GB2436465A

GB2436465A - Power plug with rotatable pins

Info

Publication number: GB2436465A
Application number: GB0705445A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Allan John Gillis
Original assignee: RIDINGS ESTATES Ltd; RIDINGS Ltd
Current assignee: RIDINGS ESTATES LTD
Priority date: 2006-03-23
Filing date: 2007-03-22
Publication date: 2007-09-26
Anticipated expiration: 2027-03-22
Also published as: GB0605826D0; GB2436465B; GB0705445D0

Abstract

An electrical power plug or adaptor has a plurality of contact pins 7, 8 each rotatable about a support axle 9 from a folded, storage position (see Figs 1-3) to a deployed, active position. A pusher plate 3 is retained, in the non-deployed position of the pins, in a retracted position by a manually releasable latching means (4, Fig 1), and when the pusher plate is unlatched it can move to cause all the pins to rotate simultaneously to the deployed position, whilst in the deployed position of the pins portions of the pusher plate engage the face plate slots vacated by portions of the pins. The pusher plate may be moved manually or may be biased, for example by a spring 5.

Description

Title of the Invention

Power plug with deployable pins

Field of the Invention

Power plugs with pins movable from a non-protruding, storage position, to an active position are known, both for 3-pin UK standard and 2-pin US standard.

One proposal, particularly suitable for an electrical product where repeated folding and deployment are required, such as a laptop computer, is described in our co-pending GB Patent Application, published as 2417141, where the pins, when manually released from a latched condition, are basically urged by gravity between deployed and stored positions.

With other electrical items, such as TVs, washing machines, dishwashers, whilst retraction of the pins for transit is advantageous, deployment is required but once, as retraction is only occasionally required.

Object of the Invention A basic object of the invention is the provision of an improved power plug with deployable pins.

Summary of the Invention

According to the present invention there is provided an electrical power plug comprising a housing with a face plate, a plurality of contact pins each rotatable about a support axle from a folded, storage position to a deployed, active position, with the face plate provided with a slot for each pin whereby, in the storage position, each pin is at least in part accommodated within its slot, and further comprising a pusher plate retained, in the non-deployed position of the pins, in a retracted position by a manually releasable latching means, with unlatching of the pusher plate rendering the pusher plate advanceable, which in turn by direct or indirect contact with the pins, causes rotation all the pins simultaneously to the deployed position, whilst in the deployed position of the pins, portions of the pusher plate engage the face plate slots vacated by portions of the pins.

Advantages of the Invention The invention provides a plug which, whilst providing a folded pin disposition for ease of packaging and transport, enables the user, when the article such as a TV arrives on site, to effect either a one-off release of the pusher plate, resulting in an ability to rotate of all of the pins to their deployed position, whilst the occupation by portions of the pusher plate of the vacated face plate slots prevents inadvertent pivoting of the pins back to their storage/transit positions, or if return of the pins to their storage/transit positions should be required, permits this by suitable manual manoeuvring of the pins, the pusher plate, and the latching means, to return the plug to its original, latched condition.

Preferred or Optional Features of the Invention The pins are retained in their retractable, storage position by friction between each pin and a portion of the housing.

The plug is a 3-pin plug to UK standard.

The plug is a 2-pin plug.

The plug is provided with a fuse carrier.

The pusher plate is manually displaceable between retracted and advanced positions.

The pusher plate is biased towards its active position by spring means to provide for powered displacement of the pusher plate, and hence powered rotation of the pins from their folded position to their deployed position, upon manual release of the latching means.

The spring means is a leaf spring.

The spring means is a coil spring.

The pusher plate is generally "H"-shaped.

Means are provided for closing up any clearance that may exist between the axle and its pin.

Such means is by causing the pusher plate to impose a slight twisting motion on the power pin.

When the pusher plate is in the fully deployed position, at the point where the pusher plate contacts the pin, the pusher plate has a leading edge which comes into contact with the power pin first and as this leading edge imposes an off-centre, eccentric loading on the power pin, it generates a small turning moment that closes any dearance between the axle and the pin.

The manually releasable latching means comprises at least one latching arm adapted, in the non-deployed positions of the pins, to engage a portion(s) of the pusher plate to restrain the latter from movement from its retracted position e.g. under the bias of spring loading, the latching arm(s) being manually displaced to a release position in which the arm no longer engages a portion of the pusher plate.

The manual releasable latching means comprises two opposed buttons adapted to be located on opposite sides of the plug, the buttons being connected to an elastomeric centre piece which normally urges the latching arm(s) into the latching position, but upon a user pressing the buttons towards one another with a finger and thumb, displaces or compresses the elastomeric member to disengage the latching arm(s) from the pusher plate.

In an embodiment in which the pusher plate is manually advanceable, and if required, retractable, the pusher plate or the plug is provided with spaced-apart advance and retract notches or abutments selectively engageable by the manually releasable latching means to latch a non-biased pusher plate in both its retracted, and advanced positions.

Electrical wires are connected directly to the axle or pivot of each pin.

Electrical wires are connected to each pin by means of a resilient metallic contact.

The wires are attached to the pin axles or pivots by crimping.

An adaptor is provided to convert a 3-pin plug to a 2-pin plug with the pins of circular section.

Drawings The accompanying drawings show, by way of example only, a plug in accordance with the invention, and some of its internal components, in which Figures 1, 2 and 3 are a front elevation, side elevation, and plan of a 3-pin plug with the pins folded in storage/transit; Figures 4, 5 and 6 correspond to Figures 1, 2 and 3 but show the pins deployed; Figure 7 is a plan view of the manual release means; Figure 8 is a sectional view of the release means of Figure 7 and the H-shaped pusher plate; Figures 9, 10 and 11 correspond to Figures 1-3 and 4-6, but show views of the Figure 8 pusher plate with an alternative design of latching means; Figures 12, 13 and 14 correspond to Figures 1-3 and 4-6, but show the fitting of an adaptor to convert a 3-pin standard plug to a 2-pin standard plug.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

In the drawings, a 3-pin electrical power plug to UK standard comprises a housing 1 to which is secured, by screws 6 a face plate 2. A plurality of contact pins 7 (live, neutral) 8 (earth) having electrical contacts 13, are each rotatable about a support axle 9 from a folded, storage position (Figures 1 to 3) to a deployed, active position (Figures 4 to 6), with the face plate 2 provided with a slot 17 for each pin whereby, in the storage position, each pin is at least in part accommodated within its slot 17, its retractable, storage position by friction between each pin and a portion of the housing 1. The plug also comprises a one-piece pusher plate 3 generally of H'-shape and engageable with all the pins 7, 8 and retained, in the non-deployed position of the pins, in a retracted position, by a manually releasable latching means 4, with unlatching of the pusher plate 3 rendering the pusher plate 3 advanceable, which in turn by direct or indirect contact with the pins 7, 8, causes rotation of all the pins simultaneously to the deployed position, in which deployed position, portions of the pusher plate 3 engage the face plate slots 17 vacated by portions of the pins 7, 8.

As shown for example in Figures 1 and 4, the plug is provided with a fuse holder or carrier 12 housing a fuse 10 (Figure 8) having a fuse contact 11.

Although the pusher plate 3 could be manually displaceable between retracted and advanced positions, in a preferred embodiment illustrated, and as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the pusher plate 3 is biased towards its active position by a coil-spring 5 to provide for powered displacement of the pusher plate 3, and hence powered rotation of the pins 7, 8 from their folded position to their deployed position, upon manual release of the latching means 4.

The latching means 4 comprises pairs of opposed latching arms adapted, in the non-deployed positions of the pins 7, 8, to engage portions of the pusher plate 3 to restrain the latter from movement from its retracted position. The latching means 4 also comprises two opposed buttons 18 adapted to be located on opposite sides of the housing 1, the buttons being connected to an elastomeric centre piece 15 which normally urges the latching arms into the latching position, but upon a user pressing the buttons 18 towards one another (with a finger and thumb), displaces the elastomeric member 15 to disengage the latching arms from the pusher plate 3, thereby releasing the pusher plate 3 so that the bias of spring 15 displaces the pusher plate 3 which in turn rotates all three pins 7, 8 about their axles 9, to their deployed position illustrated in Figures 5-8.

In many circumstances, such as the installation of a TV. a one-off deployment of the pins 7, 8 is required i.e. there is no requirement to re-rotate the pins to their storage position, and consequently to ensure the pins are maintained in their deployed positions, portions of the pusher plate 3 may engage the face plate slots 17.

Figures 12-14 illustrate the plug provided with an adaptor 14 to convert to 2-pin use.

Claims

CLAIMS

1. An electrical power plug comprising a housing with a face plate, a plurality of contact pins each rotatable about a support axle from a folded, storage position to a deployed, active position, with the face plate provided with a slot for each pin whereby, in the storage position, each pin is at least in part accommodated within its slot, and further comprising a pusher plate retained, in the non-deployed position of the pins, in a retracted position by a manually releasable latching means, with unlatching of the pusher plate rendering the pusher plate advanceable, which in turn by direct or indirect contact with the pins, causes rotation all the pins simultaneously to the deployed position, whilst in the deployed position of the pins, portions of the pusher plate engage the face plate slots vacated by portions of the pins.

2. An electrical power plug as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the pins are retained in their retractable, storage position by friction between each pin and a portion of the housing.

3. An electrical power plug as claimed in Claim I or Claim 2, wherein the plug is a 3-pin plug to UK standard.

4. An electrical power plug as claimed in Claim I or Claim 2, wherein the plug is a 2-pin plug.

5. An electrical power plug as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the plug is provided with a fuse carrier.

6. An electrical power plug as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the pusher plate is manually displaceable between retracted and advanced positions.

7. An electrical power plug as claimed in any one of Claims I to 5, wherein the pusher plate is biased towards its active position by spring means to provide for powered displacement of the pusher plate, and hence powered rotation of the pins from their folded position to their deployed position, upon manual release of the latching means.

8. An electrical power plug as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the spring means is a leaf spring.

9. An electrical power plug as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the spring means is a coil spring.

10. An electrical power plug as claimed in Claim 7 and Claim 8 or Claim 9, wherein the pusher plate is a one-piece plate engaging all the pins.

11. An electrical power plug as claimed in any one of Claims 7 to 10, wherein the pusher plate is generally H"-shaped.

12. An electrical power plug as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein means are provided for closing up any clearance that may exist between the axle and its pin.

13. An electrical power plug as claimed in Claim 12, wherein such means is by causing the pusher plate to impose a slight twisting motion on the power pin.

14. An electrical power plug as claimed in Claim 8, and any claim appendant thereto, wherein when the pusher plate is in the fully deployed position, at the point where the pusher plate contacts the pin, the pusher plate has a leading edge which comes into contact with the power pin first and as this leading edge imposes an off-centre, eccentric loading on the power pin, it generates a small turning moment that closes any clearance between the axle and the pin.

15. An electrical power plug as claimed in Claim 8, and any claim appendant thereto, wherein the manually releasable latching means comprises at least one latching arm adapted, in the non-deployed positions of the pins, to engage a portion(s) of the pusher plate to restrain the latter from movement from its retracted position e.g. under the bias of spring loading, the latching arm(s) being manually displaced to a release position in which the arm no longer engages a portion of the pusher plate.

16. An electrical power plug as claimed in Claim 15, wherein the manual releasable latching means comprises two opposed buttons adapted to be located on opposite sides of the plug, the buttons being connected to an elastomeric centre piece which normally urges the latching arm(s) into the latching position, but upon a user pressing the buttons towards one another with a finger and thumb, displaces or compresses the elastomeric member to disengage the latching arm(s) from the pusher plate.

17. An electrical power plug as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the pusher plate or the plug is provided with spaced-apart advance and retract notches or abutments selectively engageable by the manually releasable latching means to latch a non-biased pusher plate in both its retracted, and advanced positions.

18. An electrical power plug as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein electrical wires are connected directly to the axle or pivot of each pin.

19. An electrical power plug as claimed in Claim 18, wherein the wires are attached to the pin axles or pivots by crimping.

20. An electrical power plug as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 17, wherein electrical wires are connected to each pin by means of a resilient metallic contact.

21. An electrical power plug substantially as herein before described with reference to Figures 1 to 11 of the accompanying drawings.

22. A power plug as claimed in any preceding claim, provided with an adaptor to convert the plug to a 2-pin plug with the pins of circular section.

23. A power plug as claimed in Claim 22, provided with an adaptor to convert the plug to a 2-pin plug with the pins of circular section substantially as herein before described with reference to Figures 12-14.