Abstract An electrical adapter or connector (10) comprises a block of insulating material (12) and a plurality of moveable contact pins (16) which are positioned within recesss (14) found in the block. Each of the pins includes an upper mating electrical contact surface (18) and a screw (22) for conductively securing the pin to a wire (30). Springs (28) are loosely positioned at the bottom of each of the recesses in order to continuously bias the pins outwardly from the upper surface (15) of the insulating block. The pins are prevented from moving out of the recesses by set screws (32) placed within longitudinal bores (31) of the block or by attaching each spring at one end to the bottom of one recess and at its opposed end to the bottom of a contact pin. Each upper mating contact surface (18) is preferably conically shaped, so as to receive a mating contact pin (17) having a complimentary shaped conical surface (19) in aligned electrical engagement. This self-aligning feature permits the adapter to be easily installed in generally inaccessible positions within electrical systems. Replacement of defective complimentary shaped contact elements is facilitated as the necessary wiring can be secured to the adapter rather than to replaceable electrical components. Alternate embodiments of the moveable pins include upper mating contact surfaces which can be formed as either flat, discoidal surfaces (54) or clip-type contacts (62).
An electrical adapter capable of facilitating the installation of new electrical contacts and the repair of defective electrical contacts by insuring the aligned receipt of a plurality of complimentary shaped mating contacts by said adapter, said adapter comprising: (a) a block of electrically insulating material having an upper surface, said block including a plurality of generally inverted conical recesses in said upper surface; (b) electrically conductive contact pins positioned in at least two of said recesses, each of said pins having an initial position biased outwardly from said upper surface by a spring positioned beneath said pin along the bottom of each of said recesses, each of said pins including: (i) an upper mating electrical contact surface; and (ii) connecting means for conductively securing said pin to a conductive wire, said connecting means including a longitudinal wire receiving bore extending through each of said pins beneath each of said contact surfaces; (c) means for retaining each of said pins within each of said recesses, for limiting movement of each said pin within each said recess and for continuously maintaining said mating contact surface and said connecting means at a level above said upper surface of said block; (d) a screw threaded bore extending from said upper mating contact surface to said receiving bore; and (e) a screw engageable within said threaded bore for securing a wire placed within said receiving bore, said adapter being configured so that when said plurality of complimentary shaped mating contacts is placed into engagement with said upper mating electrical contact surfaces, each of said pins will be downwardly displaced within a corresponding recess until the spring within each recess reacts against said displacement to upwardly bias each said pin towards said initial position, said springs and said complimentary shaped contacts interacting to align the complimentary contacts and mating surfaces and insure an electrical connection therebetween, said bore remaining at all times at a level above said upper surface of said block.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
326 words
An electrical adapter capable of facilitating the installation of new electrical contacts and the repair of defective electrical contacts by insuring the aligned receipt of a plurality of complimentary shaped mating contacts by said adapter, said adapter comprising: (a) a block of electrically insulating material having an upper surface, said block including a plurality of generally inverted conical recesses in said upper surface; (b) electrically conductive contact pins positioned in at least two of said recesses, each of said pins having an initial position biased outwardly from said upper surface by a spring positioned beneath said pin along the bottom of each of said recesses, each of said pins including: (i) an upper mating electrical contact surface; and (ii) connecting means for conductively securing said pin to a conductive wire, said connecting means including a longitudinal wire receiving bore extending through each of said pins beneath each of said contact surfaces; (c) means for retaining each of said pins within each of said recesses, for limiting movement of each said pin within each said recess and for continuously maintaining said mating contact surface and said connecting means at a level above said upper surface of said block; (d) a screw threaded bore extending from said upper mating contact surface to said receiving bore; and (e) a screw engageable within said threaded bore for securing a wire placed within said receiving bore, said adapter being configured so that when said plurality of complimentary shaped mating contacts is placed into engagement with said upper mating electrical contact surfaces, each of said pins will be downwardly displaced within a corresponding recess until the spring within each recess reacts against said displacement to upwardly bias each said pin towards said initial position, said springs and said complimentary shaped contacts interacting to align the complimentary contacts and mating surfaces and insure an electrical connection therebetween, said bore remaining at all times at a level above said upper surface of said block.