the present invention is broader than single pole electrical connectors or receptacles and is not limited to single pole electrical connectors and receptacles. The single pole electrical connector provides for rotation or swiveling of the connector body during coupling to and decoupling from the mating electrical connector without axial rotation or twisting of the electrical cable electrically connected to the electrical contact. The single pole electrical connector can be connected to a mating electrical connector without twisting the electrical cable.
The swivel rotation of the electrical connector can reduce or even eliminate stresses that would otherwise occur without the swivel rotation. For example, rotational stress on the electrical cable can be reduced or eliminated. Also, stress on a locking mechanism which locks two mating electrical connectors together can be reduced or eliminated. Furthermore, the swivel rotation of the electrical connector can reduce or prevent inadvertent decoupling of two mating electrical connectors. Safety can also be enhanced by the swivel rotation of the electrical connector.
In an embodiment of the present invention, an electrical connector has a first connector body portion having an engagement structure capable of engagement with a mating electrical connector. An electrical contact is adjacent the first connector body portion. A second connector body portion is connected to the electrical contact. The first and second connector body portions are rotatably engaged with each other and rotatable relative to each other about a longitudinal axis of the electrical connector. The first connector body portion rotates about the longitudinal axis independently of the second connector body portion and the electrical contact.
The second connector body portion may have an electrical cable engagement portion capable of engagement with an electrical cable.
The electrical connector may be a single pole electrical connector.
The first and second connector body portions may have generally cylindrical shapes, and the second connector body portion may have a sleeve positioned in an interior of the first connector body portion. The sleeve may be in rotational sliding contact with an interior surface of the first connector body portion. The electrical connector may also have a rotation-permitting engagement member engaged with at least one of the sleeve and the first connector body portion. The rotation-permitting engagement member may be a split ring. The split ring may be positioned in a channel in the sleeve and in a channel in the first connector body portion.
The electrical connector may also have a fluid seal between the first and second connector body portions.
The electrical connector may provide that the first connector body portion has a generally cylindrical contact surface, the second connector body portion has a generally cylindrical contact surface, and the contact surfaces of the first and second connector body portions are in rotational sliding contact with each other. The contact surface of the first connector body portion may be an interior surface of the first connector body portion, and the contact surface of the second connector body portion may be an exterior surface of the second connector body portion. The electrical connector may also have a rotation-permitting engagement member engaged with at least one of a wall having the contact surface of the first connector body portion and a wall having the contact surface of the second connector body portion. The rotation-permitting engagement member may be a split ring positioned in a channel in the wall of the contact surface of the first connector body portion and in a channel of the wall of the contact surface of the second connector body portion.
One of the first and second connector body portions may also have an intermediate connector body portion, in which the intermediate connector body portion is rotatably engaged with the other one of the first and second connector body portions. The first, second and intermediate connector body portions may have generally cylindrical shapes, and the intermediate connector body portion may have a sleeve positioned in an interior of the first connector body portion, and the second connector body portion may have a sleeve positioned in an interior of the intermediate connector body portion. The electrical connector may also have a rotation-permitting engagement member engaged with at least one of the intermediate connector body portion and the second connector body portion. The rotation-permitting engagement member may be a split ring. The split ring may be positioned in a channel in the intermediate connector body portion and in a channel in the second connector body portion. The electrical connector may also have a fluid seal between the second and intermediate connector body portions. The electrical connector may also have a fluid seal between the first and intermediate connector body portions.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a single pole electrical connector has a first connector body portion having an engagement structure capable of engagement with a mating electrical connector. An electrical contact is adjacent the first connector body portion. A second connector body portion is connected to the electrical contact and has an electrical cable engagement portion capable of engagement with an electrical cable. The first and second connector body portions are rotatably engaged with each other and rotatable relative to each other about a longitudinal axis of the electrical connector. The first connector body portion rotates about the longitudinal axis independently of the second connector body portion and the electrical contact.
The first and second connector body portions may have generally cylindrical shapes, the second connector body portion may have a sleeve positioned in an interior of the first connector body portion, and the sleeve may be in rotational sliding contact with an interior surface of the first connector body portion. The single pole electrical connector may also have a rotation-permitting engagement member engaged with at least one of the sleeve and the first connector body portion. The rotation-permitting engagement member may be a split ring positioned in a channel in the sleeve and in a channel in the first connector body portion.
The single pole electrical connector may also have a fluid seal between the first and second connector body portions.
One of the first and second connector body portions may also have an intermediate connector body portion, in which the intermediate connector body portion is rotatably engaged with the other one of the first and second connector body portions. The first, second and intermediate connector body portions may have generally cylindrical shapes, and the intermediate connector body portion may have a sleeve positioned in an interior of the first connector body portion, and the second connector body portion may have a sleeve positioned in an interior of the intermediate connector body portion. The single pole electrical connector may also have a rotation-permitting engagement member engaged with at least one of the intermediate connector body portion and the second connector body portion. The rotation-permitting engagement member may be a split ring positioned in a channel in the intermediate connector body portion and in a channel in the second connector body portion.
The single pole electrical connector may also have a fluid seal between the second and intermediate connector body portions, and a fluid seal between the first and intermediate connector body portions.
In an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of connecting a single pole electrical connector to a mating electrical connector, in which the single pole electrical connector has a first connector body portion, a second connector body portion and an electrical contact connected to the second connector body portion. The method includes rotating the first connector body portion having an engagement structure capable of engagement with the mating electrical connector without rotating the second connector body portion and the electrical contact.
Embodiments of the present invention may have various features and provide various advantages. Any of the features and advantages of the present invention may be desired, but, are not necessarily required to practice the present invention.
One advantage of the present invention can be to provide new electrical connectors.
Another advantage of the present invention can be to provide new swivel single pole electrical connectors.
Another advantage of the present invention can be to provide single pole electrical connectors that allow relative rotation between a connector body and an electrical contact.
A further advantage of the present invention can be to connect an electrical connector having an electrical cable to a mating electrical connector without twisting the electrical cable.
Yet another advantage of the present invention can be to reduce the amount of force applied by an operator to couple and/or uncouple electrical connectors.
Further advantages of the present invention can be to reduce or eliminate stress applied to electrical connectors during coupling with a mating electrical connector, when coupled to the mating electrical connector, and/or during uncoupling from the mating electrical connector.
Another advantage of the present invention can be to reduce or prevent inadvertent opening of two electrical connectors connected together.
Another advantage of the present invention can be to enhance safety of electrical connectors.
Yet another advantage of the present invention can be to provide improved single pole electrical connectors.
Other advantages may include providing new methods, such as new methods of making electrical connectors, methods of using electrical connectors and methods of coupling electrical connectors together.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the following Detailed Description of the Invention and the figures. The features and advantages may be desired, but, are not necessarily required to practice the present invention.
One example of a swivel single pole electrical connector 10 according to the present invention is shown in
Referring to
The smaller diameter cylinder 14 has an engagement structure 26 capable of engagement with a mating electrical connector (not shown), such as a single pole electrical plug. The engagement structure 26 is a so-called bayonet lock having L-shaped channels at two exterior locations on the smaller diameter cylinder 14. Projections or pins on the mating single pole electrical plug slide into axially extending legs 28 of the L-shaped channels 26 and the male electrical contact of the mating plug is inserted into the female electrical contact 22 of the swivel single pole electrical connector 10. The first connector body portion 12 is rotated about the longitudinal axis 24 and the pins of the plug slide into the radially extending legs 30 of L-shaped channels 26. One or more seals can be provided to fluidly seal the connection between the swivel single pole electrical connector 10 and the mating electrical connector. The swivel single pole electrical connector 10 has a ring seal 32 at the junction of the smaller and larger diameter cylinders 14, 16 and also an o-ring seal 34. Operation of the swivel single pole electrical connector 10 will be further described below.
The swivel single pole electrical connector 10 has a second connector body portion 36. The second connector body portion 36 has a cylindrical sleeve 38 rigidly extending from an enlarged diameter flange 40. The flange 40 has external flat faces 42 for gripping, for example, by a tool. The second connector body portion 36 has a generally cylindrical shape with an axial bore 44 extending through the second connector body portion 36. The cylindrical sleeve 38 has a radially extending channel 46 for an o-ring seal 48 on an exterior surface. The cylindrical sleeve 38 also has a radially extending channel 50 for a split ring 52.
Referring mainly to
The first and second connector body portions 12, 36 are rotatably engaged with each other by the split ring 52. The split ring 52 is positioned in a channel 58 in a wall 60 of the cylindrical sleeve 38 of the second connector body portion 36 and in a channel 62 in a wall 64 of the first connector body portion 12. The split ring 52 allows the first and second connector body portions 12, 36 to rotate about the longitudinal axis 24 relative to each other while being engaged together. The split ring 52 is one example of a rotation-permitting engagement member that engages the cylindrical sleeve 38 and the first connector body portion 12 together. The present invention can be practiced with other structures that function as a rotation-permitting engagement member. For example, the rotation-permitting engagement member could be a projection extending from one of the first and second connector body portions and engaged with the other one of the first and second connector body portions.
The swivel single pole electrical connector 10 also has the o-ring 48 as a fluid seal between the first and second connector body portions 12, 36. More specifically, the o-ring seal 48 is positioned in a channel 66 in the wall 60 of the cylindrical sleeve 38 of the second connector body portion 36. The o-ring seal 48 is in contact with the first and second connector body portions 12, 36 and forms a fluid tight seal.
Referring to
Operation of the swivel single pole electrical connector 10 will now be further described. The swivel single pole electrical connector 10 is attached to a mating electrical connector by positioning the swivel single pole electrical connector 10 in alignment with the mating electrical connector. The electrical contact 22 should be in alignment with the mating electrical contact and the engagement structure 26 (L-shaped channels) should be in alignment with the corresponding engagement structure (pins) on the mating electrical connector. The swivel single pole electrical connector 10 is slid onto the mating electrical connector until the pins on the mating electrical connector travel along the axially extending legs 28 of the L-shaped channels 26 and reach the radially extending legs 30 of the L-shaped channels 26. The second connector body portion 36 and the electrical cable attachment portion 68 are now held in position without rotation about the longitudinal axis 24. The first connector body portion 12 is rotated about the longitudinal axis 24 such that the pins of the mating electrical connector move into the radially extending legs 30 of the L-shaped channels 26. The contact surface 54 of the first connector body portion 12 rotatably slides relative to the contact surface 56 of the cylindrical sleeve 38 of the second connector body portion 36. The split ring 52 maintains engagement of the first and second connector body portions 12, 36 while allowing the first connector body portion 12 to rotate relative to the second connector body portion 36.
Because the first and second connector body portions 12, 36 are rotatably engaged with each other and rotatable relative to each other about the longitudinal axis 24 of the electrical connector 10, the second connector body portion 36 does not rotate when the first connector body portion 12 rotates. Also, the electrical contact 22 does not rotate when the first connector body portion rotates 12. In other words, the first connector body portion 12 rotates about the longitudinal axis 24 independently of the second connector body portion 36 and the electrical contact 22. Also, the electrical cable 11 connected to the electrical contact 22 does not rotate or twist when the first connector body portion 12 rotates. The swivel single pole electrical connector 10 is disconnected from the mating electrical connector by reversing the connection procedure.
Another example of a swivel single pole electrical connector 100 according to the present invention is shown in
The second connector body portion 110 of the swivel single pole connector 100 has a sleeve 112 extending from a flange 114, and the sleeve 112 is positioned in an interior of the intermediate connector body portion 102.
A split ring 52 is positioned in a channel 116 in the intermediate connector body portion 102 and in a channel 118 in the second connector body portion 110. The split ring 52 maintains engagement of the second connector body portion 110 with the intermediate connector body portion 102 while allowing relative rotation between the second and intermediate connector body portions 110, 102. The split ring 52 can be referred to as a rotation-permitting engagement member, and other rotation-permitting engagement members or structures could be used which retain engagement of the second and intermediate connector body portions 110, 102 while allowing relative rotation. For example, the rotation-permitting engagement member could be a projection extending from one of the intermediate and second connector body portions 102, 110 and engaged with the other one of the intermediate and second connector body portions 102, 110.
An o-ring 120 is provided between the second and intermediate connector body portions 110, 102. The o-ring 120 provides a fluid seal between the second and intermediate connector body portions 110, 102.
In another alternative embodiment, the intermediate connector body portion 102 is rotatably engaged with the first connector body portion 12 for relative rotation, for example by a split ring 52. In this alternative embodiment, the intermediate connector body portion 102 can be considered to be part of the second connector body portion 110.
In yet another alternative embodiment, the intermediate connector body portion 102 can be rotatably engaged with the second connector body portion 110 for relative rotation, for example by a split ring 52, and also rotatably engaged with the first connector body portion 12 for relative rotation, for example by a split ring 52.
The swivel rotation of the present invention can be embodied in either one or both mating electrical connectors, for example, in either one or both of a plug and a socket.
The present invention is described in terms of a single pole electrical connector, particularly a socket. However, the present invention can be practiced in numerous different embodiments. For example, the present invention can be practiced in embodiments other than single pole electrical connectors, such as electrical connectors having multiple electrical contacts. The present invention can be practiced in embodiments other than sockets, for example, plugs. Yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is an electrical connector mounted to a panel.
Embodiments of the present invention can be used for many different applications. For example, the present invention can be used in power cable applications and control cable applications. The present invention can be embodied in electrical connectors used in, for example, lighting applications, marine applications, oil applications, natural gas applications, train applications, and crane applications. These are merely examples of applications of the present invention and the present invention is not limited to these examples.
It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.
