Hubbell Limited

Harvey Hubbell Incorporated

Alfred L Ehrenfels

Michael R Marks

Ernest G Hoffman

William C Boteler

Robert J Simon

David Lutz

Michael J D'Amato

David L Lutz

Richard I Black

Martin Parker

A universal AC/DC electrical connector for selectively coupling either a mating direct electrical current (DC) electrical connector or a mating alternating electrical current (AC) electrical connector to selectively receive both direct electrical current (DC) and alternating electrical current (AC) therein. The AC/DC electrical connector has a pair of direct current contacts, a pair of alternating current contacts, and a ground contact. When DC electrical connector is coupled to the AC/DC electrical connector, the direct current contacts and the ground contact electrically engage corresponding electrical contacts of the DC electrical connector, while the alternating current contacts of the AC/DC electrical connector remains uncoupled, i.e., alternating current connects of the AC/DC electrical connector does not electrically engage the contacts of the DC electrical connector. When AC electrical connector is coupled to the AC/DC electrical connector, the alternating current contacts and the ground contacts of the AC/DC electrical connector engage corresponding electrical contacts of the AC electrical connector. The AC/DC electrical connector can also be provided with a sensor in the form of a pilot contact or reed switches for determining whether direct electrical current or alternating electrical current is being supplied thereto.

Method of making universal electrical connector

Universal electrical connector for receiving DC and AC electrical

A closure plug having a pair of insulating members coupled together by a fastener for plugging an opening in an electrical box or an enclosure. The closure plug also includes a gasket for providing a weather tight seal around the opening in the electrical box. The fastener is frictionally retained in one of the insulating members for rotation therewith. The insulating member with the fastener coupled thereto preferably has a plurality of ribs for rotation the fastener into a hole formed in the other insulating member.

Closure plug for electrical enclosure

An electrical cable and connector assembly for electrically coupling equipment to a power source, and having an electrical cable with a plurality of power conductors and a pilot conductor releasably coupled to an electrical contact in an electrical connector, so that the pilot conductor releases from the electrical contact of the connector when a mechanical stress or force is applied to the cable. The pilot conductor releases from the contact of the connector prior to damage occurring to the remaining conductors from the stress or force applied to the cable. The power conductors are spirally wrapped about the centrally located pilot conductor so that the power conductors can stretch while the pilot conductor is pulled from its electrical contact upon application of the force or stress on the cable. In another embodiment, a non-conducting line or wire is connected to the ends of one of the conductors so that the stress or force applied to the cable is transmitted to the non-conducting line instead of to any of the conductors. Specifically, the non-conducting line is shorter than the conductors so that when the non-conducting line is stressed, the releasable end of the conductor will disconnect from its contact before stress is transmitted to the conductors.

Electrical cable and connector assembly with safety pilot line

Dead front electrical connector for recharging electric vehicles

A male electrical connector having an insulating plug body and a cylindrical sleeve surrounding conductive prongs extending from the plug body. The sleeve has at least one aperture in a side wall thereof to removably receive a locking member. The removable locking member is preferably a padlock having a substantially U-shaped shackle extending through the aperture in the sleeve to prevent insertion of the male connector into the mating female connector.

Locking electrical connector

An electrical housing apparatus has an electrically non-conductive enclosure with side and end walls. One of the end walls has an opening to receive an electrical conduit and the other walls are un-perforated. An electrically conductive frame is mounted inside the enclosure, the frame being arranged to support electrical devices is a specific vertical orientation and provide ground bonding between the conduits and electrical devices in the housing. Mounting brackets at opposite ends of the frame have openings either of which can be aligned with the end wall opening when the frame is placed in the enclosure, depending on the orientation of the enclosure: the end wall with the opening can be at the top to accommodate a top conduit connection or at the bottom to accommodate a bottom conduit connection. A water-resistant cover closes the front of the box, the cover and frame being arranged to have a single orientation regardless of which enclosure orientation is used.

Housing for switched electrical receptacle or the like

A pin and sleeve receptacle is mountable in a wall box recessed in a wall opening of a building with wires extending into the box from an in-wall wiring passage. The receptacle has a tubular electrically non-conductive shell closed at one end, the other end being open and a flange with fastener openings at the open end of the shell. A cylindrical inner body has an outer diameter smaller than the first inner diameter, the inner body having female connector sleeves for receiving electrically conductive pins of a mating plug. The inner body is mounted within the shell with an annular gap surrounding the inner body for receiving the shroud of the pin-and-sleeve plug. The opening at one end face the same direction as the open end of the shell to receive the pins of the plug. Apertures in the shell admit wires from the box for connection to the electrically conductive female connectors. An adapter plate has a central opening to receive the shell, holes to receive fasteners extending through the fastener openings in the flange and holes to permit passage of fasteners for mounting the plate across the opening of the recessed wall box. A cover plate has a central opening surrounding the open end of the shroud, openings for passage of fasteners for attaching the cover plate to the adapter plate with the flange in between, and sloping side edges for abutting the wall surrounding the box to form a minimally protruding assembly. A right-angle plug having pin connectors to mate with the receptacle to form a connector assembly with minimum protrusion from the wall is disclosed.

Flush mounted receptacle and plug with pin and sleeve type contacts

A ground shunt structure for an electrical connector which receives a shielded cable includes a electrically conductive spring encircling an exposed end portion of the cable shielding to make physical and electrical contact therewith. An elongated strip of electrically conductive material extends between the shield and a ground contact of the connector, the end adjacent the shield being held by the spring. The spring can be hooked to the strip or can encircle the strip to embrace it.

Connector shunt structure

An electrical connector has male and female housing halves each of which has front and rear housing portions. The rear housing portion has an externally threaded front end, a stop shoulder at the rear extent of the threads and a hole to receive a latch pin. The front housing portion has internal threads at the rear end to engage the threads on the rear housing portion and also has an end face with a recess. The latch pin penetrates the rear housing near the stop shoulder and has a nonsymmetrical head. The latch pin can be rotated between a position in which the head protrudes beyond the stop shoulder and a position in which it does not protrude beyond the stop shoulder. When fully threaded together, the recess is aligned with the latch pin which can be rotated to its latching, protruding position to prevent unthreading of the housing portions. The rear housing portion also contains a slidable cup which is elastomerically urged toward the front housing portion when the portions are assembled to maintain internal components in their proper position.

Latch and retainer mechanism for electrical connector

A connector for high current use includes a plug half and a receptacle half. The plug half includes a sleeve which receives a blade holder and a contact holder. The sleeve is provided with notches having predetermined angular positions and widths. The blade and contact holders also include notches which are mated with those of the sleeve. A plurality of sleeves having a variety of notch widths and positions can be provided to define a selection of connectors for various electrical circumstances. Blade and contact holders with a variety of sets of key positions and widths are provided to match the sleeves and to have the necessary electrical characteristics.

Electrical connector with component keying system

An overhead wiring system for use in the suspended ceiling of a clean room includes a generally rectangular housing with closed top, side and end walls and a substantially open bottom. A plurality of movable panels are provided in the bottom to close the bottom wall, one or more of the panels having openings through which a power cord can pass. A barrier within the housing divides its interior into a wiring chamber and a power cord chamber, the wiring chamber having a terminal strip connectable with wires from an external conduit. A power cord is connected to the terminal strip, through the barrier and through one of the panels with a stress-relieving cord grip in each of the pass-through locations. The housing is supporting so as to be substantially coplanar with a suspended ceiling and without exerting stress on the ceiling.

Overhead wiring system

An electrical connector has an electrically non-conductive outer housing and connector members recessed in one end of the housing. Electromagnetic interference shielding is provided by members surrounding the components within the housing including an electrically conductive grommet circularly contacting conductive braid on the cable to which the connector is attached and a sleeve which surrounds the wires within the housing and extends axially to the connector end. One of the connector prongs is designated as the ground prong and is electrically attached to the sleeve. Embodiments accommodating three and four wires are disclosed.

Shielded connector

A weatherproof housing and rotatable cover have radial lugs which are engaged when the cover is closed in a specific position and rotated clockwise. The cover is hingedly attached to the housing by a J-shaped arm and the cover has a skirt, one surface of which faces walls formed on the arm. The skirt has cam and stop surfaces defining a recess which engages a wall on the arm in the specific position, acting as a detent to inhibit rotational movement of the cover when it is open. Limited tilting movement of the cover is permitted by a sinuous spring in the mounting of the cover on the arm. A stop pin on the skirt prevents the cover from being rotated by 180.degree..

Detenting lift cover

A wiring device with a pivotable and rotatable cover wherein the cover has a seal which is movable relative to the cover. The seal includes a resilient ring or disk carried by a stiff supporting disk loosely retained in the cover. When the cover is closed and rotated to tighten the cover on the device, the seal frictionally engages the mouth of the device and the cover rotates relative to the seal, avoiding damage to the seal.

Growing community of inventors

Cheshire, CT, United States of America

Alfred L Ehrenfels