Title of Invention	AN ELECTRICAL OUTLET OR PLUG
Abstract	An electrical outlet or plug for industrial and/or tertiary use, which comprises a body (10) consisting of two complementary elements and is provided with a spring-like stopping device in the form of a spring-like tongue (16), which forms a single piece with one of the elements of the body and engages, by springing, with a support shoulder (19) on the other element of the body. Fig.l

Full Text

The present invention pertains, in general, to an electrical outlets or plugs for industrial and/or tertiary use, and it pertains specifically to the body of said outlets or plugs. The electrical outlets or plugs for industrial or tertiary use usually comprise a body and a connecting jack, the latter being enclosed in the body and having pins for connection with the openings of a complementary outlet or having openings for connection with the pins of a plug. In general, the body consists of a grip element and a jack-holding element and the said two elements are fixed to one another in the axial direction usually with a bayonet-type connection. According to a current embodiment, such a connection is made and secured with the insertion of a flat spring between the parts of the two elements to be connected, which spring is intended to prevent an unintentional or accidental release of the two elements once they have been joined. However, the presence of an inserted spring involves problems and complications in the assembly phase of the unit. The object of the present invention is to prevent such problems by the elimination of the inserted spring, but still securing a positive connection and fixation between the two elements that form the body of an electrical outlet or plug. This object is accomplished, according to the present invention, with at least one peripheral spring-like tongue, which is made in one piece, by means of molding, with one of the elements of the outlet or plug body, and is intended for interfering and engaging, by springing, with the other element when the said body is assembled so as to prevent the unintentional disassembly thereof. Accordingly the present invention provides an electrical outlet or plug for industrial and/or tertiary use comprising: a body enclosing a connecting jack, said body comprising a grip element and a jack holding element that are joined together in an axial direction with a bayonet mount and with the interposition of at least one spring-like stopping means, wherein, for a mutual coupling, one of said elements of the body has radial fins and the other of said elements of the body has seats or slits adapted to accommodate and retain said fins along a rotation of one element relative to the other one, said spring-like stopping means being in form of a spring-like tongue integral to one of said elements of said body and engaging a support shoulder on the other element of the body, in a snap together manner; characterized in that the spring-like tongue is integral and a continuation of an end of one of the said radial fins adapted to engage the seats or slits of the other element; the said spring-like stopping tongue extending from the said fin in a direction opposite the rotational direction which allows the bayonet coupling between said two elements, and ending with a tooth facing the outside in order to engage the support shoulder when said two elements are united together, in order to prevent a counter rotation which would cause the (x two elements to disengage. Greater details of the present invention will become more evident from the description below with reference to the attached indicative and nonlimiting drawings, in which : FIG. 1 schematically shows the two elements of the body of an electrical plug, disassembled; FIG. 2 shows a front view of the element with spring-like tongue; FIG. 3 shows the assembled plug body; and FIG. 4 shows a cross section of the assembled plug body. In the said drawings, the body of an electrical plug is indicated globally as 10. This [body] consists of a grip element 11 and a holder element 12, which holds a connecting jack, which, in the case shown is provided with pins 13 (FIG. 3). The grip element 11 has a collar 111 which is inserted into a collar 12' of the jack-holding element 12, and the two elements 11, 12 are joined by means of a bayonet connection. For this purpose the collar IT of the grip element 11 has two radial fins 14, 14' and the collar 12' of the jack-holding element 12 has two seats or slits 15, 15* which are intended for accommodating the fins 14, 14! following an axial and rotating movement of one element in relation to the other. The grip element 11 also has at least one spring-like stopping tongue 16, which is intended to maintain the fixation between the two elements 11, 12, once they have been connected. According to the present invention, this tongue 16 is made in a single piece, i.e., by molding, with the element 11. More precisely, the spring-like tongue 16 is a continuation of an end of a radial fin 14 of the element 11, extends in the direction opposite the direction of rotation which makes possible the bayonet connection between the two elements of the body, and it ends with a tooth 17 turned outwards. On the other hand, a cam surface 18 that is suitable for bringing about a bending (inwards) of the spring-like tongue 16 during the connection of the two elements 11, 12 of the body 10 may be provided on the bottom of one of the seats or slits 15 that are intended to accommodate the fins 14. In practice, during the corresponding rotation of the two elements 11, 12 for their connection the spring-like tongue 16 bends first, being spring-loaded, thanks to the contact of its end tooth 17 with the bottom and/or the cam surface 18 of the seat or slit 15, in which it is inserted. Then, when the fins 14 are against the limit stop strokes, the spring-like tongue 16, reacting, returns to the original position, in which its end tooth 17 is engaging against a shoulder 19 at the end of the seat or slit opposite that against which the fin, which is made in one piece with the tongue, rests (FIG. 4). The tooth 17 of the tongue will then prevent the reverse rotation of one element of the body in relation to the other, thus inhibiting their unintentional or accidental disassembly. In fact, the two elements 11, 12 of the body 10 may be disconnected intentionally only by intervening from the outside using a tool to bend the tongue 16 inwards until its tooth 17 is released from the support shoulder 19. At the free end of the spring-like tongue 16 may be provided an attachment 20, which extends beyond the tooth 17 to engage inside the collar of the element 12, at the edge of the seat or slit 15 when the elements are connected, and the tooth 17 engages against the shoulder 19. The function of such an attachment is to prevent the spring-like tongue from being bent and pushed outwards, deforming it, following a forced rotation of one element of the body in relation to the other. Finally, it should be noted that the position of the fins and of the slits may be reversed with the former on the jack-holding element and the latter on the grip element. WE CLAIM : 1. An electrical outlet or plug for industrial and/or tertiary use comprising: a body (10) enclosing a connecting jack, said body comprising a grip element (11) and a jack holding element (12) that are joined together in an axial direction with a bayonet mount and with the interposition of at least one spring-like stopping means, wherein, for a mutual coupling, one of said elements of the body has radial fins (14, 14') and the other of said elements of the body has seats or slits (15, 15') adapted to accommodate and retain said fins along a rotation of one element relative to the other one, said spring-like stopping means being in form of a spring-like tongue (16) integral to one of said elements of said body and engaging a support shoulder (19) on the other element of the body, in a snap together manner; characterized in that the spring-like tongue (16) is integral and a continuation of an end (14) of one of the said radial fins (14, 14') adapted to engage the seats or slits of the other element; the said spring-like stopping tongue (16) extending from the said fin (14) in a direction opposite the rotational direction which allows the bayonet coupling between said two elements (11, 12), and ending with a tooth (17) facing the outside in order to engage the support shoulder (19) when said two elements are united together, in order to prevent a counter rotation which would cause the two elements to disengage. 2. The electrical outlet or plug as claimed in claim 1, wherein said radial fins (14, 14?) are provided on said grip element, said seats or slits (15, 15') are provided on the jack holding element (12), and said spring-like tongue (16) is integral to one of said radial fins and a terminal tooth (17) thereof engages said support shoulder (19) provided in one of the ends of the seat or slit (15) adapted to accommodate said fin with said spring-like tongue (16). 3. The electrical outlet or plug as claimed in claim 2, wherein a cam surface (18) is provided in said seat or slit (15) and is adapted to bend said spring-like tongue (16) inwards during the rotation for connecting said two elements, said spring-like tongue springing outwards into a position of engagement with said support shoulder (19), at the end of said rotation. 4. The electrical outlet or plug as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 3, wherein, an attachment (20) is provided on the free end of said spring-like tongue, and engages the edge of said seat or slit (15) which defines said support shoulder of said tooth (17), in order to prevent any forced out ward flexing or bending of the spring-like tongue. 5. An electrical outlet or plug for industrial and/or tertiary use, substantially as hereinabove described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

2714-mas-1998 abstract granted.pdf

2714-mas-1998 claims granted.pdf

2714-mas-1998 description(complete) granted.pdf

2714-mas-1998 drawings granted.pdf

2714-mas-1998-abstract.pdf

2714-mas-1998-claims.pdf

2714-mas-1998-correspondence others.pdf

2714-mas-1998-correspondence po.pdf

2714-mas-1998-description complete.pdf

2714-mas-1998-drawings.pdf

2714-mas-1998-form 1.pdf

2714-mas-1998-form 26.pdf

2714-mas-1998-form 3.pdf

2714-mas-1998-other documents.pdf