Plug and socket for providing electrical power to vehicle accessories

A powering apparatus for attachment to a vehicle for being connected with a battery for providing power to a vehicle accessory comprising;

• a socket including a body having a cup shape and extending along a socket axis from an open portion to a closed portion,
• said body having an inner wall defining a chamber and an outer wall,
• said body being made of a metal material for conducting electricity,
• said outer wall of said body defining a plurality of threads adjacent to said open end for sealingly securing said body to the vehicle,
• said socket further including a socket lid pivotally engaging said body at said open portion of said body for opening and sealingly closing said chamber of said body,
• said socket further including a pair of spring contacts disposed in said chamber of said body extending axially away from said closed portion of said body in spaced and parallel relationship with one another,
• each of said spring contacts defining an arc extending radially inwardly,
• said closed end of said body of said socket defining a pair of orifices,
• said socket further including a plurality of power connectors extending axially from said spring contacts and said inner wall of said body and through said orifices of said closed portion of said body and said power connectors being electrically connected with said inner wall of said body and said spring contacts for being electrically connected with the battery of the vehicle for transmitting power to said spring contacts,
• a plug for being interconnected with said socket for being electrically connected with said socket for powering the vehicle accessory,
• said plug including a housing defining a cavity and an opening into said cavity,
• said housing defining a flange extending radially inwardly into said opening,
• said housing being made of a molded organic polymer material,
• said shell further defining a connection aperture for sealingly receiving a cord of the vehicle accessory for being electrically connected with said positive terminal to power the vehicle accessory,
• said plug including a tip assembly received by said opening of said housing for extending into said socket,
• said tip assembly including a positive terminal having a generally cylindrical shape extending along a terminal axis between a proximal portion in said cavity of said housing and a distal portion outside of said housing for electrical connection with said vehicle accessory,
• said positive terminal having a apex having a conical shape at said distal portion for guiding said positive terminal between said spring contacts when said plug is inserted into said socket,
• said positive terminal defining a groove having a curve shape extending radially into said main positive terminal adjacent to said tip for receiving the arc of the spring contacts when said plug is inserted into said socket for elastically holding said plug in said socket to electrically connect said positive terminal of said plug and spring contacts of said socket,
• said positive terminal defining a recess spaced axially toward said proximal portion from said groove and having a generally rectangular cross section extending radially inwardly along a front barrier and a rear barrier extending in spaced and parallel relationship with said front barrier,
• a positive wire disposed in said housing in electrical communication with the vehicle accessory,
• said proximal portion of said positive terminal defining a bore extending therein for receiving said positive wire for electrically connecting said positive terminal and the vehicle accessory,
• a plurality of negative terminals each extending axially adjacent to said positive terminal for flexibly engaging said inner wall of said body of said socket for electrically connecting said negative terminals and said socket to ground said plug,
• said tip assembly further including a sheath of organic polymeric material sealingly disposed annularly about said positive terminal and extending between a back portion and a front portion for preventing liquids from flowing between said sheath and said positive terminal,
• said front portion of said sheath including an outside sheath leg positioned radially outwardly from positive terminal,
• said outside sheath leg defining an outside sheath leg protuberance extending radially outwardly therefrom for engaging said inner wall of said body inside said cavity,
• a plurality of negative terminals each extending axially adjacent to said positive terminal for flexibly engaging said inner wall of said body of said socket electrically connecting said negative terminals and said socket to ground said plug,
• said socket further including a casing of organic polymer material generally having a cup shape sealingly disposed about said closed portion of said body for preventing liquids from entering said chamber of said body through said orifices,
• said power connectors sealingly extending through said casing,
• said front portion of said sheath further including a plurality of inside sheath legs disposed radially inwardly from said outside sheath legs,
• said inside sheath legs each including an inside sheath leg lip extending radially inwardly into said recess in engagement with said front barrier of said positive terminal for restricting radially outward movement of said positive terminal relative to said sheath,
• said positive terminal further defining a trough generally having a square shape extending radially about said positive terminal at an axial location adjacent to said proximal portion of said positive terminal,
• said tip assembly further including a sleeve of organic polymeric material sealingly disposed about said proximal portion of said positive terminal in said cavity of said housing for preventing liquids from flowing from outside of said housing between said positive terminal and said sleeve into said cavity of said housing,
• said sleeve assembly generally having a cup shape and further being disposed about said back portion of said sheath,
• said sleeve including an extension having a generally square shaped cross section extending radially inwardly into said trough of said positive terminal for sealingly interconnecting said positive terminal and said sleeve,
• said sleeve having a projection having a generally L-shape extending radially outwardly therefrom adjacent to said proximal portion of said positive terminal and being in sealing engagement with said flange of said housing to sealingly interconnect said tip assembly and said housing,
• said projection of said sleeve of organic polymeric material defining a plurality of slots extending axially therethrough and spaced radially about said projection,
• said negative terminals being connected with one another at a negative terminal rear portion inside said housing engaging said projection of said sleeve and extending to a negative terminal front portion outside of said housing,
• said negative terminals further defining a contact end extending away from said negative terminal rear portion through each of said slots of said projection,
• one of said contact ends being a negative terminal housing connection extending away from said negative terminal rear portion inside said housing for being electrically connected with the vehicle accessory,
• said negative terminal housing connection being a spade type terminal having a generally rectangular shape,
• said organic polymeric material being one of an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and sadiprene and rubber.