Electrical connectors – With contact preventer or retractable cover part – Movably mounted
Reexamination Certificate
2003-01-29
2004-07-27
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With contact preventer or retractable cover part
Movably mounted
Reexamination Certificate
active
06767229
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electric sockets and, more specifically, to a protective cover and electric outlet arrangement, which has locking means to selectively lock the protective cover in the close position or the open position.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1A
illustrates an electric outlet
1
constructed according to the prior art. This structure of electric outlet
1
comprises a plurality of socket units
110
connected in series, and a plurality of protective covers
120
for selectively closing the socket units
110
. Because the protective covers
120
are small members detachably fastened to the socket units
110
by a plug joint, they must be carefully received in place when removed from the electric outlet
1
.
FIG. 1B
shows another prior art design, which was invented by the present inventor. According to this design, the cover plates
12
are coupled to the electric outlet
1
, and movable relative to the respective socket units
11
between the open position and the close position.
FIGS. 2A
,
2
B, and
2
C show still another prior art design. According to this design, the electric socket is comprised of a socket body
13
, a protective cover
14
, and a torsional spring
15
. The protective cover
14
has insertion slots
141
corresponding to the insertion slots
131
of the socket body
13
. The torsional spring
15
is connected between the socket body
13
and the protective cover
14
to support the protective cover in an offset position. The insertion slots
131
of the socket body
13
each have a sloping end edge
132
. When inserting the contact blades of an electric plug
16
into the insertion slots
141
, the contact blades of the electric plug
16
are moved along the sloping end edges
132
, and at the same time the protective cover
14
is forced to move in one direction, for enabling the contact blades of the electric plug
16
to be inserted into the inside of the insertion slots
131
of the socket body
13
. When removed the electric plug
16
from the socket body
13
, the torsional spring
15
immediately pushes the protective cover
14
back to its former position. This design has drawbacks. Because the insertion slots
131
of the socket body
13
are not closed after removal of the electric plug
16
, dust tends to pass from the outside air through the insertion slots
141
of the protective cover
14
and the insertion slots
131
of the socket body
13
into the inside of the socket body
13
. Further, a child can easily insert a scissors, screwdriver, clip, or any of a variety of long elements into the insertion slots
141
of the protective cover
14
and the insertion slots
131
of the socket body
13
to contact the internal power contacts of the socket body
13
, causing an electric shock.
FIGS. 3A and 3B
still another prior art design. According to this design, the protective cover
17
is a circular member fastened pivotally with the electric outlet, and a spring member
18
is connected between the electric outlet and the protective cover
17
to support the protective cover in the close position where the insertion slots
171
of the protective cover
17
are at an offset position relative to the insertion slots
19
of the corresponding socket unit of the electric outlet. When in use, the user must rotate the protective cover
17
from the close position to the open position, for enabling the contact blades of an electric plug to be inserted into the insertion slots
171
of the protective cover
17
and the insertion slots
19
of the corresponding socket unit of the electric outlet. Because the protective cover is fastened pivotally with the electric outlet, a child can easily rotate the protective cover to the open position and then insert a metal object into the insertion slots
19
of the corresponding socket unit of the electric outlet.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a protective cover and electric outlet arrangement that eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a protective cover and electric outlet arrangement, which has lock means to selectively lock the protective cover in the close position or the open position. According to one aspect of the present invention, the protective cover and electric outlet arrangement comprises an outlet body, the outlet body having a socket unit with insertion holes for receiving an electric plug, a protective cover coupled to the outlet body and moved between an open position to open the insertion holes of the socket unit and a close position to close the insertion holes of the socket unit, and a locking structure adapted to selectively lock the protective cover in the open position or the close position, the locking structure includes a notch in the outlet body, two notches in the protective cover, and a locking member pivoted to the notch of the outlet body and turned between the locking position and the unlocking position to selectively engage the notches of the protective cover. In one embodiment of the present invention, the protective cover is coupled to the outlet body and moved linearly between the close position and the open position. In another embodiment of the present invention, the protective cover is fastened pivotally with the outlet body and rotated between the close position and the open position. The locking structure comprises a locking member, which can be a bolt fastened pivotally with the outlet body, a locking latch coupled to the outlet body, or a seesaw switching lever pivoted to the outlet body. Alternatively, the locking member can be installed in the protective cover.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6537089 (2003-03-01), Montague
patent: 6602081 (2003-08-01), Wang
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