US2676223A - Fused plug connector - Google Patents

Description

p 1954 w. c. WHITAKER 2,676,223

FUSED PLUG CONNECTOR Filed June 29, 1951 Patented Apr. 20, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE FUSED PLUG CONNECTOR Watford 0. Whitaker, Arcadia, Calif.

Application June 29, 1951, Serial No. 234,209

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to an electrical apparatus and more especially to a fusible electrical plug and receptacle.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical and inexpensive combination plug and receptacle having fuse features.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fused plug and receptacle having a novel form of replaceable fuse element.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a new plug and receptacle for electrical appliances so constructed as to occupy a minimum of space when in use.

Other objects and advantages will appear and be brought out more fully in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of a fused plug and receptacle embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an exploded View of the fuse and terminal elements associated therewith.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral l designates generally a combination plug and receptacle having a body I of any suitable dielectric material, for instance, plastic and having flat faces l2 and i3, respectively, disposed at right angles to each other.

The body II is formed with elongated cavities M and is extending inwardly from face l2 and having slots 16 and I1 leading from the outer ends of the cavities and opening through face l2. The body is also formed with a slot l8 leading from cavity M andL opening through face l3 and a tubular cavity l9 communicates with and leading from the inner end of cavity I and opening through face l3. Cavity It has an enlarged portion 20 adjacent to face l3.

Cavities l4 and i5 provide seats for female electrical receptacle electrodes 2| and 22 having plug receiving portions aligned with slots is and I1 and a plug electrode 23 is positioned in slot H! and is suitably connected to the receptacle electrode M.

A flexible and resilient conductor tongue 24 extends from the receptacle electrode 22 and has its inner end portion disposed across the tubular cavity IS. A sleeve 25 is tight fitted within bore 20 and has one or more bayonet slots 26. A plug electrode 2'! has a cylindrical end portion 28 adapted to fit within sleeve 25 and carries one or more radially extending pins 29 for engagement in the bayonet slots 26 of sleeve 25. A

fuse 30 is positioned in cavity |9 and makes electrical contacts between end 28 of plug electrode 21 and the free end of tongue 24 carried by the receptacle electrode 22. The resiliency of tongue 24 retains fuse 30 in firm contact with end portion 28 of plug electrode 21. The arrangement of bayonet slots and pins 29 is such that when the pin and slot engagement has been effected, the flat faces of plug electrodes 23 and 27 will be in parallelism properly for reciprocal engagement.

In operation the plug electrodes may be plugged into any conventional receptacle and the receptacle portion of the invention, that is, receptacle electrodes 2! and 22 may receive the conventional appliance plug. In the event of an overload occurring in the appliance circuit causing blowing of the fuse, the fuse 30 may be removed by a quarter turn of plug electrode 21, which releases the end portion 28 thereof from the sleeve 25 and permits the removal and replacement of the fuse. It will be observed that when the plug and receptacle :0 is connected in a wall receptacle, face it will be adjacent to the wall and the receptacle electrodes 2| and 22 will be directed at right angles to plug electrodes 23 and 21, so that plug electrodes of an appliance plug, engaging in the receptacle electrodes 2| and 22, will have its cord leading from the receptacle generally parallel to the wall and therefore a minimum of space is occupied by the plug and receptacle of this invention.

It will be seen upon reference to Figure 2, that in the structure of the present invention th resilient current conductor tongue 22, in addition to functioning as a current conducting means between the receptacle electrode 22 and the plug electrode 27, also functions as a yieldable means for maintaining the cylindrical inner end portion 23 of the plug electrode 2? tightly in position after the pins 29 have been engaged in the bayonet slots 26. It will be apparent that in the insertion of the end portion 28, such end portion must first force the fuse element 3G inwardly against the resilient conductor tongue 24 tension to hold the parts securely against movement.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred form of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

In an electric plug connector, a body of an insulating material having a pair of elongated parallel cavities within the same and communicating with slotted apertures opening through an end face thereof, one of said cavities having a greater depth than that of the other cavity, resilient contact elements housed within said cavities, said body also having a tubular bore extending laterally outward from the inner end of said one cavity and opening through a side face of the body, a resilient tongue extending from the contact element within said one cavity and having its free end disposed across the inner end of said bore, said bore being adapted to receive a fuse element therein with the inner end of the element disposed in contact with said tongue, said body having a counter-bore in the said side face in concentric relation with respect to the first bore, a metallic sleeve provided with a bayonet slot tight fitted within said counter-bore, a plug electrode projecting laterally outward through said side face from the inner end of the contact element within said other cavity, a second plug electrode, a cylindrical enlargement at the inner end of said second electrode seated in said sleeve and against the outer end of the fuse element, and a pin projecting radially from said enlargement for engagement with said bayonet slot to effect the locking of said enlargement and the associated electrode in place.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,847,172 Ciotta Mar. 1, 1932 1,922,948 I-Iannan, Jr. Aug. 15, 1933 1,974,700 Adams Sept. 25, 1934 2,528,971 Philips Nov. 7, 1950 2,536,520 Tighe Jan. 2, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 920,345 France Jan. 4, 1947

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