CN1643745B - Power outlet with switch - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to a power socket with a switch, comprising a housing including at least one switch contact mechanism in a fixed position, and a corresponding actuation mechanism. The actuation mechanism includes an operating element and a rocker arm, the operating element being carried by the rocker arm, the rocker arm having mounting members for the operating element in at least two positions to mount the operating element relative to the housing in one of optional positions.

Description

Power outlet with switch

technical field

The present invention relates to sockets for mains voltage supply circuits, and in particular to sockets incorporating switches and having improved safety features.

Background technique

The present invention is particularly, though not exclusively, applicable to "dual-pronged outlets", ie configurations of electrical outlets containing two circuits in a single unit. These power sockets are generally suitable for wall hanging, wherein each power socket has a respective control switch suitable for connecting or disconnecting the socket and the mains power circuit. Typically, such a "double power socket" comprises a pair of rocker-type switch elements mounted on the front panel directly above and between the (two) sockets, as shown in FIG. 1 .

However, the arrangement of two switches in adjacent positions can cause a user to accidentally actuate the wrong switch and thereby, for example, switch off a device that is intended to remain on.

Therefore, recently there has been a need for an outlet of the type shown in Figure 2, wherein the switch is mounted "outside" the outlet so that the Users can also easily distinguish them when they are older or have inflexible hands.

Contents of the invention

Unfortunately, however, due to the complexity of the plastic moldings that form the inner housing for the receptacle and switch mechanism, it is difficult for manufacturers to produce such an improved mechanism to be able to easily manufacture another such as that shown in Figure 2. An optional switched outlet layout is more expensive. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide such a switched outlet mechanism which is easily rearranged so that the or each actuated switch can be placed on the left or right side of its respective outlet, also That is to say, in the case of a dual power socket, either an "inside" or an "outside" position.

To this end, the present invention provides a power socket with a switch, which includes a housing containing at least one switch contact mechanism in a fixed position, and a corresponding actuating mechanism, characterized in that the actuating mechanism includes an operating and a rocker, said operating element being carried by said rocker, said rocker having mountings for said operating element in at least two positions, so as to mount the operating element relative to said housing in a position Select one of the locations. The power socket according to the present invention is easy to rearrange so that the operating element can be arranged on the left or right side of its socket.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a socket with a safety shutter arranged to form an interlock between the shutter and the switch so that when the plug is not inserted Lock the switch in the "off" position. Preferably, the arrangement is such that the switch automatically returns to the "off" position when the plug is removed.

Description of drawings

Some embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front panel of a dual-prong electrical outlet including an "inside" switch;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the front panel of a dual power outlet including an "outside" switch;

3 is a perspective view of a reconfigurable switch mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the switch in the "inside" position;

Figure 4 shows the same mechanism as in Figure 3, but with the switching element set in the "outside" position;

Figure 5 shows the same mechanism as Figures 3 and 4, but with the switching elements arranged in "staggered" positions, that is to say, one on the "inside" and one on the "outside";

6 shows a perspective view of a switch mechanism including a switch and shutter interlock mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the dual outlet mechanism showing the rocker switch and interlock mechanism in a first position; and

Figures 8 to 11 are sectional views showing the section corresponding to Figure 7 at different successive positions.

Detailed ways

Reference is first made to Figure 3 which shows the inner surface of a molding 2 to be mounted in use behind a front panel (of a socket) of the general type shown in Figure 1 . The molding includes a structure indicated generally at 4 and 6 which provides electrical outlets with shutters and located above each outlet for operation of a rocker switch assembly generally indicated by reference numerals 12 and 14 respectively The respective mounting parts 8 and 10 of the parts.

As shown, the molding includes recesses 16 and 18 for receiving the live and neutral prongs of a power plug in a conventional side-by-side arrangement, and a corresponding recess 20 for the ground prong.

Above each receptacle is a recess for a switch mechanism of a generally known type comprising metal blades not specifically shown but adapted to be operated by a post mounted on a rocker arm 24. The plug 22 is actuated.

Each rocker arm has a pair of spaced apart protrusions 26 and 28 adapted to cooperate with engaging recesses on the rear surface of the front plate of the socket assembly, and an operating member 14 is installed at the end of the rocker arm so that the Pressing either the upper or lower portion of the front surface of the operating member 14 toggles the mechanism in the usual manner between the on and off switch positions. The inboard end of each rocker arm 24 is located within a suitably shaped inboard bracket member 30 (only the inboard bracket member for the left side rocker arm 24 can be seen from FIG. Next, the rocker arm and operating member can be precisely positioned by an inboard bracket 30 at the inner end of the assembly and two protrusions 26 and 28 along the length of the rocker arm.

A corresponding outer bracket 32 is also respectively arranged on the leftmost and rightmost sides of the housing, and the arrangement is such that the rocker arm 24 or its operating member 14 or 12 is located closest to the center of the assembly during assembly. The state is in the position shown in FIG. 3 , or by rotating 180° about the position of the actuating plunger 22 to actually reach an optional "mirror image" position in which the respective operating member 12 or 14 is outside the plunger 22 . FIG. 4 shows the corresponding arrangement, where the two rocker arms 24 have been mounted in the housing such that the operating elements 12 and 14 are in the "outboard" position. It should be appreciated that rocker arm projections 26 and 28, like their cooperating recesses in the rear face of the front plate, are located symmetrically with respect to the location of plunger 22, so that the projections and recesses still cooperate in the same manner. In addition, as shown in FIG. 5 , one rocker arm 24 can also be set with its operating member 12 at the “inside” position, while the other rocker arm can be set with its operating member 14 at the “outside” position.

Of course, it can also be clearly appreciated from the accompanying drawings that a single-head power socket that only includes the left or right half of the molding shown in Figures 3 to 5 can be constructed, which also allows the switch to be operated components are set to the left or right of it.

In the embodiment of Figures 3 to 5, the shutter 34 of the three-phase socket is of a generally known type in which the insertion of the earth pin causes the shutter to overcome a centrally mounted in a pair of guide channels 36. Spring (not shown) to slide upward. This moves the shutter wing 38 upward to open the holes for the live and neutral prongs of the plug. However, a pair of guide slots 40 are also formed on the housing to combine A more complex shutter mechanism of the type shown in FIG. 6. This is designed to form an interlock between the shutter member 42 and an optional rocker arm 44 so that the switch is removed if the user does not first turn off the power. Unplug the socket, the power switch will automatically return to the "off" position. Likewise, the power cannot be turned on again unless a plug is inserted.

This structure works in the following way: In addition to the conventional "wings" 38 used to close the receptacles of the live and neutral prongs, the shutter includes The slot 40 cooperates with the frame structure 46 with a separate interlock 48 adapted to engage below the lower edge of the respective end of the rocker member 44 .

As can be seen from the drawings, the rocker arm 44 of the embodiment of Fig. 6 is much longer than the rocker arm 24 of the embodiment shown in Figs. , and not "reversible" like the rocker 24. To allow the operating member to be mounted in an "inside" or "outside" position, each end of the rocker arm 44 is provided with a pair of upwardly and downwardly extending wings 50,52. An operating member (not shown) having downwardly and upwardly extending cooperating passages on its rear surface can be slid onto the wing from the "inside" so as to be in an actuated position on the desired end of the rocker arm 44. . It will be appreciated that, in use, the operating member can be effectively positioned in place by a correspondingly shaped aperture in the front panel after the complete socket is assembled.

The outwardly extending structures 46 of the shutter are each arranged to cooperate with an interlock 48 which in turn engages the operator 12 or 14 so that when a plug has been inserted, the The operating member can only move to the on position when the interlocking member 48 is in the disengaged state. When the plug is removed, the shutter mechanism moves downward under the load of its spring, and corresponding movement of the interlock 48 causes the rocker arm 44, also spring loaded, to return to the "off" position.

Moreover, as with the embodiment of Figures 3 to 5, it will be appreciated that this structure could also be provided with an optional operating member located on either side thereof and an optional operating member located between the shutter and the operating member. single-ended receptacle with an interlocking mechanism. Due to the symmetrical structure of the rocker arm 44, the interlock mechanism is particularly reliable and not prone to jamming, since the operating forces exerted on the sliding and rotating parts are perfectly balanced with respect to the centerline of the socket and accordingly the centrally mounted switching mechanism 54.

Figures 7 to 11 describe the operation of the switch contacts and the interlock mechanism in more detail.

Figure 7 shows the switch mechanism in the "on" position, wherein the movable contact 51 is brought into contact by a conventional overcentre action when the rocker arm 44 moves the plunger 22 to its upper rotational position Fixed contacts 53 . Similarly, when the plunger 22 is moved to its lower rotational position by movement of the rocker arm in the opposite direction, the movable contact 51 disengages the fixed contact, thereby causing the switch to "open", as shown in FIG.

Figure 9 shows the position of the interlock mechanism in the "off" state, ie the shutter closed state. The upper end of the shutter frame 46 has an enlarged extension 55 that forms an abutment facing a protrusion 56 on the interlock 48 when the shutter is down. This prevents the lower end of the operating member 12 from moving towards the "on" position.

When the shutter is slid to the upward position shown in Figure 10, on the other hand, with the insertion of the power plug, the recess 58 in the extension of the shutter frame is aligned with the protrusion 56, so that the extension is no longer Prevent movement of interlocks. This allows the operating member 12 to be moved to the "ON" position shown in FIG. 11 .

It is also apparent from Figure 11 that when the plug is subsequently removed from the socket, the switch will automatically return to the "off" position because the recess 58 is shaped to provide an outward push when the shutter 46 slides downward. Inclined cam surface 60 of protrusion 56 .

Claims (6)

1. the supply socket of a belt switch, it comprises and comprises the housing that at least one is positioned at the switch contact mechanism of fixed position, with corresponding actuating mechanism, it is characterized in that, described actuating mechanism comprises operating parts and rocking arm, described operating parts is carried by described rocking arm, and described rocking arm has the installed part that is used for described operating parts at least two positions, so that this operating parts is installed in a position in the selectable location with respect to described housing.

2. the supply socket of a belt switch according to claim 1 is characterized in that, described housing can be installed together with the optional header board that is formed with corresponding to the opening of the diverse location of described operating parts.

3. the supply socket of a belt switch according to claim 1 and 2, also comprise spring-loaded movable safe shutter, described shutter is suitable for cooperating with the pin of attaching plug and described switch contact mechanism, so that described operating parts is locked in " disconnection " position when not inserting plug.

4. the supply socket of a belt switch according to claim 3, it is characterized in that, described shutter has abutment, the position that stops described operating parts to move to " connection " position is closed, moved to when not inserting plug to this abutment at shutter, and when plug inserted described supply socket, described abutment moved to the position of the described operating parts of release to open described shutter.

5. the supply socket of a belt switch according to claim 3 is characterized in that, described shutter has cam surface, and this cam surface cooperates with described operating parts so that this operating parts turns back to " disconnection " position when plug is removed.

6. the supply socket of a belt switch according to claim 4 is characterized in that, described shutter has cam surface, and this cam surface cooperates with described operating parts so that this operating parts turns back to " disconnection " position when plug is removed.

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