IES20090194A2 - An electrical socket assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A socket assembly (1) comprises a socket frame (2) and a pop-up electrical adaptor (3,4), the pop-up adaptor having at least one electrical socket (6,7) and being adapted for movement relative to the socket frame (2) between a retracted position in which the at least one electrical socket (6,7) is retracted into the socket frame (2), and an extended position in which the at least one electrical socket (6,7) is exposed for use outside of the socket frame (2). The pop-up electrical adaptor (3,4) comprises an additional socket (9) that is exposed for use when the adaptor is in both the retracted and extended positions. The pop-up adaptor (3,4) is designed such that when it is retracted into the socket frame (2), the front face (10) of the adaptor is flush with a front face (13) of the socket assembly. The pop-up adaptor (3,4) comprises (apart from the additional socket) at least two sockets (6,7). The or each socket (6,7,9) is adapted for receipt of plugs of differing formats. <Figure 2>

Description

AN ELECTRICAL SOCKET ASSEMBLY Technical Field The invention relates to an electrical socket assembly having a pop-out adaptor.

Background to the Invention In Ireland, most electrical sockets assemblies that are employed on new build domestic houses and apartments, and replacement socket assemblies sold in hardware stores, have a uniform rectangular shape, sockets to accommodate two three-pin plugs, and usually two switches to enable the power supply to each socket be turned on and off. In some cases, the sockets will have in-built lights which provide a visual indicator as to when power is being supplied to the socket.

Adaptors for electrical sockets are also well known, and are provided in a number of forms. The plug-in adaptor cube is one type, and comprises on one face a three-pin plug for engagement with a socket, and an additional socket for receipt of a further plug formed on at least two, and often three, of the other faces of the cube. Another adaptor type is the multiple adaptor comprising a bank of sockets mounted on an elongated adaptor, and generally including a plug and a lead connecting the plug and elongated adaptor. Such adaptors generally have sockets for between four and ten additional plugs.

Pop-up electrical adaptors are known. One such adaptor is described in United States Patent No; 7,163,409, and comprises a elongated, cylindrical, bank of sockets which is adapted for mounting in a wall, floor or cabinet assembly and capable of popping-up and out of the wall, floor or cabinet assembly to expose for use the bank of sockets. When not in use the cylinder is withdrawn into the mounting assembly hiding all of the sockets. Another pop-up electrical adaptor is sold by Hettich International and comprises a pop-up cylinder having two sockets arranged circumferentially around the cylinder and adapted for mounting in a floor or a cabinet-top mounted housing . When not in use, the cylinder is withdrawn into the housing away from view.

Statements of Invention According to the invention, there is provided a socket assembly ofthe type having a popup electrical adaptor, the pop-up adaptor having at least one electrical socket and adapted for movement between a retracted position in which the at least one electrical socket is retracted into the socket assembly, and an extended position in which the at least one electrical socket is exposed for use outside of the socket assembly, characterised in that the pop-up electrical adaptor comprises an additional socket that is exposed for use when the adaptor is in both the retracted and extended positions.

An advantage of the socket assembly of the invention is that it may be used to provide power to an electrical appliance both when the adaptor is in its extended position and when it is in a retracted position. When in a retracted position, the assembly looks like a conventional socket, with the adaptor effectively hidden from view in a neat and tidy manner. However, when additional sockets are required, the adaptor may be simply extended. In this specification, the term “pop-out” should not be construed as meaning that the socket assembly is adapted for wall mounting only, but can include arrangements in which the adaptor extends upwardly or downwardly.

The additional socket is generally formed on a front (exposed) face of the pop-up adaptor (that face that is exposed when the adaptor is in a retracted and extended position. In one embodiment, the pop-up adaptor is designed such that when it is retracted into the socket assembly, the front face of the adaptor is flush with a front face of the socket assembly. In this manner, when the pop-up adaptor is retracted, the socket assembly resembles a conventional socket, with the additional socket of the pop-up adaptor exposed for use.

The pop-up adaptor is preferably in the shape of a cube, suitably having a front (exposed) face comprising the additional socket, a rear face comprising with wiring for electrical coupling of the adaptor to the power supply, and side faces comprising the one or more sockets. In this regard, a cross-section of the pop-up adaptor may be square or rectangular. However, the cross-section of the adaptor may take another shape, for example, a circular, oval or polygonal shape.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the pop-up adaptor comprises (apart from the additional socket) at least two sockets, ideally three sockets. In one embodiment, the pop-up adaptor comprises more than three sockets.

Ideally, the socket assembly comprises at least two pop-up electrical adaptors. Socket assemblies having more than two pop-up adaptors are also envisaged. When the socket assembly comprises more than one pop-up adaptor, each of the adaptors is ideally operable independently of the or each other adaptor. Thus, for example, when the socket 194 comprises two adaptors, one of the adaptors may be retracted and the other may be extended, or vica versa.

Typically, the socket assembly comprises means coupling means for providing controlled and guided movement of the adaptor relative to the socket assembly. Such coupling means may be provided, for example, by a series of grooves formed on the socket assembly that are adapted to engage with corresponding protrusions on the pop-up adaptor. Other examples of suitable coupling means will be apparent to the person skilled in the art.

Suitably, the socket assembly includes means for biasing the pop-up adaptor into an extended orientation. Suitable biasing means will be apparent to the person skilled in the art.

In one embodiment, an external face of the socket assembly comprises a locking means for preventing extension of the adaptor. This may be, for example, a catch that is movable between a first position in the path of movement of the adaptor and a second position out of the path of movement of the adaptor. When in the first position, the catch prevents extension of the adaptor, and in the second position it allows extension of the adaptor. Suitably, the adaptor includes means for engaging the catch when the adaptor is in a fully extended position, thereby preventing movement of the adaptor when it is in use in an extended position. This is useful when a plug is being plugged into the additional socket, as this results in pushing the adaptor against the socket assembly. Thus, the adaptor may include a detent that engages the catch when the adaptor is fully extended.

In another embodiment, the socket assembly comprises a pop-out button adapted to actuate the popping-out of the adaptor when pressed. For example, the button may be operatively connected to a catch which engages the adaptor preventing its movement and which, when actuated, may release the catch. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the socket assembly comprises a pop-out actuation mechanism of the type that is actuated by slight depression of the adaptor. Thus, a user pushes the adaptor slightly inwardly into the socket, and then releases the adaptor which than extends outwardly fully by means of biasing mechanism. Such a pop-out actuation mechanism should also include a pop-in retraction mechanism in which the adaptor is pushed into, and slightly beyond, its fully retracted position, and then released whereupon it is locked into the retracted position. Examples of such pop-out and pop-in actuation mechanisms will be well known to those skilled in the art, and are quite commonly employed in, for example, retractable cup-holders, in cars.

Ideally, the pop-up adaptor includes stop means for preventing the adaptor be separated from the socket assembly during extension. In one embodiment, this is provided by a lip formed on the rear face of the adaptor that engages a lip formed on the socket assembly when the adaptor is in a fully extended position and which prevents any further extension.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the pop-up adaptor is only one socket deep. This means that the sockets formed on the adaptor are formed circumferentially around the adaptor, and are not formed in a series along the adaptor. This arrangement ensures that the adaptor is not elongated, and the socket assembly can therefore be used to replace conventional socket assemblies in, for example, domestic houses.

Brief Description of the Figures Fig. 1 is an illustration of a socket assembly of the invention showing both adaptors in a retracted position; Dig. 2 is an illustration of the socket assembly of Fig. 1 showing one of the adaptors in an extended position; Fig. 3 is an illustration of the socket assembly of Fig. 1 showing both adaptors in a fully extended position; Fig. 4 is a plan view of a socket assembly according to an alternative embodiment of the invention, and having a cut-out portion showing a biasing system for the socket assembly; Figs. 5a to 5c are illustrations of the socket assembly of Fig. 4 showing the adaptor locked in a fully retracted position (Fig. 5a), unlocked to allow movement of the adaptor into an extended position (Fig. 5b), and locked in a fully extended position (Fig. 5c); and Fig. 6 is an illustration of an alternative embodiment of the socket assembly having a universal adapter.

Detailed Description of the Invention Referring to the drawings, and initially to Figs. 1 to 3 thereof, there is illustrated a socket assembly according to the invention and indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The socket assembly 1 comprises a socket frame 2 and two adaptors 3,4. Each adaptor 3, 4 is adapted for movement between an extended position (Fig. 3) and a retracted position (Fig. 1), and comprises side-mounted sockets 6, 7 and an additional socket 9 that is exposed for use when the adaptor is in an extended position and a retracted position.

In more detail, each adaptor 3, 4 is generally cube shaped and comprises a front face 10, a rear face (not shown), and side faces 11, 12. The additional socket 9 is formed on the front face 10, and the sockets 6, 7 are formed on the side faces 11, 12. As can be seen from Fig. 2, the adaptors are independently operable, and are mounted in the socket frame 2 for a tight but sliding fit in and out of the frame 2. The adaptor is designed such that when it is in a fully retracted position, the front face 10 is flush with a front face 13 of the socket frame 2. Although not shown, the electrical connectors of the two adaptors are joined at a wiring assembly (not shown) mounted to the socket frame between the two adaptors, the wiring assembly including coupling means for operatively connecting the socket assembly, and the two electrical adaptors, to main electrical supply.

In use, both adaptors will remain retracted when two or less sockets are required (as shown in Fig. 1. In this orientation, the socket assembly 1 resembles a conventional socket, and both adaptors are hidden from view in a neat ands tidy manner. However, when one or more sockets are required, either or both of the adaptors may be extended to provide the additional sockets. Thus, for example, if two additional sockets are required, one of the adaptors may be extended to provide three extra sockets for connection to electrical appliances. The adaptor may be extended by plugging a plug into the additional socket 9 on the front face 10, and using the plug to extend the adaptor, and then plugging the additional plugs into the sockets 6, 7 in the side faces 10, 11. When the extra sockets are no longer needed, the plugs are removed from the side sockets, and the adaptor is pushed back into its retracted position.

Referring to Figs. 4 and Figs. 5a to 5c, there is illustrated an alternative embodiment of the socket assembly, in which parts identical to those described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 are assigned the same reference numerals. In this embodiment, the socket assembly is assigned the reference numeral 20, and comprises a biasing system 21 for biasing the adaptors into an extended position, and a locking system 22 for locking the adaptor into an extended or retracted position, as desired. Referring specifically to Fig. 4, the biasing system 21 comprises a compression spring 15, mounted between the rear face 23 of the adaptor 3, 4 and the rear wall 24 of the socket frame 2, the spring 15 being biased to push the adaptor outwardly into the extended position. Referring specifically to Fig. 5a, the locking system comprises a spring-biased catch 25 mounted on the front face of the adaptor 10, and movable from a first position in which it blocks outward extension of the adaptor 3, 4 (Fig. 5a) to a second position in which it allows movement of the adaptor 3, 4 (Fig. 5b). Referring to Fig. 5c, the adaptor 3, 4 includes a detent 27 shaped and positioned to receive the catch 25 when the adaptor is in a fully extended position, and thereby lock the adaptor in the extended position. The catch is biased into the second position, and therefore will lock the adaptor into the desired position when it is not being actuated.

Referring to Figure 6, these is illustrated an alternative embodiment of the invention in which parts similar to those identified with reference to the previous embodiments are assigned the same reference numerals. In this embodiment, the sockets of the adaptors (3, 4) are adapted such that they can receive plugs having different formats, for example standard US plugs, standard Spanish plugs, and standard Irish three-pin plugs. The use of this embodiment is the same as that for the previous embodiments.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment hereinbefore described which may be varied in construction and detail without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims (5)

1. A socket assembly (1) of the type comprising a socket frame (2) and a pop-up electrical adaptor (3,4), the pop-up adaptor having at least one electrical socket (6, 7) and being adapted for movement relative to the socket frame (2) between a retracted position in which the at least one electrical socket (6, 7) is retracted into the socket frame (2), and an extended position in which the at least one electrical socket (6, 7) is exposed for use outside of the socket frame (2), characterised in that the pop-up electrical adaptor (3, 4) comprises an additional socket (9) that is exposed for use when the adaptor is in both the retracted and extended positions.

2. A socket assembly as claimed in Claim 1 in which the pop-up adaptor (3, 4) is designed such that when it is retracted into the socket frame (2), the front face (10) of the adaptor is flush with a front face (13) of the socket assembly.

3. A socket assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim in which the pop-up adaptor (3, 4) comprises (apart from the additional socket) at least two sockets (6, 7).

4. A socket assembly as claimed in any preceding claim in which the or each socket (6, 7, 9) is adapted for receipt of plugs of differing formats.

5. A socket assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying description and/or figures.