Electrical connectors – Connector movable between accessible and inaccessible positions
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-13
2001-02-20
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Connector movable between accessible and inaccessible positions
C439S172000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06190184
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an electric appliance for personal use such as a dry shaving apparatus, a hair cutting machine or epilator, having a housing to accommodate an electric motor, a storage cell charging circuitry, at least one rechargeable storage cell designed to be connected to the electric motor, and a connector compartment in which a connector equipped with connector pins is pivotally mounted.
An electric appliance with a connector designed to be pivoted out of a connector compartment is known from Japanese patent publication 60-39390 B2. The connector comprises a connector housing and two leaf-shaped connector pins projecting from the connector housing.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,381 there is known an electric appliance with a connector designed to be pivoted out of one of the broad sides of the housing, the two leaf-shaped connector pins being pivotally arranged in the connector housing, and the two round connector pins being fastened in extension of the connector housing to the connector housing. Inside the housing of the electric appliance is a connector compartment, and in an extension of the latter are two elongate recesses to accommodate the connector with the two round connector pins projecting therefrom.
From DE 35 35 564 C2 there is known an electric appliance with a connector housing designed to be pivoted out of one of the narrow sides of the housing of the electric appliance. The two round connector pins, which are slidably arranged within the pivotal connector housing, are associated with an actuating device with a connector pin pusher, which is retractably mounted in the housing of the electric appliance. When the connector housing is pivoted out, the connector pin pusher lies in the extension of the connector housing and is pushed into the connector housing in order to push the connector pins out of the connector housing into an operating position.
From German utility model G 83 29 691 (U1) there is known an arrangement in which the connector of a rechargeable shaving apparatus is slidably positioned at one end of the shaver housing so that the two leaf-shaped connector pins fastened to a connector housing are pushed out of one of the two narrow sides of the shaver's housing by means of an actuator switch arranged in the bottom of the housing in order to make the connection to a socket-outlet of a voltage source. To ensure that the connector pins projecting out of the shaver's housing sit securely and in particular do not wobble it is necessary to provide a suitable guide, a relatively long support section for the connector housing fixedly connected to the connector pins inside the shaver's housing, and the additional arrangement of a buffer. The amount of space required by such a connector construction is therefore considerable.
Electric appliances of the type initially referred to are known to be equipped with various connectors in conformance with various standards, e.g. connectors with relatively close lying leaf-shaped connector pins for 110 volts/125 volts or round connector pins for 220 volts, 230 volts/240 volts, which compared with the leaf-shaped connector pins are spaced further apart because of the higher voltage involved. The spacing to be observed for round connector pins to conform with applicable standards makes it impossible to replace leaf-shaped connector pins with round connector pins, for example, on the known arrangement of the connector arranged to be pivoted out of a broad side of the shaver's housing according to
FIG. 18
of Japanese patent publication 60-39390 (B2) on account of the relatively slim shaver housing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to create an electric appliance of the type initially referred to, in which the arrangement of a connector with connector pins inside the housing of the electric appliance is assured in minimum space.
It is intended furthermore to simplify the manipulation of an electric appliance equipped with a connector.
According to the present invention, this object is accomplished by the combination of features specified in claim
1
.
The ability to pivot the connector out of a connector compartment provided in one of the broad sides of the housing of an electric appliance results, in conjunction with the connector pins which are arranged side by side parallel to this broad side and are movably mounted inside the connector housing and with an actuating element likewise movably arranged inside the connector housing, in compact and relatively small overall dimensions for a connector equipped with round connector pins. That section of the connector housing which on a connector of this type necessarily projects out of the housing of the electric appliance in order to connect with a live electric socket-outlet is used advantageously in conjunction with that part of the connector extending into the housing of the electric appliance in order to accommodate the round connector pins.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, provision is made inside the connector housing for at least one locking position for the connector pins. In a further aspect of this embodiment, the connector pins are held inside the connector housing in a locking position in order, for example, to prevent rattling noises while transporting the electric appliance or obstructions by the connector pins while pivoting the connector housing in and out of the connector compartment. In yet another aspect of the two previously mentioned embodiments of the present invention, provision is made for the connector pins to be held outside the connector housing in a locking position. This embodiment of the invention makes it easier to connect the connector to a live electric socket-outlet.
To make it easier for the user to move the connector pins out of the connector housing into an operating position, the connector pins are adapted to be acted upon by at least one spring. According to an embodiment of the present invention that is particularly easy to manufacture, the spring is arranged between a rear wall of the connector housing and a connector pin pusher fixedly connected to the connector pins. In a further aspect of this embodiment, provision is made for an actuating element for moving the connector pin pusher from one locking position into a further locking position and back again. In a further aspect of this embodiment, provision is made for the actuating element to be held by a spring in the respective locking position.
To hold the connector in its non-operating position on the one hand, that is, inside the connector compartment, and in its operating position on the other hand, that is, pivoted out of the connector compartment, in a further embodiment of the present invention the connector housing is equipped with at least one locking element, and for each locking element there are provided two latching elements on the housing in order to limit the pivoting movement of the connector out of and into the housing.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connector is preferably pivotally mounted in the connector compartment by means of two bearing pins. In a further aspect of this embodiment, the pivot bearing for the bearing pins is formed by corresponding semi-circular recesses in a first and a second shell of the housing.
To facilitate handling of the connector, provision is made in accordance with an embodiment of the invention for each of the two bearing pins to be positioned a certain distance from each end wall of the connector.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, provision is made for each connector pin to be connectable to an electric contact of the storage cell charging circuitry via an electric contact while the connector is pivoted out of the connector compartment.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, provision is made for the connector pins to be of a round configuration.
Owing to the fact that the distance between leaf-shaped connector pins is substantially smal
Cimbal Jochen
Durr Helmut
Schamberg Thomas
Braun Aktiengesellschaft
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Prasad Chandrika
Sircus Brian
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