Electrical pop out device

• US 8,348,683 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wiremold Co (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: Wiremold Co (Legrand SA)
• Inventors: Row, Gordon D.
• Primary Examiner(s): HYEON, HAE M
• Application Number:
  US12/913,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20120108085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 439/131, 439/536, 174/480, 174/66
• US Class Current: 439/131
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/006 the coupling part being secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. duplex wall receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/12 for flush mounting

Abstract

An electrical pop out device has a shroud and an outlet housing. The outlet housing is sized to be placed inside the shroud. A guidance mechanism connects the outlet housing with the shroud. The guidance mechanism includes multiple rack gears and multiple pinion gears. The outlet housing is moveable with respect to the shroud along a direction defined by the rack gear. A spring connector electrically couples the shroud to the outlet housing.

Claims

1. An electrical pop out device comprising:

a shroud;

an outlet housing being sized to be placed inside the shroud;

a guidance mechanism connecting the outlet housing with the shroud, the guidance mechanism being configured to allow movement of the outlet housing with respect to the shroud and to prevent misalignment of the outlet housing with respect to the shroud during movement of the outlet housing; and

a spring connector electrically coupling the shroud to the outlet housing, the spring connector being configured to mechanically expel the outlet housing from within the shroud and to retain the outlet housing in an expanded position.

2. The electrical pop out device according to claim 1, wherein the guidance mechanism includes multiple rack and pinion gear sets, each rack and pinion gear set having at least one rack gear and at least one pinion gear, the outlet housing being moveable with respect to the shroud along a direction defined by the rack gears.

3. The electrical pop out device according to claim 1, wherein the guidance mechanism includes a plurality of slides located about and extending from the outlet housing, each of the plurality of slides being nested in a slot defined in the shroud.

4. The electrical pop out device according to claim 1, wherein the guidance mechanism includes at least a pair of cross links, a first cross link being pinned to the shroud and being movably pinned within a slot defined in the outlet housing, a second cross link being pinned to the outlet housing and being movably pinned within a slot defined in the shroud.

5. The electrical pop out device according to claim 1, wherein the outlet housing includes at least a pair of outlets placed about the outlet housing to provide access to each of the pair of outlets from different directions.

6. The electrical pop out device according to claim 1, wherein the outlet housing includes a single outlet placed on a front face of the outlet housing.

7. The electrical pop out device according to claim 1, wherein the guidance mechanism restricts movement of the outlet housing with respect to the shroud.

8. The electrical pop out device according to claim 1, wherein the spring connector has a first end connected with the shroud and a second end connected with the outlet housing.

9. The electrical pop out device according to claim 8, wherein the first end of the spring connector is substantially perpendicular to the second end of the spring connector.

10. The electrical pop out device according to claim 8, wherein the spring connector is compressible and expandable along two perpendicular directions.

11. The electrical pop out device according to claim 1, further comprising an electrical connector for attaching the electrical pop out device to an electrical circuit, the electrical connector being connected with the shroud.

12. The electrical pop out device according to claim 1, wherein the outlet housing is movable between a compressed position and an expanded position in relation to the shroud.

13. The electrical pop out device according to claim 1, further comprising a push-push latch operatively connected with the shroud and the outlet housing.

14. An electrical pop out device comprising:

a shroud;

an outlet housing being movable from a compressed position of internal to the shroud to an expanded position of extending from the shroud; and

a spring having a first portion coupled to the shroud and a second portion coupled to the outlet housing, the first portion being substantially perpendicular to the second portion, the first portion and the second portion being configured to expand and contract along perpendicular directions, the spring being configured to expel the outlet housing from within the shroud and to provide an electrical connection to the outlet housing from the shroud.

15. The electrical pop out device according to claim 14, further comprising a guidance mechanism having at least one component extending from the outlet housing and being interconnected with the shroud.

16. The electrical pop out device according to claim 15, wherein the guidance mechanism is configured to counteract a load applied to a side of the outlet housing.

17. The electrical pop out device according to claim 14, further comprising a guidance mechanism having a pair of cross links pivotally connected to each other, each of the pair of cross links is pivotally connected with one of the shroud and housing.

18. The electrical pop out device according to claim 14, further comprising a guidance mechanism includes multiple rack and pinion gear sets, each rack and pinion gear set having at least one rack gear and at least one pinion gear, the outlet housing being moveable with respect to the shroud along a direction defined by the rack gears.

19. The electrical pop out device according to claim 14, further comprising a USB port.

20. The electrical pop out device according to claim 14, wherein the shroud is adapted to fit into a single gang box.