EP3467964A1

EP3467964A1 - Retractable plug device

Info

Publication number: EP3467964A1
Application number: EP18198262.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jung-Hui Hsu
Original assignee: Powertech Industrial Co Ltd
Current assignee: Powertech Industrial Co Ltd
Priority date: 2017-10-06
Filing date: 2018-10-02
Publication date: 2019-04-10
Also published as: CN109638554A; TW201916492A; EP3467964A8; TWI627801B

Abstract

A retractable plug device includes a housing (1) and a plug unit (2). The housing (1) has a first surface (13) and a second surface (14). The first surface (13) has a first opening (16), and the second surface (14) has a second opening (17). The housing (1) has a receiving space (15) therein. The first opening (16) and the second opening (17) are respectively located at two opposite ends of the receiving space (15). The plug unit (2) includes an insulating body (21) and a plug pin (22). The plug pin (22) is pivoted to the insulating body (21) such that the plug pin (22) can be folded and unfolded in a rotatable manner. The plug unit (2) is movably disposed in the receiving space (15) of the housing (1) such that the plug unit (2) can be extended out of the first surface (13) of the housing (1) via the first opening (16), or be retracted into the receiving space (15) of the housing (1) via the first opening (16).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority to Taiwan Patent Application No. 106134545, filed on October 6, 2017 . The entire content of the above identified application is incorporated herein by reference.
Some references, which may include patents, patent applications and various publications, may be cited and discussed in the description of this disclosure. The citation and/or discussion of such references is provided merely to clarify the description of the present disclosure and is not an admission that any such reference is "prior art" to the disclosure described herein. All references cited and discussed in this specification are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties and to the same extent as if each reference was individually incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to a plug device, and more particularly to a retractable plug device that enables a plug unit to be received therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

With the development of technology, more and more electronic products are bringing convenience to human life. This has led to an increase in the use of plugs of various specifications. However, conventional plugs and sockets of European specifications tend to be bulkier. The plug holes of these types of sockets generally have a certain depth. To insert the plugs into such plug holes, the heights of the plugs are generally required to be higher than that of the plugs of American or British specifications. These types of plugs occupy much space and have poor portability.
In this regard, the present disclosure provides a retractable plug device to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In response to the above-referenced technical inadequacies, the present disclosure provides a retractable plug device that can reduce overall height of the housing and can improve the portability of the device.
In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a retractable plug device which includes a housing and a plug unit. The housing has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The first surface is formed with a first opening, the housing is formed with a receiving space therein, and the first opening is located at an end of the receiving space. The plug unit includes an insulating body and at least a plug pin. The plug pin is rotatably disposed on the insulating body such that the plug pin is capable of being folded and unfolded in a rotatable manner. The plug unit is movably disposed in the receiving space of the housing such that the plug unit is capable of being extended out of the first surface of the housing via the first opening, or being retracted into the receiving space of the housing via the first opening.
The advantages of the present disclosure is that the plug unit is movably disposed in the receiving space of the housing such that the plug unit is capable of being extended out of the first surface of the housing via the first opening, or being retracted into the receiving space of the housing via the first opening. Moreover, the plug pin is capable of being folded and unfolded in a rotatable manner. Therefore, the overall height of the housing can be reduced, and the portability of the retractable plug device can be improved.
These and other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of the embodiment taken in conjunction with the following drawings and their captions, although variations and modifications therein may be affected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a retractable plug device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the retractable plug device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure from another perspective.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the retractable plug device that is in use according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along a cross-sectional line IV-IV of Fig. 3.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along a cross-sectional line V-V of Fig. 3.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the retractable plug device that is not in use according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along a cross-sectional line VII-VII of Fig. 6.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along a cross-sectional line VIII-VIII of Fig. 6.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a retractable plug device that is in use according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a retractable plug device that is not in use according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the retractable plug device that is not in use according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure from another perspective.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The present disclosure is more particularly described in the following examples that are intended as illustrative only since numerous modifications and variations therein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Like numbers in the drawings indicate like components throughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the meaning of "a", "an", and "the" includes plural reference, and the meaning of "in" includes "in" and "on". Titles or subtitles can be used herein for the convenience of a reader, which shall have no influence on the scope of the present disclosure.
The terms used herein generally have their ordinary meanings in the art. In the case of conflict, the present document, including any definitions given herein, will prevail. The same thing can be expressed in more than one way. Alternative language and synonyms can be used for any term(s) discussed herein, and no special significance is to be placed upon whether a term is elaborated or discussed herein. A recital of one or more synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. The use of examples anywhere in this specification including examples of any terms is illustrative only, and in no way limits the scope and meaning of the present disclosure or of any exemplified term. Likewise, the present disclosure is not limited to various embodiments given herein. Numbering terms such as "first", "second" or "third" can be used to describe various components, signals or the like, which are for distinguishing one component/signal from another one only, and are not intended to, nor should be construed to impose any substantive limitations on the components, signals or the like.

First Embodiment

Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, a retractable plug device of a first embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims. The retractable plug device of the present embodiment may be applied to various types of plugs, sockets or adapters, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The retractable plug device of the present embodiment is disclosed as a plug of European specifications.
The retractable plug device includes a housing 1 and a plug unit 2. The housing 1 is preferably made of an insulating material such as plastic, and the housing 1 may be a one-piece structure or a multi-piece structure. In the present embodiment, the housing 1 includes a first housing 11 and a second housing 12. More specifically, the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are assembled together to form the housing 1, and the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 may be assembled together by screwing, snapping or bonding. The housing 1 may have a shape of, but is not limited to, a cube, a sphere, a cylinder, a cuboid, a hexahedron or any other shape of a three-dimensional structure. The housing 1 has a first surface 13 and a second surface 14 opposite to the first surface 13. That is, the first surface 13 and the second surface 14 are two opposite surfaces (i.e. top surface and bottom surface) of the housing 1.
The housing 1 is formed with a receiving space 15 therein. The receiving space 15 may have a shape of, but is not limited to, a cylinder or a cube. The receiving space 15 of the present embodiment is cylindrical. The first surface 13 of the housing 1 is formed with a first opening 16, and the second surface 14 of the housing 1 is formed with a second opening 17. The first opening 16 is located at an end of the receiving space 15, and the second opening 17 is located at another end of the receiving space 15. The first opening 16 and the second opening 17 are in spatial communication with the receiving space 15. The first opening 16 and the second opening 17 of the present embodiment are both circular and correspond in shape to the receiving space 15, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The housing 1 has at least a guiding groove 19 disposed on an inner wall of the receiving space 15. In the present embodiment, the housing 1 has two guiding grooves 19, and the two guiding grooves 19 both extend along a plugging direction of the retractable plug device for guiding a docking plug matching with the retractable plug device to be inserted into the receiving space 15.
The plug unit 2 includes an insulating body 21 and at least a plug pin 22. The insulating body 21 corresponds in shape to the receiving space 15 of the housing 1 such that the plug unit 2 is capable of being disposed in the receiving space 15 of the housing 1. Moreover, a height of the insulating body 21 may be equal to or different from a height of the receiving space 15. The plug pin 22 is made of a metal material with good electrical conductivity. The plug pin 22 is disposed on the insulating body 21. The type and number of the plug pin 22 are not limited to those shown in the drawings. The number of the plug pin 22 may be one or many. In the present embodiment, the plug unit 2 includes two plug pins 22 each having a shape of an elongated cylinder. The two plug pins 22 are respectively and pivotally connected to the insulating body 21. More specifically, an end of each plug pin 22 is fixed to a pivoting seat 24 for respectively pivoting the two plug pins 22 to two conductive terminals 31 via the pivoting seat 24. Therefore, the two plug pins 22 are rotatably disposed on the insulating body 21, and the two plug pins 22 are capable of being folded and unfolded in a rotatable manner. In addition, the insulating body 21 has two first receiving grooves 211 corresponding in position and in shape to the two plug pins 22 for respectively receiving the two plug pins 22 when the two plug pins 22 are folded.
The retractable plug device further includes a conductive terminal assembly 3, the conductive terminal assembly 3 is disposed in the insulating body 21 of the plug unit 2, and the conductive terminal assembly 3 includes at least a conductive terminal 31. The conductive terminal 31 is made of a metal material with good electrical conductivity. The type and number of the conductive terminal 31 are not limited to those shown in the drawings. The number of the conductive terminal 31 may be one or many. In the present embodiment, the conductive terminal assembly 3 includes two conductive terminals 31. The two conductive terminals 31 are respectively and electrically connected to the two plug pins 22. The structure and application of the conductive terminal assembly 3 are not limited to those shown in the drawings. The conductive terminal assembly 3 may be applied to various power output interfaces so that power can be transmitted to the conductive terminal assembly 3 (power output interface) through the plug pins 22.
In the present embodiment, the conductive terminal assembly 3 is applied to a socket. That is, the second surface 14 of the housing 1 is provided with a socket module, and an end of the insulating body 21 of the plug unit 2 away from the plug pin 22 has two plug holes 25. The two conductive terminals 31 respectively correspond in position to the two plug holes 25 such that the two conductive terminals 31 can be used to be in contact with pins of the docking plug to achieve electrical connection. When an end of the plug unit 2 having the plug holes 25 sinks into the receiving space 15, the plug unit 2 allows the docking plug having a corresponding specification to be plugged therein. It should be noted that the type and configuration of the second surface 14 of the housing 1 are not limited to those shown in the drawings.
The plug unit 2 is movably disposed in the receiving space 15 of the housing 1 such that the plug unit 2 is capable of being extended out of the first surface 13 of the housing 1 via the first opening 16, or being retracted into the receiving space 15 of the housing 1 via the first opening 16. Moreover, a height of the insulating body 21 of the plug unit 2 may be equal to or different from a height of the receiving space 15 of the housing 1, and the insulating body 21 of the plug unit 2 can be received in the receiving space 15 of the housing 1. The plug unit 2 is slidably fitted to the housing 1 such that the plug unit 2 can be smoothly extended out or retracted in. Naturally, the plug unit 2 and the housing 1 may have an appropriate tightness as long as the movement of the plug unit 2 is not affected.
The plug unit 2 can be extended out or retracted in by a human force or by a force generated from an elastic member. In the present embodiment, the plug unit 2 is extended out or retracted in by a force generated from a human hand. In addition, the retractable plug device further includes a positioning mechanism disposed between the housing 1 and the plug unit 2 to fix in position the plug unit 2 when the plug unit 2 is extended out or retracted in to a predetermined position. The positioning mechanism may be, but is not limited to, a stopping member, a snapping member, a screwing member or other types of positioning members. In the present embodiment, the positioning mechanism is a stopping member 28. The stopping member 28 is movably disposed on the housing 1. More specifically, a moving direction of the stopping member 28 is substantially perpendicular to a plugging direction of the retractable plug device. The stopping member 28 has a slot 281, the slot 281 extends along the plugging direction of the retractable plug device, and a side of the stopping member 28 has a stopping surface 282. In addition, the plug unit 2 further has a protruding portion 213 disposed on an outer side of the insulating body 21. When the stopping member 28 is pushed to enable the slot 281 to correspond in position to the protruding portion 213, the plug unit 2 is capable of being freely extended out or retracted in. When the plug unit 2 is extended out to the predetermined position, the stopping member 28 is capable of being pushed to displace the slot 281 from the protruding portion 213. Accordingly, the stopping surface 282 of the stopping member 28 can be used to abut against and block the protruding portion 213 such that the plug unit 2 can be positioned at the predetermined position. In other words, the stopping member 28 is capable of being pushed to enable the stopping surface 282 of the stopping member 28 to abut against and block the protruding portion 213 such that the plug unit 2 can be positioned at the predetermined position.
The plug unit 2 is provided with a grounding member 26. The grounding member 26 is made of a metal material with good electrical conductivity. The grounding member 26 is exposed to two opposite sides (i.e. right side and left side) of the insulating body 21. Moreover, the plug unit 2 has at least a slideway 27 disposed on an outer side of the insulating body 21. In the present embodiment, the plug unit 2 has two slideways 27, and the two slideways 27 both extend along the plugging direction of the retractable plug device for guiding the retractable plug device to be inserted into a corresponding socket.
The housing 1 is provided with at least a grounding terminal 18 (grounding conductive structure). The grounding terminal 18 is made of a metal material with good electrical conductivity. The grounding terminal 18 extends into the receiving space 15. The grounding terminal 18 may be disposed at a side of the receiving space 15, and the grounding terminal 18 may be fixed to the housing 1, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Preferably, the housing 1 of the present embodiment is provided with two grounding terminals 18, and the two grounding terminals 18 are respectively disposed at two sides of the receiving space 15. Each of the grounding terminals 18 has a fixing portion 181, a first contacting portion 182 and a second contacting portion 183. The fixing portion 181 is configured to be fixed to the housing 1. The first contacting portion 182 and the second contacting portion 183 respectively extend outwards from two opposite ends of the fixing portion 181. The first contacting portion 182 extends in a bent manner toward the receiving space 15, and the first contacting portion 182 extends into the receiving space 15 such that the first contacting portion 182 is capable of being in contact with a grounding portion of the docking plug. The second contacting portion 183 extends in a bent manner toward the grounding member 26, and the second contacting portion 183 is in slidable contact with the grounding member 26 such that the grounding terminal 18 is grounded to the grounding member 26.
Referring to FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, when the retractable plug device is in use, the plug unit 2 is capable of being extended out of the first surface 13 of the housing 1 via the first opening 16 to enable the plug unit 2 to be inserted into a corresponding socket. Meanwhile, the end of the plug unit 2 having the plug holes 25 is recessed into the second surface 14 of the housing 1 such that the end of the plug unit 2 having the plug holes 25 sinks into the receiving space 15, and is capable of providing the docking plug to be plugged therein. The receiving space 15 is configured to receive the docking plug such that the docking plug can be received in an interior of the retractable plug device. The pins of the docking plug can be plugged into the conductive terminal assembly 3 via the plug holes 25, and the pins of the docking plug can be respectively in contact with the conductive terminals 31 of the conductive terminal assembly 3 to achieve electrical connection and to transmit power to the docking plug. Referring to FIG. 6 to FIG. 8, when the retractable plug device is not in use, the plug unit 2 is capable of being retracted into the receiving space 15 of the housing 1 via the first opening 16, and the plug pins 22 of the plug unit 2 are capable of being folded into the first receiving grooves 211, respectively, such that the overall height of the retractable plug device can be reduced.

Second Embodiment

Referring to FIG. 9, a retractable plug device of a second embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. The retractable plug device of the present embodiment is disclosed as a plug of French specifications. The difference between the present embodiment and the first embodiment is that the grounding terminal 18' of the present embodiment is cylindrical. The grounding terminal 18' is capable of being erected from the end of the insulating body 21 of the plug unit 2 having the plug holes 25 to enable the grounding terminal 18' to be vertically disposed on the plug unit 2. In addition, the grounding terminal 18' extends into the receiving space 15. Therefore, the grounding terminal 18' is capable of being in contact with the grounding portion of the docking plug. The grounding terminal 18' is pivotally connected to the insulating body 21. That is, an end of the grounding terminal 18' can be pivotally connected to the insulating body 21 via a pivot (not shown), such that the grounding terminal 18' is capable of being folded and unfolded in a rotatable manner. The insulating body 21 further has a second receiving groove 212 corresponding in position and in shape to the grounding terminal 18' for receiving the grounding terminal 18' when the grounding terminal 18' is folded.

Third Embodiment

Referring to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, a retractable plug device of a third embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. The difference between the present embodiment and the first embodiment is that the housing 1 of the present embodiment has only the first opening 16 on the first surface 13, but does not have the second opening 17 on the second surface 14. The plug unit 2 is capable of being extended out of the first surface 13 of the housing 1 via the first opening 16, or being retracted into the receiving space 15 of the housing 1 via the first opening 16. The second surface 14 of the housing 1 is further provided with a socket module 20 for providing the docking plug to be plugged therein.
The advantages of the present disclosure is that the plug unit is movably disposed in the receiving space of the housing such that the plug unit is capable of being extended out of the first surface of the housing via the first opening, or being retracted into the receiving space of the housing via the first opening. Moreover, the plug pin is capable of being folded and unfolded in a rotatable manner. Therefore, the overall height of the housing can be reduced, and the portability of the retractable plug device can be improved.
The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure has been presented only for the purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching.
The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the disclosure and their practical application so as to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the disclosure and various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from its spirit and scope.

Claims

A retractable plug device, comprising:
a housing (1) having a first surface (13) and a second surface (14) opposite to the first surface (13); wherein the first surface (13) is formed with a first opening (16), the housing (1) is formed with a receiving space (15) therein, and the first opening (16) is located at an end of the receiving space (15); and

a plug unit (2) including an insulating body (21) and at least a plug pin (22); wherein the plug pin (22) is rotatably disposed on the insulating body (21) such that the plug pin (22) is capable of being folded and unfolded in a rotatable manner; wherein the plug unit (2) is movably disposed in the receiving space (15) of the housing (1) such that the plug unit (2) is capable of being extended out of the first surface (13) of the housing (1) via the first opening (16), or being retracted into the receiving space (15) of the housing (1) via the first opening (16).
The retractable plug device according to claim 1, further comprising a positioning mechanism disposed between the housing (1) and the plug unit (2) to fix in position the plug unit (2) when the plug unit (2) is extended out to a predetermined position.
The retractable plug device according to claim 2, wherein the positioning mechanism is a stopping member (28), the stopping member (28) is movably disposed on the housing (1), the stopping member (28) has a slot (281), the slot (281) extends along a plugging direction of the retractable plug device, a side of the stopping member (28) has a stopping surface (282), and the plug unit (2) has a protruding portion (213) disposed on an outer side of the insulating body (21); wherein when the slot (281) of the stopping member (28) corresponds in position to the protruding portion (213), the plug unit (2) is capable of being freely extended out or retracted in; and wherein when the plug unit (2) is extended out to the predetermined position, the stopping member (28) is capable of being pushed to enable the stopping surface (282) of the stopping member (28) to abut against and block the protruding portion (213).
The retractable plug device according to claim 1, wherein the insulating body (21) has at least a first receiving groove (211) corresponding in position and in shape to the plug pin (22) for receiving the plug pin (22) when the plug pin (22) is folded.
The retractable plug device according to claim 1, wherein the second surface (14) is formed with a second opening (17), and the second opening (17) is located at another end of the receiving space (15); wherein the retractable plug device further comprises a conductive terminal assembly (3), the conductive terminal assembly (3) is disposed in the insulating body (21) of the plug unit (2), the conductive terminal assembly (3) includes at least a conductive terminal (31), the conductive terminal (31) is electrically connected to the plug pin (22), an end of the insulating body (21) of the plug unit (2) away from the plug pin (22) has at least a plug hole (25), and the conductive terminal (31) corresponds in position to the plug hole (25).
The retractable plug device according to claim 5, wherein the housing (1) is provided with a grounding terminal (18), the grounding terminal (18) extends into the receiving space (15), the plug unit (2) is provided with a grounding member (26), the grounding member (26) is exposed to the insulating body (21), and the grounding terminal (18) is in contact with the grounding member (26).
The retractable plug device according to claim 6, wherein the grounding terminal (18) has a fixing portion (181), a first contacting portion (182) and a second contacting portion (183), the fixing portion (181) is fixed to the housing (1), the first contacting portion (182) and the second contacting portion (183) respectively extend outwards from two opposite ends of the fixing portion (181), the first contacting portion (182) extends into the receiving space (15), and the second contacting portion (183) is slidably in contact with the grounding member (26).
The retractable plug device according to claim 5, wherein the plug unit (2) is provided with a grounding terminal (18') and a grounding member (26), the grounding terminal (18') extends into the receiving space (15), the grounding member (26) is exposed to the insulating body (21), and the grounding terminal (18') is in contact with the grounding member (26).
The retractable plug device according to claim 8, wherein the grounding terminal (18') is cylindrical, the grounding terminal (18') is capable of being vertically disposed on an end of the plug unit (2), the grounding terminal (18') is pivotally connected to the insulating body (21) such that the grounding terminal (18') is capable of being folded and unfolded in a rotatable manner.
The retractable plug device according to claim 9, wherein the insulating body (21) has a second receiving groove (212) corresponding in position and in shape to the grounding terminal (18') for receiving the grounding terminal (18') when the grounding terminal (18') is folded.
The retractable plug device according to claim 1, wherein the housing (1) has a guiding groove (19) disposed on an inner wall of the receiving space (15), the guiding groove (19) extends along a plugging direction of the retractable plug device, the plug unit (2) has at least a slideway (27) disposed on an outer side of the insulating body (21), and the slideway (27) extends along the plugging direction of the retractable plug device.