RETRACTABLE POWER PLUG

• US 20120009807A1
• Filed: 10/04/2010
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Powertech Industrial Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Powertech Industrial Company Limited
• Inventors: KUO, MING-CHOU
• Granted Patent: US 8,197,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/131
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/20 for testing or measuring purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/30 with additional earth or shield contacts

Abstract

A retractable power plug applied for an electronic apparatus or an extension outlet is disclosed. The retractable power plug includes a housing, a base, a movable unit and a plurality of prongs. The housing has a space for enclosing the base. The prongs are pluggably disposed on the base. The base is rotatably and movably located in the space. The movable unit is configured to prompt the base to move in the space. The direction of movement of the base is generally parallel with the connection direction of the prongs. So that, the prongs associated with the base is capable of moving up and down in the space.

Claims

1. A retractable power plug, comprising:

a housing with internal space sufficient to enclose all external conducting elements which would normally be outside the housing during use;

a base, rotatably and movably disposed in such internal space;

a plurality of electrically conducting prongs, each disposed and electrically separated from each other, on the base; and

a movable unit, movably disposed in the space, such that movement of the movable unit jointly drives the base moving in the space, wherein the direction of movement of the base is generally parallel with the external electrical connection direction of the prongs, and the retractable prongs are enclosed within the space;

or exposed out of the housing, enabling electrical connection.

2. The plug of claim 1, wherein the movable unit includes a ring, which is disposed under the base, and outside the ring has a protruding portion.

3. The plug of claim 2, wherein inside the housing has a guiding portion with respect to the protruding portion for guiding the protruding portion to move in the housing, wherein the ring pushes the base to move along with the movable unit.

4. The plug of claim 3, wherein the protruding portion is a flange, and the guiding portion is an impressed spiral trench, when the protruding portion moves along the spiral trench, the base moves inward or outward with the protruding portion.

5. The plug of claim 4, wherein the movable unit further comprises a rotatable element for driving the ring moving along the guiding portion, and the rotatable element is rotatably pivoted on the housing;

the rotatable element further has a push-against portion, and a sidewall of the ring has a notch portion wedged with the push-against portion.

6. The plug of claim 3, wherein the protruding portion is composed of a plurality of bumps, and the guiding portion is formed by a plurality of long trenches with various depths.

7. The plug of claim 6, wherein the movable unit further includes an elastic element disposed below the ring, and the elastic element pushes the ring for driving the bump to the bottom of the trenches.

8. A retractable power plug, comprising:

a housing with a space;

a base rotatably and movably disposed in the space; and

a plurality of prongs separately disposed on the base;

wherein, the direction of movement of the base is generally parallel with connection direction of the prongs, and the prongs are enclosed within the space along with the base'"'"'s movement, or are exposed out of surface of the housing.

9. The plug of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of conductive rings, which are disposed within the base and separately propped with the prongs.

10. The plug of claim 9, wherein the base includes a cover plate, a side plate and a bottom plate, and the prongs are pluggably disposed on the cover plate, and the connection direction of the prongs is perpendicular to surface of the cover plate;

selectively, the cover plate is levelly rotatable with respect to the side plate and the bottom plate.

11. The plug of claim 10, wherein the conductive rings are formed as a plurality of concentric rings with different radiuses which are disposed on the bottom plate.

12. The plug of claim 10, wherein the conductive rings are formed as a plurality of concentric rings with the same radius, and the conductive rings are disposed on the side plate.

13. The plug of claim 8, further comprising a locking unit, which is disposed on the housing, and the locking unit is selectively wedged with the base for locking or unlocking the base within the space or upon the housing.

14. A retractable power plug, comprising:

a cover body having a top portion with a plurality of holes;

a base located inside the cover body;

an elastic element disposed between the base and the cover body;

a locking unit disposed on the cover body;

a plurality of prongs separately pluggably disposed on the base;

wherein, the base is combined with a bottom, when the bottom is pushed to move in the cover body, the bottom moves along with the base, and the prongs are exposed out of the holes of the cover body;

wherein, the locking unit is fixed to the position of the base, and the elastic element is compressed;

when the locking unit is unlocked, the elastic element is released to push the base back to the original position, and the prongs are retracted inside the cover body.

15. The plug of claim 14, wherein the locking unit is formed as a rocker button, and one end of the locking unit is wedged with the base.