Electrical Connector And Method Of Manufacturing Same

• US 20090225486A1
• Filed: 03/07/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wadsworth, John
• Application Number:
  US12/044,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20090225486A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/118
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6666 with built-in overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/62 Sliding engagements with one side only, e.g. modular jack coupling devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 27/02 for simultaneous co-operation with two or more dissimilar counterparts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/02 Intermediate parts for distributing energy to two or more circuits in parallel, e.g. splitter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/92
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 35/04 Turnable line connectors with limited rotation angle with frictional contact members
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing

Abstract

In one embodiment, an electrical connector comprises a housing, at least two electrical outlets accessible through the housing, a rotation coupler at least partially enclosed by the housing and coupled to the at least two electrical outlets, and a prong adapter coupled to the rotation coupler. The rotation coupler comprises a line contact, a neutral contact, and a ground contact. The prong adapter comprises a prong set with at least two of a line prong configured to couple with the line contact, a neutral prong configured to couple with the neutral contact, and a ground prong configured to couple with the ground contact. The rotation coupler is configured to allow a rotational movement of the housing relative to the prong adapter.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing electrical power, the apparatus comprising:

a housing;

at least two electrical outlets accessible through the housing;

a rotation coupler at least partially enclosed by the housing and coupled to the at least two electrical outlets; and

a prong adapter configured to be coupled to the rotation coupler;

wherein;

the rotation coupler comprises;

a line contact;

a neutral contact; and

a ground contact;

the prong adapter comprises a prong set with at least two of;

a line prong configured to couple with the line contact;

a neutral prong configured to couple with the neutral contact; and

a ground prong configured to couple with the ground contact; and

the rotation coupler is configured to allow a rotational movement of the housing relative to the prong adapter.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the rotational movement of the housing comprises 360 degrees of rotation relative to the prong adapter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a surge protection module contained within the housing and coupled to the at least two electrical outlets.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the at least two electrical outlets comprise at least one of;

an AC outlet;

a USB socket;

an Ethernet socket; and

a telephone jack.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the at least two electrical outlets comprise;

two AC outlets; and

a USB socket.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the prong adapter further comprises one or more safety guards configured to at least partially cover one or more of the line prong, the neutral prong, and the ground prong.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the prong adapter is not removable from the rotation coupler.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the prong adapter is removable from the rotation coupler.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a second prong adapter configured to be coupled to the rotation coupler;

wherein the second prong adapter is interchangeable with the prong adapter.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the second prong adapter comprises a second prong set with at least two of;

a second line prong configured to couple with the line contact of the rotation coupler;

a second neutral prong configured to couple with the neutral contact of the rotation coupler; and

a second ground prong configured to couple with the ground contact of the rotation coupler.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the prong adapter is compliant with a first prong standard; and

the second prong adapter is compliant with a second prong standard.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

a first dimension of the housing is approximately 130 mm;

a second dimension of the housing is approximately 50 mm;

a third dimension of the housing is approximately 41 mm.

a neck protrudes from the housing approximately 9 mm; and

the neck comprises a diameter of approximately 38.5 mm.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the rotation coupler comprises;

a first contact comprising one of the line contact, the neutral contact, and the ground contact;

a second contact comprising a different one of the line contact, the neutral contact, and the ground contact; and

a third contact comprising another one of the line contact, the neutral contact, and the ground contact;

an outer perimeter of the first contact is located within and isolated from an inner perimeter of the second contact; and

an outer perimeter of the second contact is located within and isolated from an inner perimeter of the third contact.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a first isolation barrier between the first contact and the second contact;

a second isolation barrier between the second contact and the third contact;

first retainer ring coupled to a top of the first isolation barrier; and

a second retainer ring coupled to a top of the second isolation barrier;

wherein, when the prong adapter is not coupled to the rotation coupler;

the first retainer ring couples with the outer perimeter of the first contact and the inner perimeter of the second contact; and

the second retainer ring couples with the outer perimeter of the second contact and the inner perimeter of the first contact.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein:

the prong set comprises at least two of;

a first prong comprising one of the line prong, the neutral prong, and the ground prong;

a second prong comprising a different one of the line prong, the neutral prong, and the ground prong; and

a third prong comprising another one of the line prong, the neutral prong, and the ground prong;

the first contact couples with only the first prong when the prong adapter is coupled to the rotation coupler;

the first contact remains coupled to the first prong when the housing is rotated relative to the prong adapter;

the second contact couples with only the second prong when the prong adapter is coupled to the rotation coupler, and

the second contact remains coupled to the second prong when the housing is rotated relative to the prong adapter.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

the third contact couples with only the third prong when the prong adapter is coupled to the rotation coupler; and

the third contact remains coupled to the third prong when the housing is rotated relative to the prong adapter.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the rotation coupler further comprises a first portion of a locking mechanism;

the first portion of the locking mechanism comprises a lock;

the prong adapter further comprises a second portion of the locking mechanism;

the second portion of the locking mechanism comprises a first lock receiver of two or more lock receivers configured to couple with the lock;

the rotational movement of the housing relative to the prong adapter comprises a first predetermined orientation of two or more predetermined orientations; and

the locking mechanism is configured to restrict the rotational movement of the housing relative to the prong adapter at the first predetermined orientation when the lock is coupled to the first lock receiver.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

the locking mechanism is configured to cease restricting the rotational movement of the housing relative to the prong adapter when the lock is decoupled from the first lock receiver.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

the locking mechanism further comprises a lock de-actuator coupled to the lock and protruding through an exterior of the housing; and

the lock de-actuator is configured to decouple the lock from the first lock receiver when the lock de-actuator is operated.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

the two or more predetermined orientations are separated from each other by one or more multiples of 45 degrees of rotation.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

the prong set comprises at least two of;

a first prong comprising one of the line prong, the neutral prong, and the ground prong;

a second prong comprising a different one of the line prong, the neutral prong, and the ground prong; and

a third prong comprising another one of the line prong, the neutral prong, and the ground prong;

the rotation coupler comprises;

a central contact comprising one of the line contact, the neutral contact, and the ground contact;

a first contact set comprising a different one of the line contact, the neutral contact, and the ground contact; and

a second contact set comprising another one of the line contact, the neutral contact, and the ground contact;

the first contact set comprises two or more first contact points along a first perimeter defined by a first radius from the central contact;

a second contact set comprises two or more second contact points along a second perimeter defined by a second radius from the central contact;

the central contact is located within the first perimeter of the first contact set and isolated from the two or more first contact points of the first contact set; and

the first perimeter of the first contact set is located within the second perimeter of the second contact set and isolated from the two or more second contact points of the second contact set.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein:

the two or more first contact points of the first contact set are configured to couple with only the first prong when the prong adapter is locked to the rotation coupler by the locking mechanism; and

at least one of the two or more first contact points of the first contact set couples with the first prong when the prong adapter is locked to the rotation coupler by the locking mechanism.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein:

the two or more second contact points of the second contact set are configured to couple with only the second prong when the prong adapter is locked to the rotation coupler by the locking mechanism; and

at least one of the two or more second contact points of the second contact set couples with the second prong when the prong adapter is locked to the rotation coupler by the locking mechanism.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein:

the central contact is configured to couple with only the third prong when the prong adapter is locked to the rotation coupler by the locking mechanism.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein:

the two or more first contact points are evenly separated along the first perimeter; and

the two or more second contact points are evenly separated along the second perimeter.

26. A method of manufacture for an electrical connector, the method comprising:

providing a housing and at least two electrical outlets;

coupling a rotation coupler to the at least two electrical outlets;

at least partially enclosing the rotation coupler in the housing; and

providing a prong adapter configured to be coupled to the rotation coupler;

wherein;

the prong adapter comprises a prong set with at least two of;

a line prong;

a neutral prong; and

a ground prong;

the rotation coupler comprises;

a line contact capable of being coupled to the line prong;

a neutral contact capable of being coupled to the neutral prong; and

a ground contact capable of being coupled to the ground prong; and

the rotation coupler is configured to allow a rotational movement of the housing relative to the prong adapter.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

providing a locking mechanism configured to restrict the rotational movement of the housing relative to the prong adapter.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

coupling a surge protection module to the at least two electrical outlets.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

providing a second prong adapter interchangeable with the prong adapter.

30. An electrical power adapter comprising:

a case;

at least two electrical outlets accessible through the case;

a coupling section accessible through the case and coupled to the at least two electrical outlets;

a revolver platform configured to be coupled to the coupling section;

a surge protection module configured to couple to the at least two electrical outlets; and

a locking mechanism comprising;

a lock tab coupled to the coupling section;

a first lock notch of two or more lock notches complementary to the lock tab and coupled to the revolver platform; and

a lock switch coupled to the lock tab and protruding through an exterior of the case;

wherein;

the coupling section comprises;

a line contact located a first distance away from a center of the coupling section;

a neutral contact located a second distance away from the center of the coupling section; and

a ground contact located a third distance away from the center of the coupling section;

the revolver platform comprises a prong set comprising at least two of;

a line prong with a line coupler located a first distance away from a center of the revolver platform;

a neutral prong with a neutral coupler located a second distance away from the center of the revolver platform; and

a ground prong with a ground coupler located a third distance away from the center of the revolver platform;

the first distance from the center of the coupling section is substantially equal to the first distance from the center of the revolver platform;

the second distance from the center of the coupling section is substantially equal to the second distance from the center of the revolver platform;

the third distance from the center of the coupling section is substantially equal to the third distance from the center of the revolver platform;

the line coupler of the line prong is capable of being coupled to the line contact of the coupling section;

the neutral coupler of the neutral prong is capable of being coupled to the neutral contact of the coupling section;

the ground coupler of the ground prong is capable of being coupled to the ground contact of the coupling section;

the coupling section is configured to allow a rotational movement of the case relative to the revolver platform;

the rotational movement of the case relative to the revolver platform comprises a first standard orientation of two or more standard orientations;

the locking mechanism is configured to restrict the rotational movement of the case relative to the revolver platform at the first standard orientation when the lock tab is coupled to the first lock notch;

the locking mechanism is configured to cease restricting the rotational movement of the case relative to the revolver platform when the lock tab is decoupled from any of the two or more lock notches;

the lock switch is configured to decouple the lock tab from any of the two or more lock notches when the lock switch is depressed;

the two or more lock notches are spaced around the revolver platform in increments comprising one or more multiples of 45 degrees of rotation; and

the at least two electrical outlets comprise at least one of;

an AC outlet;

a USB socket;

an Ethernet socket; and

a telephone jack.

31. The electrical power adapter of claim 30, wherein:

the coupling section comprises;

a first contact ring comprising one of the line contact, the neutral contact, and the ground contact;

a second contact ring comprising a different one of the line contact, the neutral contact, and the ground contact; and

a third contact ring comprising another one of the line contact, the neutral contact, and the ground contact;

the prong set of the revolver platform comprises at least two of;

a first coupler comprising one of the line coupler, the neutral coupler, or the ground coupler;

a second coupler comprising a different one of the line coupler, the neutral coupler, or the ground coupler; and

a third coupler comprising another one of the line coupler, the neutral coupler, or the ground coupler;

an inner perimeter of the second contact ring is greater than an outer perimeter of the first contact ring;

an inner perimeter of the third contact ring is greater than the outer perimeter of the first contact ring;

the first contact ring, the second contact ring, and the third contact ring are substantially planar with, and electrically isolated from, each other;

the first contact ring is configured to couple to the first coupler;

the second contact ring is configured to couple to the second coupler;

the third contact ring is configured to couple to the third coupler; and

when the case is rotated relative to the revolver platform;

the first contact ring of the coupling section remains coupled to the first coupler;

the second contact ring of the coupling section remains coupled to the second coupler, and

the third contact ring of the coupling section remains coupled to the third coupler.

32. The electrical power adapter of claim 30, wherein:

the prong set of the revolver platform comprises at least two of;

a first coupler comprising one of the line coupler, the neutral coupler, or the ground coupler;

a second coupler comprising a different one of the line coupler, the neutral coupler, or the ground coupler; and

a third coupler comprising another one of the line coupler, the neutral coupler, or the ground coupler;

the revolver platform comprises one or more safety guards configured to at least partially cover one or more of the first coupler, the second coupler, and the third coupler;

the coupling section comprises;

a central contact comprising one of the line contact, the neutral contact, and the ground contact;

a first contact set with two or more first contact points comprising a different one of the line contact, the neutral contact, and the ground contact; and

a second contact set with two or more second contact points comprising another one of the line contact, the neutral contact, and the ground contact; and

when the revolver platform is locked to the coupling section by the locking mechanism;

at least one of the two or more first contact points of the first contact set couples with the first coupler of the prong set;

at least one of the two or more second contact points of the second contact set couples with the second coupler of the prong set, and

the central contact couples with the third coupler of the prong set.

33. The electrical power adapter of claim 30, further comprising:

a second revolver platform configured to be coupled to the coupling section;

wherein;

the second revolver platform is interchangeable with the revolver platform;

the revolver platform is compliant with a first prong standard; and

the second revolver platform is compliant with a second prong standard.