US 2021/0281004 A1Published application

Electrical connector spacer system

AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc

InventorsDavid Russell Trawick, Daniel Lawrence Phelps

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Abstract

A power connector spacer system includes a non-conducting body for insertion into a receptacle of a male power connector in place of a corresponding female power connector. The body may include a latch dimensioned and configured to detachable couple with an interior surface of the receptacle of the male power connector. The body may also include a flange dimensioned to abut a rim of the receptacle, and non-conducting passageways extending through the body from the proximate end to a distal end. Each of the passageways may be dimensioned to receive and isolate one of a plurality of power pins included in the receptacle of the male power connector, and a respective end of each of the power pins may be disposed in respective passageways away from the distal end of the body for isolated detection of high voltage electric power by contact with a meter probe in respective the passageways.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A power connector spacer comprising:

a non-conducting body having proximate end for insertion into a receptacle of a male power connector in place of a corresponding female power connector, and a distal end extending outwardly away from the receptacle of the male power connector;
a latch included on an insertable portion of the body, the insertable portion including the proximate end, and the latch being dimensioned and configured to detachable couple with an interior surface of the receptacle of the male power connector away from a coupler included on the male power connector used for coupling to the corresponding female power connector;
a flange included on the body, the flange dimensioned to abut a rim of the receptacle;
and the body include a plurality of non-conducting passageways extending through the body from the proximate end to the distal end, each of the passageways dimensioned to receive, at the proximate end of the body, and isolate, one of a plurality of power pins included in the receptacle of the male power connector, and a respective end of each of the power pins being disposed in respective passageways away from the distal end of the body for isolated detection of high voltage electric power by contact with a meter probe in the respective passageways.

1 more element

A method of testing for an energized power circuit comprising:

detaching a coupler of a male power connector from corresponding coupler of a corresponding female power connector;
withdrawing the female power connector from a receptacle of the male power connector to expose a plurality of power pins fixedly extending into the receptacle from a base of the male power connector;
inserting a non-conducting power connector spacer in the receptacle of the male power connector in place of the corresponding female power connector by:
aligning a plurality of passageways formed in the power connector spacer with respective power pins extending from the base of the male power connector;
inserting an insertable portion of a body of the power connector spacer into the receptacle of the male power connector such that each of the respective power pins enters a proximate end of power connector spacer and extends through only a portion of a respective one of the passageways;
engaging a latch included on the body of the power connector spacer with an interior surface of the receptacle that is other than the coupler such that the proximate end of the body is adjacent the base;
and
inserting a meter probe into each of the passageways at a distal end of the power connector spacer to electrically contact and measure a voltage of each of the respective power pins residing in the passageways.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/811,887Filed 6 Mar 2020
Published: 9 Sep 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G01R 31/69
Testing of releasable connections, e.g. of terminals mounted on a printed circuit board: of terminals at the end of a cable or a wire harness; of…
H01R 13/443
Means for preventing access to live contacts: dummy plugs
H01R 13/052
Resilient pins or blades: co-operating with sockets having a circular transverse section
H01R 13/53
Bases; Cases: bases or cases for heavy duty; Bases or cases for high voltage with means for preventing corona or arcing

Family

US 11,394,152 B2Related patent
US 2021/0281004 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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