A plug head and a combination comprising a plug head

Abstract

A plug head 10 with two plug faces, the plug head 10 also has an input portion for receiving one end of a cable 20, and a switch mechanism 18, the switch mechanism 18 is for allowing a user to reversi

Description

13 03 25 Mains electrical systems use wall mounted connection boxes for receiving a multipronged plug from an electrical appliance or device. Typically, a plug comprises male 5 pins or blades which are arranged to be received by a corresponding female socket. Mains electrical systems employ the use of different plug-socket arrangements across the world. When travelling with multiple electronic devices, multiple corresponding cables and wires are necessary to power and charge these devices for use. Plug 10 adapters are used to enable use of said cables and wires with regional sockets. Alternatively, entirely different cables / wires all together are required. In conventional plug adaptors, a female face receives a standard pin arrangement, and a male face is arranged with a different standard pin arrangement. For occasional 15 travellers requiring charging of one or two devices, it is straightforward to pack an adapter for use with their ‘home’ charger. Adapters are useful temporary solutions for such purposes. However, for those who travel often to regions having different plug requirements, 20 and / or needing to charge and power plural devices, toggling between multiple adapters and cables is not a practical, neat or long-term solution. International Electrotechnical Commission (hereinafter IEC) cables are one example of cables used to power various electrical equipment. Laptop chargers often consist of 25 a cable connecting the laptop to a transformer, and an IEC cable connecting the transformer to a mains socket. Such an IEC cable is provided with a plug head which corresponds to the most appropriate mains socket for the user. When the laptop or such device is taken to a region requiring a different type of plug, 30 the user must either use an adapter or an entirely different (IEC) cable all together. Both of these options require the user to already have or source an adapter or cable which is suitable for use with the cable of their device and the regional socket. Not only does this mean packing / sourcing appropriate intermediary or alternative 13 03 25 hardware, use of the device is dependent upon this hardware being functional at the time and location of use. SUMMARY 5 In a first aspect, the invention provides a plug head according to claim 1. By having such a switch mechanism for bringing one of two plug faces into contact with a cable, a single plug head can be used with plural different types of sockets 10 without requiring additional adapters. When the plug head which is arranged to be in electrical contact with the cable is in use with a live socket, electricity will flow through the plug head and to the cable. The input portion may be arranged to receive an end of the cable having exposed live and neutral wires. Additionally or alternatively the input portion may itself be configured as a female socket or the like, 15 so as to receive an end of a cable having a plug. The switch mechanism may be arranged to bring up to one plug face into electrical contact with the cable when the cable is received in the input portion at one time. In other words the plug head may be configurable such that no plug faces are in 20 electrical contact with the cable. The switch mechanism comprises a conductive member, the conductive member being arranged to be reversibly in electrical contact with one plug face at a time. 25 It is necessary to ensure safe use of the plug head. To this effect only one plug face should be brought into electrical contact with a cable, in use, at any one time, such that the remaining plug face(s) are not arranged to be able to conduct electrical energy. This is of particular importance when the plug head is in use with a live socket. 30 The switch mechanism comprises a rotatable shaft arranged to reversibly move the conductive member to be in electrical contact with one plug face at a time. Such a shaft facilitates smooth and easy motion of the conductive member, between the plug faces. 07 05 25 Difficulty in operating the switch mechanism may make use of the plug head unpractical and unsafe. A plug face may not be brought into electrical contact with a cable, in use, or, worse yet, the incorrect plug face could be in electrical contact with 5 the cable. The conductive member is a substantially elliptical conductive loop. The elliptical shape enables smooth motion and operation of the switch mechanism. 10 The electrically conductive member comprises a flexible portion. Such a flexible portion will provide good engagement with internal electrical components of the plug face. Elastic and / or springy flexible portions provide particularly good such engagement. 15 The switch mechanism must enable reliable electrical contacts within the plug head to allow electricity to be conducted when in use. In an example embodiment the switch mechanism comprises two conductive members and a rotatable shaft; 20 wherein the rotatable shaft comprises a live region arranged to be in electrical contact with a live wire of a cable received in the input portion, and a neutral region arranged to be in electrical contact with a neutral wire of a cable received in the input portion, wherein the live region is arranged in electrical contact with one conductive member, and the 25 neutral region is arranged in electrical contact with another conductive member. An effective switch mechanism must be able to make secure electrical contact with pins of the plug face in order to allow the plug face to function as required. 30 In an example embodiment each plug face comprises one live pin; one neutral pin; a live runner in electrical contact with the live pin; and a neutral runner in electrical contact with the neutral pin. 13 03 25 In an example at least one of the live and neutral contacts may be on an internal wall of the plug face. 5 In an example embodiment the plug head comprises a moveable pin portion corresponding to one plug face, the pin portion being reversibly configurable to be in an active or a passive position, the pin portion comprising a pin, wherein in an active position the pin is arranged to protrude from the plane of the plug face, and in the passive position the pin is arranged to not protrude from the plane of a 10 plug face. In the active position the pin may be arranged to protrude from the plane of the plug face, and in the passive position the pin may be arranged to not protrude from the plane of the same plug face. Alternatively, in the passive position the pin may be 15 arranged to not protrude from the plane of a different plug face. For example, a pin of the pin portion may, in the active position, be arranged to protrude from the plane of the plug face, and in the passive position the pin portion may be removable from the plug face, and optionally securable to another plug face of the plug head. 20 It will be understood by the skilled person that in the active position ‘protrude’ includes ‘substantially protrude’. Such a protrusion will allow pins of the pin portion to enter the recesses of a socket, in use. Plug heads having protruding pins are difficult to store and can cause injury when 25 both in use and not. In an example embodiment, the moving pin portion is pivotably connected to the plug head. 30 In an example embodiment plug face is arranged to correspond to one of the following standard plug configurations: Type A; Type C; Type G; and Type I. 13 03 25 In an example embodiment the plug head comprises a substantially triangular prism shaped body. 5 In an example embodiment at least one plug face comprises a rotatable live pin and a rotatable neutral pin. In an example each pin is rotatable in the plane of the corresponding plug face 10 between at least two positions corresponding to two active positions, wherein in a first active position the pin portion is configured as a mains Type A plug, and in a second active position the pin portion is configured as a mains Type I Plug. 15 hi a conventional plug one plug face is only suitable for use with one type of plug socket. The claimed arrangements provide a single plug head configurable to four possible types of mains plug. In an example embodiment the switch mechanism comprises a button or switch on an 20 external portion of the plug head. In an example embodiment the switch mechanism comprises a button or switch on an external portion of the plug head, which is actuatable by a user to switch which one of the two plug faces is in electrical contact with a cable, when a cable is received in the 25 input portion. In an example embodiment the plug head comprises a securing means on an external portion of the plug head. 30 A cable can be neatly secured to the plug head by the securing means, for ease of storage and use. In an example the plug head comprises three plug faces and three respective sets of pins, wherein: 13 03 25 when a first set of pins is configured in the active position, the corresponding first plug face is configured to a Type G plug; when a second set of pins is configured in the active position, the corresponding second plug face is configured to a Type C plug; and 5 the third set of pins comprises two rotatable pins, such that when a third pin portion is configured in a first active position, the corresponding third plug face is configured to a Type A plug, and when the third pin portion is configured in a second active position, the corresponding first plug face is configured to a Type I plug. 10 In conventional adaptors, one face is always required to be arranged as a socket to receive pins of a plug. This face of the adaptor is thus not free to be configured as a plug to itself be received by a socket. In a second aspect, the invention provides a combination of a cable and a plug head 15 according to claim 12. In some embodiments the cable is an IEC C5 cable. Embodiments of the present invention are described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 20 Figure 1 shows schematically a first exploded view of components of the present invention; Figure 2 shows schematically a second exploded view of the example embodiment of Figure 1 comprising a cable; Figure 3 shows schematically an example of a switch mechanism; 25 Figure 4 shows schematically a cable connected to the rotatable shaft of the plug head; and Figures 5a and 5b show schematically a third and fourth view of the internal components of the example embodiment of Figure 1. 30 Figure 1 is a first exploded view of components of an example embodiment of the present invention. A plug head 10 comprises plural plug faces 12, 14, 16. In this example the plug head comprises a type A plug face 12, a type C plug face 14 and a type G plug face 16. 13 03 25 The plug head 10 may comprise runners, corresponding to the pin portion. The runners each provide an internal interface for the conductive member(s) to be brought into electrical contact with the pins of the plug face. Specifically, the runners may be 5 arranged to be in electrical contact with the rotatable shaft 26 when the plug head is in use, specifically when a plug face is configured to be in electrical contact with a cable, in use. In this example the plug head 10 comprises two type A runners 12a, 12b, type A pin portion 12c corresponding to the type A plug face 12. Similarly, the plug head 10 comprises type C runners 14a, 14b and reversibly configurable type C pin portion 10 (not shown) corresponding to the type C plug face 14. Further, the plug head 10 comprises type G contacts 16a, 16b and reversibly configurable type G pin portion (not shown), corresponding to the type G plug face 16. 15 The plug head 10 comprises a switch mechanism 18. The switch mechanism 18 is arranged to bring any one of the pin portions into electrical contact with the portion(s) of the plug head 10 which are arranged, in use, to be in electrical contact with a cable received at an input portion of the plug head. The switch mechanism 18 is discussed in detail later. 20 At least one pin portion may be provided externally on the plug head 10, such that, in use, the pin portion is able to be manually configured by a user to be in an active or passive position, as required. In the active position the pin portion is arranged to substantially protrude from the plane of the plug face such that the pins are suitable 25 for insertion into a socket. When the plug head is in use with a cable, electricity will be able to pass from the socket through the pins and to a cable connected to the plug head 10. In the passive position the pin portion is arranged to lie substantially in the plane of the plug face so as to not protrude from the respective plug face. 30 The pin portion comprises at least one pin, often two pins. A pin portion may be connected to the plug head 10 via a hinge mechanism. In this way the pin portion is secured to the plug head at all times. The hinge mechanism may be provided on an end of the pin portion opposite to an end on which the pins are provided. This arrangement allows a user to easily configure the plug face into an active / passive 13 03 25 arrangement from a passive / active arrangement by pushing / pulling the pin portion to pivot at the hinge mechanism. Additionally or alternatively, a pin portion may be removably secured to the plug head 10. In an example, the pin portion is clipped into place when in an active position at a plug face, and optionally in a passive position the 5 pin portion is secured to another face of the plug head. The pin portion may be provided in a recess of the plug face so as to minimise the extent of the protrusion of the pin portion from the plug face. The pin portion may be arranged to lay flush with a portion of the plug head, for example in plane of the plug 10 face, when the pin portion is in a passive position. Moveable the pin portion(s) can be stored in a more compact arrangement without plural protruding pins from the face of the adapter. In this way the moveable pin portion(s) provides a more compact plug head 10. When arranged in the passive 15 position the pins are also less likely to snag on nearby items of people, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the items / people, or the pins themselves. The plug head 10 may comprise an input portion (not shown) for receiving a cable from an external region of the plug head 10. The cable may be located at a position 20 that is spaced from a plug face of the plug head. In this way the plug faces arc able to be configured as required without interruption from the cable. The plug head 10 may comprise at least one rotatable pin. The pins of, say, the Australian, or Type I, plug are similar to the say, the US, or Type A plug. The pins 25 are, however, orientated differently to one another. By providing rotatable live and neutral pins, one plug face can be configured in either the US / Type A arrangement or the Australian / Typc I. In this way, one plug face can be configured correspond to two different mains plugs. 30 Figure 2 shows schematically a second exploded view of the plug head 10 of figure 1, wherein a cable 20 is wired into the plug head 10. The cable 20 comprises a live wire 22 and a neutral wire 24. The switch mechanism 18 comprises a rotatable shaft 26. The plug head comprises a cored shaft 28 arranged to receive the cable 20 from the input portion. 13 03 25 The cable 20 may be wired into the plug head 10. In an example such a cable may be the mains cable or lead of an electrical appliance. Such an arrangement effectively provides a universal cable. In another example the cable is an IEC cable suitable for 5 use with a transformer for mains charging of an electrical appliance. Such an arrangement effective provides a universal IEC cable suitable for use with any compatible transformer. The cored shaft 28 may comprise at least one recess for receiving the cable 20 and / or 10 wires of the cable. The recess guides the wires along the cored shaft 28 and through to the rotatable shaft 26. The rotatable shaft 26 comprises a live central region suitable for receiving, in use, electrical contact with the live wire 22 of a cable 20, and a neutral portion suitable for to receiving, and, in use, making electrical contact with, the neutral wire of a cable 20. 15 The rotatable shaft 26 may be cylindrical. In the example of a triangular prism shaped plug head 10, the plug faces may be provided on the square faces of the prism, and the rotatable shaft 26 may be provided longitudinally between the two triangular faces. This arrangement places the rotatable shaft 26 and conductive portion between up to 20 three configurable plug faces without interfering with operation of any of the configurable plug faces. The live wire 22 and the neutral wire 24 of the cable 20 pass through the cored shaft 28 and make electrical connections with live and neutral portions of the rotatable shaft 25 26, respectively. In this way, when the plug head 10 is wired and, in use, connected to a live socket, electricity will flow through pins of the plug head 10 which have been inserted into the socket, and to the rotatable shaft 26 via the conductive member Specifically, electricity flowing through the neutral pin will electrify the neutral portion of the rotatable shaft 26 and pass through the neutral wire 24 of the cable 20, 30 and electricity flowing through the live pin will electrify the live portion of the rotatable shaft 26 and pass through the live wire 22 of the cable 20. Conduction of electricity through the plug head 10 is discussed in detail later. 13 03 25 The rotatable shaft 26 may be rotatable by a user from an external portion of the plug, for example with a switch head, such has a rotatable button or switch. The button or switch may be in contact with, and arranged to move, the rotatable shaft 26, thereby causing the conductive member to move. 5 In one example, the switch head may comprise a protrusion, against which pressure can be applied to rotate the switch head, and thereby rotate the rotatable shaft 26. In other examples the switch head may be set in a recess of an external wall of the plug head 10, arranged to be moved with the use of a tool, such as an alan key. The switch 10 head may be provided at a face of the plug head 10 which is not configurable as a plug face. In this way, operation of the switch will not interfere with operation of the pin portions and / or plug head 10. Figure 3 shows schematically a portion of an internal view of the plug head 10. The 15 switch mechanism 18 comprises a conductive member 30 arranged to be in electrical contact with runners of the plug head. The switch mechanism 18 may comprise two conductive members 30. The conductive members 30 are connected to the rotatable shaft 26. The switch mechanism 18 is arranged such that as the rotatable shaft 26 is caused to move, the conductive members 30 are also caused to move. In this example 20 view, the conductive member 30 shown in specifically in contact with runner 14a, and thereby in electrical contact with pin portion 14. One conductive member 30 may be in contact with a live portion of the rotatable shaft 26, and reversibly in contact with a live pin of a plug face. The other conductive 25 member 30 may be in contact with the neutral portion of the rotatable shaft 26, and reversibly in contact with a neutral pin of the same plug face. The conductive member 30 in electrical contact with the live central region thus itself becomes a live conductive member, in use. Similarly, the conductive member 30 in electrical contact with the neutral central region itself becomes a neutral conductive member. 30 By providing the conductive members 30 on the rotatable shaft 26, the conductive member will move as the rotatable shaft 26 is moved. By specifically providing both conductive members 30 on the rotatable shaft 26, both conductive members 30 are in electrical contact with a single pin portion at the same, and any one time. This makes 13 03 25 configuration of the plug simple for the user. This arrangement also ensures that only one face of the plug head 10 is in electrified at any one time, which allows safe usage of the plug. 5 The conductive member may be a substantially curved surface. Such a curved surface is able to rotate smoothly as the rotatable shaft 26 is moved, thereby facilitating easy use of the switch mechanism 18, and good contact with the contacts of the plug face when the switch mechanism 18 is in use. 10 At least part of the conductive member may be elastic and / or resilient, to provide good engagement with the runners on the inner walls of the plug head 10. The conductive member 30 may be a flexible conductive loop, having a substantially elliptical shape. Such a flexible conductive loop will rotate to provide smooth movement of the flexible conductive loop whilst also making good engagement with 15 runners on the inner walls of the plug head 10 as the switch is turned. The rotatable shaft 26 may comprise at least one recess for receiving and holding a portion of the conductive member 30. Figure 4 shows schematically a cable 20 integrated with the rotatable shaft 26 of the 20 plug head 10, in isolation from the plug head 10 of Figure 2. The neutral wire 24 is connected to one end of the rotatable shaft 26, and the live wire 22 is connected at another end of the rotatable shaft 26. The live and neutral portions of the rotatable shaft 26 may be electrically isolated from one another. The live wire 22 is optionally thread through the rotatable shaft 26 in order to make contact with the side of the 25 rotatable shaft 26 furthest from the neutral portion of the shaft 26. Figure 5a shows schematically a portion of the plug head 10. With the exception of the pin portions, this figure shows internal structures of the plug head 10. Type A pin portion 12c is shown configured in an active position, and Type G pin portion 16c is 30 shown configured in a passive position. When in the passive position a pin portion is arranged to lie substantially in the plane of the plug face. It will be understood by the skilled person that lying in the plane includes lying substantially in that plane. 13 03 25 The rotatable shaft 26 comprising the electrically conductive members 30 are provided in the middle of the plug. Figure 5b shows schematically an alternative view of Figure 5a. In Figure 5b the live 5 and neutral conductive members (30a, 30b) are not in electrical contact with the respective live and neutral runners (12a, 12b) of the Type A plug face 12. Thus, if the Type A plug head 10 was inserted into a respective socket, electricity will not pass through to the conductive member to the cable (not shown) integrated with the plug head 10. 10 The above described invention provides a plug head that is suitable for use with plural different plug sockets, in a safe manner. Particular faces of the plug head can be selectively brought into electrical contact with 15 a cable, in use, as and when required. To be able to sever electrical connections between a cable and the plug head allows safe and flexible use of the plug head. Above discussed features also enable safe us of the plug head without having to open up the plug head and enable smooth movement of the switch mechanism 18 between 20 the different plug faces. For example, the substantially elliptical conductive loop is provided around a rotatable shaft 26, so that smooth motion and operation of the switch mechanism 18 is observed. Additionally or alternatively, a button or switch will enable the switch 25 mechanism 18 to be easily controlled by a user of the plug head. The arrangement of the internal components of the plug head ultimately ensures that, when in use with a cable, desired plug faces of the plug head are able to be brought in electrical contact with the cable, such that, when in use with a socket, electricity will 30 flow from the plug face through to the cable. Preferred shapes of the invention provide optimal functionality per cubic area. For example, a triangular prim shape comprises two triangular faces connected by a central triangular tube made up of three rectangular faces. The triangular prism shape 13 03 25 allows three possible plug configurations on a singular plug head, without the use of additional adaptors. The cubic area of a cuboid is larger than that of a triangular prism. A triangular prism shaped plug head thus has a smaller cubic area than a cuboid of the same cubic volume, thereby taking up less space being more easily 5 stored than a cuboid plug head, whilst still providing the functionality of at least two plug configurations. Preferred configurations of the plug face correspond to commonly used plug types. A cable comprising the plug head effectively becomes a universal cable, suitable for 10 use with various different standard mains sockets. When an adaptable plug is structurally integrated with a cable in the manner of the claimed invention an additional face is freed up for use as a configurable plug rather than a socket for receiving another plug head. In this way a single plug head is able to 15 be used with plural different types of sockets without the use of additional, external adaptors. Such a plug head also has an extra face free to be configured as a plug face, in place of a socket. Such a cable may also be with plural devices, transformers and the like, as well as 20 plural sockets. When the cable is, for example, an IEC C5 cable, the cable can be used with the transformer portion of plural different laptops whilst also retaining flexibility and functionality of the plug head. Typically plugs comprise male pins or blades which are received into corresponding 25 female socket recesses. Some systems have earth pins or clips or recesses which prevent shorting should there be an insulation breakdown between the live terminals. Others do without an earth connection but rely upon a double insulation system References to electrical contact in this description may refer to direct or indirect 30 physical contact of components such that electricity is able to flow along an electrical path between the components when the plug head is in use.

Claims

07 05 251. A plug head (10) comprising:two plug faces (12,14);an input portion for receiving one end of a cable; anda switch mechanism (18) for allowing a user to reversibly switch which one of the two plug faces is in electrical contact with a cable (20) when a cable is received in the input portion,wherein the switch mechanism comprises a conductive member (30) and a rotatable shaft (26) arranged to reversibly move the conductive member to be reversibly in electrical contact with one plug face at a time, andwherein the conductive member is a substantially elliptical conductive loop and the conductive member comprises a flexible portion.

2. A plug head according to claim 1 wherein the switch mechanism comprises two conductive members and a rotatable shaft;wherein the shaft comprises a live region arranged to be in electrical contact with a live wire of a cable received in the input portion, and a neutral region arranged to be in electrical contact with a neutral wire of a cable received in the input portion, whereinthe live region is arranged in electrical contact with one conductive member, and the neutral region is arranged in electrical contact with another conductive member.

3. A plug head according to either preceding claim wherein each plug face comprises one live pin;one neutral pin;a live runner in electrical contact with the live pin; and a neutral runner in electrical contact with the neutral pin.

4. A plug head according to any preceding claim, comprising a moveable pin portion corresponding to one plug face, the pin portion being reversibly configurable to be in an active or a passive position, the pin portion comprising a pin,07 05 25wherein in an active position the pin is arranged to protrude from the plane of the plug face, and in the passive position the pin is arranged to not protrude from the plane of a plug face.

5. A plug head according to claim 4 wherein the moveable pin portion is pivotably connected to the plug head.

6. A plug head according to any preceding claim wherein each plug face is arranged to correspond to one of the following standard plug configurations;Type A;Type C;Type G; andType I.

7. A plug head according to any preceding claim having a substantially triangular prism shaped body.

8. A plug head according to any preceding claim wherein at least one plug face comprises a rotatable live pin and a rotatable neutral pin.

9. A plug head according to claim 8 wherein each pin is rotatable in the plane of the corresponding plug face between at least two positions corresponding to two active positions,wherein in a first active position the pin portion is configured as a mains Type A plug, and in a second active position the pin portion is configured as a mains Type I Plug.

10. A plug head according to any preceding claim wherein the switch mechanism comprises a button or switch on an external portion of the plug head, which is actuatable by a user to switch which one of the two plug faces is in electrical contact with a cable, when a cable is received in the input portion.

11. A combination of a cable and a plug head according to any preceding claim, wherein the cable is received in the input portion of the plug head.CM12. A combination of a cable and a plug head according to claim 11 wherein the cable is an IEC cable.

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