Three-pin folding storage structure and three-pin plug

By setting up gear shaft connections in the three-pin plug, the pins are synchronously deployed or stored, which solves the problem that the traditional three-pin plug cannot be folded and stored, and improves the convenience of use and storage.

CN117276959BActive Publication Date: 2025-08-19SHENZHEN HONGXI TECH CO LTD
View PDF 1 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
CN202311340782.9
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-10-17
Publication Date
2025-08-19
Estimated Expiration
2043-10-17

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The traditional three-pin plug cannot be folded and stored, which leads to inconvenience in use and needs to be expanded or stored separately, affecting the convenience.

Method used

A three-pin folding storage structure is designed. By setting a gear shaft connection on the pins, the pulling of any pin can synchronously drive other pins to expand or store. The E-pole pin, L-pole pin and N-pole pin are meshed and connected with the gear shaft respectively to achieve synchronous action.

Benefits of technology

It improves the convenience of the three-pin plug when using and storing, without the need to pull each pin separately, simplifying the operation process.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure CN117276959B_ABST
    Figure CN117276959B_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

The present invention discloses a three-prong folding storage structure and a three-prong plug, comprising a housing and an E-pole pin, an L-pole pin, and an N-pole pin; the housing is provided with an E-pole contact sheet, an L-pole contact sheet, and an N-pole contact sheet; the E-pole pin is provided with an E-pole gear shaft, the L-pole pin is provided with an L-pole gear shaft, and the N-pole pin is provided with an N-pole gear shaft; the L-pole gear shaft and the N-pole gear shaft are respectively meshed with the E-pole gear shaft; when the E-pole pin is driven to rotate perpendicular to the housing surface, the E-pole gear shaft simultaneously drives the N-pole gear shaft and the L-pole gear shaft to rotate, thereby also making the L-pole pin and the N-pole pin perpendicular to the housing surface. The three-prong folding storage structure and the three-prong plug provided by the present invention can simultaneously cause the other two pins to expand or retract synchronously when the user pulls any one pin to expand or retract, eliminating the need to pull each pin individually, thereby improving the convenience of the three-prong plug during use and storage.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of plugs, and in particular to a three-pin folding storage structure and a three-pin plug. [Background Technology]

[0002] Three-prong plugs, particularly those in the US, consist of three prongs arranged in an isosceles triangle: the E (ground) prong, the L (live / phase) prong, and the N (neutral) prong, with the N and L prongs located at either end of the base of the isosceles triangle. Conventional plugs cannot be folded up for storage, making them inconvenient. Alternatively, existing three-prong plugs require individual pressing and folding of each prong, hindering their ease of use. Furthermore, each prong must be unfolded individually when the plug is used, making it difficult to use.

[0003] In view of this, it is necessary to provide a three-pin folding storage structure and a three-pin plug to overcome the above-mentioned defects. [Summary of the invention]

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a three-pin folding storage structure and a three-pin plug, aiming to improve the problem of inconvenience in storing or using the three-pin plug and improve the convenience of using and storing the three-pin plug.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention provides a three-pin folding storage structure, comprising a shell and an E-pole pin, an L-pole pin and a N-pole pin, which are all rotatably mounted on the shell and distributed in an isosceles triangle; an E-pole contact sheet electrically connected to the E-pole pin, an L-pole contact sheet electrically connected to the L-pole pin and an N-pole contact sheet electrically connected to the N-pole pin are provided in the shell; an E-pole gear shaft is provided on the side of the E-pole pin close to the E-pole contact sheet, an L-pole gear shaft is provided on the side of the L-pole pin close to the L-pole contact sheet, and an N-pole gear shaft is provided on the side of the N-pole pin close to the N-pole contact sheet; the L-pole gear shaft and the N-pole gear shaft are respectively meshed and connected with the E-pole gear shaft; when the E-pole pin is driven to rotate to be perpendicular to the surface of the shell, the E-pole gear shaft simultaneously drives the N-pole gear shaft and the L-pole gear shaft to rotate, so that the L-pole pin and the N-pole pin are also perpendicular to the surface of the shell.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment, the shell includes an outer shell and a pressure plate, and the outer shell and the pressure plate are jointly arranged to form a receiving cavity for accommodating the E-pole contact piece, the L-pole contact piece, the N-pole contact piece, the E-pole gear shaft, the L-pole gear shaft and the N-pole gear shaft; the side of the outer shell away from the pressure plate is provided with an E-pole receiving groove, an L-pole receiving groove and an N-pole receiving groove; the side of the E-pole pin close to the E-pole gear shaft can be rotatably arranged on the side of the E-pole receiving groove, the side of the N-pole pin close to the N-pole gear shaft can be rotatably arranged on the side of the N-pole receiving groove, and the side of the L-pole pin close to the L-pole gear shaft can be rotatably arranged on the side of the L-pole receiving groove.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment, the L-pole accommodating groove and the N-pole accommodating groove are respectively arranged in parallel on both sides of the E-pole accommodating groove, and the end of the E-pole accommodating groove away from the E-pole gear shaft passes through the outer shell to form a pulling groove, and the inner wall of the pulling groove extends outward from close to the E-pole accommodating groove to away from the E-pole accommodating groove to form a slope or arc surface.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the shell is provided with a pair of first limiting semicircles arranged at intervals, and the pressure plate is provided with a pair of second limiting semicircles corresponding one to one with the first limiting semicircles. The pair of first limiting semicircles corresponding to the pair of second limiting semicircles are arranged to form a pair of limiting holes for rotatably passing through the L-pole gear shaft and the N-pole gear shaft respectively; the second limiting semicircle is provided with a through hole for the N-pole pin or the L-pole pin to pass through.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the pressure plate is further provided with a pair of insulating baffles between a pair of the second limiting semicircles; the insulating baffles are used to separate the L-pole contact piece from the N-pole contact piece.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, a first connecting column is provided on the side of the L-pole gear shaft and the N-pole gear shaft that are away from each other, a second connecting column is provided on both sides of the pressure plate, and a tension spring is provided between the first connecting column and the second connecting column on the same side; when the L-pole pin and the N-pole pin are expanded or retracted, the tension of the tension spring first increases and then decreases.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the N-pole contact piece and the L-pole contact piece each include a pair of spring pieces that are clamped and electrically connected to each other, and the N-pole pin and the L-pole pin are clamped between the corresponding pair of spring pieces.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the pair of spring sheets are integrally formed by bending.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the E-pole contact piece includes a first section and a second section connected to each other; the first section is a straight bar and the second section is an arc; when the E-pole pin is unfolded or retracted, one end of the E-pole pin close to the E-pole contact piece slides against the inner side of the second section.

[0014] The present invention further provides a three-pin plug, comprising the three-pin folding storage structure as described in any one of the above embodiments.

[0015] The three-pin folding storage structure and the three-pin plug provided by the present invention are provided with an E-pole gear shaft on the E-pole pin, an L-pole gear shaft on the L-pole pin, and an N-pole gear shaft on the N-pole pin, and the L-pole gear shaft and the N-pole gear shaft are respectively engaged with the E-pole gear shaft. Therefore, no matter which pin is opened or closed by the user, the other two pins can be opened or closed synchronously at the same time, without the need to open each pin individually, thereby improving the convenience of the three-pin plug in use and storage.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only illustrate certain embodiments of the present invention and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0017] Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of the three-pin folding storage structure provided by the present invention when unfolded;

[0018] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the structure of the three-pin folding storage structure shown;

[0019] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A three-dimensional exploded view of the three-pin folding storage structure shown;

[0020] Figure 4 A three-dimensional diagram of the three-pin folding storage structure provided by the present invention when stored;

[0021] Figure 5 for Figure 4 The structural diagram of the three-pin folding storage structure shown.

[0022] Numbers in the figure: 100, three-pin folding storage structure; 101, E-pole pin; 102, L-pole pin; 103, N-pole pin; 104, accommodating chamber; 10, shell; 11, outer shell; 111, E-pole accommodating groove; 112, L-pole accommodating groove; 113, N-pole accommodating groove; 114, pulling groove; 115, first limiting semicircle; 12, pressing plate; 121, second limiting semicircle; 122, insulating baffle; 123, second connecting column; 21, E-pole contact piece; 211, first section; 212, second section; 22, L-pole contact piece; 23, N-pole contact piece; 24, spring; 31, E-pole gear shaft; 32, L-pole gear shaft; 33, N-pole gear shaft; 34, first connecting column; 35, tension spring. [Specific implementation method]

[0023] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and beneficial technical effects of the present invention more clear, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described in this specification are only for the purpose of explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0024] It should also be understood that the terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the present invention. As used in the specification and appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0025] It should be further understood that the term "and / or" used in the present description and the appended claims refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0026] In an embodiment of the present invention, a three-pin folding storage structure 100 is provided, which is used to simultaneously drive the other two pins to be synchronously expanded or stored when any pin is pulled to expand or store, thereby improving the convenience of using and storing the three-pin plug.

[0027] like Figure 1-Figure 5 As shown, the three-prong foldable storage structure 100 includes a housing 10 and an E-pole prong 101, an L-pole prong 102, and a N-pole prong 103, all rotatably mounted on the housing 10 and arranged in an isosceles triangle. For example, in the US standard, the E-pole prong 101 is cylindrical, while the L-pole prong 102 and the N-pole prong 103 are parallel straight strips.

[0028] Specifically, the housing 10 includes an outer shell 11 and a pressure plate 12. The outer shell 11 and pressure plate 12 together enclose a receiving chamber 104. A side of the outer shell 11, away from the pressure plate 12, defines an E-pole receiving slot 111, an L-pole receiving slot 112, and an N-pole receiving slot 113. The shapes of these receiving slots match the shapes of the corresponding pins, so that when the pins are received in the corresponding slots, the upper surfaces of the pins are lower than or flush with the surface of the outer shell 11.

[0029] Furthermore, the L-pole receiving groove 112 and the N-pole receiving groove 113 are respectively arranged parallel to either side of the E-pole receiving groove 111. One end of the E-pole receiving groove 111 penetrates the housing 11 to form a pull groove 114. The inner wall of the pull groove 114 extends outward from the E-pole receiving groove 111 toward the direction away from the E-pole receiving groove 111, forming an inclined or curved surface, thus forming a bell-mouth-like shape, making it easier for the user to pull the free end of the E-pole pin 101 through the pull groove 114.

[0030] In the embodiment of the present invention, the housing 10 is provided with an E-pole contact piece 21 electrically connected to the E-pole pin 101 , an L-pole contact piece 22 electrically connected to the L-pole pin 102 , and an N-pole contact piece 23 electrically connected to the N-pole pin 103 .

[0031] Specifically, each of the N-pole contact piece 23 and the L-pole contact piece 22 includes a pair of springs 24 that clamp together and electrically connect. Specifically, the springs 24 are recessed and arranged toward each other. The N-pole pin 103 and the L-pole pin 102 are clamped between the corresponding springs 24, ensuring the secure electrical connection between the N-pole pin 103 and the N-pole contact piece 23, and the L-pole pin 102 and the L-pole contact piece 22 during relative rotation. The pair of springs 24 can be integrally formed by bending a long strip of metal.

[0032] The E-pole contact piece 21 includes a first segment 211 and a second segment 212. The first segment 211 is a straight bar and is fixed to the interior of the housing 11. The second segment 212 is an arcuate spring-shaped piece, such as a semicircular shape. The second segment 212 is positioned closely against one end of the E-pole pin 101. When the E-pole pin 101 is deployed or retracted, the end of the E-pole pin 101 near the E-pole contact piece 21 slides against the inner side of the second segment 212, thereby ensuring a secure electrical connection between the E-pole pin 101 and the E-pole contact piece 21. In addition, when one end of the E-pole pin 101 slides in any direction against the inner side of the arc of the second section 212, the second section 212 will undergo a process of first bending outward and then retracting under the drive of the E-pole pin 101. That is, when the E-pole pin 101 rotates to a certain angle (for example, 45°) under the action of external force, even if the external force disappears, the E-pole pin 101 will continue to rotate in the original direction under the action of the inward retraction of the second section 212 to rotate to the maximum angle, thereby fully expanding or fully retracting, thereby saving users more effort when expanding and retracting.

[0033] In this embodiment of the present invention, an E-pole gear shaft 31 is provided on the side of the E-pole pin 101 near the E-pole contact piece 21, an L-pole gear shaft 32 is provided on the side of the L-pole pin 102 near the L-pole contact piece 22, and an N-pole gear shaft 33 is provided on the side of the N-pole pin 103 near the N-pole contact piece 23. The E-pole contact piece 21, the L-pole contact piece 22, the N-pole contact piece 23, the E-pole gear shaft 31, the L-pole gear shaft 32, and the N-pole gear shaft 33 are all located within the receiving cavity 104.

[0034] Specifically, the L-pole gear shaft 32 and the N-pole gear shaft 33 are each meshed with the E-pole gear shaft 31. Here, these three gear shafts can have a plurality of gear teeth only in the areas where they make contact during rotation, rather than having gear teeth on their entire surfaces. For example, the E-pole gear shaft 31 can have a plurality of gear teeth in a semicircular area adjacent to the L-pole gear shaft 32 and the N-pole gear shaft 33.

[0035] When the E-pole pin 101 is driven to rotate perpendicular to the surface of the housing 10, the E-pole gear shaft 31 simultaneously drives the N-pole gear shaft 33 and the L-pole gear shaft 32 to rotate, thereby causing the L-pole pin 102 and the N-pole pin 103 to also be perpendicular to the surface of the housing 10. Similarly, when the N-pole pin 103 or the L-pole pin 102 is driven, it will also drive the other two pins to rotate synchronously to expand or retract, eliminating the need to individually move each pin, thereby improving the convenience of using and storing the three-pole plug. It should be noted that the description here does not mean that only when the E-pole pin 101 is driven can the L-pole pin 102 and the N-pole pin 103 be driven to move synchronously, but rather that driving any pin can drive the other two pins to rotate or retract synchronously.

[0036] Furthermore, the side of the E pole pin 101 close to the E pole gear shaft 31 can be rotatably disposed on the side of the E pole accommodating groove 111, the side of the N pole pin 103 close to the N pole gear shaft 33 can be rotatably disposed on the side of the N pole accommodating groove 113, and the side of the L pole pin 102 close to the L pole gear shaft 32 can be rotatably disposed on the side of the L pole accommodating groove 112.

[0037] Specifically, the housing 11 is provided with a pair of spaced-apart first limiting semicircles 115, and the pressure plate 12 is provided with a pair of second limiting semicircles 121 corresponding to the first limiting semicircles 115. The first limiting semicircles 115 and the corresponding second limiting semicircles 121 form a pair of limiting holes for rotatably passing the L-pole gear shaft 32 and the N-pole gear shaft 33, respectively. The second limiting semicircles 121 are provided with holes for the N-pole pin 103 or the L-pole pin 102 to pass through. Similarly, the E-pole pin 101 has a similar structure.

[0038] Furthermore, the pressure plate 12 is provided with a pair of insulating baffles 122 between the pair of second limiting semicircles 121. The insulating baffles 122 are used to separate the L-pole contact piece 22 from the N-pole contact piece 23, thereby preventing the L-pole contact piece 22 and the N-pole contact piece 23 from loosening and causing a short circuit when they rotate relative to each other.

[0039] Furthermore, a first connecting post 34 is provided on the side of the L-pole gear shaft 32 and the N-pole gear shaft 33 facing away from each other. A second connecting post 123 is provided on both sides of the pressure plate 12. A tension spring 35 is installed between the first connecting post 34 and the second connecting post 123 on the same side. When the L-pole pin 102 and the N-pole pin 103 are extended or retracted, the tension of the tension spring 35 first increases and then decreases. Specifically, when the pins are accommodated in their corresponding receiving slots, the line connecting the second connecting post 123 and the first connecting post 34 forms an acute angle with the pins. Among them, the tension spring 35 will undergo a process of first stretching and then contracting under the drive of external force, that is, when the L-pole pin 102 and the N-pole pin 103 are rotated to a certain angle (for example, 45°) under the drive of external force, even if the external force disappears, the L-pole pin 102 and the N-pole pin 103 will continue to rotate along the original direction under the pulling action of the tension spring 35 to rotate to the maximum angle, thereby fully expanding or fully retracting, thereby saving users more effort when expanding and retracting.

[0040] The present invention further provides a three-pin plug, comprising the three-pin folding storage structure 100 as described in any one of the above embodiments.

[0041] In summary, the three-pin folding storage structure 100 and the three-pin plug provided by the present invention are provided with an E-pole gear shaft 31 on the E-pole pin 101, an L-pole gear shaft 32 on the L-pole pin 102, and an N-pole gear shaft 33 on the N-pole pin 103, and the L-pole gear shaft 32 and the N-pole gear shaft 33 are respectively engaged with the E-pole gear shaft 31. Therefore, no matter which pin is pulled by the user to expand or retract, the other two pins can be simultaneously driven to expand or retract synchronously, without the need to pull each pin individually, thereby improving the convenience of the three-pin plug during use and storage.

[0042] The present invention is not limited to what is described in the specification and embodiments, and additional advantages and modifications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific details, representative devices, and illustrative examples shown and described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the general concept defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A three-pin folding storage structure, characterized in that: The invention comprises a shell and an E-pole pin, an L-pole pin and an N-pole pin, which are all rotatably mounted on the shell and distributed in an isosceles triangle; an E-pole contact sheet electrically connected to the E-pole pin, an L-pole contact sheet electrically connected to the L-pole pin and an N-pole contact sheet electrically connected to the N-pole pin are provided in the shell; an E-pole gear shaft is provided on the side of the E-pole pin close to the E-pole contact sheet, an L-pole gear shaft is provided on the side of the L-pole pin close to the L-pole contact sheet, and an N-pole gear shaft is provided on the side of the N-pole pin close to the N-pole contact sheet; the L-pole gear shaft and the N-pole gear shaft are respectively meshed and connected with the E-pole gear shaft; when the E-pole pin is driven to rotate perpendicular to the surface of the shell, the E-pole gear shaft simultaneously drives the N-pole gear shaft and the L-pole gear shaft to rotate, so that the L-pole pin and the N-pole pin are also perpendicular to the surface of the shell; the shell comprises an outer shell and a pressure plate; A first connecting post is provided on the side of the L-pole gear shaft and the N-pole gear shaft that are away from each other, and a second connecting post is provided on both sides of the pressure plate. A tension spring is provided between the first connecting post and the second connecting post on the same side; when the L-pole and N-pole pins are expanded or retracted, the tension of the tension spring first increases and then decreases; when the L-pole and N-pole pins are received in the corresponding receiving slots, an acute angle is formed between the line connecting the second connecting post and the first connecting post and the corresponding pins; The E-pole contact piece includes a first section and a second section connected to each other; The first section is in the shape of a straight line, and the second section is in the shape of an arc; when the E-pole pin is unfolded or retracted, one end of the E-pole pin close to the E-pole contact sheet slides against the inner side of the second section; driven by the E-pole pin, the second section will undergo a process of first bending outward and then retracting inward.

2. The three-pin folding storage structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shell and the pressure plate are jointly arranged to form a receiving cavity for accommodating the E-pole contact piece, the L-pole contact piece, the N-pole contact piece, the E-pole gear shaft, the L-pole gear shaft and the N-pole gear shaft; the side of the shell away from the pressure plate is provided with an E-pole receiving groove, an L-pole receiving groove and an N-pole receiving groove; the side of the E-pole pin close to the E-pole gear shaft can be rotatably arranged on the side of the E-pole receiving groove, the side of the N-pole pin close to the N-pole gear shaft can be rotatably arranged on the side of the N-pole receiving groove, and the side of the L-pole pin close to the L-pole gear shaft can be rotatably arranged on the side of the L-pole receiving groove.

3. The three-pin folding storage structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The L-pole accommodating groove and the N-pole accommodating groove are respectively arranged in parallel on both sides of the E-pole accommodating groove, and the end of the E-pole accommodating groove away from the E-pole gear shaft passes through the outer shell to form a pulling groove, and the inner wall of the pulling groove extends outward from close to the E-pole accommodating groove to away from the E-pole accommodating groove to form a slope or arc surface.

4. The three-pin folding storage structure according to claim 2, wherein: The shell is provided with a pair of first limiting semicircles arranged at intervals, and the pressure plate is provided with a pair of second limiting semicircles corresponding to the first limiting semicircles one by one. The pair of first limiting semicircles and the pair of second limiting semicircles corresponding to each other are arranged to form a pair of limiting holes for rotatably passing the L-pole gear shaft and the N-pole gear shaft respectively; the second limiting semicircle is provided with a through hole for the N-pole pin or the L-pole pin to pass through.

5. The three-pin folding storage structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The pressure plate is further provided with a pair of insulating baffles between a pair of the second limiting semicircles; the insulating baffles are used to separate the L-pole contact piece and the N-pole contact piece.

6. The three-pin folding storage structure according to claim 1, wherein: The N-pole contact piece and the L-pole contact piece each include a pair of spring pieces that are clamped and electrically connected to each other, and the N-pole plug pin and the L-pole plug pin are clamped between the corresponding pair of spring pieces.

7. The three-pin folding storage structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The pair of spring sheets are integrally formed by bending.

8. A three-pin plug, characterized in that: It comprises the three-pin folding storage structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Three-pin folding storage structure and three-pin plug

    CN220984983U