Electrical Switch Connector Assembly And Method Of Connecting An Electrical Device To An Electrical Switch Assembly
An electrical connector assembly (10) incorporates a connector (12) with a switch and is designed to electrically and mechanically connect and disconnect to a mating electrical device (14) while maintaining a closed circuit continuously through the connector. The mating electrical device includes a plurality of conductive contacts (20). The electrical connector includes an insulating housing (30) with at least a pair of input and output terminals (32) mounted on the housing. The terminals include contact portions (32b) for engaging the contacts of the mating electrical device. A switch mechanism (40; 60) is movably mounted on the housing for movement between a connecting position and a disconnecting position. The switch mechanism includes a latch member (48; 17) and at least one switch terminal (44). In the connecting position, the latch member is interengaged with a latch (26; 62) on the mating electrical device with the switch terminal out of engagement with the input and output terminal. In the disconnecting position, the latch member (48, 17) is disengageable from the latch (26, 62) on the mating electrical device so that the device can be removed from the assembly with the switch terminal (44) in engagement with the input and output terminals (32) to maintain a closed circuit through the connector (12) when the mating electrical device (14) is removed.
This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, particularly, to an electrical switch connector assembly incorporating a switch to electrically and mechanically connect and disconnect a mating electrical device while maintaining a closed electrical circuit continuously through the connector assembly.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONElectrical power is supplied to an individual site by external electrical power line conductors located above or below ground. In a conventional arrangement, electrical power line conductors and electrical load conductors are connected directly to contacts in a watt-hour meter mounted on a building wall. The watt-hour meter is used to measure the electric power drawn through the circuit.
These meters must be removed periodically for servicing, calibration or replacement. Since the meter is connected to the circuit in series, the removal of the meter will open the circuit. In order to avoid such an open circuit condition after the meter is removed, the input and output electrical conductors to and from the meter must be shorted.
A number of methods exist to create this short circuit. Two such methods require the skill of an electrical technician. In one instance, the technician is required to place jumper wires between the input and output conductors. In another instance, the technician uses a separate device that connects to all of the input and output conductors at the same time.
Still another method includes the use of a non-conductive blade inserted between input and output and shorting terminals. When the blade is inserted, the shorting arms are moved out of engagement with the input and output terminals allowing current to flow through the meter. When the blade is removed from between the terminals, the shorting terminals engage respective input and output terminals creating the short that will allow the meter to be removed without opening the circuit. This method works well but there is no provision for wiping the terminals to remove any non-conductive material on the contact surfaces. Also to allow for relatively easy insertion and removal of the non-conductive blade, the spring force in the shorting terminals cannot be too great. If there is any non-conductive material build-up on the contact surfaces, the spring force may not be great enough to force the shorting terminal through the build up resulting in an incomplete or even non-existent electrical connection. Also with a blade there is an extra part that can be lost and there still must be a separate feature that locks the meter with the connector.
A final method includes a projection on the meter that acts like the blade method described above. Although the projection is part of the meter and does not require a separate part that can get lost, there still must be a separate feature that locks the meter with the connector.
These prior art methods are expensive since in some cases an expensive technician must be employed or in other instances the meter is more complicated requiring extra parts. Also a consistent electrical contact is not always ensured since the contacting surfaces of the mating switch terminals don't provide any wiping that can remove any non-conductive build up on the mating surfaces of the terminals. Also some of these methods allow the terminals to be exposed to the weather and are also capable of accidental or unintentional contact by testing personnel or other personnel unaware of the exposed electrical potential.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to solving the problems of the prior art by providing an electrical connector assembly that uses a connector with a switch, the connector being readily connected and disconnected both electrically and mechanically to a mating electrical device, such as an electrical meter, while maintaining a continuous closed circuit current flow through the connector. Also, the connector provides a wiping action to improve the electrical connection and will be safer with fewer exposed terminals.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, an electrical connector assembly incorporates a connector with a switch mechanism and is designed to electrically and mechanically connect and disconnect a mating electrical device while maintaining a closed circuit current flow through the connector. The mating electrical device includes a plurality of conductive contacts. The electrical connector includes an insulating housing with at least a pair of input and output terminals from one circuit mounted on the housing. The terminals include contact portions for engaging the contacts of the mating electrical device.
The switch mechanism is movably mounted on the housing for movement between a connecting position and a disconnecting position. The switch mechanism includes a latch member and at least one switch terminal. In the connecting position, the latch member is inter-engaged with a latch on the mating electrical device with the switch terminal out of engagement with the input and output terminal. In the disconnecting position, the latch member is disengageable from the latch on the mating electrical device so that the device can be removed from the assembly with the switch terminal in engagement with the input and output terminals to maintain a circuit through the connector when the mating electrical device is removed.
According to one aspect of the invention, the switch mechanism comprises a rotating shaft mounted on the housing. The switch terminal is disposed at an outer periphery of the shaft. The shaft is elongated and is rotatable about its longitudinal axis. The input and output terminals are spaced longitudinally along the shaft. The switch terminal extends longitudinally for shorting the input and output terminals in the disconnecting position of the shaft.
According to another aspect of the invention, the mating electrical device includes an actuator for moving the switch mechanism between its connecting and disconnecting positions. The actuator includes the latch for inter-engagement with the latch member on the movable switch mechanism. In the exemplary embodiment, the actuator comprises a lever pivotally mounted on the mating electrical device on an axis coincident with the axis of rotation of the shaft that forms the switch mechanism.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the connector housing and the mating electrical device have mounting faces mountable on a support structure in a coplanar relationship. The mating electrical device is mated onto the housing in a mating direction generally perpendicular to their mounting faces. A plurality of guide projections on the connector housing extend in the mating direction for positioning in a corresponding plurality of guide apertures in the mating electrical device.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
The features of this invention that are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with its objects and the advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements in the figures and in which:
Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and first to
The meter, according to this invention, can be very easily and safely mated and unmated with the connector in the direction of double-headed arrow “A.” As will be seen hereinafter, when the meter is mated with the connector, an electrical circuit flows through the connector into and out of the meter. When the meter is unmated from the connector, the current continues to flow through the connector with the help from a shorting circuit created by a shorting terminal. The connector housing 30 and the mating electrical device 14 have mounting faces 30a, 16a that are mountable on a support structure in a coplanar relationship. The mating electrical device is mateable onto the housing in a direction generally perpendicular to their mounting faces.
Still referring to
Referring to
It should be understood that electrical device 14 can take a variety of configurations or characteristics. In the exemplary embodiment, for instance, the electrical device 14 is a three-phase meter requiring four inputs and four outputs. One pair of input and output terminals is used for each phase with the remaining pair used for a neutral circuit. In other words, it can be seen that there are eight electrical wires 36 leading to eight terminals 32 in the connector 12, with the eight terminals being engageable with eight blade contacts 20 of the meter 14.
When the meter 14 is mated with the connector 12 in the connecting position, alternating ones of the electrical wires/terminals/blade contacts would be inputs from a power source or load, while the other alternating electrical wires/terminals/blade contacts would be outputs of the system, resulting in four pairs of inputs and outputs. Each current circuit is then closed by a current measuring device (not shown) located inside the meter housing. When the meter 14 is to be unmated from the connector 12, short circuits must first be provided between the inputs and the outputs of each pair in order to prevent each current circuit from being opened. Therefore, a switch mechanism in the form of a rotatable switch shaft, generally designated 40 (
In an alternative embodiment, the switch mechanism takes the form of a sliding actuator generally designated 62 (
More particularly, referring to
Still referring to
In an alternate embodiment, the switch shaft 40 is replaced with a sliding shaft 70 that slides in either direction “E” or “F” in
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The operation of the electrical connector assembly 10 now will be described, particularly in relation to the function of the switch shaft 40 as seen in
For mating to occur, the actuating lever 22, 62 must be in the position shown on
The meter 14 is moved into mating position with the connector in the direction of arrow “A” whereby the blade contacts 20 of the meter 14 are pushed into the bifurcated contact portions 32b of terminals 32 as seen in
The actuating lever 22 then is pivoted in the direction of arrow “B” (
With the blade contacts 20 of the meter 14 inserted into the contact portions 32b of the terminals 32, circuits now are closed with electrical current flowing into and out of the meter 14. In the shorting condition of the switch shaft 40, the locking bosses 50a are snapped into the locking recesses 52 as seen in
Other features that should be noted include the fact that the meter 14 cannot be disconnected from the connector 12 when the rotating lever 22 is in the position of
As seen in
It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.
Claims
1. A mating connector system, comprising:
- a mating electrical device (14) including a latch (26; 62) and at least a pair of conductive contacts (20); and
- an electrical connector assembly (10) including an insulating housing (30),
- at least a pair of conductive input and output terminals (32) mounted on the housing, the terminals including contact portions (32b) for engaging contacts (20) of the mating electrical device, and
- a switch mechanism (40; 62) movably mounted on the housing for movement between a connecting position and a disconnecting position, whereby in the connecting position a closed circuit flow is maintained through the electrical device (14), and in the disconnecting position a closed circuit flow is maintained through the input and output terminals with a shorting circuit,
- wherein the switch mechanism includes a shaft (40; 70) and a locking member (48; 16d), the shaft including at least one switch terminal (44; 74), wherein in the connecting position the locking member (48; 16d) is interengaged with a lock (26; 68) on the mating electrical device where the switch terminal (44; 74) is out of engagement with the input and output terminals, and in the disconnecting position the locking member (48; 16d) is disengageable from the lock (26; 68) on the mating electrical device so that the device can be removed from the assembly where the switch terminal (44; 74) is in engagement with the input and output terminals (32) forming the short circuit to maintain a closed circuit flow through the connector (12) when the mating electrical device (14) is removed, the switch mechanism designed so that the switch terminals (44; 74) engage the appropriate input and output terminals (32) before the locking member (48;16d) is disengaged from the lock (26; 68).
2. The electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein said switch mechanism comprises a shaft (40) rotatably mounted on the housing (30), with said switch terminal (44) being disposed at an outer circumferential periphery of the shaft.
3. The electrical connector assembly of claim 2 wherein said shaft (40) is elongated and is rotatable about its longitudinal axis (42), the input and output terminals (32) are spaced longitudinally of the shaft, the switch terminal (44) extends longitudinally of the shaft, and the switch terminal extends longitudinally for shorting the input and output terminals in the rotatable disconnecting position of the shaft.
4. The electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein said mating electrical device (14) includes an actuator (22) for moving the switch mechanism (40) between said positions.
5. The electrical connector assembly of claim 4 wherein said actuator (22) includes said latch (26) for interengagement with the latch member (48) on the movable switch mechanism (40).
6. The electrical connector assembly of claim 5 wherein said actuator comprises a lever (22) pivotally mounted on the mating electrical device (14).
7. The electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein said connector housing (30) and said mating electrical device (14) have mounting faces (30a;16a) mountable on a support structure in a coplanar relationship, the mating electrical device being mateable onto the housing in a mating direction (A) generally perpendicular to their mounting faces.
8. The electrical connector assembly of claim 7, including a plurality of guide projections (34) on the connector housing (30) extending in said mating direction (B) for receipt in a corresponding plurality of guide apertures (18a) in the mating electrical device (14).
9. The electrical connector assembly of claim 1, including locking means (50a,50b,52) for holding the switch mechanism (40) in either of its connecting or disconnecting positions.
10. The electrical connector assembly of claim 5 wherein said actuator 60 is slidably mounted on the mating electrical device (14).
11. An electrical connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein said electrical device is a watt-hour meter.
12. A method of connecting an electrical device (14) to a connector assembly (10) incorporating a connector (12) with a switch while maintaining a closed circuit flow through the connector, comprising the steps of:
- moving an electrical device (14) into electrical engagement with the connector assembly (10) so that at least a pair of input and output terminals (32) from one circuit mounted on the housing (30) of the connector assembly (10) engages contacts 20) of the mating electrical device and so that a lock (26; 68) on the mating electrical device is inserted into locking member (48; 16d) on a switch mechanism movably mounted on the housing for movement between a connecting position and a disconnecting position, whereby in the connecting position, a closed circuit flow is maintained through the electrical device (14), and in the disconnecting position a closed circuit flow is maintained through the input and output terminals with a shorting circuit, held in the connector, the switch mechanism including at least one switch terminal (44, 74) that is in engagement with the pair of input and output terminals (32) forming the short circuit to maintain a closed circuit thought the connector (12); and
- moving the switch mechanism to the connecting position that first engages the lock (26; 68) to the locking member (48; 16d) and then disengages the switch terminal (44; 74) from the pair of input and output terminals (32) removing the short circuit and allowing current to flow through the meter.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of moving the switch mechanism includes sliding movement of the switch mechanism in relation to the connector housing.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of moving the switch mechanism includes rotating movement of the switch mechanism in relation to the connector housing.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 12, 2007
Publication Date: May 26, 2011
Inventor: Roberto Sandano (Veneto)
Application Number: 12/526,907
International Classification: H01H 9/28 (20060101);