Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FEED-IN PLUG ARRANGEMEN'r FOR CONTINUOUS
OUTLET SURFACE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.10 Back~roun~ of the Invention
This invention relates to continuous outlet surface -
electrical systems in general, to three conductor cable
systems and more particularly to a female, feed-in plug to
be plugged into the cable of such system.
U.S~ Patent 3,089,042 issued to Robert L. Hickey,
et al., on May 7, 1963, entitled "Continuous Outle* Surface
Extension Assembly" and assigned to the assignee hereof,
describes a continuous outlet electrical system having a two
conductor cable. The present invention particular~y relates
to a three conductor cable system having a central neutral
conductor. In a three conductor or three wire cable, it is
desirable to feed power to the cable and on occasion to draw
power from the cable by means of a plug that is attached to
the conductors at the end of the continuous outlet surface
cable. It is more usual to feed into the cable through such
a plug.
It is also desirable to tonnect the feed-in plug
for the cable to a conventional three wire power supply.
However, the conventional configuTation of the socket or
outlet on a wall, for ex~mple, fo~ a three wire power supply
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is shaped quite differently from the configura~ion o the .
conductors in the cable of the continuous outlet surface.
Summary of the Invention -
In accordance with the present invention, a three
conductor continuous outlet surface cable.has at least one
end at which its three conductors are exposed for being
. connëcted to a feed-in plug, or for similar purposes. The
exposed ends of the three conduct.ors are shaped to define ~.. male.. plug prongs to be plugged into a receptacle or socket. .
In a continuous outlet surface cable, the three conductors .~ ~.
are carried by a generally flat strip of insulating material
and in a co-planar configuration. ~ .
The female socket or receptacle for cooperating
with the pronged plug is provided with three prong receiving - .
openings which are in a generally coplanar configuration:and
are positioned to align with the corresponding plug prongs
. which.each opening is to receive. Each prong receiving
,
opening in the receptacle include.s a contact for electrically : .
:~ engaging its respective prong. A respective conductor of a
~: 20 three wire system communicates with each of the prong engaging
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;: ~ contacts. The three conductor wires leading from the contacts .
are assembled to form a flexible three wire cord which leads
to a three wire male plug. The latter plug has prongs in a
:: con~iguration which enables them to be plugged into a con-
ventional three wire wall socket or receptacle, or the like.
By means of the foregoing apparatus, a three
conductor continuous outlet electrical cable can be energized
. from a conventional three wire outlet, socket or receptacle.
Accordingly, it is the primary object of the
present invention to provide means to be connected to an end
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of a cable in a three conductor, continuous outlet electrical
system.
It is another object of the present invention to
provide a plug-in arrangement for realizing the foregoing
object.
It is a further object of the invention to provide
a connection between a three conductor continuous outlet
electrical system and a conventional configuration three
1,
wire receptacle. -
These and other objects of the invention will
become apparent from the following~description of the accom-
panying drawings. - ;
Brief Description of the Drawings
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Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the connection
; between a three conductor continuous outlet electrical
system and a plug-in receptacle for use therewith.
Fig. 2 is a plan view, partially in cross-section,
of the receptacle shown in Fig. 1, a three wire plug and the
connection therebetween;
;~ 20 Fig. 3 is a side elevational view in cross-section
of the receptacle shown in Fig. 2 along the path 3-3 and in
the direction of arrows 3-3;
Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the receptacle
of Fig. 2 in the direction of arrows 4 in Pig. 2;
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- Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view along the line
and in the direction of arrows 5-5 of Fig. 2; and
Fig. 6 is an elevational view of a portion of a
three conductor continuous electrical system in use.
Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment
The arrangement of the present invention is comprised -
- of the continuous outlet electrical system cable strip 10
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which is plugged into the socket or receptacle 30 and this
receptacle is in turn connected by the cord 50 to the three ~
wire, three prong plug 60. . -. `
. Referring to Figs. 1 and 6, continuous outlet ~.
cable 10 includes a support and housing of insulating dielec- ~ .
tric material 12, which is shaped to support the three
elec~tric conductors .in a desired configuration. In particular, I
the elongated edges of the housing 12 are formed folded, as . .
at 14 and 16, over the-two oppositely polarized conductors . :
18, 20 respectively.. A respective entry slot 21, 22 exists . ¦
behind each fold 14, 16 to permit access anywhere along the ...
. iength of conductors 18, 20 to the contacts of a powèr
supplying outlet receptacle 80 which is to be supplied by :
. the cable 10. Centrally located on and extending along the .
length of housing 12 is the neutral conductor supporting .
`~ flange arrangement 23, 24 into which the neutral central :
: conductor 25 is snap fitted or slid and supported. :
: Insulating housing 12 terminates at its free end .
26. However., all of the conductors 18, 20, 25 project .
beyond the end.26 of housing 12 and are shaped to respectively
define plug-in prongs 27, 28, 29 which are to be electrically
and mechanically secured in plug-in openings in the receptacle
30.
~: .
Conductors 18, 20 and 2S and their prongs 27, 28
and 29 are supported by housing 12 in a generally co-planar
;~ configuration, which enables the cable 10 to be attached to .
and not project out from a wall and which also enables the
receptacle 30 to be relatively flat.
Turning to Figs. 1-5, prong receiving receptacle
. 30 30 is contained.within insulating material housing 31 which
is shaped and constructed to cause the various structures
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therein to retain their positions. The side 32 of housing
31 is positioned to face toward the end 26 of cable housing
12. Housing 31 is gene~ally flat in cross section. As
shown in Pigs. 2 and 4, an opening 40 is defined in the
front face 32 o housing.31, which opening is defined by
side walls 39 that are shaped to generally conform to the
external contour, including folds 14, 16 and flanges 23, 24,
of the above described cable housing 12, whereby the plugging
of the housing 12 into the opening 40 will properly position
10 . and align.the prongs 27, 28 and 29 with the receiving openings
therefor in housing 31.: The coupled connection between the
~ receptacle 30 and cable 10.will be sturdy and there will not
J be excessive physical stress applied.to the cable prongs. In
. the inner or bottom wall 41 of opening 40, the~e are three
`~ . prong receiving openings 33, 34 and 35 which correspond in
position respectively to the positions of prongs 27, 28 and
29.
. ~ Behind openings 33, 34, 3S are respective prong
. ~:; receiving clip contacts 36, 37, 38 which, as shown in Fig.
:4, are shaped to receive the respective prongs 27, 28 and 29
and which are also normally biased so as to securely engage
.~ these prongs when they are plugged into the clip contacts.
As with the prongs 27, 28 and 29, so the openings
:~ ` 33, 34 and 35, respectively and the below described contacts
,! 36, 37, 38 are in a generally coplanar array.
'.~,J`~ Within the housing 31, the contacts 36, 37, 38
respectively are connected to their cables 42, 43, 44 which :.
. are then brought into proximity within the housing 31 to
~ define the beginning of flexible cable 50.
.. 30 Flexible cable 50 exits from the rear end 46 of
. housing 31. Once it exits from the housing 31, flexible . .
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cable 50 is a conventional three wire flexible cable. Cable
50 extends for a distance to the convention~l three wire
plug 60. Plug 60 comprises the housing 61, which supports
three conventional three wire plug prongs 63, 64, 65, which
- are respectively connected tby means not shown) to the -
cables 42, 43 and 44. The prongs 63, 64 and 65 are arranged ~
in à configuration permitting them to be plugged into a ; -
three wire wall receptacle. With the plug 60 plugged into a
wall receptacle and with the cable 10 plugged into the
receptacle 30, the conductors 18, 20, 25 of the three wire
cable 10 are energized. ~ -
As shown in Fig. 6, a socket or receptacle 80 may
be attached to the cable 10 and its housing 12. Receptacle
80 comprises the housing 81 in which are formed three plug
prong receiving openings 82, 83, 84. Conventional electric
contacts (not shown) for contacting plug prongs are included
in each of the receptacles 82, 83 and 84 and connected to
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those contacts are respective contact blades 85, 86, 87
which are respectively shaped and positioned as to be engage-
able with the respective conductors 20, 18, 25 when the
receptacle 80 is emplaced against and secured to the cable
housing 12. -
; Although the present invention has been described
in connection with a preferred embodiment thereof, many ¦
variations and modifications will now become apparent to
those skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that ¦
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the present invention be limited not by the specific disclo-
sure herein, but only by the appended claims. ¦~
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