Power supply with interchangeable plug

Abstract

The invention provides a power supply, which comprises a power adapter unit and a plug unit, and the power adapter unit comprises a shell, a joint seat formed on the bottom surface of the shell, a power conversion module arranged in the shell, two electric contact pins positioned in the joint seat and electrically connected with the power conversion module, and a locking piece adjacent to the joint seat. The plug unit is slidably engaged with the engagement seat, the engagement seat comprising two plug pins, each of which is electrically connected to a metal contact located inside the plug unit, a locking mating member interacting with the locking member, to allow the plug unit to be locked or unlocked with the engagement seat. The plug unit is interchangeable with the power adapter unit, and when the plug unit is slidably engaged with the power adapter unit, the metal contacts and the contact pins provide additional interlocking interaction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a power supply, in particular to a power supply with a variable plug. Background Art

[0002] Various consumer electronics, such as laptops, tablets, smartphones and MP3 players, use the power from the power socket to power these devices and / or to charge their internal batteries. Today, power supplies are increasingly being designed as switchable devices, which can supply electrical appliances with power via a so-called universal input voltage. However, plug specifications and plug shapes vary greatly around the world, which necessitates the additional use of plug adapters in most cases; these plug adapters can increase the torque acting on the power socket in an impermissible manner due to the increased distance between the plug-in power supply and the power socket.

[0003] Moreover, in many cases, the plug adapter has only one socket, which is shaped to fit multiple types of power plugs, i.e., the plug adapter socket has some structural features of different power sockets. This also reduces the safety of the plug adapter, because when the pins of the plug are inserted into the adapter socket and leave a gap, this will increase the possibility of accidental contact of the live pins.

[0004] Therefore, in some cases, plug-in power supplies are designed with switchable plug units. However, these designs do not have waterproof functions. In addition, the design of safe electrical contact of the switchable plug unit engaged with the power supply body is also insufficient, and the contact may become loose due to external impact. The present invention provides a novel design to strengthen the contact between the corresponding pins of the contact spring of the interchangeable head located at the joint of the power supply to reduce the risk of power failure during normal use. Summary of the invention

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a power supply with an interchangeable plug unit, which includes a power adapter unit and a plug unit. The power adapter unit includes a housing, a coupling seat formed on the bottom surface of the housing, a power conversion module installed in the housing, at least two contact pins located in the coupling seat and electrically connected to the power conversion module, and a locking member arranged adjacent to the coupling seat. The plug unit is slidably engaged with the coupling seat, and includes at least two plug pins extending from the outside of the plug unit, and each plug pin is electrically connected to a metal contact located on the inside of the plug unit, and a lock mating member that interacts with the locking member to lock or unlock the plug unit with the coupling seat. The plug unit is interchangeable with the power adapter unit, and when the plug unit is slidably engaged with the coupling base of the power adapter unit, the metal contacts and the contact pins provide additional interlocking interactions.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment, when the power supply is plugged into the power socket, the bottom shell surface is the inner side of the power supply facing the inlet of the power socket.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment, the engagement seat is surrounded by a pair of side walls protruding from the surface of the bottom shell, each side wall has a front stopper, and a gap is formed between the front stops of the pair of side walls.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the plug unit and the engagement seat are slidably engaged with the wall.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the locking member includes a spring and a button, wherein the button has an extended tail hook and is mounted above the bottom shell surface in a button groove formed therein, the spring is disposed below the button, and the tail hook extends across the gap to reach the engagement seat.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the key groove is adjacent to the front stop portion of the engagement seat and is formed along the mating direction.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the locking fitting is a part of the front flange of the plug unit, and is used to establish a locking interaction with the tail hook of the button. When the button is pressed, the locking interaction is released.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, each metal contact of the plug unit comprises a metal clip forming a clip with two arms, and a small bump is formed on the inner surface of each arm near the tip; each contact pin of the power adapter unit has a through hole.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, when the plug unit is engaged with the power adapter unit, the interlock between the small protrusion and the through hole provides additional security in maintaining electrical contact in the insertion and removal directions of the power supply.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the at least two contact pins in the engagement seat are integrally formed with the top shell of the housing of the power adapter unit to form an embedded structure, which can form a waterproof structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1A This is a three-dimensional view of a power supply and a plug unit before and after they are assembled according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 1B Schematic diagrams showing various plug units according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 It is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3A An exploded view of a plug-in according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3B FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a plug-in according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4A FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an assembled power supply with interchangeable plugs according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4B It is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the metal contact and the electrical contact pin of a plug unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4C The figures are cross-sectional views of a power supply in different directions after assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Explanation of symbols:

[0024] 100: Power supply

[0025] 101: Plug unit

[0026] 103: Power adapter unit

[0027] 105a: Top shell

[0028] 105b: bottom shell

[0029] 107:Joint seat

[0030] 109: bottom shell surface

[0031] 110: Electrical contact pin

[0032] 110a: Through hole

[0033] 111: Button groove

[0034] 113: Side wall

[0035] 113a: front stopper

[0036] 113b: guide groove

[0037] 121: Spring

[0038] 123: Button

[0039] 125:Button cover

[0040] 127:DC cable

[0041] 211: Top of plug

[0042] 212: Plug pin

[0043] 213:Metal contact

[0044] 213a:Hiratail

[0045] 213b:Card holder

[0046] 213c: small bump

[0047] 215: Plug base

[0048] 215-1:Front flange

[0049] 215-2: Rib support structure

[0050] 215-3: Rear structure

[0051] 215a: Plug guide

[0052] 215s: Space surrounded by the rear structure

[0053] 216: Side wall

[0054] 217a, 217b: Guide rod

[0055] 219: Groove

[0056] 221:Guide rib

[0057] 223: Bump

[0058] 1131: Gap DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] Here, the present invention will be described in detail with respect to specific embodiments of the invention and their viewpoints. Such description is to explain the structure or step flow of the present invention, which is used for illustrative purposes rather than to limit the scope of the present invention. Therefore, in addition to the specific embodiments and preferred embodiments in the specification, the present invention can also be widely implemented in other different embodiments. The following describes the implementation of the present invention through specific specific embodiments, and people familiar with this technology can easily understand the effectiveness and advantages of the present invention through the contents disclosed in this specification. In addition, the present invention can also be applied and implemented through other specific embodiments, and the various details described in this specification can also be applied based on different needs, and various modifications or changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0060] Figure 1A The power supply 100 is shown before and after being connected to the power adapter unit 103 , and is ready to be assembled with the plug unit 101 . Figure 1B Schematic diagram showing various plug units 101 , for example complying with US, Chinese, EU and Australian specifications, which are interchangeable and are used to be plugged into a power adapter unit 103 .

[0061] Figure 2The exploded view of the power adapter unit 103 is shown, which includes a housing 105 composed of a top shell 105a and a bottom shell 105b, a coupling seat 107 formed on a bottom shell surface 109, two electrical contact pins 110 formed in the coupling seat 107, a button groove 111 formed on the bottom shell surface 109, a spring 121, a button 123, a button cover 125 and a DC cable 127. The bottom shell surface 109 is the side facing the power socket when the power supply 100 is plugged into the power socket. The accommodation space surrounded by the top shell and the bottom shell (105a, 105b) is used to place the AC / DC conversion components (transformer) and circuit boards (such as PCB) not shown here and part of the DC cable 127.

[0062] In some embodiments, the engagement seat 107 is surrounded by a pair of side walls 113 and has a front stopper 113a protruding from the bottom shell surface 109 for slidably engaging the plug unit 101; the button groove 111 is formed above the bottom shell surface 109, adjacent to the front stopper 113a of the side wall 113, and is arranged along the mating direction to accommodate the spring 121 and the button 123 for locking and unlocking the plug unit 101. The button cover 125 is used to buckle the spring 121 with the button 123 on the button groove 111.

[0063] In some embodiments, an AC-to-DC conversion component (transformer) and a circuit board (eg, PCB) together may serve as a power conversion module of a power supply.

[0064] Figure 3A An exploded view of the plug unit 101 is shown, which comprises a plug top 211 with two plug pins 212 , two metal contacts 213 made of metal springs, and a plug base 215 .

[0065] Figure 3B The bottom side of the plug top 211 with two metal contacts 213 assembled thereon is shown. The plug top 211 has two pairs of guide rods (217a, 217b) disposed on the outer edges of its side walls 216 for passing through corresponding guide slots 113b (see FIG. Figure 2 ), and a groove 219 surrounded by side walls 216 and having an opening, slidably engaging the power adapter unit 103. A plurality of guide ribs 221 and protrusions 223 are provided in the groove 219 for positioning and fixing the metal contacts 213, wherein the guide ribs 221 serve as alignment guides to enable each metal contact 213 to engage with a corresponding electrical contact pin 110 of the power adapter unit 103.

[0066] In some embodiments, Figure 3A-3B As shown, each metal contact 213 has a flat tail 213 a and a clip 213 b . The flat tail 213 a has a plurality of holes for matching with the protrusions 223 to fix the metal contact on the top of the plug and electrically contact the plug pin 212 .

[0067] In some embodiments, Figure 3A-3B As shown, the plug base 215 includes a front flange 215-1 and a rib-shaped support structure 215-2, one end of the rib-shaped support structure 215-2 is fused with the front flange 215-1, and the other end is surrounded by a space formed by a rear structure 215-3, wherein the rib-shaped support structure 215-2 has two plug guide grooves 215a formed from the front flange 215-1 to the rear structure 215-3, which are used to accommodate the electrical contact pins 110 of the power adapter unit 10 and interlock with the metal contacts 213. The space 215s surrounded by the rear structure is used to embed and fix the clamp 213b of the metal contact 213. The guide ribs 221 are aligned with the corresponding plug guide grooves 215a respectively. Therefore, the assembled plug unit 101 has the metal contacts 213 embedded inside and located in an appropriate position, so as to be engaged with and electrically contacted with the electrical contact pins 110 of the power adapter unit 103.

[0068] Figure 4A The locking mechanism of the assembled power supply 100 is shown. Figure 4A On the left side is the locking mechanism of the power supply 100 . Figure 4A The right side of the figure shows a cross-sectional view along the CC section. As shown in the figure, please refer to Figure 4A In the assembled state, please refer to the circled area in the cross-sectional view, the locking mechanism is established by the interlocking between the tail hook of the button 123 and the baffle of the front flange 215-1 of the plug unit 101. When the button 123 is pressed, the locking between the tail hook of the button 123 and the baffle of the front flange 215-1 of the plug unit 101 is released.

[0069] In some embodiments, the spring 121 is placed in the button groove 111, and the button 123 is arranged on the top of the spring 121, including a tail hook portion of the button 123, which is arranged above the engagement seat 107 through the front gap 1131 of the side wall 113 to engage with the plug unit 101.

[0070] Figure 4B The mating movement between the metal contact 213 of the plug unit 101 and the electrical contact pin 110 of the power adapter unit 103 is shown, and each inner surface of the clip 213b near the tip has a small protrusion 213c, which is used to interlock with the through hole 110a of each electrical contact pin 110 when the plug unit 101 is engaged with the power adapter unit 103. This is caused by the elastic force of the clip 213b forcing the small protrusions 213c near the ends of the two arms of the clip 213b to lock into the through holes 110a of the electrical contact pin 110. See Figure 4B , the main purpose of which is to show the engagement / matching between the metal contacts 213 of the plug unit 103 and the electrical contacts 110 of the power adapter unit 103 , while skipping the details of the plug unit 101 .

[0071] Figure 4C The cross-sectional view of the assembled power supply 100 is shown. In order to clearly show the interlocking mechanism between the metal contact 213 of the plug unit 101 and the electrical contact pin 110 of the power adapter unit 103, the details of the supporting structure inside the plug unit 101 are ignored, and only the metal contact 213 is shown. In the AA cross-sectional view, it is clearly shown how the clamp 213b of the metal contact 213 interlocks with the electrical contact pin 110. In the BB cross-sectional view, the interlocking between the metal contact 213 and the electrical contact pin 110 can also provide a firm electrical contact when the power supply 100 is frequently plugged in and out during use, thereby preventing the electrical contact from loosening. In addition, each electrical contact pin 110 extends into the interior of the power adapter unit 103 to be electrically connected to the power conversion module.

[0072] In summary, the above-mentioned additional interlocking interaction provides additional security of maintaining electrical contact in the insertion and removal directions of the power supply to prevent safety issues caused by poor electrical contact.

[0073] In view of the design of the above-mentioned power adapter unit 103, since the electrical contact pin 110 can be integrally molded with the top shell 105a of the shell 105 to form an embedded structure, each pin of the electrical contact pin 110 can extend to the inside and outside of the top shell 105a of the shell 105 for electrical contact, so a waterproof design can be easily achieved. Therefore, after waterproof sealing is performed between the top shell 105a and the bottom shell 105b, and the connection between the shell 105 and the DC cable 127 is completed, the waterproof function of the power adapter unit 103 is completed.

[0074] The above contents are preferred embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that they are used to illustrate the present invention, but not to limit the scope of the patent rights claimed by the present invention. The scope of patent protection shall be determined by the scope of the attached patent application and its equivalent field. Any changes or modifications made by those skilled in the art who are familiar with this field without departing from the spirit or scope of this patent shall be equivalent changes or designs completed under the spirit disclosed by the present invention and shall be included in the scope of the following patent application.

Claims

1. A power supply with an interchangeable plug, characterized in that: include: A power adapter unit and a plug unit; wherein the power adapter unit comprises a housing having a coupling seat formed above the bottom shell surface of the housing; a power conversion module installed in the housing; at least two contact pins in the coupling seat are electrically connected to the power conversion module; a locking member arranged adjacent to the coupling seat; and The plug unit is slidably engaged with the engagement seat, comprising at least two contact pins extending from the outer side of the plug unit, and each of the contact pins is electrically connected to a metal contact located on the inner side of the plug unit; a locking mating member, used to interact with the locking member to allow the plug unit to be locked or unlocked from the engagement seat; The plug unit and the power adapter unit are interchangeable; When the plug unit is slidably engaged with the engagement seat of the power adapter unit, the metal contact and the contact foot provide an additional interlocking effect.

2. The power supply with interchangeable plugs as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: When the power supply is inserted into a power socket, the bottom shell surface is the inner side of the power supply facing the inlet of the power socket.

3. The power supply with interchangeable plugs as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The engaging seat is surrounded by side walls, and each side wall has a front stopper, forming a gap with the side wall.

4. The power supply with interchangeable plugs as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The plug unit is slidably engaged with the engagement seat at a wall.

5. The power supply with interchangeable plugs as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The locking member comprises a spring and a button, wherein the button is provided with an extended tail hook and is installed in a button groove, the spring is arranged below the button, and the tail hook extends across the gap to the engagement seat.

6. The power supply with interchangeable plugs as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that: The button groove is formed adjacent to the front stopper of the bottom surface along the mating direction.

7. The power supply with interchangeable plugs as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: The locking fitting is a part of the front flange of the plug unit and is used to establish a locking interaction with the tail hook of the button. When the button is pressed, the locking interaction is released.

8. The power supply with interchangeable plugs as claimed in claim 1, wherein: Each metal contact of the plug unit comprises a clip formed with two arms, a small bump is formed on the inner surface of each arm close to the tip, and the contact pin of the power adapter unit has a through hole.

9. The power supply with interchangeable plugs as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that: When the plug unit is engaged with the power adapter unit, the interlocking between the small protrusion and the through hole provides additional security in maintaining electrical contact in the insertion and removal directions of the power supply.

10. The power supply with interchangeable plugs as claimed in claim 9, wherein: The at least two contact pins in the joint seat are integrally formed with the top shell of the shell of the power adapter unit to form an embedded structure, which can form a waterproof structure.

Images