Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R31/00—Coupling parts supported only by co-operation with counterpart
  • H01R31/06—Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R31/00—Coupling parts supported only by co-operation with counterpart
  • H01R31/02—Intermediate parts for distributing energy to two or more circuits in parallel, e.g. splitter

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to electrical accessories, and specifically concerns 5 electrical adapters of the kind employed to supply and/or distribute power to one or several consumers.
• the invention overcomes the above discussed problems in an efficient and satisfactory manner.
• the reduction of the occupied useful space is achieved by arranging the major part of the adapter in the space available between the wall and the outwardly facing side of the wall socket.
• this is accomplished by prov iding a fiat thin adapter body hav ing a connector plug fixed to its inner side that in use is facing the wall area surrounding the wall socket and being provided with at least one outlet socket unit on said inner side.
• the adapter is a double-sided multi- socket or distributor adapter.
• the connector plug is fixed to the inner side at a position intermediate two end portions of the thin flat body and one outlet socket unit is provided at each such end portion of the body.
• the adapter is single-sided and may be configured either as a single-socket angle adapter or as a single-sided multi-socket or distributor adapter.
• the connector plug is fixed to the inner side at a first end portion of the thin flat body and one outlet socket unit is provided at the other end portion of the body.
• the at least one outlet socket unit is positioned in its entirety on the inner side of the body, thereby minimizing the space occupied by the adapter.
• each socket of the socket unit or socket units is arranged with its open end facing in a direction being substantially parallel to the outer side of the body. In use this means that the socket and the insertion direction of a connector plug into the socket is parallel to the wall to which an associated wall socket is attached.
• the space occupied by the adapter is minimized and insertion of a connector plug into a socket will be allowed even in the situation where a piece of furniture is arranged practically against the outer side of the adapter body .
• At least a base of the connector plug and/or at least a base of the socket units are formed integral with the adapter body , thereby facilitating production and assembly of the adapter.
• the entire connector plug and/or the entire socket units are attached as separate units to the adapter body.
• the adapter body is manufactured in one piece from a oldable electrically non-conducting material, with electrical conductors for establishing an electrical connection between the contact pins of the connector plug and the or each outlet socket being integrated in the body.
• the adapter body is likewise manufactured from a suitable electrically non-conducting material, but consists of two interconnectable halves.
• the electrical conductors for establishing the electrical connection are assembled and attached to one of the halves before fixing the two body halves to each other.
• the adapter body and/or the connector plug and/or the socket unit/units are manufactured from a suitable plastic material.
• the present invention provides the following advantages over the state of the art:
• the adapter occupies a minimum of room space: thereby Offering a great flexibility with regard to the arrangement of furniture: Prov ides possibilities for a simple and inexpensive manufacturing; nevertheless - Offering numerous possibilities of varying the number of outlet sockets o ⁇ each adapter as well as their positioning: facilitates connecting a connector plug to the outlet sockets even in narrow spaces.
• Fig. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a prior art adapter
• Fig. 2A-C is a bottom perspective view, a bottom plan view and a partially exploded side view respectively of a basic embodiment of the adapter of the present invention
• Fig. 3A-C is a bottom perspective view, an exploded side view and a bottom plan view respectively of a second basic embodiment of the adapter of the present invention:
• Fig. 4 is a bottom perspective view of a variant of the adapter of the first embodiment illustrated in figs. 2A-C;
• Fig. 5 is a bottom perspective view of a variant of the adapter of the second embodiment illustrated in figs. 3A-C;
• Fig. 6A-C is a bottom plan view, a side view and an end view respectively of further variants of the first and second basic embodiments of the adapter according to the invention.
• Fig. 7A-C is a bottom plan view, a side view and an end view respectively of further variants of the first and second basic embodiments of the adapter according to the invention.
• Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of further variants of the first and second basic embodiments of the adapter according to the invention.
• FIG. l A-B is a bottom plan view and an end view respectively of further variants of the first and second basic embodiments of the adapter according to the invention:
• Fig. 10A-B is a bottom plan view and a side view respectively of further variants of the first and second basic embodiments of the adapter according to the invention;
• Fig. 1 1A-B is a bottom plan view and a side view respectively of a further variant of the second basic embodiments of the adapter according to the invention:
• Fig. 12 is a schematic view similar to fig. 1 but illustrating an adapter according to the invention connected to a wall socket;
• Fig. 13 is a side view illustrating a further variant of the first basic embodiment of the adapter according to the invention:
• Fig. 14 is a side view illustrating a further variant of the first basic embodiment of the adapter according to the invention:
• Fig. 15 is a side view illustrating yet another variant of the first basic embodiment of the adapter according to the invention.
• Fig. 16A-B are bottom views of variants of the first basic embodiment of the adapter according to the invention using other types of connector plugs:
• Fig. 17A-B are schematic illustrations of alternative socket units having sockets of different standards for use with the inventive adapter.
• FIG. 2A-C which illustrate a single sided adapter 10 for use as an "angle adapter" for connecting one electrical consumer, primarily intended for wall sockets close to corners, doors etc, or as an adapter between plugs/sockets of different standards, as will be discussed further below in connection with figs. 16A-B and 17A-B.
• the adapter 10 consists basically of a body 1 1 in the form of a generally elongate, flat strip.
• the body 1 1 has first and second longitudinal ends 14 and 15 respectively, and inner and outer generally planar sides 1 12 and 1 13 respectively, where “inner” and “outer” refers to their positioning relative to a wall 5 (se figs. 1 and 12) of a room when the adapter 10 is in use, connected to a wall socket 3 therein.
• a connector plug 16 is attached to the inner side 12 of the body 1 1 adjacent said first end 14 and an outlet socket unit 18 is likewise attached to said inner side 12, adjacent said second end 15.
• the body 1 1 is manufactured from an electrically non-conducting and preferably non- combustible material, and in this first embodiment it is formed in one piece, preferably from an appropriate synthetic resin material through injection molding or any other appropriate manufacturing method known to the man skilled in the art.
• Conductors 30 for interconnecting the pins 21 of the connector plug 16 and the later described outlet socket 17 of the socket unit 18 are integrated in the body 1 1 , as is schematically illustrated in fig. 2B.
• the conductors 30 are preferably supply rails or leads but will not be described in any detail herein since the choice of suitable conductors and their specific arrangement for supplying the electric power from the connector plug to the socket 17 will vary for different applications and will therefore be made with the kno ledge of the man skilled in the art.
• the connector plug 16 is provided on the inner side 12 of the body 1 1 adjacent the first end 14 thereof, and it is positioned so that the connecting pins 16 thereof are extended generally perpendicular to said inner side 12.
• the connector plug 16 is attached as a separate unit to the body 1 1. either by means of mechanical fasteners, adhesive or, with the body and plug housing manufactured from compatible plastic materials, through welding.
• the connector plug 16 is an unearthed round plug for insertion into earthed as well as unearthed wall sockets 3 of a specific standard, but it will be clarified below that it lies within the scope of the invention to provide the adapter with plugs and sockets for practically any other standard.
• the socket unit 18 is likewise provided on the inner side 12 of the body, but adjacent the second end 15 thereof.
• the socket unit 18 contains one outlet socket 17 positioned w r ith its open end 19 facing in a direction being substantially parallel to the outer side of the body. Smaller angular displacements relative to said parallel alignment are allowed, although often not desirable.
• the socket 17 and the insertion direction of a connector plug 6 of an electrical consumer into the socket 17 are both essentially parallel to the wall 5 to which an associated wall socket 3 is attached, as will be described further below with reference to fig. 12. With reference again to fig.
• socket unit 18 is attached separately to the body 1 1, likewise either by means of mechanical fasteners, adhesive or, with the body and socket unit housing manufactured from compatible plastic materials, through welding.
• the illustrated socket unit 18 is provided with a socket 17 for the so-called Euro-plugs, but sockets of any other standard may be employed.
• the body 1 1 shall be made as thin as possible, depending upon the material used therefore and upon the type of conductors 30 as well as their arrangement.
• the thickness T of the body will be less than approximately 10mm, preferably less than 5mm.
• the thickness T should be approximately 2-4 mm to provide the optimum space saving. It should be emphasized though, that for clarification the thickness T of the body has been exaggerated in all of the drawing figures.
• the body is only required to accommodate the conductors 30 and to carry the socket unit 18.
• a thin metal foil (not illustrated) in the body, between the conductors 30 and the outer side 13 and/or between the conductors and the inner side 12.
• a metal or plastic laminate may be provided to strengthen the body.
• the length L of the body 1 1 should be adapted to the dimensions of the socket unit 18. so that there ill be sufficient space between the socket unit 18 and the associated wall socket 3 to secure that the socket unit goes free from the wall socket, with an appropriate spacing W (see fig. 6B), as the adapter is connected thereto.
• the adapter 10 and the consumer plug 6 will together take up a space that only exceeds the thickness Z of the wall socket 3 with the thickness T of the adapter body.
• This in turn 5 means that with the adapter 10 of the invention a piece of furniture 4 may be positioned almost up against the wall 5, without interfering either with the adapter 10 itself or with the desired easy access to the sockets 17 thereof.
• the inventive adapter requires a minimum distance Y from the wall 5 that is significantly smaller than the corresponding distance X required when using conventional devices. 0
• Figs. 3A-3C illustrate another basic embodiment of the inventive adapter 100.
• This is a double sided adapter having a body 1 1 1 that is extended compared to that of the first embodiment of figs. 2A-C and having the connector plug 16 attached to the central portion of the body 1 1 1. on its inner side 1 12.
• One socket unit 18 is attached to said inner side 1 12 adjacent each end 5 1 14. 1 15 of the body 1 1 1. so that the adapter 1 0 may be regarded as symmetrical with regard to the connector plug.
• the adapter 100 is a multi-outlet adapter having at least two outlet sockets 17. that is being an adapter/distributor.
• the outer side 1 13 of the body 1 1 1 is again substantially planar and conductors 130 like those described in connection with the first embodiment are likewise provided for supplying power to both socket units 18. .
• this second embodiment discloses an alternative to the one-piece adapter body of figs. 2A-C. and specifically utilizes a split body 1 1 1 consisting of an upper relatively thin cover part 1 1 1A and a lower slightly thicker base 1 1 I B in which the conductors 130 are preferably provided and which is primarily responsible for providing the desired strength to the body.
• the cover part 1 1 1 A and base part 1 1 1 B are secured to each other when the conductors 130 have been assembled. Said parts may be secured to each other by means of mechanical fasteners, adhesive or, in the case where they consist of plastic material, they may be welded together.
• the upper cover is the thinner part, it should be obvious that the adapter could likewise be designed having a thicker upper cover part and a thinner base part or upper and lower parts of substantially the same thickness.
• Fig. 4 illustrates a further alternative embodiment of a single sided adapter 10B corresponding to that of figs. 2A-C except that it is provided with an alternative socket unit 18B having three parallel sockets 17 being positioned with their open ends 19 facing in the same direction.
• the single sided adapter becomes a multi-socket adapter/distributor.
• fig. 5 illustrates a double sided adapter 100A having at each end socket units 18A provided with two sockets 17, each unit likewise having the open ends 19 of the two sockets facing in the same direction. However, in both socket units 18A the sockets 17 are facing away from the connector plug 16 and thereby from the other socket unit.
• socket units 18. 18A, 18B (like other socket unit variants described below) are separate from the body 1 1 , 1 1 1 and are separately attached thereto it will be possible to produce several variants of the adapters in a simple manner by using the same single or double sided body together with different socket units. With properly arranged conductors 30. 130 in the bodies 1 1. I l l and in the socket units the electrical connection will present no problem.
• FIG. 5 both as a single sided and as a double sided adapter 10A and 100A respectively carrying one and two socket units 18A respectively.
• Fig. 6B specifically illustrates the use of this variant in a wall socket 3 and with a consumer plug 6 inserted into one of the sockets 17.
• the appropriate spacing W must be provided on both sides, although slightly exaggerated in the drawing figure.
• figs. 7A-C illustrate variants I OC, 100C where the socket units 18C correspond to the socket unit 18A but are positioned with their sockets 17 opening upwardly, that is in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body 1 1 , 1 1 1.
• Fig. 7B also clarifies that the body 1 1 of the single-sided variant IOC may likewise be made up of a cover part 1 1 A and a base part 1 I B. In the right hand side of fig. 7B and in fig.
• fig. 8 discloses adapters 10D. 100D having socket units 18D each comprising four sockets arranged in pairs being directed in mutually opposite directions. In most cases the eight sockets of such a double-sided variant 100D would be the absolute practical upper limit with regard to the maximum allowed power fed through the adapter.
• figs. 9A-B illustrate adapters 10E, 100E having socket units 18E of the same general configuration as in fig. 8. but with only two mutually opposite sockets.
• figs. 9A-B schematically illustrate a further alternative method of connecting the body 1 I E. 1 1 I E with the socket units 18E.
• a dovetailed groov e 26 is formed in the outer side of the socket unit 181- . and the longitudinal edges of the body 1 I E. 1 1 I E are chamfered 25 in the area of the respective end of the body .
• Figs. 10A-B illustrate further variants of adapters 10F, 100F having socket units 18F each being provided with three sockets directed at right angles to each other. Further variants are likewise feasible, with the sockets directed in other mutual angles.
• Figs. 1 1 A-B illustrate a double sided adapter 100G being provided with socket units 18G essentially identical to the socket units 18C of figs. 7A-C. but here arranged with their sockets directed in opposite directions, upwardly and downwardly respectively, at the two ends of the body 1 1 1.
• Fig. 13 illustrates an adjustment to the variant briefly discussed in relation to figs 7A-C, where socket units 18 are placed on top of each other on the adapter 10H to form a "thick" unit 18H.
• a "thick" socket unit 18H may be attached to the body so that it extends slightly outside the outer side of the body.
• fig. 14 illustrates a variant where the connector plug 161 is rotated 90° in relation to its position in the other variants, so that in use the body 1 1 of the adapter 101 will be extended v ertically rather than horizontally.
• f ig. 15 illustrates an embodiment of the adapter 10J where a base 18' of the socket unit 18J and/or a base 16' of the connector plug 16 are formed integral with the body 1 1 or. where applicable, integral with the bottom part of the body. After producing the body the desired socket unit 1 8.1 and a plug interior 22 with the pins 21 are attached thereto. This provides possibilities for an efficient production of only one or a few specific variants.
• Figs. 1 6A-B illustrate adapters provided with other types of connector plugs.
• fig. 16A illustrates the use of a flat connector plug 16M of the Euro-plug type on the adapter 10M
• fig. 16B illustrates the use of a three-pin connector plug 16N of the British type - and with dash-dot lines the Australian Y-pattern three-pin type - on the adapter I ON. In the latter case, combined with a socket of the Euro-type the adapter I ON will serve as an adapter between standards.
• figs. 1 7A-B illustrate possible variants of adapters 10K, 1 00K and ! 0L, 100L respectively having socket units 1 8K and 1 8L respectively being provided with three-pin sockets 17K of the British type and the older round type of sockets 17L respectively. Provided with the appropriate connector plug such adapters will likewise serve as adapters between standards.
• the invention also covers further modifications, such as an alternative choice of material for primarily the body.
• the body may be manufactured from any appropriate material having the appropriate electrically insulating properties, that is being electrically non-conducting. As an example even wood might be used for improved appearance. Therefore, the choice of material as well as manufacturing method will be optional in accordance with the intended use and/or for design purposes.

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• 2000
  • 2000-10-23 SE SE0003832A patent/SE517969C2/sv unknown
• 2001
  • 2001-09-26 ES ES01972830T patent/ES2339922T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-09-26 AT AT01972830T patent/ATE456874T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2001-09-26 EP EP01972830A patent/EP1330858B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-09-26 AU AU2001292470A patent/AU2001292470A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-09-26 WO PCT/SE2001/002062 patent/WO2002035663A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2001-09-26 DE DE60141216T patent/DE60141216D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime

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