Patent Application
20090035970
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the support of light-electric appliances such as light fittings and small fans.
More particularly, the invention provides an improved plug and socket combination powering and supporting an appliance in a manner allowing the user to readily change its orientation. The combination is particularly useful where there is a frequent need to move appliances from one location to another and for constructors of new buildings.
2. Description of the Related Art
In two previous disclosures, Israel Patent No. 126246 and Israel Patent application No. 139261, the present inventors have described a socket and plug combination for conducting electric power and for mechanically supporting a light-weight appliance by means of said plug. Such appliances can be a luminaire, small TV receiver, camera, a small fan, or the like. The present specification is a development of and an improvement on the later patent, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Recently published US patents have not furthered the state of the art as far as the subject of the present invention is concerned. Tzeng Jeng has disclosed a swivellable receptacle in U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,794 B1 which is not intended to carry a mechanical load. The same applies to the plug seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,782 B1 to Hsiao.
While the socket-plug combination according to our previous patent operated well a better embodiment has been developed. Depending on the geometry of the application, there were instances of angular slippage.
Furthermore, it has been found that there are applications where the previously provided three wires, for single-phase power plus earth, were inadequate to service the appliance or appliances the user required.
It is therefore one of the objects of the present invention to obviate the limitations of prior-art electrical plugs and sockets and to provide a more reliable and more versatile revolvable plug-socket combination.
The present invention achieves the above objects by providing a combination of a fixable socket and a plug revolvable therein for conducting electric power and for mechanically supporting in a desired orientation an appliance receiving said power, said combination comprising the following.
a) A socket is rigidly attachable to a structure surface. Said socket comprises a non-conductive body configured for attachment to said surface. A front face includes at least four spaced-apart hollow arcuate receptacles. All of said receptacles have a common center of curvature. Each receptacle contains a conductive element insulated from the remaining conductive elements and is electrically connected to its own cable terminal. A first set of radial locator elements is provided on said front face.
b) A plug is insertable into said socket and is revolvable therein. The plug comprises a non-conductive body having a rear face configured to carry a second set of locator elements to contact and engage said first set of locator element for retention of said plug in a desired angular position relative to said socket. A plurality of arcuate conducting prong elements are insulated from each other and engagable with said arcuate receptacles to contact said conductive elements disposed therein. Each prong element is electrically connected to its own plug cable terminal. The plug is arranged to mechanically support an appliance which is electrically connected to receive power from said plug cable terminals.
c) Releasable latching means are attached to said combination, provided that, when engaged, a retention force between said socket and said plug to retain said locator elements in inter-engagement, said latching means are hand releasable to allow full disengagement of said plug and said appliance attached thereto, and also to allow partial withdrawal for disengagement of said locator elements to permit revolution of said plug while maintaining contact with said socket.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention there is provided a socket and plug, combination, wherein said hollow arcuate receptacles extend through three-hundred-sixty degrees (360°) to allow full revolution of said plug in said socket.
In a most preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a socket and plug combination wherein said locator elements comprise a series of teeth disposed on a face surrounding the largest of said hollow arcuate receptacles.
Yet further embodiments of the invention will be described hereinafter.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,716 to Seo there is described and claimed an adaptor with a rotary plug. The socket to be used is a standard or close to standard multi-outlet wall socket. The two-prong plug is mounted inside an adaptor casing to allow forty-five or ninety degrees (45°, 90°) of revolution, so that the adaptor can be plugged in without fouling adjacent plugs carrying power to other appliances. A small shoulder on the plug prong is to prevent inadvertent release of-the plug from the socket. The adaptor supported is not an appliance but a transformer-rectifier intended to supply low voltage DC current to an appliance.
In contradiction thereto, the present invention relates to a socket and plug which are configured to support the appliance itself. Four electrical connections are provided, and the appliance angle can be adjusted as required, and locked at the desired.
A four wire connection is primarily intended for serving an appliance having two power-consuming units, for example two lights or a light and a small fan, or a light and a camera, where two separate user switches are to be provided for operating either, both, or neither of the appliances. The four-wire connection also can be used for operating a three-phase appliance, while retaining the earth wire.
It will thus be realized that the novel device of the present invention serves to provide firm support for appliances that may need to be moved from a first location to a second or further location as desired by the user. For example, a doorway that needs to be monitored may have a light plus a small closed-circuit TV focused on the area that might be used by an intruder. When the camera and light are needed for a second location, they may be de-plugged and re-plugged in a socket at the new location. The user will be able to change quickly the light/camera angle by revolving the plug in its socket as needed.
The invention′ will now be described further with reference to the accompanying drawings that represent by example preferred embodiments of the invention. Structural details are shown only as far as necessary for a fundamental understanding thereof. The described examples, together with the drawings, will make apparent to those skilled in the art how further forms of the invention may be realized.
There is seen in
A front face 24′ of the socket includes four spaced-apart hollow arcuate receptacles 26a, b, c, and d. The receptacles 26 all have a common center of curvature. At the lower portion of each receptacle 26, there is flexible conductive element 27, only one of which is seen in
An integrally molded set of first radial locator elements 30 are provided on a front face 32 of the socket 10, the reference being to the outward of the socket which is seen after the socket is wall attached. Preferably, the first locator elements 30 comprise a series of teeth disposed on the face 32 surrounding the largest of the hollow arcuate receptacles 28d. The large diameter on face 32 provides excellent retention against plug angular slippage. A recess 60 is provided in socket 10. Its purpose will be explained with reference to
Each prong element 36 bas a conducting connection 38 leading to its own plug cable terminal 40, seen on a side of the plug body 34. When the plug 12 is inserted into the socket 10, each prong element 36 contacts the flexible conductive element 27 disposed at the lower portion of each socket receptacle 26, seen in
The plug body 34, or the housing 42 of the latching mechanism 16 carried by the plug 12, is arranged to mechanically support by means of an arm 51, one or two small appliances 14, for example a light and a small TV camera, or two lamps as seen in
A second set of locator elements 46 are carried on an external rear face 50. Only 2-4 second locator elements 46 are needed to provide adequate angular location locking for the plug 12. If desired, however more elements 46 can be provided. The external rear face 50 can contact or come into close proximity to the face 32 of the socket 10 when inserted in the socket 10. The second set of locator elements 46 engages the first set of locator elements 30 seen in
It will be noticed that it makes no difference whether the first set of locator elements 30 are on the socket 10 and the second set 46 are on the plug 12 as shown, or whether this order is reversed.
Releasable latching means 16 are attached to the plug 12. In the normal released mode shown in the figure, the latching means resist unintended disengagement of the plug 12, and in particular maintain the locator elements 30, 46 in inter-engagement. The latching means 16 are hand releasable by finger pressure on the head of a release plunger 52 to allow full disengagement of the plug 12 and the appliance(s) 14 supported by means of arms, and also to allow partial withdrawal of the plug 12 for temporary disengagement of the first and second locator elements 30, 46. Partial withdrawal allows revolution of the plug 12 while maintaining electrical contact with the socket 10. In the shown embodiment, releasable latching means 16 comprises a captive ball S4 detent, which engages an appropriate recess 60 in the socket 10 seen in
Preferably latching means 16 engages the recess 60 with sufficient, retention force to support a two kilogram (2 kg) appliance in a ceiling socket during an earthquake of a severity not causing structural damage to the building in which the combination is installed. Users do not expect plug retention during an earthquake severe enough to cause structural damage to the building.
With regard to
Seen in
The scope of the described invention is intended to include all embodiments coming within the meaning of the following claims. The foregoing examples illustrate useful forms of the invention, but are not to be considered as limiting its scope, as those skilled in the art will readily be aware that additional Variants and modifications of the invention can be formulated without departing from the meaning of the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 159032 | Nov 2003 | IL | national |
This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 10/580,451 filed May 23, 2006, which is a 371 of PCT/US04/39399 filed Nov. 22, 2004, which was in English and designated the US.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10580451 | May 2006 | US |
| Child | 12040702 | US |
