Patent ID: 7371979

Claim:
A switchable electrical interconnection of greater than 30 A current capacity comprising: an electrically insulating housing having a first electrical conductor secured therein and an apertured chamber for receiving a second electrical conductor; wherein the chamber contains: (a) a resiliently-biased support plate having an aperture that is alignable with the chamber aperture for receiving the second electrical conductor; (b) an electrically-insulating cable holder having first and second interconnecting channels therein for receiving said first and second electrical conductors respectively, and being arranged to receive the support plate slidably mounted therewithin: and (c) a switching member that is movable between ON and OFF positions in which electrical contact is made and broken respectively between the first and second electrical conductors; wherein the support plate is movable by an external force from a first position, against its resilient biasing, so as to slide within the cable holder to a stop position therewith such that further movement causes both the support plate and the cable support to move within the insulating housing thereby substantially to bring into alignment the apertures of the support plate and the housing to permit introduction of the second electrical conductor into the second channel of the cable holder within the housing; wherein removal of the external force allows the support plate to move back to a second position, under the action of the resilient biasing, thereby to retain the second conductor within the second channel of the cable support; and wherein the switching member is movable between its OFF position in which the cable holder is retained spaced apart from the first electrical conductor, and its ON position in which the support plate and the cable holder are moved, under the restoring force of the resilient biasing, to a third position in which the second channel of the cable holder encompasses the second electrical conductor, thereby effecting electrical connection between the first and second electrical conductors.