US2406895A - Electric connector - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 3, 1946. I R. G. oLsoN i 2,406,895

` ELECTRIC CONNECTOR Filed Nov'. 17, 1944 Snventor 2 l '7 ffwmw l 5-I :6e l i auorn'eg Patented Sept. 3, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC CONNECTOR Raymond Gr. Olson, Chevy Chase, Md.

Application November 17, 1944, Serial No. 563,875

6 Claims. l

This invention relates to electric connectors and especially to connectors of the quick detachable type.

An object of the invention is to devise an electric connector consisting of two inter-engaging parts which may be easily and quickly detached or disengaged by pulling them apart.

A further object `is to devise a detachable connector in which the two engaging parts are identical in .construction and are inter-changeable.

A further object is to devise a quick detachable connector in which both parts of the connector are formed of metal having the same gauge or thickness throughout.

In the broad form of my invention, the connector consists of one .part vhaving a ilat bifurcated tongue which is inserted into a socket embodied in the cooperating part. Thesocket in the cooperating part is formed of a sleeve of limited length, and both prongs of the biiurcated tongue are provided with laterally extending shoulders near the end thereof which engage the rear edge of the socket sleeve and serve to frictionally lock the tongue part in the socket part.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure l is a perspective view showing two identical connector parts formed from metal tubular stock, the two parte being shown in alignment but separated;

Figure 2 is a plan view showing the two parts ci Figure-1 in engaging relation;

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing how the same type of connector part may be formed from hat sheet material;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view showing a construction for a socket element designed to be mounted on an insulating strip and which may be used in connection with the connector parts shown in either Figure 1 or Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view of Figure 4 taken along the line 5-5.

The connector elements of my invention may be formed from suitable conducting material such as copper, copper-coated steel, phosphor-bronze or spring brass.

Referring to the drawing, the two connector elements shown in Figure lare identical, and only one element will be described. Each connector part involves a rear tubular section I, a flat intermediate section 2, a socket or sleeve section 3 and a front section 4 formed as a flat bifurcated tongue having two prongs 4a and 4b. The connector part is formed from tubular stock having the dimensions of the sleeve section I, and each 2 part is formed from a tubular piece having a length equal to the combined length of the various sections just described. Notches are first cut in the tubular piece to remove part of the tubular wall and leave enough material to form the flat section 2 and the bifurcated tongue 4. These sections are flattened out, and at the saine time the sleeve 3 is attened to form a narrow socket for receiving the tongue portion of the cooperating connector part.- The central slo-t in the tongue portion may be formed at the time of attening out 'this portion or it may be formed by a separate operation at a different time. The tongue section is made wider than the socket opening inthe sleeve 3 and is formed, preferably by stamping, so that the two tongue elements 4a and di) are provided with rounded, laterallyextending shoulders da and 4b at the ends thereof. The width of the tongue element to the rear of these shoulders is n0 wider than the socket in the sleeve 3, but the shoulders 4a' extend beyond the inner walls of the socket element ,as shown in Figure 2, and the tongue cannot be inserted into the socket except by forcing the two prongs of the tongue towards each other. The rounded front and rear edges of the shoulders 4a and 14h cooperate with the side walls of the socket in sleeve 3 to force the prongs of the tongue together when the tongue portion is being inserted in the socket or removed therefrom.

Figure 2 shows the two connector elements in engaging relation. Here it will be seen that the two sleeve elements form abutting stops for limiting the engaging movement of the two elements, and the prongs of the tongue section are sufficiently long so that the rounded shoulders 4a' and 4b' extend. beyond the sleeve 3 and engage the rear end of the sleeve and serve to frictionally lock the tongue of each connector element against accidental removal from the cooperating sleeve. It will be understood that the resilient character of the tongue section holds the two prongs of the tongue in spaced relation and urges the rounded rear edges of shoulders 4a and 4b into contact with the rear edge of sleeve 3. By applying sulficient force tending to separate the two connector 3 or strands of a cable are inserted in the sleeve and the sleeve is secured thereto either by soldering the parts together or by crimping the sleeve on the Wire or cable.

Figure 3 illustrates a modified form of my connector which may be made from flat sheet material. With this construction, a iiat blank is stamped from flat sheet stock and comprises an elongated central body portion extending throughout the length of the connector and having the bifurcated tongue formed at one end thereof. Just back of the bfurcated tongue, and at the position of the sleeve 3 in Figure 1, the flat blank has two lateral extensions 3a and 3b shown in dotted lines. These extensions are later bent into the positions shown in solid lines at 3a' and 3b' to form a sleeve-like socket like the sleeve 3 shown in Figure 1. At the rear end of the blank two additional lateral extensions la and Ib are provided which after stamping are bent into the forms shown in solid lines at la and Ib. This open sleeve provides means for connecting each connector part to the end of a wire or cable. It will be understood that the connector shown in Figure 3 is functionally the same as Figure 1 but is formed from fiat sheet stock instead of tubular stock.

In Figures 4 and 5 I have illustrated the construction of a socket element which may be used in connection with the connector elements shown in Figures 1 and 3. In this arrangement the socket element is formed of a flat sleeve-like structure 6 having a width and a length equal substantially to the width and length of the sleeve section 3 of Figure 1. This sleeve is pref- .'a.

erably formed from ilat sheet stock by stamping a narrow strip having a width equal to the length of the sleeve 5, and preferably having an integral lateral extension 6a extending out from the central portion of the strip. The stamped strip is suiiiciently long to form the walls of a sleeve having substantially the same dimensions as the sleeve 3 in Figure 1 (see Figure 5), and in addition, the ends of the strip are extended to provide portions 8b and 6c extending downwardly through a slot formed in a supporting insulating strip l, and end portions 6d and 6e bent in opposite directions and clamped against the underface of strip 1. The latera1 extension 6a forms a connecting lug and may be bent upwardly as shown in Figure 4. Any desired number of these connector sockets may be mounted in parallel relation on a single supporting strip. In Figure 4 I have shown in dotted lines one of the connector units mounted in the socket.

I claim:

1. A connector part comprising a at bladelike element having a bifurcated end, and a sleeve-like structure formed on one side of said blade-like element adjacent said bifurcated end.

2. A connector part comprising a iiat bladelike element having a bifurcated end, a sleevelike structure formed on one side of said bladelike element adjacent said bifurcated end and forming a socket having a width substantially equal to the width of said blade-like element, and a rounded lateral extension provided on each prong of said bifurcated end near the end thereof.

3. A separable connector comprising two substantially flat blade-like elements each having a bifurcated tongue portion on the end thereof, and each having a sleeve-like structure formed on one side of said blade-like element adjacent the tongue portion, and each sleeve-like structure forming a socket for receiving the tongue portion on the opposite blade-like element.

4. A separable connector according to claim 3 wherein the two prongs of each bifurcated tongue portion are provided with rounded lateral extensions which engage the rear edge of the sleevelike structure on the cooperating connector element.

5. A separable connector comprising a socket element formed of a liattened sleeve-like structure, and a plug element comprising a flat bladelike part having a bifurcated end extending into said fiattened sleeve, each prong of said plug element being provided with a rounded lateral extension engaging the rear edge of said sleevelike structure.

6. A separable connector according to claim 5 wherein said plug element is provided with integral shoulder portions on each side thereof which engage the front edge of said sleeve-like structure.

RAYMOND G. OLSON.

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