System, socket and plug apparatus for DC power distribution and usage
First Claim
1. A power supply system comprising:
- an electrical power generating device producing DC electrical power in the form of a DC electrical current;
a DC current conductor receiving the DC electrical current from the electrical power generating device, said DC current conductor carrying said DC electrical current to a socket; and
an AC power system transmitting AC electrical current to the socket so that said socket can be accessed by a plug inserted therein to receive therefrom the DC current or the AC current;
wherein the socket has two recesses therein, each recess having a respective contact therein and being configured to receive a respective prong, and to make a respective electrical contact with said plug therein, first and second of said contacts transmitting complimentary poles of the AC electrical current, respectively; and
the socket having a third contact transmitting the DC current and configured to contact an electrical contact structure of the plug so as to supply the DC current thereto, andsaid socket having a fourth contact therein engageable with the plug to make a further electrical contact therewith, said fourth contact connecting with a grounded connection; and
wherein an electrical device having a device plug is plugged into said socket, said socket having a third recess with the third contact therein, said device plug including a DC prong inserted in and engaging the third contact in the third recess and a ground contact of the plug engaging the grounded contact, said electrical device deriving DC power from a circuit formed between the DC prong and the ground contact; and
wherein the socket has a grounded recess therein configured to receive a standard plug ground prong in which recess the fourth contact is supported, and the ground contact of the plug is a second prong on said plug configured to be received in the grounded recess, and said plug further comprises a pair of AC prongs configured to be inserted in said two recesses and to receive said AC electrical current therefrom;
said DC prong and the second prong being releasably connected with the plug, such that the said DC prong and the second prong can be removed from the plug such that the plug can then be inserted into another socket having only two standard AC power prong recesses therein, and said DC prong and the second prong can be secured to the plug so that said DC prong and the second prong can access DC power from said socket.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A power supply system comprises an electrical power generating device producing DC electrical power in the form of a DC electrical current, a DC current conductor receiving the DC electrical current from the electrical power generating device and carrying the DC electrical current to a socket, and an AC power system transmitting AC electrical current to the socket so that the socket can be accessed by a plug inserted therein to receive the DC current or the AC current from it. The socket has four recesses in it, and each recess has a respective contact therein. Each recess is configured to receive a respective prong and make a respective electrical contact with the plug therein. A first of the contacts transmits the DC current, a second and third of the contacts transmit complementary poles of the AC electrical current, and a fourth contact connects with a grounded connection. A DC-powered electrical device has a plug with a plug body and three prongs supported on and extending from the plug body. The prongs include two AC connection prongs and a ground connection prong corresponding to prongs of a standard three-prong plug. The plug further has a fourth prong supported on the plug body into the socket to contact the DC current recess. The fourth prong is removable from the plug body, or is movably supported on the plug body so that the fourth prong may be removed or moved so that the plug can be plugged into a standard three-recess AC socket.
55 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A power supply system comprising:
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an electrical power generating device producing DC electrical power in the form of a DC electrical current; a DC current conductor receiving the DC electrical current from the electrical power generating device, said DC current conductor carrying said DC electrical current to a socket; and an AC power system transmitting AC electrical current to the socket so that said socket can be accessed by a plug inserted therein to receive therefrom the DC current or the AC current; wherein the socket has two recesses therein, each recess having a respective contact therein and being configured to receive a respective prong, and to make a respective electrical contact with said plug therein, first and second of said contacts transmitting complimentary poles of the AC electrical current, respectively; and the socket having a third contact transmitting the DC current and configured to contact an electrical contact structure of the plug so as to supply the DC current thereto, and said socket having a fourth contact therein engageable with the plug to make a further electrical contact therewith, said fourth contact connecting with a grounded connection; and wherein an electrical device having a device plug is plugged into said socket, said socket having a third recess with the third contact therein, said device plug including a DC prong inserted in and engaging the third contact in the third recess and a ground contact of the plug engaging the grounded contact, said electrical device deriving DC power from a circuit formed between the DC prong and the ground contact; and wherein the socket has a grounded recess therein configured to receive a standard plug ground prong in which recess the fourth contact is supported, and the ground contact of the plug is a second prong on said plug configured to be received in the grounded recess, and said plug further comprises a pair of AC prongs configured to be inserted in said two recesses and to receive said AC electrical current therefrom; said DC prong and the second prong being releasably connected with the plug, such that the said DC prong and the second prong can be removed from the plug such that the plug can then be inserted into another socket having only two standard AC power prong recesses therein, and said DC prong and the second prong can be secured to the plug so that said DC prong and the second prong can access DC power from said socket. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A power supply system comprising:
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an electrical power generating device producing DC electrical power in the form of a DC electrical current; a DC current conductor receiving the DC electrical current from the electrical power generating device, said DC current conductor carrying said DC electrical current to a socket; and an AC power system transmitting AC electrical current to the socket so that said socket can be accessed by a plug inserted therein to receive therefrom the DC current or the AC current; wherein the socket has two recesses therein, each recess having a respective contact therein and being configured to receive a respective prong, and to make a respective electrical contact with said plug therein, a first and second of said contacts transmitting complementary poles of the AC electrical current, respectively; and the socket having a third contact transmitting the DC current and configured to contact an electrical contact structure of the plug so as to supply the DC current thereto, and said socket having a fourth contact therein, engageable with the plug to make a further electrical contact therewith, said fourth contact connecting with a grounded connection; and wherein the recesses are positioned such that a standard three-contact AC plug when plugged into the socket engages the first and second contacts and creates an AC power circuit therewith, and also contacts with the fourth contact connecting to ground; and wherein the recess of the third contact is located between the recesses of the first and second contacts.
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13. A power supply system comprising:
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an electrical power generating device producing DC electrical power in the form of a DC electrical current; a DC current conductor receiving the DC electrical current from the electrical power generating device, said DC current conductor carrying said DC electrical current to a socket; and an AC power system transmitting AC electrical current to the socket so that said socket can be accessed by a plug inserted therein to receive therefrom the DC current or the AC current; wherein the socket has two recesses therein, each recess having a respective contact therein and being configured to receive a respective prong, and to make a respective electrical contact with said plug therein, a first and second of said contacts transmitting complementary poles of the AC electrical current, respectively; and the socket having a third contact transmitting the DC current and configured to contact an electrical contact structure of the plug so as to supply the DC current thereto, and said socket having a fourth contact therein engageable with the plug to make a further electrical contact therewith, said fourth contact connecting with a grounded connection; and wherein an electrical device having a device plug is plugged into said socket, said socket having a third recess with the third contact therein, said device plug including a DC prong inserted in and engaging the third contact in the third recess and a ground contact of the plug engaging the grounded contact, said electrical device deriving DC power from a circuit formed between the DC prong and the ground contact; and wherein the contact of the plug is a flat tongue ground contact, and the fourth contact of the socket is a corresponding exposed contact configured to engage with the plug contact when the plug is in the socket.
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14. A wall socket supplying DC power and AC power in a building,
said wall socket comprising: -
a socket face having first and second recesses therein located in positions to receive prongs of a standard two-prong AC electrical plug; the socket having contacts in said recesses configured to electrically contact said prongs, said contacts each being electrically connected with a respective pole of said AC power so that an AC circuit is formed when a plug having prongs of said two-prong AC electrical plug is inserted in the socket; said socket having a third contact therein positioned to engage a ground contact of a standard three-wire AC electrical plug, said third contact connecting with ground; and said socket having a further recess therein having a contact therein configured to engage a plug prong when inserted therein and to supply to said plug prong the DC power, such that a DC circuit is formed between said plug prong and a further ground contact contacting the grounded contact of said third contact; and wherein the further recess is located between the first and second recesses.
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15. An electrical device comprising:
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a DC-powered electrical apparatus operable using DC current; and a plug operatively associated with the DC-powered electrical apparatus so as to supply DC current thereto; said plug having a plug body; and said plug having two AC connection prongs supported on and extending from the plug body, corresponding to prongs of a standard two-prong plug; said plug having a ground prong supported on and extending from the plug body, said ground prong corresponding to the ground prong of a standard three-prong AC plug; said plug further having a further prong supported on the plug body and extending therefrom adjacent the two prongs; and said further prong and said ground prong being both releasably connected with the plug body such that said further prong and said ground prong may be selectively removed and re-attached to the plug body, such that, when said further prong and said ground prong are removed from the plug body, the plug can be plugged into a standard two-recess AC socket having only two recesses therein and no recess that can accommodate a standard ground prong. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. An electrical device comprising:
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a DC-powered electrical apparatus operable using DC current; and a plug operatively associated with the DC-powered electrical apparatus so as to supply DC current thereto; said plug having a plug body; and said plug having two AC connection prongs supported on and extending from the plug body, corresponding to prongs of a standard two-prong plug; said plug further having a further prong supported on the plug body and extending therefrom adjacent the two prongs; and said further prong being removable from the plug body, or being movably supported on the plug body so that said further prong may be removed or moved so that the plug can be plugged into a standard two-recess AC socket; and wherein the plug also has a ground connection contact structure corresponding to a standard ground contact for the plug, and said further prong is supported so as to be moved between a first position, wherein said further prong can be received in a three-slot socket with the three prongs, and a second position, wherein said further prong does not interfere with insertion of the three prongs into a standard two-recess AC socket. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. An electrical device comprising:
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a DC-powered electrical apparatus operable using DC current; and a plug operatively associated with the DC-powered electrical apparatus so as to supply DC current thereto; said plug having a plug body; and said plug having two AC connection prongs supported on and extending from the plug body, corresponding to prongs of a standard two-prong plug; said plug further having a further prong supported on the plug body and extending therefrom adjacent the two prongs; and said further prong being removable from the plug body, or being movably supported on the plug body so that said further prong may be removed or moved so that the plug can be plugged into a standard two-recess AC socket; and wherein said further prong is between the AC connection prongs of the plug.
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Specification