US2414630A - Electrical contactor - Google Patents

Description

Jam, i472. R. BoFzA ELECTRICAL CONTACTORl Filed Dec. 8, 1945 IlIin.

INVENToR.

Patented Jan. 21, 1947 This :invention lre1atsfto'electric;sexmastersTiri general, and more parti'culai'flif-toelectricadapters or "plugs "for connecting electric' appliances'with electric current loutlets', and aims to provide cer# tain'new and` useful improvements whereby the*I electric-contact betweenV the1 maleprongon the app1iance,' such as a toaster,` stovefiron, tetc., andthe -female `socket in the adapteris greatly increased in force, and fwherebyx thevk efficiency^` and life of, the adapter contacts are "substantially o increased.

VAnother object ofthe invention Vis the provision as-part ofthe adapter contacts; of a'separable,

The above broad as we ll as other, andfmore specic objects will" become apparent inthe fol' lowing description, wherein characters of V,reference refer to'likenu'mbered partsinthe ac-` companying drawing. It is to bf'noted 'that the drawingisinte'nded for the purpose of illustration only, and that it is neither desired nor intended to limit the invention necessarily to any or all of the details of construction shown excepting insofar as they may be deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of an adapter plug equipped with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the plug, with parts broken away and partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the metallic contact element per se.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the plug.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view, partly in section and with parts broken away, showing the same with a male prong inserted thereinto.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral I0 indicates the usual composition or plastic housing of an adapter plug, which is commonly made of two complementary sections II and I2, and into which the flexible conductor cord I3 leads, the two sections being held together by a screw I4. Longitudinal recesses I5 are provided in the housing I0 for positioning the contact elements shown generally at I 6, having their forward ends or entrances adjacent and in alignment with the holes I1 at the forward end of the plug for reception of the male prongs, not shown, of an electrical appliance, not shown.

Each of the two contact elements I6 comprises a main body substantially trough-shaped, having the side walls I8 and the floor I9. The forend"Y Ofi the; element? opiiisslar [,pr through' `the vroof "andfl'oor I'for the receptm a binding postscrew 22 forattaching"the" wire 23 tothe element;

3," `for the purpose@ which "will presently become apparenti.` u

A 'spring' contact "finger 25 .compisesthe movl able half'of a socket of 'which'the'bowed'flr" 2IJ comprises the fixedhalfgandthe male prongj not shown, is forced inbetwen' these parts. The nger 25 ,is preferablymadeof. tempered steel to:` sive itstrength and durability.A it comprisesa V-shaped rear end Aor portion whichis positioned Y S0 l20 Speak `011 its side, ,as shown in Fis- .2,.wth the extremityjofmthe upper arm,ofjthe` VVwengag- 111g 'the will@ QQWn-,rwf'sdgss ,2.4 .ansi the lQwer arm engaging the floor I9. It is to be noted that the upper arm 26 of the V, in the mounted and assembled condition shown in Fig. 2, lies in full contact with the under surface of the roof 2|, and that the lower arm 21 likewise lies in full contact with the oor 20.

Passing forward from the V, the contact nger 25 comprises further a. wave-shaped body 28 terminating in an upwardly extending and transversely arched tongue 29. As a prong, not shown, is forced inward between the tongue 29 and the bowed oor 20, the wave-shaped forward portion of the finger 25 is forced upward and at the same time it is flexed, but all of the ilexure and resilient force are not taken up in this forward portion, for obviously a portion of it is taken up by the V-shaped rear end. Thus the entire nger 25 is exed throughout, whence the strain on any part thereof is minimized with a consequent long life. As in the case of al1 such plugs as that shown, the male prong, not shown, enters only between the floor 2U and the base of the tongue 29 and does not extend inward as far as the base or root of the forward body 28.

The screw 22 serves, in addition to a binding post, as a means of tightening the element I6, that is, of bringing the roof I 6 closer to the floor I9, and hence of bringing the roof edges 24 down. Conversely, by loosening the screw 22 the roof edges 24 are permitted to rise slightly and sufciently to permit removal of the nger 25. In this manner a worn or damaged finger 25 may be removed and a new one inserted. Hence .it is not necessary to discard the entire plug, as is com- -monly necessary, if the contact nger is damaged or loses its resiliency. And by making the finger of tempered steel as above mentioned, the loss of resiliency is very greatly diminished or retarded.

Obviously, modifications in form and structure may be made without departing from .the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An electrical ycontactor comprising a hollow elongated housing including a oor and a roof, said roof having4 a transverse elongated downward projection intermediate the length of the housing, a contact spring nger comprising a substantially V-shaped rear portion anda substantially wave-shaped front portion positioned in said housing with one arm of said V positioned substantially against the oor of the housing and the other arm thereof positioned substantially against said roof, the extremity of said lastnamed arm registering against said downward projection of said roof.

2. The device set forth in claim 1, said roof being made of resilient material, and means for forcing said roof in a directi-on toward said floor thereby moving said downward projection downward to enhance the interlocking therewith of said last-named arm.

3. An electrical contactor comprising a troughlike housing having a iioor'and side walls, said housing having a roof over the rear portion rthereof, said roof having a downward projection at its forward edge, a contact spring finger comprising a substantially V-shaped rear portion and al substantially wave-shaped front portion positioned in said housing with one arm of said' V positioned substantially against the oor of the housing and the other arm thereof positioned substantially against said roof, the extremity of said last-named arm registering against said downward projection of said roof.

4. The device set forth in claim 3, said waveshaped portion of said spring finger extending .4 forward in said housing beyond the forward edge of said roof.

5. The device set forth in claim 3, said roof being made of resilient material, and means for :compressing said roof edge toward said floor.

6. The device set forth in claim 1, said roof being made of resilient material, a screw extending through said roof and floor rearward of said downward projection, tightening of said screw forcing said roof downward toward said oor thereby enhancing the interlocking of said extremity of said last-named arm with said downward projection. A

7. The device set forth in claim 3, said roof being made of resilient material, a screw extending through said roof and floor rearward of said downward projection, said roof being longitudinally split to enhance the resiliency thereof, tightening of said screw forcing said roof downward toward said floor thereby enhancing the interlocking of said extremity of said last-named arm with said downward projection.

8. In .combination with anadapter plug having an elongated housing therein, sai'd housing having a Vioor and a roof, said roof having a downward projection at its forward edge, a contact spring ringer comprising a substantially V- shaped rearward portion and a substantially wave-shaped front portion adapted to be positioned in said housing with said V having one arm'` substantially in contact with said floor and the other arm thereof substantially in Contact with and said wave-shaped portion extending forward of said V.

9. The combination set forth ine1aim s, said roof having means thereon engaging said'Y lastnamed arm thereby releasably lockingl said finger in said housing.

RAPHAEL BORZA.

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