Hubbell Limited

Ldi Pneutronics Corporation

John C Anthony

Ernest G Hoffman

Patrick J Tiberio

John L Sandor

Peter G Hutchings

Richard L Dalton, Jr

An electrical connector adapted to be coupled to a complementary locking type electrical connector by initial relative axial movement therebetween. The electrical connector includes an insulated housing with a set of electrical contacts mounted therein, and a locking member movably coupled to the housing between an unlocked position and a locked position upon relative rotational movement between the complementary locking type electrical connector and the electrical connector. The housing has a first detent member and a sleeve for nesting with a portion of the complementary locking type electrical connector. The sleeve has a mating surface with a first polarizing member for cooperating with a complementary polarizing member of the complementary locking type electrical connector. The locking member has a second polarizing member and a second detent member for overridably engaging said first detent member of the housing upon relative rotational movement of the complementary locking type electrical to the locked position for preventing inadvertent disconnection therebetween.

Shrouded locking type electrical connector with locking member

A shroud seal having an annular ring portion and an annular lip portion. The annular ring portion is installed on the shroud of an electrical connector such that the annular lip portion is axially compressed on the shroud by a mating shrouded electrical connector. The annular ring portion has a frustoconical inner sealing surface which is sized to be twisted from its original molded frustoconical form to a cylindrical form when installed around the shroud of the electrical connector. This twisting of the shroud seal produces a concentrated hoop stress in the seal at its points of contact with the shroud. The annular ring portion and the lip portion are compliant to allow for large axial tolerance variations between the mating electrical connectors, and provides for low insertion force between the mating electrical connector. In one embodiment, the electrical connector is in the form of a plug having a tubular portion or seal guard for encircling the shroud seal to protect the seal. In other embodiment, the electrical connector is in the form of an inlet having a mounting flange to mount the electrical connector to a wiring enclosure.

Shroud seal for shrouded electrical connector

A switched electrical device adapted to be coupled to a complementary locking type electrical connector by initial relative axial movement therebetween and subsequent relative rotational movement therebetween. The switched electrical device includes a housing with an inlet opening for receiving the complementary electrical connector, a rotatable locking type electrical connector with a set of electrical contacts for engaging the electrical contacts of the complementary electrical connector, a switch mounted within the housing for selectively supplying electrical energy to the set of electrical contacts of the electrical connector, an operating handle for moving the switch between 'on' and 'off' positions, and an interlock mechanism for releasably locking the switch. The interlock mechanism selectively locks the switch in its 'off' position so that it cannot move to its 'on' position, until after the complementary electrical connector has been inserted into said opening and rotated to a locked position. The interlock mechanism also prevents removal of the complementary electrical connector from the inlet opening until the operating handle has been moved to its 'off' position, which disconnects power to the electrical contacts of the switch connector and the electrical contacts of the complementary connector.

Mechanical interlock mechanism for switched electrical connector

A sealing arrangement including a closure cap and an integral mounting gasket for sealing a mounted electrical connector housing. The closure cap and the gasket are formed as a one-piece, unitary member. The closure cap is designed to engage a shroud of the electrical connector housing for covering the electrical contacts of the electrical connector. The gasket is designed to seal the interface between the electrical connector housing and a wiring enclosure. The closure cap is coupled to the gasket by a strap so that the closure cap will be readily accessible to the user even when the closure cap is not being used.

Closure cap with gasket for electrical connector housing

An electrical connector housing having a tubular body portion, a flange portion and a cylindrical shroud surrounding an electrical connector. The shroud has at least one aperture or lockout hole 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 lockout hole in the Shroud to prevent insertion of a mating electrical connector into the electrical connector housing. The mounting flange portion has a notched section above the lockout hole in the shroud so that the shroud can be substantially recessed within the tubular body portion and the locking member can still be easily installed into the lockout hole.

Electrical connector housing

An electrical connector housing with a lid for covering electrical contacts of an electrical connector mounted therein. Electrical connector housing has a tubular body portion for supporting an electrical connector therein, a mounting flange portion for mounting the electrical connector housing to a wiring enclosure, and a lid for covering an open end of the tubular body portion and the electrical connector. The lid is pivotally coupled at one end to the mounting flange and releasably latched to the mounting flange at its other end. A torsion spring is used to normally bias the lid to a closed position in which the open end of the tubular body portion and the electrical connector are covered. The latch is integrally molded with the lid to provide a snap-fit.

Electrical connector housing with lid

Shrouded electrical connector

Sculptured electrical connector housing

A hinge construction for the effectuation or hingedly articulated connection between a lid and an aperture which is located on a plate member. More particularly, there is provided a hinge structure which facilitates a spring-biased floating sealing connection between the lid and a surface about the aperture on the plate member, which may be a component of a mechanically interlocked switch box cover, adapted to impart a uniform sealing pressure to a gasket interposed between structure mounting the lid on the hinge and the surface about the aperture. The hinge arm portion depending from a disc-like member which rotatably mounts the cup-shaped lid, is provided with a hinge pin-receiving through hole of an essentially oblong cross-sectional configuration along its length, and in which the major axis of the oblong hole extends generally perpendicular to the plane of the lower surface of the disc member which has a sealing gasket for contacting the surface about the aperture in the plate member.

Spring-biased floating hinge structure

An electrical connector system for transmitting electrical energy, and especially designed for use with electric vehicles. The electrical connector assembly includes a male electrical connector or plug with a first set of electrical contacts arranged along a common arc and a female electrical connector or receptacle with a second set of electrical contacts arranged along a common arc. Both the receptacle and the plug has a apertured shutter for selectively covering and uncovering its respective electrical contacts to prevent inadvertent contact with the electrical contacts and to protect the electrical contacts from the environment. In the preferred embodiment, the shutters of the plug and receptacle are rotated to uncover the contacts only after full insertion of the plug into the receptacle. The plug can be inserted into the receptacle with little or no force by the user since the contacts are electrically coupled together by transversely moving the contacts of the receptacle through aligned openings in the shutters to engage the contact of the plug after full insertion of the plug into the receptacle. In a second embodiment, the receptacle is provided with a break-away and manual release mechanism for automatically retracting the contacts of the receptacle from the contacts of the plug.

Electrical connector system, especially for electric vehicles

A proportional solenoid-controlled valve provides for precise control of fluid flow using a flat spring and a damper. The flat spring is three-lobed and is constrained on its outer diameter in one of six degrees of freedom. The damper has three outer lobes which are compressed between the armature assembly and the valve body. A spring-loaded seal configuration having an annular elastomer seal compensates for dimensional instability of the elastomeric seal material and the armature assembly.

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Fairfield, CT, United States of America

John C Anthony