CN1069788C - power adapter - Google Patents

Abstract

A power cord adaptor, such as a box-type housing three-wire adaptor, has a set of input pins extending from the housing for insertion into an electrical outlet, preferably with a rearwardly projecting central portion of the housing to provide a clearance between the remainder of the adaptor and the electrical outlet into which the adaptor is inserted. Each input pin is preferably connected to all corresponding pins (e.g. live pins) of the outlet socket by means of a conductive connection pad. The connecting piece is in push fit with the input terminal. The output receptacle is preferably integrally formed with the one or more connecting pads. Another feature is internal support structures, such as plastic plates that support the connecting tabs and make up the pre-assembly.

Description

power adapter

The present invention relates to a power adapter, that is, to a device for selectively connecting a plurality of electrical loads to a single power source. The present invention is suitable for box adapters; especially for a box adapter with two or more sockets electrically connected in parallel to a set of input pins respectively, and these pins can be plugged into the same Power outlet.

Conventional adapters are relatively complex in construction, due in part to the need for adequate electrical isolation between conductors, such as live, neutral, and ground, and their associated conductive paths. As far as UK adapters are used for 13 amps and 250 volts mains AC power, the relevant standards prescribed by SS246, MS1199 and BS1363/3 must be complied with. A complex structure leads to higher costs, both because of higher component costs and because of complex manufacturing processes.

Accordingly, the present invention first provides a power cord adapter having a set of mutually insulated input terminals connected in parallel to each of a plurality of sets of mutually insulated output terminals, for each input terminal In other words, the adapter comprises a single internal conductive lug which interconnects the input terminal with two or all of the corresponding output terminals, each lug being a push fit with a corresponding input terminal characterized in that The power adapter also includes a protruding part on the power input plane, and the input terminal is embedded in the protruding part.

A method of manufacturing such a power adapter according to the present invention is characterized in that the method includes: forming an input terminal group pre-assembled assembly in a part of the adapter housing, and then pushing each connecting piece to into the corresponding input terminals and then close the structure with the other part of the adapter housing.

Regardless of the internal structure of the power adapter, another object of the present invention is to make the overall structure as compact as possible, and in addition to facilitate the unplugging of the adapter from the socket into which it is plugged in, for example from a buried Unplug it from the mains socket installed on the vertical wall. Therefore, the present invention also provides a power adapter with a box-shaped housing, a set of input pins extending from the rear end of the housing for insertion into a mains socket, and these pins are electrically connected in parallel to the side of the housing and the The corresponding terminal of each of the plurality of output sockets on the front face, the rear end face is a plane, but there is a middle part protruding vertically from the plane and having a flat bottom parallel to the plane, and the input pins protrude vertically from the middle part, so in use The flat end face of the middle part abuts the mains power socket so as to provide a gap between the mains power socket and the rear edge of the side of the housing.

For a better understanding of the invention, an example is described in more detail below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a power adapter seen from the rear and from the left side;

Figure 2 is a perspective view and perspective view of the power adapter of Figure 1 seen from the front and from the left side;

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view from the left side showing the internal parts of the adapter.

A power adapter comprises a hollow shell consisting of a rear part 1 and a front part 2, the two parts fit together and are screwed together through a set of four holes 3. Parts 1 and 2 are integral moldings of impact-resistant electrical insulating materials that meet the requirements of relevant standards.

The rear of the adapter comprises a plane 1R, from the middle of which protrudes a housing extension 8, which has a substantially square plane 1P with rounded corners. Pins 4E, 4L and 4N are embedded in extension 8 and form the conventional earth, live and neutral prongs for plugging into a UK standard mains socket. Adjacent the ground pin 4E is a plastic molded fuse holder 5 comprising a cover plate flush with the plane 1P of the housing extension 8 . As shown more clearly in Figure 3, a conventional 13 ampere fuse F is packed into the fuse holder 5; as shown in Figure 1, the grooves on both sides of the holder 5 facilitate the clamping and removal of the fuse for replacement the fuse used.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the adapter is a three-wire adapter which provides three-wire power outlets on respective faces of the cassette housing. On the upper side, the housing is provided with three openings 6EA, 6LA and 6NA for guiding the ground, live and neutral pins of conventional power plugs so that these pins match the internal electrical socket described below with reference to FIG. 3 . Corresponding three openings 6NB, 6EB and 6LB are provided on the front face; corresponding three openings 6EC, 6LC and 6NC are also provided on the lower side.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , a plastic red filter plate 7 is pushed into an opening on the front face of the housing 2 . Although not shown in the drawings, a neon lamp is mounted between protrusions from the inner surface of the housing portion 2 so as to emit light through the filter plate 7 whenever the adapter is charged. This feature is optional. In another example, the neon lamp and filter plate are omitted. In this example, not shown, the neon lamp and a series resistor are connected by insulated wires to coil spring contacts housed in protruding tubes on the inner surface of housing part 2. When the adapter is assembled, the coil spring contacts engage and make electrical contact with the upper flat surfaces 30N and 30L of the tabs 27N and 27L, as will be described in more detail below. This way, the lamp is electrically connected in parallel with the live and neutral terminals.

Referring to Figure 3, the insulating, spring-biased shield 10 slides in a slideway 14A adjacent the upper side of the housing and a corresponding slideway 14C adjacent the lower side of the housing. These shields are conventional and are biased by springs 12 in wells 13 to a position in which the shields cover the openings through which the live and neutral pins pass through the housing wall. The shield is generally T-shaped and includes a cam portion 11 covering a corresponding opening for the ground pin. In use, as the pin is inserted into the corresponding socket, the ground pin enters the opening 6EA or 6EC, contacts the shield portion 11, slides along the cam surface and forces the shield to slide open against the bias of the spring 12. As insertion continues, the guard opens fully, allowing access to the Live and Neutral pins. Although it is not shown in the figure, a corresponding guard plate is also provided on the inner surface of the front face of the housing to protect the live wire and neutral wire openings 6LB and 6NB on the end face.

As shown on the left side of Figure 3, which depicts the interior of the rear portion of the housing, the tabs 15N, 15L and 15E are all riveted at only one point to the corresponding neutral, live and earth pins 4N, 4L and 4E. In the figure, the rivets are drawn as double circles. The zero wire piece 15E extends along the plane of the rear end face 1R, then bends 90° to extend into the housing, and ends at the bent back portion 16N, which is elastically deformable so as to be connected to the corresponding elastically deformable clip of the connecting piece 27N. Part 33N is joined. The live wire piece 15L extends along the plane of the rear end surface 1R to the elastic clip of the fuse F, and the other end of the fuse F is clamped in the elastic clip of a separate L-shaped piece 16L. The connecting piece 16L has a wing adjacent the clip and extending parallel to the plane of the housing rear end 1R. It then extends inwardly of the housing with a 90° bend, terminating in the same manner as the neutral piece, with a resiliently deformable joint for engagement with the resiliently deformable clip portion 33L of the connecting piece 27L.

The ground lug 15E is terminated at the lower end by a clip 16EC which is the ground socket on the underside of the adapter. At the other end it ends with an earth socket 16EA and after a laterally projecting wing an earth socket 16EB. The extension of ground lug 15E extends through the interior of the housing and through insulating opening 18 in support plate 17 described below so that ground socket 16EB is located adjacent opening 6EB through the front face of the adapter.

Two conductive lugs 27N and 27L provide internal electrical connections in parallel with each of the three receptacles for live and neutral. It is supported on a specially molded electrically insulating support plate 17, which is generally rectangular with its long sides flush with the inner surface of the housing. The support plate 17 has four rectangular holes: a pair of holes 19N and 19L allow the clips 33N and 33L of the connecting piece to engage with the neutral and live wire contacts respectively; The neutral and live sockets 31N and 31L of openings 6NB and 6LB provide deeper seats. A notch 18 allows the ground lug 15E to extend from the rear to the front of the adapter without contacting the live or neutral conductors as previously described.

The support plate 17 is made with several vertically forwardly projecting wall portions which guide and hold the neutral and live connection lugs 27L, 27N. These projections comprise walls 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 and 25 which are all parallel to each other and arranged symmetrically about a central plane parallel to the side walls of the housing. In a transverse plane, the projecting wall 26 serves to further guide the neutral and live sockets 31N, 31L.

The neutral and live connection tabs 27N, 27L are generally symmetrical, but not quite symmetrical, about a central plane parallel to the side walls to allow electrical insulators to span the air gap where the two tabs intersect. In addition, the aforementioned planar portions 30N, 30L are intentionally shaped differently so that the different pieces can be more easily distinguished visually.

Next, the live connection piece 27L will be described in detail; the neutral connection piece is also similar. The sheet is made from sheet metal, which is stamped into a shaped blank and then bent into the desired shape. From the lower end, the sheet begins with an elastically deformable U-shaped socket 29L located adjacent to the opening 6LC on the lower side of the adapter for receiving the live pin of the external pin. Extending transversely and obliquely therefrom is a crossing wing 28L connected to a main wall portion 32L extending over a substantial portion of the height of the adapter parallel to the side walls of the adapter housing. A flat portion 30L for connecting lamp terminals and a U-shaped socket 31L located adjacent to the opening 6LB on the front face of the adapter are connected to the main wall 32L. Above this, a U-shaped clip 33L extends laterally from the main wall 32L and engages in a push fit with the contacts 16L as previously described. Above this, at the other end of the main wall 32L, extends laterally another U-shaped socket terminal 34L, located near the opening 6LA in the upper surface of the adapter housing.

The structure described above makes assembly of the adapter particularly simple. The housing rear part 1 is formed with the protruding pins 4E, 4L and 4N and pre-assembled together with the fuse F and the fuse holder 5; the shield 10 and the corresponding spring 12 slide in this pre-assembled assembly slot in place. In a separate station, the support plate 17 and the two webs 27N, 27L form a second pre-assembled assembly. Still separately, as a pre-assembled assembly, the front part 2 of the housing is formed with a filter plate 7 (if required) and a shield 10 with corresponding springs 12 (not shown) placed on the inner surface. Where a filter plate 7 is provided, the lamp and its associated terminals are also inserted into this pre-assembled assembly by push-fitting.

The support plate 17 pre-assembled assembly is then pushed onto the joints 16N, 16L by a push-fit method, while guiding the edge of the support plate into the rear part 1 of the housing. Finally, the adapter is closed by connecting the pre-assembled assembly, securing the connection by means of four screws (not shown).

Thanks to the use of the above-mentioned lugs, no riveting is required except to connect the pins 4E, 4L, 4N to their respective terminals. This makes the assembly process easier, faster and simpler, and also makes the electrical connection stronger with greater mechanical support. The installed adapter will not rattle. In addition, the absence of riveting also results in more accurate internal dimensions because tolerances can be improved. Furthermore, the support plate 17 supporting the two webs simplifies the assembly process and also makes the overall weight of the assembly less than conventional adapters.

The protrusion 8 has two important functions. First, when the adapter is fully inserted into the receptacle, it provides a gap between the mains receptacle and the rear edge of the side wall, making it easier to remove the adapter from the receptacle. Second, it reduces the size and weight of the adapter compared to adapters whose rear walls are completely planar.

Although the invention has been described by means of a three-wire box adapter, it can of course be applied more generally. In particular, the principles of the invention may be used with multi-wire adapters of the type supported on the floor and connected to power plugs via flexible cables. The principle of providing an internal support plate and the principle of providing a lug with a push-fit can be widely used in electrical adapters.

Claims (4)

1. power-supply adapter, this adapter has the input terminal of one group of mutual insulating, each group in the lead-out terminal of these terminals and many group mutual insulatings is connected in parallel, for each input terminal, this adapter comprises a single inner conductive brace, this brace is connected to each other this input terminal with two or all corresponding lead-out terminal, each brace and the sub-sucking fit of corresponding input end, it is characterized in that, this power-supply adapter also is included in the extension on the power supply input plane, and input terminal is embedded in this extension.

2. adapter as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that, is somebody's turn to do or the such moulding of each brace, promptly constitutes lead-out terminal.

3. adapter as claimed in claim 2, it is characterized in that, lead-out terminal is cloudy, and wherein should or each brace make a full wafer metallic plate, this metallic plate is folded to form the socket that is used for the clip of the elastically deformable of input terminal sucking fit and is used for receiving the elastically deformable of power plug pin.

4. method of making power-supply adapter as claimed in claim 1, it is characterized in that, this method comprises: the formation input terminal group prepackage sub-assembly in the part of adapter housing, then each brace sucking fit in corresponding input end, the another part with the adapter housing seals this structure then.