Patent ID: 6695621
Filing Date: 2004-02-24
Classification: H01R,Y10S

Abstract:
A towing connector comprising:an electrically insulating housing, said housing comprising a receptacle, a circular recess formed in an inner surface of a bottom wall of said receptacle, an axle hole axially extended through the center of said circular recess of said receptacle, a plurality of mounting slots formed in a bottom wall of said receptacle and equiangularly spaced around said circular recess, a plurality of lugs projected from a front sidewall thereof above said receptacle, two locating notches spaced between said lugs, an elongated insertion hole disposed near one lateral side thereof, a front cover and a sealing cap pivotally fastened to said lugs by a pivot and adapted to close said receptacle and said elongated mounting hole, a torsional spring mounted on said pivot and positioned in said locating notches and adapted to hold said front cover and said sealing cap in a close position closing said receptacle and said elongated mounting hole respectively, and a plurality of bracket mounting holes axially formed in a front sidewall thereof around said receptacle; a bracket adapted to support said housing on a towing vehicle, said bracket having a plurality of first mounting holes respectively fastened to the bracket mounting holes of said housing by screws, and a plurality of second mounting holes for fastening to a towing vehicle; a plurality of metal contact plates respectively mounted in the mounting slots of said housing, said metal contact plates each having a front end terminating in a clamping portion, which is suspended inside said receptacle, a rear end terminating in a connecting portion, which extends out of the corresponding mounting slot of said housing, a curved middle positioning portion connected between said front clamping portion and said rear connecting portion and positioned in the corresponding mounting slot of said housing, and a screw hole transversely formed in said rear connecting portion; a plurality of conducting wires respectively fastened to the screw holes of said metal contact plates by a respective screw; a 4-pole female connector mounted in the elongated insertion hole of said housing and sealed by said sealing cap, said 4-pole female connector having four power wires respectively connected to four of said conducting wires; a 4-pole male connector connected to opposite ends of the four conducting wires being connected to said 4-pole female connector; a U-shaped conducting plate positioned in said circular recess inside said receptacle of said housing, said U-shaped conducting plate having a center through hole connected to the axle hole of said housing by a screw and a nut and two side wings suspended inside said receptacle; a locating plate fastened to the rear sidewall of said housing by screws and adapted to stop said 4-pole female connector in said insertion hole and to hold down said power wires of said 4-pole female connector in place; a rear cap fastened to the rear sidewall of said housing by screws, said rear cap having a center through hole for the passing of said conducting wires; a flexible bellows tube mounted around said conducting wires and connected to said rear cap; and a plurality of projecting members projecting from the rear sidewall, said projecting members each having a partition plate of V-shaped cross section adapted to prohibit accidental contact between said metal contact plates.