SAFETY SOCKET

• US 20130109213A1
• Filed: 09/27/2012
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chi-Tsai Chang
• Original Assignee: Chi-Tsai Chang
• Inventors: Chang, Chi-Tsai
• Granted Patent: US 8,668,512 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/304
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/633 for disengagement only in combination with safety switch H01R13/7132
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6395 for wall or panel outlets
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/652 with earth pin, blade or socket
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/78 with additional earth or shield contacts

Abstract

A safety socket of the present invention has one or several groups of socket holes, lock mechanisms, and release mechanisms. Plug can be inserted into the socket holes. The lock mechanism can engage the plug for preventing unexpected removal of the plug. The release mechanism is used for operating the lock mechanism for releasing the plug. The release mechanism has a button which is arranged at aside of the socket holes. Thus, the button would not be hidden by the plug. User can approach to the button easily. Operation condition of the safety socket is then facilitated.

Claims

1. A safety socket, comprising:

a housing, having an upper surface, the housing being formed with at least a group of socket holes, the group of socket holes comprising plural socket holes, the group of socket holes being adapted for a corresponding plug to insert therein, the plug having at least two conductive pins each of which is able to insert into one of the socket holes;

at least a lock mechanism, disposed beneath the upper surface, the lock mechanism being arranged with one of the socket holes, the lock mechanism being adapted for switching between a lock position and a release position, the lock mechanism engaging the conductive pin which inserts into the socket hole corresponding to the lock mechanism when the lock mechanism is located at the lock position, so that the plug is unable to be removed from the socket holes, the plug being able to insert into and escape from the socket holes arbitrarily when the lock mechanism is located at the release position;

at least a release mechanism, motionably disposed on the housing, the release mechanism and the lock mechanism achieving an operational relationship, so that the release mechanism is able to drive the lock mechanism toward the release position, the release mechanism having a button, the button protruding upon the upper surface, the button being arranged at one side of the group of socket holes.

2. The safety socket of claim 1, wherein one socket hole and a remote socket hole of the group of socket holes are arranged laterally and extend vertically, the button is arranged out of the region defined between the socket holes remote from each other from a front view.

3. The safety socket of claim 1, wherein a fictitious rectangular region is defined on the upper surface, the rectangular region is minimized to just enclosing the group of socket holes, the rectangular region has two short sides which are arranged laterally, the button is arranged out of the short sides from a front view.

4. The safety socket of claim 1, wherein the housing is formed with plural groups of socket holes, the safety socket comprises plural lock mechanisms and plural release mechanisms to correspond to the groups of socket holes, the groups of socket holes are arranged vertically, the release mechanisms have buttons which are laterally arranged aside of the groups of socket holes.

5. The safety socket of claim 1, wherein the lock mechanism has a tendency to return to the lock position, the safety socket further comprises at least a restrain mechanism, the restrain mechanism is located between the release mechanism and one socket hole of the group of socket holes, the restrain mechanism abuts against the release mechanism when the plug inserts in the socket holes, so that motions of the release mechanism and the lock mechanism are resisted and the lock mechanism is unable to return to the lock position arbitrarily.

6. The safety socket of claim 5, wherein the restrain mechanism has an elastic member, the elastic member is partially located in the socket hole which corresponds to the restrain mechanism, the elastic member is driven by the plug and is able to move between a restrain position and a slack position, the elastic member presses against the release mechanism when the elastic member locates at the restrain position, so that a friction force is exerted on the elastic member and the release mechanism, the friction force restrains motion of the release mechanism, the elastic member does not press against the release mechanism when the elastic member locates at the slack position, so that motion of the release mechanism is not restrained by the elastic member, the elastic member has a tendency to recover to the slack position.

7. The safety socket of claim 6, wherein the release mechanism has an abutting surface, the elastic member presses against the abutting surface when the elastic member locates at the restrain position.

8. The safety socket of claim 7, wherein the abutting surface is tilted, facing the elastic member.

9. The safety socket of claim 6, wherein the elastic member is a curved elastic plate.

10. The safety socket of claim 9, wherein the restrain mechanism has a positioning portion, the elastic member stretches out from the positioning portion, and the positioning portion is mounted to the housing.

11. The safety socket of claim 10, wherein the elastic member stretches perpendicularly from the positioning portion, a distal end of the elastic member is away from the upper surface.

12. The safety socket of claim 1, wherein the release mechanism is slidably disposed on the housing, a slide direction defined by the release mechanism is perpendicular to the upper surface.

13. The safety socket of claim 1, wherein the lock mechanism comprises an engagement plate, the engagement plate has a fix section and an engage section, the fix section is mounted to the housing, the engage section stretches out from one end of the fix section, the engage section is tilted with respect to the fix section, the engage section has an opening, the opening is lined up with the socket hole which corresponds to the lock mechanism, the engage section is bendable with respect to the fix section, the engage section is bent substantially parallel to the upper surface when the lock mechanism is switched to the release position.