GB2456582A

GB2456582A - Rotational socket

Info

Publication number: GB2456582A
Application number: GB0801096A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mao-Chang Tuan; Jia-Rong Wu; Tzu-Chun Ko
Original assignee: Comtrend Corp
Current assignee: Comtrend Corp
Priority date: 2008-01-21
Filing date: 2008-01-21
Publication date: 2009-07-22
Anticipated expiration: 2028-01-21
Also published as: GB2456582A9; GB0801096D0; GB2456582B

Abstract

A rotational socket includes an upper cover 201, a rotational seat 202 and a lower cover 203. An end of the upper cover is formed with a receptacle for inserting with a power plug, and a side of the upper cover may be formed with a plurality of network receptacles 2031. The angle through which the socket can rotate is limited by limiting members 20212 and 2035. The socket is prevented from rotating by a positioning rod 204, which rests in a positioning slot 20213 and is held in place by a locking member 2013.

Description

2456582

ROTATIONAL SOCKET

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention

5 The present invention relates to a rotational socket, and more particularly to a rotational socket which can rotate by a proper angle with respect to power receptacles.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

Referring to FIG. 1, it shows a perspective view of a conventional 10 power socket, wherein the power socket 10 is constituted by an outer housing 101, a power plug 102, and a plurality of power receptacles 103. A side of the outer housing 101 is assembled with the plug 102, and the other sides are formed with plural power receptacles 103. In using, the plug 102 is first inserted into a power receptacle on a wall or a socket of 15 an ordinary extension cord, and then, by the formation of plural power receptacles 103, a plurality of power plugs of electric appliances can be inserted. However, this kind of power socket 10 is only provided with a function for providing electricity, and nothing else. In addition, in using, as the power plug 102 and the power receptacle are fixed, if there is only 20 one empty space left on the power receptacle 103, then the power plug

should be bypassed to be able to be inserted, which is actually inconvenient. Therefore, the prior art is required to be improved. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a rotational socket which can rotate with respect to power receptacles, and can be inserted with a power cable and a network wire.

Accordingly, the rotational socket of the present invention includes an upper cover, a rotational seat, and a lower cover, wherein the rotational seat is formed with a plurality of metallic pins, and by a limiting point on the rotational seat and a limiting member formed on the lower cover, when the rotational socket is inserted into a power receptacle, it can rotate in a certain range with respect to a power socket. In addition, the rotational socket can be both inserted with a power plug and a network wire by a power receptacle formed on the upper cover and a network receptacle formed at a side of the lower cover.

To enable a further understanding of the said objectives and the technological methods of the invention herein, the brief description of the drawings below is followed by the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view a conventional power socket.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the present invention after being assembled.

5 FIG. 4 shows a schematic view in assembling a positioning rod of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a side view of an operation of a positioning rod of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows another side view of an operation of a positioning rod of the 10 present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic view of operations of a limiting point and a limiting member of the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of an implementation of the present invention.

15 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 2, it shows an exploded view of the present invention, wherein a rotational socket 20 comprises an upper cover 201, a rotational seat 202, and a lower cover 203. A plane of the upper cover 201 is formed with a power receptacle 2011 (can be a two-hole or 20 three-hole type, and the present invention uses the three-hole type as an

example), and an exterior side is formed with a first through-hole 2012 and a locking member 2013. The rotational seat 202 is constituted by an upper seat member 2021, a lower seat member 2022, and a plurality of metallic pins 2023. A plane of the upper seat member 2021 is formed 5 with a plurality of through-holes 20211, and a periphery is formed with a limiting point 20212. In addition, the plane of the upper seat member

2021 is formed with positioning slots 20213, and the lower seat member

2022 is assembled with a plurality of metallic pins 2023. After the lower seat member 2022 has been assembled with the upper seat member

10 2021, an end of each metallic pin 2023 will be transfixed into each through-hole 20211 on the upper seat member 2021, and a rotating slot 2024 will be formed between the upper seat member 2021 and the lower seat member 2022. Exterior sides of the lower cover 203 are formed with a plurality of network receptacles 2031, and one exterior side is formed 15 with a second through-hole 2032. On the other hand, an interior of the lower cover 203 is formed with a groove 2033, a plane inside the groove 2033 is formed with a through-hole 2034, and a location close to a periphery of the through-hole 2034 is formed with a limiting member 2035. In addition, a positioning rod 204 is formed as an irregular shape, 20 and is formed with a rotating member 2041 and a positioning member

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2042.

Referring to FIG. 3, it shows a perspective view of the present invention after being assembled. As shown in the drawing, the upper cover 201 is covered with the lower cover 203. Referring to FIG. 4, the 5 rotational seat 202 is assembled in the groove 2033 of the lower cover 203, wherein the upper seat member 2021 is emplaced at an upper end of the through-hole 2034 in the groove 2033, and then the lower seat member 2022 is assembled with the upper seat member 2021 from a lower side of the through-hole 2034, allowing the through-hole 2034 to 10 be clamped between the upper seat member 2021 and the lower seat member 2022, with the metallic pins 2023 to be exposed out of the through-hole 2034. Furthermore, by the rotating slot 2024 which is formed after assembling the upper seat member 2021 with the lower seat member 2022, the through-hole 2034 can rotate around the rotating 15 slot 2024. In addition, after assembling the upper cover 201 with the lower cover 203, a round through-hole will be formed by the first through-hole 2012 and the second through-hole 2032, and the rotating member 2041 of the positioning rod 204 will be clamped in the round through-hole, with the positioning rod 204 being fixed by the locking 20 member 2013 in a normal condition.

Referring to FIG. 4, it shows a schematic view in assembling a positioning rod of the present invention, wherein the rotating member

2041 of the positioning rod 204 is assembled between the first through-hole 2012 (not shown in the drawing) and the second

5 through-hole 2032, and the positioning member 2042 formed on the positioning rod 204 is in a beveled shape. When the positioning rod 204 is at the normal condition, a tail end of the positioning member 2042 will be contacted with a plane of the groove 2033 inside the lower cover 203 by being exerted with a downward force, and a place of contact will form 10 a pivot. Then, when the positioning rod 204 is pressed downward and locked into the locking member 2013 (not shown in the drawing), the positioning rod 204 can be tightly locked with the locking member 2013 by a reaction force provided by the pivot.

Referring to FIG 5, it shows a side view of an operation of a 15 positioning rod of the present invention, wherein the positioning member

2042 formed on the positioning rod 204 is normally emplaced in the positioning slots 20213 of the rotational seat 202. As the mutual locking between the positioning member 2042 and the positioning slots 20213, the rotational seat 202 cannot rotate, and the positioning rod 204 is

20 locked at the locking member 2013 (not shown in the drawing).

Referring to FIG. 6, it shows a second side view of an operation of a positioning rod of the present invention, wherein the positioning rod 204 is exerted with downward and rightward forces, so as to separate the positioning rod 204 with the locking member 2013 (not shown in the 5 drawing), such that the positioning member 2042 can be restored with an original elastic force to move upward, thereby being separated with the positioning slots 20213 on the rotational seat 202. By the separation of the positioning member 2042, the positioning slots 20213 are no longer locked by the positioning member 2042, thereby enabling the 10 rotational seat 202 to rotate freely in a certain range.

Referring to FIG. 7, it shows a schematic view of operations of a limiting point and a limiting member of the present invention, wherein the limiting member 2035 is formed as an arc shape and its two ends are formed respectively with a limiting end 20351. When the lower cover 203 15 rotates clockwise, the limiting member 2035 rotates clockwise too, and the limiting point 20212 is fixed when the limiting member 2035 is rotating; while the limiting ends 20351 at two ends of the limiting member 2035 reach to the limiting point 20212, the lower cover 203 will not be able to rotate again. On the other hand, an operation in a 20 counterclockwise direction is the same as that in the clockwise direction,

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where the limiting member 2035 is limited to rotate in a certain range by the limiting point 20212.

Referring to FIG. 8, it shows a schematic view of an implementation of the present invention, wherein the plural network receptacles 2031 5 formed at the exterior sides of the lower cover 203 can be inserted with a plurality of network wires 30, and after the rotating socket 20 has been inserted to an ordinary power receptacle, the power receptacle 2011 formed on the upper cover 201 can be conducted with electricity, so that a power plug 40 of an ordinary electric appliance can be inserted into the 10 power receptacle 2011, enabling the rotating socket 20 to be equipped with effects of providing the electricity and connecting the networks.

Accordingly, after implementing, by the formation of the rotational seat, the power receptacle, and the plural receptacles, a rotational socket that can rotate with respect to the power receptacle and can be 15 inserted with a power cable and network wires can be accurately provided.

It is of course to be understood that the embodiments described herein is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that a wide variety of modifications thereto may be effected by persons skilled 20 in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as

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set forth in the following claims.

Claims

- 10- What is claimed is:

1. A rotational socket, which is used to be inserted into a power receptacle, and rotates with respect to the power receptacle, comprising an upper cover, a plane of which is formed with more than one power receptacle; a lower cover, which is covered with the upper cover, and an interior of which is formed with a groove, with a bottom plane of the groove being formed with a through-hole, and a limiting member being formed at a place close to an outer rim of the through-hole; and a rotational seat, which is formed with an upper seat member, a lower seat member, and a rotating slot between the upper and lower seat members for loosely assembling the rotational seat in the groove of the lower cover, with a plane of the upper seat member being formed with a plurality of positioning slots, and a periphery of the upper seat member being formed with a limiting point.

2. The rotational socket according to claim 1, wherein a side of the upper cover is formed with a first through-hole.

3. The rotational socket according to claim 1, wherein a side of the upper cover is formed with a locking member.

4. The rotational socket according to claim 1, wherein a side of the

lower cover is formed with a second through-hole.

5. The rotational socket according to claim 1, wherein a positioning rod is assembled between the upper cover and the lower cover.

6. The rotational socket according to claim 5, wherein the positioning 5 rod is formed with a rotating member.

7. The rotational socket according to claim 5, wherein the positioning rod is formed with a positioning member.

8. The rotational socket according to claim 1, wherein a plane of the upper seat member is formed with a plurality of through-holes.

10

9. The rotational socket according to claim 1, wherein the power receptacle is a two-hole type.

10. The rotational socket according to claim 1, wherein the power receptacle is a three-hole type.

11. The rotational socket according to claim 1, wherein exterior sides of 15 the lower cover are formed with a plurality of network receptacles.

12. The rotational socket according to claim 1, wherein the lower seat member of the rotational seat is assembled with a plurality of metallic pins.

13. Rotational socket substantially as herein described above and 20 illustrated in the accompanying drawings of FIG. 2 to FIG. 8.