US 2007/0190813 A1Published application

Power-source outlet

AssigneeTogo Seisakusyo Corporation

InventorsHiroki Okada, Masahiro Nishioka

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Abstract

Wobbling of a coil portion of a torsion spring for urging a rotor/cover to a “usage position” is prevented. An outlet cover of an outlet main body has plugholes for insertion of the plug-in terminals of an outlet plug. A rotor/cover is pivotally provided so that its position can be switched between a “non-usage position,” where the plugholes are closed off, and a “usage position,” where a plug can be connected to the outlet. A supporting axle portion is provided between the outlet cover and the rotor/cover that can support the coil portion of a torsion spring for urging the rotor/cover to the “non-usage position”. The torsional arms of the torsion spring are respectively engaged with the outlet main body and the rotor/cover by utilizing the relative pivoting of the rotor/cover with respect to the outlet main body.

Claims23

Dependent claims

An outlet comprising:

an outlet main body having plugholes for engaging plug-in terminals of a plug;
a rotor/cover having insertion holes through which the plug-in terminals can be inserted;
wherein the rotor/cover is pivotal with respect to the outlet main body between a non-usage position in which the plugholes are covered by the rotor/cover and a usage-position in which the insertion holes are aligned with the corresponding plugholes;
a torsion spring that is interposed between the outlet main body and the rotor/cover and urges the rotor/cover to the non-usage position;
wherein the torsion spring is a twisted coil spring comprising a coil portion and torsional arms extending out from axial ends of the coil portion;
and
a supporting axle portion provided between the outlet main body and the rotor/cover that is located inside of the coil portion of the torsion spring;
wherein the outlet main body and the rotor/cover have engagement portions for engagement with the torsional arms of the torsion spring;
and
wherein pivoting of the rotor/cover with respect to the outlet main body engages each of the torsional arms of the torsion spring with a corresponding one of the engagement portions of the outlet main body and the rotor/cover in a circumferential direction.

7 more elements

An outlet comprising:

an outlet main body comprising:
at least one plughole for engaging a corresponding number of plug-in terminals of a plug;
an outlet engagement surface;
a rotor/cover recess configured to accommodate a rotor/cover,
wherein the rotor/cover recess further comprises a plurality of recess protrusions evenly spaced within and around a circumference of the rotor/cover recess;
a rotor/cover having insertion holes corresponding to each of the at least one plughole through which the plug-in terminals can be inserted, said rotor/cover comprising
a rotor/cover engagement surface,
wherein the rotor/cover is pivotal between a non-usage position and a usage-position with respect to the outlet main body and
wherein a surface of the rotor/cover corresponding to a location of the plurality of recess protrusions slidingly contacts the plurality of recess protrusions;
a torsion spring that is interposed between the outlet main body and the rotor/cover and urges the rotor/cover to the non-usage position,
wherein the torsion spring comprises two torsional arms each extending in a corresponding plane perpendicular to a central axis of the torsion spring,
one of the two torsional arms contacts the outlet engagement surface and
an other one of the two torsional arms contacts the rotor/cover engagement surface;
wherein a supporting axle portion is provided between the outlet main body and the rotor/cover and is fitted to and supports the inside of a coil portion of the torsion spring;
and
wherein pivoting the rotor/cover with respect to the outlet main body engages the two torsional arms of the torsion spring with the corresponding outlet engagement surface and the rotor/cover engagement surface.

13 more elements

An outlet comprising:

an outlet main body having plugholes for engaging plug-in terminals of a plug;
a rotor/cover having insertion holes through which the plug-in terminals can be inserted;
wherein the rotor/cover is pivotal with respect to the outlet main body between a non-usage position in which the plugholes are covered by the rotor/cover and a usage-position in which the insertion holes are aligned with the corresponding plugholes;
a torsion spring that is interposed between the outlet main body and the rotor/cover and urges the rotor/cover to the non-usage position;
a supporting axle portion provided between the outlet main body and the rotor/cover that is located inside of a coil portion of the torsion spring;
and
wherein pivoting of the rotor/cover with respect to the outlet main body engages torsional arms of the torsion spring with the outlet main body and the rotor/cover;
wherein each of the torsional arms extends in a plane perpendicular to a central axis of the torsion spring and engages with a corresponding engagement portion of the outlet main body and the rotor/cover in a circumferential direction;
wherein each of the engagement portions further comprises:
a first engagement slope for contacting with a terminal portion of a twisted coil spring;
and
a second engagement slope for abutting the circumference of the coil portion of the twisted coil spring;
and
wherein the engagement portion of the outlet main body is located 90° out of phase from an engagement portion of the rotor cover when the rotor/cover is assembled to the outlet main body and in a non-usage position.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.