JP2006048962A - Power outlet - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a power outlet having a good moldability and improvement in productivity, where the hole radius of a detection hole for a spark discharge can be made small, and furthermore the detection hole can be cleaned easily. <P>SOLUTION: In a power outlet 1, a bushing 6 is press-fitted into a through-hole 5 formed between plug insertion slots 3, 3 in the front of an outlet case 2 so that a detection hole 7 communicates a surface of the outlet case 2 with a sensor, where the bushing 6 is made of a soft resin material or a rubber material having elasticity and slightly larger than the shape of the through-hole 5, and has the detection hole 7 in the center. The spark discharge occurring between blades of a plug intrudes from the detection hole 7 for the bushing 6 and makes contact with a sensor 8 placed inside the detection hole 7, and is detected. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a power outlet that detects a spark discharge that occurs before tracking and prevents the occurrence of tracking.

  Conventionally, there is a power outlet shown in Patent Document 1 having a function of preventing tracking. In Patent Document 1, a conductive plate is disposed between the receiving blades on the front surface of the power outlet, one end protrudes from the surface, and the other end is connected to the ground terminal, so that when a spark discharge occurs before tracking occurs. The electric current flowing between the two blades of the plug is passed through the conductive plate to the ground terminal, and the electric leakage breaker is detected as the electric leakage current to interrupt the electric circuit.

JP 2001-35599 A

  In the conventional power outlet, the conductive plate, which is a sensor that detects spark discharge that occurs before tracking, is exposed on the surface of the power outlet. It is also possible that the plug user's hand will come into contact, which is not preferable. Therefore, according to Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-120546, the present applicant placed the sensor inside the small through hole formed between the plug insertion holes on the cover surface without exposing the sensor to the cover surface of the power outlet, and entered the through hole. We have proposed a power outlet that detects minute spark discharge with a sensor. The smaller the size of the through hole formed in the cover, so that water and dust do not enter, and the output current from the sensor is reduced to reduce the load on the amplifier circuit. Is directly formed on the cover of the power outlet, so that there is a limit of about 0.5 mm in diameter, and there is a disadvantage that the formability is poor and the productivity is not good.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, one or more pairs of plug insertion holes are formed on the front surface of the outlet case formed of an insulating material, and the plug blade of the plug is formed inside the plug insertion hole. In a power outlet comprising a receiving blade that sandwiches the plug, a through hole is formed between the plug insertion openings, and a sensor that detects a spark discharge generated between the plug blades is disposed inside the through hole. A soft resin material or rubber material is used to form a bushing whose outer shape is slightly larger than the shape of the through hole, to form a detection hole that penetrates the bushing, and to pass the bushing so that the detection hole communicates with the surface of the outlet case and the sensor. It is characterized by being fitted into the hole.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the power outlet according to the first aspect, a number of bushing detection holes are formed.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, one or more pairs of plug insertion holes are formed on the front surface of the outlet case formed of an insulating material, and the plug blade of the plug is formed inside the plug insertion hole. In a power outlet comprising a receiving blade that sandwiches the plug, a through hole is formed between the plug insertion openings, and a sensor that detects a spark discharge generated between the plug blades is disposed inside the through hole. A soft resin material or rubber material is used to form a bushing whose outer shape is slightly larger than the shape of the through hole, to form a detection hole that penetrates the bushing, and to pass the bushing so that the detection hole communicates with the surface of the outlet case and the sensor. By press-fitting into the hole, the outlet case has good moldability, productivity is improved, the diameter of the detection hole can be reduced, and the detection hole can be easily cleaned. There is a result.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the power outlet according to the first aspect, since a large number of bushing detection holes are formed, there is an effect that the measurement range of the spark discharge can be expanded.

  The power outlet is formed in the through hole formed between the plug insertion openings on the front surface of the outlet case with a soft resin material or rubber material having elasticity slightly larger than the shape of the through hole and a detection hole in the center. The bushing is press-fitted so that the detection hole communicates the surface of the outlet case with the sensor. The spark discharge generated between the plug blades of the plug is detected by entering from the detection hole of the bushing and contacting a sensor provided inside the detection hole.

  A first embodiment of a power outlet according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of FIGS.

  In the power outlet 1, an outlet case 2 is formed of an insulating material, and a pair of plug insertion openings 3 and 3 for inserting plug blades (not shown) on the front surface of the outlet case 2 are provided at the center and the lower part 2. A receiving blade 4 for holding the plug blade of the plug is disposed inside the plug insertion port 3, and a through hole 5 is formed at an intermediate position between the plug insertion ports 3 and 3. Yes.

  A bushing 6 is attached to the through hole 5. The bushing 6 has an outer shape slightly larger than the shape of the through hole 5 made of an elastic soft resin material or rubber material, and has a substantially cylindrical shape with a detection hole 7 formed through the center. This bushing 6 is mounted by being press-fitted into the through hole 5 so that the detection hole 7 communicates the surface of the outlet case 2 with a sensor 8 described later.

  A sensor 8 is disposed inside the through hole 5 inside the outlet case 2. The sensor 8 is formed of a conductive member such as a metal piece and is connected to a tracking detection circuit of a printed circuit board 9 disposed inside the outlet case 2.

  The tracking detection operation of the power outlet 1 will be described. Dust and the like accumulate between the plug blades of the plugs connected to the receiving blades 4 and 4 to absorb moisture in the air, so that a minute current is generated between the plug blades through moisture. Flows and the charged water vaporizes and spark discharge occurs. When a spark discharge enters from the detection hole 7 and contacts the sensor 8, a minute current flows. The tracking detection circuit detects tracking from the output current of the sensor 8, operates the breaker 10 built in the outlet case 2 to cut off the electric circuit, and displays on the display lamp 11.

  As described above, the power outlet 1 has the formability of the outlet case 2 good and productivity because the diameter of the through hole 5 does not have to be reduced by attaching the bushing 6 in which the detection hole 7 is formed in the through hole 5. improves. Further, the bushing 6 is formed of a soft resin material or a rubber material, and the outer shape of the bushing is contracted by being press-fitted and attached, so that the hole diameter of the detection hole can be reduced to about 0.1 mm. Even when the detection hole is clogged with dust or the like, it can be easily cleaned using a needle or the like having a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the detection hole.

  In this embodiment, the through hole is formed in a circular shape and the bushing is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. However, for example, as shown in FIG. The shape of the through hole and bushing of the outlet case is not limited. Further, the power outlet is a two-port power outlet to which two plugs can be connected, but may be a one-port power outlet or an extension tap to which a plurality of plugs can be connected. Moreover, although the breaker is built in and the electric circuit is cut off, the operation at the time of tracking detection is not limited.

  Second Embodiment A power outlet according to the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawing of FIG. In addition, the same part as Example 1 attaches | subjects the same code | symbol, and abbreviate | omits description.

  In this embodiment, many detection holes 7 of the bushing 6 are formed. Thereby, the measurement range of spark discharge can be expanded.

It is a front view of the power outlet concerning Example 1 of the present invention. It is the sectional view on the AA line of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the bushing which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the deformation | transformation Example of a bushing. It is principal part sectional drawing of the power outlet concerning Example 2 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Power outlet 2 Outlet case 3 Plug insertion port 4 Receiving blade 5 Through-hole 6 Bushing 7 Detection hole 8 Sensor 9 Printed circuit board 10 Breaker

Claims (2)

  One or more pairs of plug insertion openings are formed on the front surface of the outlet case formed of an insulating material, and a receiving blade for holding the plug blade of the plug is disposed inside the plug insertion opening. In a power outlet in which a through hole is formed and a sensor for detecting a spark discharge generated between the plug blades is disposed inside the through hole, the through hole is made of an elastic soft resin material or rubber material. Forming a bushing whose outer shape is slightly larger than the shape of the tube, forming a detection hole penetrating the bushing, and press-fitting the bushing into the through hole so that the detection hole communicates the surface of the outlet case with the sensor. A power outlet characterized by being mounted.   The power outlet according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of detection holes for the bushing are formed.

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