WO2023048435A1

WO2023048435A1 - Multi-socket adaptor and home appliance having same

Info

Publication number: WO2023048435A1
Application number: PCT/KR2022/013771
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jihye Lee; Hyokune Hwang; Jung Eun Choi
Original assignee: Lg Electronics Inc.
Priority date: 2021-09-23
Filing date: 2022-09-15
Publication date: 2023-03-30
Also published as: KR20230042976A

Abstract

Proposed is a home appliance in which a power connection part configured to receive power is provided in a rear cover, and a multi-socket adaptor is coupled to the power connection part so as to supply power to the home appliance, wherein the multi-socket adaptor is connected to a multi-socket adaptor of another home appliance by a power cord. Accordingly, a plurality of home appliances may share power with each other.

Description

MULTI-SOCKET ADAPTOR AND HOME APPLIANCE HAVING SAME

The present disclosure relates to a multi-socket adaptor and a home appliance having the same, whereby a plurality of multi-socket adaptors is placed side by side in horizontal or vertical directions so as to share power.

In general, a home appliance is a product operated by receiving power and may include various electrical appliances used at home, such as a washing machine, a refrigerator, an air conditioner, a dishwasher, and an air purifier.

Each of the home appliances described above is configured to receive power while a power cord is coupled to a socket provided on a wall in the room.

Meanwhile, in the past, various home appliances were provided indoors, but the number of sockets which are provided on a wall surface indoors and can be connected with power cords is limited, so multi-socket adaptors are installed to share power.

The multi-socket adaptor is configured to have one power cord connected to the socket of a wall surface and to have a plurality of sockets which is connected to the associated power cord such that each of the plurality of sockets is connected to a power cord of at least one home appliance.

However, the number of power cords connected to such a multi-socket adaptor is limited. Because of this, a house having many home appliances uses a plurality of multi-socket adaptors, and the multi-socket adaptors are connected to each other so as to simultaneously supply power to each of the home appliances.

However, in the above-described conventional method, when power cords connected to a plurality of multi-socket adapters are not arranged, the power cords are entangled with each other, which causes inconvenience in use.

Particularly, considering that when the power cord has deformation such as folding, the power cord may be disconnected, it is necessary to arrange the power cord accurately.

Accordingly, conventionally, various structures for organizing each of the power cords are provided, and this is disclosed in Korean Utility Model Application No. 20-2010-0010117, Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2011-0079944, and Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2015-0025032.

However, since the multi-socket adapter according to the conventional technologies described above is provided separately from a home appliance, the multi-socket adapter is left on the floor, which is not aesthetically pleasing.

That is, in the case of the conventional technologies described above, the power cord can be arranged efficiently, but the multi-socket adapter is left on the floor without being arranged.

Accordingly, a user prevents the multi-socket adapter from being exposed to the outside by placing the multi-socket adapter behind the home appliance.

However, when the multi-socket adaptor is located behind the home appliance, the home appliance is inevitably spaced apart from an indoor wall surface as much as the thickness of the associated multi-socket adaptor, and thus indoor space decreases as much as the thickness of the associated multi-socket adaptor.

In addition, the multi-socket adaptor according to the conventional technologies described above is configured such that a power cord is connected to the multi-socket adaptor in a direction of thickness thereof. Because of this, depending on the arrangement of each of home appliances, the connection direction of each of the power cords is inevitably different, so it is difficult to neatly organize the power cords.

Meanwhile, in recent years, a small home appliance is preferred. Such a small home appliance has the advantage of being able to be installed in a narrow or low space, but when a plurality of small home appliances are provided, much space for installing the small home appliances are required.

Accordingly, recently, a plurality of small home appliances are arranged by being stacked on each other, or are arranged vertically or horizontally by using a separate storage frame. Accordingly, while it is possible to reduce the waste of space due to non-use of an upper space, a plurality of home appliances is provided in a single structure, so usability thereof can be improved.

However, as described above, when the plurality of home appliances are stacked on each other or are arranged vertically or horizontally by using the storage frame, power cords get tangled up in a complicated way. Additionally, to connect the plurality of home appliances to one socket on a wall surface, a plurality of multi-socket adaptors are required to be provided, and thus the power cords may be entangled in a more complicated way.

Accordingly, the present disclosure has been made to solve various problems occurring in the related art.

The present disclosure is intended to propose a multi-socket adaptor and a home appliance having the same in which the home appliance and the multi-socket adaptor are provided integrally with each other such that the inconvenience of storing the multi-socket adaptor separately can be eliminated.

The present disclosure is intended to propose a multi-socket adaptor and a home appliance having the same in which when at least two home appliances are provided, power cords for sharing power can be connected to the associated home appliances without being bent or twisted regardless of the arrangement of the associated home appliances.

The present disclosure is intended to propose a multi-socket adaptor and a home appliance having the same in which power cords of the multi-socket adaptor are arranged to be radially connected thereto such that an increase of the front-to-rear thickness of the multi-socket adaptor can be minimized.

In order to achieve the above objectives, a multi-socket adaptor of the present disclosure may include at least one input connection part to which a plug of a power cord provided for power input is connected.

The multi-socket adaptor of the present disclosure may include a first output connection part which is connected to a home appliance and supplies power thereto.

The multi-socket adaptor of the present disclosure may include at least one second output connection part to which the plug of the power cord is connected so as to supply power to another home appliance or an electronic product.

According to the multi-socket adaptor of the present disclosure, the first output connection part may be provided on a surface of a body part facing the home appliance and may be connected to a power connection part of the home appliance.

According to the multi-socket adaptor of the present disclosure, the first output connection part may be configured to protrude toward the home appliance from a body part.

According to the multi-socket adaptor of the present disclosure, the first output connection part may be installed to be rotatable in the peripheral direction of the body part.

According to the multi-socket adaptor of the present disclosure, the input connection part may be provided on at least any one portion of the peripheral surface of the body part.

According to the multi-socket adaptor of the present disclosure, the second output connection part may be provided on at least any one portion of the peripheral surface of the body part.

According to the multi-socket adaptor of the present disclosure, at least a portion of the peripheral surface of the body part may be formed to be round.

According to the multi-socket adaptor of the present disclosure, at least one connection part of the input connection part and the second output connection part may be formed as a female plug.

According to the multi-socket adaptor of the present disclosure, at least one connection part of the input connection part and the second output connection part may be formed as a male plug.

To achieve the above objectives, the home appliance of the present disclosure may include a rear cover provided with the power connection part.

The home appliance of the present disclosure may include the multi-socket adaptor having the first output connection part to be selectively connected to the power connection part.

According to the home appliance of the present disclosure, a receiving recess in which the multi-socket adaptor is received may be formed in the rear cover by being recessed therefrom.

According to the home appliance of the present disclosure, the power connection part may be located in the receiving recess.

According to the home appliance of the present disclosure, the circumferential surface of the receiving recess may be formed to be round.

According to the home appliance of the present disclosure, at least a portion of the peripheral surface of the multi-socket adaptor may be formed to be round.

According to the home appliance of the present disclosure, a mounting groove may be formed in the rear cover by being recessed therefrom such that the power cord is received and mounted in the mounting groove.

According to the home appliance of the present disclosure, the mounting groove may be formed to communicate with the inside of the receiving recess.

According to the home appliance of the present disclosure, a portion at which the receiving recess and the mounting groove are connected to each other may be formed to be inclined or round such that the connection portion expands gradually toward the receiving recess from the mounting groove.

According to the home appliance of the present disclosure, the mounting groove may be formed radially around the power connection part located in the receiving recess.

According to the home appliance of the present disclosure, the mounting groove may be formed vertically or horizontally around the power connection part located in the receiving recess.

According to the home appliance of the present disclosure, an interval may be defined between the inner circumferential surface of the receiving recess and the outer peripheral surface of the multi-socket adaptor such that the power cord can pass therebetween.

According to the home appliance of the present disclosure, a distance between the inner circumferential surface of the receiving recess and the peripheral surface of the multi-socket adaptor may be longer than the length of the plug of the power cord.

According to the home appliance of the present disclosure, at least any one connection part of the first output connection part of the multi-socket adaptor and the power connection part of the rear cover may be configured to be rotatable.

As described above, the multi-socket adaptor and the home appliance having the same according to the present disclosure may have the following various effects.

According to the present disclosure, the home appliance and the multi-socket adaptor may be provided integrally with each other, thereby eliminating the inconvenience of storing the multi-socket adaptor separately.

According to the present disclosure, the receiving recess may be formed in the rear cover by being recessed therefrom, thereby preventing the multi-socket adaptor from being damaged due to hitting which may be caused by the multi-socket adaptor protruding to the rear side of the rear cover.

According to the present disclosure, a power cord may be wound on the peripheral surface of the multi-socket adaptor or may be guided by the inner circumferential surface of the receiving recess so as to be connected to an associated multi-socket adaptor without being bent sharply, thereby preventing damage to the power cord.

According to the present disclosure, a sufficient interval may be provided between the inner circumferential surface of the receiving recess and the peripheral surface of the multi-socket adaptor, thereby facilitating the coupling or separating of a plug to or from a connection part.

According to the present disclosure, the power cords of the multi-socket adaptor may be arranged to be radially connected thereto, thereby minimizing the increase of the front-to-rear thickness of the multi-socket adaptor. Accordingly, the front-to-rear distance of the installation space of the home appliance may be minimized.

According to the present disclosure, at least one of the first output connection part of the multi-socket adaptor and the power connection part of the rear cover may be configured to be rotatable, thereby stabilizing the power connection of adjacent multi-socket adaptors to each other regardless of the arrangement of each home appliance.

According to the present disclosure, an extension end may be formed in a portion at which the receiving recess of the rear cover and the mounting groove are connected to each other, thereby preventing the power cord from being sharply bent. Accordingly, damage to the power cord may be reduced.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view illustrating one example of an installed state of a home appliance according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view illustrating the one example of the installed state of the home appliance according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating one example of a storage frame according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating another example of the storage frame according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view illustrating another example of the installed state of the home appliance in the storage frame according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an important part illustrating a relation in which a rear cover is coupled to a multi-socket adaptor according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view illustrating an example of a state in which a power cord is connected to the multi-socket adaptor according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view illustrating another example of a state in which the power cord is connected to the multi-socket adaptor according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a state of connecting the power cord to the multi-socket adaptor according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a state in which the power cord is connected to the multi-socket adaptor according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a rear perspective view illustrating still another example of a state in which the power cord is connected to the multi-socket adaptor according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of a state in which the power cord is connected to the multi-socket adaptor according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of an "A" part of FIG. 12.

Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment of a multi-socket adaptor and a home appliance having the same according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view illustrating one example of an installed state of a home appliance of the present disclosure, and FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view illustrating the one example of the installed state of the home appliance of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in these drawings, the

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104 of the present disclosure may be configured as small home appliances. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104 may include at least any one of a small refrigerator, a showcase refrigerator (a wine refrigerator), a microwave, and a microwave oven. Of course, various home appliances not shown may be additionally included in the

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104.

The plurality of

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104 may be stacked on each other or may be arranged to be located side by side. For example, the small refrigerator 101 and the showcase refrigerator 102 may be arranged side by side, and the microwave oven 103 and the microwave 104 may be arranged to be respectively stacked on the upper surfaces of the

refrigerators

101 and 102.

The

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104 may be formed to have different sizes (vertical heights or horizontal widths), or may be formed to have the same heights or the same widths.

Meanwhile, the plurality of

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104 may be stacked on each other or may be arranged side by side by using a storage frame 200. That is, the

storage spaces

201, 202, 203, and 204 of the storage frame 200 designed for installing the

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104 may be installed to receive the

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104, respectively.

The storage frame 200 may be configured to be open in front and rear thereof and to cover the upper, lower, left, and right surfaces of each of the

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the storage frame 200 may be formed as a single storage closet having a plurality of

storage spaces

201, 202, 203, and 204.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the storage frame 200 may be configured as an individual structure manufactured to fit each of the

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104, and each of storage frames 200 may be vertically stacked on each other or may be arranged side by side.

FIG. 5 illustrates a state in which one storage space 204 of the storage frame 200 is empty.

The

home appliance

101, 102, 103, or 104 may include a rear cover 300.

The rear cover 300 may constitute a rear surface of an associated

home appliance

101, 102, 103, or 104. That is, the rear surface of the exterior of the

home appliance

101, 102, 103, or 104 may be constituted by the rear cover 300.

Although not shown, the rear covers 300 may be provided separately from the rear surfaces of the

home appliance

101, 102, 103, and 104 and may be formed to cover the rear surface of the

home appliance

101, 102, 103, or 104. In this case, the rear covers 300 may be formed to have different sizes (vertical heights or horizontal widths) according to the types of the

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104.

The rear cover 300 may be provided with the power connection part 310. The power connection part 310 may be configured to be connected to the

home appliance

101, 102, 103, or 104 and to receive external power.

The power connection part 310 may be formed as a male plug (a shape in which a terminal is exposed to the outside from the inside of a plug housing) or may be formed as a female plug (a shape in which a terminal is hidden in the plug housing). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the power connection part 310 may be formed as a male plug. The female plug may be a socket, and the male plug may be a plug.

The power connection part 310 may be connected to a power supply device (not shown) of an associated

home appliance

101, 102, 103, or 104. For example, the power connection part 310 may be formed integrally with the power supply device, or may be formed to be connected to the power supply device by using a separate power line.

A receiving recess 320 in which the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 to be described later is received may be formed in the rear cover 300 by being recessed therefrom. The power connection part 310 may be formed in the receiving recess 320.

The receiving recess 320 may be formed to have depth such that at least a portion of the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 is received in the receiving recess 320. The receiving recess 320 may be formed to have depth equal to or deeper than the front-to-rear thickness of the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent interference with or damage to the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404, such as hitting, which may be caused by the protrusion of the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 from the rear cover 300.

The circumferential surface of the receiving recess 320 may be formed to be round. Due to the round circumferential surface of the receiving recess 320, the

power cord

10 or 20 may be wound and organized between the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 and the circumferential surface of the receiving recess 320.

An interval may be defined between the inner circumferential surface of the receiving recess 320 and the peripheral surface of the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 such that the

power cord

10 or 20 can pass therebetween. Accordingly, the

power cord

10 or 20 may be wound or bent along space between the circumferential surface of the receiving recess 320 and the peripheral surface of the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 and may be guided to be led toward another

home appliance

101, 102, 103, or 104.

A distance between the inner circumferential surface of the receiving recess 320 and the peripheral surface of the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 may be formed to be longer than the length of a

plug

11 or 21 formed on the

power cord

10 or 20. Accordingly, in the receiving recess 320, the

plug

11 or 21 may be separated from or coupled to the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404.

Of course, since the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 can be separated from the

home appliance

101, 102, 103, or 104, a distance between the inner circumferential surface of the receiving recess 320 and the peripheral surface of the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 may be shorter than the length of the

plug

11 or 21.

A mounting groove 330 may be formed in the rear cover 300 by being recessed therefrom such that the

power cord

10 or 20 is mounted in the mounting groove. The mounting groove 330 may be formed from the inner circumferential surface of the receiving recess 320 of the rear cover 300 to any one end of the associated rear cover 300. Accordingly, while the

power cord

10 or 20 is mounted in the mounting groove 330, the

power cord

10 or 20 may not protrude from the rear cover 300, and may be connected to the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 located in the receiving recess 320.

The mounting groove 330 may be formed radially relative to the inner center of the receiving recess 320. For example, the mounting groove 330 may be formed vertically or horizontally relative to the inner center of the receiving recess 320. In this case, the mounting groove 330 formed vertically may function to guide the connection of the

power cord

10 or 20 to another

home appliance

101, 102, 103, or 104 located on the upper or lower side of the associated

home appliance

101, 102, 103, or 104. Of course, at least one mounting groove of the mounting grooves 330 at the upper and lower sides may function to guide the connection of the power cord 10 (a first power cord), which is connected to a socket of an indoor wall surface or another socket, to the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 of an associated

home appliance

101, 102, 103, or 104.

An extension end 340 which is inclined or round may be formed in a portion at which the receiving recess 320 and the mounting groove 330 are connected to each other such that the connection portion expands gradually toward the receiving recess 320 from the mounting groove 330. Such an extension end 340 may function to prevent the

power cord

10 or 20 passing through the associated part from being damaged by being sharply bent. Of course, due to the structure of the extension end 340 described above, when the extension end 340 is manufactured by injection molding, the wear of the mold of the associated part may be reduced.

Next, the home appliance according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may include the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404.

The

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 may be a device connected with the

power cords

10 and 20 such that the multi-socket adaptor supplies external power to the power connection part 310 of the associated

home appliance

101, 102, 103, or 104.

The

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 may be configured to receive external power from the first power cord 10 so as to supply the external power to one or more other power cords 20 (a second power cord). That is, the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 may be configured to supply power to a plurality of

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104.

Hereinafter, the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 6, 9, and 10.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an important part illustrating a state in which the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 is coupled to the rear cover 300. FIGS. 9 and 10 are perspective views of the state of connecting each of the

power cords

10 and 20 to the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404.

As illustrated in these drawings, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 may include a body part 410 constituting the appearance of the multi-socket adaptor.

The body part 410 may be configured as a block-type structure having a front surface, a rear surface, and a peripheral surface.

The front and rear surfaces of the body part 410 may be formed as flat surfaces. In this case, the rear surface of the body part 410 may be provided as a surface facing the rear cover 300, and the front surface of the body part 410 may be provided as a surface (a surface opposite to the surface facing the rear cover) exposed to the outside.

A first output connection part 420 may be provided on the rear surface of the body part 410. The first output connection part 420 may be connected to the power connection part 310 of the rear cover 300 and may supply power to the

home appliance

101, 102, 103, or 104. The first output connection part 420 and the power connection part 310 may be respectively formed as a female plug and a male plug to be connected to each other. For example, the power connection part 310 may be formed as a male plug, and the first output connection part 420 may be formed as a female plug.

A plug housing 421 of the first output connection part 420 may be formed from the rear surface of the body part 410 by protruding therefrom such that the plug housing 421 is inserted into a plug housing 311 of the power connection part 310. A plurality of terminals 312 may be provided in the plug housing 311 of the power connection part 310 such that the terminals 312 are exposed to the outside, and may be inserted into and connected respectively to terminal grooves 422 formed in the plug housing 421 of the first output connection part 420.

At least a portion of the peripheral surface of the body part 410 may be formed to be round. For example, the peripheral surface of the body part 410 may have opposite side surfaces, an upper surface, and a lower surface, and each corner of the body part 410 may be formed to be round.

At least one input connection part 430 and at least one second output connection part 440 may be provided on the opposite side surfaces, upper and lower surfaces of the body part 410. For example, the input connection part 430 may be provided on the lower surface of the body part 410. A reason for which the input connection part 430 is formed on the lower surface of the body part 410 is that a wall socket provided on an indoor wall surface is generally located at a lower portion of the associated wall surface (located at a position lower than the center of the home appliance).

When the input connection part 430 is provided on the lower surface of the body part 410, the second output connection part 440 may be provided on each of the opposite side surfaces and upper surface of the body part 410.

The input connection part 430 may be connected to the plug 11 of the power cord 10 (the first power cord) connected to the wall socket (or another power socket) so as to receive power. Such an input connection part 430 may be formed as a male plug. The first power cord 10 may be formed as a power plug (ex., a type C plug)(not shown) connected to a socket in a first end of the first power cord 10, and may be formed as a female plug connected to the input connection part 430 in a second end of the first power cord 10.

The second output connection part 440 may be a socket connected with the plug of the power cord 20 (the second power cord) such that the power cord 20 transmits power to another home appliance (or an electronic product). Such a second output connection part 440 may be formed as a female plug, and a first end of the second power cord 20 may be formed as a male plug so as to be connected to the second output connection part 440, and a second end of the second power cord 20 may be formed as a female plug so as to be connected to an input connection part 430 constituting the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 of another home appliance.

Although not shown, the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 may include at least two input connection parts 430.

Hereinafter, the arrangement of the

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104 having the

multi-socket adaptors

401, 402, 403, and 404 of the present disclosure described above, and the connection structure of the

power cords

10 and 20 will be described in more detail.

First, the plurality of

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104 may be arranged to be vertically stacked on each other. For example, a small microwave oven 103 may be located on the upper surface of the small refrigerator 101.

The plurality of

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104 may be arranged side by side. For example, a showcase refrigerator 102 may be located on the side of the small refrigerator 101.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the plurality of

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104 may be vertically stacked and arranged side by side. For example, the small microwave oven 103 may be located on the upper surface of the small refrigerator 101, the showcase refrigerator 102 may be located on the side of the small refrigerator 101, and the microwave 104 may be located on the upper surface of the showcase refrigerator 102. In this case, the microwave 104 may be located on the side of the small microwave oven 103.

The

home appliance

101, 102, 103, and 104 may be respectively received in the

storage spaces

201, 202, 203, and 204 of the storage frame 200 (the storage closet). The front surface of each of the

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104 may be exposed to the front side of the storage frame 200, and the rear cover 300 located on the rear surface of each of the

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104 may be exposed to the rear side of the storage frame 200.

The

multi-socket adaptors

401, 402, 403, and 404 may be respectively coupled to the rear covers 300 of the

home appliance

101, 102, 103, and 104. That is, the input connection parts 430 of the

multi-socket adaptors

401, 402, 403, and 404 may be connected to the power connection parts 310 provided in the rear covers 300 so as to electrically communicate with each other.

The first end of the first power cord 10 may be connected to the input connection part 430 of the multi-socket adaptor 401 (the first multi-socket adaptor) provided in one home appliance 101 of the

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104.

The power plug formed on the second end of the first power cord 10 may be connected to a wall socket (or another socket). Accordingly, the associated home appliance 101 may receive power supplied into a room.

A male plug formed on a first end of the second power cord 20 may be connected to the second output connection part 440 provided on any one portion of the peripheral surface of the body part 410 of the first multi-socket adaptor 401. A female plug formed on a second end of the second power cord 20 may be connected to the input connection part 430 located at a side portion of the multi-socket adaptor 402 (a second multi-socket adaptor) of the home appliance 102. A portion of the second power cord 20 may be installed by being bent along space between the inner circumferential surface of the receiving recess 320 and the peripheral surface of the multi-socket adaptor 402 (see FIG. 7) or may be installed by being wound on the peripheral surface of the multi-socket adaptor 402 (see FIG. 8).

A male plug of another second power cord 20 may be connected to the second output connection part 440 provided on the upper surface of the body part 410 of the first multi-socket adaptor 401, and a female plug of the another second power cord 20 may be connected to the input connection part 430 of the multi-socket adaptor 403 (a third multi-socket adaptor) of the home appliance 103 located on the upper side of the home appliance 101.

A male plug of still another second power cord 20 may be connected to the second output connection part 440 provided on the upper surface of the body part 410 of the second multi-socket adaptor 402, and a female plug of the still another second power cord 20 may be connected to the input connection part 430 of the multi-socket adaptor 404 (a fourth multi-socket adaptor) of the home appliance 104 located on the upper side of the home appliance 102.

Of course, unlike the above-described embodiment, the fourth multi-socket adaptor 404 may be configured to receive power from the third multi-socket adaptor 403, not from the second multi-socket adaptor 402.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 11, the first end of the second power cord 20 may be connected to one second output connection part 440 of the third multi-socket adaptor 403, and the second end of the second power cord 20 may be connected to the input connection part 430 of the fourth multi-socket adaptor 404.

Finally, through power connection between the

multi-socket adaptors

401, 402, 403, and 404 of the

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104 described above, each of the

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104 may share power supplied from the first power cord 10.

Accordingly, according to the present disclosure, the

home appliance

101, 102, 103, or 104 and the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 may be provided integrally with each other, so the inconvenience of storing the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 separately may be eliminated.

According to the present disclosure, the

power cord

10 or 20 may be wound on the peripheral surface of the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 or may be guided by the inner circumferential surface of the receiving recess 320 so as to be connected to an associated

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 without being bent sharply, so damage to the

power cord

10 or 20 may be prevented.

According to the present disclosure, each of the

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104 may share power through power connection between adjacent

multi-socket adaptors

401, 402, 403, and 404 regardless of the arrangement of the

home appliances

101, 102, 103, and 104

According to the present disclosure, the

power cords

10 and 20 of the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 may be arranged to be radially connected thereto, so the increase of the front-to-rear thickness of the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 may be minimized. Accordingly, the front-to-rear distance of the installation space of the

home appliance

101, 102, 103, or 104 may be minimized.

Meanwhile, the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 of the present disclosure and the

home appliance

101, 102, 103, or 104 having the same may not be provided only in the above-described embodiment.

In another embodiment, at least one connection part of the first output connection part 420 of the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 and the power connection part 310 of the rear cover 300, which are provided in the

home appliance

101, 102, 103, or 104, may be configured to be rotatable.

That is, as illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13, a second output connection part 440 of one

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 and an input connection part 430 of another

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 may be located to face each other. Accordingly, power connection between the multi-socket adaptors may be possible even if the

power cord

10 or 20 is not wound or bent sharply.

Particularly, when the one

connection part

310 or 420 is configured to be rotatable, the power connection part 310 of the rear cover 300 may be located at the center of the receiving recess 320. Of course, the first output connection part 420 may be configured to be located at the center of the rear surface of the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404, so even if the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 is rotated, a distance between the peripheral surface of the associated

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 and the inner circumferential surface of the receiving recess 320 may be maintained to be constant.

In still another embodiment, although not shown, the rear cover 300 may be configured to be installed not on the

home appliance

101, 102, 103, or 104 but on the rear surface of the storage frame 200.

Accordingly, the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 of the present disclosure and the

home appliance

101, 102, 103, or 104 having the same may be embodied in various forms.

The shape of each component of the

multi-socket adaptor

401, 402, 403, or 404 or the rear cover 300 of the present disclosure may include each structure of the embodiments described above or only at least a portion thereof.

Claims

A multi-socket adaptor comprising:

a body part constituting an appearance of the multi-socket adaptor;

at least one input connection part provided in the body part and connected with a plug of a power cord provided for power input;

a first output connection part provided in the body part and connected to a home appliance so as to supply power thereto; and

at least one second output connection part provided in the body part and connected with a plug of a power cord to supply power to another home appliance or an electronic product,

wherein the first output connection part is provided on a surface of the body part facing the home appliance among each portion of the body part and is connected to a power connection part of the home appliance.
The multi-socket adaptor of claim 1, wherein the first output connection part is configured to protrude toward the home appliance from the body part such that the first output connection part is connected to the power connection part of the home appliance.
The multi-socket adaptor of claim 1, wherein the first output connection part is installed to be rotatable in a peripheral direction of the body part.
The multi-socket adaptor of claim 1, wherein the input connection part is provided on at least any one portion of a peripheral surface of the body part.
The multi-socket adaptor of claim 1, wherein the second output connection part is provided on at least any one portion of a peripheral surface of the body part.
The multi-socket adaptor of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of a peripheral surface of the body part is formed to be round.
The multi-socket adaptor of claim 1, wherein one connection part of the input connection part and the second output connection part is formed as a female plug, and one remaining connection part of the input connection part and the second output connection part is formed as a male plug.
A home appliance comprising:

a rear cover provided with a power connection part configured to receive power; and

a multi-socket adaptor comprising a body part constituting an appearance of the multi-socket adaptor, an input connection part configured to receive power, a first output connection part connected to the power connection part of the rear cover so as to supply the received power to the home appliance, and a second output connection part configured to supply the power to another home appliance or an electronic product.
The home appliance of claim 8, wherein a receiving recess in which the multi-socket adaptor is received is formed in the rear cover by being recessed therefrom, and

the power connection part is located inside the receiving recess.
The home appliance of claim 9, wherein a circumferential surface of the receiving recess is formed to be round.
The home appliance of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of a peripheral surface of the multi-socket adaptor is formed to be round.
The home appliance of claim 9, wherein a mounting groove is formed in the rear cover by being recessed therefrom such that a power cord connected to the multi-socket adaptor located in the receiving recess is received and mounted in the mounting groove.
The home appliance of claim 12, wherein a portion at which the receiving recess and the mounting groove are connected to each other is formed to be inclined or round such that the connection portion expands gradually toward the receiving recess from the mounting groove.
The home appliance of claim 12, wherein the mounting groove is formed radially around the power connection part located in the receiving recess.
The home appliance of claim 12, wherein the mounting groove is formed vertically or horizontally around the power connection part located in the receiving recess.
The home appliance of claim 9, wherein an interval is defined between an inner circumferential surface of the receiving recess and an outer peripheral surface of the multi-socket adaptor such that a power cord passes therebetween.
The home appliance of claim 9, wherein a distance between an inner circumferential surface of the receiving recess and a peripheral surface of the multi-socket adaptor is longer than a length of a plug of a power cord.
The home appliance of claim 9, wherein the receiving recess is formed to have a depth such that at least a portion of the multi-socket adaptor is received in the receiving recess.
The home appliance of claim 9, wherein the receiving recess is formed to have a depth equal to or deeper than a thickness of the multi-socket adaptor.
The home appliance of claim 8, wherein at least one connection part of the first output connection part of the multi-socket adaptor and the power connection part of the rear cover is configured to be rotatable.