Electrical connectors – Connector movable between accessible and inaccessible positions
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-28
2001-01-30
Donovan, Lincoln (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Connector movable between accessible and inaccessible positions
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179633
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an AC adapter in which a rotatable insulative plug laterally protrudes and electrically conductive blades to be connected with the AC power source are partly molded in the plug, and more particularly to an AC adapter in which such blades are pivotally supported so as to be rotatable by 90° between a state where the blades are housed in a part of a casing and another state where the blades protrude from the casing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In some of AC adapters, circuit components for converting an AC power source to a DC power source are housed in a casing. Electrically conductive blades for connected to the AC power source are molded in an electrically insulative plug, and the blades are pivotally supported so as to be rotatable by 90° between a state where the blades are housed in a part of the casing and another state where the blades protrude from the casing. Such an AC adapter can be carried with setting the blades into a housed state, and hence is useful in travel or the like.
FIG. 4
is a front view schematically showing the configuration of a usual AC adapter of this type, in a partially transparent manner. In the figure,
10
denotes an insulative resin casing,
20
denotes a pair of blades which are made of an electrically conductive metal material, and
30
denotes an insulative resin plug which is formed by partly molding the blades
20
. In the casing
10
, a printed circuit board is housed on which circuit components for converting an AC power source to a DC power source are mounted. The board is not shown in the figure. The plug
30
has a rotation shaft
31
which protrudes from one face of the plug. A bearing structure for supporting the rotation shaft
31
is formed in the casing
10
. Since the blades
20
are integrated with the plug
30
, the blades can be rotated by 90° about the shaft
31
between a state (indicated by broken lines) where the blades are housed in a part of the casing
10
and another state (indicated by solid lines) where the blades protrude from the casing
10
.
FIGS.
3
(A),
3
(B), and
3
(C) are a front view, a side view, and a plan view which show the related structure of the blades
20
and the plug
30
, respectively. The plug
30
has an end face
32
from which terminal portions
21
of the blades
20
to be connected with the AC power source protrude, and first and second faces
33
and
34
which are perpendicular to the end face
32
and opposed to each other. The rotation shaft
31
protrudes from the first face
33
in a direction perpendicular to the blades
20
. Contact portions of the blades
20
are exposed from the second face
34
without protruding therefrom.
Contactors
40
which are to be respectively elastically contacted with the contact portions
22
of the blades
20
as shown in FIG.
3
(B) are disposed on the printed circuit board in the casing
10
. The contactors
40
are contacted with the contact portions
22
, only under a state where the blades
20
protrude from the casing. FIG.
3
(C) shows a state where the blades
20
are housed in the casing
10
. Under this state, the contact portions
22
of the blades
20
are located at positions which are rotated by 90° from the respective contactors
40
, or separated from the contactors
40
.
In the structure shown in
FIG. 3
, the contact surfaces of the contact portions
22
of the blades
20
are in the same plane as the second face
34
of the plug
30
, so that the contactors
40
on the side of the casing are always pressingly contacted with the contact portions
22
of the blades
20
or the second face
34
of the plug
30
. When the blades
20
are repeatedly rotated, therefore, the second face
34
of the plug
30
wears and shavings are produced. Since the shavings are electrically insulative, interposition of the shavings between the contactors
40
and the contact portions
22
causes a contact failure. This is a first problem which is to be solved by the invention.
In the structure of
FIG. 3
, furthermore, a clearance gap
11
inevitably exists between the casing
10
and the plug
30
as shown in FIG.
3
(C). Therefore, there is a possibility that a foreign matter enters the interior of the casing
10
through the gap
11
. When the foreign matter is electrically conductive, it causes an electric circuit in the casing
10
to be short-circuited. This is a second problem which is to be solved by the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an AC adapter having a structure in which a rotary plug is prevented from wearing and a foreign matter is prevented from entering the interior of a casing from the outside.
In order to achieve the above object, there is provided an AC adapter, which is to be connected to an AC power source for converting the AC power source into a DC power source, comprises: a conductive blade which is to be connected to the AC power source; an insulative plug member an end face of which molds a basal portion of the blade; a casing in which a circuit member for converting the AC power source into the DC power source, the casing rotatably supporting the plug member ao the blade as to be allowed in a first state in which the blade is protruded therefrom and in a second state in which the blade is housed therein; a contact member conductive with the blade and protruded from the plug member into an interior of the casing; and a contactor arranged in the interior of the casing so as to contact with the contact portion when the blade is in the first state.
The plug member includes a first face perpendicular to the end face on which a first shaft is provided and a second face being opposed to the first face on which the contact member and a second shaft, and the plug member is rotatably supported by the casing through the first and second shafts.
The blade transits between the first state and the second state by rotating the plug member in 90 degrees.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4794315 (1988-12-01), Pederson et al.
patent: 5967807 (1999-10-01), Wu
patent: 409266039 (1997-10-01), None
Donovan Lincoln
McGuireWoods LLP
Mitsumi Electric Co. Ltd.
Webb Brian S.
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