GB2484716A

GB2484716A - Rotatable electric connector

Info

Publication number: GB2484716A
Application number: GB1017782.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alon Almouli
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-10-21
Filing date: 2010-10-21
Publication date: 2012-04-25
Also published as: EP2445063B1; ES2498837T3; EP2445063A3; IL215885A0; EP2445063A2; GB201100110D0; IL215885A; GB2484754A; GB201017782D0

Abstract

A rotatable electric connector and method of enabling rotation of a plug within a housing of an electric connector, wherein the connector comprises: a plug with least two pins 115A-115C, each pin 115A-115C connected to an annular conductive track 140A-140C (e.g. copper ring); a housing with at least one socket, each socket with at least two slots 121A-121C, each slot 121A-121C corresponding to one of the pins 115A-115C and connected to a wired contact 123A-123C, wherein each wired contact 123A-123C has a contact connection 145A-145C to the corresponding track 140A-140C and is moveable along the annular track 140A-140C upon rotation of the plug to maintain continuous electrical contact during rotation of the tracks 140A-140C. The annular tracks 140A-140C are concentric and coaxially held within the housing at different specified heights by housing protrusions, and rotate with the plug. Each annular track 140A-140C has a different diameter such that the track 140A furthest from the plug has the largest diameter while the track closest to the plug 140C has the smallest diameter.

Description

A ROTATABLE ELECTRIC CONNECTOR

BACKGROUND

1. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of electricity, and more particularly, to an electric connector.

2. DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART [0002] Electric connectors are commonly used as an interface between one plug (connectable to a wall socket) and several sockets, such as to allow connecting several appliances to the electricity net through a single socket.

[0003] Common electric connectors are rigid and require certain free space around the wall socket in order to connect the electric connector properly.

BRIEF SUMMARY

[0004] Embodiments of the present invention provide an electric connector comprising a plug having at least two pins; and a housing having at least one socket at a housing basis, each socket having at least two slots, each slot conesponding to one of the pins and connected to a wired contact within the housing, the electric connector is characterized in that: the plug is coaxially rotatable in respect to the housing, each pin is connected to an annular conductive track that is parallel to the housing basis and supported within the housing by housing protrusions, such that each track is positioned at a specified height in respect to the housing basis within the housing, and such that the annular tracks are concentric and have a decreasing diameter from the lowest to the highest track in respect to the housing basis, and each wired contact comprises a contact connection to the corresponding track that is moveable along the annular track upon the rotation of the plug in respect to the housing, the contact connections are arranged to maintain electric contact during its motion along the track; wherein the electric connector allows rotating the housing in respect to the plug at any user specified angle while maintaining the connector functionality.

[0005] These, additional, and/or other aspects and/or advantages of the present invention are: set forth in the detailed description which follows; possibly inferable from the detailed description; and/or learnable by practice of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The present invention will be more readily understood from the detailed description of embodiments thereof made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: Figures 1-6 are schematic illustrations of an electric connector, according to some embodiments of the invention: and Figure 7 is a high level schematic flowchart of a method, according to some embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0007] Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is applicable to other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

[0008] Figures 1-6 are schematic illustrations of an electric connector 100, according to some embodiments of the invention. Figure 1 is a perspective view of connector 100, Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views with a transparent housing, Figures 4, 5 and 6 present detailed views 101, 102, 103 respectively.

[0009] Electric connector 100 comprises a plug 110 having at least two pins liSA (e.g. live), 115B (e.g. neutral), uSC (e.g. earth), and a housing 130 having at least one socket at a housing basis 132. Housing 130 may comprise one socket 120, two or three sockets 120 or more. Each socket 120 has at least two slots 121A (e.g. live), 121B (e.g. neutral), 121C (e.g. earth). Each slot 121 (121A, 121B, 121C) corresponds to one of pins (121A to liSA, 121B to 11SB and uSC to 121C) and connected to a wired contact 123 within housing 130.

[0010] Each pin 115 is connected to an annular conductive track 140 that is parallel to a housing basis 132 and supported within housing 130 by housing protrusions (not shown), such that each track 140 (140A, 140B, 140C) is positioned at a specified height 141 (141A, 141B, 141C) in respect to housing basis 132 within housing 130. The housing protrusions may be integrated into a plug support 112 (as illustrated in Figures 2-6) such as to support tracks 140 during their rotation.

[0011] Connection to slots 121 (121A, 121B, 121C) is achieved via contacts 127 (127A, 127B, 127C respectively), connected to wired contacts 123 (123A, 123B, 123C respectively), which are in turn connected via contact connections 145 (123A, 123B, 123C respectively) to conductive tracks 140. Contact conncctions 145 may be inserted through plug support 112 to contact the corresponding annular conductive tracks 140 at their outer edges. Plug support 112 may be arranged to stabilize plug 110 and annular conductive tracks 140 within housing 130 and during their rotation.

[0012] [0013] Annular tracks 140 are concentric and have a decreasing diameter 142 (142A, 142B, 142C) from the lowest (140A) to the highest (140C) track 140 in respect to housing basis 132.

[0014] The association between tracks 140 and the function of each track 140 and pin may be selected at will. The illustrated association of A-live, B-neutral, C-earth is arbitrary and may be replaced by any configuration, with the appropriate structural changes.

[0015] Plug 110 with pins 115 and annular conductive tracks 140 is coaxially rotatable in respect to housing 130. Plug support 112 of plug 110 is arranged to support annular conductive tracks 140 while they rotate within a mechanical socket 129 of housing 130.

An edge 128 of plug support 112 may engage into a channel within mechanical socket 129 (Figure 5, view 102).

[0016] Each wired contact 123 comprises contact connection 145 (145A, 145B, 145C) to corresponding track 140 that maintain electric contact during the rotation of tracks 140.

Contact connections 145 may he mounted in housing 130 such as to apply a pressure on the respective tracks 140, to yield continuous electrical contact therewith. For example, the ends of contact connections 145 may be bent or preloaded to push against tracks 140.

[0017] Contact connections 145 may be inserted through plug support 112 to contact the corresponding annular conductive tracks 140 at their outer edges. The ends of contact connections 145 may be bent and pressed between tracks 140 and plug support 112 (Figure 6, view 103).

[0018] Annular conductive tracks 140 may be made of copper, and may have a concave profile towards the respective contact connection 145 and arranged to partially enclose the respective contact connection 145.

[0019] Annular conductive tracks 140 may be connected to pins 115 by contacts 137 (137A, 137B, 137C) extending from each track 140 to corresponding pin 115 (e.g. inwards when track 140 encircle pins 115). The actual connection of contacts 137 to pins may be accomplished by a ring end of contact 137 surrounding pin 115 and supported by a support 138 (138A, 138B, 138C, respectively, Figure 4).

[0020] The invention further comprises a method 150 of enabling a rotation of a plug within a housing of an electric connector. The method comprises the following stages: connecting each pin of the plug with an annular conductive track positioned within the housing and concentric with the plug (stage 155), connecting the plug with the annular conductive tracks to the housing such as to allow their rotation within the housing (stage 160), connecting each socket slot of the electric connector to a contact connection (stage 165), and movable connecting each contact connection to the corresponding annular conductive track such as to maintain electric contact during the rotation of the tracks (stage 170).

[0021] Electric connector 100 allows rotating housing 130 in respect to plug 110 at any user specified angle while maintaining the connector functionality.

[0022] Embodiments of electric connector 100 may be designed to comply with any standard, as the exact ordering of pins 115 and slots 121 does not interfere with the transmission of current between tracks 140 and connections 145.

[0023] Electric connector 100 is designed to provide maximal usage safety. For example, tracks 140 as well as contact connections 145 are supported and fixated by the housing protrusions or plug support 112, and the continuous contact between tracks 140 and contact connections 145 is ensured by stabilizing contact connections 145 within tracks 140.

[0024] To summarize, electric connector 100 connects one plug 110 with several sockets in housing 130, arrange to allow rotating plug 110 relative to housing 130, while keeping connector 100 functional. Plug pins 115 are connected to annular tracks 140 that are allowed to rotate with plug 110 within housing 130. Annular tracks 140 are positioned within housing 130 coaxially at different heights 141 and have different diameters 142, such that lowest track 140A (most remote from plug 110) has the largest diameter 142A, and diameter 142 decreases monotonously towards plug 110. Contacts 123 behind slots 121 of sockets 120 contact tracks 140 via contact connections 145 that are positioned such as to maintain continuous contact with the corresponding tracks 140, e.g. by pressing them against track 140 and curving the track's profile to hold the ends of contact connections 145. Tracks 140 and contact connections 145 arc supported and secured by protrusions within housing 130. Association of tracks 140 with pins 115 and the association of contact connections 145 with wired contacts 123 may be selected and appropriately constructed within housing 130 at will. Track 140 and plug 110 may be supported by plug support 112, and contact connections 145 may pass through plug support 112 and be pressed against tracks 140.

[0025] Tn the above description, an embodiment is an example or implementation of the invention. The various appearances of "one embodiment", "an embodiment" or "some embodiments" do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiments.

[0026] Although various features of the invention may be described in the context of a single embodiment, the features may also be provided separately or in any suitable combination. Conversely, although the invention may be described herein in the context of separate embodiments for clarity, the invention may also be implemented in a single embodiment.

[0027] Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out or practiced in various ways and that the invention can be implemented in embodiments other than the ones outlined in the description above.

[0028] The invention is not limited to those diagrams or to the corresponding descriptions. For example, flow need not move through each illustrated box or state, or in exactly the same order as illustrated and described.

[0029] Meanings of technical and scientific terms used herein are to be commonly understood as by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs, unless otherwise defined.

[0030] While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, these should not he construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, hut rather as exemplifications of some of the preferred embodiments. Other possible variations, modifications, and applications are also within the scope of the invention.

Accordingly, the scope of the invention should not be limited by what has thus far been described, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. a

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is: 1. An electric connector comprising a plug having at least two pins; and a housing having at least one socket at a housing basis, each socket having at least two slots, each slot corresponding to one of the pins and connected to a wired contact within the housing, the electric connector is characterized in that: the plug is coaxially rotatable in respect to the housing, each pin is connected to an annular conductive track that is parallel to the housing basis and supported within the housing by housing protrusions, such that each track is positioned at a specified height in respect to the housing basis within the housing, and such that the annular tracks are concentric and have a decreasing diameter from the lowest to the highest track in respect to the housing basis, and each wired contact comprises a contact connection to the corresponding track that is moveable along the annular track upon the rotation of the plug in respect to the housing, the contact connection is arranged to maintain electric contact during the rotation of the tracks; wherein the electric connector allows rotating the housing in respect to the plug at any user specified angle while maintaining connector functionality.
2. The electric connector of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises at least two sockets.
3. The electric connector of claim 1, wherein the annular conductive tracks comprise copper rings.
4. The electric connector of claim 1, wherein the annular conductive tracks have a convex profile arranged to partially encompass the respective contact connection.
5. The electric connector of claim 1, wherein the contact connections are mounted in the housing such as to apply a pressure on the respective tracks, to yield continuous electrical contact therewith.
6. The electric connector of claim 1, wherein the contact connections are inserted through the housing protrusion to contact the corresponding annular conductive tracks at their outer edge.
7. The electric connector of claim 1, wherein each annular conductive track is connected to the corresponding pin by a contact connected to a ring affixed to the corresponding pin.
8. The electric connector of claim 1, wherein the housing protrusions are integrated as a plug support, the contact connections are inserted through the plug support to contact the corresponding annular conductive tracks at their outer edge, and the plug support is arranged to stabilize the plug and the annular conductive tracks within the housing and during their rotation.
9. A method of enabling a rotation of a plug within a housing of an electric connector, comprising: connecting each pin of the plug with an annular conductive track positioned within the housing and concentric with the plug, connecting the plug and with the annular conductive tracks to the housing such as to allow their rotation within the housing, connecting each socket slot of the electric connector to a contact connection, and movable connecting each contact connection to the corresponding annular conductive track such as to maintain electric contact during the rotation of the tracks.