Electrical plug receptacle

• US 5,748,424 A
• Filed: 09/26/1995
• Issued: 05/05/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Primax Electronics Limited
• Inventors: Hung, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): Leja, Ronald W.
• Application Number:
  US08/534,119
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 361/56, 361/91, 361/104, 361/111, 361/118, 361/58, 361/119, 361/127, 361/732, 361/740, 361/741, 361/747, 361/753, 361/759, 174/51, 174/58, 174/152 R, 174/153 R, 174/158 R, 439/76.1, 439/535, 439/653, 439/638, 439/639, 439/652
• US Class Current: 361/56
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/042 comprising means to limit the absorbed power or indicate damaged over-voltage protection device

Abstract

The present invention provides an electrical plug receptacle which includes a housing including a cover having a primary wall and a perimetral wall respectively including a plurality of prong-receiving apertures, and a plate opposite to said primary wall, having a pair of prong projecting through holes and engaging with the cover so as to define an inner space of the housing, a conducting attaching set passing through the pair of prong projecting through holes from an inside of the housing and adapted for attaching the electrical plug receptacle to a wall receptacle, a retaining set encased in the housing, electrically connected to the conducting attaching set and corresponding to the plurality of prong-receiving apertures for retaining therein a plug of an electrical appliance, and a circuit encased in the housing and electrically connected to the conducting attaching set for protecting the electrical appliance when there is a surge voltage. Such an electrical plug receptacle receives the electrical appliance adaptors not only from the primary wall but also from the perimetral wall, and preferably includes a protective circuit which is highly recommended as a safety guard for effectively preventing accidents.

Claims

1. An electrical plug receptacle comprising:

a housing including a cover having a primary wall, and a perimeter wall each of which includes a plurality of prong-receiving apertures, and a plate opposite to said primary wall, having a pair of prong-projecting through holes and engaging with said cover so as to define an inner space of said housing;

a conducting attaching set passing through said pair of prong-projecting through holes from inside of said housing and adapted for attaching said electrical plug receptacle to a wall receptacle;

a retaining set encased in said housing, electrically connected to said conducting attaching set and corresponding to each said plurality of prong-receiving apertures for retaining therein a plug of an electrical appliance;

a circuit formed upon a printed circuit board (PCB), encased in said housing and electrically connected to said conducting attaching set for protecting said electrical appliance when there is a surge voltage, and wherein said conducting attaching set includes a conducting strip and a pillar respectively secured to said PCB; and

said retaining set including first and second conducting holding strips secured to said PCB and respectively corresponding to said plurality of prong-receiving apertures of said primary wall;

a holding pillar connected to said pillar of said attaching set and corresponding to said plurality of prong-receiving apertures of said primary wall;

a supporting piece provided with a plurality of flutes, a groove and a plurality of through holes respectively corresponding to said plurality of prong-receiving apertures of said perimeter wall;

third and fourth conducting holding strips respectively held in said plurality of flutes and electrically connected to said first and said second conducting holding strips; and

a second holding pillar held in said groove of said supporting piece and electrically connected to said circuit formed upon said PCB, whereby said conducting attaching set, said retaining set and said circuit formed upon said PCB form an electrical path.

2. An electrical plug receptacle according to claim 1, wherein said cover includes a plurality of supporting media and a plurality of positioning media respectively protruding in said inner space for securing therein said conducting attaching set, said retaining set and said PCB.

3. An electrical plug receptacle according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of supporting media and said plurality of positioning media are integrally formed to said housing.

4. An electrical plug receptacle according to claim 1, wherein said PCB further includes:

a plurality of metal oxide varistors (MOVs) for absorbing a surge voltage so as to protect said electrical appliance;

a light-emitting diode (LED) electrically connected to said plurality of MOVs, which will light when said plurality of MOVs are all under a normal condition and will not light when one of said plurality of MOVs is damaged by said surge voltage; and

an audible alarm electrically connected to said plurality of MOVs for generating an audible alarm when said one MOV is damaged.

5. An electrical plug receptacle according to claim 4, wherein said circuit further includes a thermal fuse in contact with said plurality of MOVs for cutting off an external electrical power source when said one MOV is damaged.

6. An electrical plug receptacle according to claim 5, wherein said thermal fuse and said plurality of MOVs are bound together by an insulating adhesive tape.

7. An electrical plug receptacle according to claim 4, wherein said cover further includes a light transmitting hole and a light scattering plate at a position corresponding to said LED.

8. An electrical plug receptacle according to claim 1, further comprising at least one telephone line adaptor provided on said cover and electrically connected to said circuit formed upon said PCB.

9. An electrical plug receptacle according to claim 1, further comprising at least one coaxial line adaptor provided on said cover and electrically connected to said circuit formed upon said PCB.

10. An electrical plug receptacle according to claim 1, wherein said plate further includes an integrally formed projecting reinforcing column.

11. An electrical plug receptacle according to claim 1, wherein said cover and said plate of said housing are secured by being welded together by ultrasonic means.

12. An electrical plug receptacle comprising:

a housing including a cover having a primary wall, and a perimeter wall each of which includes a plurality of prong-receiving apertures, and a plate opposite to said primary wall, having a pair of prong-projecting through holes and engaging with said cover so as to define an inner space of said housing;

a conducting attaching set passing through said pair of prong-projecting through holes from inside of said housing and adapted for attaching said electrical plug receptacle to a wall receptacle;

a retaining set encased in said housing, electrically connected to said conducting attaching set and corresponding to each said plurality of prong-receiving apertures for retaining therein a plug of an electrical appliance;

a circuit formed upon a printed circuit board (PCB), and encased in said housing and electrically connected to said conducting attaching set for protecting said electrical appliance when there is a surge voltage;

said cover including a plurality of supporting media and a plurality of positioning media respectively protruding in said inner space for securing therein said conducting attaching set, said retaining set and said PCB; and

said conducting attaching set including a conducting strip and a pillar respectively welded to said PCB, and said retaining set includes;

a first and a second conducting holding strip welded to said PCB and respectively corresponding to said plurality of prong-receiving apertures of said primary wall;

a holding pillar connected to said pillar of said attaching set and corresponding to said plurality of prong-receiving apertures of said primary wall;

a supporting piece provided with two flutes, a groove and a plurality of through holes respectively corresponding to said plurality of prong-receiving apertures of said perimeter wall;

a third and a fourth conducting holding strip respectively held in said two flutes and electrically connected to said first and said second conducting holding strips; and

a second holding pillar held in said groove of said supporting piece and electrically connected to said PCB;

whereby said conducting attaching set, said retaining set and said PCB form an electrical path.

13. The electrical plug receptacle according to claim 12, wherein said PCB further includes:

a plurality of metal oxide varistors (MOVs) for absorbing a surge voltage so as to protect said electrical appliance;

a light-emitting diode (LED) electrically connected to said plurality of MOVs, which will light when said plurality of MOVs are all under a normal condition and will not light when one of said plurality of MOVs is damaged by said surge voltage.

14. An electrical plug receptacle according to claim 13, wherein said circuit further includes a thermal fuse in contact with said plurality of MOVs for cutting off an external electrical power source when said one MOV is damaged.

15. An electrical plug receptacle according to claim 13, wherein said cover further includes a light transmitting hole and a light scattering plate at a position corresponding to said LED.

16. An electrical plug receptacle according to claim 12, further comprising at least one telephone line adaptor provided on said cover and electrically connected to said circuit formed upon said PCB.

17. An electrical plug receptacle according to claim 12, further comprising at least one coaxial line adaptor provided on said cover and electrically connected to said circuit formed upon said PCB.

18. An electrical plug receptacle comprising:

a housing including a cover having a primary wall, and a perimeter wall each of which includes a plurality of prong-receiving apertures, and a plate opposite to said primary wall, having a pair of prong-projecting-through-holes and engaging with said cover so as to define an inner space of said housing;

a conducting attaching set passing through said pair of prong-projecting-through-holes from inside of said housing and adapted for attaching said electrical plug receptacle to a wall receptacle;

a retaining set encased in said housing, electrically connected to said conducting attaching set and corresponding to each said plurality of prong-receiving apertures for retaining therein a plug of an electrical appliance;

a circuit formed upon a printed circuit board (PCB), encased in said housing and electrically connected to said conducting attaching set for protecting said electrical appliance when there is a surge voltage, and wherein said conducting attaching set includes a conducting strip and pillar respectively secured to said PCB; and

said retaining set including first and second conducting holding strips secured to said PCB and respectively corresponding to said plurality of prong-receiving apertures of said primary wall;

said cover including a plurality of supporting media and a plurality of positioning media respectively protruding in said inner space for securing therein said conducting attaching set, said retaining set and said PCB;

a holding pillar connected to said pillar of said attaching set and corresponding to said plurality of prong-receiving apertures of said primary wall;

a supporting piece provided with two flutes, a groove and a plurality of through holes respectively corresponding to said plurality of prong-receiving apertures of said perimeter wall;

third and fourth conducting holding strips respectively held in said two flutes and electrically connected to said first and said second conducing holding strips; and

a second holding pillar held in said groove of said supporting piece and electrically connected to said circuit formed upon said PCB, whereby said conducting attaching set, said retaining set and said circuit formed upon said PCB form an electrical path.