AC plug and electrical apparatus provided with same

• US 7,254,005 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2005
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Oyama, Yoshiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Leja; Ronald W.
• Application Number:
  US11/143,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20050272292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 361/220
• US Class Current: 361/220
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/665 with built-in electronic circuit H01R13/70, H01R13/719 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7031 Shorting, shunting or bussing of different terminals interrupted or effected on engagement of coupling part, e.g. for ESD protection, line continuity

Abstract

An AC plug provided with a plug casing and prongs formed sticking out from the inside of the plug casing to the outside and supplying AC power supplied from a power outlet to the prongs by an AC cord connected to the prongs inside the plug when the prongs are inserted into the power outlet, further provided with, inside the plug casing in series between the prongs, a discharge resistor for discharging a residual charge across the prongs when the prongs are pulled out from the power outlet and a switch turning off when the prongs are inserted into the power outlet, turning on when they are pulled out from the power outlet to pass the residual charge of one prong of the prongs to the other prong through the discharge resistor.

Claims

1. An AC plug comprising:

a plug casing;

prongs sticking out from the inside of the plug casing to the outside and configured to plug into an AC power outlet so that AC power can be supplied to an AC cord connected to the prongs inside the plug casing when the prongs are inserted into the power outlet;

a discharge resistor and switch inside the plug casing and connected in series between the prongs, the discharge resistor discharging a residual charge across the prongs when the prongs are pulled out from the power outlet, the switch switching to an open connection state when the prongs are inserted into the power outlet, the switch switching to a made connection state when the prongs are pulled out from the power outlet and to pass the residual charge of one prong to the other prong through the discharge resistor.

2. An AC plug as set forth in claim 1, wherein said switch has:

a movable projection at a surface of said plug casing from which the prongs project, the movable projection being pushed by a surface of the power outlet to move toward the inside of the plug casing when the prongs are inserted into the power outlet;

a connecting part connecting the movable projection and an operating piece of the switch but separating the operating piece from a contact of the switch by movement of the movable projection toward the inside of the plug casing; and

a biasing means biasing the movable projection toward the outside of the plug casing.

3. An AC plug as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a noise-suppression capacitor connected in series between the prongs inside the plug casing.

4. An electrical apparatus comprising

an electrical apparatus body,

an AC plug;

and

an AC cord interconnecting the electrical apparatus body and the AC plug for sending AC power to the electrical apparatus body from the AC plug,

wherein the AC plug has;

a plug casing;

prongs sticking out from the inside to the outside of the plug casing and configured to be inserted into an AC power outlet;

a discharge resistor inside the plug casing and operatively connected in series between the prongs to discharge residual charge on the prongs when the prongs are pulled out from the power outlet; and

a switch connected in series between the discharge resistor and the prongs, the switch switching to an open connection state when the prongs are inserted into the power outlet, the switch switching to a closed connection state when the prongs are pulled out from the power outlet to pass the residual charge of one of the prongs to the other prong through the discharge resistor.

5. An electrical apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said switch has:

a movable projection at a surface of said plug casing from which the prongs projects, the movable projection being pushed by a surface of the power outlet to move toward the inside of the plug casing when the prongs are inserted into the power outlet;

a connecting part connecting the movable projection and an operating piece of the switch but separating the operating piece from a contact of the switch by movement of the movable projection toward the inside of the plug casing; and

a biasing means biasing the movable projection toward the outside of the plug casing.

6. An electrical apparatus as set forth in claim 4, further, comprising a noise-suppression capacitor connected in series between the prongs in the plug casing.

7. An electrical apparatus as set forth in claim 4, further, comprising:

a first noise-suppression capacitor connected in series between the prongs inside the plug casing and

a second noise-suppression capacitor inside the electrical apparatus body and connected in series between power lines of the AC cord.