Adjustable right angle electrical plug with an interchangeable plug assembly

• US 7,168,969 B1
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leader Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Leader Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Sword
• Primary Examiner(s): GUSHI, ROSS N
• Application Number:
  US11/432,625
• Time in Patent Office: 263 Days
• Field of Search: 439170-175, 439 18- 30, 439/52, 439/53, 439/11, 439/13, 439/518
• US Class Current: 439/173
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/213 by bayonet connection
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/28 Coupling parts carrying pins, blades or analogous contacts and secured only to wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 27/00 Coupling parts adapted for co-operation with two or more dissimilar counterparts for dissimilar contact members H01R13/35; supported only by co-operation with a counterpart H01R31/00; with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/90
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/06 Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94

Abstract

An adjustable right angle electrical plug with an interchangeable plug assembly has a casing, an interchangeable plug assembly and an electric cord. The casing is hollow and has a base, a cover and two resilient contacts. The cover is mounted on the base and has a plug recess. The plug recess is symmetric. The resilient contacts protrude into the plug recess. The interchangeable plug assembly is mounted detachably in the plug recess has a body, two prongs and a bottom cover. The body is hollow, corresponds to the plug recess and has an open bottom. The prongs are mounted through and protrude from the body and may be flat blades or cylindrical prongs. The bottom cover has two curved contacts. Each curved contact extends through the bottom cover at two places separated by 90°, makes contact with one of the resilient contacts and is connected to one of the prongs.

Claims

1. An adjustable right angle electrical plug with an interchangeable plug assembly comprising

a casing being hollow and comprising

a base being an open box and having

an open top;

a front end;

a rear end;

an inside bottom surface; and

a sidewall having

a top edge;

a cover corresponding to the base, mounted on the top edge of the sidewall of the base, closing the open top of the base and having

a sidewall corresponding to and mounted flush on the sidewall of the base;

an open bottom;

a top having

an inside surface; and

an outside surface;

a front end;

a rear end;

a plug recess being symmetrical, formed in the outside surface of the top near the front end of the cover and having a bottom and a sidewall; and

two contact openings formed through the bottom of the plug recess diametrically opposite to each other, and each contact opening having two sides;

a circuit mounted on the inside bottom surface of the base;

two resilient contacts attached to the inside surface of the top of the cover and protruding respectively through the contact openings; and

two wires connecting the circuit to the resilient contacts;

an interchangeable plug assembly mounted in and protruding from the plug recess and having

a body being symmetric and hollow, corresponding to the plug recess and having

a closed top having

an outer surface; and

an inner surface;

an open bottom;

a sidewall having an outer surface;

an inner cavity;

a bottom edge; and

multiple connectors formed on the outer surface of the sidewall of the body;

two prongs mounted through the closed top of the body, and each prong having

an outer end protruding from the outer surface of the closed top of the body parallel to the other prong; and

an inner end protruding from the inner surface of the closed top of the body and extending into the inner cavity of the body; and

a bottom cover attaching to, closing and corresponding to the open bottom of the body, abutting the bottom of the plug recess and having

a base layer attached to the open bottom of the body and having

a center;

a top surface;

a bottom surface;

an outer edge;

two contact recesses being curved and formed in the top surface of the base layer, and each contact recess having two ends; and

four contact openings being formed through the base layer at 90°

intervals and respectively at ends of the contact recesses;

two curved contacts mounted respectively in the contact recesses, exposed through the contact openings, and each curved contact having

a central connecting strip being curved and mounted respectively in the contact recesses in the base layer and each connecting strip having two ends;

two contacts formed respectively on and extending longitudinally from the ends of the connecting strip, being offset down slightly from the connecting strip, being separated by 90° and

mounted respectively in and exposed through adjacent contact openings in the base layer; and

a connecting tab formed on and protruding perpendicularly up from one of the contacts; and

a contact layer attached to the top surface of the base layer, holding the curved contacts respectively in the contact recesses and the contact openings of the base layer and having at least two through slots corresponding to and mounted respectively on the connecting tabs of the curved contacts; and

two wires electrically connecting the curved contacts respectively to the prongs; and

an electric cord electrically connecting the casing to an electrical device and having

a proximal end connected electrically to the circuit in the base.

2. The adjustable right angle electrical plug as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the base further has a cord notch formed in the top edge of the sidewall at the rear end of the base;

and

the electric cord extends through the cord notch.

3. The adjustable right angle electrical plug as claimed in claim 1 wherein

each prong further has a through hole formed near the inner end;

each curved contact further has a through hole formed through the connecting tab; and

the wires of the interchangeable plug assembly are attached between the through holes in the connecting tabs and the through holes in the prongs.

4. The adjustable right angle electrical plug as claimed in claim 1 wherein

the body of the interchangeable plug assembly further has

multiple mounting notches formed in the bottom edge of the body;

and

the base layer of the cover of the interchangeable plug assembly further has

multiple mounting tabs formed on and protruding out from the outer edge and corresponding to and mounting in mounting notches in the body.

5. The adjustable right angle electrical plug as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the base further has a lip formed on the top edge of the sidewall;

and

the cover is mounted on the lip.

6. The adjustable right angle electrical plug as claimed in claim 5 wherein

the base further has a cord notch formed in the top edge of the sidewall at the rear end of the base and extending below the lip;

and

the electric cord extends through the cord notch.

7. The adjustable right angle electrical plug as claimed in claim 1 wherein

the plug recess is circular;

the cover further has

two pairs of guide and limit protrusions formed on and protruding up from the bottom of the plug recess and respectively on opposite sides of the contact openings;

multiple alignment slots formed symmetrically in the sidewall of the plug recess from the bottom of the plug recess to the top of the cover; and

multiple retainer recesses formed in the sidewall of the plug recess at the bottom and communicating respectively with the alignment slots;

the resilient contacts protrude between the guide and limit protrusions and extend above the guide and limit protrusions;

the body of the interchangeable plug assembly is circular; and

the connectors on the body are blades formed on and protruding radially out from the bottom edge of the body, corresponding respectively to the alignment slots and movably held respectively in the retainer recesses.

8. The adjustable right angle electrical plug as claimed in claim 7 wherein

the cover further has a plug lock formed in the plug recess and the top of the cover and having

a resilient lever formed in the bottom and sidewall of the plug recess and the top of the cover toward the rear end of the cover between two alignment slots;

and

a latch formed on and protruding up from the bottom of the plug recess adjacent to the sidewall; and

the body of the interchangeable plug assembly further has four locking notches formed in the bottom edge of the body and corresponding to and held by the latch of the plug lock.