An electrical connection arrangement

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical connector arrangement having a plug part (3) and a socket part (2). The socket part comprises a pair of connectors (4A, 4B), and the plug part a pair of pin connectors (5A, 5B). Each connector (4A, 4B) of the socket part comprises a pin connection (6A, 6B) for a current transformer, a contact portion (7) being arranged to be connectable with an opposed pin connector (5A, 5B) of the plug part, and a resilient contact (8) being arranged to be connectable with the resilient contact (8) of the other connector of the pair. The plug part (3) comprises an insulating pin (9) being arranged to switch off the connection between the resilient contacts (8) when the plug part (3) and the socket part (2) are connected to each other, and to switch on the connection between the resilient contacts (8) when the plug part (3) and the socket part (2) are decoupled from each other

Description

Field of technology

[0001] The invention relates to electrical connection arrangements, which are used with current transformers.Prior art

[0002] A current transformer is used to measure current, for example, in a wire. The wire to be measured is called as a primary winding and a coil used for measuring is called as a secondary winding. So, the current transformer is an inductive element.

[0003] A circuit board utilizing the measurements of the current transformer, or another electrical device / component can be connected to the secondary winding of the current transformer by using a connector. If the connector is disconnected, there is risk that the secondary circuit of the current transformer or the connector is damaged. Therefore, there are connectors having protective arrangements in order that the secondary circuit of the secondary winding is not disconnected when the connector is disconnected.

[0004] Current protective arrangements are relatively complex, which means that manufacturing is not so straightforward.Short description

[0005] The object of the invention is to make an alternative solution in order to alleviate the problems of known solutions. The object is achieved in a way described in the independent claim. Dependent claims illustrate different embodiments of the invention.

[0006] An electrical connector arrangement 1 according to the invention comprises a plug part 3 and a socket part 2. The socket part comprises a pair of connectors 4A, 4B , and the plug part a pair of pin connectors 5A, 5B. Each connector 4A, 4B of the socket part comprises a pin connection 6A, 6B for a current transformer, a contact portion 7 being arranged to be connectable with an opposed pin connector 5A, 5B of the plug part, and a resilient contact 8 being arranged to be connectable with the resilient contact 8 of the other connector of the pair.

[0007] The plug part 3 comprises an insulating pin 9 being arranged to switch off the connection between the resilient contacts 8 when the plug part 3 and the socket part 2 are connected to each other, and to switch on the connection between the resilient contacts 8 when the plug part 3 and the socket part 2 are decoupled from each other.List of figures

[0008] In the following, the invention is described in more detail by reference to the enclosed drawings, where Figure 1illustrates an example of an embodiment according to the invention when a plug part and socket part are connected with each other, Figure 2illustrates an example of figure 1 when the plug part and socket part are disconnected, Figure 3illustrates an example of a connector, Figure 4illustrates another example of a connector, Figure 5illustrates another example of and embodiment according to the invention, and Figure 6illustrates another view from the example of figure 5. Description of the invention

[0009] Figure 1 illustrates an example of an embodiment 1 according to the invention when a plug part 3 and socket part 2 are connected with each other. Figure 2 illustrates the same embodiment than figure 1 when the plug part and socket part are disconnected. In the figures the socket part is illustrated as a cut-away drawing.

[0010] An electrical connector arrangement 1 according to the invention comprises a plug part 3 and a socket part 2. The socket part comprises a pair of connectors 4A, 4B , and the plug part a pair of pin connectors 5A, 5B. Each connector 4A, 4B of the socket part comprises a pin connection 6A, 6B for a current transformer, a contact portion 7 being arranged to be connectable with an opposed pin connector 5A, 5B of the plug part, and a resilient contact 8 being arranged to be connectable with the resilient contact 8 of the other connector of the pair. The socket part 2 has an insulating housing 13 having spaces 14A, 14B, 14C for said connectors.

[0011] The plug part 3 comprises an insulating pin 9 being arranged to switch off the connection between the resilient contacts 8 when the plug part 3 and the socket part 2 are connected to each other, and to switch on the connection between the resilient contacts 8 when the plug part 3 and the socket part 2 are decoupled from each other.

[0012] As can be seen the insulation pin 9 keeps the resilient contacts 8 separated when the plug part 3 is in the socket part 2. In this case the secondary winding of the current transformer, which is connected to directly or indirectly to the pin connections 6A, 6B, is in connection with the pin connectors 5A, 5B of the plug part. In use the plug part is in connection with a circuit board or other electrical device via the pin connectors that are through the housing 15 of the plug part. So, the secondary circuit of the secondary winding of the current transformer is not open.

[0013] When the plug part 3 and the socket part 2 are decoupled like figure 2 shows, the resilient contacts 8 are in spring-actuated contact with each other. So, also in this case the secondary circuit of the secondary winding of the current transformer is not open.

[0014] So, the pair of the pin connectors 5A, 5B, the insulating pin 9, and the contact portions 7 and resilient contacts 8 are arranged so that the pair of the connectors 4A, 4B is connected to each other through the resilient contacts 8, and / or is connected to the pair of the pin connectors 5A, 5B. The positions and dimensions of these parts are such that when coupling or decoupling the plug part and the socket part, the connectors 4A, 4B, are always in connection with each other through the resilient contacts 8, or in connection with the pin connectors 5A, 5B of the plug part or both at the same time.

[0015] Figure 3 illustrates an example of a connector 4A. The resilient contact 8 has a hook-like form having an open chank 10 with a point 11. The hook form and the material of the resilient contact provides a spring. The pair of the resilient contacts / springs are against each other when the insulating pin 9 is not between them. The open chank 10 is a bended chank so that the point 11 directs diagonally away from the other resilient contact 8 of the pair. Having the bended chanks it is easy to push the plug part 3 and the insulating pin 9 into the socket part 2.

[0016] The contact portion 7 comprises at least one resilient part 7A, 7B. In this embodiment there is two resilient parts 7A, 7B as can be seen in figure 6. However only one resilient part, for example the part 7A or part 7B is possible to provide an electrical connection with the opposite pin connector. In that case the resilient part can be formed in a different way than illustrated in the figures. Figure 4 shows another example of the contact portion 70 being a projecting part.

[0017] Each connector of the socket part 2 has at least one support part 12. Through the support part 12, the connector 4A, 4B has support (or extra support) from the housing 13 of the socket part 2. As can be seen in the examples of the figures each connector 4A, 4B of the socket part 2 is made of a metal strip / plate. The metal strip / plate is convenient to use. However, the connectors 4A, 4B can be made of other materials like a wire, bended to a desired form. So, as can be noticed the connectors can be made in many different ways. The example 4C of figure 4 further shows another way to make a resilient contact 80 wherein the bend 81 of the hook form is not so flat than in the embodiment of figure 3.

[0018] Figure 5 illustrates another example of an embodiment according to the invention, and figure 6 illustrates another view from the example of figure 5. In this example, the housing 13 of the socket part comprises four pairs of the connectors 4A, 4B, but the number of the connectors can be different, for example in the range of 2 - 4 pairs of the connectors 4A, 4B. Respectively, the plug part 3 having a plug housing 15 comprises the same number of the pin connectors 5A, 5B, like 2-4 pairs of the pin connectors 5A, 5B, or like four pairs in the example of figure 5.

[0019] As said, the contact portion 7 may have two resilient parts 7A, 7B being arranged to be connectable with the opposed pin connector 5A, 5B of the plug part. Figure 6 illustrates how the resilient parts can be in contact with the pin connector 50A, 50B at opposite sides of the pin connector. In this embodiment the pin connectors have a square profile that is different from the embodiment of figure 1 and 2 having the pin connectors 5A, 5B of a circle profile. In the embodiment of figure 6 each connector 4A, 4B has two support parts 12.

[0020] It is clear the insulating material means electrically insulating material, and the said connectors, contacts and connections are electrically conductive in this context. Further, the pin connections 6a, 6B can be directly connected with the wires of the secondary circuit (the circuit for the secondary winding) of the current transformer or indirectly, for example through an intermediate piece / electrical board. The points 51A, 51B and parts of the pin connectors 5A, 5B being on the opposite side of the plug housing 15 than the insulating pin 9 are connectable to a circuit board / electrical device as said above. This connection can be a fixed type.

[0021] The invention provides a simple and cost-effective solution to provide a protective connection between the connectors 4A, 4B utilizing the connectors themselves in cases where the electrical connection arrangement is decoupled, or the parts of the arrangement are connected to each other. When the plug part is pushed into the socket part the protective connection of the resilient contacts does not decouple / disconnect too earlier, but connections between the connectors and the opposed pin connectors 5A, 5B are realized before the disconnection of the resilient contacts 8. Since the structure of the invention is simple, the manufacturing is easy and cost-effective. The simple and also a relatively save-spacing structure makes it also possible to have several pairs of the conductors 4A, 4B in the housing. So, this kind of embodiment of the invention can be connected to several current transformers.

[0022] As can be seen the invention can be realized in many ways. It is evident from the above that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described in this text but can be implemented in many other different embodiments within the scope of the independent claims.

Claims

1. An electrical connector arrangement (1) comprising a plug part (3) and a socket part (2), the socket part comprising a pair of connectors (4A, 4B), and the plug part a pair of pin connectors (5A, 5B), characterised in that the each connector (4A, 4B) of the socket part comprises a pin connection (6A, 6B) for a current transformer, a contact portion (7) being arranged to be connectable with an opposed pin connector (5A, 5B) of the plug part, and a resilient contact (8) being arranged to be connectable with the resilient contact (8) of the other connector of the pair, the plug part (3) comprising an insulating pin (9) being arranged to switch off a connection between the resilient contacts (8) when the plug part (3) and the socket part (2) are connected to each other, and to switch on the connection between the resilient contacts (8) when the plug part (3) and the socket part (2) are decoupled from each other.

2. An electrical connector arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that the pair of the pin connectors (5A, 5B), the insulating pin (9), and the contact portions (7) and resilient contacts (8) are arranged so that the pair of the connectors (4A, 4B) is connected to each other through the resilient contacts (8), and / or is connected to the pair of the pin connectors (5A, 5B).

3. An electrical connector arrangement according to claim 2, characterised in that the resilient contact (8) has a hook-like form having an open chank (10) with a point (11).

4. An electrical connector arrangement according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that the open chank (10) is a bended chank, the point (11) directing diagonally away from the other resilient contact (8) of the pair.

5. An electrical connector arrangement according to any of claims 1 - 4, characterised in that the contact portion (7) comprises at least one resilient part (7A, 7B).

6. An electrical connector arrangement according to any of claims 1 - 5, characterised in that the contact portion (7) has two resilient parts (7A, 7B) being arranged to be connectable with the opposed pin connector (5A, 5B) of the plug part.

7. An electrical connector arrangement according to any of claims 1 - 6, characterised in that each connector of the socket part (2) has at least one support part (12).

8. An electrical connector arrangement according to any of claims 1 - 7, characterised in that each connector (4A, 4B) of the socket part (2) is made of a metal strip.

9. An electrical connector arrangement according to any of claims 1 - 7, characterised in that the socket part (2) comprises an insulating housing (13) having spaces (14A, 14B, 14C) for said connectors.

10. An electrical connector arrangement according to any of claims 1 - 7, characterised in that the housing (13) of the socket part comprises 2 - 4 pairs of the connectors (4A, 4B), and the plug part (3) comprises a plug housing (15) comprising 2 -4 pairs of the pin connectors (5A, 5B).

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