FR2644301A1 - Safety device for power outlets and for electric-light-bulb-holding sockets - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device making it possible to render harmless all power outlets and electric light bulb holders. That is to say, there is no electric current in the articles mentioned if they are not presented with the suitable article to be used, which is fitted with a magnet. The device according to the invention consists of a case 2 in which there is a position relay 4 closed by the pull of the magnet 5 on the support 10 attracting a soft-iron piece 6. The closed relay 4 allows the electric current 9 to pass to the hollow pins 42 which themselves supply the pins 43 providing the electric current to the apparatus to be used. When the support 10, and therefore the magnet 5, moves away from the soft-iron piece 6, the relay 4 trips and moves the contacts 7 and 8 apart, no longer providing current to the hollow pins 42. The device according to the invention is intended for safety.

Description

 The present invention relates to a safety device for sockets and for sockets supporting electric bulbs.

 Currently, in the field of absolute security, nothing exists on the market, to make harmless an outlet or a bulb holder when they are not blocked by a plug or bulb. Plastic plugs for sockets preventing children from accessing existing and currently used hollow pins are effective when they are forgotten or when the child cannot pull them out.

 The device according to the invention overcomes these drawbacks. I1 comprises, in fact, a relay system, more or less miniaturized incorporated in the socket or bulb holder sockets, activated by a magnet directly fixed on the socket or the bulb coming seeking electric current.

 The device according to the invention makes it possible to no longer have any electric current in the pins of the electric current sockets or socket holders for electric bulbs or any other systems, similar or not, when they are not used, that is to say when they are free of any device and their terrible metallic part where the electric current arrives remains accessible directly to the touch.

 The device according to the invention can be used and adapted instead of the standard male and female sockets existing on the market.

The device according to the invention can also be used and adapted in place of the existing standard lamp sockets and bulb holders with bayonet or screw or other. The bulb holder sockets existing on the market can be easily modified and transformed into safety sockets by changing the central part (18) fig.4 by a rocker system (44) or by adapting a special base (30) fig .8 or (33) fig. 9
All electrical devices, whatever they are currently on the market, can be plugged into the pride safety current. Just add to the conventional outlet taking the electric current a magnet which will be clipped, glued or other , or lton will simply change the existing male sockets to suitable male sockets with a magnet.

 According to the invention, it is possible to transform or adapt to all domestic or industrial male or female socket outlets comprising several pins, whether fixed or mobile socket outlets such as extension cables, etc., and this very easily without large investment.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear during the description which follows, given by way of indication and of nonlimiting examples with regard to the pages of attached drawings which diagrammatically represent
Figure 1: A sectional view of a female socket outlet fitted with the safety device.

Figure 2: A sectional view of a male socket outlet fitted with a magnet
Figure 3: A sectional view of a male plug engaged in a female plug.

 Figure 4: A sectional view of a bayonet bulb holder socket fitted with the safety device.

 Figure 5: A sectional view of a socket and a small bulb driving the safety system and letting the electric current pass.

 Figure 6: A sectional view of a screw-in bulb holder socket fitted with the safety device.

 Figure 7: A sectional view of a socket and a screw-in bulb activating the safety device.

 Figure 8: A sectional view of a normal bayonet bulb fitted with a removable safety cap.

 Figure 9: A sectional view of a normal screw-on bulb fitted with a removable safety cap.

 Figure 10 A sectional view of a clip system for holding the magnet on a male plug.

 The device shown in Figure 1 includes a plastic housing (1) or other called female socket. It can be placed or portable (2) fig.3 on a support or recessed and it is standardized to the dimensions according to the countries.

 According to the principle of the invention which is not to directly bring the electric current (9) into the hollow pins (42), of which only one is seen on the two to facilitate the reading of the diagram, but to do so pass through a tilting or non-tilting relay (4), this actuated by the approach of a magnet (5) located on the male plug (10) and coming to attract the soft iron (6).

The soft iron (6) fixed on a contact support strip (7) moving towards the magnet (5) comes to touch the contacts (7) and (8), see fig. 3, passing the electric current (9) in the hollow pins (42). Contacts (7) and (8) by hollow pin but only one magnet (5) and soft iron (6) actuating the system, because here we see only half of the socket
An earth electrode (11) playing its normal role.

 A relay support system (12) is also provided making it possible to isolate the arrival of electric current from a possible piece of metal slipped into the pin (42).

 The magnet (5) located on the male socket (10) fig.2 can be crimped into the material during its manufacture or brought to a normal normal socket by gluing or clipping.

 The device according to Figure 3 shows a female socket (2) type that is mounted on extension cords and a male socket (10) picking up the current (9) via the closed contactor or relay (4 ) actuated by the approach of the magnet (5) towards the soft iron (6), the current passing through the relay, passes through the hollow pins (42) and leaves through the wires (43) towards the device to be supplied. A relay support system (12) providing insulation is provided if an object, for example wire, is introduced into the hollow pins (42).

The device according to FIG. 4 shows a bulb holder socket (48) having a rocking system (4), we see the base support (13) entirely conventional, simply provided with an insulating separation (14) avoiding that come and touch the relay (4) from the inside, putting it on. A completely conventional and conventional support (they) not undergoing any modification, a ring (16) coming to assemble (13) and (15) conventional also unchanged compared to those existing. The systems of the telescopic pins (17) mounted on a spring remain unchanged only the base supporting them (18) coming between (13) and embedded in the upper part of (15) is to be modified to contain the system (4). The functioning of the security system here works like the devices described in FIGS. 1 and 2. We see in FIG. 4 the contacts (7) and (8) 'distant therefore open and we see in FIG. 5 a bayonet bulb (19) provided with small magnets (20) attracting the soft iron (6) fixed on the base (47) of the bulb during the manufacture of the latter.

 We can clearly see figure 4 support (40) that the electric current (9) is not in the telescopic pins (17) so no risk of electric shock. In addition, as the magnet (20) in FIG. 5 mounted on the bushing (19) is only able to attract the soft iron (6) which is of a large area will not attract the contacts (7) and ( 8) too far apart and too small to combat the force of the lamellae (22) and (23) will be made of copper, therefore non-magnetic, therefore impossible to attract them with the magnet.

 We see in Figure 5 on the support (41) the contacts (7) and (8) letting the current (9) through the bulb (19).

Figure 6 is a bulb holder socket (24) with a system (44) identical to those of the previous figures. A partition (14) isolates the system (44) from the outside avoiding any contact with the electric current. The bulb holder socket is a completely conventional socket in one, two or three 5 pieces as we used to build them; there is however in addition the relay system (4) serving, when the base of the bulb having a magnet is screwed, the electric current in (45) and (46).

 FIG. 7 shows the screw-on bulb (25), the base (26) of which is provided with a circular magnet or with two semi-circular magnets (27) attracting the soft iron (6) and making contact between ( 7) and (8) allowing the electric current (9) to pass through the bulb (25).

 FIG. 8 shows a bayonet bulb (28) whose base (29) is not provided with a magnet, therefore a completely ordinary bulb sold on the market. The base (29) of this bulb is fixed on a base (30) specially equipped with magnets (31) bayonet (32) and telescopic pins (17). The purpose of this special base (30) is to be able to equip an ordinary bulb with a magnet system which can use safety bulb holder sockets. The special base system comes to make the transition between the bulbs which will be provided with magnet during manufacture and those that do not have one and which will have disappeared entirely from the market, since this base system (30) should not remain alone without a bulb on the support socket, because it represents the same danger as a traditional socket, it must therefore be removed each time there is no bulb protecting the inlet of the support socket.

FIG. 9 shows a screw cap system (33) similar in principle to that with a bayonet, it is also provided with an external protection made of insulating material (34). A normal bulb (49) is screwed onto the base. This screw cap has one or more small magnets (31) a metal thread (51) used to screw this cap onto any screw socket corresponding to the desired size. This metallic thread replaces the base of the bulb and will seek the electric current in the socket example in figure 7 in place of the bulb (25). It also has a contact (50) making the connection between the stud (52) and the stud (53) of the bulb bringing the latter to the current. To operate the light bulb (49) fig. 9 without
magnet, just leave it with the special base (33) which will
screwed onto the safety base Fig 6.

 FIG. 10 represents a completely conventional male socket outlet (35) provided with a magnet (36) screwed, glued or clipped between the two male pins (37) and (38), a hollow pin (39) being connected to the wire leading to the ground like any conventional socket.

 One can imagine, from what has just been described and from the diagrams any kind of adaptation on sockets, bulb holders, electrical extension cords etc ..., that this system (4) is systems with relay type contacts or mercury contact type rocker or even electronic microswitches.

 The devices according to the invention must be adapted in size, power, shape-to the desired use. It is obvious that the size of the security device will be a consequence of the size of the object to be used.

 One can imagine according to the invention to be able, for example, without limitation, to simply replace a socket for an electric bulb support fig. 4 that the central part (18) provided with the partition (14) to make a bulb holder socket very dangerous into a safety bulb holder. For the bulb, it would suffice to obtain safety caps (30) and (34) which would be adapted to traditional bulbs Fig. 8 and 9.

 As for traditional female sockets, for example domestic sockets, these could easily be replaced by safety sockets. 1. For male sockets Fig. 10 picking up the electric current in the female sockets, it would be easy to either replace them or add a magnet to them as indicated in the explanation of FIG. 10.

 One could also imagine, according to the invention, for greater security, making the liquid-tight system (4) of relays in order to adapt it to female sockets arranged on electrical or other extensions.

 The embodiments described are given for information only and other implementations of the present invention, within the reach of ordinary skill in the art, could be adapted without departing from the scope thereof.

 The security device according to the invention provides a security system adaptable to many devices for everyone and its use is unlimited.

 The use of the device according to the invention will be made available to the general public, giving greater security for all, in particular for children.

 Its use could also, in the industrial world, bring certain advantages in security. Its adaptation to the current market could be very quickly carried out while keeping the same standards and dimensions of the devices.

Claims (9)

 1) Safety device for sockets and for sup ports for light bulbs characterized in that it has fig. 1 a box to be fixed (1) or fig. 3 a portable box (2) or fig. 4 and fig. 6 of the light bulb supports (40) and (41) an arrival of electric current by wires (9) the latter not passing through the hollow pins (42) fig. 1 nor in the telescopic pins (17) Fig. 4 nor in the contacts (45) (46) fig. 6 because stopped by the normally open relay (4); this comprising a rocker system (44) provided with copper strips (22) (23) comprising prominent parts (7) and (8) closing the relay (4) when they are brought into contact with one another by the approach to the magnet fig. 2, (20) fig. 5, (27) fig. 7, (31) fig. 8 fig. 9 which attracts a soft iron (6) fixed on the contact support strips (7) thus closing the relay (4) fig. 3 for sockets (1) fig. 1 and (2), fig. 3 when approaching the male plug (10) fitted with a magnet (5) or on the socket holders for electric bulbs (40) fig. 4 fig. 5 and (41) fig. 6, fig. 7 when approaching the base of the bulbs (19) fig. 5 or (25) fig. 7 fitted with magnets (20) fig. 5 and (27) fig. 7 or the bulb holder caps (30) fig. 8  and 33. fig. 9.  2) Security device according to claim 1 characterized in that the security systems are relays (4) actuated by magnets (5) (20) (27) (31) and (36).  3) Safety device according to claim 2 characterized in that the magnets (5) (20) (27) (31) (36) used to actuate the relays (4) are fixed on the devices coming to seek or draw electric current either a socket (10) fig. 2 and fig. 3. a small bulb holder socket (48) fig. 4 a screw-in bulb holder socket (24) fig. 6 a bayonet bulb holder base (30) fig. 8 a screw-in bulb holder base (33) fig. 9 an outlet (35) fig. 10.  4) Safety device according to claim 1 characterized in that normal bulbs to be screwed (49) fig. 9 and bayonet (28) fig. 8 existing at present in the trade not including a magnet are used on the safety systems mounted on the screw and bayonet sockets, supports  electric bulbs fitted with special caps (30) fig. 8 and (33)  fig. 9 with magnets.  5) Safety device according to claim 2 and 3 characterized in that the magnets (5) on the sockets (10) fig. 2 fig. 3 and (36) fig. 10 are embedded in the material, glued, screwed or clipped as well as on the electric bulbs (20) fig. 5 and (27) fig. 7.  6) Safety device according to claim 1 characterized in that the bulbs (13) fig. 4 and (46) fig. 6 has an insulating protection (14) and that the sockets (1) fig. 1 (2) fig. 3 also has an insulating protection (12).  7) Safety device according to claim 1 characterized in that the electric current (9) arrives in the hollow pins (42) fig. 1 and 3, in the telescopic pins (17) fig 4, in the contacts (45) and (46) fig. 6, only by the relays (4) actuated by a magnet attracting a soft iron (6) through an insulating protective wall (53) fig. 1 and 3 and (14) fig. 4 and 6.  8) Safety device according to claim 1 characterized in that the relay system (4) and their magnets (5) fig. 2 and 3 (20) fig. 5 (27) fig. 7 (36) fig. 10 are mounted on all conventional standardized devices such as light bulb holders and sockets.  9) Safety device according to claim 1 characterized in that the central part (18) fig. 4 of the light bulb holder is replaced by another part of the same dimensions comprising a rocker system (44) of security.