Patent Application
20180316145
n/a
n/a
The present invention relates to a method and system for connecting an electronically operated device to a power source. In particular, the present invention relates to an electrical outlet that provides an interface between an electrical device and a power source.
Many electrical devices are connectable to a power source through, for example, a standard wall outlet or socket. For example, an electrical device may include a cord with a plug that can be inserted into a wall socket to be connected to a power source. However, when plugged in, the plugs typically extend from the wall socket by a distance of up to three inches. If the plug and socket are located behind an item of furniture, for example, that item of furniture must be moved a distance from the wall that will accommodate the protruding plug. This is not only aesthetically displeasing, but also reduces the usable size of a room.
To overcome these disadvantages, flat plugs may be used. For example, a device may have a cord with a flat plug that extends a minimal distance from the wall socket (for example, about half of an inch to one inch). Although such plugs allow an item of furniture to be positioned closer to the wall on which the socket is located, a user must still move the furniture initially to plug the cord into the wall socket. For example, if the wall socket is located behind a couch, the user must first move the couch away from the wall, plug in the cord, and then replace the couch.
Further, even if the wall socket is accessible without having to move the item of furniture, its location may still be inconvenient for frequent use. For example, the wall socket may be located under a desk, requiring the user to bend over and go under the desk to plug or unplug the cord. To overcome this disadvantage, a power strip or extension cord may be used. Hover, these are not only unsightly, but they typically become tangled with the user's feet or stepped on, which can create a dangerous electrical situation.
Finally, most plugs, flat or otherwise, can be easily removed from the wall socket or other socket, which presents a hazard to small children. For example, a power strip or extension cord has exposed sockets that are easily accessible. Although socket covers are known, these covers can be easily removed, even by small children, and therefore present only a minimal safety advantage, at best.
The present invention advantageously provides a device, system, and method for connecting a peripheral device to a power source. The device may include a housing including a first portion coupled to a second portion, the first portion including a face portion and an edging portion, the edging portion edging portion defining the housing thickness. The housing may have an internal chamber, within which may be a circuitry component, at least a portion of at least one plug component, at least one connection port in the housing edging portion, and a light source within the housing interior chamber. Further, each connection port may have a connection port cover that is configured to selectively obstruct or unobstruct the connection port by the application of a minimum amount of activation force against the connection port cover.
In one embodiment, a device for connecting to a power source may include: a housing including a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a third surface between the first and a second surfaces, the first, second, and third surfaces defining a housing interior chamber; at least one plug component extending from the second surface; at least one connection port in the third surface; and a circuitry component within the housing interior chamber.
In one aspect of the embodiment, the housing further includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion defining the first surface of the housing and the second portion defining the second surface of the housing. In one aspect of the embodiment, the first portion further defines the third surface. In a further aspect of the embodiment, the at least one plug component has a plurality of prongs and the second portion has a plurality of plug apertures, each of the at least one plurality of prongs extending through a corresponding one of the plurality of plug apertures.
In one aspect of the embodiment, at least a portion of the plug component is coupled to the circuit component.
In one aspect of the embodiment, the device further includes a light source at least partially within the housing interior chamber. In one aspect of the embodiment, the housing further includes a light transmission window and the first surface has an aperture sized and configured to accept at least a portion of the light transmission window. In a further aspect of the embodiment, the light source includes a plurality of light emitting diodes.
In one aspect of the embodiment, the device further includes at least one connection port cover. In one aspect of the embodiment, the at least one connection port includes a plurality of connection ports and the at least one connection port cover includes a plurality of connection port covers, each of the plurality of connection port covers being configured to selectively obstruct and unobstruct an associated one of the plurality of connection ports. In one aspect of the embodiment, each of the plurality of connection port covers is configured to move between a first location in which the associated one of the plurality of connection ports is unobstructed and a second location in which the associated one of the plurality of connection ports is obstructed by an application of a minimum amount of depressive force on each of the plurality of connection port covers. In one aspect of the embodiment, the minimum amount of force is at least 5 lbs. In another aspect of the embodiment, the minimum amount of force is approximately 15 lbs.
In one aspect of the embodiment, each of the at least one connection port has a corresponding connection port housing, each connection port housing having a plurality of tracks.
In one aspect of the embodiment, each of the plurality of tracks is at least substantially linear. In one aspect of the embodiment, the plurality of tracks includes a first track on a first side of a corresponding connection port and a second track on a second side opposite the first side of the corresponding connection port. In a further aspect of the embodiment, at least a portion of each of the plurality of connection port covers is configured to be accepted within a corresponding one of the plurality of tracks.
In one embodiment, a device for connecting to a power source may include: at least one electrical connection port; and at least one electrical connection port assembly at each of the at least one electrical connection port, each of the at least one electrical connection port assembly including: an electrical connection port housing having a first track and a second track at least substantially parallel to each other, the first track being on a first side of the electrical connection port and the second track being on a second side of the electrical connection port; an electrical connection port cover having a first protrusion extending away from the electrical connection port cover in a first direction, a second protrusion extending away from the electrical connection port cover in a second direction opposite the first direction, an indentation between the first and second protrusions, the first protrusion being configured to move linearly within the first track and the second protrusion being configured to move linearly within the second track; a post that is slidable relative to the electrical connection port housing, the post being sized and configured such that at least a portion of the port is received within the indentation of the electrical connection port cover; and a spring between the electrical connection port housing and the electrical connection port cover, the spring being wound around at least a portion of the post, the spring having a spring rate that requires a threshold amount of force to compress the spring, each of the at least one electrical connection port cover assembly being configured such that the electrical connection port cover compresses the spring and moves toward the electrical connection port when a depressive force is applied on the electrical connection port cover.
In one aspect of the embodiment, each of the at least one electrical connection port housing further includes a first set of notches in communication with the first and second tracks and a second set of notches a distance from the first set of notches and in communication with the first and second tracks, the first and second protrusions being configured to be: located within the first set of notches when the spring is uncompressed and the electrical connection port is unobstructed by the electrical connection port cover; and located within the second set of notches when the spring is uncompressed and the electrical connection port is obstructed by the electrical connection port cover.
In one embodiment, a kit for connecting a peripheral device to a power source may include: a power source interface device including: a housing having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a third surface between the first and a second surfaces, the first, second, and third surfaces defining a housing interior chamber; at least one plug component extending from the second surface; and at least one connection port in the third surface; and at least one extension cable, each of the at least one extension cable including: a first end and a second end opposite the first end; a male connector at the first end; and a female connection port element at the second end, the male connector being configured to be accepted within a corresponding one of the at least one connection port.
A more complete understanding of the present invention, and the attendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
The invention advantageously provides a device, system, and method for connecting a peripheral device to a power source. For example, a device for connecting a peripheral device to a power source may include a housing having an edging portion in which at least one connection port is located. Each connect port may have a connection port cover that can be moved from an open first location to a closed second location. When the connection port cover is in the closed second position, access to the connection ports, and therefore the power supply, is prevented. As a safety feature, it may take a minimum force to move the connection port cover to the open first position from the closed second position. As a non-limiting example, it may require at least 28 pounds of force to open the connection port cover. The device may further include a light source to illuminate dark areas near the device and/or for use as a night light.
Before describing in detail exemplary embodiments that are in accordance with the disclosure, it is noted that components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the disclosure so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
As used herein, relational terms, such as “first,” “second,” “top,” “bottom,” “upper,” “lower,” and the like, may be used solely to distinguish one entity or element from another entity or element without necessarily requiring or implying any physical or logical relationship or order between such entities or elements. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the concepts described herein. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes” and/or “including” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
Referring now to the drawing figures in which like reference designations refer to like elements, an embodiment of a power source interface device is shown in the figures and generally designated as “10.” The power source interface device may be configured to connect one or more peripheral devices to a power source, and may generally include a housing 12, a plug component 14, at least one connection port 16, and at least one printed circuit board (PCB) or circuit component 18. The housing may have a height H, a width W, and a thickness T. The thickness T may be less than the height H and width W. Further, the thickness T may be less than the length or thickness of a typical electrical plug, meaning the housing 12 is closer to, for example, the wall outlet into which it is plugged than the typical electrical plug. Additionally, the power source interface device 10 may have a plurality of connection ports 16 on its edge rather than on its face, in contrast to typical wall outlets into which the device may be plugged. Accordingly, furniture may be arranged more closely to the wall on which the wall outlet is located when using the power source interface device 10 instead of a typical electrical plug. Thus, the power source interface device 10 may be referred to as being flat or relatively flat in order to distinguish it from known plugs or other electrical outlet devices.
Generally, the housing 12 may include a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a third (peripheral) surface between the first and second surfaces, the first, second, and third surfaces defining a housing interior chamber. At least a portion of the plug component 14 may extend from the second surface of the housing 12. Additionally, the housing may include one or more connection ports 16 in the third surface. More specifically, the housing 12 may include a first portion 24, which may define the first and third surfaces, and a second portion 26, which may define the second surface. Further, the first 24 and second 26 portions may be configured to be coupled to each other to define an enclosed internal chamber within the housing. As a non-limiting example, each of the first 24 and second 26 portions may include a rim or edge 30 that is configured to be matably attached to the corresponding rim or edge of the other portion. The rim or edge 30A of the first portion 24 and the rim or edge 30B of the second portion 26 may be configured to be coupled to each other by one or more engageable components (such as snaps, tongue and groove couplings, or the like), adhesives, welding, friction fitting, or by other suitable means for ensuring the first 24 and second 26 portions remain coupled to each other when the device 10 is in use. Additionally or alternatively, the first 24 and second 26 portions may be coupled together using screws (for example, as shown in
The housing first portion 24 may include a face portion 34 and an edging portion 38. Alternatively, although not shown, the edging portion 38 may be defined by a third housing portion disposed between the first portion 34 and the second portion 38, rather than being defined by the first portion 24. The height H and width W of the housing 12 may be at least substantially defined by the face portion 34 and thickness of the housing 12 may be defined at least substantially defined by the edging portion 38. Put another way, the edging portion 38 may define the housing's outer perimeter. As shown in the figures, the face portion 34 may have a rectangular shape, and may have rounded corners for safety and/or aesthetics. As a non-limiting example, the face 34 portion may have a height of approximately 4.8 inches (±0.5 inch) and a width of approximately 3.0 inches (±0.5 inch). If the housing first portion 24 has curved or non-angular corners (such as those shown in
Optionally, the housing first portion 24 may further include one or more apertures 42A in the face portion 34 that are sized and configured to accept screws for coupling the first 24 and second 26 portions together (for example, as shown in
The housing second portion 26 may have at least substantially the same height and width as the housing first portion. The second portion 26 may have a platelike configuration, without an edging portion, and may include a rim or edge 30B that is configured to be coupled to the rim or edge 30A of the housing first portion 24. Additionally or alternatively, the housing second portion 26 may include one or more apertures 42B that are sized and configured to accept screws for coupling the first 24 and second 26 portions. For example, these apertures 42B may be the same size and at the same relative locations as the apertures 42A in the face portion 34 of the first housing portion 24. The second portion 26 may also include one or more recessed or indented sections 50B that correspond to the recessed or indented sections 50A in the edging portion 38 of the housing first portion 24. Put another way, the silhouette of the housing second portion 26 may have one or more indentations. The second portion 26 may further include a plurality of plug apertures 64 that are sized and configured to accept the male connectors or prongs 66 of the plug component 14 that is coupled to the PCB 18, such that the prongs 66 pass through the plug apertures 64 and extend away from the second portion 26. As is shown in
As noted above, the housing 12 may define an enclosed internal chamber when the first 24 and second 26 portions are coupled together. One or more internal components may be located within this internal chamber, such as the PCB 18, light source(s) 56, and a plurality of connection port housings 62. The PCB 18 may include processing circuitry 68 having a memory and a processor, the memory being in communication with the processor and having instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the processor perform one or more functions discussed herein. The PCB 18 may also include a wireless communication transceiver 70, such as a WiFi or BLUETOOTH® (Bluetooth Sig, Inc., Delaware) for sending and receiving information. As a non-limited example, the transceiver may be configured to receive information or instructions from a wireless network so that a user may remotely enable or disable the flow of electricity from the power source through the device 10 and into a peripheral device, thereby activating or deactivating the peripheral device. Further, the transceiver may be configured to send information to a remote device (for example, a cell phone, computer, or the like), such as information about energy usage, power surges, etc. Additionally, the transceiver may be configured to send information to and receive information from external devices including, but not limited to, AMAZON ECHO® devices (Amazon Technologies, Inc., Nevada) and GOOGLE HOME® devices (Google Inc., Delaware). The PCB 18 may be coupled to the prongs 66 of the plug component 14 that extend through the plug apertures 64 in the housing second portion 26 and are configured to be plugged into, for example, a standard wall socket. In this way, the device 10 may be in electrical communication with a power source, such as a home or office power supply. The light source (s) 56 and the plurality of connection ports 16 may be in electrical communication with the PCB 18 such that the PCB 18 may activate the light source(s) 56, receive information from one or more peripheral devices connected to the connection ports 16, or the like.
Referring now to
The housing 12 or the connection port housings 16 may define a plurality of tracks 76 with which the connection port covers 74 are engaged. For example, each track 76 may be a groove or an aperture in the material of the corresponding connection port housing 16, and each track 76 may be at least substantially linear (for example, as shown in
To keep the connection port covers 74 in place over the connection ports 16, and thereby prevent a child from accessing the connection ports 16 and electrical source, the connection port covers 74 may be configured such that they are depressible and slidable within the tracks 76 only with the application of a threshold amount of pressure. As a non-limiting embodiment, the connection port covers 74 may be configured such that it takes a minimum amount of approximately 125 N±5 N (approximately 28 lbs±2 lbs) of force to depress the cover 74 in order to move the cover 74 from a location in which the cover 74 completely covers (that is, blocks access to or obstructs) the associated connection port 16, which may be referred to as the closed position, to a location in which the connection port 16 is uncovered and accessible (that is, unblocked or unobstructed), which may be referred to as the open position, and vice versa. Data from one study shows that an average five-year-old male child is capable of exerting approximately 55 N±5 N (approximately 13 lbs±2 lbs) with his thumb in either a forward or downward direction, and approximately 30 N±5 N (approximately 7 lbs±2 lbs) with his index finger in either a forward or downward direction. Data from the same study for an average five-year-old female child shows can exert substantially the same force. Therefore, requiring at least 15 pounds of force to move the connection port cover 74 to expose the connection port 16, and therefore make the electrical current accessible, may protect unintended injury to at least children under the age of five. However, the minimum force may be any amount that complies with federal child-resistant product standards, for example, between approximately 5 lbs and approximately 30 lbs or higher. For example, the pounds of force required to move the connection port cover 74 to expose the connection port 16 may be such that not more than 20% of a child test group, after a demonstration, is able to expose the connection ports (for example, in compliance with domestic standards in 16 C.F.R. Part 1700). Likewise, the pounds of force required to move the connection port cover 74 to expose the connection port 16 may be such that at least 90% of a senior-adult test group is able to expose the connection ports (for example, in compliance with domestic standards in 16 C.F.R. Part 1700). Put another way, the power source interface device 10 may be configured such that it is both child resistant and senior adult use effective.
Once the connection port cover 74 is in the open position, a user may insert a plug or other male connector into the connection port 16 of the device 10. Whereas the device's plug component 14 may be either a standard three- or two-prong plug, the connection port 16 may be of any suitable connection type that will put the plugged-in device in electrical communication with the power source. As non-limiting examples, the device 10 may include connection ports 16 of one or more of the following types: universal serial bus (USB, such as, for example, USB Type A, USB Type B, USB Type B 3.0, USB Type C, USB mini A, USB mini B, USB micro A, USB micro B, USB micro B 3.0), Thunderbolt, Thunderbolt 2, Thunderbolt 3, or any other suitable connection type. Further, it will be understood that the device may be configured to accept any suitable connection type, including those that are not yet known at the time of filing.
Referring now to
Referring now to
It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described embodiments (and/or aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other and the drawings are not necessarily to scale. In addition, may modifications may be made to adapt to a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. Dimensions, types of materials, orientations of the various components, and the number and positions of the various components described herein are intended to define parameters of certain embodiments, and are by no means limiting and are merely exemplary embodiments. In the appended embodiment, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein.” Moreover, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.
Different embodiments have been disclosed herein, in connection with the above description and the drawings. It will be understood that it would be unduly repetitious and obfuscating to literally describe and illustrate every combination and subcombination of these embodiments. Accordingly, all embodiments can be combined in any way and/or combination, and the specification, including the drawings, shall be construed to constitute a complete written description of all combinations and subcombinations of the embodiments described herein, and of the manner and process of making and using them, and shall support claims to any such combination or subcombination.
