WO2019129352A1

WO2019129352A1 - Socket with blocking shutters

Info

Publication number: WO2019129352A1
Application number: PCT/EP2017/084758
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tohid LOKHANDWALA
Original assignee: Schurter Ag
Priority date: 2017-12-28
Filing date: 2017-12-28
Publication date: 2019-07-04

Abstract

A socket comprising a housing (1, 2) with electrical contacts (6, 7), and blocking shutters (90, 91), wherein the housing (1, 2) comprising openings (3, 4, 5) at its front side, wherein the electrical contacts (6, 7) are arranged within the housing (1, 2), wherein the electrical contacts (6, 7) is arranged behind the openings (3, 4, 5), wherein the blocking shutters (90, 91) are arranged between the openings (3, 4, 5) and the electrical contacts (6, 7), wherein the blocking shutters (90, 91) are laterally slidable from a blocking position into a release position, wherein the blocking shutters (90, 91) are connected to each other by means of a spring.

Description

SOCKET WITH BLOCKING SHUTTERS

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The current invention relates to sockets with blocking shutters, in particular to sockets that are panel-mounted or mounted to a housing of an electrical apparatus or device .

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Known embodiments of such sockets with blocking shutters comprise a front plate with openings for inserting

electrical pins and a shutter plate behind the front plate that comprises openings that are arranged identically with respect to each other than the openings in the front plate. The shutter plate is laterally slidable with respect to the front plate from a blocking position, where the openings of the front plate are closed by the shutter plate, to a release position, where the openings of the front plate are congruent to the openings of the shutter plate. The shutter plate is spring loaded, pressing the shutter plate towards the blocking position.

Such sockets with blocking shutters have the disadvantage that quite some force is needed to move the shutter plate from the blocking position to the release position.

Additionally, such a design requires quite some space, which results in a socket that is spacious. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the current invention, an object to be solved is the provision of a socket with blocking shutters that requires less space and is easier to unblock without reducing the safety of the socket.

This object is solved by a device with the features of claim 1. Further embodiments of the device are defined by the features of further claims.

A socket according to the invention comprises a housing with at least two electrical contacts or terminals and at least two blocking shutters. The housing comprising at least two openings at its front side, wherein the at least two electrical contacts are arranged within the housing, at least partially. Each of the at least two electrical contacts is arranged behind one of the at least two openings. Each of the at least two blocking shutters is arranged within the housing between one of the at least two openings and the corresponding electrical contact. Each of the at least two blocking shutters is laterally slidable from a first position, in which the at least two blocking shutters separate the at least two openings from the corresponding at least two electrical contacts, to a second position, in which the at least two electrical contacts are accessible from the outside through the at least two openings . The at least two blocking shutters are connected to each other by means of at least one spring.

Such a design only requires a small space and the force necessary to laterally move the blocking shutters is reduced. The spring can be arranged symmetrically between the two blocking shutters. Optionally, the arrangement can be asymmetrically. The spring can be made from spring steel, such as IS454-1. Usually, the socket has two

openings, two electrical contacts and two corresponding blocking shutters or the socket has three openings, three electrical contacts and two or three blocking shutters. The electrical contacts or terminals can be made from a plated Copper alloy, such as a Tin and Nickel plated CuZn37 Copper alloy. The shutters can be made from plastic, i.e. a plastic with high mechanical strength and rigidity, fatigue and impact resistance and with resistance to moisture, gasoline, lubricants, solvents, and many neutral chemicals. For example, the shutters can be made from acetal resin, such as Delrin 900P NC010. Usually, when there are two electrical contacts, they are arranged symmetrically with respect to a middle plane, i.e. they have the same lateral distance to the middle plane. If there are three electrical contacts, two of them are equally spaced to the middle plane and one is located on the middle plane. Usually, the electrical contacts comprise earthing, neutral and line, wherein the earthing is arranged on the middle plane and the line and the neutral are equally spaced apart from the middle plane. Usually, the housing is made from plastic, for example a thermoplastic, at least partially. The housing can entirely be made from plastic or the housing can be made from plastic in the region surrounding the electrical contacts and the openings. For example, the body of the socket and the cover of the socket are made from a flame retardant, halogen free, heat stabilized plastic, such as Akulon. All openings can have the same shape and size, or their shape and size can vary. Usual shapes are rectangular or round. The electrical contacts can exit the socket on its back side, opposite the front side. An electrically insulating element can be arranged on the back side of the socket between the grounding and the line and/or the neutral. Additionally, there can be an

electrically insulating element between the line and the neutral .

In an embodiment, the housing comprises at least two channels, wherein the at least two openings define the at least two channels on their front side and wherein the at least two electrical contacts are arranged within the at least two channels, at least partially. Usually, the channels extend from the back side of the front plate, which comprises the openings, towards the back side of the housing. Usually, the channels are closed at their back side and only the electrical contacts exit the housing.

In an embodiment, the housing comprises a body and a cover, wherein the cover is arranged on the body at least on the front side of the body and wherein the at least two

openings are formed within the cover. In such a design, the cover forms the front plate. The arrangement of the cover on the body can be releasable or can be permanent. For a releasable connection, for example, the body can comprise recesses and the cover can comprise pins, wherein the recesses and the pins can form a snap lock. The snap lock can be releasable or permanent. Releasable means that the cover can be removed from the body without any destruction, either of the cover or the body. With a permanent snap lock, the cover can be removed, but only with damaging the cover and/or the body. Alternatively, the cover can comprise some recesses and the body can comprise the matching pins .

In an embodiment, the cover is essentially a plate that covers the front side of the body, at least partially. The cover can cover the body completely. Alternatively, the cover doesn't cover the body completely and parts of the body can still be exposed to the surrounding.

In an embodiment, the cover is essentially a husk with a front plate and lateral faces adjoining the front plate and extending from the front plate in an essentially

perpendicular direction to the front plate. The front plate of the husk covers the front side of the body, at least partially. The front plate of the husk can cover the body completely. The lateral faces of the husk cover the lateral sides of the body, at least partially. The lateral faces can cover the body completely.

In an embodiment, at least two recesses are arranged on the front side of the body, wherein the lateral extension of each of the at least two recesses is bigger than the lateral extension of each of the projection of the at least two openings, at least partially. Thus, each recess is bigger than the corresponding channel, which extends within the body from a back side of the recess towards the back side of the body. In each of the recesses, a blocking shutter can be inserted. Two lateral sides of each recess are in sliding contact with two lateral sides of each blocking shutter. Two other lateral sides of each recess, that are perpendicular to the lateral sides, define the lateral movement of the blocking shutter and act as abutment .

In an embodiment, at least one cut-out is arranged on the front side of the body between the at least two recesses, joining the at least two recesses. The at least one spring is arranged within the at least one cut-out, at least partially. The cut-out extends from the front surface of the body towards the back side of the body. Preferably, the cut-out is arranged on the middle plane of the socket. The cut-out cuts through the web between the two recesses and cuts out a part of the back surface of each recess. In the assembled state, the spring presses the two blocking shutters towards the outside. When pins are inserted into the socket through the socket openings, the blocking shutters are moved towards the inside, towards the middle plane, thus, compressing the spring. By moving inwards, the blocking shutters gradually release the passage between the openings and the electrical contacts. When the pins are removed from the socket, the blocking shutters are moved towards the outside due to the spring force. Thus, closing the passage between the openings and the corresponding electrical contact.

In an embodiment, at least one of the at least two openings has a different lateral extension than at least one of the other openings. Depending on the pin size, the openings can have different sizes and/or shapes. The openings can be higher or wider or they can be round and/or angular. It is possible, that two openings have the same shape and size and one opening has a different shape and size. For example, the line and the neutral can have the same shape, i.e. rectangular or round, but different sizes, i.e. higher or wider and the grounding or earth can have a different shape and/or size, i.e. can be round and/or angular. It is also possible that all openings have the same shape and size .

In an embodiment, at least one of the at least two recesses has a different lateral extension than at least one of the other recesses. They can have a different height and/or width. Usually, the recesses have the same shape and size, i.e. they have the same height and width.

In an embodiment, each of the at least two blocking

shutters has a plate-shaped body with a taper at one of its top surface edges, at least partially. The taper can extend over the entire length of the edge. The angle of the taper, together with the force of the spring, defines the force needed to move the blocking shutters sideways. The smaller the angle between the taper surface and the surface of the front of the housing or the cover respectively, the bigger is the required force.

In an embodiment, each of the at least two blocking

shutters is attached to the at least one spring in the centre of a lateral side of the plate-shaped body, which is opposite to a lateral side of the plate-shaped body that comprises the top surface edge with the taper. Thus, each taper faces outwards with respect to the spring.

In an embodiment, each of the at least two blocking

shutters comprises two side guides, which extend over the taper and which include two lateral sides of the plate shaped body, which adjoin the side of the plate shaped body, which comprises the taper. The two side guides of each blocking shutter, form lateral sides that are in sliding contact with two lateral sides of the corresponding recess .

In an embodiment, at least one of the at least two blocking shutters has a different lateral extension than at least one of the other blocking shutters. Depending on the size of the pins to be inserted, the size and shape of the openings can change. Thus, the size and/or shape of the blocking shutters can vary dependant on the size and/or shape of the openings, i.e. the height and width of the blocking shutters can be different.

In an embodiment, each of the at least one spring comprises a first bracket that is attached to a first blocking shutter, a second bracket that is attached to a second blocking shutter and a coil, which connects the first bracket to the second bracket. The stiffness of the spring can be influenced by the diameter of the spring wire, the number of times the spring wire has been coiled as well as the length of the brackets.

In an embodiment, each bracket of the spring comprises a section extending essentially perpendicular to the lateral side of the blocking shutter it is attached to.

The features of the above-mentioned embodiments of the socket with blocking shutters can be used in any

combination, unless they contradict each other. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the current invention are described in more detail in the following with reference to the figures.

These are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting. It shows

Fig. 1 a perspective view of a socket with blocking shutters according to the invention;

Fig. 2 a perspective cutting view through the first and second opening of the socket of figure 1;

Fig. 3 a perspective cutting view through the middle plane of the socket of figure 1;

Fig. 4 a perspective view of the body of the socket of figure 1;

Fig. 5 a perspective cutting view through the first and second recess of the body of figure 4; and

Fig. 6 a perspective view of the blocking shutters and the spring according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a socket with blocking shutters according to the invention, figure 2 shows a perspective cutting view through the openings of the socket of figure 1 and figure 3 shows a perspective cutting view through the middle plane of the socket of figure 1. The depicted socket is a standard type B socket for three pins, for example used in the USA, Canada, Mexico or Japan, wherein a blocking shutter arrangement according to the invention has been incorporated. Of course, the blocking shutter arrangement can be incorporated in any socket for receiving two, three, or more pins. The socket comprises a body 1 with a cover 2 at the front side of the body 1. The body 1 comprises a flange 14 at its front side, wherein the lateral extensions of the flange are bigger than the lateral extensions of the main body part of the body 1. There are lateral clamping elements 15 at two opposing lateral sides of the main body part of the body 1. Each clamping element is attached to the main body part towards the back side of the body 1 and extends outwards toward the front side of the body 1, thereby forming a resilient flap 15 that can be pressed towards the main body part for installing or removing the socket from a panel or a housing of an electrical device or arrangement. On top of the flange 14, towards the front side of the socket, the cover 2 is attached to the body 1. The cover 2 comprises a plate 20 and has three openings 3, 4, 5 for the reception of electrical contacts of plugs. A first opening 3, for receiving the line plug, is arranged spaced apart from the middle plane M of the socket. A second opening 4, for receiving the neutral plug, is arranged spaced apart from the middle plane M, symmetrically to the first opening 3. A third opening 5, for receiving the earth pin, is arranged on the middle plane M, spaced apart from the two other openings 3, 4. Both the first and the second opening have a rectangular shape. The width of the first and second opening, that are oriented perpendicularly with respect to the middle plane, are identical and the height of the first opening, that is oriented parallel to the middle plane, is bigger than the height of the second opening. The third opening 5 has a combined shape of a rectangle and a half circle. The front-side edges of the openings are tapered to facilitate the insertion of the pins. The blocking shutters 90, 91 are arranged adjacent to the respective opening 3,

4. A channel 30, 40, 50 extends from the respective opening 3, 4, 5 towards the back side of the body 1. Recesses 10,

11 are formed in the front-side surface of the body 1, respectively in the front-side surface of the flange 14. In the mounted state of the cover 2, the recesses 10, 11 are allocated adjacent to the openings 3, 4, wherein the lateral extension of the blocking shutters 90, 91 are bigger than the lateral extension of the openings 3, 4, as can be seen in figures 4 and 5 in more detail.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the body of the socket of figure 1 and figure 5 shows a perspective cutting view through the recesses of the body of figure. Each of the recesses 10, 11 has a width 100, 110 and a height 101, 111, which form lateral sides or side surfaces of the

corresponding recess 10, 11. The first lateral sides 100, 110 form side guides for the blocking shutters 90, 91 in the assembled state and the second lateral sides 101, 111 form abutments for the blocking shutters 90, 91. The channels 30, 40 extend from the back surface of the

recesses 10, 11 towards the back side of the body. Just as the contour of each opening 3, 4, the contour of each channel 30, 40 lies completely inside the contour of each recess 10, 11. The channels 30, 40 end before the back-side surface of the body 1 of the socket. The wall thickness between the end of the channel and the back-side surface of the body 1 is in essence identical to the wall thickness between the channels 30, 40 and the lateral outside surfaces of the body. Electrical contacts 6, 7, 8 are arranged within the channels 3, 4, 5. The electrical contacts 6, 7, 8 extend from a plane below the blocking shutters 90, 91, within the channels 30, 40, 50 through the back-side surface of the body 1 and beyond the back-side surface of the body 1. On the back-side surface, a first electrically insulating element 13 forms a lateral

separation of the line 6 and the neutral 7 and a second electrically insulating element 16 forms a lateral

separation of the line 6, respectively of the neutral 7 and the grounding 8. A cut-out 12 is allocated on the middle plane M of the body 1, between the two recesses 10, 11. The contour of the cut-out 12 reaches inside the contour of each recess 10, 11. The cut-out 12 extends from the front surface of the flange 14 towards the back side of the body 1. In the depicted embodiment, the length of the extension of the cut-out 12 is half the length of the extension of the channels 30, 40.

Figure 6 shows a perspective view of a blocking shutter arrangement comprising the blocking shutters 90, 91 and the spring 9 according to the invention. Each blocking shutter 90, 91 comprises a plate-shaped body 900, 910, whose contour is essentially rectangular. A top-surface edge comprises a taper 901, 911, which extends from the middle of the edge towards the outside. The taper extends from the top surface of the shutters to the bottom surface of the shutters. There is no taper at the two lateral extremities of each top-surface edge. The lateral side surfaces of the plate-shaped bodies 900, 910, which extends perpendicular to the top-surface edge, form side guides 902, 912, which in the assembled state, are in a sliding contact with the lateral surfaces 100, 110 of the respective recess 10, 11 of the body 1 of the socket. The side guides 902, 912 extend laterally beyond the taper 901, 911. Thus, in a top view, the shutters 90, 91 are U-shaped. The spring 9 is made from spring wire and has a coil 94 and two brackets 92, 93 that adjoin the coil 94 on either side. The coil 94 has several convolutions. The two brackets 92, 93 extend from the coil 94 essentially parallel to the same direction from the coil 94. In the mounted state, the coil is oriented perpendicular to the middle plane M of the body 1 and the central axis C of the coil 94 lies within the middle plane M. The brackets 92, 93 extend spaced apart from the middle plane M parallel to the middle plane M. After a first parallel section, the brackets extend further in an angular section at an outwardly directed acute angle with respect to the parallel section. After the angular section, the brackets extend essentially perpendicular to the parallel section. The spring 9 is fixed to the blocking shutters 90, 91 with the perpendicular sections. The fixation is allocated at the centre of a lateral surface, which lies opposite the side of the blocking shutter 90, 91 that comprises the taper 901, 911. REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

1 Body 50 third channel

10 first recess 6 first electrical

100 first lateral side contact

101 second lateral side 7 second electrical contact

11 second recess

third electrical

110 first lateral side

contact

111 second lateral side

9 Spring

12 Cut-out

90 first shutter

13 first insulating

900 Body

element

901 Taper

14 Flange

902 Side guide

15 Clamping element

91 second shutter

16 second insulating

element 910 Body

2 Cover 911 Taper

20 Plate 912 Side guide

92 first bracket

3 first opening

30 first channel 93 second bracket

4 second opening 94 Coil

40 second channel M middle plane

C central axis

5 third opening

Claims

1. A socket comprising a housing (1, 2) with at least two electrical contacts (6, 7, 8), and at least two blocking shutters (90, 91), wherein the housing (1, 2) comprising at least two openings (3, 4, 5) at its front side, wherein the at least two electrical contacts (6, 7, 8) are arranged within the housing (1, 2), at least partially, wherein each of the at least two electrical contacts (6, 7, 8) is arranged behind one of the at least two openings (3, 4, 5),

wherein each of the at least two blocking shutters (90, 91) is arranged within the housing (1, 2) between one of the at least two openings (3, 4, 5) and the corresponding

electrical contact (6, 7, 8), wherein each of the at least two blocking shutters (90, 91) is laterally slidable from a first position, in which the at least two blocking shutters (90, 91) separate the at least two openings (3, 4, 5) from the corresponding at least two electrical contacts (6, 7, 8), to a second position, in which the at least two electrical contacts (6, 7, 8) are accessible from the outside through the at least two openings (3, 4, 5), characterised in that the at least two blocking shutters (90, 91) are connected to each other by means of at least one spring ( 9 ) .

2. The socket according to claim 1, wherein the housing (1, 2) comprises at least two channels (30, 40, 50), wherein the at least two openings (3, 4, 5) define the at least two channels (30, 40, 50) on their front side and wherein the at least two electrical contacts (6, 7, 8) are arranged within the at least two channels (30, 40, 50), at least partially.

3. The socket according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the housing (1, 2) comprises a body (1) and a cover (2), wherein the cover (2) is arranged on the body (1) at least on the front side of the body (1) and wherein the at least two openings (3, 4, 5) are formed within the cover (2).

4. The socket according to claim 3, wherein the cover (2) is essentially a plate (20) that covers the front side of the body (1), at least partially.

5. The socket according to claim 3, wherein the cover (2) is essentially a husk with a front plate and lateral faces adjoining the front plate and extending from the front plate in an essentially perpendicular direction to the front plate, wherein the front plate of the husk covers the front side of the body (1), at least partially and wherein the lateral faces of the husk cover the lateral sides of the body (1), at least partially.

6. The socket according to one of claims 3 to 5, wherein at least two recesses (10, 11) are arranged on the front side of the body (1), wherein the lateral extension of each of the at least two recesses (10, 11) is bigger than the lateral extension of each of the projection of the at least two openings (3, 4, 5), at least partially.

7. The socket according to claim 6, wherein at least one cut-out (12) is arranged on the front side of the body (1) between the at least two recesses (10, 11), joining the at least two recesses (10, 11) and wherein the at least one spring (9) is arranged within the at least one cut-out (12), at least partially.

8. The socket according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the at least two openings (3, 4, 5) has a different lateral extension than at least one of the other openings (3, 4, 5).

9. The socket according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the at least two recesses (10, 11) has a different lateral extension than at least one of the other recesses (10, 11).

10. The socket according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each of the at least two blocking shutters (90, 91) has a plate-shaped body (900, 910) with a taper (901, 911) at one of its top surface edges, at least partially.

11. The socket according to claim 10, wherein each of the at least two blocking shutters (90, 91) is attached to the at least one spring (9) in the centre of a lateral side of the plate-shaped body (900, 910), which is opposite to a lateral side of the plate-shaped body (900, 910) that comprises the top surface edge with the taper (901, 911).

12. The socket according to claim 10 or 11, wherein each of the at least two blocking shutters (90, 91) comprises two side guides (902, 912), which extend over the taper (901, 911) and which include two lateral sides of the plate shaped body (900, 910), which adjoin the side of the plate shaped body (900, 910), which comprises the taper (901,

911) .

13. The socket according to one of claims 9 to 12, wherein at least one of the at least two blocking shutters (90, 91) has a different lateral extension than at least one of the other blocking shutters (90, 91).

14. The socket according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each of the at least one spring (9) comprises a first bracket (92) that is attached to a first blocking shutter (90), a second bracket (93) that is attached to a second blocking shutter (91) and a coil (94), which

connects the first bracket (92) to the second bracket (93).

15. The socket according to claim 14, wherein each bracket (92, 93) of the spring (9) comprises a section extending essentially perpendicular to the lateral side of the blocking shutter (90, 91) it is attached to.