Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
361 words
In a structure for releasably establishing an electrical connection, plug means and socket means forming a pair of means which have a common axis when they are operatively connected to each other, bayonet means carried By said pair of means for releasably connecting them operatively to each other in response first to movement of said pair of means one with respect to the other along said common axis thereof and then to turning of one of said pair of means with respect to each other in a given direction around their common axis, each of said pair of means having three conductors extending generally parallel to and distributed about said common axis with the three conductors of each pair of means respectively extending through the corners of a triangle situated in a plane normal to said common axis, two of the conductors of one of said pair of means being angularly displaced beyond two of the conductors, respectively, of the other of said pair of means when the pair of means are moved axially one with respect to the other along their common axis, prior to turning of one of the pair of means in said given direction with respect to the other, and the latter two conductors of said one pair of means electrically engaging the latter two conductors of the other of the pair of means only after one of the pair of means is angularly turned in said given direction with respect to the other of the pair of means, the third conductors of the pair of means forming a ground connection, one of said third conductors having an extension situated closer to the other of the third conductors than the distance between the remaining two conductors of one of the pair of means with respect to the remaining two conductors of the other of the pair of means prior to turning of the one of the pair of means with respect to the other in said given direction for engaging said other third conductor prior to engagement between the remaining conductors for establishing a ground connection prior to electrical engagement of the remaining conductors with each other.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
361 words
In a structure for releasably establishing an electrical connection, plug means and socket means forming a pair of means which have a common axis when they are operatively connected to each other, bayonet means carried By said pair of means for releasably connecting them operatively to each other in response first to movement of said pair of means one with respect to the other along said common axis thereof and then to turning of one of said pair of means with respect to each other in a given direction around their common axis, each of said pair of means having three conductors extending generally parallel to and distributed about said common axis with the three conductors of each pair of means respectively extending through the corners of a triangle situated in a plane normal to said common axis, two of the conductors of one of said pair of means being angularly displaced beyond two of the conductors, respectively, of the other of said pair of means when the pair of means are moved axially one with respect to the other along their common axis, prior to turning of one of the pair of means in said given direction with respect to the other, and the latter two conductors of said one pair of means electrically engaging the latter two conductors of the other of the pair of means only after one of the pair of means is angularly turned in said given direction with respect to the other of the pair of means, the third conductors of the pair of means forming a ground connection, one of said third conductors having an extension situated closer to the other of the third conductors than the distance between the remaining two conductors of one of the pair of means with respect to the remaining two conductors of the other of the pair of means prior to turning of the one of the pair of means with respect to the other in said given direction for engaging said other third conductor prior to engagement between the remaining conductors for establishing a ground connection prior to electrical engagement of the remaining conductors with each other.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
57 words
The combination of claim 1 and wherein said socket means has an outer housing provided with an inner surface carrying bayonet projections of said bayonet means, said plug means having an exterior surface formed with L-shaped grooves for respectively receiving said bayonet projections for releasably connecting the pair of means to each other in their operative position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
119 words
The combination of claim 2 and wherein said bayonet projections of said socket means are respectively formed with recesses and portions of said plug means which define said bayonet grooves are respectively formed with projections respectively received in said recesses, and spring means situated between said plug and socket means for urging said projections of said plug means into said recesses of said bayonet projections of said socket means, so that said pair of means must first be moved further along their common axis in opposition to said spring means prior to turning of one of the pair of means with respect to the other in a direction opposite to said given direction for disconnecting the pair of means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
69 words
The combination of claim 1 and wherein the conductors of one of the pair of means terminate in free ends respectively having electrically conductive projections extending inwardly toward said common axis with the other of the pair of means having portions extending over said electrically conductive projections of the conductors of said one of said pair of means for providing a second bayonet connection between said pair of means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
The combination of claim 1 and wherein said pair of means carry a positioning means for angularly positioning said pair of means with respect to each other in only one operative position to assure a preselected polarity in the conductors.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
91 words
The combination of claim 5 and wherein said positioning means includes a tongue carried by one of the pair of means and a groove formed in the other of the pair of means for receiving the tongue with the tongue and groove extending parallel to the common axis of the pair of means and cooperating to compel the pair of means to be initially displaced one with respect to the other along their common axis only wHen the pair of means have a predetermined angular position with respect to each other.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
95 words
The combination of claim 1 and wherein said socket means includes an outer housing and an inner core carried by said outer housing, said core having a central portion adjacent said common axis and supporting said conductors of said socket means, said plug means having its conductors arranged more distant from said common axis than said conductors of said socket means with the conductors of said plug means situated in their entirety outwardly beyond said conductors of said socket means at a greater distance from said common axis than said conductors of said socket means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
The combination of claim 7 and wherein said housing and core of said socket means are separate elements having serrated surfaces respectively engaging each other for interconnecting said separate elements of said socket means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
83 words
The combination of claim 1 and wherein all of said conductors have elongated channel-shaped portions extending parallel to said common axis and having a substantially C-shaped cross section in a plane normal to said common axis, said socket means having at its conductors outer wall portions respectively received in the channel portions of the conductors of said plug means, and said plug means having at its conductors inner wall portions respectively received in the channel portions of the conductors of said socket means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
52 words
The combination of claim 9 and wherein said outer wall portions of said conductors of said socket means are respectively formed with inner elongated knife-edge portions extending parallel to said common axis and pressing against the inner wall portions of the conductors of said plug means for establishing an electrical connection therewith.