Abstract:
An electrical connectors connects with a mating fitting having one or more conductive pins. The connector include a housing, an carriage movably mounted within the housing, a conductive claim mounted to the carriage and including a movable portion which presses against one of the conductive pins when the connector is connected with the fitting, Hinge frictional forces need not be overcome when connecting for disconnecting the connector from the fitting.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    Known electrical connectors for domestic appliances include plugs and sockets. These known connectors usually include two or more pins which are each received between a pair of pinching elements to provide the necessary electrical contact. This pinching interengagement requires that the conductive parts encounter sliding frictional contact during the attachment and detachment of the plug to and from the socket. A good electrical contact requires a high pressing force between the engaged conductive elements but this high engagement force must be overcome to detach the socket from plug, As a result, a dangerous situation can arise for example where a plug is received by a socket formed integrally with a kettle for example. That is, a user such as a child pulling on an electrical cord can inadvertently pull and dislodge an appliance such as a kettle of boiling water or a deep fryer and scold him or herself and/or cause a dangerous hazard as a result.  
           [0002]    There are many other situations where the tight interengagement of an electrical plug and socket causes some disadvantage. In many instances, people simply pull the electrical cord rather than grasping the plug or socket itself and this can result in the insulation being stripped from the cord leaving exposed live conductors  
         OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate at least one of the above disadvantages and/or more generally to provide an improved electrical connector and mating fitting.  
           [0004]    It is another object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector and mating fitting wherein it is not necessary to overcome frictional contact forces of electrically contacting parts when connecting or disconnecting the connector to/from the mating fitting  
           [0005]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector providing good electrical contact without the need to overcome frictional contact forces between the electrically contacting parts when connecting or disconnecting the connector to/from the a matting fitting.  
           [0006]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electrical socket that is pivotally connected to an appliance.  
         DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    There is disclosed herein an electrical connector for connection to a mating fitting having one or more conductive pins, the connector comprising:  
           [0008]    a housing,  
           [0009]    a carriage movably mounted within the housing,  
           [0010]    a conductive clamp mounted to the carriage and including a movable portion which presses against one of said conductive pins when the connector is connected with the fitting.  
           [0011]    Preferably the electrical connector of further comprises an activator mounted to the connector and pressing against the movable portion of the clamp when the connector is connected with the fitting.  
           [0012]    Preferably the activator includes a boss extending therefrom the bear against the movable portion of the clamp.  
           [0013]    Preferably the clamp includes a fixed portion against which the pin presses when the connector is connected with the fitting.  
           [0014]    There is further disclose herein a combination of the above—disclosed electrical connector and a matting fitting, the mating fitting being a socket comprising a cavity into which a portion said carriage is received when the connector and fitting are connected, the fitting having a ramp surf ace inside said cavity, said activator including a cam aligned with the ramp surf ace to bear thereagainst when the connector is connected to the fitting to thereby effect said pressing of the clamp,  
           [0015]    Preferably the carriage is slidably mounted within the housing.  
           [0016]    Preferably the connector further includes spring means for biassing the carriage toward an extended position.  
           [0017]    Preferably the connector is a plug at an end of an insulated conductive flexible cord having two or more conductors.  
           [0018]    Preferably part of the cord extending into the housing acts as a spring biassing the carriage toward an extended position.  
           [0019]    There is further disclosed herein an electrical socket comprising:  
           [0020]    a housing,  
           [0021]    a conductive pin shielded by the housing,  
           [0022]    an internal electrical conductor connected to the pin,  
           [0023]    a hinge by which the socket is pivotally attached to an electrical appliance and through which said conductor passes from the socket to the appliance. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0024]    A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example which reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plug and a socket in an engaged configuration,  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a plug and a socket in a disengaged configuration,  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the plug and socket in the configuration of FIG. 1, but having cover portions of the plug and the socket removed for illustration purposes only,  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the plug and socket in the configuration of FIG. 2, having covering portions of the plug and socket removed for illustration purposes only,  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 5 is a schematic partially cross sectioned plan view of the plug and socket in a partially detached configuration with cover portion removed for illustration purposes only,  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 6 is a schematic detailed illustration of the portion of the components shown at VI in FIG. 5,  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 7 is a schematic partially cross sectioned plan view of the plug and socket in an attached configuration,  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 8 is a schematic detailed illustration of the portion of the components indicated by VII in FIG. 7,  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective illustration of an activator forming part of the plug illustrated in FIGS.  1  to  4 ,  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective illustration of a pair of conductive clamps forming part of the plug of FIGS.  1  to  4 ,  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 11 is a schematic parts—exploded perspective view of a socket, and  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 12 is another schematic parts—exploded view of the socket of FIG. 11. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0037]    In the accompanying drawings, there is schematically depicted a plug  10  and socket  11  combination. Plug  10  and socket  11  are typically formed as a moulded dielectric material, typically a plastics moulding. Plug  10  has fitted thereto a stress—relief grommet  14  through which an electric cord  13  passed. The socket  11  includes a hinge body  16  integrally moded therewith. Extending from opposite sides of the hinge body  16  is a pair of hinge lugs  15  through one or each or which wires  12  pass. Socket  11  would typically be permanently hingedly attached to an electrical appliance such as a kettle by means of the hinge lugs  15 .  
         [0038]    As shown in FIG. 2, the socket  11  includes a cavity  25  within which there is located a pair of electrically conductive pins  17  individually attached to respective ones of wires  12 . The socket  11  includes walls  34  which protect and shield the pins  17 . The side wall portions  34  each have an internally located recess  18 .  
         [0039]    Also as seen in FIG. 2, the plug  10  includes a carriage  26  that projects from the main body of the plug  10 . Carriage  26  can slide within the main housing of the plug. A pair of activator arms  19  reside one at either laterally opposed side of carriage  26  and each include a propluding cam  23 . Cam  23  is moulded integrally with each activator arm  19 .  
         [0040]    With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, it can be seen that the cord  13  passing through gromet  14  includes a pair of wires  24  which each extend to a respective conductive clamp  20 . These are better illustrated in FIG. 104 Each conductive clamp  20  is received by the carriage  26 . Carriage  26  can slide in the directions indicated by arrow A in FIG. 3. The carriage  26  is biassed into the extended configuration as depicted in FIG. 7 by the resilience of wires  24  which form a coil  31  as shown in FIG. 5 and  6 . That is, the electrically conductive wire itself forms a spring which pushes the carriage  26  forward.  
         [0041]    As Seen in FIGS. 3, 4,  5  and  7  and better illustrated in FIG. 9, each activator arm  19  is formed as part of a unitary structure comprising a bridge  22  from which each activator arm extends. At each lateral end of the bridge  22 , there is a provided a lug  27  by which the structure is constrained within the main body of plug  10 . To this end, a pair of slots  41  are formed within the moulding of plug  10 . Moreover, the carriage  26  can slided relative to the activator arms  19 .  
         [0042]    The carriage  26  includes a central block  30  against which a fixed leg  37  of each clamp  20  bears.  
         [0043]    The pins  17  are each received between a respective one of the fixed legs  37  and a movable leg  35  of each clamp  20 .  
         [0044]    As better illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 8, the activator arm  19  includes a protruding boss  32  which engages with a bearing service  40  form as a bent over portion of the movable leg  35 . In order to effect movement of the boss  32  into the position depicted FIG. 8, the cam  23  must ride against a ramp service  33  formed at an inner end of recess  18  such that the cam  23  bears against a locking surface  36  formed as an inner service of side wall  34  of the socket  11 .  
         [0045]    A retainer  38  is provided alongside the movable leg  35  to define its outer most moveable extent.  
         [0046]    The structure of each clamp  20  will be better understood by reference to FIG. 10 which shows that the fixed leg  37  and movable leg  35  are formed from a single piece of conductive material, typically stainless steel. The clamp include crimping tabs  21  by which exploded ends of conductive wires  24  are received. These exploded end might nerely be crimped or might otherwise be soldered to or otherwise connected to the respective clamps  20 .  
         [0047]    As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the socket  11  has affixed thereinto the pair of pins  17  which each have crimped thereto or otherwise attached the ends of wire  12 . These wires are directed through mountain block  42  so as to extend upwardly therfrom. The wires  12  pass through the upper hinge lug  15  and into an electrical appliance to which the socket  11  is pivotally attached. The hinge body  16 , one half of which has integrally moulded therewith the hinge lugs  15  is snape—engaged or otherwise fitted over the mounting block  42 .  
         [0048]    In use, the plug and socket are interconnected by pushing the plug into the socket in a knowing manner. When the front face  28  of the carriage  26  engages with the back face  29  of cavity  25 , the pins  17  are loosely received between the respective fixed  37  and movable  35  legs of respective clamps  20 . Upon further pushing the plug  10  into the socket  11 , the cams  23  bear upon ramp surfaces  33  whereupon bosses  32  bear against bearing service  40  of the respective movable legs  35  to push the movable legs down laterally upon the pins  17 . There is little or no sliding frictional engagement of the pins with the clamps  20 . Force apply by the boss  32  to the movable leg  35  is transferred to the pin  17  and in turn transferred from the other side of pin  17  to the fixed leg  37 . A good, tight electrical interengagement is achieved without the need for sliding frictional contact between the electrically conductive elements.  
         [0049]    When the plug is withdrawn from the socket, the cam  23  rise down ramp  33  to release boss  32  from movable leg  35  to return the component to the position depicted in FIG. 6.  
         [0050]    By appropriate choice of materials, the frictional forces encountered between cam  23  and socket  11  as well as frictional forces encountered between boss  32  and bearing service  14  are significantly lower than those between metal—metal flexional contact required in prior art devices.