EP1837960B1 - Double electric outlet where the sockets are orientable relatively one to the other - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD TO WHICH THE INVENTION REFERS

The present invention generally relates to recessed power outlets.

It relates more particularly to a double socket comprising, on the one hand, a single base containing two conductive elements respectively connected to an electrical phase input terminal and to a neutral input electrical terminal, the conductive elements comprising each of their ends receiving a receptacle of a contact pin of an electrical plug, and secondly a hubcap defining two receiving wells of an electrical plug each having a bottom provided with two holes for the passage of electrical contact pins.

BACKGROUND

There is already known a double socket of the aforementioned type whose base further comprises a grounding conductor element which is connected at each of its ends to conductive means for connection to the earth belonging to said base.

The disposition of the cells of the phase and neutral conductor elements associated with the arrangement of the conductive means for connection to the earth, fixes the relative orientation of the two plug-in mechanisms in the base of such a double socket.

Thus, in this type of double socket already known, the relative orientation of the two receiving wells of the hubcap attached to said base is fixed once and for all to the manufacture of the double plug and is imposed by the orientation receiving cells and conductive means for grounding the mechanisms contained in the base.

In particular, in such a base, the socket mechanisms are generally arranged in such a way that the receptacles for receiving the phase and neutral pins of an electrical plug are located on parallel axes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the socket. trim plate attached to the pedestal support.

Thus, the receiving wells of the hubcap associated with this base are positioned so that the passage holes provided in their bottom are also located on parallel axes and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the hub plate attached to the support of the base. basement.

In view of the fact that the provision of the conductive means of connection to the earth that emerge in said receiving wells is imposed by the standard in force, such a relative provision of the receiving wells does not allow plugging into this double socket two electrical plugs bent, the elbow of one electrical plug plugged into one of the receiving wells preventing the plugging of the other plug into the other receiving well.

The document US 2005/211460 is considered as describing the state of the art closest to the application.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

Compared to the state of the art mentioned above, the present invention proposes a new double socket whose single base contains socket mechanisms allowing, on demand, a relative orientation of the receiving wells to allow plugging two electrical plugs bent.

More particularly, according to the invention, it is proposed a double socket as defined in the preamble of claim 1 wherein, said conductive elements each comprise, on the same side, two cells for receiving a pin of contact of an electrical plug positioned on two axes forming an acute angle between them, and the bottom of at least one of the two receiving wells of the hubcap is adapted to be pivoted relative to a fixed portion of said hubcap to match said passage holes of said bottom with one or the other pair of cells located on one or the other of said axes, on the same side of the conductive elements.

• l'angle formé par lesdits axes est compris entre 5 et 45 degrés;
• le fond dudit puits de réception est rapporté sur ladite partie fixe de l'enjoliveur ;
• ledit fond est encliqueté sur un épaulement de la paroi latérale cylindrique dudit puits de réception ;
• le fond dudit puits de réception est rapporté sur le socle de la double prise de courant ;
• ledit fond est encliqueté sur des saillies prévues sur la face intérieure la paroi latérale du socle ;
• ledit fond comprend un disque avant et un disque arrière qui délimitent entre eux une rainure latérale annulaire formant glissière pour le pivotement dudit fond, le disque avant comprenant une fente centrale pour l'introduction de la pointe d'un outil de manoeuvre;
• lesdits éléments conducteurs comportent à chacune de leurs extrémités deux alvéoles de réception d'une broche de contact d'une fiche électrique positionnées sur deux axes formant un angle aigu entre eux et le fond de chacun des deux puits de réception est adapté à être pivoté par rapport à ladite partie fixe dudit enjoliveur pour faire correspondre lesdits trous de passage de chaque fond avec l'une ou l'autre paire d'alvéoles située d'un côté desdits éléments conducteurs ;
• il est prévu un passage entre les deux alvéoles de réception adjacentes prévues à une extrémité de chaque élément conducteur ;
• chaque fond de puits de réception dudit enjoliveur embarque des moyens conducteurs de raccordement à la terre ;
• ledit socle comporte un élément conducteur de mise à la terre qui comprend, à chaque extrémité, à une alvéole de réception, et chaque fond de chaque puits de réception porte, en saillie de sa face arrière, une broche de contact électrique, reliée auxdits moyens conducteurs de raccordement à la terre, adaptée à s'enficher dans une desdites alvéoles de réception dudit élément conducteur de mise à la terre ;
• il est prévu à chaque extrémité dudit élément conducteur de mise à la terre deux alvéoles face à face qui communiquent entre elles ;
• lesdits moyens conducteurs de raccordement à la terre comprennent une broche de contact électrique qui émerge à l'intérieur du puits de réception ; et
• ladite broche de contact électrique comprend une queue qui fait saillie de la face arrière dudit fond.

Other advantageous and non-limiting characteristics of the double socket according to the invention are the following:

• the angle formed by said axes is between 5 and 45 degrees;
• the bottom of said receiving well is attached to said fixed part of the hubcap;
• said bottom is snapped onto a shoulder of the cylindrical side wall of said receiving well;
• the bottom of said receiving well is attached to the base of the double socket;
• said bottom is snapped onto projections provided on the inner face of the side wall of the base;
• said bottom comprises a front disc and a rear disc which delimit between them an annular lateral groove forming a slide for pivoting said bottom, the front disc comprising a central slot for the introduction of the tip of an operating tool;
• said conductive elements comprise at each of their ends two receptacles for receiving a contact pin of an electrical plug positioned on two axes forming an acute angle between them and the bottom of each of the two receiving wells is adapted to be pivoted by relative to said fixed portion of said hubcap to match said passage holes of each bottom with one or the other pair of cells located on one side of said conductive elements;
• a passage is provided between the two adjacent receiving cavities provided at one end of each conductive element;
• each bottom of the receiving well said embroidery board conductive means of connection to the ground;
• said base comprises a conductive grounding element which comprises, at each end, a receiving cavity, and each bottom of each receiving well, projecting from its rear surface, an electrical contact pin, connected to said means earth-connection conductors adapted to plug into one of said receiving cavities of said conductive grounding element;
• at each end of said grounding conductive element there are two facing cells which communicate with one another;
• said conductive grounding means comprises an electrical contact pin which emerges inside the receiving well; and
• said electrical contact pin comprises a tail which projects from the rear face of said bottom.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, given as non-limiting examples, will make it clear what the invention consists of and how it can be achieved.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique en perspective semi éclatée d'un premier mode de réalisation d'une prise de courant selon l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue schématique de face du socle de la prise de courant de la figure 1 ;
• les figures 3A et 3B montrent, vue de face, les deux positions possibles des fonds des puits de réception de la prise de courant de la figure 1;
• la figure 4 est une vue en coupe selon le plan A-A de la figure 3B;
• la figure 5 est une vue de détail de la zone C de la figure 4;
• la figure 6 est une vue schématique en perspective éclatée d'un deuxième mode de réalisation d'une prise de courant selon l'invention ;
• la figure 7 est une vue en perspective semi assemblée de la prise de courant de la figure 6;
• les figures 8A et 8B montrent, vue de face, les deux positions possibles des fonds des puits de réception de la prise de courant de la figure 7;
• la figure 9 est une vue en coupe selon le plan B-B de la figure 8B ; et
• la figure 10 est une vue de détail de la zone D de la figure 9.

In the accompanying drawings:

• the figure 1 is a schematic perspective view semi exploded of a first embodiment of a socket according to the invention;
• the figure 2 is a schematic front view of the base of the socket of the figure 1 ;
• the Figures 3A and 3B show, front view, the two possible positions of the funds of the receiving wells of the socket of the figure 1 ;
• the figure 4 is a sectional view according to the plane AA of the figure 3B ;
• the figure 5 is a detail view of area C of the figure 4 ;
• the figure 6 is a schematic perspective exploded view of a second embodiment of a socket according to the invention;
• the figure 7 is a semi-assembled perspective view of the power outlet of the figure 6 ;
• the Figures 8A and 8B show, front view, the two possible positions of the funds of the receiving wells of the socket of the figure 7 ;
• the figure 9 is a sectional view along the plane BB of the Figure 8B ; and
• the figure 10 is a detail view of area D of the figure 9 .

In preliminary, it will be noted that, from one figure to another, the identical or similar elements of the various embodiments of the invention will be referenced as far as possible by the same reference signs and will not be described at each times.

In the figures, there is shown a double socket having a single base 100 to be embedded in any wall not shown and a hubcap 200 defining two receiving wells 210 of an electrical plug. Each receiving well 210 has a bottom 212 provided with two through holes 212A, 212B of contact pins of an electrical plug.

As shown more particularly by figures 1,2 , 6 and 7 , the base 100 is an insulating casing, here of generally rectangular shape, having a front opening. This insulating housing contains in its base two substantially parallel conductor elements P, N respectively connected to an electrical phase input terminal 143 and to an electrical neutral input terminal 141.

The phase 143 and neutral 141 input terminals belong to a terminal block B which is in the form of a cassette inserted into a housing 101 provided in the bottom of the base 100, opening on the outer face of a end side wall 103 of the base 100.

The conductive elements P, N are here conducting wires sheathed with an insulating envelope. The stripped ends of the conductor wires P, N are connected by means of a metal tongue 111A, 112A, 121A, 122A (see FIG. figures 2 and 6 ) to a socket 114, 115, 124, 125 for receiving a contact pin of an electric plug.

According to a particularly advantageous characteristic of the double socket shown, said phase and neutral conductor elements P, N are each connected, on each side, by means of a metal tongue 111A, 112A, 121A, 122A, to another receiving cell 113,116,123,126 of a contact pin of an electric plug, in addition to the first receiving receptacle 114,115,124,125 end.

The two receiving cells 113,114,115,116,124,123,125,126 connected to each end of each conductive element P, N are positioned side by side on two axes X, X1 forming an acute angle between them.

The cells 113, 114, 115, 116, 123, 124, 125, 126 of said conductive elements P, N are delimited by rounded portions facing metal tongues 111, 112, 121, 122 bent. These rounded portions facing form clamps able to clamp the contact pins of electrical plugs so as to establish an electrical contact therebetween and the conductive elements P, N connected to the input terminals 143,141 via metal tabs 117,127.

Advantageously, there is provided a passage 118,119,128,129 between the two receiving cells 113,114,115,116,123,124,125,126 adjacent provided at each end of each conductive element P, N.

The angle formed by said X, X1 axes on which are located on the same side, the two pairs of cells 113,124,114,123 115, 126, 116, 125 juxtaposed, is between 5 and 45 degrees, preferably equal to 30 degrees about.

According to another particularly advantageous characteristic of the double socket shown, at least one of the bottoms 212 of the two receiving wells 210 of the hubcap 200 is adapted to be pivoted between two positions. different from a fixed portion 201 of said trim 200 to match said through holes 212A, 212B of said bottom 212 with a 113, 124 or other 114, 123 pair of cells located on one X or the other. other axis X1 on the same side of said conductive elements P, N.

Here, the bottom 212 of each of the two receiving wells 210 is adapted to be pivoted with respect to said fixed part 201 of said hubcap 200 to match its through holes 212A, 212B with one or the other pair of cells. 113,124,114,123,115,126,116,125 located on one side of said conductive elements P, N.

Each bottom 212 of receiving well 210 is an independent piece of hubcap 200 intended to be attached to it (see Figures 4 and 5 ) or on the base 100 (see figures 7 , 9 and 10 ).

It comprises a front disc 213A and a rear disc 213B which delimit between them an annular lateral groove 214 forming a slide for pivoting said bottom 212, the front disc 213A comprising a central slot 215 for introducing the tip of a tool of maneuver (see figure 6 ).

The front 213A and 213B rear discs of each bottom 212 are assembled by welding, gluing or latching, they each comprise a pair of holes 212A, 212B facing for the passage of the contact pins of an electrical plug.

As shown more particularly by figures 6 and 7 , the fixed part 201 of the hubcap 200 is a plate, bordered by a falling edge 201A, having side by side, two receiving wells 210 each delimited by a cylindrical side wall 211 formed with said plate 201. These wells reception have in their bottom a circular opening intended to accommodate one of the funds 212 pivotable.

Said fixed portion 210 of the hubcap 200 is attached by snapping on the base 100 to close its front opening. For this, the longitudinal side walls 102 of the base 100 internally comprise snap-on flanges 102B on which are hung teeth 211A provided projecting from the outer face of the cylindrical side walls 211 of the receiving wells 210 (see FIG. figure 9 ).

When the fixed part 201 of the hubcap 200 is snapped onto the base 100, the falling edge 201A of the fixed part 201 of the hubcap 200 fits against an outer peripheral sidewalk 100A of the base 100 (see FIG. figure 4 ).

According to the embodiment shown on the Figures 1 to 5 the bottom 212 of each receiving well 210 is attached to said fixed part 201 of the hubcap 200.

More particularly, according to this embodiment, each bottom 212 is snapped onto a shoulder 211A of the cylindrical side wall 211 of said receiving well 210 (see FIG. Figures 4 and 5 ).

Under the action of a tool for example, whose tip is inserted into the slot 215, on demand, each bottom 212 can be pivoted about an axis X2 (normal to the bottom plane 212) by sliding its groove annular side 214 on said cylindrical side wall 211 of the receiving well 210 corresponding to it to take two positions of use shown on the Figures 3A and 3B , namely a first position of making the through holes 212A, 212B of the bottom 212 coincide with the receiving cavities 113, 124 or 115,126 of the base 100 located along the X axis (see figure 3B ) and a second inclined position consisting in making the passage holes 212A, 212B of said bottom 212 coincide with the receiving cavities 114, 123 or 116, 125 of the base 100 located along the axis X1 (see FIG. figure 3A ).

According to the embodiment shown on the Figures 6 to 10 , the bottom 212 of each receiving well 210 is attached to the base 100 of the double socket.

More particularly, according to this embodiment, each bottom 212 is snapped onto protruding teeth 104, 105 provided on the inner face 102A of the parallel longitudinal side walls 102 of the base 100 (see FIG. Figures 9 and 10 ). It is provided here for each bottom 212, a pair of teeth 104,105 facing one another projecting from the inner faces of the longitudinal side walls 102 of the base 100.

Under the action of a tool for example, whose tip is inserted into the slot 215, on demand, each bottom 212 can be pivoted about an axis X2 (normal to the bottom plane 212) by sliding its groove annular side 214 on the protruding teeth 104,105 of the longitudinal side walls 102 of the base 100 so as to make it take two positions of use shown on the Figures 8A and 8B , namely a first position of making the through holes 212A, 212B of the bottom 212 coincide with the receiving cavities 113, 124 or 115,126 of the base 100 located along the X axis (see Figure 8B ) and a second inclined position consisting in making the passage holes 212A, 212B of said bottom 212 coincide with the receiving cavities 114, 123 or 116, 125 of the base 100 located along the axis X1 (see FIG. figure 8A ).

The relative orientation of the receiving wells 210 of the double socket shown on the Figures 3A and 8A , allows to plug two bent plugs (not shown) on the double socket without the bend of one hinders the insertion and extraction of the other.

Of course, the user can choose to orient the receiving wells 210 of the socket differently by positioning one of the bottoms 212 with its through holes 212A, 212B along the X axis and the other bottom 212 with its through holes 212A, 212B along the axis X1. This configuration of the receiving wells which is not shown in the figures also allows to plug two bent plugs on the double socket without the bend of one hinders the insertion and extraction of the other.

According to a particularly advantageous characteristic of the double socket shown, each receiving well 210 of said hubcap 200 carries conductive means for connection to the earth 220.

Said conductive grounding means here comprise an electrical contact pin 220 which emerges inside the corresponding receiving well 210.

The base 100 comprises a grounding conductor element T which comprises, at each end, a receiving cavity 133, 134, 135, 136, and each bottom 212 of each receiving well 210 of the hubcap 200 carries, projecting from its rear face, an electrical contact pin 221, connected to said conductive earth connection means 220, adapted to plug into one of said receiving cells 133, 134, 135, 136 of said conductive ground element T.

Here, the earth pin 220 which emerges inside each receiving well 210 comprises a shank 221 which protrudes from the rear face of the bottom 212 of the receiving well 210 and which thus forms said contact pin electrical socket intended to be plugged into one of the receiving cavities 133, 134, 135, 136 connected to said conductive element for grounding T.

The conductive grounding element T is here also a conductive wire sheathed with an insulating envelope. The stripped ends of the conducting wire T are connected by means of a metal tab 131A (see figures 2 and 6 ) to a receiving cavity 133, 134, 135, 136 of a contact pin of an electrical plug.

Advantageously, according to the example shown, each receiving cavity 133, 134, 135, 136 is a double cell. It is therefore provided at each end of the conductive grounding element T two cavities 133, 134, 135, 136 face to face which communicate with each other.

Receiving cavities 133, 134, 135, 136 of the conductive grounding element T are delimited by rounded portions facing folded metal tabs 131, 132. These rounded portions opposite form clamps adapted to clamp the tail 221 of the earth pin 220 of each receiving well 210 so as to establish an electrical contact therebetween and the grounding conductor element T connected to a ground terminal 142 via a metal tongue 137.

The earth terminal 142 is part of the terminal block B, it is located between the neutral input terminals 141 and 143.

Thus, advantageously, the funds 212 of each receiving well 210 can be rotated at the request by the installer or the user between their first and second positions of use while the double socket is completely assembled and embedded in the wall during the pivoting of each bottom 212 the tail 221 of each earth pin 220 carried by said bottom navigates from a receiving cavity 133,135 to the other receiving cavity 134,136 which faces the corresponding end of the conductive element for grounding T.

In addition, advantageously, the user can use the plug plugged into a receiving well 210 of the double socket to rotate the bottom 212 of said receiving well 210 between its first and second positions of use because during pivoting said bottom 212 the contact pins of the electrical plug navigate, through the passage 118,119,128,129, a receiving cell 113,115,124,126 to the other receiving cavity 114,116,123, 125 adjacent to the corresponding end of the conductive elements P, N.

Claims (14)

1. A dual electricity outlet comprising, firstly, a single base (100) containing two conductor elements (P, N) connected respectively to a live inlet electrical terminal (143) and to a neutral inlet electrical terminal (141), the conductor elements including at each of their ends respective receiver sockets (114, 115, 124, 125) each suitable for receiving a contact pin of an electric plug, and secondly a trim plate (200) defining two electric plug receiver wells (210) each well having an end wall (212) provided with two through holes (212A, 212B) for passing electrical contact pins, the outlet being characterized in that, at a common end, each of said conductor elements (P, N) includes two receiver sockets (113, 114, 124, 123) each suitable for receiving a contact pin of an electric plug, the sockets being positioned on two axes (X, X1) forming an acute angle relative to each other, and in that the end wall (212) of at least one of the two receiver wells (210) of the trim plate (200) is adapted to be pivoted relative to a stationary portion (201) of said trim plate (200) to cause said through holes (212A, 212B) in said end wall (212) to correspond with one or the other pair of sockets (113, 124, 114, 123) situated on one or the other of said axes (X, X1), at the same ends of the conductor elements (P, N).
2. A dual electricity outlet according to claim 1, characterized in that the angle formed between said axes (X, X1) lies in the range 5° to 45°.
3. A dual electricity outlet according to either preceding claim, characterized in that the end wall (212) of said receiver well (210) is fitted to said stationary portion (201) of the trim plate (200).
4. A dual electricity outlet according to claim 3, characterized in that said end wall (212) is snap-fastened on a shoulder (211A) of the cylindrical side wall (211) of said receiver well (210).
5. A dual electricity outlet according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the end wall (212) of said receiver well (210) is fitted to the base (100) of the dual electricity outlet.
6. A dual electricity outlet according to claim 5, characterized in that said end wall (212) is snap-fastened to projections (104, 105) provided on the inside face (102A) of the side wall (102) of the base (100).
7. A dual electricity outlet according to any preceding claim, characterized in that said end wall (212) comprises a front disk (213A) and a rear disk (213B) that define between them an annular side groove (214) forming a slideway for pivoting said end wall (212), the front disk (213A) including a central slot (215) for insertion of the tip of a driver tool.
8. A dual electricity outlet according to any preceding claim, characterized in that, at each of its ends, each of said conductor elements (P, N) includes two receiver sockets (113, 114, 115, 116, 123, 124, 125, 126) each suitable for receiving a contact pin of an electric plug, the sockets being positioned on two axes (X, X1) forming an acute angle relative to each other, and the end wall (212) of each of the two receiver wells (210) is adapted to be pivoted relative to said stationary portion (201) of said trim plate (200) to cause said through holes (212A, 212B) in each end wall (212) to correspond with one or the other pair of sockets (113, 124, 114, 123, 115, 126, 116, 125) situated at one end of said conductor elements (P, N).
9. A dual electricity outlet according to any preceding claim, characterized in that a passage (117, 118, 127, 128) is provided between the two adjacent receiver sockets provided at one end of each conductor element (P, N).
10. A dual electricity outlet according to any preceding claim, characterized in that each end wall (212) of a receiver well (210) of said trim plate includes conductor means for connection to ground (220).
11. A dual electricity outlet according to claim 10, characterized in that said base includes a grounding conductor element (T) that has, at each end, a receiver socket (133, 134, 135, 136), and each end wall (212) of each receiver well (210) carries, projecting from its rear face, an electrical contact pin (221) connected to said conductor means (220) for connection to ground, and adapted to engage in one of said receiver sockets (133, 134, 135, 136) of said grounding conductor element.
12. A dual electricity outlet according to claim 11, characterized in that two intercommunicating facing sockets (133, 134, 135, 136) are provided at each end of said grounding conductor elements (T).
13. A dual electricity outlet according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that said conductor means for connecting to ground comprise an electrical contact pin (220) that emerges into the inside of the receiver well (210).
14. A dual electricity outlet according to claim 13, characterized in that said electrical contact pin (220) includes a tail (221) that projects from the rear face of said end wall (212).

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