Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ELECTRICAL SOCKET WITH SLIDABLE AND REMOVABLE RECEPTACLE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrical socket, and more
particularly to an electrical socket that includes a
slidable and removable receptacle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional electrical socket includes a sliding
rail unit and a plurality of receptacle units disposed
slidably on the sliding rail unit . Because the receptacle
units cannot be removed from the sliding rail unit, however,
the number of the receptacle units cannot be changed,
thereby resulting in inconvenience during use.
SUI~iARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of this invention is to provide an electrical
socket that includes at least one slidable and removable
receptacle unit.
According to this invention, an electrical socket
includes a sliding rail unit and a receptacle unit disposed
slidably on the sliding rail unit. The receptacle unit
includes a base and a receptacle seat mounted rotatably
on the base. The receptacle seat is rotatable on the base
between a conducting position, where the receptacle unit
is retained on the sliding rail unit, and a non-conducting
position, where the receptacle unit is removable from the
sliding rail unit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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These and other features and advantages of this
invention will become apparent in the following detailed
description of a preferred embodiment of this invention,
with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is an assembled perspective view of the preferred
embodiment of an electrical socket according to this
invention;
Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, partly exploded perspective
view of the preferred embodiment;
Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a receptacle
unit of the preferred embodiment;
Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, partly sectional top view of
the preferred embodiment when a receptacle seat is disposed
at a conducting position;
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the preferred
embodiment when the receptacle seat is disposed at the
conducting position;
Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, partly sectional top view of
the preferred embodiment when the receptacle seat is
disposed at a non-conducting position;
Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the preferred
embodiment when the receptacle seat is disposed at the
non-conducting position;
Fig. 8 is a schematic top view illustrating positions
of two power prong-engaging holes in a rotary button
relative to two spaced-apart conducting plates when the
receptacle seat is disposed at the conducting position;
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and
Fig. 9 is a schematic top view illustrating positions
of two power prong-engaging holes in a rotary button
relative to two spaced-apart conducting plates when the
receptacle seat isdisposed at the non-conducting position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, the preferred
embodiment of an electrical socket according to this
invention includes a sliding rail unit 11, a plurality of
receptacle units 12 and a power supply unit 13. The
receptacle units 12 are slidable along a longitudinal
direction 10 (see Fig. 1) of the sliding rail unit 11.
The sliding rail unit 11 includes an elongated sliding
rail seat 111, two power wires 112 and a grounding wire
113. The sliding rail seat 111, the power wires 112 and
the grounding wire 113 extend along the longitudinal
direction 10. The sliding rail seat 111 has a horizontal
rail wall 114, two elongated hollow power wire-mounting
walls 115, a grounding wire-mounting wall 116, and two
parallel slide slots 117. The grounding wire-mounting
wall 116 is disposed between the power wire-mounting walls
115. Each of the slide slots 117 is disposed between the
grounding wire-mounting wall 116 and a respective one of
the power wire-mounting walls 115, and is adjacent to the
corresponding power wire-mounting wall 115. Each of the
power wire-mounting walls 115 defines a mounting space for
mounting the corresponding power wire 112 therein, and is
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formed with a retaining groove 118 communicated with the
mounting space in the corresponding power wire-mounting
wall 115 as well as with the corresponding slide slot 117.
The grounding wire-mounting wall 116 also defines a
mounting space for mounting the grounding wire 113 therein,
and has a top surface that is formed with an elongated
opening 119. Each of the power wires 112 and the grounding
wire 113 has an end connected electrically to the power
supply unit 13 . The power supply unit 13 may be configured
as an electrical plug.
One of the receptacle units 12 will be described in the
succeeding paragraphs.
The receptacle unit 12 is disposed above the sliding
rail unit 11, and includes a base 2, a conducting unit 3,
a receptacle seat 4 and a cover ring 5. The base 2 is made
of a plastic material, and includes a base wall 21, two
limiting ribs 22, a surrounding wall 23, an accommodating
chamber 24 and an insert rod 25 that has a circular cross
section. The base wall 21 bridges the power wire-mounting
walls 115, and is formed with two first openings 211 (see
Fig. 3) aligned respectively with the retaining grooves
118 in the power wire-mounting walls 115, and a second
opening 212 (see Fig. 3) aligned with the opening 119 in
the grounding wire-mounting wall 116. The limiting ribs
22 extend downwardly from the base wall 21, and are disposed
respectively and movably within the slide slots 117 in the
sliding rail seat 111. The surrounding wall 23 extends
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upwardly from an outer periphery of the base wall 21, and
defines the accommodating chamber 24. The surrounding
wall 23 is rectangular, and has two parallel first walls
231 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 10, and
two parallel second walls 232 parallel to the longitudinal
direction 10. Each of the first walls 231 is formed with
two retaining holes 233. The insert rod 25 extends
upwardly from the center of the base wall 21, and is disposed
in the accommodating chamber 24.
The conducting unit 3 includes two spaced-apart
conducting plates 31 and a grounding plate 32 . Each of the
conducting plates 31 is disposed on the base 2, and has
a vertical base portion 311 disposed in the accommodating
chamber 24, a curved prong-engaging portion 312 extending
upwardly from an upper end of the base portion 311, and
a curved wire-engaging portion 313 extending from a lower
end of the base portion 311 and having a lower end contact
portion 314. The prong-engaging portions 312 extend
initially from the base portions 311 toward each other,
and then away from each other, as shown in Fig. 5. The
wire-engaging portions 313 extend respectively into the
slide slots 117 through the first openings 211 in the base
wall 21 of the base 2 . The contact portions 314 extend away
from each other, as shown in Fig. 5, and are in electrical
contact with the power wires 112, respectively, by
extending effectively into the retaining grooves 118. The
grounding plate 32 is disposed in the accommodating chamber
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24, and includes a vertical base portion 321, a curved
prong-engaging portion 322 extending from an upper end of
the base portion 321, and a grounding wire-engaging portion
323. The grounding wire-engaging portion 323 extends
through the second opening 212 in the base 2 and into the
opening 119 in the grounding wire-mounting wall 116, to
therefore be in electrical contact with the grounding wire
113.
The receptacle seat 4 is mounted rotatably on the insert
rod 25, and includes a driving block 41 and a rotary button
42. The driving block 41 is generally elliptical, and has
opposite top and bottom surfaces 411, two opposite vertical
pushing surfaces 412, two opposite curved non-pushing
surfaces 413, and a hole 414 formed through the driving
block 41. The distance between the pushing surfaces 412
is greater than that between the non-pushing surfaces 413.
The hole 414 has a lower circular hole portion 415 and an
upper non-circular hole portion 416. The driving block 41
is disposed between the rotary button 42 and the base 2.
The rotary button 42 includes a top wall 421, a surrounding
wall 422 extending downwardly from an outer periphery of
the top wall 421, and a mounting rod 423 extending
downwardly from the center of the top wall 421. The top
wall 421 is formed with two power prong-engaging holes 424
and a grounding prong-engaging hole 425. The
prong-engaging portion 322 of the grounding plate 32 is
disposed in proximity to the grounding prong-engaging hole
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425. The mounting rod 423 has a non-circular insert
portion 426 engaging fittingly the non-circular hole
portion 416 of the hole 414 in the driving block 41 so as
to allow for synchronous rotation of the rotary button 42
and the driving block 41, and a bore 4 ~ 7 engaging f i t t ingly
an upper end of the insert rod 25 so as to allow for rotation
of the rotary button 42 about the insert rod 25. The
surrounding wall 422 has a lower end that is formed with
an annular flange 428 extending radially and outwardly
therefrom.
The cover ring 5 has an annular horizontal plate 51
defining a circular hole 511, a surrounding wall 52
extending downwardly from an outer periphery of the
horizontal plate 51, and four retaining hooks 53 extending
downwardly from the surrounding wall 52. The cover ring
5 is sleeved on the rotary button 42, and abuts against
a top surface of the annular flange 428 of the rotary button
42. The retaining hooks 53 engage respectively the
retaining holes 233 in the base 2 so as to confine the rotary
button 42 between the cover ring 5 and the base 2.
Referring to Figs . 2 , 4 , 5, and 8 , the receptacle seat
4 is normally disposed at a conducting position shown in
Figs. 4, 5 and 8, where the pressing surfaces 412 of the
driving block 41 press respectively against the
wire-engaging portions 313 of the conducting plates 31 so
as to maintain the positioning of the receptacle seat 4.
In the conducting position, the power prong-engaging holes
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424 in the receptacle seat 4 are aligned respectively with
the prong-engaging portions 312 of the conducting plates
3, as shown in Fig. 8, so as to allow for electrical contact
of two power prongs of a plug (not shown) with the
S prong-engaging portions 312 of the conducting plates 31
when the plug is inserted into the power prong-engaging
holes 424. Also in the conducting position, the contact
portions 314 of the conducting plates 31 extend
respectively through the retaining grooves 118 in the power
wire-mounting walls 115, and are in electrical contact with
the power wires 112. Because of engagement between the
conducting plates 31 and the retaining grooves 118, removal
of the receptacle unit 12 from the sliding rail unit 11
can be prevented.
The rotary button 42 can be operated to rotate the
receptacle seat 4 by 90° to a non-conducting position shown
in Figs. 6, 7 and 9, where the non-pressing surfaces 413
are aligned respectively with the prong-engaging portions
312 of the conducting plates 31 so as to maintain the
positioning of the receptacle seat 4. In the
non-conducting position, each of the power prong-engaging
holes 424 in the receptacle seat 4 is deflected from the
prong-engaging portion312 of the corresponding conducting
plate 31, as shown in Fig. 9. As a result, when the plug
is inserted into the receptacle unit 12, because one of
the power prongs of the plug is blocked by one of the
conducting plates 31, the power prongs of the plug cannot
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be inserted completely into the power prong-engaging holes
424 . This prevents electrical contact between the plug and
both the conducting plates 31 . Also in the non-conducting
position, the contact portions 314 of the conducting plates
31 are removed from the retaining grooves 118 in the power
wire-mounting walls 115 and, therefore, as well as the power
wires 112. This allows for removal of the receptacle unit
12 from the sliding rail unit 11.
With this invention thus explained, it is apparent that
numerous modifications and variations can be made without
departing from the scope and spirit of this invention. It
is therefore intended that this invention be limited only
as indicated by the appended claims.
