Electrical socket with monitoring unit for monitoring operating conditions

• US 5,650,771 A
• Filed: 04/25/1995
• Issued: 07/22/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chung-Cheng Lee
• Original Assignee: Chung-Cheng Lee
• Inventors: Lee, Chung-Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Application Number:
  US08/427,766
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 340/635, 340/656, 340/310.08, 340/538, 340/657, 340/660, 340/664, 364/483, 364/482, 364/550, 361/42
• US Class Current: 340/656
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/04 Housings; Supporting members; Arrangements of terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/30 Structural combination of electric measuring instruments with basic electronic circuits, e.g. with amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/12 Circuits for multi-testers , i.e. multimeters, e.g. for measuring voltage, current, or impedance at will
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16528 using digital techniques or performing arithmetic operations using digital techniques to measure a voltage or a current, see G01R19/25
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/006 the coupling part being secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. duplex wall receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus

Abstract

An electrical socket includes at least one socket receptacle adapted to connect electrically an electrical appliance to a line power source, and a monitoring unit connected electrically across the socket receptacle for monitoring operating conditions, such as the ambient temperature, the line voltage, the line current and the line power supplied by the line power source, of the electrical socket.

Claims

1. An electrical socket, comprising:

at least one socket receptacle adapted to connect electrically an electrical appliance to a line power source; and

a monitoring unit connected electrically across said socket receptacle for monitoring operating conditions of the electrical socket, said monitoring unit further including;

a temperature sensor for sensing the ambient temperature;

a processing unit connected electrically to and receiving ambient temperature data from said temperature sensor;

a memory unit connected electrically to said processing unit and storing maximum operating-temperature data therein, said processing unit comparing said ambient temperature data with said maximum operating-temperature data to detect presence of a preset overload condition;

wherein said operating conditions include ambient temperature, line voltage and line current, said processing unit being connected electrically to said socket receptacle and receiving line voltage data and line current data therefrom;

wherein said memory unit further stores maximum operating-voltage data and maximum operating-current data therein, said processing unit comparing said line voltage data with said maximum operating-current data to detect the presence of the preset overload condition; and

wherein said operating conditions further include line power supplied by the line power source, said processing unit computing the line power by multiplying said line voltage data with said line current data, said memory unit further storing maximum operating-power data therein, said processing unit comparing the line power computed thereby with said maximum operating-power data to detect the presence of the preset overload condition.

2. The electrical socket as claimed in claim 1, wherein said monitoring unit further includes an alarm unit connected electrically to and activated by said processing unit upon detecting the presence of the preset overload condition.

3. The electrical socket as claimed in claim 1, wherein said monitoring unit further includes function key means connected electrically to said processing unit and operable so as to control said processing unit to store said maximum operating-temperature data, said maximum operating-voltage data, said maximum operating-current data and said maximum operating-power data in said memory unit.