Title of Invention

"A SOCKET OUTLET WITH INTERNAL SWITCH"

Abstract

A socket outlet, one contact member of which includes a mobile arm which can pivot and which operates a switch. The mobile arm has a boss facing a rest abutment which clamps the pin of a plug between the boss and the rest abutment. Return spring means spring-load the mobile arm towards the rest abutment. The rest abutment includes a recessed housing in which at least part of the boss of the mobile arm can be engaged. Applications include socket outlets with an internal switch.

Full Text

The present invention relates to a socket outlet with internal switch. A socket outlet includes at least two receptacles, or more generally at least two contact members, each of which is adapted to receive one pin of a complementary plug and each of which corresponds to a respective connecting terminal. The present invention is more particularly concerned with the situation in which, for safety reasons, a socket outlet of the above kind includes an internal switch. In this case a switch including at least two switch contacts, at least one of which is mobile, is connected between -the corresponding connecting terminal and at least one of the contact members, in practice each contact member. In the idle configuration of the system, i.e. in the absence of a plug, the switch is open and the contact member or each contact member is not live, which eliminates any danger if the contact members are touched accidentally or deliberately. On the other hand, when a plug is plugged into a socket outlet of the above kind with an internal switch, the switch or each switch is closed by the pins of the plug as the plug is inserted, which automatically renders the corresponding contact members live. The present invention is even more particularly directed to the situation in which at least one of the contact members includes a mobile arm for operating an associated switch which has a hinge area so that it can pivot and an action area for operating the switch, the mobile arm being associated with a rest abutment at a distance from the hinge area of the mobile arm different from the distance between the action area and the mobile arm and facing which the mobile arm has a projecting boss for gripping the pin concerned of the plug between the boss and the rest abutment, and return spring means which spring-load the mobile arm towards the rest abutment. When the plug is inserted, the pin thereof concerned is inserted between the rest abutment and the boss on the mobile arm of the contact member, obliging the mobile arm to pivot about its hinge area, which causes it to close the switch that it operates. However, the mobile arm of the contact member has only a relatively small travel to achieve this, which can cause some uncertainty with regard to effective closure of the switch, which is to the detriment of correct operation. A general object of the present invention is an arrangement which avoids this drawback. To be more precise, the present invention provides a socket outlet comprising at least two contact members each of which is adapted to receive one of the pins of a complementary plug and corresponds to a respective connecting terminal and, disposed between at least one of the contact members and the corresponding connecting terminal, a switch including two switch contacts at least one of which is mobile, the contact member including a mobile arm which has a hinge area so that it can pivot and an action area for operating the switch, the mobile arm being associated with a rest abutment at a distance from the hinge area of the mobile arm different from the distance between the action area and the mobile arm, and facing which the mobile arm has a projecting boss for gripping the pin concerned of the plug between the boss and the rest abutment, and return spring means which spring-load the mobile arm towards the rest abutment, in which socket outlet the rest abutment associated with the contact member concerned includes a recessed housing in which at least part of the boss of the mobile arm of the contact member can be engaged. Accordingly, at rest, the mobile arm of the contact member is embedded in the associated rest abutment, as it were, and, as a result of the depth to which it is embedded, there is a significant increase in its travel when a pin is inserted between its boss and the rest abutment, enabling it to close the switch it operated without any uncertainty. Accordingly, the present invention relates to a socket outlet with internal switch, said outlet switch comprising at least two contact members each of which is adapted to receive one of the pins of a complementary plug and corresponds to a respective connecting terminal and, disposed between at least one of the contact members and the corresponding connecting terminal a switch having two switch contacts at least one of which is mobile, the contact member having a mobile arm which has a hinge area so that it can pivot and an action area for operating the switch, the mobile arm being associated with a rest abutment at a distance (D1) from the hinge area of the mobile arm different from the distance (D2) between the action area, and the mobile arm, and facing which the mobile arm has a projecting boss for gripping the pin concerned of the plug between the boss and the rest abutment and return spring means which spring-load the mobile arm towards the rest abutment, characterized in that the rest abutment associated with the contact member concerned has a recessed housing in which at least part of the boss of the mobile arm of the contact member can be engaged. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS The features and advantages of the invention will emerge further from the following description given by way of example and with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: figure 1 is a plan view of the contact members of a socket outlet of the invention, figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the contact members shown in isolation, figure 3 is a side view of the same contact member, as seen in the direction of the arrow III in figure 2, figure 4 is an elevation view of the same contact member as seen in the direction of the arrow IV in figure 2' figure 5 is a partial view of the same contact member in longitudinal section taken along the line V-V in figure 3, figure 6 is a partial view of the same contact member in cross section taken along the line VI-VI in figure 5, figure 7 shows the detail VII from figure 5 to a larger scale, figure 8 shows the detail VIII from figure 6 to the same scale as figure 7, figure 9A is a plan view derived from that of figure 1 and showing diagrammatically the contact member of the socket outlet of the invention shown in detail in figures 2 to 8 when the contact member is in the rest position, figure 9B is a plan view analogous to that of figure 9A, after the pin of a plug has been inserted into the contact member concerned and, figure 10 is a plan view analogous to that of figure 9B, in the case of a prior art contact member. As shown in the figures, and in a conventional manner, the socket outlet 10 of the invention includes at least two contact members 11A, 11B, 11C each of which, as described in more detail later, and as shown for one of them in figure 9B, is adapted to receive one of the pins 12 of a complementary plug (not shown in the figures) and corresponds to a respective connecting terminal 14A, 14B, 14C. As also described in more detail later, there is a switch 15 between at least one of the contact members 11A, 11B, 11C and the corresponding connecting terminal 14A, 14B, 14C. In the embodiment shown, the socket outlet 10 of the invention includes three contact members 11A, 11B, 11C but for simplicity a switch 15 is shown for only one of them, specifically the contact member 11A, and is therefore the only one described hereinafter. It nevertheless goes without saying that, if required, a switch 15 can be provided for each of the contact members 11A, 11B, 11C, which are incidentally of similar construction. In the embodiment shown, the pin 12 is a flat pin. Let E denote its thickness. In a conventional manner, the contact member 11A includes a mobile arm 16 which has a hinge area 17 so that it can pivot and an action area 18 which operates the switch 15. As can be seen more clearly in figure 9A, the mobile arm 16 is associated with a rest abutment 20 at a distance Dx from the articulation area 17 of the mobile arm 16 different from the distance D2 between the action area 18 and the arm 16, and facing which the mobile arm 16 has a projecting body 21 for clamping the pin 12 concerned of the associated plug between the boss 21 and the rest abutment 20, as shown in figure 9B, and, as described in more detail later, return spring means 22 which spring-load the mobile arm 16 towards the rest abutment 20. Also in a conventional manner, the switch 15 associated with the contact member 11A includes two switch contacts 23, 24 at least one of which is mobile, here the switch contact 23. In practice the boss 21 on the mobile arm 16 is between its hinge area 17 and its action area 18. In other words, the distance D2 is greater than the distance Dx. According to the invention, the rest abutment 20 associated with the contact member 11A incorporates a recessed housing 25 in which at least part of the boss 21 on the mobile arm 16 of the contact member 11A engages. In the embodiment shown, the mobile arm 16 is in one piece with a fixed arm 27 to which it is joined by a bend 28 conjointly forming its hinge area 17 and its return spring means 22, and of which the rest abutment 20 is part. As shown here, for example, ignoring its boss 21, at least the main part of the mobile arm 16 is generally rectilinear and the bend 28, which has a large radius, subtends an angle of more than 180°. The fixed arm 27, at least the main part of which is also generally rectilinear, is therefore oblique to the direction of the mobile arm 16. In the embodiment shown in continuous line in the figures, the bend 28 has a circular contour. As an alternative to this, and as shown in chain-dotted line in figure 9A, it can have a triangular contour if required, for example to comply with particular production engineering and/or overall size constraints. The rest abutment 20 is formed by a rim on the side of the fixed arm 27 opposite the bend 28 and substantially parallel to the mobile arm 16. Of course, the rest abutment 20 is braced by a wall of the socket outlet casing, not shown in the figures. If required, the same arrangements can be used for the whole of the fixed arm 27. In the embodiment shown, the boss 21 on the mobile arm 16 is formed by a simple localised deformation of the arm. Let H denote its height relative to the inside surface of the mobile arm 16, i.e. relative to the surface thereof facing towards the rest abutment 20 (see figure 9A). Similarly, in the embodiment shown, the housing 25 of the rest abutment 20 is formed by a simple localised deformation thereof. Let P denote its depth relative to the inside surface of the rest abutment 20, i.e. relative to the surface of the rest abutment 20 facing towards the mobile arm 16. To enable the whole of the boss 21 on the mobile arm 16 to be inserted in the housing 25 of the rest abutment 20, the depth P of the housing 25 is preferably at least equal to the height H of the boss 21. For example, the depth P of the housing 25 of the rest abutment 20 is greater than the height H of the boss 21 of the mobile arm 16 so that the mobile arm 16 can bear on the rest abutment 20 on either side of the boss 21 and the housing 25 without any uncertainty. In the embodiment shown, and as can be seen more clearly in figures 5 to 8, the boss 21 of the mobile arm 16 is longitudinally elongate in the lengthwise direction of the mobile arm 16 and is closed at both ends. In other words, the general shape of the boss is that of half an olive. However, in the embodiment shown, the boss 21 is nevertheless slightly flattened so that it has a substantially rectilinear longitudinal crest line (see figure 7) combined with a generally rounded transverse profile (see figure 8). The housing 25 of the rest abutment 20 resembles a gutter, being longitudinally elongate in the lengthwise direction of the rest abutment 20, parallel to the lengthwise direction of the boss 21 of the mobile arm 16, and is wide open at both ends. In practice, and as can be seen more clearly in figure 4, the housing 25 in the rest abutment 20 (which is formed in a part of the rest abutment 20 which is transversely isolated from the remainder of the rest abutment 20 at one end by a cutting line 29 but attached to the abutment by a simple localized deformation of the metal at the opposite end) forms a tongue 30 relative to the rest abutment 20. As is the case in the embodiment shown, the mobile arm 16 preferably includes an oblique entry facet 31 in line with the boss 21 and facing towards the gap between it and the rest abutment 20. The rest abutment 20 has an oblique entry facet 32 in line with its housing 25 and facing towards the gap between it and the mobile arm 16 and in practice formed by the end of the corresponding tongue 30. The two oblique entry facets 31, 32 form a passage 33 which converges in the direction towards the gap between the mobile arm 16 and the rest abutment 20 to facilitate inserting the pin 12 to be clamped. Finally, in the embodiment shown, the action area 18 of the mobile arm 16 itself forms the mobile switch contact 23 of the associated switch 15. To this end it carries a contact bead 34 on the side facing away from the rest abutment 20. The other switch contact 24 of the switch 15 is fixed. As shown in figure 1, for example, it is carried by the associated terminal 14A and carries a contact bead 35 facing the contact bead 34 carried by the mobile switch contact 23. In the embodiment shown, the action area 18 of the mobile arm 16 of the contact member 11A forms a widely diverging dihedron with the main part of the mobile arm 16 and the switch contacts 23, 24 of the switch 15 are therefore substantially parallel to each other. Clearly the combination of the mobile arm 16, the bend 28, the fixed arm 27 and the rest abutment 20 of the contact member 11A can be formed very simply by appropriately cutting and bending to shape a single metal blank. When a pin 12 is inserted, the mobile arm 16 moves elastically away from the rest abutment 20, pivoting about its hinge area 17, as symbolized by an arrow F in figure 9A. Let C denote its travel, as measured at its free end, i.e. at the free end of its action area 18. The travel C is the result of the thickness E of the pin 12 and the withdrawal of the boss 21 of the mobile arm 16 from the housing 25 of the rest abutment 20. To be more precise: (Equation Removed) Accordingly, according to the invention, and as can be seen more clearly on comparing figures 10 and 9B, the travel C of the mobile arm 16 of the invention is significantly increased by the presence of the housing 25 of the rest abutment 20. .To be more precise, it is greater by a factor P' = P.D2/D21 than the travel c in the absence of the housing 25. Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown, but encompasses any variant execution thereof. WE CLAIM:- 1. A socket outlet with internal switch, said outlet switch comprising at least two contact members (11A, 11B, 11C) each of which is adapted to receive one of the pins (12) of a complementary plug and corresponds to a respective connecting terminal (14A, 14B, 14C) and, disposed between at least one of the contact members (11 A, 11B, 11C) and the corresponding connecting terminal (14A, 14B, 14C), a switch (15) having two switch contacts (23, 24) at least one of which is mobile, the contact member (11A) having a mobile arm (16) which has a hinge area (17) so that it can pivot and an action area (18) for operating the switch (15), the mobile arm (16) being associated with a rest abutment (20) at a distance (Di) from the hinge area (17) of the mobile arm (16) different from the distance (D2} between the action area, (18) and the mobile arm (16), and facing which the mobile arm (16) has a projecting boss (21) for gripping the pin (12) concerned of the plug between the boss (21) and the rest abutment (20) and return spring means (22) which spring-load the mobile arm (16) towards the rest abutment (20), characterized in that the rest abutment (20) associated with the contact member (11A) concerned has a recessed housing (25) in which at least part of the boss (21) of the mobile arm (16) of the contact member (11A) can be engaged. 2. A socket outlet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the depth (P) of the housing (25) is at least equal to the height (H) of the boss (21) so that all of the boss (21) of the mobile arm (16) can be engaged in the housing (25) of the rest abutment (22). 3. A socket outlet as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the mobile arm (16) is in one piece with a fixed arm (27) to which it is joined by a bend (28) conjointly forming its articulation area (17) and its return spring means (22) and of which the rest abutment (20) is part. 4. A socket outlet as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 3, wherein the boss (21) of the mobile arm (16) is formed by a simple localised deformation thereof. 5. A socket outlet as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 4, wherein the housing (25) of the rest abutment (20) is formed by a simple localised deformation thereof. 6. A socket outlet as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 5, wherein the boss (21) of the mobile arm (16) is longitudinally elongate in the lengthwise direction of the mobile arm (16). 7. A socket outlet as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 6, wherein the housing (25) of the rest abutment, (20) is in the form of a gutter and is longitudinally elongate in the lengthwise direction of the rest abutment (20). 8. A socket outlet as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 7, wherein the mobile arm (16) has in line with its boss (21) an oblique entry facet (31) facing towards the gap between it and the rest abutment (20). 9. A socket outlet as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 8, wherein the rest abutment (20) has in line with its housing (25) an oblique entry facet (32) facing towards the gap between it and the mobile arm (16). 10. A socket outlet as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 9, wherein the boss (21) of the mobile arm (16) is between its hinge area (17) and its action area (18). 11. A socket outlet as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 10, wherein the action area (18) of the mobile arm (16) itself forms the mobile switch contact (23) of the switch (15). 12. A socket outlet with internal switch substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

1301-del-1999-abstract.pdf

1301-del-1999-claims.pdf

1301-del-1999-correspondence-others.pdf

1301-del-1999-correspondence-po.pdf

1301-del-1999-description (complete).pdf

1301-del-1999-drawings.pdf

1301-del-1999-form-1.pdf

1301-del-1999-form-13.pdf

1301-del-1999-form-19.pdf

1301-del-1999-form-2.pdf

1301-del-1999-form-3.pdf

1301-del-1999-form-5.pdf

1301-del-1999-gpa.pdf

1301-del-1999-petition-137.pdf

1301-del-1999-petition-138.pdf