GB2622863A

GB2622863A - An electrical plug and an electrical appliance

Info

Publication number: GB2622863A
Application number: GB2214396.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Hunt Jordan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2022-09-30
Filing date: 2022-09-30
Publication date: 2024-04-03
Also published as: GB202214396D0

Abstract

An electrical plug 10 is configured to transfer electrical power received from an electrical outlet socket to an electrical cable 20, the electrical plug 10 comprises a live terminal 11, a neutral terminal 12, and a circuit board 60, the terminals 11-12 are configured to be installed with corresponding live and neural wires of the electrical cable 20, the circuit board 60 comprising a USB socket 61-62, a first electrical contact 63 (Figure 5) configured to form an electrical connection with the live terminal 11, and a second electrical contact 64 (Figure 5) configured to form an electrical connection with the neutral terminal 12. A spring may bias the electrical contacts of the circuit board onto the terminals. A transformer may be included on the circuit board. The USB socket may be on the opposite side of the plug pins 31-32 (Figure 3B). Plural USB sockets of different types and orientations may be included.

Description

AN ELECTRICAL PLUG

AND

AN ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE

Technical Field

This disclosure relates to an electrical plug configured to provide power from an electrical outlet socket to an electrical cable, and further relates to an electrical appliance installed with the electrical plug.

Background

Electrical plugs transfer electrical power from an electrical outlet to an electrical appliance. A conventional electrical plug has two or three pins. The pins of the electrical plug are arranged to be received by a corresponding socket of the electrical outlet.

A two-pin electrical plug has a live pin and a neutral pin. A three-pin electrical plug has a live pin and a neutral pin, as well as a ground pin. During use, the live pin of the electrical plug receives electrical current at high voltage (e.g., 240 volts) from the electrical socket, which is transmitted through a live wire to the electrical appliance. The electrical appliance discharges the electrical current through a neutral wire to the neutral pin of the electrical plug, which is discharged to the electrical socket. Thus, electrical energy is transferred from the electrical outlet to the electrical appliance.

Electrical safety is enhanced by including a ground wire which discharges residual electrical energy in the event that there has been an electrical fault. For the three-pin arrangement, a dedicated ground wire discharges to the electrical socket via the ground pin of the electrical plug. For the two-pin arrangement, the neutral wire may also serve as a ground wire, and so the neutral pin of the electrical plug may also serve as a ground pin.

FIG. 1 illustrates internal components of a conventional three-pin electrical plug 10. The electrical plug is shown installed to a cable 20 of an electrical appliance (e.g., a lamp). The cable 20 includes a live wire 21, a neutral wire 22, and a ground wire 23. The electrical plug 10 includes a live terminal 11, a neutral terminal 12, and a ground terminal 13. The plug further includes a cable grip 14 which is used to attach the plug 10 and the cable 20 together. To install the plug 10 to the cable 20, the live wire 21 is connected to the live terminal 11, the neutral wire 22 is connected to the neutral terminal 12, and the ground wire 23 is connected to the ground terminal 13.

Each of the terminals 11-13 has a mount which receives the wire 21-23. In this case, the mount corresponds to a hole which receives the wire, together with a screw which holds in place a wire that has been inserted into the hole. To enhance electrical safety, a fuse 15 is installed between the live pin and the live terminal 13. If the live pin receives a voltage which exceeds a safe level, then the fuse 15 will blow, stopping the flow of electrical current into the live wire 21 of the cable 20.

Some electronic devices (e.g., cell phones, cameras) receive power via a USB cable, with the power usually being provided via the USB cable at low voltage (e.g., 5 volts), typically for the purpose of charging an internal battery of the electronic device. One end of the USB cable is inserted into a USB socket, and the other end of the USB cable is inserted into the electronic device. The functionality of an electrical appliance is enhanced if it includes a USB socket, to allow the electrical appliance to serve as a power source of the electronic device. There is a demand for a simple way to enhance an electrical appliance so that it includes a USB socket.

Summary

Aspects of the present invention are set out by the claims.

According to a first aspect, there is provided an electrical plug configured to transfer electrical power received from an electrical outlet socket to an electrical cable. The electrical plug comprises a live terminal configured to be installed with a live wire of the electrical cable, a neutral terminal configured to be installed with a neutral wire of the electrical cable, and a circuit board comprising a USB socket, a first electrical contact configured to form an electrical connection with the live terminal, and a second electrical contact configured to form an electrical connection with the neutral terminal.

Advantageously, the electrical plug includes terminals and a circuit board that can be electrically connected. The circuit board is integral to the plug, and thus the plug is configured to include one or more integral USB sockets. The integral USB sockets make it possible to provide a connection for a USB cable, without providing any adaptor.

Optionally, the live terminal includes a live contact point configured to receive the first electrical contact, and the neutral terminal includes a neutral contact point configured to receive the second electrical contact. Advantageously, the live and neutral terminals both serve to form an electrical connection with the electrical contacts of the circuit board. This is achieved by the live and neutral terminals presenting a surface that has a size and shape suitable for receiving the electrical contacts.

Optionally, the circuit board further comprises a first spring configured to bias the first electrical contact to connect with the live terminal, and a second spring configured to bias the second electrical contact to connect with the neutral terminal. Advantageously, the resilience of the electrical connection is enhanced by the electrical contacts being arranged so that they are biased to adopt their fully extended orientation.

Optionally, the circuit board further comprises a transformer configured to transform the electrical power received from the electrical outlet socket to have a voltage that is compatible with the USB socket. Thus, the circuit board is an integral part of the plug that includes all of the components that are used to serve electrical power to the one or more USB sockets.

Optionally, the electrical plug further comprises a base configured to house the live terminal and the neutral terminal, and a cover configured to house the circuit board. The plug can be installed by attaching wires of the cable to the terminals in the base, and then the electrical connection between the circuit board and the terminals is achieved by bringing together the base and the cover.

Optionally, the cover comprises a first hole that the first electrical contact extends through to connect the live terminal and the circuit board, and a second hole that the second electrical contact extends through to connect the neutral terminal and the circuit board. Advantageously, these holes serve allow electrical connection between the circuit board and the terminals, while protecting components of the circuit board from the high voltage that can passes through the terminals when connected to the mains Optionally, the cover is configured to restrict access to the circuit board when the base and the cover are separated from one another. Accordingly, this prevents users from accessing the circuit board, and also serves to protect the circuit board from dust and moisture.

Optionally, the base further comprises a live pin that is electrically connected to the live terminal, and a neutral pin that is electrically connected to the neutral terminal. The live and neutral pins are used to connect the live and neutral terminal to the electrical outlet.

Optionally, the live pin and the neutral pin are arranged on a first side of the plug, and the USB socket is arranged on a second side of the plug that is opposite to the first side of the plug. This facilitates access to the USB socket when the plug is connected to an outlet socket.

Optionally, the base and the cover are configured to be connected together by at least one screw. The screw maintains the base and cover in position, ensuring that the electrical connection is reliable.

Optionally, the circuit board comprises a plurality of USB sockets. Thus, the plug can be installed with more than one USB cable, to provide electrical power to more than one device.

Optionally, the circuit board comprises a first USB socket of a first type, and a second USB socket of a second type. Thus, the plug and can be installed with USB cables of different types.

Optionally, the USB sockets are arranged substantially perpendicular to one another. This arrangement makes it easier for the user to access the USB sockets when attaching or detaching USB cables.

Optionally, the electrical plug further comprises a ground terminal configured to be installed with a ground wire of the electrical cable. Providing a three-pin plug socket enhances electrical safety, because it will discharge any residual electrical energy that is built up due to an electrical 20 fault.

According to a second aspect, there is provided an electrical appliance installed with the electrical plug according to any preceding claim

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which.

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional electrical plug that is connected to an electrical cable, with a cover of this electrical plug removed to reveal internal components; FIG 2 illustrates an example of an electrical plug that is connected to an electrical cable, with a cover of this electrical plug removed to reveal internal components, FIGs. 3A-3C provide front, side and back views of the electrical plug, with this electrical plug shown connected to the electrical cable, FIG. 4 provides an exploded view of the electrical plug, with this electrical plug shown connected to the electrical cable, FIG 5 provides an exploded view of the cover of the electrical plug, including an external cover, a circuit board, and an internal cover, FIGs. 6A-6B provide side and internal views of the electrical plug, wherein FIG. 6A illustrates an exploded view of a cover of the plug that includes electrical contacts, and a base of the plug that receives these electrical contacts; and FIG. 6B shows inside the cover to reveal where the electrical contacts are located; and FIG. 7 illustrates an arrangement of two electrical appliances, each of which is connected to an electrical plug, with the electrical plugs connected to an electrical outlet.

Detailed Description

Various exemplary embodiments, features, and aspects are described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

Disclosure is provided of a three-pin or two-pin appliance plug. An advantage of the disclosed exemplary electrical plug is that it includes terminals that connect to a circuit board. The circuit board is integral to the plug, and thus the plug is configured to include one or more integral USB sockets. The integral USB sockets make it possible to provide a connection for a USB cable, without providing any adaptor. By way of example, the plug includes two integral USB sockets It is possible for the plug to include LIB S sockets of different types, such as a 'TSB A socket and a USB C socket.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of an electrical plug according to the present disclosure. This exemplary electrical plug has many features in common with the conventional electrical plug that is illustrated in FIG I Accordingly, the same reference numerals have been used to refer to features that correspond to one another for both the conventional electrical plug and the exemplary electrical plug. Key features that distinguish the exemplary electrical plug with respect to the conventional electrical plug are described in detail below.

FIG. 2 shows the exemplary electrical plug 10 connected to an electrical cable 20. The exemplary electrical plug 10 is a three-pin electrical plug that includes a live terminal 11, a neutral terminal 12, a ground terminal 13, a cable grip 14 and a fuse 15.

The improved exemplary plug 10 illustrated in FIG. 2 is shown installed to the cable 20, with the live wire 21 connected to the live terminal 11, the neutral wire 22 connected to the neutral terminal 12, and the ground wire 23 connected to the ground terminal 13. Each of the terminals 11-13 includes a mount which receives the wire 21-23. In this case, the mount corresponds to a hole which receives the wire, together with a screw which holds in place a wire that has been inserted into the hole. Thus, the cable can be installed with the plug by connecting the wires to the mounts.

FIG. 2 shows that the live terminal 11 and the neutral terminal 12 have a shape that is extended, when compared to the corresponding terminals of the conventional plug. The live terminal 11 and the neutral terminal 12 present substantially flat surfaces, each of which is configured to serve as an electrical contact.

The plug includes a base and a cover. The base shown in FIG. 2 is similar to the base shown in FIG. 1, although the live and neutral connection points within the base of the utility plug have been extended slightly to include contact points. These contact points are configured to form an electrical connection with electrical contacts of a USB circuit board that is housed within the cover.

FIGs. 3A-3C illustrate an exemplary electrical plug 10 connected to the electrical cable 20. FIG. 3A provides a front view of this three-pin electrical plug, showing the live pin 31, the neutral pin 32, and the ground pin 33. FIG. 3B provides a side view of this electrical plug, revealing that it includes a base 40 and a cover 50. FIG. 3A illustrates that the base 40 and the cover 50 are connected together by screws 34a-c. FIG. 3C provides a back view of this electrical plug, illustrating that the cover 50 is installed with USB ports 61-62 FIG. 4 provides an exploded view of the electrical plug 10, illustrating details of the base 40 and the cover 50. The cover 50 includes a circuit board 60, which is encased within a housing formed from an external cover 70 and an internal cover 80. The circuit board 60 is shown including a first USB port 61 and a second USB port 62. The external cover 70 is shown including socket holes 71-72 which allow a USB cable to pass through, to connect with the USB ports 61-62. The internal cover 80 includes holes 81-82 which allow electrical contacts of the circuit board 60 to pass through, to connect with the live terminal 11 and neutral terminal 12 of the base 40. The base 40 of the electrical plug is shown connected to the electrical cable 20. The base 40 and the cover 50 are connected together by one or more cover screw 34. The internal cover 80 includes a screw hole 83 which receives the cover screw 34.

FIG. 5 provides an exploded view of the cover 50 of the electrical plug 10. The cover 50 comprises the external cover 70, the circuit board 60, and the internal cover 80.

The circuit board 60 includes the first USB port 61 and the second USB port 62. In this example, the first USB port 61 is a USB A connector, and the second USB port 62 is a USB C connector. The first USB port 61 and the second USB port 62 are arranged at right angles to one another, to form a T-shape. Arranging the USB ports 61-62 substantially at right angles to one another means that when they are occupied by a cable, the cables are sufficiently spaced apart so that they don't get in the way of one another, making it easier for the user to attach and detach the USB cables from the plug 10.

The circuit board 60 further includes a first electrical contact 63 and a second electrical contact 64. The first electrical contact corresponds to a live electrical contact 63, because it is configured to form an electrical connection with the live terminal 11, and the second electrical contact corresponds to a neutral electrical contact 64, because it is configured to form an electrical connection with the neutral terminal 12. In this example, the first electrical contact is shown as a first pin 63 and the second electrical contact is shown as a second pin 64.

The electrical contacts 63-64 are spring loaded so that they are biased to form the electrical connection with the electrical terminals 11-12. The electrical contacts 63-64 are arranged to bias their fully extended orientation, which confers an advantage that the electrical connection is resilient. The bias so that the electrical contacts 63-64 maintain their electrical connection is achieved using a spring connection, for example each of the electrical contacts 63-64 including a coil spring or any other type of spring The circuit board 60 includes a 5 volt transformer. Thus, the circuit board is configured to supply power to any USB powered product. This does not interfere with the functioning of the appliance, because at the same time it receives electrical power via the cable 20 The external cover 70 includes the holes 71-72 which permit access to the USB ports 61-62 Thus, the USB ports 61-62 are each arranged to receive a UBS cable The internal cover 80 includes the holes 81-82 which allow the electrical contacts 63-64 to connect with the terminals 11-12. The internal cover 80 further includes the screw hole 83 which receives the cover screw 34. The cover serves as an electrical insulator that electrically isolates the terminals 11-12. This ensures that the plug complies with safety regulations. Furthermore, the cover isolates the terminals 11-12 from components of the circuit board 60, protecting them from damage during use. Thus, the internal cover encloses the 5 volt transformer to ensure that the internals of the base do not touch the circuit board.

The external cover 70 and the internal cover 80 serve as a housing of the circuit board 60 Thus, the circuit board 60 is arranged in a sealed unit. This restricts access to the circuit board, ensuring compliance with electrical safety specifications, and also protects components of the circuit board by preventing the ingress of dust or moisture.

As shown in FIG. 2, the terminals 11-12 include contact points, with the live terminal 11 including a live contact point and the neutral terminal 12 including a neutral contact point The live contact point is extended perpendicular to the first electrical contact 63, to provide a surface that facilitates a reliable electrical connection between the live terminal 11 and the first electrical contact 63.

The neutral contact point is extended perpendicular to the second electrical contact 64, to provide a surface that facilitates a reliable electrical connection between the neutral terminal 12 and the second electrical contact 64. Thus, the contact points are shown as flat surfaces that are arranged perpendicular to the electrical contacts.

The electrical connection is established by pushing the cover 50 and the base 40 together, so that the electrical contacts 63-64 form a touch contact with the corresponding planar surfaces of the contact points of the terminals 11-12. The cover 50 and base 40 are then secured together using the screw 34, to ensure that this electrical connection is reliable. Once the cover is screwed to the base, both the live connection and the neutral connection are made, powering the 5 volt transformer and giving power to the USB charger.

FIGs. 6A-6B provide views of the electrical plug 10. FIG. 6A is a side view of the plug 10, shown exploded to reveal how the cover 50 and the base 40 are attached. The electrical contacts 63-64 of the cover 50 are received by the base 40.

The base 40 fiirther includes the pins 31-33 of the plug 10. The base 40 includes the live pin 31 and the neutral pin 32. For the three-pin configuration, the base 40 further includes the ground pin 33. Cable 20 is shown installed as part of the plug 10, and is received by the base 40. The pins 31-33 are arranged on a first side of the plug 10, and the USB sockets 61-62 are arranged on a second side of the plug 10. In this example, the pins 31-33 are on an opposite side to the USB sockets 61-62, which facilitates access to the USB sockets 61-62 when the plug 10 is connected to an electrical outlet socket, so that the USB cable extends away from the outlet socket. The electrical cable 20 is mounted to a side of the plug 10, and so when the electrical outlet socket is mounted in a wall, the cable 20 extends parallel to the wall, in a direction down towards the floor, making it convenient for the cable to be kept out of the way.

As an alternative arrangement, the USB sockets 61-62 can be arranged substantially perpendicular to the pins 31-33, and so for the case in which the electrical outlet socket is mounted in a wall, the USB cable extends parallel to the wall, in the same direction as the electrical cable 20, in which case the USB cable can also be kept out of the way.

FIG. 6B is a view of the inside of the cover 50, showing where the electrical contacts 63-64 are located within the cover 50. The first electrical contact 63 is aligned to connect with the live terminal I I, and the second electrical contact 64 is aligned to connect with the neutral terminal 12.

FIG. 7 illustrates an arrangement of two electrical appliances, in this example showing a lamp 1 and a digital alarm clock 2. Each of these electrical appliances 1-2 has an electrical cable 20 that is connected to an electrical plug 10. Each of the electrical plugs 10 s shown connected to an outlet socket 3.

While the present invention has been described with reference to embodiments, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the principal features of the present invention. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions,

Claims

Claims 1. An electrical plug (10) configured to transfer electrical power received from an electrical outlet socket (3) to an electrical cable (20), the electrical plug (10) comprising: a live terminal (I 1) configured to be installed with a live wire (21) of the electrical cable (20), a neutral terminal (12) configured to be installed with a neutral wire (22) of the electrical cable (20); and a circuit board (60) comprising a USB socket (61, 62), a first electrical contact (63) configured to form an electrical connection with the live terminal (11), and a second electrical contact (64) configured to form an electrical connection with the neutral terminal (12).
The electrical plug (10) according to claim 1, wherein: the live terminal (11) includes a live contact point configured to receive the first electrical contact (63); and the neutral terminal (12) includes a neutral contact point configured to receive the second electrical contact (64).
3. The electrical plug (10) according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the circuit board (60) further comprises: a first spring configured to bias the first electrical contact (63) to connect with the live terminal (11); and a second spring configured to bias the second electrical contact (64) to connect with the neutral terminal (12).
4. The electrical plug (10) according to any preceding claim, wherein the circuit board (60) further comprises: a transformer configured to transform the electrical power received from the electrical outlet socket (3) to have a voltage that is compatible with the USB socket (61, 62) 5. The electrical plug (10) according to any preceding claim, wherein the electrical plug (10) further comprises: a base (40) configured to house the live terminal (11) and the neutral terminal (12) and a cover (50) configured to house the circuit board (60).The electrical plug (10) according to claim 5, wherein the cover (50) comprises: a first hole (81) that the first electrical contact (63) extends through to connect the live terminal (11) and the circuit board (60), and a second hole (82) that the second electrical contact (64) extends through to connect the neutral terminal (12) and the circuit board (60) 7, The electrical plug (10) according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein: the cover (50) is configured to restrict access to the circuit board (60) when the base (40) and the cover (50) are separated from one another.8. The electrical plug (10) according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the base (40) further comprises: a live pin (31) that is electrically connected to the live terminal (11); and a neutral pin (32) that is electrically connected to the neutral terminal (12) The electrical plug (10) according to claim 8, wherein: the live pin (31) and the neutral pin (32) are arranged on a first side of the plug; and the USB socket (61, 62) is arranged on a second side of the plug that is opposite to the first side of the plug 10. The electrical plug (10) according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein: the base (40) and the cover (50) are configured to be connected together by at least one screw (34) 11. The electrical plug (10) according to any preceding claim, wherein the circuit board (60) comprises a plurality of USB sockets (61, 62).12. The electrical plug (10) according to any preceding claim, wherein the circuit board (60) comprises: a first USB socket (61) of a first type; and a second USB socket (62) of a second type 13. The electrical plug (10) according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the USB sockets (61, 62) are arranged substantially perpendicular to one another.14. The electrical plug (10) according to any preceding claim, wherein the electrical plug (10) further comprises: a ground terminal (13) configured to be installed with a ground wire (23) of the electrical cable (20) 15. An electrical appliance (1, 2) installed with the electrical plug (10) according to any preceding claim.