U.S. patent number 3,668,607 [Application Number 05/109,097] was granted by the patent office on 1972-06-06 for electrical socket.
Invention is credited to Ivan A. Farnworth.
United States Patent |
3,668,607 |
Farnworth |
June 6, 1972 |
ELECTRICAL SOCKET
Abstract
An electrical socket device incorporating at least one spool
constructed to receive the prongs of an electrical plug. The spool
is rotationally displaceable and coacts with the remainder of the
socket structure such that the plug prongs can be locked in place
upon suitable rotational displacement of the spool, and this for
the purpose of providing direct electrical connection as between
the plug prongs and the electrical terminals or contact of a socket
construction. A socket construction is made such that there is no
electrical connection as between the plug prongs and the socket
electrical contacts until the prongs of a particular plug are
inserted in the aforementioned rotatable spool and the spool
depressed and rotated. The construction affords many safety
features for children so that metal items, inadvertently positioned
through the prong holes of the spool, cannot make electrical
connection until after the spool is both depressed and rotationally
displaced.
Inventors: |
Farnworth; Ivan A. (Orem,
UT) |
Family
ID: |
22325752 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/109,097 |
Filed: |
January 25, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
439/139;
439/638 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R
13/71 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01R
13/44 (20060101); H01r 013/44 () |
Field of
Search: |
;339/36,40,41,189R,14R
;200/16A,60,156 |
Foreign Patent Documents
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|
|
|
|
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83,047 |
|
Aug 1957 |
|
DK |
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1,297,909 |
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May 1962 |
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FR |
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Primary Examiner: Champion; Marvin A.
Assistant Examiner: Lewis; Terrell P.
Claims
1. An electrical socket including a housing; a socket spool
jounaled in said housing for rotational displacement, said socket
spool including a disk, a flange, and a shaft interconnecting said
disk and flange, said disk being provided with prong-receiving
apertures and being constructed to permit the prongs of an external
plug to pass therethrough and protrude therebeyond, said housing
having a first terminal provided with an external connection and
also second and third terminals, said first and second terminals
being positioned to respectively engage said prongs upon rotational
displacement of said spool away from its normal, inactive position
and into its electrically operative position; and electrically
conductive shorting bar affixed to said spool proximate the
juncture of said shaft and said flange, a compression spring
disposed between said housing and said flange, said shorting bar
and said terminals being constructed and arranged such that, in the
absence of spool depression and rotational dispencement, said
shorting bar is disposed out of engagement with said second and
third terminals, but upon depression of said spool, as through plug
insertion therein, and subsequent rotational displacement of said
spool such that said prongs assume a position of alignment with
said first and second terminals, respectively, followed by release
of said spool, said shorting bar assumes a position across said
second and third terminals and, under the spring pressure of said
compression spring against said flange, engages said second and
third terminals to complete electrical connection therebetween,
said third terminal also having an
2. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said housing comprises a
pair of separable, electrically connected terminal member, one of
said terminal
3. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said first and second
terminals include oppositely extending fingers defining oppositely
extending slots
4. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said housing includes a
central portion provided with first and second detent means
cooperable with said shorting bar, said first detent means being
positioned to receive said shorting bar when said spool is in its
normal electrically inactive position, said second detent means
being positioned to receive said shorting bar when said spool is in
its electrically active position, said second and third terminals
extending into said second detent means for
5. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said spool includes an
aperture for receiving a green ground prong of an external
electrical plug, said housing having a green ground terminal
positioned for cooperative
6. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said housing includes a
pair of socket prong extensions respectively connected to said
first and second terminals, comprising said external connections
and extending to the rear
7. Structure according to claim 3 wherein said first and second
terminals each include respective cogwheels journaled thereto for
releasably locking
8. Structure according to claim 5 wherein housing includes a pair
of socket prong extensions respectively connected to said first and
second terminals, comprising said external connections and
extending to the rear of said housing, for plug-in connection to an
installed socket, said housing also including an electrically
conductive extension connected to said green ground terminal and
extending rearwardly of said housing, for
9. An electrical socket including, in combination an electrically
insulative housing, an insulative spool journaled for rotation in
said housing, said spool being provided with prong-receiving
apertures, spring means for urging said spool outwardly, said
housing having a pair of electrical terminals, said terminals each
being provided with rotatable means for releasably locking the
prongs of an external plug to respective ones of said terminals
upon the rotational displacement of said spool, and one of said
terminals including a medial, shorting bar segment keyed to said
spool.
Description
The present invention relates to electrical sockets constructed to
receive the prongs of electrical plugs and, more particularly, to a
new and improved electrical socket incorporating a number of safety
features relative to use in this position of the socket both for
children and adults.
In the past, a number of different types of electrical sockets have
been devised over the years. The standard electrical socket in
homes and offices, for example, incorporates a fixed socket
constructed to receive the prongs of an electrical plug in a
straightforward manner. The conventional socket has no movable
parts; rather, the electrical contacts of a socket are disposed
immediately behind the prong holes of the socket.
The difficulty as to small children is the change of metal objects
being inadvertently inserted by a child in one or both of the prong
holes of the socket. Since, by virtue of the design of the socket,
a direct electrical connection will thereby be made, serious injury
and even death can be chanced to the child's inadvertent, playful
use thereof.
Manufacturers heretofore have sensed this difficulty and certain
ones have provided for a rotational plate which must be rotated in
order for the prong to be inserted through aligned prong holes into
the U or V-shaped contacts of the socket. But this operation is
easily accomplished by a child through the use of hairpins or nails
and other metallic objects. Hence, the degree of safety provided
such sockets is not the best.
The inventor has conceived and herein discloses a new and useful
electrical socket wherein the electrical prongs of an electrical
cord plug, even though inserted through the prong holes of a
socket, at a spool area designed therefore, will not make
electrical connection. Rather, it is necessary both to depress the
spool and subsequently to rotationally displace the same in order
that the prongs can make electrical connection with the socket. In
the invention, in a preferred embodiment thereof, means are
provided for locking the prongs into electrical connection upon
rotational displacement of a socket spool, which locking effect can
be released only through a subsequent depression of the spool and a
reverse or counterrotation thereof relative to the remainder of the
socket structure. In one embodiment shown, cogwheels are provided
so that the individual protrusions thereof can selectively engage
and lock the plug prongs at the customary holes provided at the
tips thereof.
Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to
provide a new and useful electrical socket.
An additional object is to provide an electrical socket for
receiving the prongs of the end plugs of electrical cords, such
socket exhibiting a maximum of safety features.
An additional object of the invention is to provide inner
electrical socket means for releasably locking in place the
inserted prongs of electrical plugs.
An additional object is to provide an electrical socket provided
with a prong receiving spool means, the latter being constructed to
receive the electrical prongs of the plug, and the spool means
being constructed with the remainder of the socket such that solely
depression of the spool and subsequent rotation of the displacement
thereof will enable the plug prongs of enter into electrical
contact with the electrical terminals of the socket.
A further object of the invention is to provide an electrical
socket having means for releasably locking in place the apertured
prongs of the conventional electrical plug.
The features of the present invention which are believed to be
novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The
present invention, together with further objects and advantages
thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following
description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in
which:
FIG. 1 is a front elevation of socket structure constructed in
accordance with the present invention; for convenience of
illustration the rotationally displaceable spool disposed at the
upper half of the socket construction is deleted, this to
illustrate representative, electrical prong receiving means.
FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the structure of FIG. 1 and
is taken along the line 2--2 in FIG. 1; for convenience of
illustration the spool is deleted from the upper half of the
structure and is broken away and sectioned at the lower half of the
structure.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail taken along the line 3--3
in FIG. 2, and illustrates in horizontal configuration the
horizontal electrical-contact detent for the spool electrical
contact; additionally, there is shown the canted, non-conductive or
neutral detents for such contact of the spool, used thereby before
the spool is rotationally displaced from its neutral position.
FIG. 4 is a view, principally in schematic form, of a subject
socket construction indicating the construction and disposition of
the electrical terminals of the socket and so structure coacting
therewith.
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the upper portion of a
structure of FIG. 2, being a representative portion of the double
socket construction, wherein is shown the insertion of an
electrical plug with inner structures such that the prongs thereof
may be locked in electrically conductive disposition.
FIG. 6 is a section taken along the line 6--6 in FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 5, but illustrates that after the spool
of the socket had been depressed and turned, the same may be
released for locking engagement of the prongs of the plug and for a
receding of the detent of the spool.
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view, principally shown in section and
taken on the line 8--8 in FIG. 7, illustrating the manner in which
the plug prongs become lockingly disposed in releasable engagement
with the electrical contact of the socket.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a device essentially identical to
the structure of FIGS. 1 through 4, but now with the inclusion of
additional electrical contact such that the socket may be used as
an adaptor, plugging into an existing socket and provided with a
case for an encompassing disposition thereover.
In FIG. 1 housing-half 10 is provided with upper and lower,
circular indentations 11 and 12 which are dimensioned to receive
and permit the rotational displacement of respective ones of the
prong-receiving disks 13 of respective spools 14. For convenience
of illustration, one of the spools is shown in FIG. 2, namely, at
the lowermost half of the structure. It will be understood that an
equivalent spool 14 will also be installed at the upper half
proximate region 11.
Spool 14 is also provided with flange 16 and a shaft 15, journaled
by housing-half central portion J. Each of the shafts 15 will be
provided with an electrically conductive shorting bar 17 extending
on opposite sides of shaft 15 and proximate flange 16 in the manner
shown in FIG. 5.
Housing-half 10 is provided with a semi-circular seat 18 at each of
two places as indicated in FIG. 2, which seat receives a
compression spring 19 backing flange 16.
FIG. 4 illustrates in diagramatic form a composite terminal 20
which is provided in a doubled-back configuration such that portion
21 thereof selectively engages in a conductive manner, the bar 17
of spool 14. It is noted that bar 17, integral with spool 14,
serves not only as an electrical contact, but as a positioning
means for the spool in a manner hereinafter described. In this
regard, the contact 20, at portion 21 is configured to have a
recess or detent 22 which selectively receives an opposite arm of
the electrical bar 17.
It is noted that the left housing-half 22, when secured to the
right housing 10 in the manner hereinafter described, will make
contact with flange portion 23 of terminal 20 such that terminal 24
thereof, molded into left-hand housing 20, will provide a hot or
positive connection for electricity supplied the unit. This is
indicated by the "plus" mark in FIG. 4.
If desired, each of the housing halves 10 and 20 of housing H may
be provided with third prong, "green ground" terminal halves 25 and
26, which come together in a manner shown in FIG. 1. These terminal
halves 25 and 26 are of course conductive and co-act with the third
prong in a manner shown in FIG. 6 when the plug is initially
inserted and, as seen in FIG. 8, when the plug is rotated for prong
engagement in a manner as hereinafter described. Third prong P is
illustrated by the letter P in FIGS. 6 and 8.
A grounded terminal 29 includes an outer flange contact 30 and also
an inner vertical member 31 provided with pivot means such as pins
or rivets 32. The latter pivot respective cogwheels 33 in a manner
shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Thus, the single grounded terminal 21
provides the cogwheels 33 at both upper and lower halves of the
housing on the righthand side thereof.
A corresponding construction is had in connection with housing half
20 wherein formed terminal 34 is provided with respective pivots 35
and cogwheels 36 pivotally secured thereto. The inner flange 37 of
terminal 33 likewise includes an indentation at 38 for
cooperatively engaging the contact 17 as in the case of portion 21
as heretofore described.
Thus, there will exist two cogwheels for each section of the
combined housing R, one cogwheel on the left and another on the
right.
Contacts 29 and 33 also include, proximate to cogwheels, respective
fingers F which co-act with the remainder of the contact structure
as to provide a receiving slot S. These receiving slots
respectively receive the respective prongs of a plug. It is to be
observed that common household electrical prongs of electrical
plugs include holes proximate their extremities. See FIG. 5, by way
of example, in connection with the holes H provided prongs T of
plug V.
The operation of the structures thusfar described is as
follows:
The two spools 14 will be installed in the manner shown relative to
the lower spool 14 in FIG. 2, and this in conjunction with the
respective compression springs 18. At this point the two housings
10 and 20 will be secured together as by means of attachment means
such as a screw and nut combination as seen in FIG. 9. The
attachments here will simply be labeled as A. These attachments
will procede through the common aperture 39, see FIG. 2, associated
with each of the housing halves.
With electricity being supplied as shown by the plus and minus
signs in FIG. 4, the plug unit will be available for use. It is
noted that in the absence of the insertion of a plug, then the
respective compression springs will press outwardly the respective
spools 14. Upon such a condition the bar 17 will be disposed in a
mutual non-conductive recesses N which are formed in the respective
housing halves.
At this point the outer disks of the respective spools 14 will be
in a position as shown in the lower portion of FIG. 1. Upon the
user inserting the prongs of a plug V into prong slots 40, then he
is in a position, after depressing the spool against its spool, to
rotationally displace in a clock-wise direction the respective disk
and spool. Thus, as the prongs are inserted in the slots 40 and the
plug urged forwardly so as to compress spring 19, then the contact
bar 17 comes out of engagement with the recesses or detents N of
FIG. 3 so that the associated spool can be rotationally displaced
in a clock-wise direction. Then the user will so rotate the spool
such that the prongs come into engagement with the respective
cogwheels 33.
Provision for alignment relative to the holes H and prongs of the
plug and a respective cog of the cogwheel may be provided for by
enlarging lengthwise the dimension of the cogwheel pivots and also
by reducing size of the lugs or cogs relative to the holes in the
prongs. In any event, once a final release is had relative to the
plug, then the compression springs will urge the disk portions of
the respective spools outwardly such that there will be a positive
engagement of the cogs or lugs L cogwheel relative to the holes in
the prongs. Thus, the prongs of the plug V are positively locked in
position as the ends of these prongs are disposed within slots
S.
FIG. 6 illustrates the configuration at the time of prong
insertion, and FIG. 8 illustrates a configuration wherein the plug
has been rotated and pressure released so that the prongs of the
plug V are positively engaged by the cogwheels so that these cannot
be inadvertently withdrawn.
The structure shown in FIG. 9 is essentially identical to the
structure illustrated in the previous figures, with the exception
that the same is now designed as an adapter for an existing wall
plug installation. Thus, a pair of contacts 41, 42 and an
additional pair of contacts 43 and 44 may be provided for insertion
in the standard plug receptacles of a conventional wall
installation. These contacts are configured in a manner illustrated
in FIG. 9, with the forward ends at E thereof being secured as by
screws W to the housing halves 10 and 20. Thus, these contacts will
engage their respective positive and negative sides of the housing,
see the plus and minus indications in FIG. 4, so that a complete,
electrically powered receptical housing is provided. It is noted
that where third or green ground prong plugs are used, then
additional terminals 44 and 45 may be required to complete the
construction. In such an event, there will be rearwardly oriented
protrusions 46 and 47 for insertion into the "green ground" or
third prong holes of the plug. In such event, the "green ground"
contacts as in 25 and 26 in FIG. 2 will simply be bent over and the
hole eliminated so that contact halves 25 and 26 are engaged
through rearward extremity of contact 44. Contact 45 will be
constructed in the same manner, as will be "green ground" contact
connections thereto.
Once the unit is installed in place to a conventional wall
receptacle, then the cover C need only be provided with the
conventional cover plate screw deleted; substituted for the latter
will be a longate screw S' which will be threaded into the
conventional hole of a conventional wall plug receptical. Hence,
the coverplate C encloses the plug unit, shown in exploded view
relative to the cover plate C in FIG. 9.
In other regards, the structure shown in FIG. 9 operates
identically to that shown and heretofore described in connection
with FIGS. 1 through 8. The cover plate C will be apertured to
accomodate, of course, the rotatable spools. For convenience of
reference as to the claims, terminals 29 and 33, and composite
terminal 20, shall hereafter be referred to as first, second, and
third terminals, respectively.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been
shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art
that changes and modifications may be made without departing from
this invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in
the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications
as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.
* * * * *