BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to an electrical connector. More particularly, it relates
to a connector for attaching an electrical cord to an electrical appliance, which
connector includes an ejector by which it and the cord may be detached from the appliance.
[0002] Electrical appliances having detachable cords as well known. One advantage of such
an appliance is that once the appliance is electrically activated, the cord can be
detached therefrom and the appliance can be moved about freely and used without being
restricted by the cord. However, certain appliances, particularly those having an
outer cover made of metal, may become hot when electrically activated. To remove the
cord from such an appliance is difficult without touching it. Also, when using certain
electrical appliances, such as a heated hair drying cap, the user may not have one
hand free to hold the cap while disconnecting the cord therefrom with another free
hand.
[0003] Thus, it is desirable to equip an electrical cord with an electrical connector that
can be detached from an appliance without touching the appliance and with one hand.
The connector of the present invention solves these problems because it can be operated
with one hand by application of finger pressure on the ejector of the connector.
[0004] Ejectors for use with electrical connectors are known. For instance, U.S. Pats. Nos.
1,900,782; 2,051,425; 2,134,345; 2,142,184, 2,703,869; and 3,440,405 disclose electrical
connectors having ejectors which operate on a cam principle. U.S. Pats. Nos. 1,531,604;
2,259,799; 2,445,608; and 3,737,623 disclose bar or plunger operated ejectors. U.S.
Pat. No. 2,955,273 discloses a spring operated ejector for an electrical connector.
Other state of the art patents known to the applicants herein are U.S. Pats. Nos.
2,926,230; 3,417,214; 3,573,695; and 3,587,021.
[0005] Two ejectors of this invention are cam operated. A third ejector herein is operated
on the "hinge" principle described in detail below. Such ejectors do not have the
same construction nor operate in the same manner as do the prior art ejectors mentioned
above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In an electrical connector, an ejector is provided for disengaging the connector
and an electrical cord attached thereto from an electrical appliance. The ejector
includes first and second components. The first component is movable through and out
of the connector to bear against the appliance when the connector engages the appliance
and the second component is movable by the application of pressure thereon to cause
movement of the first component against the appliance, whereof the connector is moved
in an opposite direction and disengaged from the appliance. Preferably the first component
is a flat bar and the second component is integral with the first component and has
a hince shape. By finger pressure on the second component to flatten it, the first
component is moved against the appliance and the connector is disengaged from the
appliance.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The electrical connectors of this invention are described in detail below and should
be studied in conjunction with the drawings of this application, which are as follows:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector of this invention having one
end attached to a hair drying cap and the other end attached to an electrical cord.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged, plan view of the structures of Fig. 1 showing the electrical
components thereof in dotted line.
Fig. 3 is a side view of the electrical connector of Fig. 1 showing particularly the
ejector of the connector.
Fig. 4 is a side view of the electrical connector of Fig. 1 showing the ejector thereof
after it has been operated to disengage the connector from the cap.
Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of another electrical connector of this invention.
Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of still another electrical connector of this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0008] An electrical connector of this invention is shown in Fig. 1, wherein it is indicated
at 10. As described below, one end of the connector is removably attachable to an
appliance, such as the hair drying cap generally indicated at 11 in Fig. 1, and the
other end of the connector is fixedly attached to an electrical cord 12. The cord
has at its other end a conventional plug 13 for connecting the appliance to a power
source.
[0009] Referring to Fig. 2, the structures of cap 11 relevant to this invention include
a plate 14 affixed to the outside of the cap, a heating element (not shown) within
the cap, and electrical terminals 15 extending out of the cap through plate 14 and
in electrical contact with the heating element. The structures of cord 12 relevant
to this invention include wires 16 extending into connector 10. At the free end of
each of the wires is a contact 17. The structure of the contacts is not critical to
this invention. Generally the contacts will have a structure corresponding to that
of terminals 15, so that current may be delivered from the power source through plug
13, cord 12, contacts 17, and terminals 15 into the heating element of cap 11.
[0010] The structure of connector 10 is best shown in Fig. 3. The connector includes a base
18 and several openings. A first opening 19 is provided for receiving wires 16 of
cord 12, as described above. A pair of openings (not shown) are provided in which
contacts 17, which are attached to wires 16, are received. Finally, the irregular
shaped opening 20, shown best in Fig. 3, is provided in which an ejector 21 is received.
Opening 2G extends horizontally through base 18 from the end of connector 10 adjacent
plate 14 into generally the center of the connector, where it widens and extends vertically
upward to the top surface of the connector. The reason for the irregular shape of
opening 20 will be apparent from the discussion below concerning ejector 21.
[0011] Referring again to Fig. 3, ejector 21 is made of, preferably, a flexible plastic
and has essentially two portions. The first portion is flat and extends between the
outermost end of the connector adjacent plate 14 and the upwardly extending section
of opening 20. The second portion of ejector 21 has the shape of a "hinge" or is triangular
in shape and extends out of the upwardly extending section of opening 20 of connector
10 when the connector is attached to cap 11.
[0012] When the ejector is in the position shown in Fig. 3, contacts 17 engage terminals
15, as shown in Fig. 2, and current may be delivered through the connector to heat
the cap. To disengage the connector from the cap and prevent current flow thereto,
finger pressure is applied to the hinge shaped portion of ejector 21, so that the
ejector assumes the position shown in Fig. 4. As indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4,
such a pressure application causes the first portion of ejector 21 to push against
plate 14, thereby causing an oppositely directed movement of the connector and disengagement
of terminals 15 from contacts 17. To facilitate "flattening" of ejector 21, flex points
are provided in the ejector by slots 22. Further, once finger pressure is removed
from the ejector, the hinge shaped portion of the ejector, which was flattened, resumes
its initial shape shown in Fig. 3 and the ejector may again be operated.
[0013] Thus, with one hand, ejector 21 can be operated to detach connector 10 from cap 11
without the operator having to touch the cap.
[0014] In Figs. 5 and 6, other ejectors, which operate on a cam principle, are shown. Unlike
ejector 21 described above, the ejectors of Figs. 5 and 6 are made of two separate
components. In each case, these ejectors utilize a flat bar component, generally indicated
at 23, which is similar to the first portion of ejector 21 described above, for contacting
plate 14 to disengage the connector from cap 11. To do so, a second cam component,
generally indicated at 24, is moved in the direction of the arrows shown to act on
component 23.
[0015] To once again engage the connectors of Fig. 5 and 6 with cap 11, terminals 15 of
the cap are engaged with contacts 17 causing the respective ejectors shown to resume
their initial positions because the flat bar components thereof are pushed away from
terminals 15 and return springs or similar means (not shown) operate to return the
cam components to the positions shown in Figs. 5 and 6.
[0016] The above description of the electrical connectors of this invention should not be
interpreted to define this invention,which is accomplished by the claims appended
hereto.
1) In an electrical connector having contacts for engaging the terminals of an electrical
appliance, the contacts being attached to an electrical cord extending into the connector
for delivering current to the appliance when the contacts engage the terminals, the
improvement wherein the connector further comprises an ejector for disengaging the
connector from the appliance, the ejector comprising first and second components,
the first component being movable through and out of the connector to bear against
the appliance when the contacts engage the terminals and the second component being
movable by the application of pressure thereon to cause movement of the first component
against the appliance, whereby upon such a pressure application the connector is moved
in a direction substantially opposite to the direction of movement of the first component,
the contacts are disengaged from the terminals, and the connector is disengaged from
the appliance.
2) The electrical connector of Claim 1 wherein the ejector is made of a flexible plastic.
3) The electrical connector of Claim 1 wherein the first and second components of
the ejector are integral, the first component being flat and the second component
being hinge shaped, the second component assuming a flat shape, similar to that of
the first component, after the application of pressure thereto. ,
4) The electrical connector of Claim 1 wherein the second component has flex points
to facilitate change of its shape from a hinge to a flat shape.
5) The electrical connector of Claim 2 wherein the first component is a flat bar and
the second component is a cam.