Operating mechanism for a GFCI outlet

Abstract

The application relates to an operating mechanism of a GFCI socket, which comprises a shell, a first circuit board arranged in the shell and a conductive sheet, two groups of jack holes for aligning the conductive sheet are arranged on the shell, and a test button and a reset button are movably arranged on the shell, characterized in that: an operating structure is arranged between the two groups of jack holes, the operating structure comprises a linkage frame and a contact bridge movably arranged on the left and right sides of the linkage frame, dynamic contact points are arranged at the two ends of the contact bridge, the conductive sheet is provided with first static contact points aligning with the dynamic contact points at the upper end of the contact bridge, a mutual inductor is connected to one end of the first circuit board, the mutual inductor is provided with second static contact points aligning with the dynamic contact points at the lower end of the contact bridge, and the lower end of the reset button is provided with a driving structure which can be linked with the linkage frame. The operating structure of the GFCI socket and the reset button is contracted and assembled between the two groups of jack holes, the space is effectively utilized, the internal structure is more compact, the volume and thickness of the GFCI socket are reduced, and the purpose of realizing the GFCI with ultra-thin and ultra-small volume is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of residual current devices (RCDs), and more specifically to an operating mechanism for a GFCI socket. Background Technology

[0002] A GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) is a ground fault leakage current protector designed to protect people from severe or fatal electric shocks. Because GFCI detects ground faults, it can also prevent some electrical fires and reduce the current flow of serious electric shocks. Its working principle is as follows: In a home wiring system, under normal circumstances, the current in the live wire and neutral wire at a power outlet should be equal. The GFCI monitors the current difference; once the difference exceeds 4-6 milliamps, it cuts off the power supply, preventing fatal electric shocks and ensuring personal safety.

[0003] For example, the invention patent with application number 200480006812.1 discloses a GFCI socket equipped with a plug blocking device, including a housing, a circuit interruption part, a reset part, a reset button, and a shaped element located inside the housing, controlled by the circuit interruption part to block a third connection from being connected to a user-accessible load when the circuit interruption part is unavailable, in a neutral state of disconnection, or in the case of reverse wiring. The linkage operation mechanism of the reset button of this GFCI socket has a complex structure and requires a large installation space, which in turn leads to the overall size of the GFCI socket being too large. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an operating mechanism for a GFCI socket that is compact in structure and smaller in size.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention is implemented using the following technical solution:

[0006] An operating mechanism for a GFCI socket includes a housing and a first circuit board and a conductive sheet disposed within the housing. The housing has two sets of sockets aligned with the conductive sheet, and a test button and a reset button are movably disposed on the housing. The mechanism is characterized by an operating structure between the two sets of sockets, comprising a linkage frame and contact bridges movably disposed on the left and right sides of the linkage frame. Moving contacts are provided at both ends of the contact bridges. The conductive sheet has a first stationary contact aligned with the upper moving contact of the contact bridge. A current transformer is connected to one end of the first circuit board, and the current transformer has a second stationary contact aligned with the lower moving contact of the contact bridge. A drive structure that can be linked with the linkage frame is provided at the lower end of the reset button.

[0007] Furthermore, the drive structure includes a drive rod and a latch located at the lower part of the drive rod. A first spring is sleeved on the drive rod to cause the reset button to move outward. A locking piece that can cooperate with the latch is movably provided inside the linkage frame.

[0008] Furthermore, the first circuit board is connected to an electromagnet, which includes a stationary iron core and a moving iron core. The moving iron core can be linked with the locking plate, and a fourth spring is provided between the moving iron core and the stationary iron core. The linkage frame is provided with a first through hole for inserting a drive rod, and the linkage frame is provided with a second through hole for moving the locking plate. The locking plate is provided with a third through hole for the drive rod and the latch to pass through.

[0009] Furthermore, the outer side of the moving iron core is provided with an annular groove, and both ends of one side of the locking plate are provided with baffles that can move within the annular groove.

[0010] Furthermore, the linkage frame is provided with a movable frame, the movable frame is provided with a fourth through hole for inserting a drive rod, the movable frame is provided with a locking block, and the movable frame is detachably connected to a moving piece, the linkage frame is provided with a protrusion for the locking block to be fastened, the first circuit board is provided with a contact point that can abut against the moving piece, and when the moving piece contacts the contact point, it triggers the electromagnet to start energizing.

[0011] Furthermore, a third spring is provided between the movable frame and the linkage frame to cause the movable frame to move outward, the movable frame is provided with a protrusion, and the actuating piece is provided with a buckle that can engage with the protrusion.

[0012] Furthermore, the housing is provided with a middle frame, a bracket is provided on the middle frame, a second circuit board is provided on the bracket, and a contact piece connected to the first circuit board passes through the bracket and the middle frame. The upper end of the contact piece is bent inward to provide a swing piece. The lower end of the test button abuts against the swing piece. The second circuit board is provided with a contact point that can abut against the swing piece. When the swing piece contacts the contact point, it triggers the electromagnet to start energizing. The first spring is located between the middle frame and the reset button.

[0013] Furthermore, the middle frame is provided with a slot for the linkage frame to move, the linkage frame is provided with a guide opening slot and a guide column, the touch bridge is provided with a guide piece that can move in the guide opening slot, and the touch bridge is provided with a fifth through hole for the guide column to pass through. The lower end of the middle frame is provided with a sleeve, and a second spring is provided inside the sleeve, which is sleeved on the guide column and abuts against the touch bridge.

[0014] After adopting the above technical solution, the operating structure linked with the reset button is retracted and packaged between the two sets of sockets, which effectively utilizes this space, making the internal structure more compact, thereby reducing the volume and thickness of the GFCI socket, thus achieving the goal of ultra-thin and ultra-small volume of GFCI. In addition, the current transformer and the first circuit board are changed from the existing stacked design to a side-by-side design, further reducing the overall thickness of GFCI. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The present invention includes the following figures:

[0016] Figure 1 This is a front view structural diagram of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Sectional view along line AA;

[0018] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Sectional view along the BB direction;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the internal structure of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the reset button and operating structure in this invention;

[0021] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure from another viewpoint.

[0022] Reference numerals: 1. Housing; 2. First circuit board; 3. Conductive sheet; 4. Socket; 5. Test button; 6. Reset button; 7. Linkage frame; 8. Contact bridge; 9. Moving contact; 10. First stationary contact; 11. Current transformer; 12. Second stationary contact; 13. Drive rod; 14. Lock; 15. First spring; 16. Locking plate; 17. Electromagnet; 18. Stationary iron core; 19. Moving iron core; 20. Annular groove; 21. First through hole; 22. Second through hole; 23. Third through hole 24. Baffle; 25. Movable frame; 26. Fourth through hole; 27. Locking block; 28. Actuating piece; 29. ​​Protrusion; 30. Buckle; 31. Protrusion; 32. Middle frame; 33. Bracket; 34. Second circuit board; 35. Contact piece; 36. Swinging piece; 37. Contact point; 38. Slot; 39. Guide opening slot; 40. Guide column; 41. Guide piece; 42. Fifth through hole; 43. Sleeve; 44. Second spring; 45. Third spring; 46. Fourth spring. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To further illustrate the technical means and effects of the present invention in achieving its intended purpose, the following detailed description of the specific implementation methods, structures, features, and effects of the present invention, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments, is provided below.

[0024] Referring to the above figures, the operating mechanism of a GFCI socket provided by the present invention includes a housing 1 and a first circuit board 2 and a conductive sheet 3 disposed within the housing 1. The housing 1 has two sets of sockets 4 aligned with the conductive sheet 3, and a test button 5 and a reset button 6 are movably disposed on the housing 1. The operating mechanism is characterized by an operating structure between the two sets of sockets 4, comprising a linkage frame 7 and contact bridges 8 movably disposed on the left and right sides of the linkage frame 7. Moving contacts 9 are provided at both ends of the contact bridges 8. The conductive sheet 3 has a first stationary contact 10 aligned with the upper moving contact 9 of the contact bridge 8. A current transformer 11 is connected to one end of the first circuit board 2, and the current transformer 11 has a second stationary contact 12 aligned with the lower moving contact 9 of the contact bridge 8. The lower end of the reset button 6 is provided with a mechanism that can be linked with the linkage frame 7. The drive structure includes a drive rod 13 and a latch 14 located at the lower part of the drive rod 13. A first spring 15 is sleeved on the drive rod 13 to move the reset button 6 outward. A locking plate 16 that can cooperate with the latch 14 is movably disposed in the linkage frame 7. An electromagnet 17 is connected to the first circuit board 2. The electromagnet 17 includes a stationary iron core 18 and a moving iron core 19. The moving iron core 19 can be linked with the locking plate 16, and a fourth spring 46 is disposed between the moving iron core 19 and the stationary iron core 18. The linkage frame 7 has a first through hole 21 for inserting the drive rod 13 and a second through hole 22 for moving the locking plate 16. The locking plate 16 has a third through hole 23 for the drive rod 13 and the latch 14 to pass through. An annular groove 2 is disposed on the outer side of the moving iron core 19. 0. The locking plate 16 has baffles 24 at both ends on one side that can move within the annular groove 20. The linkage frame 7 has a movable frame 25 with a fourth through hole 26 for inserting the drive rod 13. The movable frame 25 has a locking block 27 and a movable contact plate 28 that can be detachably connected to it. The linkage frame 7 has a protrusion 29 for the locking block 27 to engage. The first circuit board 2 has a contact point that can abut against the contact plate 28. When the contact plate 28 contacts the contact point, it triggers the electromagnet 17 to start and energize. A third spring 45 is provided between the movable frame 25 and the linkage frame 7 to move the movable frame 25 outward. The movable frame 25 has a protrusion 31, and the contact plate 28 has a buckle 30 that can engage with the protrusion 31. The housing 1 contains... The system includes a middle frame 32, a support 33 on the middle frame 32, and a second circuit board 34 on the support 33. A contact piece 35, connected to a first circuit board 2, passes through the support 33 and the middle frame 32. The upper end of the contact piece 35 is bent inward to form a swing piece 36. The lower end of the test button 5 rests against the swing piece 36. The second circuit board 34 has a contact point 37 that can abut against the swing piece 36. When the swing piece 36 contacts the contact point 37, it triggers the electromagnet 17 to energize. A first spring 15 is located between the middle frame 32 and the reset button 6. The middle frame 32 has a slot 38 for accommodating the movement of a linkage frame 7. The linkage frame 7 has a guide opening slot 39 and a guide post 40. The contact bridge 8 has a guide piece 41 that can move within the guide opening slot 39.Furthermore, the contact bridge 8 is provided with a fifth through hole 42 for the guide column 40 to pass through. The lower end of the middle frame 32 is provided with a sleeve 43, inside which is a second spring 44 fitted onto the guide column 40 and abutting against the contact bridge 8.

[0025] The working principle of this invention is as follows:

[0026] The GFCI socket should be tested before each use to ensure it functions properly. During testing, first insert the lamp into socket 4; the lamp will then light up. Next, press the test button 5, causing the swing plate 36 to swing downwards. When the swing plate 36 contacts contact 37 on the second circuit board 34, the electromagnet 17 is activated, energizing the moving iron core 19, which moves inwards and adheres to the stationary iron core 18. The annular groove 20 and the baffle 24 work together to move the locking plate 16, disengaging the third through hole 23 from the latch 14. At this point, the drive rod 13 and the reset button 6 pop outwards under the force of the first spring 15. Simultaneously, the contact bridge 8 and the linkage 7 move under the force of the second spring 44, causing the moving contact 9 to disengage from the first stationary contact 10 and the second stationary contact 12, thus de-energizing the socket and turning off the lamp. If the reset button 6 does not pop out, the socket is defective and should be replaced immediately. If the socket functions correctly, after the lamp turns off, pressing the reset button 6 will move the drive rod 13 and cause the latch 14 to press against the locking plate 16. Continue pressing the reset button 6 to move the locking plate 16, movable frame 25, and linkage frame 7. When the moving contact 35 abuts against the contact point, the electromagnet 17 is energized, causing the moving iron core 19 to move inward and adhere to the stationary iron core 18. The annular groove 20 and the baffle 24 cooperate to move the locking plate 16, causing the third through hole 23 to disengage from the latch 14. At this time, the latch 14 continues to move downward and pass through the third through hole 23. After releasing the reset button 6, under the force of the third spring 45, the movable frame 25 moves the moving contact 35 to disengage from the contact 37 on the second circuit board 34. At this time, the electromagnet 17 is de-energized, and the moving iron core 19 moves outward under the force of the fourth spring 46, causing the locking plate 16 to insert into the latch 14, completing the locking of the drive rod 13 and the reset button 6. At the same time, under the force of the first spring 15, the reset button 6 moves, causing the locking plate 16, linkage frame 7, and contact bridge 8 to move, causing the moving contact 9 to abut against the first stationary contact 10 and the second stationary contact 12, and the socket is powered normally.

[0027] In this embodiment, the operating structure linked to the reset button 6 is retracted and packaged between the two sets of sockets 4, which effectively utilizes this space, making the internal structure more compact and reducing the volume and thickness of the GFCI socket, thereby achieving the goal of ultra-thin and ultra-small GFCI. In addition, the current transformer 11 and the first circuit board 2 are changed from the existing stacked design to a side-by-side design, further reducing the overall thickness of the GFCI.

[0028] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications or alterations to the above-disclosed technical content to create equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An operating mechanism for a GFCI socket, comprising a housing and a first circuit board and a conductive sheet disposed within the housing, the housing having two sets of sockets aligned with the conductive sheet, and a test button and a reset button movably disposed on the housing, characterized in that: An operating structure is provided between the two sets of sockets. The operating structure includes a linkage frame and contact bridges movably disposed on the left and right sides of the linkage frame. Moving contacts are provided at both ends of the contact bridges. The conductive sheet has a first stationary contact aligned with the moving contact at the upper end of the contact bridge. A current transformer is connected to one end of the first circuit board. The current transformer has a second stationary contact aligned with the moving contact at the lower end of the contact bridge. A driving structure that can be linked with the linkage frame is provided at the lower end of the reset button. The driving structure includes a driving rod and a latch located at the lower part of the driving rod. A first spring is sleeved on the driving rod to move the reset button outward. A locking piece that can cooperate with the latch is movably disposed within the linkage frame. An electromagnet is connected to the first circuit board. The electromagnet includes a stationary iron core and a moving iron core. The core can be linked with the locking plate, and a fourth spring is provided between the moving iron core and the stationary iron core. The linkage frame has a first through hole for inserting the driving rod and a second through hole for moving the locking plate. The locking plate has a third through hole for the driving rod and the latch to pass through. The moving iron core has an annular groove on its outer side. The locking plate has baffles that can move in the annular groove at both ends on one side. The linkage frame has a movable frame with a fourth through hole for inserting the driving rod. The movable frame has a locking block and a movable contact plate that can be detachably connected to the movable frame. The linkage frame has a protrusion for locking the locking block to engage. The first circuit board has a contact point that can abut against the contact plate. When the contact plate contacts the contact point, it triggers the electromagnet to start energizing.

2. The operating mechanism of a GFCI socket according to claim 1, characterized in that: A third spring is provided between the movable frame and the linkage frame to make the movable frame move outward. The movable frame is provided with a protrusion, and the actuating piece is provided with a buckle that can engage with the protrusion.

3. The operating mechanism of a GFCI socket according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The housing contains a middle frame, on which a bracket is mounted. A second circuit board is mounted on the bracket, and a contact piece connected to a first circuit board passes through the bracket and the middle frame. The upper end of the contact piece is bent inward to form a swing piece. The lower end of the test button rests against the swing piece. The second circuit board has a contact point that can abut against the swing piece. When the swing piece contacts the contact point, it triggers an electromagnet to start energizing. The first spring is located between the middle frame and the reset button.

4. The operating mechanism of a GFCI socket according to claim 3, characterized in that: The middle frame is provided with a slot for the linkage frame to move. The linkage frame is provided with a guide opening slot and a guide column. The touch bridge is provided with a guide piece that can move in the guide opening slot, and the touch bridge is provided with a fifth through hole for the guide column to pass through. The lower end of the middle frame is provided with a sleeve, and a second spring is provided inside the sleeve, which is sleeved on the guide column and abuts against the touch bridge.

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