The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 26, 1995
Filed:
Dec. 19, 1994
Ernest G Hoffman, Middlefield, CT (US);
Hubbell Incorporated, Orange, CT (US);
Abstract
An electrical connector assembly 10 for transmitting electrical energy, and especially designed for use with electric vehicles. The electrical connector assembly 10 includes an electrical connector or plug 16 with electrical contacts, such as tubular brush contacts 34 and an electrical connector inlet assembly or receptacle 20 with mating electrical contacts such as contact pins 409. The plug has a cover 50 for selectively covering and uncovering its electrical contacts to prevent inadvertent contact with the electrical contacts. Likewise, the receptacle has a cover 460 for selectively covering and uncovering its electrical contacts to prevent inadvertent contact with the electrical contacts. The receptacle also has a retractable hood or weathershield 510 movably coupled thereto between a retracted position and an extended position. In the extended position, hood 510 partially covers plug 16. In the preferred embodiment, the covers of the plug and receptacle are either automatically or manually uncovered only after full insertion of the plug into the receptacle. The plug 16 can be provided with one or more sensors 119 (magnets), and receptacle 20 can also be provided with one or more sensors 358 (reed switches) which cooperate with sensors 119 to sense the absence or incorrect positioning of plug 16 in receptacle 20. The sensors 119 and 358 also interact to activate a microprocessor 24 to determine compatibility of power between plug 16 and receptacle 20.