Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-06
2003-07-15
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Retaining means
C439S680000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06592392
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a securing device, and more particularly to a device for tightly securing a plug to a socket.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Nowadays electronic appliances are widely used in every home or working office. Each electronic appliance needs to be plugged into a socket, and therefore electronic energy can be transferred from the power source to the electric appliance.
The conventional connector assembly essentially includes a plug and a socket which are engaged with each other.
FIG. 1
is a schematic view illustrating the connection of a plug and a socket according to the prior art. The designed connection of the conventional plug
10
and the conventional socket
11
is according to the precise sizes of them. For tightly connection, the materials of the plug
10
and the socket
11
are considered. The plug
10
is plugged in and drawn out of the socket
11
repeatedly, and then the connection is loose because the receptacles are expanded. It is common that the plug
10
is inadvertently removed from the socket
11
. Hence, the supplying electricity is interrupted. The interrupted supplying electricity can not only result in an inconvenience, but also cause damage to the electronic appliances.
FIG. 2
is a schematic view illustrating the connection of an electronic appliance assembly and a plug according to the prior art. The socket
21
is mounted in the electronic appliance
2
for engaging with the plug
22
. Because there is no securing device for facilitating the connection of the electronic appliance
2
and the plug
22
, the foresaid drawback still exists.
Referring to
FIG. 3
, it is a schematic view of a buckle device for securing a plug to a socket according to the prior art. The prong
311
disposed on the plug
31
is parallel with the conductive blades
312
, which are used for being plugged into the receptacles
321
. In addition, the hole
322
is used for receiving the prong
311
. When the plug
31
is engaged with the socket
32
, the prong
311
is plugged into the hole
322
and the protruding portion
313
of the prong
311
is buckled into the lock
323
to secure the engagement. However, additional springs or resilient blades (not shown) are needed to be installed in the interior of the socket in the prior art, which results in high manufacturing cost and complicated assembly.
In order to overcome the drawbacks described above, the present invention provides a securing device for securing a plug to a socket.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a securing device used for tightly securing a plug to a socket.
In accordance with the present invention, the securing device includes a plug having a clamping element, and a socket having a fitting element corresponding to the clamping element and capable of being clamped by the clamping element for securing the plug to the socket. The clamping element could be integrally formed with the plug or engaged separately with the plug.
In addition, the clamping element is disposed on a surface of the plug. The clamping element is made of elastic materials. Furthermore, the clamping element comprises a slab, a hook portion disposed on a first end of the slab for engaging with the fitting element of the socket, a supporting rib connected with the slab and the plug for supporting the slab, and a pressing portion disposed on a second end of the slab for allowing a user to press thereon and thereby disengaging the hook portion from the fitting element.
In accordance with the present invention, the fitting element comprises a slope portion disposed on a first side of the fitting element, and a retaining portion disposed on a second side opposite to the first side of the fitting element for engaging with the hook portion.
Certainly, the plug and the socket are used for an electric appliance.
In addition, the plug further comprises a first plug hole, and the socket further comprises a first conductive terminal capable of being received in the first plug hole when the plug is plugged into the socket.
Moreover, the socket further comprises a second plug hole, and the plug further comprises a second conductive terminal capable of being received in the second plug hole when the plug is plugged into the socket.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a securing device for tightly securing a plug to a socket.
In accordance with the present invention, the securing device includes a plug having a fitting element, and a socket having a clamping element corresponding to the fitting element and capable of being clamped with the fitting element for securing the plug to the socket.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a plug for engaging with a socket having a fitting element thereon.
In accordance with the present invention, the plug includes a plug body, and a clamping element disposed on a surface of the body for engaging with the fitting element of the socket, thereby securing the plug to the socket, wherein the clamping element includes a slab, a hook portion disposed on a first end of the slab for engaging with the fitting element of the socket, a supporting rib connected with the slab and the plug for supporting the slab, and a pressing portion disposed on a second end of the slab for allowing a user to press thereon and thereby disengaging the hook portion from the fitting element.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a socket for engaging with a plug having a clamping element thereon.
In accordance with the present invention, the socket includes a socket body, a fitting element disposed on the socket body for engaging with the clamping element of the plug, thereby securing the plug to the socket, wherein the fitting element includes a slope portion disposed on a first side of the fitting element, and a retaining portion disposed on a second side opposite to the first side of the fitting element for engaging with the clamping element of the plug.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an electronic appliance assembly.
In accordance with the present invention, the electronic appliance assembly includes an electronic appliance, a plug having a clamping element, and a socket mounted on the electronic appliance and having a fitting element corresponding to the clamping element of the plug for engaging with the clamping element of the plug, thereby securing the plug to the socket.
The present invention may best be understood through the following descriptions with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
REFERENCES:
patent: 5342221 (1994-08-01), Peterson
patent: 5628648 (1997-05-01), Higgins, Jr. et al.
patent: 5788527 (1998-08-01), Sanders et al.
patent: 5830002 (1998-11-01), Ito et al.
patent: 6007362 (1999-12-01), Davis et al.
patent: 6022246 (2000-02-01), Ko
patent: 02030075 (1990-01-01), None
Delta Electronics , Inc.
Gilly, Esq. Richard
Harvey James R.
Paumen Gary
Wolf, Block, Schorr & Solis Cohen
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