Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
106Z348
I! B~CKGRO~ND OF THE INVENTION
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'j This invention relates to electrical connectors in
¦!general and, more particularly, to an electrical connector which
¦lutilizes a combination of tulip and butt contacts.
In the electrical connector art, "tulip" type connectors
-5 '~are well known and are employed in a variety of applications. The
tulip" connectors have a plurality of tulip contacts that are
circumferentially spaced around the contact axis and radially
spaced therefrom. A spiral garter spring spriDg-loads the tulip
'jcontacts in an inwardly direction toward the axis of the contact.
` 10 IlThe male portion of the connector comprises a plug contact that is
` .¦jinserted into the reduced diameter opening formed by the spring-
Illoaded tulip contacts. Electrical contact is made between the
¦jmale plug and the tulip contacts. Butt type connectors, on the
', - i¦other hand, employ two or more contact surfaces that are forced
, i5 1l together in abutting contact to provide an electrical connection.
~1 It is a general object of the present invention to
¦¦provide an improved electrical connector which utilizes both tulip
and butt type contacts.
. I It is a specific object of the invention to provide an
¦electrical connector in which the inwardly directed radial force
, - of the spring-loaded tulip contacts is translated into an axial
v~ force that produces a high contact base pressure between butt
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It is another object of the invention to provide a
combination tulip-butt contact electrical connector in which the
butt contact comprises a ring contact.
It is a feature of the invention that the individual
tulip contacts or segments are easily replaceable and provide a
make-first break-last electrical connection.
It is another feature of the invention that the combi-
nation tulip-butt connector can be incorporated in a suitable
housing for explosion proof operation in an explosive environment.
In accordance with the present invention there is pro-
vided an electrical connector comprising a female portion,longi-
tudinally extending, electrically conductive female contact having
a butt contact surface at one end thereof, a plurality of electri-
cally conductive tulip segments positioned circumferentially
around and radially spaced from the longitudinal axis of the
female contact with each segment having one end thereof in electri-
cally conductive contact with the female contact, the plurality
of tulip segments and the butt contact surface together defining
a plug contact receiving socket, means for spring loading the
tulip segments radially inward toward the longitudinal axis of the
female contact, and wherein the tulip segments include a cam por-
tion and wrherein the plug contact includes a corresponding sloping
cam surface, the cam and cam surface cooperating to translate the
inward radial force of the spring-loaded tulip segments into an
axial force whereby the plug contact is forced against the butt
contact surface of the female contact, and a male portion com-
`~1 prising a longitudinally extending, electrically conductive plug
contact having a butt contact surface at one end, the plug contact
being adapted for insertion into the plug contact receiving socket
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- 106Z348
of the female portion with the butt surface of the plug contact
in butting, electrically conductive contact with the butt surface
of the female contact.
These objects and features and other objects and
features of the invention will best be understood from a detailed
description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for pur-
poses of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in
which:
. Figure 1 is a view in side elevation and partial section
. 10 of a combination tulip-butt electrical connector showing the male
and female portions thereof in electrically conductive contact;
Figure 2 is an end view of a female contact with sur-
. rounding tulip segments and a spiral garter spring:
Figure 3 is a view in perspective in partial section
showing the female contact and a portion of an electrical cable -
mechanically held therein by means of the mechanical cable defor-
mation produce by a set screw and an opposed countersunk contact
portion;
Figure 4 is an enlarged view with the dashed lines
~ indicating the position of the plug at the maximum outward
~ extension of the spring-loaded tulip segments; and,
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1 1062348
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Figure 5 is a similar view to that of Figure 4 showing
the male plug contact fully inserted in the plug socket formed by
the female contact and the spring-loaded tulip segments.
Turning now to the drawings, there is shown in Figure 1
a tulip-butt connector constructed in accordance with the present
invention and indicated generally by the reference numeral 10.
For purposes of illustration, the connector 10 has been depicted
as a two-poled connector. However, it will be appreciated that th
tulip-butt connector of the present invention can be employed in a
single as well as multiple pole configurations.
The tulip-butt connector 10 comprises a female portion 1
; and a male portion 14. The female portion 12 contains a
, longitudinally extending, electrically conductive female contact 1
which is best seen in enlarged view in Figure 3. The female conta~ t
16 has a longitudinally extending cable receptacle 18, a cable
deforming set screw 20 and a corresponding opposed cable receiving
ountersunk portion or ~dimple~ 22. When the wires of electrical
able 24 are positioned within the female contact cable receptacle
~ 6 as shown in Figure 3, the set screw 20 can be tightened to
;~ 20 mechanically deform the cable wires into the countersunk portion
~ ¦22. ThiQ arrangement provides a mechanlcal means for holding the
;3 ~ cable within the female contact while at the same time producing a
¦vesy low electrical resistance connection between the cable and th~
~contact.
In the preferred embodiment the forward end of the
female contact 16 terminates in a bobbin 26 having an annular,
¦conc-ve groc 26 a~d n in~ rdly ¦
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extending, conical butt surface 30. Referring to Figures 1 and 2,
,!a plurality of electrically conductive tulip contacts or segments
l32 are positioned circumferentially around and radially spaced fron
¦¦the longitudinal axis of the female contact 16. The term
i"longitudinal axis" as used herein includes the axis itself as
well as the extension of the axis in a forwardly direction i.e.
toward the male portion 14. .
¦ Looking at the enlarged views of Figures 4 and 5 in
'conjunction with Figures 1 and 2, the electrically conductive,
Itulip contacts or segments 32 each have a generally S-shaped
j,configuration when viewed in longitudinal cross section as shown in
jFigures 4 and 5. One end 32a of each tulip segment 32 is positione
, Irithin the bobbin groove 28 and held therein by means of a spiral
garter spring 34. The other end 32b is spring-loaded in a
¦Iradial}y inward direction by means of spiral garter spring 36. The
tulip segments 32 and the butt contacts surface 30 together define
ja receiving socket 38 for the male element of the electrical
connector. ,
~¦ Referring to Figures 1, 4 and 5, the male connector
:, 20 .portion 14 contains a longitudinally extending, electrically
conductive plug contact 40 adopted for insertion into the plug
jreceiving socket 38 of the female portion of the electrical
connector. The forward end of the plug contact 40 has a truncated
conical portion 42 and a reduced diameter, rearwardly sloping
jannular surface 44. Looking at Figure 5, it can be seen that the
dlsta e~d 3 - of the tul~p segnen~ bearo gain5t ~he rear-
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; 106Z348
wardly sloping shoulder 44 of the male plug contact 40. Since the
tulip segments 32 are spring-loaded inwardly in a radial direction
by garter spring 36, the distal end of each tulip segment acts as
a cam on the annular surface 44 which functions as a cam surface.
Thus, the inward, radially directed force from the spring-loaded
tulip segment is translated into an axial force which forces the
butt, contact surface 46 of the male plug contact into electrical
contact with the butt surface 30 of the female contact. Given the
conical configuration of the female contact butt surface 30, it
can be seen that the resulting contact between the two butt surfa s
is a ring contact. The ring contact runs cooler and with less of
a voltage drop than the point contact produced between two flat,
butt surfaces.
Although the preferred embodiment employs a conical femal
contact surface and a truncated conical configuration for the male
plug, it should be understood that the invention is not so limite
. Generally, the invention uses a combination ~f tulip and butt
contacts. Thus, the butt contacts, both male and female, can have
a number of other configurations besides the illustrated conical
^/ 20 s~rface and truncated cone. For example, the contacting surface
of the plug contact can take the form of a truncated sphere where-
3 in the continuity of the ring contact can be maintained in the
~, event of co-axial mis-alignment of the male and female contacts.
Conversely, the female contact surface 30 can have a spherical
configuration while the male contact surface rcmains as a
:~- truncated cone. Other butting male - female contact surface
~ configuration6 including two planar surfaoe6 also can be
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106Z348
used as axial butt contacts in the tulip - butt connector of the
present invention.
l The tulip segments 32 electrically parallel the main butt
¦ contact between the male plug contact 40 and the female contact
¦ surface 30 thereby increasing the current carrying capacity of the
connector. In addition, the tulip segments provide a make-first,
break-last connection. Since these segments are easily replaceabl ,
¦ they function effectively as the arc destroyable element in the
l connector.
¦ The preceeding discussion has been directed to the
¦ structure and electrical operation of the basic components of the
; ¦ tulip - butt connector of the present invention. These components
can be used in conjunction with a variety of insulating materials
¦ including air as the insulating medium. In the preferred
~- 15 ¦ embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 1, the basic
: ¦¦co ponents v~ been Incorporaeed ln su~es~le proeective houoing- ¦
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¦Ito provide an explosion proof connector.
il Looking at Figure 1, the female contact 16, tulip segment
32 and the garter springs 34 and 36 are positioned within and held
ilin detachable relation to a threaded metal housing 48. The
licomponents are held by and insulated from the metal housing 48 by
means of a receptacle main insulator 50 and ar. insulating retainin
disk 52. A threaded metal sleeve 54 is screwed onto the connector
housing 48 to hold a rotatable bushing 56. The bushing in turn
¦is threaded to accept a packing nut 58. A vapor tight seal is
provided with respect to the cable insulation 60 by means ~f hose
tubing 62, a compressible packing washer 64 and a grommet 66.
'I A similar construction is employed in the male portion of
llthe electrical connector. The male plug contact 40 is positioned
i ~within and in detachable relation to a metal housing 68. The plug
i~ lS ¦Icontact is held within the housing by means of a corresponding
¦Iplug contact insulator 70 and an insulating retaining disk 72. A
metal handle 74 is threaded onto the housing 68. The handle 74 is
in turn threaded to accept a packing nut 76. The vapor tight seal
7 Ijis obtained with respect to cable insulation 78 by means of hose
;;~ 20 ¦tube 80, packing follower 82, packing 84 and gland 86.
~ ¦ The female and male housings 48 and 74, respectively, are
-.~. Iheld together by means of a rotatable screw coupling 88 as shown inFigure 1. The female housing 48 preferably is provided with a
~,apertures 90 through.which can be placed the shank of a padlock 92.
~-~ 25 ¦jWith the padlock position, as shown by the dashed lines in Figure 1 the coupling ring 8~ cannot be removed.
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1 106Z348
Having described in detail a preferred embodiment of our
invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that
numerous modifications can be made thereto without departing from
the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims:
What we claim and desire to secure by Letters.Patent of
the United States is:
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