GB2218867A - Switched electrical socket connector - Google Patents

Abstract

Socket connector apparatus comprises a body assembly 10 comprising a casing 14, a base 15 and a carrier moulding 16; live and neutral conductors 30 which are connected to live and neutral switches in respective chambers, and which extend into a pin reception space 19 separate from the live and neutral switch chambers; and a switch acutating mechanism 13 which comprises a pivotal member 44 mounted for pivotal movement about a first axis upon the carrier moulding and having arms 46 which extend into said switch chambers, and a balance member 43 carried in said reception space 19 upon the pivotal member for movement about a balance said transverse to said first axis. The pivotal member 44 pivots only when pins enter both live and neutral sockets and cause a balance member 43, 48 to actuate the member 44. A shutter comprises two leaves 23 each with a chamfered surface 28 and a pivot 24. The neutral pin cams on the surfaces 28 to pivot the leaves out of the live and neutral sockets. <IMAGE>

Description

SWITCHED ELECTRICAL SOCKET CONNECTOR This invention concerns socket connectors incorporating a switch, and electrical socket apparatus for supporting an appliance.

In our Specification GB-2170662A there is disclosed electrical socket apparatus of a kind providing sockets or spaces to receive terminal pins of a plug or an electrical device, the sockets having electrical conductors for engaging said terminal pins; wherein the apparatus comprises an actuating member which is movable against a bias to actuate a switch to make an electrical connection to at least one of said conductors, and a balance member having portions projecting into a plurality of said sockets, the balance member being engaged by the actuating member; and wherein the portions are arranged so that all they require to be displaced to move the balance member and actuating member through at least a predetermined distance against said bias to cause the switch to close.

That Specification discloses embodiments of electrical socket apparatus, for example, for safely supporting and supplying electricity to an electrical appliance (e.g. an iron) provided with at least live and neutral terminal pins; the apparatus including locating means engageable by the appliance to locate the appliance in a predetermined position; sockets or spaces to receive the pins; electrical conductors in said sockets or spaces to contact said pins; switch means actuable by the appliance being placed in said predetermined position to make an electrical connection to at least one of said electrical conductors; and a displaceable member which projects into said sockets or spaces and is movable against a bias to actuate said switch means, to prevent risks e.g. electric shocks and overheating of contacts, and to hinder misuse of the apparatus.The switch may alternatively be actuated by a toggle mechanism. A shutter is pivoted by an earth pin of the appliance so as to uncover the live and neutral sockets or spaces.

For use with some appliances and under some circumstances that known apparatus gives rise to problems, because of its bulk, because it exerts forces tending to eject the pins of the appliance from the sockets or spaces, and because of overstressing of the springs or spring contacts.

An object of the present invention is to enable such problems to be reduced or avoided.

According to the present invention there is provided a socket connector or socket apparatus which is generally of the aforementioned kind and which comprises a pivotally mounted member, which member constitutes or is arranged to actuate the switch actuating member, is movable about a first axis transverse to said sockets or spaces, and carries a pivot arm to support the balance member for movement about a balance axis transverse to said first axis.

The invention further provides a socket connector apparatus comprising a body assembly comprising a casing, a base and a carrier moulding; live and neutral conductors connected to live and neutral switches and a switch actuating mechanism; wherein said conductors extend into a pin reception space, between said casing the carrier moulding, from a live switch chamber and a separate neutral switch chamber between said base and the carrier moulding; and wherein the switch actuating mechanism comprises a pivotal member mounted for pivotal movement about a first axis upon the carrier moulding and having arms which extend into said switch chambers, and comprises a balance member carried in said reception space upon the pivotal member for movement about a balance axis transverse to said first axis.

The invention also provides a socket connector apparatus including a body assembly comprising a casing, a base and a carrier moulding; live and neutral conductors connected to live and neutral switches; and a switch actuating mechanism; wherein said conductors extend into a pin reception space, between said casing the carrier moulding, from a live switch chamber and a separate neutral switch chamber between said base and the carrier moulding; and wherein the switch actuating mechanism comprises a pivotally mounted member which extends from said reception space into said switch chambers via a passage in said carrier moulding, and is pivotally displaceable by insertion of a plurality of pins into said reception space to actuate the live and neutral switches.

The apparatus preferably provides an earth socket for an earth pin, and a shutter mechanism which is displaceable, from a closed position in which it blocks access to the pin reception space or live and neutral sockets, to an open position permitting access to this space or the sockets, by insertion of an earth pin into the earth socket.

The carrier moulding preferably provides a partition between the earth socket and the reception space or live and neutral sockets, and further partitions between said switch chambers and a passage in the carrier moulding through which an earth conductor extends into the earth socket.

The base preferably provides seatings for the earth conductor, for live and neutral conductors and for input conductors which carry the fixed contact of the or each switch; and the carrier moulding preferably provides abutments clamping said conductors to said seatings.

The conductors preferably extend along the sockets or reception space at one side thereof so as to be wiped by the pins and be displaced transversely of the sockets or reception space, as the pins are inserted into the sockets.

Said portions of the balance member preferably abut the conductors to oppose said transverse displacement of the conductors.

The pivotally mounted member may be of bell-crank form and act directly on one or more movable contact members of said switch or switches so as to constitute the switch actuating member.

The or each switch may be of a snap-acting bistable form incorporating an over-centre mechanism or bias to produce rapid opening and closing movements of the switch contacts.

The displacement of the pivotally mounted member or the balance member may be blocked, interrupted or otherwise negated to prevent actuation of the switch until an earth or ground connection is made. For example, insertion of an earth pin of an appliance into the or an earth socket of the connector may serve either to displace a block which obstructs movement of one of said members, or to displace a sub-carrier which shifts said first axis, from a position in which displacement of said pivotally mounted member is ineffective for actuating the switch or switches to a position in which said displacement is effective.

The invention further provides socket connector apparatus comprising an earth socket for an earth pin, and a shutter mechanism which is displaceable, from a closed position in which it blocks access to the pin reception space or live and neutral sockets, to an open position permitting access to this space or the sockets, by insertion of an earth pin into the earth socket; and wherein the shutter mechanism comprises two blades pivotally supported at one end upon a pivot, and a spring which urges the blades together so that the other end part of each blade blocks an entrance to a live or neutral socket or to a live and neutral pin reception space; and wherein intermediate portions of the blades provide chamfered or inclined surfaces to obstruct an entrance to the earth socket.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein FIGURES 1 to 3 are sectional views of apparatus of the invention; FIGURE 4 shows a carrier moulding of the apparatus in side elevation; and FIGURE 5 shows a base of the apparatus in plan.

The socket connector apparatus generally includes a body assembly 10 (of insulating material), switch means 11, a shutter mechanism 12 and an actuating mechanism 13 responsive to insertion or withdrawal of pins of a plug into or from the apparatus 12 to actuate the switch means.

The body assembly includes a casing 14, a base 15 and a carrier moulding 16, which cooperate to define separate live and neutral switch chambers 17 (between the base and carrier moulding), and to define an earth socket 18 and a pin reception space 19 (between the casing and carrier moulding). The carrier moulding 16 provides a partition 20, of U-shaped cross-section between the socket 18 and space 19, and said space provides parallel elongate zones which extend inwards from openings 21 in the casing to serve as live and neutral sockets.

The carrier further provides a support projection 22 alongside the partition 20, which projection carries the shutter mechanism 12. This mechanism comprises two blades 23 pivotally supported at one end upon a pivot 24, and a spring 25 which urges the blades together so that the other end part 26 of each blade lies between one of the openings 21 and the respective socket to block entrance to the latter. Intermediate portions 27 of the blades 23, providing chamfered or inclined surfaces 28 abut between the earth socket and an earth pin opening 29 to obstruct entrance to the earth socket, and the end of the partition 20 provides a bearing surface for these intermediate portions. The casing serves as a cap to retain the blades upon the pivot 24.

Flexible live, neutral and earth connectors 30,30 and 31 extend within the sockets so as to be displaceable transversely of the sockets by insertion of appropriately dimensioned connector pins of a plug connector into the sockets via the openings 21 and 29. The live and neutral flexible connectors 30 extend from the reception space to the switch chambers via a clamping trap provided between the casing and one end 32 of the carrier moulding and the casing.

The base provides seatings 33 for intermediate portions of the connectors 30, a seating 34 for an intermediate portion of the earth connector 31, and seatings 35 for live and neutral input conductors 36 which carry external terminals and fixed contacts of live and neutral switches located in the chambers 17. The carrier moulding provides respective abutments e.g. 37, to clamp the connectors and conductors against said seatings. The earth connector 31 extends from the earth socket through a passage 38 in the carrier moulding and between the latter and the base to a projecting external earth terminal 39. The live and neutral connectors extend from the seatings, in cantilever manner as movable spring contact arms, within the switch chambers and carry the movable contacts 40 of the switches.The carrier moulding provides further partitions 41 on either side of the passage 38 to separate the latter and an extension 42 of the earth socket from the switch chambers.

The mechanism 13 comprises a pivotally mounted member 44 and a balance member 43. The pivotally mounted member comprises a bell crank having a transverse body portion supporting a forwardly extending pivot arm 45 and a pair of transversely extending switch actuating arms 46. The pivot arm extends within the reception space between the live and neutral sockets and has a terminal pivot 47 supports a central portion 48 of the balance member 43 for movement about a balance axis, and the member 43 has oppositely directed arms 49 which locate in recesses defined by arched portions of the live and neutral flexible connectors.The body portion lies in a transverse passage 50 provided in the carrier moulding below the reception space, and is pivotally supported by end pivots 51 seated in the carrier moulding for movement about an actuation axis which is transverse to the balance axis and is transverse to the live and neutral sockets.

The switch actuating arms extend from the transverse passage into the switch chambers to rest on the movable contact arms which bias the pivotally mounted member in a direction to urge the arms of the balance member into contact with said arched portions, and thereby to urge the latter into normal positions in the live and neutral sockets.

The base and casing are provided with snap-acting fastener formations which cooperate to secure the base and causing together to clamp the carrier moulding therebetween.

In use, as an earth pin is thrust through the earth opening, it overcomes the obstruction by striking the inclined surfaces of the blades forcing them apart to displace the end portions from the entrance to live and neutral sockets, whereby to allow live and neutral pins to enter these sockets. As compared with the drum type single shutter arrangement disclosed in our aforementioned specification, the shutter mechanism 12 reacts much more rapidly to insertion of an earth pin to clear the live and neutral sockets, which is a considerable advantage for use with cordless appliances.

Thereafter, as live and neutral pins are inserted into the respective sockets the advancing ends of the pins strike the inclined faces of said arched portions to deflect them and both arms of the balance member rapidly in a direction transverse to the pivot arm, thereby moving the pivotally mounted member arcuately about the actuation axis to thus move the actuation arm and the movable contact members to close the switch means. As the pins progress further into the sockets, the arched portions wipe along lateral faces of the pins and tend to grip the pins in the sockets. Should only one pin or probe be inserted into one socket, the balance member will turn on the balance axis and not deflect the pivotally mounted member.

A block arrangement may be provided to block or obstruct the movement of the actuating mechanism, which block arrangement may be actuable, by insertion of an earth pin into the earth socket to remove the blockage or obstruction. Such a block arrangement could comprise a slider 60 mounted in a slot track in the partition 20 to extend into the earth socket from between the partition and the central portion 48, so as to be movable, against an upwards bias of a spring 61 by insertion of the earth pin, to a position clear of said central portion 48, from a blocking position as indicated in broken lines in FIGURE 4.

The apparatus may include other forms of blocking arrangement comprising a member which is movable from a safety position, in which it abuts or is proximal to the mechanism 13, to a free position away from the mechanism 13, by insertion of the earth pin, for preventing operation of the mechanism 13 unless the earth socket is occupied by an earth pin.

The invention is not confined to details of the foregoing example, and includes within its scope and provides apparatus comprising any novel feature or part, combination of features or parts disclosed herein or in the drawings, or mechanical or functional equivalents thereof.

Claims (15)

1. Electrical socket apparatus providing sockets to receive terminal pins of a plug or an electrical device, the sockets having electrical conductors for engaging said terminal pins; wherein the apparatus comprises an actuating member which is movable against a bias to actuate a switch to make an electrical connection to at least one of said conductors, and a balance member having portions projecting into a plurality of said sockets, the balance member being engaged by the actuating member; and wherein the portions are arranged so that all they require to be displaced to move the balance member and actuating member through at least a predetermined distance against said bias to cause the switch to close; and characterised in that a pivotally mounted member constitutes or is arranged to actuate the switch actuating member, is movable about a first axis transverse to said sockets, and carries a pivot arm to support the balance member for movement about a balance axis transverse to said first axis.

2. Socket connector apparatus including a body assembly comprising a casing, a base and a carrier moulding; live and neutral conductors connected to live and neutral switches; and a switch actuating mechanism; wherein said conductors extend into a pin reception space, between said casing the carrier moulding, from a live switch chamber and a separate neutral switch chamber between said base and the carrier moulding; and wherein the switch actuating mechanism comprises a pivotal member mounted for pivotal movement about a first axis upon the carrier moulding and having arms which extend into said switch chambers, and comprises a balance member carried in said reception space upon the pivotal member for movement about a balance said transverse to said first axis.

3. Socket connector apparatus including a body assembly comprising a casing, a base and a carrier moulding; live and neutral conductors connected to live and neutral switches; and a switch actuating mechanism; wherein said conductors extend into a pin reception space, between said casing the carrier moulding, from a live switch chamber and a separate neutral switch chamber between said base and the carrier moulding; and wherein said switch actuating mechanism comprises a pivotally mounted member which extends from said reception space into said switch chambers via a passage in said carrier moulding, and is pivotally displaceable by insertion of a plurality of pins into said reception space to actuate the live and neutral switches.

4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3 further comprising an earth socket for an earth pin, and a shutter mechanism which is displaceable, from a closed position in which it blocks access to the pin reception space or live and neutral sockets, to an open position permitting access to this space or the sockets, by insertion of an earth pin into the earth socket.

5. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the shutter mechanism comprises two blades pivotally supported at one end upon a pivot, and a spring which urges the blades together so that the other end part of each blade blocks entrance to the reception space or live and neutral sockets; and wherein intermediate portions of the blades provide chamfered or inclined surfaces to obstruct the earth socket and an earth pin opening thereto.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein carrier moulding provides a partition between the earth socket and the reception space or live and neutral sockets, and further partitions between said switch chambers and a passage in the carrier moulding through which an earth conductor extends into the earth socket.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the base provides seatings for the earth conductor, for live and neutral conductors and for input conductors which carry the fixed contact of the or each switch.

8. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 8 wherein the carrier moulding provides abutments clamping said conductors to said seatings.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein conductors extend along the sockets or reception space at one side thereof so as to be wiped by the pins and be displaced transversely of the sockets or reception space, as the pins are inserted into the sockets.

10. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 9 as appended to Claim 1 or 2 wherein portions of the balance member abut the conductors to oppose said transverse displacement of the conductors.

11. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the pivotally mounted member is of bell-crank form and acts directly on movable contact members of said switch or switches.

12. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the or each switch is of a snap-acting bistable form incorporating an over-centre mechanism or bias to produce rapid opening and closing movements of the switch contacts.

13. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein displacement of the pivotally mounted member or the balance member is blocked, interrupted or otherwise negated to prevent actuation of the switch or switches until an earth or ground connection is made.

14. Socket connector apparatus comprising an earth socket for an earth pin, and a shutter mechanism which is displaceable, from a closed position in which it blocks access to the pin reception space or live and neutral sockets, to an open position permitting access to this space or the sockets, by insertion of an earth pin into the earth socket; and wherein the shutter mechanism comprises two blades pivotally supported at one end upon a pivot, and a spring which urges the blades together so that the other end part of each blade blocks an entrance to a live or neutral socket or to a live and neutral pin reception space; and wherein intermediate portions of the blades provide chamfered or inclined surfaces to obstruct the earth socket.

15. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.