ES2912573T3 - Power socket with light source - Google Patents

Abstract

Power socket (1) comprising an insulating socket (10) housing: - a cylindrical wall (22) delimiting an insertion well (2) of an electrical plug that extends along a longitudinal axis (R), - a piston (50) partially closing the section of this insertion well (2) and mobile in translation with respect to said cylindrical wall (22) along the longitudinal axis (R), and - at least one light source (92 ), characterized in that this light source (92) is arranged between a rear edge (22A) of said cylindrical wall (22) and a bottom wall (11) of the insulating plinth (10), so that it illuminates at least partially , on the back, the section of the insertion well (2).

Description

DESCRIPTION

Power socket with light source

Technical field to which the invention relates

The present invention relates generally to the field of power sockets.

It relates more particularly to a power outlet such as that described in the preamble of claim 1.

technological background

It is useful to provide luminous means for signaling the position of an electrical outlet so that a user can easily find its location in a dark room.

A socket outlet of the type mentioned above is already known from EP3043424, in which a light source is provided. In this case, this light source is located flush with an external face of the outlet finishing plate that covers the entire switchgear mechanism and outlet socket. A through opening is made in this finishing plate so that the light rays emitted by the light source can be visible on the front face of the socket once installed. In this case, the light source emits light rays only when a connection plug of an electrical switchgear is inserted into the socket.

In the socket outlet described in this document, the presence of light sources therefore requires specific structural modifications of the various elements of the socket outlet, and, in particular, involves the drilling of openings in the finishing plate and on the switchgear support that delimits the socket insertion hole.

In addition, the light sources described do not make it possible to locate unused power outlets, and therefore available for connecting the electrical plug of an electrical switchgear.

The realization of this outlet is relatively complex.

Object of the invention

In order to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks of the state of the art, the present invention proposes a socket comprising a light source whose manufacture and use are simplified, and which makes it possible to indicate an unused socket.

More particularly, according to the invention, a power outlet such as that described in claim 1 is proposed.

Thus, the light source illuminates all or part of the section of the insertion well of the socket, from inside the socket.

The light emitted by the light source can escape from the front face of the socket through all the places not completely closed by the piston.

Other non-limiting and advantageous characteristics of the socket outlet according to the invention, considered individually or according to all the technically possible combinations, are set forth in claims 2 to 15.

Detailed description of an exemplary embodiment

The following description with respect to the attached drawings, given by way of non-limiting examples, will make it easier to understand what the invention consists of and how it can be carried out.

In the attached drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic front exploded perspective view of a power socket according to the invention;

figure 2 is a schematic front perspective view of the power socket of figure 1 partially assembled;

figure 3 is a schematic front view of the socket of figure 1;

Figure 4 is a schematic sectional view along the plane A-A of the socket of Figure 3, the compression spring acting on the piston not being shown;

Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view with a cut-out on one side of the socket of Figure 1, the compression spring acting on the piston not being shown.

By convention, the terms "front" and "rear" will be used with respect to the direction of the user's gaze turned towards the outlet mounted on a wall or conduit. Thus, the front part of an element will designate the side of this element that is turned towards the user, and the back part will designate the opposite side.

Figures 1 to 5 show a socket 1 according to the invention. This socket 1 comprises an insertion well 2 adapted to receive an electrical plug for the electrical connection of this electrical plug to an electrical network.

The current socket 1 is intended to be mounted on a switchgear support (not shown), intended in turn to be positioned in an electrical box embedded or applied protruding from any wall, or in a duct. As a variant, this current socket could be an extension type socket, or form part of a block of multiple sockets, without modifying the principle of the invention.

As shown in figures 1, 2 and 5, the socket 1 comprises an insulating socket 10, which houses the electrical components of said socket, and a trim 20 that materializes, inside the socket 10, the well of plug 2 of socket 1.

The socket 10 is made of insulating material, for example by molding a plastic material. It has a globally parallelepiped shape (see figures 1, 2 and 5). It comprises a bottom wall 11, from which rises, generally perpendicular, a side wall 12 having four sides, opposite each other two by two. The plinth thus forms a shell, open at the front (see figures 1 and 2).

As shown in figures 1 and 2, the plinth 10 houses in this case a cover 30, made of insulating material, located on the border between a front part 10A and a rear part 10B of the plinth 10. The cover 30 thus forms, in this case, an intermediate bottom of the plinth 10 (see figures 4 and 5). The cover 30 comprises a generally rectangular plate comprising a flat part 30A which extends substantially parallel to the bottom wall 11 of the socket 10 (see FIG. 2). This insert also includes a lateral wall 30B that borders the external peripheral edge of the flat part 30A and rises forwards.

The cover 30 comprises fixing means intended to cooperate with complementary fixing means of the plinth. More precisely, in order to prevent any forward displacement of the cover 30, said cover 30 has, on the one hand, protruding from two opposite lateral sides, U-folded anti-tearing teeth 31A (see figure 1) and, on the other hand, protruding of the other two opposite lateral sides, simple hooking teeth 31B (see figure 1), said anti-tearing teeth 31A and said simple hooking teeth 31B each presenting a hooking surface intended to cooperate with retention with the complementary hooking surface of a window 13 provided in the side wall 12 of the plinth 10 (see figure 1).

On the other hand, to prevent any movement of the cover 30 backwards, the cover has fins 33 that extend protruding from two of its opposite lateral sides (see figure 1), and intended to rest on protuberances (not visible) provided protruding from the inner face of two opposite sides of the side wall 12 of the plinth 10. To prevent any backward movement of the cover 30, said cover 30 also comprises pins 34 that extend backwards (see Figure 1) and intended to rest against elements housed in a rear space of the socket 10 of the power outlet 1 (not visible).

Said rear space 1B of the socket 10, delimited by the rear part 10B of the socket 10, houses the electrical contact elements of the socket 1 (see figure 5). This rear space 1B is more precisely closed at the rear by the bottom wall 11 of the plinth 10, at the front by the cover 30, and laterally by part of the side wall 12 of the plinth 10 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). In this rear space 1B of the socket 10 three connection terminals are mounted: a phase terminal, a neutral terminal, and an earth terminal (see figures 1 and 5).

As shown in figure 1, each of these connection terminals 40 is an automatic terminal provided with two end conductive cages 41, respectively accessible from two opposite lateral sides of the socket 10, through a pair of respective openings 15 (visible in figure 1), and electrically connected to each other by a transverse contact sheet 42 that has a receiving socket 43 designed to receive an electrical plug pin (phase and neutral terminal), or a ground pin 44 (earth terminal). ground) intended to connect the electrical plug to the ground. One of the openings of each pair of openings 15 is intended for the passage of the bare core of an electrical cable coming from the network that conducts the neutral current, phase, or connected to the earth, to the cage conductive 41, the other opening being provided for a possible derivation of this connection terminal 40. The spring blade of each conductive cage can be actuated by a handle or a button 46 (see figure 1) that allows the stripped core of the cable to be released electric if necessary.

The receiving sockets 43 attached to the contact plates 42 of the neutral and phase terminals are located opposite two passage openings 35 provided in the cover 30, through which the connection pins of the electrical plug can be inserted. up to said receiving alveoli 43 (see Figure 1).

These passage openings 35 are in this case each bordered by a wall 35A which rises perpendicularly to the flat part 30A of the plate that forms the cover 30, towards the front part of the socket. Each of these walls 35A forms an insulating sleeve around the socket for receiving the plug of the electric plug.

The receiving sockets 43 of the connection terminals 40 of the power socket 1 are aligned in this case along an axis X oriented at 45° with respect to the usual horizontal axis H, which is the axis globally parallel to the floor of the room in which the socket 1 is mounted (see figure 3).

In other words, as the insulating plinth 10 is normally mounted on a wall wall with one of its side walls parallel to the ground, the alignment axis X of the receiving alveoli 43 of the connection terminals 40 of the current socket 1 is in this case oriented at 45° to each side wall 12 of the plinth 10.

The ground pin 44, in this case cylindrical in shape, is fed by the contact sheet 42 through a conductive leg that carries said ground pin 44 away from the bottom wall 11 of the socket 10 (see figure 1 ). The ground pin 44 extends through the cover 30, through another passage opening 36 surrounded by an insulating sleeve 36A, inside the front part 10A of the socket 10 (see figure 2).

The front part 10A of the socket 10 is intended, on the one hand, to mount the socket 1 on the switchgear support, and, on the other hand, to receive the trim 20 of the socket 1.

As shown in figures 1 and 2, for mounting on the switchgear support (not shown), the front part 10A of the socket 10 of the socket 1 comprises, on one side, a curb 14 that extends protruding towards the outside, near its front edge, whose rear face is intended to rest against the front face of the switchgear support, and, on the other hand, clipping means 16, provided on the side wall 12 of the socket 10, intended to be hooked to the back of the stand (see figures 1 and 2).

The trim 20 is applied to the front part 10A of the plinth 10 so as to close said plinth 10 from the front. For this purpose, the trim 20 comprises hooking means, in this case in the form of legs 25 topped by a hooking tooth 25a (see Figure 1), intended to hook onto complementary hooking means on the front part 10A of the plinth 10. , in this case some windows 17 provided in the side wall 12 of the plinth 10 (see figures 1 and 2).

To prevent any backward movement of the trim 20, a part of the façade 21 of the trim 20 is designed to bear against the front face of the curb 14 of the front part 10A of the plinth 10 of the socket 1 (see figure 2 ).

As shown in figures 1, 4 and 5, the trim 20 comprises a cylindrical wall 22 that extends along a longitudinal axis R, laterally delimiting the insertion hole 2 of the power socket 1, the part of the facade 21 that borders laterally, at the front, this cylindrical wall 22, and a piston 50 mounted movable inside the insertion well 2.

The façade part 21, which in this case has a rectangular outline, participates in the decorative finish of the power outlet 1. It is monobloc with the cylindrical wall 22. The insertion hole 2 of the power outlet 1 is the space in which the socket of the electrical plug is inserted.

As shown in figure 1, the piston 50 is movably mounted inside the cylindrical wall 22 of the trim 20, so as to cover a large part of the section of the insertion well 2 that it delimits. This piston 50 forms a mobile bottom of the insertion well 2.

The piston 50 is mobile in translation with respect to said cylindrical wall 22, along the longitudinal axis R of this cylindrical wall 22 (see figure 1), between two extreme positions: a high position of rest, and a low position of power outlet activation. The high position, represented in figures 2, 4 and 5, corresponds to the rest position of the trim 20, in which the front face 50A of the piston 50 is aesthetically flush with the front face 21A of the front part 21 of the trim. 20 (figure 4). The low position (not shown) corresponds to the position in which the piston 50 extends into the bottom of the insertion well 2, close to the cover 30 that forms the intermediate bottom of the socket 10.

The piston 50 comprises, at the front, a piston wall 55 whose front face forms the front face 50A of the piston 50 (see Figure 1). This piston wall 55 comprises a disk 54 in which three passage holes 53 are provided, and a cylindrical wall 56 that laterally borders said disk 54 towards the rear (see figure 1). Two of the passage holes 53 of the disk 54 of the piston wall 55 are provided opposite the passage openings 35 of the cover 30 (see figure 1) and aligned along the same axis X oriented at 45° as the alveoli of reception 43 of the phase and neutral terminals (see figure 1). The third through hole 53 of the disk 54 of the piston wall 55 faces the ground pin of the socket 1 (see figure 1).

Under normal conditions of use, the piston 50 is adapted to be pushed back, from its high position towards its low position, by inserting the pins of the electrical plug into the through holes 53 of the wall of the piston 55, which allows contacting the socket of the electrical plug against the disk 54 of the piston wall 55 and exerting a thrust force. In the lowered activation position, the passage holes 53 of the piston wall 55 extend close to the passage openings 35 of the cover 30, so that the pins of the electrical plug can penetrate the receiving alveoli 43 of the outlet 1.

The outlet 1 also comprises means 60 for raising the piston 50, from its low position to its high position (see figure 1). These piston lifting means 60 permanently exert a force that tends to return the piston 50 to the high position. Thus, as soon as the pins of the electrical plug are removed from the receiving sockets 43 of the socket 1, and the socket of the electrical plug is removed from the insertion well 2, the piston 50 automatically rises to its high position.

Movement of the piston 50 forward, beyond its high position, is prevented by stop legs 57, in this case four in total, which extend radially outward from the rear edge of the cylindrical wall 56 of the piston. piston wall (see Figure 1), and intended to abut against a surface of the cylindrical wall 22 of the trim 20, perpendicular to the axis of translation of the piston (not visible in the figures). The axis of translation of the piston 50 coincides with the longitudinal axis R of the cylindrical wall 22.

Advantageously, in this case, the lifting means 60 of the piston 50 are located exclusively in a front space 1A of the socket, delimited, on the one hand, laterally by said cylindrical wall 2, and, on the other hand, in the part rear, by the cover 30 that closes the rear space 1B of the plinth 10.

The front space 1A in which the lifting means 60 of the piston 50 are located is in turn located inside the front part 10A of the socket 10 of the socket 1 (see Figure 4).

The lifting means 60 of the piston 50 thus arranged in the front space 1A leave the rear space 1B of the socket 10 fully available for arranging the connection terminals 40 therein such that, on the one hand, the receiving alveoli 43 are aligned according to the X axis, oriented at 45° with respect to the usual horizontal axis 1H, and, on the other hand, the contact sheets 42 extend transversely from one side to the other of the socket 10 for the lateral connection of said connection terminals 40. In addition, the lifting means 60 of the piston 50 do not present any risk of interference with the connection terminals 40 of the socket 1.

The lifting means 60 of the piston 50 more precisely comprise a compression spring 61 which extends along the axis of translation of the piston 50 (see FIG. 1). This compression spring 61 has a rear end 62 that bears against the front face 30A of the cover 30, and a front end 64 that bears against a part of the piston 50, so that said compression spring 61 is interposed between the cap 30 and piston 50 to permanently push piston 50 to its high position.

The compression spring 61 is in this case the only one and extends along the longitudinal axis R of said cylindrical wall 22 (see figure 1). A rear portion of the spring is housed in a housing 37 in the cap 30 which holds it in place even when compressed (see Figure 1). More precisely, the cover 30 carries a cylindrical sleeve 38 that extends forwards and laterally delimits the cylindrical housing 37 (see figure 2) that receives the rear part of the compression spring 61. The rear end 62 of the compression spring 61 is then rests against a support surface formed by the bottom of the housing 37, so that said compression spring 61 remains in the front space 1A defined above, whatever the position of the piston 50.

To hold compression spring 61 in place and guide it in compression when piston 50 is pushed into its lowered position, a forward portion of compression spring 61 wraps around a central stem 58 of piston wall 55 (see figure 4) which extends at the rear of the disc 54 of the piston wall 55, perpendicularly to this disc 54, along the longitudinal axis R of the cylindrical wall 22 of the trim 20 (see figure 4).

The bottom of the housing 37 delimited by the sleeve 38 is perforated by a passage opening provided to allow a part of said central rod 58 to pass through (FIG. 4). When the piston 50 is pushed to its lowered position, a central stem portion 58 of the piston wall 55 then extends into the rear space 1B of the socket 10, with the compression spring assembly 61 being wrapped around the stem portion. central 58 still located in the front space 1A. It is observed that the length of the central rod 58 is such that when the piston 50 is in the lowered position, it sinks into the central part of the rear space 1B without interfering with the electrical contact elements, its free end remaining above the blades. contact plates 42 that extend against the bottom wall 11 of the socket 10.

The socket outlet 1 according to the invention also comprises lighting means 90 comprising at least one light source 92.

Notably, this light source 92 is arranged between a rear edge 22A of said cylindrical wall 22 (figures 1, 2, 4 and 5) and the bottom wall 11 of the insulating plinth 10, so that it illuminates at least partially, on the back, the section of the insertion well 2.

The rear edge 22A of the cylindrical wall 22 is its free edge closest to the bottom wall 11 of the socket 10.

The section of the insertion well 2 is understood to mean the surface delimited by the intersection of the volume delimited internally by the insertion well 2 and a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis R of the cylindrical wall 22.

In other words, said light source 92 is arranged in the socket 10, in the rear part of the cylindrical wall 22 that delimits the insertion well 2 of the socket 1. It illuminates at least one space located in the insertion well. 2 from the outlet.

More precisely, in this document, each light source 92 illuminates at least one gap I located between said cylindrical wall 22 and said piston 50, so that at least part of said light rays emitted by this light source 92 crosses said gap. I (figures 2, 4 and 5).

To do this, each light source 92 is arranged, for example, substantially at the level of gap I, that is to say opposite this gap I.

As shown in figure 5, the gap I is arranged between the external face of the cylindrical wall 56 of the piston 50 and the internal face of the cylindrical wall 22 of the trim 2. This gap I produces a play between the piston 50 and the wall cylindrical wall 22 of the trim 20 that allows the piston 50 to slide in the insertion well 2 of the socket 1 between its high position of rest and its low position without excessive friction against the cylindrical wall 22 of the trim 20.

The piston 50 thus completely seals, and may differ in clearance, the insertion well 2 of the socket 1.

In this case, each light source 92 is arranged in the front space 1A of the plinth 10. In the example shown in the figures, it is thus arranged more precisely between the rear edge 22A of the cylindrical wall 22 and the cover 30.

Each light source 92 is, for example, in this case, a light-emitting diode.

It is, in particular, an electroluminescent diode that emits light rays in an angular area of 120 degrees on either side of a preferred direction of emission.

More precisely, it may be an electroluminescent diode manufactured by the company LITEON®, reference LTW-M140ZVS.PEL. It emits, for example, a light beam with an angular spread of approximately 120 degrees at 50% brightness. The color of the emitted light is, for example, white. It is, for example, the color cold neutral white.

This electroluminescent diode is in the form of an elongated band (figure 2) along a main direction D.

According to the embodiment shown in the figures, each light source 92 is mounted on a support plate 91A of a printed circuit 91.

The light beam F emitted by this diode is, for example, slightly extended in a direction perpendicular to the main direction D of the strip. According to this main direction D, on the other hand, the emitted beam F is wide and extends over an angle A of approximately 120° centered on an axis perpendicular to the support plate 91A (FIG. 2).

The support plate 91A of the printed circuit 91 is in this case separated from said cover 30 and is arranged against it (FIGS. 4 and 5).

This support plate 91A has an outer peripheral edge 91B similar in shape to the socket section 10.

In this case, it is a rectangular or square shape (figure 2).

In this case, the support plate 91A also includes a central window 95 delimited by an internal peripheral edge 91C (FIG. 2) of this support plate 91A. The internal peripheral edge 91C coincides in this case with a part of the contour of the cylindrical walls of the cover 30 that rise towards the front part of the socket, in particular around the openings for the passage 35 of the cover 30 that allow the passage of receiving alveoli 43.

The internal peripheral edge 91C that delimits the window 95 of the support plate 91A of the printed circuit 91 also coincides with a portion of the contour of the sleeve 38 that delimits the housing 37 for the compression spring 61 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

Finally, it extends along a part of the contour of a parallelepiped part of the plate that forms the cover 30 that supports the insulating sleeve 36A that surrounds the ground pin 44.

The outer peripheral edge 91B of the support plate 31A comprises hooking means 93 in the insulating socket 10. These hooking means 93 cooperate in this case with complementary hooking means of the cover 30 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

In this case, it is a question of toothing 93 that forms a plurality of reliefs on the edge of the support plate 91A. These toothings 93 are arranged on two opposite sides of the support plate 91A and cooperate in this case with hooking teeth 32A arranged on two corresponding opposite sides of the side wall 30B of the lid 30 (see figure 2). The support plate 91A is thus clamped on the cover 30.

Thus, a rear face of the support plate 91A of the printed circuit 91 is arranged against the flat part of the plate that forms the cover 30.

A front face of the support plate 91A comprises an electrical circuit comprising one or more light sources 92, in this case a plurality of light-emitting diodes (FIGS. 1 and 2).

Preferably, a plurality of light sources 92 are provided mounted on said support plate 91A, said light sources 92 being regularly arranged near the outer peripheral edge 91B of this support plate 91A (FIG. 2).

In this case, four light sources 92 are provided arranged at the four corners of this plate (FIG. 2).

More precisely, since each light-emitting diode is in the form of an elongated band (Figs. 1 and 2) along the main direction D, each diode is oriented at 45 degrees from the sides of the corresponding corner of the support plate 91A. In other words, the main direction D of the band formed by the diode extends at 45° from the corner sides of the support plate 91A (FIG. 2).

Preferably, moreover, each light-emitting diode is located at the level of gap I, that is to say opposite this gap.

This positioning, as well as the characteristics of the light beam emitted by each diode, make it possible to ensure effective illumination of the gap I between the piston and the cylindrical wall 22.

The electrical circuit of the printed circuit 91 is extended on the rear face of the support plate 91A by electrical contact areas that allow the electrical circuit of the printed circuit 91 to be connected to an electrical supply.

In this case, there are two electrical contact zones (not visible in the figures).

Each of these electrical contact areas on the rear face of the support plate 91A is arranged opposite a through opening in the flat part 30A of the cover plate 30 (FIG. 4).

An electrical connection element 94 joins each electrical contact area of the rear face of the support plate 91A to one of the phase and neutral contact plates 42 of the connection terminals 40 of the current socket 1.

Each electrical connection element 94 is, for example, a compressible element compressed between the rear face of the support plate 91A of the printed circuit 91 and the contact sheet 42, in such a way that the light source 92 is permanently powered by the terminal of electrical connection 40 of the outlet 1 when it is connected to the electrical network.

In this case, it is a compression spring that is compressed between the rear face of the support plate 91A and a front face of one of the contact blades 42. Thus, the compression spring permanently maintains electrical contact between the blade contact 42 of the connection terminal and the electrical circuit of the printed circuit 91. This electrical contact can only be broken by disassembling the socket to remove the compression springs. In normal operation of the outlet, the electrical connection between the contact sheets 42 and the printed circuit 91 is uninterrupted. In fact, in this case no means of cutting the power supply of the light sources, which are the diodes, is provided.

When the electric cables of the socket 1 are connected to the connection terminals 40, the light sources 92, in this case the diodes, are powered permanently, without interruption.

In order to join the contact sheet 42 to the printed circuit 91, each electrical connection element 94 passes through said cover 30 at the level of one of said through openings arranged opposite the contact areas of the rear face of the support plate 91A. Each of these through openings is in this case at the bottom of a cavity 32B of the cover 30 (FIGS. 2 and 4).

In order to improve electrical safety, it may be considered that the cover comprises insulating sleeves surrounding these through openings.

As a variant, it can be considered that the support plate of the printed circuit forms said cover. In this case, the support plate is provided with hooking means directly on the socket 10 of the socket 1.

It can also be considered, for example, that the printed circuit comprises a plurality of light sources arranged in a circle on the printed circuit, facing said gap.

Thus, thanks to the invention, it is possible to propose a socket that can integrate a light function in a simple manner, without modifying the structure of the socket, by adding a printed circuit and electrical connection elements.

In the socket according to the invention, the gap I is permanently illuminated from inside the socket, so as to create a luminous circle visible to the user, surrounding the insertion hole of the socket.

This luminous circle is formed by the light rays that escape from the current socket through gap I.

This light circle is not noticeable in a well-lit room, but it effectively signals the position of the power socket, while remaining unobtrusive in a dark room.

Furthermore, this light circle is only visible when there is no electrical plug inserted in the socket. Thus, only unused sockets are indicated, and therefore available. To reinforce user safety, there is provided, on the one hand, a shutter 71 housed in the piston 50 and intended to close the passage holes 53 of the wall of piston 55, and, on the other hand, blocking means 82, 84 of piston 50 in high position.

The piston 50 comprises, in particular, a cassette 70 that houses the shutter 71, applied to the rear of the disc 54 of the piston wall 55, so that it is integral in translation with said piston wall 55 (see figure 1 ).

This cassette 70 is in the form of a casing open at the front, comprising a bottom wall 77 from which a side wall 79 rises (see FIG. 1). The bottom wall 77 of the cassette 70 is perforated by two circular openings arranged opposite the passage openings 35 of the lid 30 on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the passage holes 53 of the disk 54 of the piston wall. 55 (see Figure 1). The bottom wall 77 of the cassette 70 is also perforated by a central opening that allows the passage of the lifting means 60 of the piston, in particular the central rod 58 of the disc 54 and the compression spring 61.

The shutter 71 is movably mounted on the cassette 70, between a closed position in which it prevents access to the phase and neutral terminals, interposing itself between the passage holes 53 of the disk 54 of the piston wall 55 and the openings circular of the cassette 70 that communicate with the passage openings 35 of the cover 30, and an opening position (not shown) in which it allows this access. The shutter 71 thus protects the user from possible electrical contact with the conductive elements housed in the rear part 10B of the socket 10 of the socket 1.

The shutter 71 is presented in this case in the form of a propeller (see figure 1) pivotally mounted on the cassette 70 of the piston 50, the blades of which each comprise, on the front face, an inclined side with an inverted slope. When the connection pins of the electrical plug are inserted into the through holes 53 of the disc 54 of the piston wall 55, said connection pins slide against the inclined sides of the obturator 71 to force it to pivot to the open position. The shutter 71 has a return means, in this case in the form of a leaf spring 74 (see Figure 1), intended to automatically return the shutter 71 to the closed position. This leaf spring 74 permanently exerts a thrust force that tends to push the obturator 71 into the closed position against two stop pins that extend on the rear of the disc 54 of the piston wall 55.

The locking means 82, 84 of the piston 50 in the high position intervene in this case, for example, between the piston 50 and the cylindrical wall 22 of the trim 20. They are therefore located in the front part 10A of the socket 10 of the socket 1. Said locking means 82, 84 of the piston 50 in the high position comprise, on the one hand, at least two legs 82 belonging to said piston 50, and, on the other hand, at least two notches 84 arranged on the inner face of the cylindrical wall 22, intended to receive said legs 82.

The piston 50 comprises, in particular, a locking wheel 80, applied to the rear of the cassette 70 of the piston 50, and bearing four legs 82 of globally parallelepiped shape, which extend radially towards the outside of the locking wheel 80. , being diametrically opposite two by two (see figure 1).

Four notches 84 are provided in correspondence, arranged on the inner face of the cylindrical wall 22 (see figure 1). These notches 84, complementary in shape to the section of the legs 82 of the locking wheel, that is to say rectangular in shape, extend generally orthogonally to the translation direction of the piston. Each notch 84 of the cylindrical wall forms a retaining surface perpendicular to the direction of translation of the piston, against which the leg 82 of the locking wheel 80 engaged in said notch 84 bears to block the translation of the piston 50 from its position. high to its low position.

The locking wheel 80 is adapted to pivot about the longitudinal axis R of the cylindrical wall 22 of the trim 20, between a locking position in which each leg 82 is engaged in a notch 84 and bears against the retaining surface of this notch 84, and an unlocked position, in which each leg 82 is released from said retaining surface of notch 84 to allow translation of piston 50 between its high and low positions.

Under normal conditions of use of the socket 1, the locking wheel 80 is pivotally driven by the pivoting of the shutter 71 from its closed position towards its open position, after inserting the pins of the electrical plug into the holes passage 53 of the piston wall 55. To this end, the shutter 71 comprises suitable drive means, when it moves from its closed position towards its open position, to drive the locking wheel 80 in rotation from its position. locked position to its unlocked position. Advantageously, in this case, said locking means 82, 84 of the piston 50 in the high position are also automatically disengageable in the event of an impact on a front face 50A of the piston 50, and are combined with means for dissipating the energy 27, which dissipate the energy acquired by the piston 50 in this impact, in order to limit the recoil of the piston 50 in said insertion well 2 after this impact.

Thus, the socket 1 remains intact and is not damaged when it receives an impact on the front face 50A of its piston 50.

On the other hand, as soon as the speed of the piston 50 is zero, the compression spring 61 of the lifting means 60 of the piston 50 pushes it to the high position.

On the other hand, a return means 89 of the blocking wheel 80 to the blocking position is provided, different from the means of return 74 of the shutter 71 to the closing position already described (see figure 1). The return means 89 of the locking wheel 80 to the locking position is formed in this case by a compression spring 89 interposed between a bearing surface of the cassette 70 and a bearing surface of the locking wheel 80. The invention it is not limited to the embodiment described and shown.

In particular, it is not limited to an embodiment in a socket having the internal architecture described with reference to the figures.

Claims (15)

1. Power outlet (1) comprising an insulating socket (10) that houses: - a cylindrical wall (22) delimiting an insertion hole (2) of an electrical plug that extends along a longitudinal axis (R), - a piston (50) partially sealing the section of this insertion well (2) and mobile in translation with respect to said cylindrical wall (22) along the longitudinal axis (R), and - at least one light source (92), characterized in that this light source (92) is arranged between a rear edge (22A) of said cylindrical wall (22) and a bottom wall (11) of the insulating plinth (10), so that it illuminates at least partially, for the back, the section of the insertion well (2). 2. Socket outlet (1) according to claim 1, wherein each light source (92) illuminates at least one gap (I) located between said cylindrical wall (22) and said piston (50) so that at least least a part of said light rays emitted by this light source (92) passes through said gap (I). Socket outlet (1) according to one of claims 1 to 2, in which each light source (92) is a light-emitting diode. 4. Power socket according to claim 3, in which each light-emitting diode emits light rays in an angular area of 120 degrees on either side of a preferred direction of emission. Socket outlet (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, in which each light source (92) is mounted on a support plate (91A) of a printed circuit (91). Power socket (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, in which each light source (92) is electrically connected to electrical connection terminals (40) of the power socket (1) housed in said socket (10). Socket outlet (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein as the socket (10) comprises a rear space (1B), in which at least one connection terminal (40) is mounted, closed at the front by a cover (30), and a front space (1A) delimited, at the rear, by said cover (30), each light source (92) is arranged in the front space of the plinth. 8. Socket (1) according to claim 7, wherein each light source (92) is mounted on a support plate (91A) of a printed circuit (91) different from said cover (30) and arranged against it . Socket according to claim 7, in which each light source is mounted on a support plate of a printed circuit that forms said cover. Socket outlet (1) according to one of claims 8 and 9, in which at least one electrical connection element (94) is provided in contact, on one side, with the rear face of the support plate ( 91A) of the printed circuit (91), and, on the other hand, with a conductive sheet (42) of the electrical connection terminal (40) of the current socket (1) housed in the rear space (1B) of the socket (10). ). 11. Power socket according to claim 10, in which the electrical connection element (94) is a compressible element compressed between the rear face of the support plate (91A) of the printed circuit (91) and the conductive sheet (42). ) in such a way that the light source (92) is permanently powered by the electrical connection terminal (40) of the socket (1) when it is connected to the mains. 12. Power socket according to claim 8, in which at least one electrical connection element (94) is provided in contact, on one side, with the rear face of the support plate (91A) of the printed circuit ( 91), and on the other hand, with a conductive sheet (42) of the electrical connection terminal (40) of the current socket (1) housed in the rear space (1B) of the socket (10), said cover (30) it comprises a through opening that allows the passage of said electrical connection element (94) through said cover (30). Power socket (1) according to claim 5, in which a plurality of light sources (92) are provided, mounted on said support plate (91A) of the printed circuit (91), said light sources (92) being arranged regularly near the outer peripheral edge (91B) of this support plate (91A). 14. Power socket (1) according to claim 13, in which the support plate (91A) has a rectangular or square shape and four light sources (92) are provided, arranged at the four corners of this support plate (91A). ). Socket according to claim 14, each light source (92) being oriented at 45 degrees to the sides of the corresponding corner of the support plate (91A).