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US 4,528,429 AGranted
Electrical switch-plug assembly with baffle
AssigneeDart Industries Inc.
InventorsWilliam C. Dobson, Carl R. Spoeth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shielded electrical connector usable in conjunction with a household electrical appliance such as a cordless iron. The connector comprises a plug and a socket, the socket having a movable baffle which is held closed when the plug is not engaged with the socket, to isolate the socket's electrical contacts behind a shield section of the baffle. The socket also has a baffle arm, isolated from the shield section of the baffle, by which the baffle may be opened. The plug bears a projection which engages the baffle arm as the plug engages the socket. The socket also has an electrical switch which activates the socket's electrical contacts after the plug is substantially engaged with the socket.
Claims23
A plug and socket electrical connector, comprising:
- (a) a plug having an electrically conductive plug prong,
- (b) a socket engagable with said plug, having a passage comprising one or more apertures and an electrically conductive socket contact proximate said passage, said passage adapted to receive at least a portion of said plug prong in a position of engagement with said socket contact,
- (c) means for establishing electrical union between said socket contact and a power supply,
- (d) a movable baffle rotatably supported by said socket, having a shield movable to a closed position intermediate said passage and said socket contact and movable to an open position in which said socket contact is exposed to said passage,
- (e) a baffle control arm rotatably supported by said socket and cooperative with said baffle, movable to a first position corresponding to said closed position of said shield, and having an engagement surface separate from said shield engagable to move said baffle control arm from said first position to a second position corresponding to said open position of said shield,
- (f) means for moving said shield from said open position to said closed position when said baffle control arm is disengaged,
- (g) means for moving said baffle control arm from said second position to said first position when said baffle control arm is disengaged, and
- (h) a projection carried by said plug separate from said plug prong in a position of alignment with said engagement surface when said plug prong is in alignment with said passage, adapted to engage said engagement surface and to move said baffle control arm from said first position to said second position as said plug prong is moved from said position of alignment toward said position of engagement with said socket contact, whereby said shield is moved to said open position and said socket contact is exposed to said plug prong for engagement to establish an electrical connection between said socket and said plug.
5 more elements
An electrical connector comprising:
- (a) a plug having a plug prong and a socket having a passage adapted to receive said plug prong and a socket contact aligned with said passage arranged to electrically engage said plug prong, said plug prong being locatable in a first, a second, and a third position of alignment with said passage, said positions being progressively more proximate said socket contact, and a fourth position of engagement with said socket contact,
- (b) a shield rotatably carried by said socket, said shield movable to a closed position in alignment between said passage and said socket contact and movable to an open position out of alignment between said passage and said socket contact,
- (c) a shield control arm rotatably supported by said socket operative on said shield, located at a position offset from said shield, movable to an initial position corresponding to said closed position and to a final position corresponding to said open position,
- (d) a projection carried by said plug at a location offset from said plug prong in alignment with said shield control arm when said plug prong is in said first position, in engagement with said shield control arm when said shield control arm is in said initial position and said plug prong is in said second position, and in engagement with said shield control arm when said shield control arm is in said final position and said plug prong is in said third position, and
- (e) means to move said shield to said closed position when said projection is not in engagement with said shield control arm, whereby as said plug is engaged with said socket and said plug prong is moved toward said socket contact, said projection moves said shield to said open position exposing said socket contact to said plug prong to allow engagement of said plug prong with said socket contact.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.