RETRACTABLE POWER PLUG

• US 20160181726A1
• Filed: 05/29/2015
• Published: 06/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futaihua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Futaihua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: ZHANG, YI-XIANG
• Granted Patent: US 9,564,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/30 with additional earth or shield contacts

Abstract

A retractable power plug includes a housing having an opening formed therein, a mounting portion fixed in the housing, a plurality of pins, and a cover plate. The pins are rotatably mounted on the mounting portion. The cover plate at least partially cover the opening and defines a plurality of receiving grooves corresponding to the pins. The plurality of pins are configured in a first configuration and protrude out of the receiving grooves and in a second configuration to be within the plurality of receiving grooves. The cover plate further defines at least one recess on a sidewall of one of the plurality of receiving grooves, thereby enabling the pin to be retracted.

Claims

1. A retractable power plug comprising:

a housing having an opening formed therein;

a mounting portion fixed in the housing;

a plurality of pins rotatably mounted on the mounting portion; and

a cover plate at least partially covering the opening and defining a plurality of receiving grooves corresponding to the pins;

wherein the plurality of pins are configured in a first configuration and protrude out of the receiving grooves and in a second configuration to be within the plurality of receiving grooves; and

wherein the cover plate further defines at least one recess on a sidewall of one of the plurality of receiving grooves, thereby enabling the pin to be retracted.

2. The retractable power plug as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the plurality of pins comprises a first pin, a second pin, and a third pin spaced from each other, and the retractable power plug further comprises two linkages mounted on the mounting portion;

and

wherein the first pin is coupled to the second pin and the third pin by the two linkages, and the second pin and the third pin are capable of rotating with the first pin.

3. The retractable power plug as claimed in claim 2,

wherein the plurality of receiving grooves comprises a first receiving groove, a second receiving groove, and a third receiving groove;

the second receiving groove and the third receiving groove are positioned at two sides of the first receiving groove and substantially parallel with the first receiving groove;

wherein the first pin is received in the first receiving groove, the second pin is received in the second receiving groove, and the third receiving groove is received in the third receiving groove; and

wherein the at least one recess is defined in a sidewall of the first receiving groove and in communication with the first receiving groove.

4. The retractable power plug as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first pin is a ground pin, the second pin is a neutral pin, and the third pin is a live pin.

5. The retractable power plug as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of the recesses are two, and the two recesses are symmetrically arranged at two sidewall of one of the plurality of the receiving groove.

6. The retractable power plug as claimed in claim 1,

wherein each of the receiving grooves comprises a through hole and a recess portion in communication with each other, and the through hole runs through the cover plate;

and

wherein the pin gets through the through hole, and the recess is defined at one end portion of the recess portion away from the through hole.

7. The retractable power plug as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess is a quarter of a spherical.

8. The retractable power plug as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a base and a plurality of side walls extending substantially vertically from the base, and one side wall defines a Universal Serial Bus interface.