Electric socket-outlet

• US 4,283,102 A
• Filed: 12/14/1978
• Issued: 08/11/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Paul Richier
• Original Assignee: Paul Richier
• Inventors: Richier, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): MCGLYNN, JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US06/023,446
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 339/42, 339/40
• US Class Current: 439/188
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7036 the switch being in series with coupling part, e.g. dead coupling, explosion proof coupling

Abstract

The electric socket-outlet of the present disclosure is constructed to minimize the danger of electrocution which arises more especially where children might introduce slender metallic objects into the socket apertures.

The socket-outlet is provided with an insulating casing, a front wall pierced with holes, conductive sockets aligned with said holes and intended to receive the conductive pins of a male plug, an insulating connection panel mounted with a capacity for displacement parallel with the axes of the said conductive sockets, means ensuring the return of the said connection panel to the vicinity of the said front wall and its retention there, a back wall, contacts mounted on said back wall and adapted for connection to an electric current source, means by virtue of which it is possible to displace the said connection panel in the direction of the said back wall when the pins of a male plug are engaged in the female socket-outlet, so as to effect the junction of the said connection members and the said contact, apertures in the connecting panel arranged opposite to the conductive sockets, and connection members offset in relation to the axes of the said conductive sockets to which these connection members are connected, wherein said contacts are located opposite to the connection members, likewise offset in relation to the axes of the conductive sockets, and are spaced from the said connection members when the connection panel is occupying a position close to the front wall of the socket-outlet.

Claims

1. An electric socket-outlet comprising:

(a) an insulating casing having at least front and back walls,

(b) holes through said front wall for the reception of plug pins,

(c) conductive sockets mounted on said front wall aligned with said holes and intended to receive the plug pins,

(d) an insulating connection panel within said casing and displaceable parallel with the axes of the said holes,

(e) resilient means ensuring the return of the said connection panel to the vicinity of the said front wall on withdrawal of the plug pins,

(f) contacts mounted on said back wall and adapted for connection to an electric current source,

(g) electrically conductive connection members mounted on said displaceable panel extending towards said back wall and aligned with said contacts and spaced from the said contacts when the connection panel is occupying a position close to the front wall,

(h) means electrically connecting said conductive members with said conductive sockets,

(i) apertures in the connecting panel arranged opposite to the conductive sockets,

(j) means aligned with said conductive sockets for displacing said connection panel towards the back wall when the plug pins pass through said holes and are engaged in said conductive socket, so as to effect the junction of the said connection members and said contacts on said back wall, and

(k) said connection members and said contacts being offset in relation to the axes of the said conductive sockets.

2. An electric socket-outlet according to claim 1, comprising a removable wall constituted by a front cover or a back plate, wherein the said removable wall carries two locking tongues capable of elastic flexure, the free extremities of which engage in two notches with which two opposite lateral walls of the casing are internally provided, which walls also comprise two apertures opening into the said notches and intended to permit the passage of the noses of an unlocking instrument.

3. An electric socket-outlet according to claim 1, intended to receive male plugs comprising a central earth pin, wherein the front wall of the said socket-outlet comprises a central orifice for the passage of the said central pin and the said mobile connection panel comprises, opposite to the said orifice, a metallic piece against which the forward end of a spring presses, the rear end of which spring is pressed against a metallic piece placed in the back wall and connected to earth, so that when the said male plug is introduced into the female socket-outlet the earth pin pushes the mobile connection panel to the rear, which has the effect of rendering the conductive sockets of the said socket-outlet live, and at the same time of earthing the central pin.

4. An electric socket-outlet according to claim 1, wherein the means by virtue of which it is possible ti displace the mobile connection panel are constituted by drive barrels fast with the said panel and oriented forward, these drive barrels being disposed in alignment with the conductive sockets and formed by small hollow tubes open at their extremities, the bores of which have a diameter smaller than the standardized diameter of the pins of the male plugs, the said drive barrels being installed in the holes of the connection panel, so that when a plug is engaged in the socket-outlet the pins of the said plug push back the said drive barrels the rearward displacement of which causes the rearward displacement of the mobile connection panel into the electric contact position.

5. An electric socket-outlet according to claim 4, wherein the drive barrels are at least partially lodged in the conductive sockets when the connection panel is occupying a non-conduction position close to the front wall of the casing of the said socket-outlet.

6. An electric socket-outlet according to claim 1, where the front wall possesses a supplementary orifice in which there is installed an earth pin emerging at the front end of the said front wall, wherein the said earth pin is connected to a supplementary connection member carried by the mobile connection panel and emerging from the rear face of the latter, while an earth contact is placed on the forward face of the back wall, opposite to the said supplementary connection member.

7. An electric socket-outlet according to claim 6, wherein the connection member connected to the earth pin is constituted by a pin lodged slidably in a conductive sleeve fast with the back wall or contact-carrier plate and adapted for connection to the end of the earth wire.

8. An electric socket-outlet according to claim 1, wherein locking means are provided prohibiting the rearward movement of the connection panel other than by the introduction of a matching plug into the said socket-outlet.

9. An electric socket-outlet according to claim 8, wherein the said locking means comprise at least one bolt and preferably two bolts each carried by a spring fast with the connection panel, these bolts emerging from the front wall of the socket-outlet and being mouted slidably in orifices formed in the said wall, the said bolts being in engagement with the edges of the said orifices when no male plug is engaged in the socket-outlet, while they are disposed so as to be automatically spaced and freed by the body of a male plug when the latter is pushed into the outlet.

10. An electric socket-outlet according to claim 7, comprising a protective collar fast with the front wall of the socket-outlet and surrounding holes in which the conductive sockets thereof are lodged, wherein the said protective collar possesses openings for the passage of bolts, these openings entering small cowls likewise fast with the said front wall and in which the said bolts are lodged when the socket-outlet is not in use.