Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
SOCKET
FIELD
[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a socket, and
more
specifically, to a socket mounted with a shutter for a jack of the socket.
BACKGROUND
[0002] A socket is a common electrical connection device. By a plug of an
electrical/electronic device being inserted into jacks of the socket, the
electrical/electronic device is enabled to be electrically connected to a
power source
or a signal source/signal receiving end.
[0003] Jacks of conventional sockets are exposed, which incurs potential
dangerous.
The user may accidentally insert foreign objects into the exposed jacks
without any
obstruction, resulting in an electric shock, short circuit and the like. In
particular,
children may put their fingers or small objects (such as iron wire) into the
exposed
jacks out of curiosity, leading to accidents such as electric shocks. The
exposed
jacks are also prone to accumulation of dust or foreign objects, resulting in
blockage
of the jacks or poor electrical conductive contacts.
[0004] Therefore, it is desirable to provide a socket which not only can avoid
the
above-mentioned issues, but also possesses a more aesthetic appearance and
reliable
performance.
SUMMARY
[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a socket to at least
partially
address the above and other potential problems of conventional solutions.
[0006] In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a socket.
The
socket comprising: a base; a panel mounted on the base; a cover arranged
between the
base and the panel, and comprising jacks provided therein; and a shutter unit
arranged
inside the base and comprising a linked shutter and an E-pole driving shutter,
wherein
when a plug is inserted into the jacks, the E-pole driving shutter can be
driven by an
E-pole pin of the plug to actuate the linked shutter, so that the plug can be
inserted
into the jacks; and wherein in a state where the E-pole driving shutter is not
driven by
CA 3061790 2019-11-15
the E-pole pin, top surfaces of the linked shutter passing through the jacks
toward the
panel are coplanar with a top surface of the panel.
[0007] According to the socket of the embodiments of the present disclosure,
the
opening and closing of the shutter unit can be implemented by means of an E-
pole
driving, wherein the shutter unit may include a linked shutter and an E-pole
driving
shutter. By actuating the E-pole driving shutter, a movement of the plug along
the
axial direction of the socket can be translated into a movement of the shutter
unit.
Thus, an outer surface of the shutter unit of the socket can be flush with the
outer
surface of the socket. Therefore, the socket according to the embodiments of
the
present disclosure may have a flat appearance. The surface of the socket
nearly
without a gap caused by the jacks can be seen when viewed from the outside of
the
socket, thereby at least avoiding the accumulation of dust. More importantly,
electrical accidents caused by the object being inserted into the socket jack
can be
eliminated. Furthermore, the mechanical stability and reliability of the
shutter unit
of the socket according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can be
relatively
high due to the relatively small number of components.
[0008] In some embodiments, the linked shutter and the E-pole driving shutter
can
be integrally formed; and wherein an acting surface of the E-pole driving
shutter in
contact with the E-pole pin can be a slope or a concave surface.
[0009] In some embodiments, the acting surface of the E-pole driving shutter
in
contact with the E-pole pin can be a plane, and the acting surface can be
coplanar with
the top surface of the panel.
[0010] In some embodiments, the E-pole driving shutter can include a first
protruding portion and a second protruding portion; the linked shutter can
include a
first receiving portion adapted to receive the first protruding portion and a
second
receiving portion adapted to receive the second protruding portion; wherein
the first
protruding portion can be moved along the first receiving portion when the E-
pole pin
drives the E-pole driving shutter toward the base, such that the shutter unit
can be
actuated by the plug to move toward the base.
[0011] In some embodiments, the socket can further comprises a first elastic
member in contact with both the linked shutter and the E-pole driving shutter;
and
wherein the E-pole pin is disengaged from the socket, the first elastic member
can be
2
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adapted to apply an elastic force to the E-pole driving shutter to enable the
E-pole
driving shutter to move relative to the linked shutter, until the E-pole
driving shutter is
returned in such a way that the acting surface can be coplanar with the top
surface of
the panel.
[0012] In some embodiments, the first elastic member can be a torsion spring
with a
first leg and a second leg. A coil of the torsion spring can be arranged
around a
protrusion of the linked shutter, the first leg can abut against the linked
shutter, and
the second leg can abut against the E-pole driving shutter.
[0013] In some embodiments, the socket can further comprise a shaft extending
from the linked shutter toward the base and arranged within a shaft hole
formed in the
base.
[0014] In some embodiments, the socket can further comprises a second elastic
member arranged around the shaft; and wherein with the E-pole pin is
disengaged
from the socket, the second elastic member can be adapted to apply an elastic
force to
the shutter unit to enable the shutter unit to move opposite to the base,
until the linked
shutter in is returned such a way that the top surfaces can be coplanar with
the top
surface of the panel.
[0015] In some embodiments, the second elastic member can be a torsion spring
with a third leg and a fourth leg. The third leg can abut against the shutter
unit, and
the fourth leg can abut against a contact surface formed in the base, such
that the
shutter unit can be remained in position when not driven by the E-pole pin.
[0016] Further features of the present disclosure will become apparent from
the
following description of exemplary embodiments.
[0017] It should be understood that the scope of the present disclosure is not
intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the
present
disclosure will be readily understood by the following description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] Through the following detailed description with reference to the
accompanying drawings, the above and other objectives, features, and
advantages of
example embodiments of the present disclosure will become more easily-
understood.
In the figures, various embodiments of the present disclosure are described by
way of
3
CA 3061790 2019-11-15
example.
[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded view of a socket in accordance with an
exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0020] FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a socket in accordance
with an
exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0021] FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a socket in accordance
with an
exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0022] FIG. 4a and FIG. 4b respectively illustrate a shutter unit of the
socket of the
embodiment shown in FIG. 1;
[0023] FIG. 5 illustrates an exploded view of a socket in accordance with an
exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0024] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a linked shutter of a shutter unit of
the socket
of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5;
[0025] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of an E-pole driving shutter of a shutter
unit of
the socket of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5;
[0026] FIG's. 8a and 8b respectively illustrate different states of the
shutter unit of
the socket of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5;
[0027] FIG's. 9a, 9b and 9c respectively show cross-sectional views
corresponding
to different states of the shutter unit shown in FIG's. 8a and 8b; and
[0028] FIG. 10 illustrates a perspective view of a base of a socket in
accordance
with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0029] The concept of the present disclosure will now be described with
reference to
various exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings. It is to be understood
that
the description of the embodiments is only to be understood by those skilled
in the art,
and is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure in any way. It should
be
noted that similar or identical reference signs may be used in the drawings to
indicate
similar or identical elements. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that
alternative
embodiments of the structures and/or methods described herein may be employed
without departing from the principles and concepts of the present disclosure.
4
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[0030] As used herein, the term "includes" and its variants are to be read as
open-ended terms that mean "includes, but is not limited to." The term "based
on" is
to be read as "based at least in part on." The term "one example embodiment"
and
"an example embodiment" are to be read as "at least one example embodiment."
The term "another embodiment" s to be read as "at least one other embodiment."
Other terms that may occur but are not mentioned herein are not to be
interpreted or
limited in a manner that is contrary to the concept on which the embodiments
of the
present disclosure are based, unless explicitly stated.
[0031] As mentioned above, there is a need for a socket with improved
reliability
and improved appearance. There is currently a socket with a shutter structure.
A
shutter is provided in the jacks of the socket. The shutter closes the jacks
when the
socket is not in use to avoid the dangers such as undesirable touch as
mentioned
above. When the plug is inserted into the jacks, the plug pushes a bevel of
the
shutter facing the plug, which converts the insertion of the plug
perpendicular to the
socket panel into a movement parallel to the socket panel of the shutter. In
this way,
the shutter moves towards a lateral side of the jacks to open the jacks, and
thereby the
plug can be inserted deep into the jacks. However, such sockets still have
some
disadvantages. Since all of the top surfaces of the shutter facing the plug
are beveled,
when viewed from the outside, the jacks still present three recesses that are
recessed
inwardly. These recesses are prone to accumulation of dust (especially a large
amount of dust falling into it during decoration) which is hard to be
completely
removed causing the socket unaesthetic. What's more, recesses presented by the
jacks on the outer surface of the socket would entice the young children to
touch the
inside of the jacks of the socket with hands or small objects (such as an iron
wire),
leading to an electric shock.
[0032] To this end, embodiments of the present disclosure can provide an
effective
solution to solve the above problems, by making the top surfaces of at least
the N-pole
shutter and the L-pole shutter of the shutter unit of the socket coplanar with
the outer
surface of the socket.
[0033] Generally, with the socket according to embodiments of the present
disclosure, control of opening and closing of the shutter unit can be achieved
by
means of the E-pole driving. The shutter unit can include a linked shutter and
an
E-pole driving shutter. By actuating the E-pole driving shutter, the movement
of the
5
CA 3061790 2019-11-15
plug along an axial direction of the jacks can be converted into the movement
of the
shutter unit, so that the top surfaces of at least two poles of the shutter
unit of the
socket can be coplanar with the outer surface of the socket. In this manner,
in the
socket according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the recesses formed
in the
outer surface of the socket can be shallowed or even eliminated, thereby
improving
the safety and reliability of the socket.
[0034] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below
with
reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG's. 1 and 5 respectively illustrate
a
socket 300 that includes a shutter unit with a different configuration in
accordance
with embodiments of the present disclosure. In general, the socket as shown in
FIG.
1 can comprise an integral shutter unit 100, while the socket as shown in FIG.
5 can
comprise an assembled shutter unit 200.
[0035] The sockets in the embodiments as shown in FIG's. 1 and 5 can include
four
portions which might be arranged in sequence: a panel 301, a cover 304, a
shutter unit
and a base 303. The shutter unit is interposed between the cover 304 and the
base
303. A jack 3041 is formed in the cover 304, and a cover hole 302 is formed in
the
panel 301. When the user needs to connect a plug (not shown) with the socket
300,
pins of the plug can first pass through the panel hole 302, then pass through
the jacks
3041 and into the socket 300. Thus, the plug can be electrically connected to
the
terminal of the socket 300 (not shown) to close the circuit between the plug
and the
socket. The shutter unit needs to be opened to allow the plug to be inserted
into the
base 3 to electrically connect the plug and the socket 300.
[0036] FIG's. 2, 3, 4a, and 4b illustrate a shutter unit 100 in accordance
with
embodiments of the present disclosure. The linked shutter 210 and the E-pole
driving shutter 220 of the shutter unit 100 may be integrally formed.
[0037] When the plug is inserted into the jack 3041, the E-pole driving
shutter 220
will be driven by the E-pole pin (not shown) of the plug to actuate the linked
shutter
210. Then, the plug can be inserted into the jack 3041.
[0038] In a state where the E-pole driving shutter 220 is not driven by the E-
pole,
the top surfaces 110, 120 of the linked shutter 210 passing through the jacks
3041
toward the panel 301 are coplanar with the top surface 3011 of the panel 301.
[0039] The top surfaces 110, 120 are the top surfaces of the L-pole shutter
portion
6
CA 3061790 2019-11-15
and the N-pole shutter portion of the shutter unit 100, respectively. In
particular, it
can be seen from FIG. 3 that the acting surface 226 of the E-pole shutter in
contact
with the E-pole pin may be beveled or concave. That is, the acting surface 226
may
have a curvature.
[0040] It would be advantageous for the acting surface 226 to have a
curvature.
For example, when the shutter unit 100 is pushed toward the base 303, the
curved
acting surface 226 enables the E-pole pin to easily slide along the acting
surface 226.
Thus, the E-pole pin can be moved generally toward the base 303.
[0041] In some embodiments, such as shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b, the shutter unit
100 can include a shaft 40. The shaft 40 extends from the linked shutter 210
toward
the base 303, and may be arranged within a shaft hole formed for example in
the base
303. Referring specifically to FIG. 10, the shaft hole 3031 is shown. The
shaft
hole herein may be, for example, a blind hole formed in a housing of the base
303.
The shaft 40 can abut against the closed end of the shaft hole 3031 to keep
the shutter
unit 100 in position in the base 300.
[0042] In some embodiments, still referring to FIG's. 4a and 4b, the shutter
unit 100
may include an elastic member 50. The elastic member 50 may be, for example, a
torsion spring that is arranged around the shaft 40. In some embodiments, the
elastic
member 50 in the form of a torsion spring may have two legs 51, 52. The leg 51
may abut against the shutter unit 100 and the leg 52 may abut against a
portion of the
base 303, thereby remaining the shutter unit 100 in a predefined position when
the
shutter unit 100 is not driven by the E-pole pin.
[0043] In some embodiments, a portion of a leg 51 of the torsion spring can be
caught by a hook portion 228 (FIG. 4a) formed at the bottom of the E-pole
driving
shutter. Another portion of the leg 51 may abut against a projection 224
formed at
the bottom of a linked shutter 210. In this way, the leg 51 can be fixed on
the shutter
unit 100. In some embodiments, the leg 52 of the torsion spring may abut
against a
contact surface 3030 formed in the base 303, which is shown in FIG.10.
[0044] Since one leg of the elastic member 50 abuts against the shutter unit
100 and
the other leg abuts a portion of the base 303, a pre-tightening force is
provided
between the shutter unit 100 and the base 303. By this pre-tightening force,
the
shutter unit 100 can remain stationary in the socket 300 when it is not
actuated by the
7
CA 3061790 2019-11-15
plug without waggling or shifting.
[0045] The elastic member 50 may also function in such a way that, as the user
pulls the plug out of the socket 300, that is, as the E-pole pin is disengaged
from the
socket 300, the elastic member 50 can apply an elastic force to the shutter
unit 100.
In this way, the shutter unit 100 can be moved in a direction away from the
base 303
until the linked shutter 210 is returned. That is, the top surfaces 110, 120
of the
linked shutter 210 can be re-coplanar with the top surface 3011 of the panel
301.
[0046] With the driving of the plug, more specifically, of the E-pole pin of
the plug,
the movement trajectory of the shutter unit 100 generally follows two stages.
One
stage is to move toward the base 303 and the other stage is to rotate about
the shaft 40
in a plane parallel to the cover 304 or the panel 301.
[0047] In the first stage, the shutter unit 100 may move toward the base 303
in a
direction perpendicular to the cover 304 or the panel 301. At this stage,
since the
shutter unit 100 is blocked by the panel 301 and further blocked by the cover
304 as
moving down toward the base 303, the shutter unit 100 can only move downward
in
the direction perpendicular to the cover 304 or the panel 301.
[0048] In the second stage, the top surfaces of the three poles of the shutter
unit 100
(including the top of the acting surface 226 of the E-pole driving shutter,
and the top
surfaces 110, 120) are all located below the cover 304. That is, the top
surfaces are
closer to the base 303 than the cover 304. As a result, the force for blocking
the
rotation of the shutter unit 100 becomes zero. Therefore, with the component
force
Fc (FIG. 3) of the force F exerted on the acting surface 226 by the E-pole
pin, the
E-pole driving shutter and in turn the shutter unit 100 can rotate about the
shaft 40
through an angle, for example 40 , in a plane parallel to the cover 304 or the
panel
301 to open the shutter unit 100.
[0049] Thereby, the three pins of the plug passing through the corresponding
panel
hole 302 and the corresponding jack 3041, respectively, can pass through a
corresponding passage, which is provided after the shutter unit 100 is
rotated, to be
electrically connected to the corresponding terminals of the socket 300. In
this way,
the electrical connection between the plug and the socket can be achieved.
[0050] In some embodiments, the component force Fc may be a component of the
force F that is parallel to the direction of the cover 304 or the panel 301.
8
CA 3061790 2019-11-15
[0051] Corresponding to the process in which the plug is inserted into the
socket
300, when the E-pole pin is gradually separated from the socket 300, the
shutter unit
100 would also undergo two stages of motions: a rotational motion around the
shaft
40, and a movement away from base 303 and toward the panel 301. The direction
of
rotation at this time can be opposite to the direction of rotation in the
aforementioned
"first stage". For example, the rotation of the shutter unit 100 in the first
stage as
mentioned above is counterclockwise, and the rotation when the E-pole pin is
gradually separated from the socket 300 is clockwise.
[0052] After rotating clockwise around the shaft 40 through an angle (for
example,
40 ) from a position where the shutter unit 100 has rotated, the shutter unit
100 can
return to 0 position. At the 0 position, the top surfaces of the N-pole, L-
pole, and
E-pole of the shutter unit 100 are respectively aligned with the corresponding
jack
3041 and the panel hole 302.
[0053] From the 0 position, the elastic member 50 can apply a force to the
shutter
unit 100 in a direction away from the base 303. As a result, the shutter unit
100 can
be moved along the direction away from the base 303 and perpendicular to the
panel
301 (and the cover 304), until the shutter unit 100 is returned to the initial
position.
That is, the top surfaces 110, 120 of the linked shutter 210 are re-coplanar
with the top
surface 3011 of the panel 301.
[0054] During return movement of the shutter unit 100 from the 0 position to
the
initial position, a stopper may be formed on the shutter unit 100. In this
way, the
return movement of the shutter unit 100 can be prevented from hitting the
cover 304
and causing the shutter unit 100 to be accidentally broken.
[0055] In some embodiments, the stopper may be, for example, in the form of an
element denoted by the reference signs "211", "229" in FIG's. 2, 3, and 4b. In
this
case, the stopper 211, 229 may be portions that extend beyond the top surface
portions
110, 120 in a direction parallel to the cover 304. The stopper 211, 229 can
serve to
prevent the shutter unit 100 from impact.
[0056] Further, the stopper 211, 229 may also function as a limit. At the
terminal
of the further return process of the shutter unit 100 moving from the 0
position to the
initial position, the surfaces (or upper surfaces) of the stopper 211, 229
facing the
cover 304 may abut against the surface (or lower surface) of the cover 304
facing the
9
CA 3061790 2019-11-15
base 303. In other words, in some embodiments, the position where the upper
surfaces of the stopper 211, 229 are in contact with or abut against the lower
surface
of the cover 304 is the initial position of the shutter unit 100. That is, the
initial
position can be the position where the top surfaces 110 and 120 of the linked
shutter
210 are coplanar with the top surface 3011 of the panel 301.
[0057] In the above embodiments, the acting surface 226 of the E-pole driving
shutter 220 may be a bevel or a curved surface. This can facilitate the
sliding of the
E-pole pin along the acting surface 226 toward the base 303, thereby actuating
the
shutter unit 100. Therefore, according to these embodiments, the socket 300 in
which only the top surface 110 of the L pole and the top surface 120 of the N
pole are
coplanar with the outer surface of the panel 301 can be obtained.
[0058] An example of another shutter unit 200 is shown in FIG's. 5 to 9c.
Although the shutter unit 200 is described in conjunction with FIG. 5, it
should be
understood that the shutter unit 100 and the shutter unit 200 may be used in
the
sockets as shown in FIG's. 1 and 5, and any other socket of a suitable type.
[0059] Hereinafter, the contents which are similar to those regarding the
shutter unit
100 as described above, such as the shaft 40, the elastic member 50, and the
like, will
not be described further. The contents described with reference to FIG's. 5 to
9c will
focus on the specific structure and function of the shutter unit 200.
[0060] Unlike the shutter unit 100, the shutter unit 200 is assembled from two
separate parts. Specifically, the shutter unit 200 includes the linked shutter
210 and
the E-pole driving shutter 220 as shown in FIG's. 6 and 7 respectively.
[0061] As shown in FIG. 7, the E-pole driving shutter 220 includes a first
protrusion
221 and a second protrusion 222. The protrusions 221, 222 may be, for example,
in
the form of a shaft, or any other configuration that facilitates a movement of
the
E-pole driving shutter 220 relative to the linked shutter 210.
[0062] As shown in FIG. 6, the linked shutter 210 includes a first receiving
portion
212 adapted to receive the first protruding portion 221, and a second
receiving portion
213 adapted to receive the second protruding portion 222. The receiving
portions
212, 213 may take the form of slots, recesses, or any other configuration that
facilitates the movement of the E-pole driving shutter 220 relative to the
linked
shutter 210.
CA 3061790 2019-11-15
[0063] The relative movement between the E-pole driving shutter 220 and the
linked
shutter 210 will be described below with reference to FIG's. 8a, 8b and 9a-9c,
wherein
FIG's. 8a, 9a and 9c relate to the first state of the shutter unit 200. FIG's.
8b and 9b
relate to the second state of the shutter unit 200.
[0064] Generally, when the E-pole pin drives the E-pole driving shutter 220
toward
. the base 303, the first protrusion 221 of the E-pole driving shutter
220 is moved along
the first receiving portion 212 of the linked shutter 210, until the E-pole
driving
shutter 220 and the linked shutter 210 cannot move any more relative to each
other.
[0065] At this time, the shutter unit 200 assembled by the E-pole driving
shutter 220
and the linked shutter 210 is the same as the overall configuration of the
shutter unit
100 in the foregoing embodiments. Similar to the shutter unit 100, the shutter
unit
200 can be actuated by the plug to move toward the base 303, until the shutter
unit
200 is opened to form a passage for the plug to extend into the socket 300 for
the
electrical connection.
[0066] In some embodiments, for example, referring to FIG's. 6-8b, the first
receiving portion 212 and the second receiving portion 213 extend obliquely
relative
to a plane in which the panel 301 or the cover 304 is located. The extension
direction of the first receiving portion 212 is different from that of the
second
receiving portion 213. For example, when the E-pole driving shutter 220 is
driven
by the E-pole pin, the first protrusion 221 can move in the first receiving
portion 212
in a direction toward the cover 304, and the second protrusion 222 can move in
the
second receiving portion 213 in a direction toward the base 303.
[0067] Referring to FIG's. 8a and 8b, in some embodiments, the shutter unit
200
may also include an elastic member 60. Similar to the elastic member 50 as
mentioned in the foregoing, the elastic member 60 may also be in the form of a
torsion spring. Thus, the two legs of the torsion spring can simultaneously
contact
both of the linked shutter 210 and the E-pole driving shutter 220. Unlike the
elastic
member 50, the elastic member 60 can be used to realize the stationary state
and the
return movement of the E-pole driving shutter 220.
[0068] In the stationary state where the shutter unit is not actuated by the
plug, the
elastic member 60 can provide a pre-tightening force between the E-pole
driving
shutter 220 and the linked shutter 210. In this way, the E-pole driving
shutter 220
11
CA 3061790 2019-11-15
remains stationary with the pre-tightening force.
[0069] During the return process, as the E-pole pin is disengaged from the
socket
300, the elastic member 60 is adapted to apply an elastic force to the E-pole
driving
shutter 220. Thus, the E-pole driving shutter 220 is enabled to move relative
to the
linked shutter 210, until the E-pole driving shutter 220 is returned to a
position where
the acting surface 226 of the E-pole driving shutter 220 is re-coplanar with
the top
surface 3011 of the panel 301.
[0070] Referring to FIG. 8a, in the embodiment where the elastic member 60 is
embodied as the torsion spring, the torsion spring has a first leg 61, a
second leg 62,
and a coil spring 63. The coil spring 63 of the torsion spring can be
sleeved on the
protrusion 214 of the linked shutter 210. In this embodiment, the first leg 61
may
abut against the linked shutter 210, and the second leg 62 may abut against
the E-pole
driving shutter 220.
[0071] More specifically, in some embodiments, the first leg 61 may abut
against the
rib 215 formed at the edge of the linked shutter 210, while the second leg 62
may be
secured to the second protrusion 222. For example, the second leg 62 may enter
from one side of the columnar portion 223 of the second protrusion 222 and
pass out
from the other side of the columnar portion 223. In this way, a portion of the
second
leg 62 can be retained in the second protrusion 222, which ensures that the
second leg
62 can be fixed to the E-pole driving shutter.
[0072] Similar to the "protrusion" and "receiving portion" as mentioned above,
the
"rib" mentioned herein may also be formed at a position outside the edge of
the linked
shutter 210. Likewise, the way in which between the second leg 62 and the
second
protrusion 222 is fixed is also not limited to the exemplary means described
herein.
Any arrangement suitable for fixing the elastic member 60, as well as for
retention
and resetting action of the E-pole driving shutter, will be contained within
the scope
of the present disclosure.
[0073] FIG's. 8a, 9a and 9c show the first state of the E-pole driving shutter
220.
In the first state, similar to the top surfaces 110, 120 of the linked shutter
210, the
acting surface 226 of the E-pole driving shutter 220 is also coplanar with the
top
surface 3011 of the panel 301. The coplanar position, at which the E-pole
driving
shutter 220 is located in the first state, is referred to as an "E-pole
initial position (Fig.
12
CA 3061790 2019-11-15
9a)".
[0074] FIG. 9c more clearly shows the position at which the first protrusion
221 and
the second protrusion 222 of the E-pole driving shutter 200 are located in the
first
state, i.e., when they are not driven. The first protrusion 221 is located at
one end of
the first receiving portion 212 near the base 303. The second protrusion 222
is
located at an end of the second receiving portion 213 near the cover 304. This
end
may be, for example, an open end, so that the second protrusion 221 can enter
the
second receiving portion 213.
[0075] FIG's. 8b and 9b show the second state of the E-pole driving shutter
220. In
the second state, the E-pole driving shutter 220 has been assembled with the
linked
shutter 210 to provide the shutter unit 200. That is, the shutter unit 200 as
a whole
can move according to the movement manner of the shutter unit 100 described in
the
foregoing embodiments.
[0076] Therefore, the same movement process of the shutter units 100, 200
toward
the base 303 may be referred to as a "first driving process", and the same
movement
process of the shutter units 100, 200 away from the base 303 may be referred
to as
"first return process".
[0077] Correspondingly, when being actuated by the plug, the E-pole shutter
220
may be moved relative to the linked shutter 210 until they are relatively
stationary.
The above movement of the E-pole shutter 220 may be referred to as a "second
driving process". When the plug is pulled out, the return movement of the E-
pole
driving shutter 220 to the E-pole initial position under the action of the
elastic
member 60 may be referred to as a "second return process".
[0078] A second driving process can be initiated when the E-pole pin of the
plug
exerts a downward force on the acting surface 226 of the E-pole driving
shutter
toward the base 303. In the second driving process, as described above, the
first
protrusion 221 of the E-pole driving shutter 220 can move in the direction
toward the
cover 304 in the first receiving portion 212, and the second protrusion 222
can move
in the direction toward the base 303 in the second receiving portion 213,
until a bent
portion 227 of the E-pole driving shutter (which extends substantially in a
lateral
direction or a direction parallel to the panel 301) abuts against the side
wall 216 of the
linked shutter 210.
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[0079] In particular, it can be seen in FIG's. 8b and 9b that the bent portion
227 may
be received in a recess formed by the side wall 216 of the linked shutter 210.
At this
point, the E-pole driving shutter 220 cannot continue to move under the action
of the
E-pole pin so as to remain relatively stationary with the linked shutter 210.
In this
way, the E-pole driving shutter 220 and the linked shutter 210 can together
form the
shutter unit 200, whose movement manner can be in conformity with that of the
shutter unit 100.
[0080] Thereafter, the shutter unit 200 can implement the "first driving
process"
consistent with that described in connection with the shutter unit 100. Since
the
contents relating to the elastic member 50, the deflection angle, and the like
are the
same or similar, they will not be described further hereinafter.
[0081] When the user pulls the plug out of the socket 300, the E-pole pin
starts to be
disengaged from the socket to release the acting surface 226 of the E-pole
driving
shutter. As the E-pole pin is disengaged from the socket 300, the shutter unit
200
will undergo the "first return process" consistent with that described in
connection
with the shutter unit 100. Since the contents relating to the elastic member
50, the
deflection angle, and the like are the same or similar, they will not be
described
further hereinafter.
[0082] After the first return process of the shutter unit 200 is completed,
the second
return process of the E-pole driving shutter can be started. In the second
return
process, with the elastic member 60, the first protrusion 221 of the E-pole
driving
shutter 220 can move in the first receiving portion 212 in the direction
toward the
base 303, and the second protrusion 222 can move in the direction toward the
cover
304 in the second receiving portion 213, until the bent portion 227 of the E-
pole
driving shutter is disengaged from the side wall 216 of the linked shutter
210.
[0083] At this time, the E-pole driving shutter can be returned to the initial
position
of the E-pole shown in FIG. 9a. That is, the E-pole driving shutter can be
returned
to the position where the acting surface 226 of the E-pole driving shutter
220, the top
surfaces 110 and 120 of the linked shutter 210, and the outer surface 3011 of
the panel
301 are coplanar.
[0084] The shutter unit may be designed to be split type or assembled type.
That is,
the shutter unit 200 may be assembled by the E-pole shutter 220 and the linked
shutter
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210 that can move relative to each other. Moreover, the acting surface 226 of
the
E-pole driving shutter 220 may not be a bevel or curved surface. In this
manner, it is
ensured that the acting surface 226 of the E-pole driving shutter 220, the top
surfaces
110 and 120 of the linked shutter 210, and the outer surface 3011 of the panel
301 are
coplanar. This is an important improvement distinguishing from the shutter
unit 100.
[0085] By assembling the shutter unit 200 in the socket 300, it is possible to
form no
pits, recessions or depressions in corresponding positions of any of the
jacks, thereby
achieving zero gap or near seamlessness of the outer surface of the panel 301.
Therefore, it is possible to prevent children from inserting a small object
such as a
wire or the like into the socket 300 through the pit on the surface of the
panel 301.
In this way, an improved safety level of the socket 300 can be achieved.
[0086] As previously mentioned, in some embodiments, the elastic member 50 and
the elastic member 60 may be in the form of torsion springs. The special
configuration of the torsion spring ensures a close connection between two
independent mechanisms/components, such as the shutter unit and the base, the
linked
shutter and the E-pole driving shutter. Furthermore, by providing only one
elastic
member in association with two separate mechanisms/components, the number of
required components can be reduced. Thus, the configuration of the action
mechanism can be simplified, and mechanical instability due to multiple
components
can be reduced.
[0087] The shapes and positions of the elements mentioned in any of the above
embodiments, or in any of the figures, are exemplary in principle and are
merely
illustrated or indicated for the purpose of description. It should be
understood,
however, that any alternative elements that are capable of implementing the
mechanisms and functions of the embodiments of the present disclosure are
technically included within the scope of the present disclosure, including
those
currently known or developed in the future.
[0088] While some specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been
shown
by way of example, it is understood that the above examples are intended to be
illustrative only and not limiting the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled
in the art
will appreciate that the above-described embodiments may be modified without
departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. The scope of the
disclosure is
CA 3061790 2019-11-15
defined by the appended claims.
[0089] In the specification and the claims below, the terms "comprises" and
"comprising" are understood to include the recited component or group of
ingredients,
but does not exclude any other component or group of ingredients.
[0090] The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should
not be
taken as an admission or suggestion that such prior art constitutes common
knowledge.
[0091] It should be understood that the appended claims are only temporary
claim
and may be examples of claims and not intended to limit the scope of the
claims to
any future patent application based on this application. Contents may be added
or
deleted in the following claims to further define or redefine the utility.
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