EP0949716A2 - Dispositif de protection de fiche - Google Patents

Dispositif de protection de fiche Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0949716A2
EP0949716A2 EP99301592A EP99301592A EP0949716A2 EP 0949716 A2 EP0949716 A2 EP 0949716A2 EP 99301592 A EP99301592 A EP 99301592A EP 99301592 A EP99301592 A EP 99301592A EP 0949716 A2 EP0949716 A2 EP 0949716A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
plug
protector
pin
tongue
gripping member
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP99301592A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0949716A3 (fr
Inventor
Mark Bagnall
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Smiths Group PLC
Original Assignee
Smiths Group PLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Smiths Group PLC filed Critical Smiths Group PLC
Publication of EP0949716A2 publication Critical patent/EP0949716A2/fr
Publication of EP0949716A3 publication Critical patent/EP0949716A3/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/60—Means for supporting coupling part when not engaged

Definitions

  • This invention relates to plug protectors of the kind including a housing arranged to be locked onto a plug.
  • the invention is more particularly concerned with devices for preventing the use of electrical plugs.
  • plug protector prevents the plug being inserted in the mains socket and thereby prevents power being supplied to the equipment.
  • a parent might wish to prevent children using a television or dangerous electrical equipment.
  • the plug protector usually comprises some form of housing that encloses the plug and prevents insertion of the pins of the plug into a mains socket.
  • a padlock or similar device is often used to secure the protector on the plug. Examples of plug protectors are described in, for example: GB2278244, GB2259194, GB2231451, US5052939, US4957446, US4957445 and US4592607.
  • a plug protector of the above-specified kind characterised in that the protector includes a gripping member displaceable between a first state in which the gripping member grips the surface of a pin on the plug and prevents withdrawal of the protector from the plug and a second state in which the gripping member allows removal of the protector from the plug, and a key removable from the housing and operable to displace the gripping member between the first and second states.
  • the gripping member preferably extends substantially transversely of the pin and is a spring metal tongue having an end arranged to grip the pin.
  • the gripping member may include an outer spring metal frame defining a space between the frame and the end of the tongue within which the pin is inserted.
  • the tongue may be inclined at an angle of substantially 10 degrees to the frame in its natural position out of engagement with the pin.
  • the key is preferably insertable between one surface of the frame and an opposite surface of the tongue and may be rotatable about its axis to move the gripping member to its second state.
  • the protector preferably includes a plastics housing having a sleeve enclosing the pin.
  • the plug may be a three-pin mains plug, the gripping member being arranged to grip an earth pin of the plug.
  • the plug protector 1 has a hollow housing 10 moulded of a rigid plastics such as nylon or ABS.
  • the housing has a generally triangular base 11 from which project three sleeves 12, 13 and 14 of rectangular section, the sleeves being closed at their forward ends and open at their rear ends to receive respective pins 22, 23 and 24 of a mains plug 2.
  • the plug protector 1 includes gripping means in the form of a plate 30 (most clearly shown in Figure 6) of zinc-plated spring steel about 0.5mm thick and extending transversely within the housing 10.
  • the plate 30 tapers in width along its length and comprises an outer frame 31 and a tapered tongue 32 extending longitudinally within the frame 31.
  • the tongue 32 inclines forwardly out of the plane of the frame by an angle of 10° in its natural state.
  • the wider end 33 of the tongue 32 is attached with the frame 31.
  • the narrower end 34 of the tongue 32 is free and spaced from the facing inside edge 35 of the frame 31 to form a rectangular aperture 36 through which the earth pin 22 of the plug 2 can extend.
  • the gripping plate 30 extends horizontally within the base 11 of the housing 10, its wider end being located between the two sleeves 13 and 14.
  • the aperture 36 in the gripping plate 30 is aligned with the open rear end of the earth sleeve 12.
  • the gripping plate 30 is retained in the housing 10 by means of a plastics cover plate 40 bonded into the rear of the base 11.
  • the cover plate 40 has the same general shape as the gripping plate 30 and has a rectangular aperture 41 aligned with the earth sleeve 22.
  • the cover plate 40 leaves exposed openings 13' and 14' into the rear end of the sleeves 13 and 14 respectively.
  • the region 15 of the base 11 adjacent the earth sleeve 22 is spaced above the forward surface of the gripping plate 30 so as to allow the tongue 32 to be deflected forwardly.
  • the base 11 of the housing 10 has a keyhole shape aperture 50 in one side aligned close to the free end 34 of the tongue 32 and between the forward surface of the frame 31 of the plate 30 and the rear surface of the tongue.
  • the aperture 50 is shaped to receive a key 52, as shown in Figure 7.
  • the key 52 is of metal, having a shaft 53 of circular section, a handle 54 at one end and a laterally-projecting rectangular bit 55 close to its opposite end.
  • the protector 1 is fitted to the plug 2 simply by aligning the pins 22 to 24 of the plug with the openings 41, 13' and 14' in the rear of the protector, so that the pins can be slid forwardly into respective ones of the sleeves 12, 13 and 14.
  • the distance between the free end 34 of the tongue 32 and the facing inside edge of the frame 31 is such that the tongue will contact one face of the earth pin 22 and be displaced a small distance further forwards as the pin slides over the end of the tongue.
  • the end 34 of the tongue 32 lies in a position where it is displaced forwardly at an angle slightly greater than its natural 10°, so that the end of the tongue bears resiliently on the surface of the pin 22 substantially transversely.
  • the plug protector of the present invention can be made at low cost because of its simple construction and because it does not require a separate padlock or the like.
  • the protector locks directly onto the pins of the plug and does not need to enclose the plug, so it can be used with plugs having various different shape bodies, such as on bulky plug-in transformers, time switches, thermostats or the like. Because the protector does not need to enclose the entire plug it is not confined to use on plugs connected to the end of a flying lead but can also be used, for example, on plugs mounted directly on equipment housings, such as on computer housings.
  • the protector can be made very compact leading to a low material cost, and facilitating packing and display.
  • the protector can be used to prevent unauthorised use of electrical equipment, such as to prevent children using dangerous appliances in the home, or to prevent unauthorized equipment in the office.
  • the protector can also be used to prevent use of faulty appliances, for example, if an appliance fails to pass a safety test, the tester can easily fit a protector to prevent use of the appliance until it has been repaired. In such cases, the protector could be brightly coloured or otherwise conspicuously marked to show that no attempt should be made to use the appliance.
  • the protector need not grip onto the earth pin but could grip on any other pin, or onto several pins.
  • the protector need not fully enclose the pins of a plug providing that the protector provides sufficient obstacle to insertion of the plug in a socket. It will be appreciated that the invention is not confined to use with UK three-pin mains plugs but could be used on other plugs with different numbers of pins or with pins of different shape, such as round pins.

Landscapes

  • Connector Housings Or Holding Contact Members (AREA)
EP99301592A 1998-04-08 1999-03-03 Dispositif de protection de fiche Withdrawn EP0949716A3 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9807447 1998-04-08
GBGB9807447.9A GB9807447D0 (en) 1998-04-08 1998-04-08 Plug protectors

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0949716A2 true EP0949716A2 (fr) 1999-10-13
EP0949716A3 EP0949716A3 (fr) 2000-05-17

Family

ID=10829997

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP99301592A Withdrawn EP0949716A3 (fr) 1998-04-08 1999-03-03 Dispositif de protection de fiche

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0949716A3 (fr)
GB (2) GB9807447D0 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2011060507A1 (fr) * 2009-11-23 2011-05-26 Darren Mark Cananzi Dispositif de sécurité pour fiche d'alimentation électrique

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4030795A (en) * 1976-03-05 1977-06-21 Niemann John A Locking device for electrical plugs
US4060297A (en) * 1976-11-29 1977-11-29 Marshall Bruce H Plug cap
US5055057A (en) * 1989-08-07 1991-10-08 Boyer Paul L Electric plug lock
US5176527A (en) * 1990-12-14 1993-01-05 E. I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company Apparatus for preventing the use of an electrical device
US5171155A (en) * 1991-09-03 1992-12-15 Humberto Mendoza Safety lock for electrical appliance plugs
DE9111643U1 (de) * 1991-09-18 1991-11-07 Hansen, Heinrich C. Steckerschloß zum Abschließen von Geräte - Steckern

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2011060507A1 (fr) * 2009-11-23 2011-05-26 Darren Mark Cananzi Dispositif de sécurité pour fiche d'alimentation électrique
CN102668261A (zh) * 2009-11-23 2012-09-12 达伦·马克·卡南齐 电插头安全装置
US8608492B2 (en) 2009-11-23 2013-12-17 Darren Mark Cananzi Electrical plug safety device with a securing member engaging sides of the pins of a plug
AU2010321693B2 (en) * 2009-11-23 2014-08-21 Cananzi, Darren Mark Mr Electrical plug safety device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2336727A (en) 1999-10-27
GB2336727A8 (en) 1999-12-16
EP0949716A3 (fr) 2000-05-17
GB9807447D0 (en) 1998-06-10
GB9904752D0 (en) 1999-04-21
GB2336727B (en) 2002-02-13

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