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:
Apr. 16, 1996
Filed:
Jan. 18, 1995
Wolfgang Beckmann, Kirchhundem, DE;
Mennekes Elektrotechnik GmbH & Co. KG, Kirchhundem, DE;
Abstract
The socket has a housing, an outer sleeve on the housing centered on an axis and having an axially extending and radially inwardly open groove. A latching element in the housing in axial alignment with the groove is displaceable axially relative to the outer sleeve. A spring or other biasing unit is braced between the latching element and the housing for urging the latching element into an outer position and a mechanical coupling between the latching element and the switch prevents a switch on the housing the switch from moving from its the position to its on position except when the element is in an inner position. A nonmatching plug has a body formed with a radially outwardly open recess and respective contacts in the body are engageable with contacts of the outer sleeve. A tubular adapter body is fittable over the plug body and inside the outer sleeve in an inserted position with the plug contacts engaging the socket contacts. A radially outwardly projecting bump on the tubular body engages the latch element to hold the latching element in the inner position in the inserted position, and a retaining element on the outer sleeve projects radially inward into the recess of the plug body and bears radially outward against the outer sleeve only in the inserted position so that in the inserted position the bump holds the latching element in the inner position and the retaining element locks the adapter and plug in the outer sleeve.