US3439308A - Male/female electrical adaptor - Google Patents

Description

April 1969 w. c. SWARTOUT 3,439,308

MALE/FEMALE ELECTRICAL ADAPTOR Filed Dec. 12, 1966 11C13C -4 13A 10 United States Patent 3,439,308 MALE/FEMALE ELECTRICAL ADAPTOR Willson C. Swartout, P.0. Box 326, Newark, Del. 19711 Filed Dec. 12, 1966, Ser. N0. 600,849 Int. Cl. H01r 3/06 U.S. Cl. 339-44 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Electrical adaptor for converting between male/female connections.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention Description of the prior art Heretofore the L1 and L2 connecting means on the ends of cross-polarized adaptors have been cross connected within the body of the adaptor by various joined connections, such as soldered leads. These cross connections are subject to disruption and breakage making them dangerous and unsuitable for Underwriter Laboratories approval.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with this invention, the L1 and L2 connections are carried integrally and unbroken straight through the adaptor. The ground connection is also integral and passes through the body of the adaptor between the L1 and L2 connectors so that it is disposed on opposite sides of the L1 and L2 connecting means at the opposite ends of the adaptor. This electrically crosspolarizes the L1, L2 connecting means on the opposite ends of the body without physically affecting their structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Novel features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art from a reading of the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG, 4 is a cross sectional view taken through FIG. 2 along the line 44; and

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken through FIG. 2 along the line 5-5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIGS. 1-5 is shown an electrical adaptor including: lug 11 for the L1 connection, lug 12 for the L2 connection and lug 13 for the ground connection. Adaptor 10 converts between female connecting means 11A, 12A

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and 13A inserted within sockets 11C, 12C and on one end 14 of adaptor 10 and male connecting means 11B, 12B and 13B on the other end 18. Female connecting means 11A, 12A and 13A are in a grounded U configuration. Connector 11A is the L1. Connector 12A is the L2 and connector 13A is the ground. They are representative of any female type configuration, for example, any NEMA (National Electrical Manufactures Association) configuration, of the U or Crowsfoot type. They are illustratively shown as a Nema 5-15R grounded U receptacle.

Connectors 11B, 12B and 13B at the other end of adaptor 10 are representative of any male configuration and are shown in a Nema 10-20P plug of the crowsfoot type. Terminal 11B is the L1 hot connection, Terminal 12A and 13A and male connections 11B, 12B and 13B is the ground. As previously mentioned, plug configuration 11B, 12B and 13B is representative of any male plug configuration.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show how female connections 11A, 12A and 13A and male connections 11B, 12B and 13B are opposite ends of integral or solid electrical conductor lugs 11, 12 and 13 extending through insulated body 22 within which they are molded. Body 22 can be any moldable insulating material, such as rubber or phenolic resin. Molded body 22 is however illustrative of any feasible insulating body for an electrical adaptor and could be hollow or split or any other workable configuration.

Lugs 11, 12 and 13 are integral strips of electrical conducting material, such as an electrical copper alloy. Female ends 11A, 12A and 13A are of the forked type for receiving the tips of a male connector. Ground lug 13 passes between lugs 11 and 12 in connecting its female end 13A to its male end 13B. Female end 13A and male end 13B comprise substantially parallel legs of lug 13. Ends 13A and 13B are connected by bar 13D within body 22,

Ground connections 13A and 13B are, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, disposed on opposite sides of the L1, L2 connections 11A, 12A and 11B, 12B. In other words ground connections 13A and 13B are reversed relative to each other with respect to their associated L1, L2 connections. Lug 13 passes within body 22 between the L1, L2 lugs 11 and 12 in connecting its female and male ends 13A and 13B. This electrically cross-polarizes the L1, L2 connections 11A and 12A with 11B and 12B, even though they do not mechanically cross each other inside adaptor 10. This cross-polarized structure is necessary to insure that current is carried through connected lines in a continuous way without the previously necessary physical cross connection of the L1, L2 lugs. Adaptor 10 therefore satisfies the most stringent safety requirements for cross-polarized adaptors with a remarkably simple structure.

I claim:

1. An electrical adapter for converting between male and female connecting means of the L1, L2, ground type comprising an insulating body, spaced male connecting means of said type on one end of said body, spaced polarized female connecting means of said type on the other end of said body, said connecting means extending through said body from one end to the other, and said ground connecting means being disposed on opposite sides of said L1 and L2 connecting means on the male and female ends of said adaptor whereby said male and female connecting means on said ends are electrically cross-polarized relative to each other.

2. An electrical adaptor as set forth in claim 1 wherein said male and female connecting means are interchangeably crowsfoot and U type.

3. An electrical adaptor as set forth in claim 1 wherein said ground connecting means includes a pair of parallel legs at said ends of said body and a bridging bar Within said body.

4. An electrical adaptor as set forth in claim 3 wherein said bridging bar is disposed substantially at right angles to said legs.

5. An electrical adaptor as set forth in claim 3 wherein said male and female connecting means are interchangeably crowsfoot and U type.

6. An electrical adaptor as set forth in claim 5 wherein said bridging bar is disposed substantially at right angles to said legs.

7. An electrical adaptor as set forth in claim 1 wherein said connecting means include flat bars.

8. An electrical adaptor as set forth in claim 1 wherein said ground connecting means is integral.

9. An electrical adaptor as set forth in claim 8 wherein all said connecting means are integral and solid.

4 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/ 1925 Pacent.

3/1966 Horvath et al 33914 FOREIGN PATENTS 10/ 1931 Germany.

4/ 1926 Great Britain.

E. MOORE, Primary Examiner.

PATRICK A. CLIFFORD, Assistant Examiner.

10 RICHARD US. Cl. X.R.

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