Abstract:
The present invention discloses a device for electrically connecting an external device into a circuit running from an apparatus control switch, to an apparatus, thus allowing the interception and redirection of the control signal to the external device. It concerns a simple, completely enclosed, error-proof connector which allows for simultaneous operation of the apparatus and the external device.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of previously filed co-pending Provisional Patent Application, Serial No. 60/392,764. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to the field of electrical connections. More specifically, it relates to a device for electrically connecting an external device into a circuit running from an apparatus control switch, to an apparatus, thus allowing the interception and redirection of the control signal to the external device. It concerns a simple, completely enclosed, error-proof connector which allows for simultaneous operation of the apparatus and the external device.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    In the equipment control industry, it is common for an apparatus having a solenoid to be controlled by an apparatus control switch. A typical configuration is shown in FIG. 1. In normal operation, a user controls the operation of apparatus  83  by activating apparatus control switch  60 , which causes an electrical signal to be sent to apparatus solenoid  80  which then acts upon apparatus  83 .  
           [0004]    Typically, such an apparatus control switch  60  is connected to apparatus solenoid  80  by either a three-pin or four-pin connection. For example, an apparatus solenoid  80  may have a three-pin male connector which inserts into the three-pin female connector of apparatus control switch  60 , as shown in FIG. 1. In the three-pin female connector of apparatus control switch  60 , there is included a “hot pin”  60 A, often referred to as a “#1 pin” by those familiar in the art; a “ground” pin  60 B, often referred to as a “#2 pin”; located directly across from the hot pin on the same side of the connector; and a “line-up” pin  60 C located between the hot pin and the ground pin, for use in lining up the female pins of apparatus control switch  60  with the male pins of apparatus solenoid  80 . A typical apparatus  83  will include an apparatus solenoid  80 , which has three male pins, where such pins  80 A,  80 B and  80 C line up and provide for electrical and mechanical connection with the female pins  60 A,  60 B, and  60 C, respectively, of apparatus control switch  60 .  
           [0005]    An alternative to the typical three-pin prior art connection is a four-pin arrangement, depicted in FIG. 2. In a four-pin arrangement, apparatus control switch  160  includes four female connections, including: (1) a “hot” pin  160 A, known as a #1 pin; (2) a ground pin  160 B, often denoted as a #2 pin; (3) a “dead” pin  160 C, typically referred to as a “#3 pin”; and (4) a line-up pin  160 D. As with the three-pin connection, there are usually four male pins on an apparatus solenoid  180 , and such pins include pins  180 A- 180 D which are lined up to be inserted into apparatus control switch female pins  160 A- 160 D.  
           [0006]    When it is desired to operate only the apparatus, the above standard connections serve quite adequately. There are many instances, however, in which it may be desirable to intercept the control signal that is sent from the apparatus control switch to the apparatus solenoid, and redirect that signal to another destination, such as an external appliance or measuring device, before such signal is sent back to the apparatus to be operated upon. For example, it may be advantageous to operate an external appliance simultaneously with the apparatus. In such a situation, a means of intercepting the control signal allows for simultaneous operation is needed. Likewise, it may be advantageous to introduce a delay in the signal from the apparatus operator to the apparatus by means of an external timer. Other reasons for intercepting and redirecting such a signal include measuring the strength or reliability of the control signal and other purposes well known in the art.  
           [0007]    In order to introduce an external device into the path of the control signal, it is typical in the prior art to use a series of individual wires, where a “hot wire” is connected from the apparatus control switch hot pin to the “hot” side of the external device, and a “ground wire” from the ground of the external device to the “ground pin” on the apparatus solenoid. However, such an arrangement leaves all such individual wires exposed, thus creating a hazardous situation. Moreover, such connections are not protected from the elements or from being knocked loose by mechanical shock, which is not only inconvenient but also potentially dangerous.  
           [0008]    To overcome such problems, a solenoid connector of a present invention is disclosed. Such a connection is typically safely and effectively made by using a standard three-pin or four-pin solenoid connector, as shown in FIGS.  3 - 4 .  
         OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    It is an object of the present invention to disclose a simple device which allows the user of an apparatus to intercept the signal between the apparatus control switch and the apparatus, and re-route that control signal to an external device.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    The invention will now be described, with respect to the drawings in which:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 depicts the male and female pin configurations of typical 3-pin solenoid connectors.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 depicts the male and female pin configurations of typical 4-pin solenoid connectors.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 depicts a top view showing the 3-pin solenoid connector of the present invention aligned to connect to typical 3-pin connections.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 depicts a top view showing the 4-pin solenoid connector of the present invention aligned to connect to typical 4-pin connections.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 depicts a view of the pin shapes of a typical 4-pin solenoid connector. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]    The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. It will be understood that the components of the presently preferred embodiments of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, this invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art, and will be merely representative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention. Like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.  
         [0017]    The present invention includes a novel solenoid connector. In its most basic form, it is a device for connecting two apparatuses. It is also an electrical connection device for simultaneous control of two appliances. It also relates to an electrical connection device for connecting a remote appliance into a circuit between a control switch and a device to be controlled. It is also an electrical connector for intercepting a control signal to an apparatus and redirecting the signal to a remote device before returning the signal to the device. It is also an electrical connector to be introduced into a circuit between a control switch for operating an apparatus and the apparatus to be operated, where such electrical connector intercepts the signal from the control switch and redirects the signal to a remote appliance before returning the signal to the device to be controlled.  
       EXAMPLE 1  
       [0018]    Three-Pin Connector  
         [0019]    In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is included a novel three-pin solenoid connector, such as depicted in FIG. 3 and designated as  70  having a first side including three male pins and a second side including three female pins. On the first side, the following male pins are included: (1) first male pin, or “hot pin,”  70 A; (2) second male pin, or “ground” pin,  70 B; and (3) third male pin, or “line-up” pin,  70 C, all of which are located in the configuration typically found on three-pin solenoid as discussed above.  
         [0020]    Also included on novel solenoid connector  70  are three female pins, including first female pin, or “hot pin,”  70 AA, second female pin, or “ground” pin,  70 BB, and third female pin, or “line-up” pin  70 CC, all of which are located in the configuration typically found on three-pin solenoid connectors, as depicted in FIG. 3. In such a configuration, the female pins are configured to accept the male pins  80 A- 80 C of a typical apparatus solenoid  80 .  
         [0021]    Attached to the external casing  75  of connector  70  is a cord (not shown). Within the cord are electrical conductors, such as electrical wires, which allow for the transfer of electrical signals received by male pins  70 A- 70 C to be transferred to a remote location, and then to be returned to the female pins  70 AA- 70 CC of the novel solenoid connector of the present invention.  
         [0022]    In the preferred embodiment of the three-pin unit of the present invention, cord  76  contains hot feed wire,  76 ; second conductor, or hot return wire,  77 , and third conductor, or ground wire,  78 . Hot feed wire  76  is in electrical connection on one end with hot pin  70 A. The other end of hot feed wire  76  is exposed in the preferred embodiment, allowing for field connection to any external device or other item located remotely from apparatus  83 . Hot return wire  77  is in electrical connection with female hot pin  70 AA on one end, and may be exposed on the other end, allowing for field connection to any external device or other item. Next, ground wire  78  is in electrical connection with female ground pin  70 BB on one end, and may be exposed on the other end, thus allowing for field connection with the ground terminal of any remote apparatus or other device. Finally, located within external casing  75  is a direct ground wire  79 . By virtue of direct ground wire  79 , male ground pin  70 B is in electrical connection with female ground pin  70 BB.  
         [0023]    With respect to the three-pin connector, except where noted, there is no direct connection between a male pin on the first side of the connector and a correspondingly located female pin in the preferred embodiment. This is in contrast to the four-pin connector, described below, in which each male pin on the one side of the connector extends directly through the connector and is in mechanical and electrical connection with the corresponding female slot on the other side of the connector. More specifically, the male pins of the three-pin unit do not extend through the center of the connector body, but instead rely on conductors, such as wiring, for any connections which may exist between a male pin and a female pin. However, where appropriate, a male pin could extend through the connector body to the corresponding female pin, for example, as may be appropriate for the connection between male pin  70 B and female pin  70 BB.  
         [0024]    It should be noted that the third male pin,  70 C, is not in electrical contact with third female pin  70 CC.  
       EXAMPLE 2  
       [0025]    Four-Pin Connector  
         [0026]    As discussed in the Background section, it is also common in the industry for the connection between apparatus control switch  60  and apparatus solenoid  80  to utilize four pins, rather than three. As such, an alternative embodiment of the solenoid connector of the present invention likewise has four terminals on each side. The physical and electrical configuration of the four-pin unit, however, differs in several respects from the three-pin connector.  
         [0027]    The standard industry connections which utilize four-pin connectors are depicted in FIG. 5. As can be seen with reference to FIG. 5, a standard control switch and a standard solenoid connector typically have three prongs which are slightly curved inward, and a fourth prong which is straight. In addition, the straight pin is also wider than a typical curved pin. As a result of these differences, there is a reduced likelihood that a user will connect an apparatus control switch to an apparatus solenoid in any manner other than as intended by the manufacturer.  
         [0028]    The preferred embodiment of the present connector takes into account these differences, as shown in FIG. 4. Specifically, one of the male and female terminals are physically straight, while the remaining six prongs have a slight curve inward. This configuration likewise results in a connector that cannot be incorrectly connected. As a result, a user is prevented from incorrectly connecting the solenoid connector  80  to either the apparatus control switch or the apparatus solenoid.  
         [0029]    In addition to having a pin configuration that prevents the four-pin unit from being connected improperly, there is another safety feature which serves to reduce the likelihood that a user will mistakenly attempt to use a three-pin connector when a four-pin connector is called for. Specifically, the casing of the three-pin connector of the preferred embodiment is rectangular, whereas the casing of the four-pin connector is square. Such casing shapes are also standard in the industry for three- and four-pin connections. As a result, users will immediately know by its shape whether a given connector is the appropriate embodiment for a given application.  
         [0030]    In the four-pin embodiment of the present invention, as depicted in FIG. 4 and designated generally as  170 , there is a connector body for those skilled in the art (not shown for ease of disclosing the electrical connections) having a first side including four male pins and a second side including four female pins. On the first side are the following male pins: (1) first male pin, or “hot” pin,”  170 A; (2) second male pin, or “ground” pin,  170 B; (3) third male pin, or “line-up” pin,  170 C; and (4) fourth male pin, or “dead” pin,  170 D. All four of the male pins of solenoid connector  170  are configured so as to be insertable into corresponding female pins  160 A- 160 D of a typical four-pin apparatus control switch  160 . It should be noted that FIG. 4 is a side view or top view, as opposed to a perspective view, and as such those elements of the present invention which are blocked from view by other elements that are closer to the viewer are shown by dashed lines and slightly offset. For example, element  170 D is lined up adjacent to element  170 C in the preferred embodiment, but element  170 D is shown in dashed lines and slightly offset as compared to element  170 C in FIG. 4. A similar depiction is utilized to better illustrate element  180 D, which is adjacent to  180 C in the preferred embodiment.  
         [0031]    Also included on novel solenoid connector  170  are four female pins, including first female pin, or “hot pin,”  170 CC; second female pin, or “ground” pin,  170 DD; third female pin, or “line-up” pin,  170 BB; fourth female pin, or “dead” pin,  170 AA. It should be noted that by virtue of the male pins extending through the body of the connector and being in contact with the corresponding female pin on the opposite side of the connector, each male pin is in electrical and physical contact with the corresponding female pin. In other words, male pin  170 A is in electrical contact with female pin  170 AA, male pin  170 B is in electrical contact with female pin  170 BB, male pin  170 C is in electrical contact with female pin  170 CC, and male pin  170 D is in electrical contact with female pin  170 DD.  
         [0032]    Attached to the external casing (not shown) of connector  170  is cord  174 . Within cord  174  are electrical conductors, such as electrical wires, which allow for the transfer of electrical signals received by male pins  170 A- 170 D to be transferred to a remote location, and then to be returned to the female pins  170 AA- 170 DD of the novel solenoid connector of the present invention, as described herein.  
         [0033]    In the preferred embodiment of the four-pin unit of the present invention, cord  174  contains hot feed wire  176 , hot return wire  177 , and ground wire  178 . Hot feed wire  176  is in electrical connection on one end with first male pin  170 A, and therefor also in electrical connection with first female pin, or “dead” pin,  170 AA. The other end of hot feed wire  176  may be exposed in the preferred embodiment, allowing for field connection to any apparatus or other device located remotely from apparatus  183 .  
         [0034]    Next, hot return wire  177  is in electrical connection with male straight pin  170 C on one end, and therefor also in electrical connection with female hot pin  170 CC. The other end of hot return wire  177  may be exposed on the other end, allowing for field connection to any remote apparatus or other device.  
         [0035]    Next, ground wire  178  is in electrical connection with male dead pin  170 D on one end, and therefor is also in electrical connection with female pin  170 DD. The other end of ground wire  178  may be exposed, thus allowing for field connection with the ground terminal of any remote apparatus or other device. Finally, located within external casing (not shown) is a direct ground wire  179  connecting male ground pin  170 B to male dead pin  170 D, which by virtue of the male pins of the present embodiment being connected to the correspondingly located female pins, results in ground wire  179  also being in electrical connection with female straight pin  170 BB and female ground pin  170 DD.  
         [0036]    Both the three-pin and four-pin embodiments may work with a variety of electrical systems, such as, for example, solenoids operating on either 12 or 24 volts, and systems employing these or other voltages fall within the scope of the present invention.  
         [0037]    Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the dependent claims. It should be noted that the various elements of the present invention may be used to achieve the purposes described herein alone or in combination. Also, it should be noted that neither a device to be controlled or the solenoid associated with such device, nor an external apparatus to be included in the circuit created by the present invention, are intended to be claimed elements of the present invention, but such references are only intended to describe the context in which the invention is used, and not the structure of the present invention.