Electrical pop out device
First Claim
Patent Images
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 disposed between the shroud and the outlet housing, the spring connector being configured to mechanically expel the outlet housing from within the shroud;
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; and
wherein at least two rack and pinion gear sets are diametrically opposed about the outlet housing.
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Accused Products
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.
6 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An electrical pop out device comprising:
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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 disposed between the shroud and the outlet housing, the spring connector being configured to mechanically expel the outlet housing from within the shroud; 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; and wherein at least two rack and pinion gear sets are diametrically opposed about the outlet housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An electrical pop out device comprising:
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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 disposed between the shroud and the outlet housing, the spring connector being configured to mechanically expel the outlet housing from within the shroud; 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; and wherein at least two rack and pinion gear sets are orthogonally arranged about the outlet housing. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. An electrical pop out device comprising:
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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 disposed between the shroud and the outlet housing, the spring connector being configured to mechanically expel the outlet housing from within the shroud; 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; wherein the pinion gears of each rack and pinion gear set are rotatably attached to the outlet housing; wherein the guidance mechanism additionally comprises a retention frame attached to the outlet housing; and wherein the pinion gears are rotatably attached to the outlet housing by the retention frame.
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20. An electrical pop out device comprising:
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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 disposed between the shroud and the outlet housing, the spring connector being configured to mechanically expel the outlet housing from within the shroud; 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; and wherein the rack gears of each rack and pinion gear set are disposed on the shroud and extend from an opening in the shroud straight back into an interior of the shroud. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. An electrical pop out device comprising:
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a shroud; an outlet housing being sized to be placed inside the shroud; and a guidance mechanism connecting the outlet housing with the shroud, the guidance mechanism including at least three rack and pinion gear sets, each rack and pinion gear set having at least one rack gear arranged on the shroud and at least one pinion gear arranged on the outlet housing, the guidance mechanism being configured to allow movement of the outlet housing with respect to the shroud from a position internal to the shroud to a position external to the shroud; wherein the at least three independent rack gears are arranged on at least three mutually orthogonal planes to resist twisting of the outlet housing by a combination of resultant reaction vectors aligned with the gear sets and to support the outlet housing in the expelled position under external loads.
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Specification