1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical systems, and particularly to a multi-socket power adapter having increased versatility for access to power both at fixed and remote locations, and control of the delivery thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrical devices are in abundance in everyday life. These range from small, handheld entertainment devices to operational necessities, such as computers, copiers, printers and the like. All require periodic or continuous attachment to a power source through a wall outlet. Although numerous and prevalent, most households or buildings do not have the electrical outlets to accommodate these various devices.
One common solution to the above is extension cords. These are usually constructed as an elongate cord of predetermined, fixed length having an adapter end with one or more sockets. While useful, the typical extension cord limits how far one can extend the power cord, and creates a potential hazard due to unintentional tangling of the cord.
Another common solution includes power strips having a plurality of receptacles. These usually implement a protective power surge mechanism. These are also useful, since they provide the convenience of multiple, additional outlets and added protection features. However, most do not have different socket configurations for different types of electrical devices, or a means of controlling power to individual sockets, especially at a time when energy conservation is a worldwide concern.
In light of the above, it would be a benefit in the art of electrical systems to provide a versatile power adapter having increased adaptability for various electrical devices and locales, and user-control of power availability. Thus, a multi-socket power adapter solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
The multi-socket power adapter includes a main housing unit and an extension unit mounted inside the main housing unit. The main housing unit includes a recess for the extension unit. A ribbon cable wound on a spool is housed inside the extension unit. The ribbon cable protrudes through the extension unit into the main housing unit to establish an electrical connection, which allows the extension unit to be used as a conventional extension cord. The extension unit includes a plurality of power plug sockets having a power switch for each plug socket so that power to each socket can be controlled. The main housing unit also includes a power switch and means for monitoring power consumption.
These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.
The multi-socket power adapter, generally referred to by the reference number 10 in the drawings, provides a versatile power outlet for practically any locale and has features for monitoring and controlling the amount of energy consumption. As best seen in
The main housing unit 20 is preferably a rectangular, block-shaped housing with monitoring and control features integrated therein. The dimensions of the main housing unit 20 are preferably about 25 cm (length)×20 cm (height)×10 cm (thick). The face of the main housing unit 20 includes a button latch 22 on the upper left-hand corner. The button latch 22 facilitates selective locking engagement of the extension unit 30, such as by conventional hook latch or spring latch mechanisms known in the art. A power switch 24 is disposed on the upper right-hand corner, which facilitates selective powering of the multi-socket power adapter 10. This is one of several means for controlling energy consumption and allows the user to activate power whenever required, rather than having the power constantly ON, which leads to waste. The extension unit 30 includes an LED (light emitting diode) indicator light 32 that turns on or off in response to activation or deactivation of the power switch 24. The indicator light 32 can be configured to emit any desired color, e.g., red for power on state.
The lower left-hand portion of the face includes a display screen 26 and buttons 27 for controlling the information displayed on the screen 26. The screen 26 is preferably a LCD (liquid crystal display) screen, which is a ubiquitous and inexpensive option for constructing a display. Moreover, LCD screens can be easily configured to display in monochrome or color. The information displayed thereon can include the amount of electricity consumed over a given period, temperature, and other data to help users monitor their own energy consumption and habits. The data to be displayed can be supplied by a monitoring module 14 mounted inside the main housing unit 20 behind the display screen 26. The monitoring module 14 can include sensors for generating the desired data.
In some unfortunate circumstances, power can be shut off due to unforeseen surges or other complications, e.g., a potential short circuit during lightning storms. In order to compensate, the main housing unit 10 includes a circuit breaker switch 28 on the lower right-hand corner of the face. As an alternative, all of the above switches, screen and buttons can be located anywhere on the main housing 20, so long as they can be easily accessed by the user.
The extension unit or module 30 functions as an integrated extension cord having a plurality of plug sockets and control features. As best shown in
Each plug socket 34, 36, 37, 38 includes a corresponding power switch 35 adjacent the plug socket. Each power switch 35 also includes an LED indicator light 33 to display the ON or OFF state for the corresponding plug socket 34, 36, 37, 38. This is an additional level of control and allocation of power use that helps to prevent energy waste by only activating power to the plug socket being used.
In order to permit the extension unit 30 to be used as an extension cord, the extension unit 30 includes a flat or ribbon cable 49 spooled inside the extension unit 30. The ribbon cable 49 extends out of a slot 39 on the extension unit 30 and connects to the main housing unit 20 through a corresponding slot 23. As best seen in
In use, the extension unit 30 can be removed from the main housing unit 20 by pressing the button latch 22. Then the extension unit 30 can be pulled away from the main housing unit 20 to a desired distance, a select plug socket 34, 36, 37, 38 can be powered on by a respective power switch 35, and a plug P of an electrical device inserted into the select plug socket 34, 36, 37, 38. The ribbon cable 49 may be any desired length, but is preferably about 25 m long.
As best shown in
As best shown in
While the multi-socket power adapter 10 can be used or installed alone as a replacement for conventional electrical wall outlets, the multi-socket power adapter 10 also includes means for easing installation thereof. As best shown in
Thus, it can be seen that the multi-socket power adapter 10 provides much versatility and energy-conserving controls. The plurality of plug sockets 34, 36, 37, 38 includes a variety of different plug configurations that accommodate different standards, and each socket 34, 36, 37, 38 includes the power switch 35 so that only the plug socket to be used is supplied with power. In addition, the ribbon cable 49 allows the extension unit 30 to be used as a conventional extension cord, increasing the range at which electrical devices can be powered. The power switch 24 and the screen 26 provides greater level of control and monitoring so that users can ascertain power consumption and make informed decisions for future use.
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 14/139,330, filed Dec. 23, 2013.
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Number | Date | Country |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 14139330 | Dec 2013 | US |
Child | 14223847 | US |