GB2323718A - Electrical socket outlet having combined switch and fuseholder - Google Patents

Abstract

A fused and switched electrical socket outlet (1) comprising a housing (5) including at least one socket (6) for receiving an electrical plug, an electrical supply inlet (10) for supplying electricity to the socket, connection lines (15, 16, 17) connecting the supply inlet (10) to the at least one socket, a switch (8) for switching the supply to the at least one socket (6) and an associated fuse assembly (30) for holding a fuse (7), the switch (8) including a fixed contact (25) and a movable contact (24), and the fuse assembly (30) including a clip (26) for making electrical contact with one end of the fuse (7). the fixed contact (25) of the switch (8) being integral with the said clip (26) of the fuse assembly (30).

Description

Electric Pluq Socket Outlets This invention concerns electric socket outlets, and more particularly fused and switched electrical socket outlets.

Single and multiple electrical socket outlets into which plugs of an electrical appliances are inserted have been either switched or unswitched. However, they don't usually include a fuse if they are hard wired into a building because the wiring of the building is itself fused and the plug connected to the appliance will also be fused.

The widespread use of personal computers and associated equipment has led to an increasing use of multi-way electrical socket outlets which provide electrical power for example to a processor unit, a monitor, a printer and a modem, plus a separate fax machine and a telephone answering machine. This has led to the use of extension leads with multi-way electrical socket outlets which consist of a block or strip of outlets at one end of the lead, into which the various pieces of equipment are plugged, and a plug at the other end of the lead which is pluged into a hard wired electrical socket outlet of the electrical supply of the building in which the equipment is used. Multi-way extension leads of the type described are usually fitted with two fuses, one in the plug and another at the other end of the lead in the block or strip of outlets.

However, multi-way extension leads rarely include switches for the individual outlets.

Another type of multi-way outlet which has been proposed is a modular unit having mating mechanical connections at either end so that a number of units can be mechanically interconnected and with electrical connections being made between adjacent units through the mechanical connections. An example of such a multiway outlet is described in GB2276504. Again, these outlets are neither individually switched or fused.

Whilst the provision of switches and fuses with multi-way electrical socket outlets has in the past been a matter of choice, and the choice whether to use a unit including them has usually been determined by cost, industry standards such as BS6396 have more recently been set which require multi-way outlets to include fuses for each outlet if the unit includes more than a specified number of outlets. The result is that manufacturers of multi-way outlets will manufacture to the industry standard.

In addition to industry standards requiring multi-way outlets to include separate fuses for each of the individual outlets if they have more than a certain number of outlets, users are also requiring each outlet to be switched. Whilst the provision of a fuse and a switch for each outlet of a multi-way outlet is obviously possible, the number of components and associated interconnections required in their construction is significant, and the cost of manufacture of such multi-way units is high.

Typically, there will be a connection from a live input conductor to one side of a fuse, another connection from the other side of the fuse to one side of the switch, and a further connection from the other side of the switch to the live connector of the outlet which grips the live pin of a plug inserted into the socket. Since separate separate switches, fuse holders and sockets have been used hitherto, these arrangements have necessitated a large amount of wiring within such outlets between the individual components.

According to the present invention there is provided a fused and switched electrical socket outlet comprising a housing including at least one socket for receiving an electrical plug, an electrical supply inlet for supplying electricity to the socket, connection lines connecting the supply inlet to the at least one socket, a switch for switching the supply to the at least one socket and an associated fuse assembly for holding a fuse, the switch including a fixed contact and a movable contact, and the fuse assembly including a clip for making electrical contact with one end of the fuse, the fixed contact of the switch being integral with the said clip of the fuse assembly.

Fused and switched outlets in accordance with the invention can have a single socket, but their advantages are particularly apparent with multi-way outlets as the reduction in the number of components required in their manufacture and assembly become even more apparent as the number of sockets increases.

By making the fixed contact of the switch integral with the clip of the fuse holder, separate assemblies of switches and fuse holders with associated components and the wiring which has hitherto been used between individual components is completely avoided. This has a number of advantages not only in reducing the number of components required to manufacture the complete assembly of switch and the fuse holder but the necessity for separate wiring between these components is not required. This reduces manufacturing costs both in terms of component costs and assembly time.

The other end of the fuse holder is preferably integral with a contact for making direct electrical contact with a pin of a plug inserted into the socket, this enabling still further components of previous outlets to be omitted.

The movable contact of the switch is preferably movable relative to a static spring contact base, with the spring contact base being connected directly to the associated connection line.

In general other contacts will be provided for making direct unswitched and non-fused electrical contact with other pins of a plug inserted into the at least one socket, these contacts being connected directly to associated connection lines within the outlet. Preferably, the connection lines are bare conductors in insulating channels within the casing of the socket outlet.

The electrical supply inlet is preferably a plug for receiving an appropriate socket connected to an electrical power supply.

Preferably the connection lines pass through the casing of the outlet to a socket for supplying electricity to a further device, for example another socket outlet in accordance with the present invention.

Outlets in accordance with the present invention preferably include two or more sockets, and it is generally preferred that all of these sockets are both switched and fused.

Embodiments of outlet in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the outlet; Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to that of Fig. 1 but with the cover removed; Fig. 3 is similar to Fig. 2 but with certain internal components removed; Fig. 4 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 3 but with still more internal components removed; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a switch within the outlet in the "OFF" position; and Fig. 6 corresponds to Fig. 5 but with the switch in the "ON" position.

Referring to the drawings, the outlet shown generally at 1 (Fig.

1) has an insulated base 2 (see Figs. 2-4) with peripheral locking tabs 3 which are located in corresponding apertures 4 in a cover 5 to secure the insulated cover 5 to the base 2.

The outlet 1 has a pair of sockets 6 each for inserting a three pin plug. Each socket 6 is also provided with a fuse 7 (see Figs. 5 and 6) and a switch 8. The fuses 7 are held in carriers 9 (Fig. 1) which can be raised to enable the fuses 7 to be replaced when required.

The outlet 1 is of a modular construction with a plug connector 10 (Fig. 2) at one end and a complementarily constructed socket 11 at the other so that a series of outlets can be connected together.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, in which the cover of the outlet 1 has been removed, the general arrangement of components within the outlet 1 can be seen. Each socket 6 has three spring connections 12, 13 and 14 for making electrical connections to the live, neutral and earth pins of a plug when it has been inserted into them. Uninsulated conductors 15, 16 and 17 which are routed between an arrangement of walls in the insulated base 2 electrically connect the connector 10 to the socket 11 and as appropriate they are also connected directly to the neutral and earth spring connections 13 and 14. The spring connection 12 for the live supply to each socket 6 is connected via a switch and fuse assembly as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Fig. 5 shows one of the two switch assemblies 29 in the outlet 1, and its associated fuse assembly 30. Each switch assembly 29 is substantially of conventional type, consisting of a pivoted switch actuating rocker 31 which includes a shaft 18 with a notch 19 therein which in turn engages one end of a movable contact spring 20. A lug 21 protruding from the switch contact base 23 engages in known manner an aperture 22 in the spring 20, the switch contact base 23 being connected to the live conductor 12. Each spring 20 has a contact 24 which when the associated switch is switched "ON" contacts a fixed switch contact 25.

The fuse assembly 30 includes two spring clips 26, 27 for making electrical connection to opposite ends of a fuse 7, one spring clip 26 having an extension 28 on which is mounted the associated fixed switch contact 25, and the other spring clip 27 being connected directly to the spring connector 12. The switch assembly 29 and the associated fuse assembly 30 are thereby integral, and it enables the switch assembly 29 and the fuse assembly 30 to be made with fewer components than has been required hitherto.

Electrical socket outlets in accordance with the present invention preferably include at least one neon indicator light, particularly to indicate whether a particular socket is live.

Such lights are preferably connected between the neutral line and the switched side of the live supply to a particular socket.

The light will then be illuminated when the associated switch is in its "ON" position and the associated fuse is intact.

Claims (10)

Claims

1. A fused and switched electrical socket outlet comprising a housing including at least one socket for receiving an electrical plug, an electrical supply inlet for supplying electricity to the socket, connection lines connecting the supply inlet to the at least one socket, a switch for switching the supply to the at least one socket and an associated fuse assembly for holding a fuse, the switch including a fixed contact and a movable contact, and the fuse assembly including a clip for making electrical contact with one end of the fuse, the fixed contact of the switch being integral with the said clip of the fuse assembly.

2. An electrical socket outlet according to claim 1, wherein the other end of the fuse holder is integral with a contact for making direct electrical contact with a pin of a plug inserted into the socket.

3. An electrical socket outlet according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the movable contact of the switch is movable relative to a static spring contact base, the spring contact base being connected directly to the associated connection line.

4. An electrical socket outlet according to any of the preceding claims, including contacts for making direct unswitched and non-fused electrical contact with other pins of a plug inserted into the at least one socket, these contacts being connected directly to associated connection lines within the outlet.

5. An electrical socket outlet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the connection lines are bare conductors in insulating channels therein.

6. An electrical socket outlet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the electrical supply inlet comprises a plug for receiving an appropriate socket connected to an electrical power supply.

7. An electrical socket outlet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the connection lines pass therethrough to a socket for supplying electricity to a further device.

8. An electrical socket outlet according to any of the preceding claims, including two or more switched and fused sockets.

9. An electrical socket outlet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein all of the outlet sockets thereof are switched and fused.

10. An electrical socket outlet substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.