EP1208617A1

EP1208617A1 - Electric plug

Info

Publication number: EP1208617A1
Application number: EP00935714A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Su Nam Kim
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-06-11
Filing date: 2000-06-12
Publication date: 2002-05-29
Also published as: CN1196235C; CN1355948A; EP1208617A4; WO2000077888A1; KR100318891B1; AU5113400A; KR19990083703A

Abstract

Disclosed is an electric plug molded by a synthetic resin or having upper and lower cases joined to each other by a clamp screw, terminal bars (30), a power line (40), and a body (20) integrally formed, including a mounting hole (22) formed through the body (20) parallel with the terminal bars (30); and a separator (50) slidably inserted into the mounting hole (22) and serving to separate the electric plug from the socket. The plug further includes a race (22a) formed on a given position of the mounting hole (22), and a catch (52) formed in the separator (50) and having an elasticity to mate with the race (22a). The body (20) has concavities (21) formed on a rear part so as to let the body (20) be easily seized with fingers. The separator (50) has a seizing part (51) formed on an end to push the separator (50) to the body's inside and prevent the separator (50) from being completely removed from the body (20). The present invention prevents an erroneous operation of an electric appliance and a leakage of electricity that may occur due to an inappropriate removing method.

Description

ELECTRIC PLUG

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electric plug. More particularly, it relates

to an electric plug that can be easily removed from a socket.

Discussion of Related Art

All the electrical appliances using a commercial power have electric plugs,

and each electric plug has two terminal bars corresponding to power supply terminals

provided to a socket.

FIG. 3 depicts a conventional electric plug. An electric plug 100 includes an

upper case 110 and a lower case 120 joined to each other by a clamp screw 131, a

pair of conductive terminal bars 140 connected to a power line (not illustrated)

installed protruding to the rear of cases 110 and 120.

As shown in FIG. 4, a space 121 is provided to the inside of upper case 110

and lower case 120. A fixture 150 fixing terminal bars 140 is installed not to be

moved in this space 121. More specifically, after terminals 140 are each inserted into

coupling holes 151 of fixture 150, fixture 150 is installed not to be moved in space Semicircular fixing grooves 111 and 122 for terminal bars 140 and a fixing

groove 123 for the power line (not shown) are provided to the front surface and rear

surface of upper and lower cases 110 and 120, respectively. A clamp screw 132 for

joining the power line is joined to one end of each terminal bar 140.

A fixing hole 112 into which clamp screw 131 is inserted to join upper case

110 to lower case 120 is provided to upper case 110. A coupling part 124 with a

screwy hole is formed to protrude upward in space 121 of lower case 120

corresponding to fixing hole 112. After terminal bars 140 are inserted into coupling

holes 151 of fixture 150 for fastening, clamp screw 132 fasten the unclad supply line

to terminal bars 140 while terminal bars 140 are being mounted protruding to the

front of cases 110 and 120 through fixing grooves 111 and 122, and the power line is

installed to protrude to the rear via fixing groove 123 and upper and lower cases 110

and 120 are held together by clamp screw 131. In such a manner, terminal bars 140

and power line are fastened to upper and lower cases 110 and 10 not to be moved.

To insert electric plug 100 into a socket outlet, as terminal bars 140

protruding to the front of cases 110 and 120 are tightly fit into the socket's power

supply terminal, electric plug 100 is not separated from the socket, and the

commercial power is applied to an electric appliance with electric plug 100 through terminal bars 140 to actuate the appliance. However, there is a problem that the

terminal bars, tightly fit into the socket's power supply terminal, are not easily

removed from the socket. Some users often remove the electric plug from the socket

holding the power line. In this occasion, the power line is broken to induce damages

to the electric appliance and a leakage of electricity. In addition, when the

conventional plug is being inserted into an external socket, an unfixed socket, a user

must remove the plug from the socket with one hand, holding the socket with the

other hand.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric plug

that can be easily removed from a socket, thus preventing an erroneous operation of

an electric appliance and a leakage of electricity that may occur due to an

inappropriate removing method.

To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of

the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention

provides an electric plug molded by a synthetic resin or having upper and lower

cases joined to each other by a clamp screw, terminal bars, a power line, and a body integrally formed, includes a mounting hole formed through the body parallel with

the terminal bars; and a separator slidably inserted into the mounting hole and

serving to separate the electric plug from the socket. The plug further includes a race

formed on a given position of the mounting hole, and a catch formed in the separator

and having an elasticity to mate with the race.

The body includes concavities formed on a rear part so as to let the body be

easily seized with fingers.

The separator includes a seizing part formed on an end to push the separator

to the body's inside and prevent the separator from being completely removed from

the body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ATTACHED DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further

understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this

specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the

description serve to explain the principles of the drawings:

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electric plug in accordance with the present invention:

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the electric plug of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conventional electric plug; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the electric plug of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the

present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 depicts an electric plug of the present invention, and the plug includes

terminal bars 30, a power line 40, and a body 20 integrally formed therewith. A pair

of terminal bars 30 are formed to protrude to the front of body 20 formed by molding

synthetic resin, and power line 40 connected to terminal bars 30 is installed to

protrude downward.

Concavities 21 are formed on the rear part of body 20 to easily hold body 20

with fingers. A separator 50, serving to separate plug 10 from the socket, is slidably

mounted in body 20 parallel with terminal bars 30. A seizing part 51 is provided to

the end of separator 50.

As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of terminal bars 30 are each inserted into coupling holes (not shown) of fixtures 60. Unclad power line 40 is connected to

terminal bars 30 via a clamp screw 61.

The inventive plug 10 can be molded by putting fixtures 60, connected with

terminal bars 30 and power line 40, in a mold and injecting synthetic resin to the

mold. A mounting hole 22 is formed on the middle of body 20 to receive slidingly

separator 50, removing plug 10 from the socket, and a race 22a is formed on a given

position of mounting hole 22. A catch 52 is provided to separator 50 inserted into

mounting hole 22 and has elasticity to mate with race 22a, and a seizing part 51 is

formed on the end of separator 50. As separator 50 is fit into mounting hole 22 of

body 20 molded by the synthetic resin, catch 52 with the elasticity shrinks to let

separator 50 be inserted into mounting hole 22. As catch 52 comes in race 22a, catch

52 that has shrunken becomes wider and is seated in race 22a.

As catch 52 is fit in race 22a, separator 50 cannot move backward but move

forward. As there is a limit in moving separator 50 forward by seizing part 51 formed

on the end of separator 50, removing separator 50 from body 20 is prevented.

If a user wants to remove plug 10 from the socket, he or she seizes

concavities 21 of body 20 with second and middle fingers and presses seizing part 51

of separator 50 with thumb, pulling body 20, so the end of separator 50 is protruded to the inside of body 20 and supported by the socket thereby easily separating plug

10 from the socket. An electric plug having upper and lower cases joined to each

other by a clamp screw may have a mounting hole and a separator slidably inserted

into the mounting hole as illustrated in the preferred embodiment of the present

invention, thereby easily removing the plug from the socket.

According to the inventive plug, the body, the terminal bars and the power

line are integrally formed by molding the synthetic resin or holding the upper and

lower cases together by a clamp screw, and the separator serving to remove the plug

from the socket is slidably inserted into the mounting hole so that the plug can be

easily removed from the socket. Accordingly, the present invention can prevent an

erroneous operation of an electric appliance and a leakage of electricity that may

occur by inappropriately removing its plug from the socket. In addition, in case that

the inventive plug is inserted into an unfixed socket, a user can easily remove the

plug therefrom with one hand only.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations

can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the

invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and

variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An electric plug molded by a synthetic resin or having upper and lower

cases joined to each other by a clamp screw, terminal bars, a power line, and a body

integrally formed, said electric plug comprising: a mounting hole formed through the

body parallel with the terminal bars; and a separating means slidably inserted into the

mounting hole and serving to separate the electric plug from the socket.

2. An electric plug according to claim 1, further comprising:

a race formed on a given position of the mounting hole; and

a catch formed in the separating means and having an elasticity to mate with the race.

3. An electric plug according to claim 1, wherein the body includes

concavities formed on a rear part so as to let the body be easily seized with fingers.

4. An electric plug according to claim 1 , wherein the separating means

includes a seizing part formed on an end to push the separating means to the body's

inside and prevent the separating means from being completely removed from the

body.