EP2083488A1 - Rotable plug with fixable converter - Google Patents
Rotable plug with fixable converter Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP2083488A1 EP2083488A1 EP08001171A EP08001171A EP2083488A1 EP 2083488 A1 EP2083488 A1 EP 2083488A1 EP 08001171 A EP08001171 A EP 08001171A EP 08001171 A EP08001171 A EP 08001171A EP 2083488 A1 EP2083488 A1 EP 2083488A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- plug
- lower case
- converter
- locking member
- rotatable
- 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.)
- Granted
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Classifications
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- 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
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R31/00—Coupling parts supported only by co-operation with counterpart
- H01R31/06—Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter
- H01R31/065—Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter with built-in electric apparatus
-
- 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
- H01R13/665—Structural association with built-in electrical component with built-in electronic circuit
- H01R13/6658—Structural association with built-in electrical component with built-in electronic circuit on printed circuit board
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- 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
- H01R13/665—Structural association with built-in electrical component with built-in electronic circuit
- H01R13/6675—Structural association with built-in electrical component with built-in electronic circuit with built-in power supply
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R27/00—Coupling parts adapted for co-operation with two or more dissimilar counterparts
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a rotatable plug, and more particularly to a rotatable plug with a fixable converter.
- Consumer electronic products such as notebooks, personal digital assistants (PDA), mobile phones, MP3 players, and so on, are trending toward smaller sizes continuously, which thereby promotes higher demand for easily-portable electric power connectors, for example, a power supply, a battery charger, or a transformer. Therefore, the electric power connectors of consumer electronic products need to be made with smaller sizes and less weight, and more convenient for shipment. Furthermore, they must be durable in order to sustain long-term carrying and frequent usage. Each of the consumer electronic products needs a plug on the electric power connectors or on the product itself to supply power thereto, and thus the plug is a necessary unit. Various kinds of plugs come out recently for the consumer electronic products or the electric power connectors to be carried conveniently, such as rotatable plugs, foldable plugs, or retractable plugs.
- a conventional electric power connector includes a housing and a plug.
- the housing further has a concave storage confinement near the top edge of the housing.
- the plug is mainly composed of a rod having a tenon on each side thereof, two first pins and two second pins.
- the first pins and the second pins respectively have holes corresponding to the tenon for inserting the tenon to make the connection of the first pins, the second pins and the rod.
- Each side wall of the concave storage confinement has a spring receptacle containing a spring.
- the ends of the spring are respectively in contact with a side of the spring receptacle and a cavity disposed in each of the first pins via a fixing element.
- the plug is positioned in the concave storage confinement by the resilience force of the springs and folded by adjusting the first pins to drive the second pins and rotate the rod.
- the plug is electrically connected to the circuit board mounted inside the housing.
- the conventional foldable or rotatable fixtures usually have weak mechanical structure for attaching to either the housing or other members of the plug connector.
- the weak attachment structure may cause the foldable or rotatable unit to be damageable, less reliable and even dangerous to the user and may also affect the establishment or maintenance of a good electric contact.
- conventional converters for different national standards usually couple with the plug through slots in the converters. Because there is no fixing mechanism between the converters and the plug, the converters often fall off the plug when in use, thereby causing the decrease in safety of the plug.
- the present invention discloses a rotatable plug with a fixable converter.
- the present invention provides a rotatable plug with a fixable converter.
- the rotatable plug with the fixable converter includes a lower case having two through holes formed therein, two plug receiving slots opened at one end and two openings formed between the plug receiving slots; a plug having a longer end to be inserted into the through holes in the lower case, wherein the longer end of the plug is received in the plug receiving slots in the lower case when the plug is rotated to a hidden position; a locking member placed on the lower case and having two hook locks formed on the lower surface thereof; a fixing member having two clamping fixtures formed on the lower surface thereof to clamp the plug; and a converter having two hooks formed on the upper surface thereof, wherein the hooks pass through the openings in the lower case and then are locked by the hook locks of the locking member.
- the rotatable plug with the fixable converter further includes an upper case engaged with the lower case and a printed circuit board (PCB) attached on the lower case.
- the upper case includes a circular projected hole formed therein.
- the rotatable plug with the fixable converter further includes a spring disposed between the locking member and the fixing member.
- One advantage of the present invention is the rotatable plug which is conveniently receivable into an electric device.
- Another advantage of the present invention is the rotatable plug which is effort-saving in use.
- Still another advantage of the present invention is the rotatable plug which can meet the safety requirements.
- Still another advantage of the present invention is the rotatable plug with the fixable converter which is durable and robust by utilizing the circular projected hole to fix the fixing member between the upper case and the lower case and can sustain long-term carrying and frequent usage.
- Another advantage of the present invention is that the rotatable plug with the fixable converter can be applied to any kinds of electric devices which need an electric plug.
- Still another advantage of the present invention is that the converter can be locked onto the rotatable plug by utilizing the locking member in the rotatable plug to increase steadiness of the converter when in use.
- the present invention discloses a rotatable plug with a fixable converter.
- the rotatable plug with the fixable converter 10 includes an upper case 101, a lower case 102 engaged with the upper case 101, a rotatable rack 103 supported by the lower case 102, a locking member 104 placed on the lower case 102, a fixing member 105 placed on the rotatable rack 103 and the locking member 104, a spring 106 disposed between the fixing member 105 and the locking member 104, and a converter 107 receiving the projected portion of the rotatable rack 103 and fixed onto the lower case 102 by the locking member 104.
- the rotatable plug with the fixable converter 10 further includes a printed circuit board (PCB) 108 attached on the lower case 102 to electrically connect with the rotatable rack 103, as shown in Fig. 10 .
- the printed circuit board (PCB) 108 is attached parallel to the lower case 102. It should be appreciated that the printed circuit board (PCB) 108 can be attached either parallel or vertical to the lower case 102.
- the rotatable plug 100 is constructed by the upper case 101, the lower case 102, the rotatable rack 103, the locking member 104, the fixing member 105, the spring 106, and the printer circuit board (PCB) 108. As shown in Fig.
- slots 1021 are defined in the lower surface of the lower case 102. Slots 1021 are arranged parallelly and opened at one end for the rotatable rack 103 to pass through and be received therein. In other words, the rotatable rack 103 can be rotated into a position in which the rotatable rack 103 is received and hidden in the slots 1021.
- the upper case 101 includes a circular projected hole 1011 formed therein, as shown in Fig. 2 .
- the lower case 102 includes a base 1022, two through holes 1023 formed through the base 1022 for the rotatable rack 103 to be inserted therethrough, two receptacles 1024 formed adjacent to the through holes 1023 to receive a shorter end (as described below) of the rotatable rack 103, a groove 1025 formed between the two through holes 1023, four notches 1026 formed respectively on two sides of the two through holes 1023, two openings 1027 formed between the slots 1021 along a direction parallel to the slots 1021, and an opening 1028 formed between the slots 1021 and adjacent to the opened end of the slots 1021.
- the shape of the notches 1026 is U-shaped.
- the rotatable rack 103 includes a pivot 1031, two seats 1032 formed on opposite ends of the pivot 1031, two prongs 1033 fixed on the seats 1032 respectively, and two circular protrusions 1034 fixed to the seats 1032 on the outer side along the axis of the pivot 1031.
- the pivot 1031 is substantially a rectangular prism.
- Each seat 1032 has a slot (not shown) extending therethrough vertically to the axis of the pivot 1031, and an opening (not shown) extending therethrough parallel with the axis of the pivot 1031 and communicating with the slot (not shown).
- each prong 1033 is received and fixed in the slot (not shown), while the other longer end extends out and passes through the corresponding slots 1021 of the lower case 102.
- the longer ends of the prongs 1033 are inserted into the two through holes 1023 in the lower case 102 when the rotatable plug 100 is assembled. Furthermore, the pivot 1031 and the circular protrusions 1034 of the rack 103 are received and supported by the notches 1026 in the lower case 102.
- the pivot 1031 can be rotated around the axis of the pivot 1031 and can slip smoothly into and out of the concave part (as described below) of the locking member 104, while the circular protrusions 1034 can be rotated around the axis of the pivot 1031 along with the pivot 1031 when the rack 103 is being rotated.
- the locking member 104 includes a shank 1041, two hook locks 1042 formed on the lower surface of the shank 1041 and spaced apart, a concave part 1043 formed between the two hook locks 1042 and in the upper surface of the shank 1041, a button part 1044 formed at one end of the shank 1041, and a cavity 1045 formed in the inner side of the button part 1044.
- the hook locks 1042 are formed to be received by the openings 1027 in the lower case 102 when the rotatable plug 100 is assembled and to lock the hooks (as described below) of the converter 107 when the fixable converter 107 is attached, so as to fix the converter 107.
- the concave part 1043 is formed to be received by the groove 1025 in the lower case 102 when the rotatable plug 100 is assembled.
- the width of the groove 1025 is larger than that of the concave part 1043 to receive the concave part 1043.
- the button part 1044 is formed to be received by the opening 1028 in the lower case 102 when the rotatable plug 100 is assembled to form a button.
- the cavity 1045 is formed to receive one end of the spring 106 when the rotatable plug 100 is assembled.
- the fixing member 105 includes a plate 1051, two clamping fixtures 1052 extending downward from the plate 1051, two slots 1053 formed oppositely in the edge of the plate 1051 and opened at one end, two inclined boards 1054 extending downward respectively from opposite sides of the plate 1051, a rectangular cavity 1055 formed at the bottom of one of the inclined boards 1054, and side walls 1056.
- the clamping fixtures 1052 clamp the pivot 1031 of the rotatable rack 103 to prevent the rack 103 from rotating away from the predetermined position.
- the distance between the end parts of the two clamping fixtures 1052 can be changed by the pivot 1031 when the rotatable rack 103 is being rotated because the clamping fixtures 1052 are flexible.
- the slots 1053 are formed to receive the shorter ends of the prongs 1033 when the rotatable plug 100 is assembled and when the rotatable rack 103 is being rotated.
- the rectangular cavity 1055 is formed to receive the other end of the spring 106 when the rotatable plug 100 is assembled.
- the fixable converter 107 includes a main body 1071 and two hooks 1072 formed oppositely on the upper surface of the main body 1071.
- the main body 1071 includes two narrow holes 1073 formed parallelly in the upper surface thereof and extending inward into the inner thereof, so as to receive the prongs 1033 of the rotatable rack 103 when the fixable converter 107 is attached.
- the hooks 1072 are formed to pass through the openings 1027 in the lower case 102 and then be locked by the hook locks 1042 of the locking member 104 when the fixable converter 107 is attached, so as to fix the converter 107 onto the lower case 102.
- the converter 107 can be any other kinds of converters for different national standards except the one shown in Fig. 7 .
- the prongs 1033 can be rotated around the axis of the pivot 1031 from a hidden position at which the prongs 1033 are parallel to the lower surface of the lower case 102 and the longer ends of the prongs 1033 are received in the corresponding slots 1021 to a vertical position at which the prongs 1033 are vertical to the lower surface of the lower case 102 and the longer ends of the prongs 1033 are exposed out of the lower case 102, and vice versa.
- the shorter ends of the prongs 1033 pass through the slots 1053 of the fixing member 105 first, then enter the receptacles 1024 in the lower case 102 and are received therein while the longer ends of the prongs 1033 enter the slots 1021 in the lower surface of the lower case 102 and are received therein as the prongs 1033 are being rotated from the vertical position to the hidden position.
- the pivot 1031 is substantially a rectangular prism. Therefore, the two clamping fixtures 1052 can clamp the pivot 1031 on two opposite planes of the rectangular prism to hold the prongs 1033 in position and prevent the prongs 1033 from rotating away from the vertical position when the prongs 1033 are in the vertical position.
- the edge of the pivot 1031 are slipping into the concave part 1043 of the locking member 104 and passing therethrough.
- the physical flexibility of the clamping fixtures 1052 may make it easy and effort-saving to rotate the pivot 1031 and the prongs 1033 from the vertical position to the hidden position. After being rotated back to the hidden position, the pivot 1031 is clamped by the clamping fixtures 1052 on the other two opposite planes of the rectangular prism to prevent the prongs 1033 from rotating out of the lower surface of the lower case 102.
- the physical flexibility of the clamping fixtures 1052 make it easy and effort-saving to rotate the pivot 1031 and the prongs 1033 from the hidden position to the vertical position.
- the pivot 1031 and the circular protrusions 1034 are sandwiched in between the side walls 1056 of the fixing member 105 and the notches 1026 of the lower case 102, and the fixing member 105 is fixed onto the lower case 102 by support of the circular projected hole 1011 of the upper case 101, as shown in Fig. 8 . Therefore, the axis of rotation will not be shifted away from the predetermined position and the robustness of the rotatable plug 100 can be increased. Accordingly, the rotatable plug mechanism utilizing the clamping fixtures 1052 and the support of the circular projected hole 1011 in the present invention will be much more stable than prior art utilizing springs. Moreover, the contact surfaces of the side walls 1056, the notches 1026, the pivot 1031, and the circular protrusions 1034 may be polished to reduce the friction therebetween and thereby the rotatable rack 103 can be rotated more smoothly.
- the locking member 104 can move horizontally through the spring 106 from a first position to a second position.
- the spring 106 At the first position, the spring 106 is in an expanded condition and the button part 1044 projects from the opening 1028.
- the ends of the hooks 1072 on the converter 107 enter the notches in the hook locks 1042 of the locking member 104 to fix the converter 107 onto the lower case 102.
- the button part 1044 When the button part 1044 is pushed, the spring 106 is pressured to transform into a compressed condition, so as to render the locking member 104 to move to the second position.
- the spring 106 At the second position, the spring 106 is in the compressed condition and the outer surface of the button part 1044 is located at the opening 1028.
- the ends of the hooks 1072 on the converter 107 leave the notches in the hook locks 1042 of the locking member 104, so as to detach the converter 107 from the lower case 102. Therefore, when the locking member 104 is at the second position, the converter 107 can be removed from the lower case 102 of the rotatable plug 100 to replace with other kinds of converter or to hide the prongs 1033 of the rotatable plug 100 into the lower case 102.
- the present invention provides the rotatable plug with the fixable converter 10 which is fixable, replaceable, and safe through the locking member.
- the present invention further provides the rotatable plug with the fixable converter 10 in which the rotatable plug 100 is effort-saving, receivable and rotatable, and the converter 107 is fixable and replaceable and meets safety requirements.
- the rotatable plug with the fixable converter 10 can be applied to any kinds of electric power connector such as a power supply, a battery charger, a transformer, an adapter or any other kinds of electric products which need an electric plug.
- the lower case 102 is pre-prepared. Then, the locking member 104 is placed on the groove 1025 in the lower case 102 and the button part 1044 of the locking member 104 is placed into the opening 1028 in the lower case 102 simultaneously. Subsequently, the rotatable rack 103 is inserted vertically into the two through holes 1023 in the lower case 102 and one end of the spring 106 is inserted into the rectangular cavity 1055 of the fixing member 105. Then, the fixing member 105 is mounted on the lower case 102 to compress the locking member 104 and the rotatable rack 103.
- the printed circuit board (PCB) 108 and the upper case 101 are attached onto the lower case 102 in sequence to form the rotatable plug 100.
- the button part 1044 of the locking member 104 is pushed to move the locking member 104 to the second position.
- the longer ends of the prongs 1033 are inserted into the narrow holes 1073 in the converter 107, and the hooks 1072 on the fixable converter 107 are inserted into the openings 1027 in the lower case 102 simultaneously.
- the button part 1044 in the locking member 104 is loosened to move the locking member 104 to the first position, such that the converter 107 is fixed on the rotatable plug 100 to form the rotatable plug with the fixable converter 10.
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to a rotatable plug, and more particularly to a rotatable plug with a fixable converter.
- Consumer electronic products, such as notebooks, personal digital assistants (PDA), mobile phones, MP3 players, and so on, are trending toward smaller sizes continuously, which thereby promotes higher demand for easily-portable electric power connectors, for example, a power supply, a battery charger, or a transformer. Therefore, the electric power connectors of consumer electronic products need to be made with smaller sizes and less weight, and more convenient for shipment. Furthermore, they must be durable in order to sustain long-term carrying and frequent usage. Each of the consumer electronic products needs a plug on the electric power connectors or on the product itself to supply power thereto, and thus the plug is a necessary unit. Various kinds of plugs come out recently for the consumer electronic products or the electric power connectors to be carried conveniently, such as rotatable plugs, foldable plugs, or retractable plugs.
- For instance, a conventional electric power connector includes a housing and a plug. The housing further has a concave storage confinement near the top edge of the housing. The plug is mainly composed of a rod having a tenon on each side thereof, two first pins and two second pins. The first pins and the second pins respectively have holes corresponding to the tenon for inserting the tenon to make the connection of the first pins, the second pins and the rod. Each side wall of the concave storage confinement has a spring receptacle containing a spring. The ends of the spring are respectively in contact with a side of the spring receptacle and a cavity disposed in each of the first pins via a fixing element. The plug is positioned in the concave storage confinement by the resilience force of the springs and folded by adjusting the first pins to drive the second pins and rotate the rod. Thus, the plug is electrically connected to the circuit board mounted inside the housing.
- Many conventional foldable, rotatable or retractable plugs similar to the above plug have a major difficulty in the mechanical design. The conventional foldable or rotatable fixtures usually have weak mechanical structure for attaching to either the housing or other members of the plug connector. The weak attachment structure may cause the foldable or rotatable unit to be damageable, less reliable and even dangerous to the user and may also affect the establishment or maintenance of a good electric contact. Moreover, conventional converters for different national standards usually couple with the plug through slots in the converters. Because there is no fixing mechanism between the converters and the plug, the converters often fall off the plug when in use, thereby causing the decrease in safety of the plug. Thus, there is still a demand for providing a rotatable plug cooperatable with a converter that is durable and safe and can overcome the above shortcomings.
- In view of the aforementioned defects of the conventional plugs such as the weak mechanical structure rendering the conventional plug damageable, less reliable and even dangerous to the user and no fixing mechanism between the converters and the plug, the present invention discloses a rotatable plug with a fixable converter.
- The present invention provides a rotatable plug with a fixable converter. In one aspect of the present invention, the rotatable plug with the fixable converter includes a lower case having two through holes formed therein, two plug receiving slots opened at one end and two openings formed between the plug receiving slots; a plug having a longer end to be inserted into the through holes in the lower case, wherein the longer end of the plug is received in the plug receiving slots in the lower case when the plug is rotated to a hidden position; a locking member placed on the lower case and having two hook locks formed on the lower surface thereof; a fixing member having two clamping fixtures formed on the lower surface thereof to clamp the plug; and a converter having two hooks formed on the upper surface thereof, wherein the hooks pass through the openings in the lower case and then are locked by the hook locks of the locking member. The rotatable plug with the fixable converter further includes an upper case engaged with the lower case and a printed circuit board (PCB) attached on the lower case. The upper case includes a circular projected hole formed therein. The rotatable plug with the fixable converter further includes a spring disposed between the locking member and the fixing member.
- One advantage of the present invention is the rotatable plug which is conveniently receivable into an electric device.
- Another advantage of the present invention is the rotatable plug which is effort-saving in use.
- Still another advantage of the present invention is the rotatable plug which can meet the safety requirements.
- Still another advantage of the present invention is the rotatable plug with the fixable converter which is durable and robust by utilizing the circular projected hole to fix the fixing member between the upper case and the lower case and can sustain long-term carrying and frequent usage.
- Another advantage of the present invention is that the rotatable plug with the fixable converter can be applied to any kinds of electric devices which need an electric plug.
- Still another advantage of the present invention is that the converter can be locked onto the rotatable plug by utilizing the locking member in the rotatable plug to increase steadiness of the converter when in use.
- These and other advantages will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments taken together with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.
- The present invention may be understood by some preferred embodiments and detailed descriptions in the specification and the attached drawings below. The identical reference numbers in the drawings refer to the same components in the present invention. However, it should be appreciated that all the preferred embodiments of the invention are only for illustrating but not for limiting the scope of the Claims and wherein:
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Fig. 1 is a diagram of a rotatable plug with a fixable converter according to the present invention; -
Fig. 2 is a diagram of an upper case of the rotatable plug with the fixable converter according to the present invention; -
Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B are diagrams of a lower case of the rotatable plug with the fixable converter according to the present invention; -
Fig. 4 is a diagram of a rotatable rack of the rotatable plug with the fixable converter according to the present invention; -
Fig. 5 is a diagram of a locking member of the rotatable plug with the fixable converter according to the present invention; -
Fig. 6A andFig. 6B are diagrams of a fixing member of the rotatable plug with the fixable converter according to the present invention; -
Fig. 7 is a diagram of the converter of the rotatable plug with the fixable converter according to the present invention; -
Fig. 8 illustrates the rotating mechanism of the rotatable plug with the fixable converter according to the present invention; -
Fig. 9 illustrates the locking mechanism of the rotatable plug with the fixable converter according to the present invention; and -
Fig. 10 illustrates the assembling process of the rotatable plug with the fixable converter according to the present invention. - The invention will now be described with the preferred embodiments and aspects and these descriptions interpret structure and procedures of the invention only for illustrating but not for limiting the Claims of the invention. Therefore, except the preferred embodiments in the specification, the present invention may also be widely used in other embodiments.
- The present invention discloses a rotatable plug with a fixable converter. As shown in
Fig. 1 , in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rotatable plug with thefixable converter 10 includes anupper case 101, alower case 102 engaged with theupper case 101, arotatable rack 103 supported by thelower case 102, alocking member 104 placed on thelower case 102, afixing member 105 placed on therotatable rack 103 and thelocking member 104, aspring 106 disposed between thefixing member 105 and thelocking member 104, and aconverter 107 receiving the projected portion of therotatable rack 103 and fixed onto thelower case 102 by thelocking member 104. The rotatable plug with thefixable converter 10 further includes a printed circuit board (PCB) 108 attached on thelower case 102 to electrically connect with therotatable rack 103, as shown inFig. 10 . The printed circuit board (PCB) 108 is attached parallel to thelower case 102. It should be appreciated that the printed circuit board (PCB) 108 can be attached either parallel or vertical to thelower case 102. In other words, as shown inFig. 1 andFig. 10 , therotatable plug 100 is constructed by theupper case 101, thelower case 102, therotatable rack 103, thelocking member 104, thefixing member 105, thespring 106, and the printer circuit board (PCB) 108. As shown inFig. 3B , twoslots 1021 are defined in the lower surface of thelower case 102.Slots 1021 are arranged parallelly and opened at one end for therotatable rack 103 to pass through and be received therein. In other words, therotatable rack 103 can be rotated into a position in which therotatable rack 103 is received and hidden in theslots 1021. Moreover, theupper case 101 includes a circular projectedhole 1011 formed therein, as shown inFig. 2 . - With reference to
Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B , in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, thelower case 102 includes abase 1022, two throughholes 1023 formed through thebase 1022 for therotatable rack 103 to be inserted therethrough, tworeceptacles 1024 formed adjacent to the throughholes 1023 to receive a shorter end (as described below) of therotatable rack 103, agroove 1025 formed between the two throughholes 1023, fournotches 1026 formed respectively on two sides of the two throughholes 1023, twoopenings 1027 formed between theslots 1021 along a direction parallel to theslots 1021, and anopening 1028 formed between theslots 1021 and adjacent to the opened end of theslots 1021. Preferably, the shape of thenotches 1026 is U-shaped. - With reference to
Fig. 4 , in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, therotatable rack 103 includes apivot 1031, twoseats 1032 formed on opposite ends of thepivot 1031, twoprongs 1033 fixed on theseats 1032 respectively, and twocircular protrusions 1034 fixed to theseats 1032 on the outer side along the axis of thepivot 1031. Thepivot 1031 is substantially a rectangular prism. Eachseat 1032 has a slot (not shown) extending therethrough vertically to the axis of thepivot 1031, and an opening (not shown) extending therethrough parallel with the axis of thepivot 1031 and communicating with the slot (not shown). A shorter end of eachprong 1033 is received and fixed in the slot (not shown), while the other longer end extends out and passes through the correspondingslots 1021 of thelower case 102. The longer ends of theprongs 1033 are inserted into the two throughholes 1023 in thelower case 102 when therotatable plug 100 is assembled. Furthermore, thepivot 1031 and thecircular protrusions 1034 of therack 103 are received and supported by thenotches 1026 in thelower case 102. Therefore, thepivot 1031 can be rotated around the axis of thepivot 1031 and can slip smoothly into and out of the concave part (as described below) of the lockingmember 104, while thecircular protrusions 1034 can be rotated around the axis of thepivot 1031 along with thepivot 1031 when therack 103 is being rotated. - With reference to
Fig. 5 , in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lockingmember 104 includes ashank 1041, twohook locks 1042 formed on the lower surface of theshank 1041 and spaced apart, aconcave part 1043 formed between the twohook locks 1042 and in the upper surface of theshank 1041, abutton part 1044 formed at one end of theshank 1041, and acavity 1045 formed in the inner side of thebutton part 1044. The hook locks 1042 are formed to be received by theopenings 1027 in thelower case 102 when therotatable plug 100 is assembled and to lock the hooks (as described below) of theconverter 107 when thefixable converter 107 is attached, so as to fix theconverter 107. Theconcave part 1043 is formed to be received by thegroove 1025 in thelower case 102 when therotatable plug 100 is assembled. The width of thegroove 1025 is larger than that of theconcave part 1043 to receive theconcave part 1043. Thebutton part 1044 is formed to be received by theopening 1028 in thelower case 102 when therotatable plug 100 is assembled to form a button. Thecavity 1045 is formed to receive one end of thespring 106 when therotatable plug 100 is assembled. - With reference to
Fig. 6A andFig. 6B , in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fixingmember 105 includes aplate 1051, two clampingfixtures 1052 extending downward from theplate 1051, twoslots 1053 formed oppositely in the edge of theplate 1051 and opened at one end, twoinclined boards 1054 extending downward respectively from opposite sides of theplate 1051, arectangular cavity 1055 formed at the bottom of one of theinclined boards 1054, andside walls 1056. The clampingfixtures 1052 clamp thepivot 1031 of therotatable rack 103 to prevent therack 103 from rotating away from the predetermined position. The distance between the end parts of the two clampingfixtures 1052 can be changed by thepivot 1031 when therotatable rack 103 is being rotated because theclamping fixtures 1052 are flexible. Theslots 1053 are formed to receive the shorter ends of theprongs 1033 when therotatable plug 100 is assembled and when therotatable rack 103 is being rotated. Therectangular cavity 1055 is formed to receive the other end of thespring 106 when therotatable plug 100 is assembled. - As described above, one end of the
spring 106 is received by thecavity 1045 of the lockingmember 104, and the other end of thespring 106 is received by therectangular cavity 1055 of the fixingmember 105, such that thespring 106 is disposed between the lockingmember 104 and the fixingmember 105. With reference toFig. 7 , in one embodiment of the present invention, thefixable converter 107 includes amain body 1071 and twohooks 1072 formed oppositely on the upper surface of themain body 1071. Themain body 1071 includes twonarrow holes 1073 formed parallelly in the upper surface thereof and extending inward into the inner thereof, so as to receive theprongs 1033 of therotatable rack 103 when thefixable converter 107 is attached. Thehooks 1072 are formed to pass through theopenings 1027 in thelower case 102 and then be locked by thehook locks 1042 of the lockingmember 104 when thefixable converter 107 is attached, so as to fix theconverter 107 onto thelower case 102. It should be appreciated that theconverter 107 can be any other kinds of converters for different national standards except the one shown inFig. 7 . - With reference to
Fig. 8 , in the assembled rotatable plug, theprongs 1033 can be rotated around the axis of thepivot 1031 from a hidden position at which theprongs 1033 are parallel to the lower surface of thelower case 102 and the longer ends of theprongs 1033 are received in the correspondingslots 1021 to a vertical position at which theprongs 1033 are vertical to the lower surface of thelower case 102 and the longer ends of theprongs 1033 are exposed out of thelower case 102, and vice versa. The shorter ends of theprongs 1033 pass through theslots 1053 of the fixingmember 105 first, then enter thereceptacles 1024 in thelower case 102 and are received therein while the longer ends of theprongs 1033 enter theslots 1021 in the lower surface of thelower case 102 and are received therein as theprongs 1033 are being rotated from the vertical position to the hidden position. Moreover, thepivot 1031 is substantially a rectangular prism. Therefore, the two clampingfixtures 1052 can clamp thepivot 1031 on two opposite planes of the rectangular prism to hold theprongs 1033 in position and prevent theprongs 1033 from rotating away from the vertical position when theprongs 1033 are in the vertical position. When theprongs 1033 are being rotated back to the hidden position, the edge of thepivot 1031 are slipping into theconcave part 1043 of the lockingmember 104 and passing therethrough. The physical flexibility of the clampingfixtures 1052 may make it easy and effort-saving to rotate thepivot 1031 and theprongs 1033 from the vertical position to the hidden position. After being rotated back to the hidden position, thepivot 1031 is clamped by the clampingfixtures 1052 on the other two opposite planes of the rectangular prism to prevent theprongs 1033 from rotating out of the lower surface of thelower case 102. Similarly, when theprongs 1033 are to be rotated to the vertical position, the physical flexibility of the clampingfixtures 1052 make it easy and effort-saving to rotate thepivot 1031 and theprongs 1033 from the hidden position to the vertical position. - Furthermore, the
pivot 1031 and thecircular protrusions 1034 are sandwiched in between theside walls 1056 of the fixingmember 105 and thenotches 1026 of thelower case 102, and the fixingmember 105 is fixed onto thelower case 102 by support of the circular projectedhole 1011 of theupper case 101, as shown inFig. 8 . Therefore, the axis of rotation will not be shifted away from the predetermined position and the robustness of therotatable plug 100 can be increased. Accordingly, the rotatable plug mechanism utilizing the clampingfixtures 1052 and the support of the circular projectedhole 1011 in the present invention will be much more stable than prior art utilizing springs. Moreover, the contact surfaces of theside walls 1056, thenotches 1026, thepivot 1031, and thecircular protrusions 1034 may be polished to reduce the friction therebetween and thereby therotatable rack 103 can be rotated more smoothly. - With reference to
Fig. 9 , in the rotatable plug with thefixable converter 10, the lockingmember 104 can move horizontally through thespring 106 from a first position to a second position. At the first position, thespring 106 is in an expanded condition and thebutton part 1044 projects from theopening 1028. The ends of thehooks 1072 on theconverter 107 enter the notches in thehook locks 1042 of the lockingmember 104 to fix theconverter 107 onto thelower case 102. When thebutton part 1044 is pushed, thespring 106 is pressured to transform into a compressed condition, so as to render the lockingmember 104 to move to the second position. At the second position, thespring 106 is in the compressed condition and the outer surface of thebutton part 1044 is located at theopening 1028. The ends of thehooks 1072 on theconverter 107 leave the notches in thehook locks 1042 of the lockingmember 104, so as to detach theconverter 107 from thelower case 102. Therefore, when the lockingmember 104 is at the second position, theconverter 107 can be removed from thelower case 102 of therotatable plug 100 to replace with other kinds of converter or to hide theprongs 1033 of therotatable plug 100 into thelower case 102. Furthermore, when the lockingmember 104 is at the first position, the steadiness of theconverter 107 attached on therotatable plug 100 can be increased because theconverter 107 is locked and fixed onto thelower case 102 and will not fall off therotatable plug 100, such that the user can utilize the rotatable plug with thefixable converter 10 more conveniently and safely. Accordingly, the present invention provides the rotatable plug with thefixable converter 10 which is fixable, replaceable, and safe through the locking member. - Furthermore, because the
rotatable plug 100 is rotatable and receivable, the present invention further provides the rotatable plug with thefixable converter 10 in which therotatable plug 100 is effort-saving, receivable and rotatable, and theconverter 107 is fixable and replaceable and meets safety requirements. The rotatable plug with thefixable converter 10 can be applied to any kinds of electric power connector such as a power supply, a battery charger, a transformer, an adapter or any other kinds of electric products which need an electric plug. - With reference to
Fig. 10 , in the assembling process of therotatable plug 100 in the present invention, firstly thelower case 102 is pre-prepared. Then, the lockingmember 104 is placed on thegroove 1025 in thelower case 102 and thebutton part 1044 of the lockingmember 104 is placed into theopening 1028 in thelower case 102 simultaneously. Subsequently, therotatable rack 103 is inserted vertically into the two throughholes 1023 in thelower case 102 and one end of thespring 106 is inserted into therectangular cavity 1055 of the fixingmember 105. Then, the fixingmember 105 is mounted on thelower case 102 to compress the lockingmember 104 and therotatable rack 103. Subsequently, the printed circuit board (PCB) 108 and theupper case 101 are attached onto thelower case 102 in sequence to form therotatable plug 100. Moreover, in the process of attaching theconverter 107 onto therotatable plug 100 in the present invention, firstly thebutton part 1044 of the lockingmember 104 is pushed to move the lockingmember 104 to the second position. Then, the longer ends of theprongs 1033 are inserted into thenarrow holes 1073 in theconverter 107, and thehooks 1072 on thefixable converter 107 are inserted into theopenings 1027 in thelower case 102 simultaneously. Subsequently, thebutton part 1044 in the lockingmember 104 is loosened to move the lockingmember 104 to the first position, such that theconverter 107 is fixed on therotatable plug 100 to form the rotatable plug with thefixable converter 10. - The foregoing description is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be appreciated that this embodiment is described for purposes of illustration only, not for limiting, and that numerous alterations and modifications may be practiced by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is intended that all such modifications and alterations are included insofar as they come within the scope of the invention as claimed or the equivalents thereof.
Claims (10)
- A structure of a rotatable plug with a fixable converter, comprising:a lower case including pluralities of through holes formed therein, pluralities of plug receiving slots opened at one end, and pluralities of openings formed between said pluralities of plug receiving slots;a plug including a longer end to be inserted into said through holes of said lower case, wherein said longer end of said plug is received in said plug receiving slots of said lower case when said plug is rotated to a hidden position;a locking member placed on said lower case and including pluralities of hook locks formed on the lower surface thereof;a fixing member including pluralities of clamping fixtures formed on the lower surface thereof to clamp said plug; anda converter including pluralities of hooks formed on the upper surface thereof, wherein said hooks pass through said openings of said lower case and are locked by said hook locks of said locking member.
- The structure of claim 1, further comprising a circular projected hole formed in an upper case engaged with said lower case.
- The structure of claim 1, further comprising a spring disposed between said locking member and said fixing member.
- The structure of claim 1, wherein said lower case further comprises at least two notches formed therein, wherein said notches are U-shaped.
- The structure of claim 1, wherein said lower case further comprises a groove formed between said through holes.
- The structure of claim 1, wherein said plug further comprises a rectangular pivot to be clamped by said clamping fixtures of said fixing member.
- The structure of claim 1, wherein said locking member further comprises a concave part formed between said pluralities of hook locks.
- The structure of claim 1, wherein said locking member further comprises a button part formed at one end thereof and a cavity formed in the inner side of said button part.
- The structure of claim 1, wherein said fixing member further comprises two slots formed oppositely in the edge thereof.
- The structure of claim 1, wherein said fixing member further comprises a cavity formed at the bottom of an inclined board extending downward from one side of said fixing member.
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DE602008002139T DE602008002139D1 (en) | 2008-01-23 | 2008-01-23 | Rotatable plug with fixable power converter |
EP08001171A EP2083488B1 (en) | 2008-01-23 | 2008-01-23 | Rotatable plug with fixable converter |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP08001171A EP2083488B1 (en) | 2008-01-23 | 2008-01-23 | Rotatable plug with fixable converter |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP2083488A1 true EP2083488A1 (en) | 2009-07-29 |
EP2083488B1 EP2083488B1 (en) | 2010-08-11 |
Family
ID=39495620
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP08001171A Expired - Fee Related EP2083488B1 (en) | 2008-01-23 | 2008-01-23 | Rotatable plug with fixable converter |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP2083488B1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE602008002139D1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN103378625A (en) * | 2012-04-26 | 2013-10-30 | 富泰华工业(深圳)有限公司 | Portable power source |
Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6089886A (en) * | 1998-09-10 | 2000-07-18 | Ericsson, Inc. | Swiveling electrical plug assembly |
US6270364B1 (en) * | 2000-11-20 | 2001-08-07 | Tongt-Huei Wang | Portable electrical adapter |
US20020173183A1 (en) * | 2001-04-27 | 2002-11-21 | Shinichi Segawa | Power plug |
US20050269987A1 (en) * | 2004-06-07 | 2005-12-08 | Cheng-Kuang Lin | Charging device for mobile phone |
US20070046257A1 (en) | 2005-08-17 | 2007-03-01 | Koichi Inoue | Electrical device |
-
2008
- 2008-01-23 EP EP08001171A patent/EP2083488B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2008-01-23 DE DE602008002139T patent/DE602008002139D1/en active Active
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6089886A (en) * | 1998-09-10 | 2000-07-18 | Ericsson, Inc. | Swiveling electrical plug assembly |
US6270364B1 (en) * | 2000-11-20 | 2001-08-07 | Tongt-Huei Wang | Portable electrical adapter |
US20020173183A1 (en) * | 2001-04-27 | 2002-11-21 | Shinichi Segawa | Power plug |
US20050269987A1 (en) * | 2004-06-07 | 2005-12-08 | Cheng-Kuang Lin | Charging device for mobile phone |
US20070046257A1 (en) | 2005-08-17 | 2007-03-01 | Koichi Inoue | Electrical device |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN103378625A (en) * | 2012-04-26 | 2013-10-30 | 富泰华工业(深圳)有限公司 | Portable power source |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP2083488B1 (en) | 2010-08-11 |
DE602008002139D1 (en) | 2010-09-23 |
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