Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-06
2002-12-03
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
active
06488540
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to electrical outlets, and more particularly to multi-receptacle female outlets.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various types of electrical outlets have been proposed in the past. Brown et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,638 and Shulman et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,751, which are owned by the assignee of the present application, each disclose the broad concept of a pre-mold for a powercord that has a single female electrical outlet site. The Brown et al. '638 patent discloses a two-piece pre-mold that holds a plurality of blade-type receptacle contacts that have distally located wire crimping ends. The Shulman et al. '751 patent also discloses a two-piece pre-mold, but instead holds a plurality of clothespin-type receptacle contacts.
Brown et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,443,400 and 5,888,105, which are also owned by the assignee of the present application, relate to a molded powercord with multiple female outlet sites. Each of these patents also discloses electrical contact stampings, each of which has multiple female blade-type contacts and a wire crimping end. Furthermore, each female contact is sized, shaped and positioned so as to provide one contact for a corresponding one of the multiple outlet sites. The patents do not, however, disclose a housing or casing which is provided with an internal structure adapted to receive contact stampings. Rather, the stampings of these patents are held in their preferred spatial relationship by a spacer element and overmolding.
Doudon U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,520 and Lax U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,350 both relate to electrical outlet units that include rigid two-piece housings, rather than pre-molds, with multiple female outlet sites on one exterior wall thereof. Each outlet site comprises three openings in the exterior wall that are each sized and shaped so as to receive a male blade of an electrical plug. The Lax '350 patent utilizes wires, rather than stampings, to provide the electrical contacts for each outlet. The Doudon '520 patent discloses a housing with exterior and interior walls where the interior walls define cavities and recesses that are sized and shaped so as to receive electrical contacts therein.
Blanche U.S. Pat. 5,816,860 discloses a female outlet adapter with multiple outlet sites and stampings with multiple blade-type female receptacles. The adapter does not, however, include a pre-mold.
Lee U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,907 also relates to an electrical unit with multiple female outlets. The electrical unit disclosed in the Lee '907 patent does not, however, include a pre-mold.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a multi-receptacle outlet incorporating a premold that securely holds a plurality of contacts that is suitable for overmolding to yield a composite multi-receptacle female outlet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The problems and disadvantages associated with the conventional techniques and devices utilized as electrical outlets are overcome by the present invention which includes a premold for a powercord that has multiple female electrical outlet sites. In one embodiment, the premold includes a housing which is provided with a network of walls and partitions that form channels and cavities adapted to securely receive a plurality of busbar stampings, each with multiple female contacts. In addition, an external front wall of the housing is provided with three outlet sites, each of which has three openings (i.e., ground, positive and negative openings) that are shaped and sized to receive corresponding male contacts of an electrical plug. More particularly, each busbar stamping has a crossbar, three female contacts and a wire crimp extension. The wire crimp extension of each stamping extends from the back of the crossbar and connects by crimping to a corresponding wire of a power supply cable.
In a preferred embodiment, there are three busbar stampings: a ground stamping; a positive stamping; and a negative stamping. The ground stamping has three female ground contacts that are each sized and shaped so as to receive a corresponding ground pin on a male plug and that extend from the front of the crossbar such that they each align with the ground opening of a corresponding outlet site. The positive stamping has three positive blade-type female contacts that are each sized and shaped so as to receive a corresponding positive male blade on a male plug and that extend from the front of the crossbar such that they each align with the positive opening of each corresponding outlet site. Similarly, the negative stamping has three negative blade-type female contacts that are each sized and shaped so as to receive a corresponding negative male blade on a male plug and that extend from the front of the crossbar such that they each align with the negative opening of each corresponding outlet site. The three stampings are securely received within the cavities and channels of the housing in a stacked array. Thus, the crossbars are arranged in a parallel orientation one above the other.
In the preferred embodiment, a cap is sized and shaped such that it can be snapped securely onto the back of the housing. The cap includes three openings that are sized and shaped to receive the wire crimp extensions of the stampings. Thus, once the cap is secured to the housing, the stampings are snugly retained within the cavities and channels of the housing. In addition, the wire crimp extensions protrude from the back of the assembled premold in a staggered relationship relative to one another.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4717350 (1988-01-01), Lax
patent: 4979907 (1990-12-01), Lee
patent: 5232381 (1993-08-01), Yu
patent: 5272587 (1993-12-01), Wan
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patent: 5383799 (1995-01-01), Fladung
patent: 5425659 (1995-06-01), Banks
patent: 5443400 (1995-08-01), Brown et al.
patent: 5486121 (1996-01-01), Miller
patent: 5526225 (1996-06-01), Wang
patent: 5582520 (1996-12-01), Doudon
patent: 5603638 (1997-02-01), Brown et al.
patent: 5647751 (1997-07-01), Shulman et al.
patent: 5816860 (1998-10-01), Blanche
patent: 5888105 (1999-03-01), Brown et al.
patent: 5971808 (1999-10-01), Chiang et al.
patent: 6054657 (2000-04-01), Liao
Coyle, Jr. William J.
Minkwitz Harold
Heyco, Inc.
Le Thanh-Tam
Selitto Behr & Kim
Sircus Brian
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