Power plug

• US 20040184295A1
• Filed: 12/29/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duncan Robertson, George Robusti
• Original Assignee: Duncan Robertson, George Robusti
• Inventors: Robertson, Duncan, Robusti, George
• Granted Patent: US 7,074,060 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/146
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/652 with earth pin, blade or socket
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7036 the switch being in series with coupling part, e.g. dead coupling, explosion proof coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/71 Contact members of coupling parts operating as switch , e.g. linear or rotational movement required after mechanical engagement of coupling part to establish electrical connection
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/30 with additional earth or shield contacts

Abstract

In a power plug capable of preventing twists of a power supply line and turning on/off power supplied to a load device according to a rotation of a rotational unit by dividing the power plug itself into a fixed unit and the rotational unit, the power plug includes the fixed unit at which prongs and a connection terminal connected to the prongs are installed, a rotational unit rotationally installed to the upper portion of the fixed unit and supplying power to the load device, a power on/off unit placed between the fixed unit and the rotational unit and connecting/disconnecting a power supply to the load device according to the rotation of the rotational unit, and a locking unit installed to the upper portion of the rotational unit and locking the rotation of the rotational unit.

Claims

1. A power plug, comprising:

a fixed unit at which prongs inserted into a receptacle are fixed and a connection terminal connected to the prongs is installed at the upper surface thereof;

a rotational unit rotationally arranged on the upper surface of the fixed unit and having an input terminal connected to a power supply line at the bottom surface;

a hinge shaft fixed to the fixed unit, penetrating the rotational unit and supporting the rotational unit rotationally;

an elastic member installed at the outer circumference of the hinge shaft to provide an elastic force for making the connection terminal and the input terminal maintain a contact state;

a power on/off means formed between the fixed unit and the rotational unit to transmit or cut off power supply to a load device according to rotation of the rotational unit; and

a locking means installed at the upper portion of the rotational unit to lock the rotation of the rotational unit.

2. The power plug of claim 1, wherein the fixed unit is formed as a disc shape having a certain thickness and includes:

the hinge shaft fixed at the central portion;

the pair of prongs fixed at the bottom portion; and

the pair of connection terminals having a semicircular band shape installed at the upper surface so as to be connected to the pair of prongs respectively.

3. The power plug of claim 1, wherein a ground plate is installed at the bottom surface of the fixed unit in the diameter direction, the both ends of the ground plate are curved and inserted into insertion grooves formed at the both sides of the fixed unit, the central portion of the ground plate is pierced, and the hinge shaft is contacted-inserted into the pierced central portion.

4. The power plug of claim 1, the rotational unit includes:

the power supply line connecting to the load device and inserted into the side;

the input terminal connected to the power supply line and installed at the bottom surface;

a through hole vertically formed at the central portion to receive the hinge shaft rotationally; and

a space portion formed at the upper portion of the rotational unit by being extended from the through hole.

5. The power plug of claim 1, wherein the hinge shaft is vertically inserted-fixed to the fixed unit, and a locking ring is inserted into the upper end of the hinge shaft so as to be caught on the rotational unit.

6. The power plug of claim 1, wherein the power on/off means includes:

a first groove respectively formed at the upper surface of the fixed unit in the circumferential direction at regular intervals so as to have a certain depth;

a second groove respectively formed between the first grooves and having a depth smaller than that of the first groove; and

a protrusion respectively projected from the bottom surface of the rotational unit in the circumferential direction so as to have the same shape with the first and second grooves.

7. The power plug of claim 1, wherein the locking means includes:

a locking ring inserted-combined with the upper end of the hinge shaft and having locking grooves formed at the outer circumferential direction at regular intervals;

a knob installed at the space portion of the rotational unit so as to move linearly and having locking protrusions caught in the locking grooves; and

a plate spring installed at the bottom surface of the knob to provide a certain elastic force to the knob.

8. The power plug of claim 7, wherein the end of the plate spring is contacted to the locking ring, and the other end is connected to a ground line, and accordingly the power plug is grounded.