GB2332787A

GB2332787A - Power supply having folding pins

Info

Publication number: GB2332787A
Application number: GB9828193A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jiro Seo
Original assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co Ltd
Current assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co Ltd
Priority date: 1997-12-26
Filing date: 1998-12-21
Publication date: 1999-06-30
Anticipated expiration: 2018-12-21
Also published as: JPH11195447A; GB2332787B; GB9828193D0

Abstract

An AC adapter mounted on a mains plug has a live pin 2, a neutral pin 3 and an earth pin 4. Pins 2 and 3 can rotate on a shaft 6 and pin 4 can rotate on a parallel shaft 7, so that each pin can stand out from the body or be recessed into the body. The pins may be erected by a single elastic member (8, Fig 3) between holes 22 and 23. The pins may be held in recesses (10, 11, 13, Fig 6) by friction fittings 15, 16, 17, with pins 2 and 3 being released by release means 12 and pin 4 being pulled out by inserting a finger in cavity 14.

Description

AC ADAPTER OF PLUGS HOUSING TYPE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Technical field of the invention The present invention relates to an AC adapter for plugs housing type which folds three plugs and houses them in a main body thereof.

Related art There has been an AC adapter of such a type which folds two plugs of plus and minus when not using them and houses them in the main body of the adapter, and when using, erect them therefrom and inserts into plug receptacles, and which not only improves portability but also largely contributes to lowering of transport cost due to a decrease of wrapping content.

As two plus and minus plugs stand in parallel, they can be held by a one rotating shaft. Therefore a mechanism for controlling housing/standing of the plugs has been reduced to practice in many ways.

In contrast, an AC adapter which requires an earth plug as a third plug to be applied to an AC source, must cause the earth plug to erect at a position to be one angle of a triangle with respect to the plus and minus plugs. As such, there has not yet been realized this kind of plugs housing system of an AC adapter having three plugs.

If the three plus, minus and earth plugs of the AC adapter were fixed to the main body of the adapter and could not be folded when not used, the portability would be undesirable and the transporting efficiency would be lowered. This point is a theme to be solved by the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide such AC adapter which can fold the three plus, minus and earth plugs when not used, thereby providing excellent portability and high transporting efficiency.

The above mentioned object of the present invention can be accomplished by the AC adapter of plugs housing type provided with the main body of the AC adapter, the plus plug, the minus plug and the earth plug which are each turnably held to said main body, and turn between the state where the plugs are housed in the main body and the state where the plugs stand outside of the main body, the first turning shaft turnably holding the plus plug and the minus plug as being parallel to each other, and the second turning shaft positioned in parallel to the first turning shaft and turnably holding the earth plug.

If a proposed structure is that the plus plug and the minus plug are turnably supported as being parallel to each other by the first turning shaft, while the earth plug is turnably supported by the second turning shaft positioned in parallel to the first turning shaft, the earth plug will erect at a position to be one angle of a triangle with respect to the two plus and minus plugs.

Thus, the three plugs, each of which is will be positioned at the apex of the triangle, can be erected, and folded and housed in the adapter main body.

One embodiment of the present invention is further provided with the AC adapter of plugs housing type provided with an elastic member for applying a force to cause the plus plug and the minus plug to rotate to an erecting state, a first press fitting mechanism for maintaining the plus pLug and the minus plug in the housed state, and release buttons for releasing the plus plug and the minus plug from the first press fitting mechanism, whereby this embodiment is approached to an automatic standing type.

A still further embodiment of the present invention may be provided with the AC adapter of plugs housing type having an elastic member for applying a force to cause the earth plug to rotate to the standing state, a second press fitting mechanism for maintaining the earth plug in the housed state, and concave parts for inserting from an outside a release auxiliary member for releasing the earth plug from the second press fitting mechanism.

In this case, if the elastic member for applying the force to cause the earth plug to rotate to the standing state is an elastic body for applying the force to cause the plus plug and the minus plug to rotate to the standing state, the number of the device composing parts may be decreased.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig.1 is showing a structural view showing one embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is showing a view for explaining the turning shafts of Fig.l; Fig.3 is showing a view for explaining the elastic member of the same; Fig.4 is a view for explaining the elastic member of the same; Fig.5 is a view for explaining the release buttons of Fig.1; Fig.6 is a perspective view showing the press fitting mechanisms of the same; and Fig.7 is a cross sectional view of the press fitting mechanism of Fig.6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. Fig.l(A), (B) and (C) are rear, side and front views of the AC adapter of plugs housing system showing one embodiment of the present invention.

In Fig.1 reference numeral 1 designates the main body of the AC adapter, and reference numerals 2, 3 and 4 designate the plus plug, the minus plug and the earth plug which are each turnably supported to the main body 1, and switch between the state where the plug are housed in the main body and the state where the plugs stand outside of the main body, and numeral 5 is an electric source cable.

Within the interior of the adapter main body 1, as shown in Fig.2, there are provided the first turning shaft 6 which turnably holds the plus plug 2 and the minus plug 3 as they are parallel to each other, and the second turning shaft 7 which turnably holds the earth plug 4, being positioned in parallel to the first turning shaft. The plugs 2 to 4 are metal materials having excellent electric conductivity, and parts 20, 21 which connect the plugs 2 to 4 so as to define the turning shafts 6, 7 are molded with insulating resin materials. Reference numerals 22 and 23 show holes formed in the resin parts 20, 21 for catching springs.

Numerals 24 to 27 are contacts being one parts of the plugs 2 to 4 projecting from the bottoms of the resin parts 20, 21, and when the plugs 2 to 4 stand, these contacts contact spring contacts 28, 29, 30a and 30b, respectively, so as to supply electric power from an electric source to a circuit board (not shown).

At the interior of the adapter 1, as shown in Figs.3 and 4, there is provided an elastic member 8 which applies a force to cause the plus plug 2 and the minus plug 3 to cause to rotate to the standing state. This elastic member 8 is cooperated to apply the force to stand the earth plug 4. This case uses the holes 22, 23 for catching the springs.

At the upper surface of the adapter main body 1, as shown in Fig.6, there are provided concaves 10, 11 for housing the plus plug 2 and the minus plug 3, and a concave 13 for housing the earth plug 4. The concaves 10, 11 are furnished with first press fitting mechanisms 15, 16 for maintaining the plus plug 2 and the minus plug 3 in the housed state, and the concave 13 is furnished with a second press fitting mechanism 17 for maintaining the earth plug 4 in the housed state. Reference numeral 14 shows a concave for inserting an auxiliary member, for example, an end point of a finger nail so as to raise the earth plug 4 from the housed state.

Fig.7 is a cross sectional view showing in detail the first press fitting mechanism 15 which is ribs secured to wall faces in the concave 10, and when the plug (blade) 2 is fitted under pressure, the mechanism gives a friction force to maintain this housed state.

The press fitting mechanism 16 for the plug 3 and the press fitting mechanism 17 for the plug 4 are of the same structure.

As shown in Fig.1, release buttons 12, 12 are partially projected outside from the first press fitting mechanisms 15, 16 for releasing the plus plug 2 and the minus plug 3. Fig.5 is a view for explaining actuation thereof. When the plugs 2, 3 are pressed by the buttons 12 and released from the press fitting mechanisms 15, 16, then the plugs 2, 3 automatically stand by the elasticity of the spring 8.

Since the release buttons 12 do not act on the earth plug 4, an auxiliary actuation is necessary for releasing the plug 4 from the press fitting mechanism 17 by inserting the finger nail or such into the concave 14.

According to the present invention as mentioned above, the three plus, minus and earth plugs can be folded when not used Thus, it is possible to offer the AC adapter of plugs housing type having excellent portability and high transporting efficiency.

Claims

Claims 1. an AC adapter of plugs housing type comprising: a main body; a plus plug, a minus plug and an earth plug which are each turnably held to the main body, and turn between a state where the plugs are housed in the main body and a state where the plugs stand outside of the main body; a first turning shaft turnably holding the plus plug and the minus plug as being parallel to each other; and a second turning shaft positioned in parallel to the first turning shaft and turnably holding the earth plug.
2. The AC adapter of plugs housing type as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: an elastic member for applying a force to cause the plus plug and the minus plug to rotate to an erecting state; a first press fitting mechanism for maintaining the plus plug and the minus plug in a housed state; and release buttons for releasing the plus plug and the minus plug from the first press fitting mechanism.
3. The AC adapter of plugs housing type as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: an elastic member for applying a force to cause the earth plug to rotate to an erecting state; a second press fitting mechanism for maintaining the earth plug in a housed state, and concave portion for inserting from an outside a release auxiliary member for releasing the earth plug from the second press fitting mechanism.
4. The AC adapter of plugs housing type as set forth in claim 3, wherein the elastic member for applying the force to cause the earth plug to rotate to the erecting state is an elastic body for applying the force to cause the plus plug and the minus plug to rotate to the erecting state.