EP1202397A1 - Connecteur électrique à fiche équipé d'un interrupteur de securité incorporé pour des appareils électriques - Google Patents

Connecteur électrique à fiche équipé d'un interrupteur de securité incorporé pour des appareils électriques Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP1202397A1
EP1202397A1 EP00830702A EP00830702A EP1202397A1 EP 1202397 A1 EP1202397 A1 EP 1202397A1 EP 00830702 A EP00830702 A EP 00830702A EP 00830702 A EP00830702 A EP 00830702A EP 1202397 A1 EP1202397 A1 EP 1202397A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
terminals
electrical plug
plug according
switch
electrical
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP00830702A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Ettore Brosco
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Brosco Silvia
Original Assignee
Brosco Silvia
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Brosco Silvia filed Critical Brosco Silvia
Priority to EP00830702A priority Critical patent/EP1202397A1/fr
Publication of EP1202397A1 publication Critical patent/EP1202397A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H83/00—Protective switches, e.g. circuit-breaking switches, or protective relays operated by abnormal electrical conditions otherwise than solely by excess current
    • H01H83/14—Protective switches, e.g. circuit-breaking switches, or protective relays operated by abnormal electrical conditions otherwise than solely by excess current operated by imbalance of two or more currents or voltages, e.g. for differential protection
    • H01H83/144—Protective switches, e.g. circuit-breaking switches, or protective relays operated by abnormal electrical conditions otherwise than solely by excess current operated by imbalance of two or more currents or voltages, e.g. for differential protection with differential transformer
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/66—Structural association with built-in electrical component
    • H01R13/70—Structural association with built-in electrical component with built-in switch
    • H01R13/703—Structural association with built-in electrical component with built-in switch operated by engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. dual-continuity coupling part
    • H01R13/7036—Structural association with built-in electrical component with built-in switch operated by engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. dual-continuity coupling part the switch being in series with coupling part, e.g. dead coupling, explosion proof coupling
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R35/00—Flexible or turnable line connectors, i.e. the rotation angle being limited
    • H01R35/04—Turnable line connectors with limited rotation angle with frictional contact members

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an electrical plug with built-in safety switch adapted to be used in electrical apparatuses.
  • this invention relates to a plug of the above said kind which enables in simple, reliable and inexpensive way to switch off the power supply to a load connected thereto in all cases of current leakage and which is highly ergonomic.
  • the above mentioned electrically active items can be either cables or electrical devices amenable to be improperly contacted, or also electrically conductive components that, due to leakages caused by failures or short circuits, are driven to dangerous voltages.
  • a differential switch senses the behaviour of the current supplied by the power supply mains to the user and responds to any sudden increase thereof higher than a pre-established threshold value by switching off the power supply to all terminals of the user electrical circuit.
  • a pre-established threshold value As it is known to those skilled in the art, such possible sudden increase in the supplied current can be caused either by accidental contact of a body or by a current leakage due to a short circuit condition.
  • the above said threshold value is designed so as to account both for the amount and for the increase speed of the supplied current, it can be defined as a current differential threshold and it is quantitatively identified as an intervention or trigger current value.
  • differential switches Since the differential switches have been found to be rather expensive, it is not convenient to couple a differential switch to each apparatus connected to the current socket. In this way, when a current leakage occurs, the current supply to all current sockets is switched off, so that it is no more possible to easily and immediately locate the single apparatus wherein the current leakage occurred. This situation can be particularly critic in dwelling places during the evening hours, since it entails the interruption of the current supply to all illumination devices.
  • the differential threshold value beyond which the current supply is switched off is rather high, since it should account for a number of apparatuses that can be contemporaneously connected to the current sockets coupled downstream of said switch. As a consequence of this, some electrical user apparatuses can be anyway even partially damaged. By way of illustration, it can be mentioned that the plug associated to the defective apparatus generally burns out.
  • It is a further object of this invention is to provide a highly ergonomic electrical plug adapted to be optimally integrated with the apparatus coupled thereto and with the environment in which it is arranged.
  • It is a specific object of this invention to provide an electrical plug with built-in safety switch for use with an electrical apparatus comprising a casing, at least two terminals and a corresponding number of power supply lines for said electrical apparatus, an electrically controlled switch that couples two terminals to said power supply lines, a sensor to sense the behaviour of the current supplied to said apparatus, inserted between said switch and said apparatus, as well as an electronic control unit which receives power supply from said terminals and a signal corresponding to said sensed behaviour from said sensor and which generates control signals for said switch, said electronic control unit operating in differential mode, according to which it closes said switch at power-up and opens it when the current sensed by said sensor is higher than a differential threshold value.
  • said switch can include an electromagnetic device adapted to impart a translatory movement to a movable member and mechanical means for interaction between said movable member and two metal contacts connected to power supply lines for said electrical apparatus, each of said metal contacts being adapted to move between a first position in which it is insulated with respect to said terminals and a second position in which it is in contact with a corresponding terminal.
  • each of said two metal contacts can be provided with a tablet facing a tablet of a corresponding terminal, said facing tablets being adapted to be in contact with one another in said second position in which said metal contacts and said terminals are in contact with one another.
  • said two metal contacts are spring contacts fixed to said casing
  • said electromagnetic device is a coil energised by said electronic control unit
  • said movable member is a plunger coaxially movable within said coil
  • said interaction mechanical means comprise a shaped rod rotatably coupled to said casing by means of a rotation pivot and having, in correspondence to said rotation pivot, a cam adapted to cooperate with said contacts and a pin rigidly connected to the plunger of said coil and cooperating with a corresponding slot provided in said shaped rod.
  • the current plug can include an optical and/or acoustical indication device coupled to said electronic control unit and comprises at least a light emitting diode or LED and/or a buzzer.
  • said casing has, for each of said terminals rigidly connected with one another, a slot and means for rotation of said terminals within said slots and on an axis orthogonal to the terminals, between two limit positions angularly spaced apart from one another by no more than 180°, said rotation means occluding said slots in any position of said terminals.
  • the rotation axis of said terminals passes through their tablets.
  • the casing of said plug comprises a central head having a right half-shell and a left half-shell hingedly connected thereto and also having a first open configuration and a second closed configuration, coupling means being provided between said central head, said right half-shell and said left half-shell.
  • said slots have a width equal to the diameter of said terminals in at least two points and a smaller width at any other point.
  • a circuit according to the preferred embodiment of the plug of this invention comprises an electrically controlled switch 1 that connects the terminals of the plug coupled to the mains voltage 2 to an electrical apparatus 3.
  • a sensor 4 is inserted between said switch 1 and said apparatus 3 in order to sense the current supplied by the mains 2 to said apparatus 3 and furnish a corresponding signal to a control electronic unit 5.
  • Switch 1 of Figure 1 comprises, housed within a casing 7 having two terminals 8 rigidly connected thereto, a coil 9, having a coaxially movable pin 10, which is driven by said electronic control unit, such that when said coil 9 is energised, switch 1 is closed, and when said coil 9 is de-energised, switch 1 is open.
  • Switch 1 further comprises a shaped rod 11 rotatably connected to said casing 7 by means of a rotation pivot 12, as well as two spring metal contacts 13 fixed to said casing 7, each of which has a tablet 14 correspondingly facing a tablet 15 of said terminals 8.
  • such tablets 14 and 15 are silvered.
  • said two contacts 13 are coupled to the supply lines, not shown, of the concerned electrical apparatus and such supply lines are passed through the hole of a toroidal sensor designed to sense the behaviour of the current as supplied to the apparatus.
  • Shaped rod 11 is provided with a cam 16 corresponding to said pin 12 and adapted to cooperate with contacts 13.
  • Plunger 10 of said coil 9 has a pin 17 that cooperates with a corresponding slot 18 of said shaped rod 11.
  • plunger 10 When coil 9 is de-energised, plunger 10 is in rest position, as it is shown in Figure 2, in which cam 16 does not interacts with contacts 13, so that contacts 13 are also in rest position and tablets 14 are spaced from the corresponding tablets 15 of terminals 8.
  • control electronic unit 5 When the plug is inserted into a current socket, control electronic unit 5 is energised and carries out a self-control operation aimed at ascertaining that all electrical and electronic components of the plug are correctly operating. Upon completing such self-control operation with positive outcome, said electronic unit 5 energises the LED of the indication device 6, in order to indicate a correct operation of the plug, and closes switch 1, so as to establish an electrical connection between mains 2 and the supply lines of the electrical apparatus 3.
  • the above mentioned toroidal sensor 4 detects the behaviour of the current supplied through the supply lines to said electrical apparatus 3 and, should the maximum differential threshold value be exceeded, said electronic unit 5 de-energises said coil 9 and consequently switches off the current supply to said apparatus 3 and de-energises the LED of said indication device 6.
  • electronic unit 5, that operates in differential mode, namely in response to an unbalance between the two phases, has an intervention or trigger current value in the range of 8 to 10 mA, maximum current.
  • the plug according to this invention can be modified so as to substitute other kinds of electromagnetic devices for said coil 9.
  • terminals 8 can be of modified type with respect to the ones shown in Figure 2, that are of typical Italian standard, and they can be realised according to any other standard, such as U.S. or U.K. standard.
  • the indication device can be comprised of more than one optical and/or acoustical indicator; for instance, it can comprise a first green LED to indicate a correct operation of the plug, a second red LED to indicate the open condition of switch 1 and a buzzer designed to be energised when the electronic control unit 5 causes said switch 1 to be opened.
  • the embodiment of Figure 2 minimises the volume of said switch 1.
  • the mechanical components of switch 1 by which the double conversion of the movement is carried out namely from a translatory to a rotatory movement and from a rotatory to a translatory movement, that is to say the shaped rod 11 and the spring contacts 13, could also be replaced by different mechanical elements adapted to directly utilise the translatory movement of said plunger 10 to establish or to interrupt the connection between terminals 8 and the supply lines of said apparatus 3.
  • said toroidal sensor can be replaced by any current sensor adapted to operate in differential mode.
  • Said electronic control unit 5 that is realised by analogue components, in the preferred embodiment, can also be realised by digital components, and it can comprise a digital signal processor and/or a microprocessor and/or a circuit programmed for this specific application or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).
  • ASIC Application Specific Integrated Circuit
  • differential threshold can be programmed at which said electronic control unit 5 triggers the switch to be opened; in particular, this can be realised in factory or directly by the user, for instance by setting suitable microswitches or dip-switches.
  • said electronic control unit 5 can be operated so as to permanently open said switch 1 after said differential threshold has been exceeded a number of times.
  • electronic control unit 5 can be arranged in such a way that coil 9 is enabled by the charge stored in a capacitor that, by way of illustration, could drive the gate terminal of a suitable power MOS transistor, charged at power up of said electronic unit 5; in this case, the signal indicating that the differential threshold has been exceeded as generated by sensor 4 could energise a circuit for rapid discharge of said capacitor, so as to no more enable a current flow to energise said coil 9. If it is desired to again close said switch 1, it will be necessary to withdraw said plug from the socket, thereby switching off power supply to said electronic unit 5, and reinsert it into said socket, so as to re-charge said capacitor.
  • said electronic unit 5 could be realised by means of digital components. Should a short circuit condition be established in said electrical apparatus 3, said electronic unit 5 would detect the failure condition and would open said switch 1, thereby switching off any current flow into said supply lines; consequently, sensor 4 would no more detect any failure condition and said electronic unit 5 would no more recognise any short circuit condition and would again close said switch by detecting a failure condition a second time and would permanently open switch 1, when the maximum allowed number of times the differential threshold can be exceeded is two; when closure if switch 1 is to be again enabled, also in this case, it will be necessary to withdraw the plug so as to switch off current supply to electronic unit 5 and to reinsert it into the current socket.
  • FIG. 3 to 7 A second embodiment of the plug according to this invention is illustrated in Figures 3 to 7, in which only those mechanical components have been shown that are different with respect to those provided in the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2.
  • terminals 8 also comprising a third central ground terminal coupled by a plaited wire to the ground frame of the electrical apparatus 3 are rigidly coupled to one another, by means of a base member 19, and can rotate on an axis orthogonal thereto passing through said tablets 15, between two limit positions spaced apart by 90° from one another.
  • base member 19 of said terminal set 8 has two laterally arranged shaped plates 20, whose cross section shape orthogonal to the rotation axis of said terminals 8 has a symmetry axis parallel to the axes of terminals 8 and can be obtained from a circular shape from which substantially an angular sector of 90° has been removed.
  • Each of said shaped plates is externally provided with a protruding disc member 21.
  • the casing 7 of the concerned plug comprises a central head 22 having a right half-shell 23 and a left half-shell 24 hinged thereto.
  • Each of the two end walls of head 22 has a semicircular outline 25 ending with two side pawls 26 that, when casing 7 is in closed configuration shown in Figure 3, are inserted into corresponding recesses 27 of the symmetrical outlines of the side walls of said right 23 and left 24 half-shells.
  • each of said half-shells 23 and 24 have a quarter of circumference outline 28 adjacent to the corresponding recess 27, so that, when casing 7 is in closed configuration incorporating said terminal set 8, they form together with the semicircular outline 25 of the wall of head 22 the edge of a circular hole which is received in a corresponding groove 29 of the associated protruding disc member 21.
  • casing 7 is provided with a slot 30 partially extending along head 22 and along said right half-shell 23.
  • Casing 7 is additionally provided with means for coupling the right half-shell 23 and the left half-shell 24 in their closed configuration, for instance screws inserted into corresponding holes 31 of the left half-shell 24 and cooperating with the right half-shell 23.
  • said shaped plates 20 assure the occlusion of the slots 30, so as to guarantee non-accessibility to the inner room of the plug.
  • slots 30 have vertical walls, not shown, protruding inwardly of casing 7 and having a quarter of circumference outline complementary to the outline of said shaped plates 20 of terminal set 8.
  • base member 19 of said terminal set 8 can also have an internally hollow, cylindrical side surface, that couples together said two shaped plates 20, so that said slots 30 enable access to an internal chamber not communicating with the internal room of the plug.
  • said two limit positions can be made stable by shaping the slots 30 in such a way that they have a width smaller than the internal diameter of terminals 8, wit exception for the two ends, where the width of said slots 30 is equal to the diameter of terminals 8.
  • Casing 7 that, in the embodiments shown in Figures 3 - 7, can be repeatedly opened and closed a number of times, also for maintenance purposes, could also be realised by only two half-shells each of which incorporates one half of head 22: said half-shells could be permanently closed after having been firstly assembled, for instance by welding together the contact surfaces of said half-shells.
  • said casing 7, that can be repeatedly opened and closed, comprises a first half-shell 32, that incorporates the head of the casing, and a second half-shell 33.
  • Said two half-shells 32 and 33 could be hingedly connected with one another and/or could be provided with coupling means, for instance screws inserted into corresponding holes, not shown, in one of the two half-shells and cooperating with the other half-shell.
  • Said two half-shells could also be permanently closed after having been firstly assembled, for instance by welding together the contact surfaces of the half-shells.
  • said terminal set 8 as shown in Figures 3 -7 can be provided with only two rigidly interconnected terminals 8.
  • said two terminals 8 can be rotated between two limit positions, angularly spaced apart by 180° from one another (and, if desired, three stable positions), when said shaped plates 20 have a circular cross-section orthogonal to the rotation axis of terminals 8.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)
EP00830702A 2000-10-25 2000-10-25 Connecteur électrique à fiche équipé d'un interrupteur de securité incorporé pour des appareils électriques Withdrawn EP1202397A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP00830702A EP1202397A1 (fr) 2000-10-25 2000-10-25 Connecteur électrique à fiche équipé d'un interrupteur de securité incorporé pour des appareils électriques

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP00830702A EP1202397A1 (fr) 2000-10-25 2000-10-25 Connecteur électrique à fiche équipé d'un interrupteur de securité incorporé pour des appareils électriques

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1202397A1 true EP1202397A1 (fr) 2002-05-02

Family

ID=8175520

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP00830702A Withdrawn EP1202397A1 (fr) 2000-10-25 2000-10-25 Connecteur électrique à fiche équipé d'un interrupteur de securité incorporé pour des appareils électriques

Country Status (1)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1202397A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2390673A3 (fr) * 2010-05-28 2012-02-22 Harris Corporation Protection de connecteurs électriques non scellés

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3761774A (en) * 1970-03-20 1973-09-25 Black & Decker Mfg Co Ground fault protective apparatus
US4285022A (en) * 1978-07-25 1981-08-18 Jacques Lewiner Devices adapted to detect variations in magnetic flux notably circuit breakers
US4307925A (en) * 1980-02-14 1981-12-29 Noma Canada Ltd. Plug connector with circuit breaker
US4345223A (en) * 1980-10-28 1982-08-17 Chien Chun Yu Fuseless safety magnetic plug

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3761774A (en) * 1970-03-20 1973-09-25 Black & Decker Mfg Co Ground fault protective apparatus
US4285022A (en) * 1978-07-25 1981-08-18 Jacques Lewiner Devices adapted to detect variations in magnetic flux notably circuit breakers
US4307925A (en) * 1980-02-14 1981-12-29 Noma Canada Ltd. Plug connector with circuit breaker
US4345223A (en) * 1980-10-28 1982-08-17 Chien Chun Yu Fuseless safety magnetic plug

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2390673A3 (fr) * 2010-05-28 2012-02-22 Harris Corporation Protection de connecteurs électriques non scellés

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US6229107B1 (en) Safety electrical receptacle
EP1354330B1 (fr) Prise electrique de securite avec circuit logique de commande
CA2512785C (fr) Fiche de disjoncteur de fuite de terre d'aimant permanent et son mecanisme d'aimant permanent integre
JP4842976B2 (ja) 許可スイッチを備える電力ソケット装置
US10229804B2 (en) Ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) system and method
AU2002251799A1 (en) Safety electrical outlet with logic control circuit
EP2437359A1 (fr) Fiche d'alimentation à fonction de protection contre fuite
US20080094765A1 (en) Circuit interrupting device with automatic end of life test
MXPA05006763A (es) Interruptor de deteccion de corriente de fuga con modulo sensor para detectar condiciones no electricas anormales.
WO2000053975A3 (fr) Dispositif de securite pour cuisiniere electrique
CA2411723A1 (fr) Coupe-circuit utilisant un mecanisme ouvrant le circuit electrique lorsqu'un element de resistance grille
CA1086392A (fr) Prise de courant de securite
US20090147416A1 (en) Ground fault circuit interrupter
EP1202397A1 (fr) Connecteur électrique à fiche équipé d'un interrupteur de securité incorporé pour des appareils électriques
GB2571679B (en) Electrical safety device
KR101249792B1 (ko) 대기전력 차단용 그린 콘센트
US4695829A (en) Temperature level indicating device and method of making the same
JP2719372B2 (ja) 安全機能付き電気装置
CN209709306U (zh) 基于形状记忆合金的自动温控插座
CN111387670B (zh) 具有自动调节功能的智能吹风机
WO2007093967A1 (fr) Connecteur electrique de securite
CA3009045A1 (fr) Systeme et procede d'interrupteur de circuit de defaut de mise a la terre (gfci)
ITRM990268A1 (it) Spina elettrica incorporante un interruttore di sicurezza, applicabile ad un apparecchio elettrico.
CN111834831B (zh) 一种基于物联网的家庭智慧型插座
KR200353534Y1 (ko) 퓨즈타입 플러그 차단기

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE

AX Request for extension of the european patent

Free format text: AL;LT;LV;MK;RO;SI

AKX Designation fees paid
REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: DE

Ref legal event code: 8566

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN

18D Application deemed to be withdrawn

Effective date: 20021103