Hubbell Incorporated
AUXILIARY CONTACTS FOR INDUSTRIAL CONNECTORS

Abstract:

Disclosed is an auxiliary contact assembly for an industrial connector, such as an electrical plug and electrical receptacle. The receptacle has a line side contact assembly formed by a cavity elongated in a proximal direction with an open distal end, and a plurality of inner side surfaces. A plurality of line side contacts are arranged on the inner side surfaces of the cavity. At least two of the line side contacts are on separate non-adjacent inner side surfaces at a first distance from the distal end of the cavity and at least one of the plurality of line side contacts is on an intervening inner side surface between the separate non-adjacent inner side surfaces and at a second distance from the distal end so that the contacts are staggered along the length of the cavity. The plug includes a load side contact assembly formed by a support body having a plurality of outer side surfaces that is elongated in the proximal direction. The support body is shaped to be inserted into the cavity with the outer side surfaces of the support body corresponding with the inner side surfaces of the cavity. The load side contact assembly has a plurality of load side contacts positioned to contact corresponding ones of the plurality of line side contacts when the support body is inserted into the cavity.