GB2217928A

GB2217928A - A socket structure

Info

Publication number: GB2217928A
Application number: GB8809822A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tsang-I Chen
Original assignee: CHEN TSANG I
Current assignee: CHEN TSANG I
Priority date: 1988-04-26
Filing date: 1988-04-26
Publication date: 1989-11-01
Anticipated expiration: 2008-04-26
Also published as: GB8809822D0; GB2217928B

Abstract

A socket structure includes a lower casing (30) having two sets of socket holes (33a, 33b, 34a, 34b), two longitudinal positioners 31 respectively positioning therein two conducting members (70a, 70b) and two first transverse pieces (32), and an upper casing (50) having two second transverse pieces (51) together with the first transverse pieces (32) securing therebetween the conducting members (70a, 70b) and a set of socket holes (53a, 53b). Each of the conducting members (70a, 70b) includes spaced conducting media (71) each of which includes two complementary halves (72, 73) capable of resiliently clamping therebetween one of two conducting pieces (80) of a plug in a manner that the halves (72, 73) respectively have a surface-contact with two opposite surfaces of the one conducting piece (80). <IMAGE>

Description

A SOCKET STRUCTURE The present invention relates to an e]ectric socket.

and more particularly to a socket structure therefore.

Conventionally, a socket 10, as shown in Fig. 1, includes a plurality of conducting media 11 and two conducting members 12 which are secured to the socket bodY by screws 13 and connect thereto electric wires 16 by screws 15. Such socket 10 suffers from the disadvantages that it calls for a careful and time-consuming assembling prodcedure and there are too many parts, e.g. conducting media 11, conducting members 12, screws 13 & 15, and springs 14 which respectively enable conducting media 11 to resiliently clamp therebetween conducting pieces of a plug.

In order to overcome the above shortcomings encountered by the prior art, it has been proposed by the present Applicant that a conducting member 20 as shown in Figs. 2 & 2A should be used. Conducting member 20 is punched and pressed to leave blanks at 22 and to form a Plurality of curved conducting media 21 each of which includes two halves 23. 24 defining therebetween a slot 25 adapted to resilientlu clamP therein one of two conducting pieces of a plug. Nevertheless, such conducting member 20 still has at least the following disadvantages that too much copper material, and that the contacting area between halves 23, 24 and the one conducting piece of the plug is veru small, causing a relatively inefficient and non-secure contact therebetween. It is therefore tried by the Applicant to deal with this situation.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a socket structure having conducting members made without wasting substantial copper material.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a socket structure having conducting members respectively capable of effectively and efficiently clamping thereon conducting pieces of a plug.

According to the present invention, a socket structure includes a lower casing having two longitudinal positioners respectively positioning two conducting members in the socket structure and two first transverse pieces, and an upper casing having two second transverse pieces together with the first transverse pieces securing therebetween the conducting members and a set of socket holes, in which each of the conducting members includes spaced conducting media each of which includes two complementary halves capable of resiliently clamping therebetween one of two conducting pieces of a plug in a manner that the halves respectively have a surface-contact with two opposite surfaces of the one conducting piece.

PreferablY each the conducting member is worked from an integral flat copPer strip.

Certainly, the complementary halves can be designed in anu suitable manner, e.g. with one of which cross-shaPed. The longitudinal positioners can also be of anu suitable construction capable of positioners the conducting members in the socket structure.

The present invention may best be understood through the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. in which: Fig. 1 is an exploded view showing a socket structure according to the prior art; Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a conducting member of further a known socket structure and Fig. 2A is a front view showing a conducting media of such conducting member Fig. 3 is a top perspective view showing a socket structure according to the present invention; Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the present socket structure; Fig. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the present socket structure; Fig. 6 is a top view showing a conducting member of the present socket structure; Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 in Fig. 3; and Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 in Fig. 7.

Referring now to Figs. 3-8, a socket structure according to the present invention includes a lower casing 30, an upper casing 50 and two conducting members 70a, 70b. Lower casing 30 which can be made by injection moulding includes two longitudinal positioners 31 respectively positioning conducting members 70a, 70b in the socket 33, 34 of socket holes 33a, 33b, 34a, 34b are provided, 4 corner pins 35, an end recess 36, and reinforcing ribs 37 and Plate 38.

Upper casing 50 also made by injection moulding includes two transverse pieces 51 between which 4 sets of parallel platelets 52 corresponding to socket holes 33a, 33b, 34a, 34b and having a width therebetween equal to that of positioners 31 are provided, a set 53 of socket holes 53a, 53b positioned right above the middle between the two sets, 33, 34 of socket holes, 4 corner pinholes 54 corresponding to pins 35, an end recess 55 corresponding to and cooperative with recess 36 to lead therethrough an electric wire, a front extension 56 having a hole 57 for hanging, and reinforcing ribs 58 and plate 59.

Conducting members 70a, 70b are worked from integral flat copper strips. Each member 70a (70b) includes a plurality of spaced conducting media 71 each of which includes two complementary halved 72, 73 which correspond to a socket hole 33a, 33b, 53a, 53b, 34a, 34b and are capable of resiliently clamping therebetween one of two conducting pieces 80 of a plug in a manner that halves 72, 73 respectively have a surface-contact with two opposite surfaces of the one conducting piece 80. Each member 70a (70b) forms thereon a terminal 75 for connecting thereto a core of an electric wire, and is provided with opposite grooves 74 respectively at two ends thereof.

In assembling, conducting members 70a, 70b are first respectively inserted in positioners 31. Then, pins 35 and pinholes 54 are respectively aligned and engaged together so that transverse pieces 51, 32 clamp and secure therebetween conducting members 70a, 70b at grooves 74 and thus in turn members 70a, 70b are firmly positioned in the present socket structure.

Numerous modifications can be made to the above structure without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the pin-and-pinhole combination can be replaced by anu of lots of well-known fastening measures.

The complementary halves 72, 73 can be of any suitable combination other than that shown in the drawings, i.e., one of the halves 72, 73 is cross-shaped.

Certainly, longitudinal positioners 31 can be higher than transverse pieces 32, and need not be of the cross-section or structure as shown in the drawings.

Through the above description, it should now become apparent how and why the present invention can obtain the contemplated objects.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A socket structure comprising a lower casing, an upper casing and two conducting members, characterized in that: the lower casing includes two longitudinal positioners each of which is to position in the socket structure one of the two conucting members, and two first transverse Pieces; each of the two conducting members includes a Plurality of sPaced conducting media each of which includes two complementary halves capable of resiliently clamping therebetween one of two conducting pieces of a plug in a manner that the halves respectively have a surface-contact with two opposite surfaces of the one conducting piece; and the upper casing includes two second transverse pieces which cooperate with the first transverse pieces to secure therebetween the conducting members, and a set of socket holes positioned right above one of the conducting media.

2. A socket sturcture as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that each the conducting member is worked from an integral flat copper strip.

3. A socket structure as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lower casing further includes at least a set of socket holes positioned right beneath one of the conducting media other than that above the set of socket holes of the upper casing.

4. A socket structure as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that two ends of each the conducting members are respectively provided with opposite grooves respectively engagable with the first and second transverse pieces.

5. A socket structure as claimed in any one of Claims 1--4, characterized in that one of the two complementary halves is cross-shaped.

6. A socket structure as claimed in anu one of Claims 1--5, characterized in that the longitudinal Positioners are higher than the first transverse pieces.

7. A socket structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Fig. 3--8 of the accompanying drawings.