Electrical connectors
AssigneeFirst Thought Development Ltd.
InventorFrancis Vause
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrical connector, for example a lampholder comprises an on/off switch mechanism including a push bar. The connector further comprises a locking arrangement including an interlock member which extends to the pushbar and moves into and out of cooperation with an aperture in the pushbar. When a cooperating device, for example a lamp, is inserted into the connector the interlock member moves axially into the lampholder to a position at which the pushbar is free to move between "on" and "off" positions. When no cooperating device is connected, the interlock member prevents movement of the pushbar. The pushbar and the interlock member include respective inclined surfaces arranged such that the pushbar will be moved to the "off" position when a cooperating device is removed from the connector.
Claims9
An electrical connector comprising:
- (a) a body;
- (b) a receiving portion defined axially in said body adapted for receiving a cooperating device;
- (c) a switch mechanism movable transversely in said body between an "off" position and an "on" position for switchably providing electrical power to said cooperating device received in said receiving portion;
- and
- (d) a locking member positioned within said body and having an elongate interlock member extending to said switch mechanism, the locking member being adapted to move axially in response to said cooperating device being inserted in said receiving portion from a first position at which the elongate interlock member prevents the switch mechanism from being moved from the "off" position to the "on" position to a a second position at which the switch mechanism can be moved between the "off" position and the "on" position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.