Devices for enclosing electrical accessories

Abstract

A device for enclosing an electrical socket thus making it a weatherproof socket, comprising: a cover 110 and a base 120 forming a housing, the cover and the base defining a first portion 111 and a se

Description

FIELD The present technology relates to devices for enclosing electrical accessories, more particularly, devices that provide weather resistance enclosures to electrical sockets. BACKGROUND Electrical accessories, such as switches, socket-outlets, fused connection units, connection units, cooker control units and the like, are common both indoors and outdoors, and while internal accessories generally do not require protection from the weather, external accessories are exposed to water which is potentially dangerous. Herein, an electrical accessory is a device other than current-using equipment associated with such equipment or with the wiring of an installation. For external electrical outlets, to reduce exposure to the weather, weatherproof sockets may be used, which typically comprise a housing that provides a sealed compartment for the electrical outlet and allows a cable to run from a plug connected to the electrical outlet to the outside of the housing. In order to allow different appliances to plug into the electrical outlets within the housing that defines the sealed compartment of such weatherproof sockets, the housing must be able to accommodate a range of varying cable shapes and sizes protruding out of the housing. It may therefore be challenging to provide a satisfactory seal against water around the cable for such weatherproof sockets to maintain protection for the electrical outlets against the elements. Moreover, the housings of such weatherproof sockets are typically made of plastic as the material is low cost. When such housings are in an outdoor environment where the temperature frequently fluctuates between hot and cold, the plastic material becomes brittle overtime, then when put under strain during normal operation, the plastic housings frequently crack and must be replaced to 09 10 24 ensure watertightness. The broken plastic weatherproof electrical sockets are generally not recyclable and therefore generate waste that goes to landfill. It is therefore desirable to provide a device suitable for enclosing any electrical accessory with improved robustness and accessibility while maintaining 5 protection against the weather. SUMMARY In view of the foregoing consideration, an aspect of the present technology provides a device for enclosing an electrical socket, comprising: a cover and a 10 base forming a housing, the cover and the base defining respectively a first portion and a second portion of a cavity for receiving the electrical socket; a hinge mechanism configured to couple the cover to the base and allow the cover to pivot relative to the base between an open position and a closed position; a cable retainer formed of a first part and a second part, the first part and the 15 second part of the cable retainer being configured to couple together to define a substantially cylindrical aperture; and a recess formed into an edge of the cover or base adapted to accommodate the first part of the cable retainer, the recess extending through the edge of the cover or base from the cavity to an exterior of the housing, wherein the second part of the cable retainer is disposed protruding 20 from an interior surface of the base or cover towards the recess, such that when the cover is in the closed position, the second part protrudes into the recess and couples to the first part to form the substantially cylindrical aperture capable of receiving an electrical cable extending from the electrical socket in the cavity to the exterior of the housing, and wherein the first part of the cable retainer is 25 positioned spaced apart inwards from the edge of the cover or base, and the second part of the cable retainer is correspondingly positioned spaced apart inwards from the edge of the base or cover, such that when the first part is coupled to the second part when the cover is in the closed position, the cable retainer is entirely inside the housing. 30 According to embodiments of the present technology, the device encloses the electrical socket within the cavity defined by the housing. To access the electrical socket, the cover may be opened by pivoting about the hinge 09 10 24 mechanism to allow a plug of an appliance to be inserted into the electrical socket. The cable attached to the plug may then be placed within the first part or the second part of the cable retainer and upon closing the cover, the two parts of the cable retainer couple together to form a substantially cylindrical 5 aperture that allows the cable to extend out of the housing while retaining the cable in place. The first part of the cable retainer is disposed within a recess in the cover (or base), while the corresponding second part protrudes from the base (or cover). This arrangement allows the second part to protrude into the recess when the cover is closed, such that when the first and second parts are 10 coupled together, the aperture is recessed into housing with no gap between the cover and the base. Moreover, by positioning the first and second parts of the cable retainer spaced apart inwards from the edge of the cover and the base, when the cover is closed and the first and second parts are coupled together, the aperture thus formed is away from the edge of the housing with nothing 15 protruding from the housing. Compared to other arrangements in which e.g. a cable retainer or cable guide extends from the housing to accommodate a cable, the present arrangement has no protruding parts that can be easily damaged and become leakage sites. In doing so, it is possible to allow access out of the housing by the cable while maintaining a good seal around the exterior of the 20 housing. It should be noted that the present technology may be applied to any electrical accessories, such as switches, socket-outlets, fused connection units, connection units, cooker control units and the like. In some embodiments, the device may further comprise a latch assembly configured to lock the cover to the base in the closed position. By providing a 25 latch assembly, the cover may be held shut against the base to maintain a good seal around the housing. In some embodiments, the first part of the cable retainer may be formed of a plurality of walls defining a first internal cavity, and the first part may comprise a first seal block formed of a deformable material disposed within the 30 first internal cavity of the first part. By providing a deformable seal block within the first part of the cable retainer, the first part is able to accommodate a cable of any shapes and sizes when the cover is closed. In some embodiments, the second part of the cable retainer may be formed of a plurality of walls defining a second internal cavity, and the second part may comprise a second seal block formed of a deformable material disposed within the second internal cavity of the second part. By providing a deformable seal block within the second part of the cable retainer, the second part is able to accommodate a cable of any shapes and sizes when the cover is closed. In some embodiments, the first seal block and the second seal block together may form a seal around the electrical cable when the first part of the cable retainer is coupled to the second part when the cover is in the closed position. The use of deformable seal blocks within the first and second parts of the cable retainer allows a good seal to be formed around a cable of any shapes and sizes within the aperture of the cable retainer. In some embodiments, the device may further comprise a socket retainer disposed within the second portion of the cavity, the socket retainer may comprise a frame dimensioned to retain the electrical socket within the second portion of the cavity while allowing access to the electrical socket by a plug. The use of a socket retainer ensures no relative movement between the housing and the electrical socket, which in turn reduces the risk of introducing tension in the cable when a plug is inserted into the socket. In some embodiments, the device may further comprise a seal strip formed of a deformable material disposed along one or more edges of the cover and / or the base. Providing a seal strip along one or more edges of the cover and / or base ensures good watertightness around the edge(s) of the housing when the cover is closed. In some embodiments, at least the cover and the base may be made of metal. Conventionally, such external electrical sockets enclosures are made of plastic. However, over time, plastic can be damaged by being exposed to water, the sun, hot and / or cold weather, and wind debris. Using metal to form at least the cover and the base increases the longevity of the device and provides a stronger and tougher enclosure to ensure protection against the elements is maintained. Moreover, metal is a material that is widely recycled and may be recycled indefinitely. Thus, forming at least the cover and the base with metal allows the device to be recycled at the end of its useful life. When the device is formed of metal, it may be desirable to improve the safety of the equipment to protect users from electric shocks should there be a fault within the device, e.g. a short circuit or an exposed wire. Thus, in some embodiments, the device may further comprise a bonding conductor formed of an electrically conducting material coupled at one end to the cover and at the other end to the base. The bonding conductor acts as an Earth bonding between the cover and the base to protect a user from the risk of electric shocks when touching two separate metal parts (e.g. the cover and the base) if one part becomes charged due to a fault in the electrical accessory within the enclosure. Since the base is earthed, connecting the cover to the base through a bonding conductor reduces a build-up of voltage in the cover. In some embodiments, the base may have formed therein at least one mounting hole for mounting the device to a structure. In some embodiments, the device may further comprise a water guard disposed along a top side of the device arranged to at least partially cover an interface between the cover and the base to direct water away from the interface. There may be a tendency for water (e.g. rainwater) to collect on the top side of the housing, increasing the risk of a leakage. By providing a water guard along the top side of the housing, water is directed away from the interface between the cover and the base such that water is not collected near the interface to reduce the risk of leakage. Herein, the expression "top side" may be any sides of the device depending on how the device is installed on site - "top side" simply refers to the side of the device that is on top (face upwards or skywards) at the point of installation. Implementations of the present technology each have at least one of the above-mentioned objects and / or aspects, but do not necessarily have all of them. It should be understood that some aspects of the present technology that have resulted from attempting to attain the above-mentioned object may not satisfy this object and / or may satisfy other objects not specifically recited herein. Additional and / or alternative features, aspects and advantages of implementations of the present technology will become apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary weather resistant electrical socket enclosure; FIG. 2 shows an exemplary socket retaining insert for the electrical socket enclosure of FIG. 1; FIGs. 3A and 3B shows a first part of an exemplary cable retainer; FIG. 4 shows a second part of the exemplary cable retainer; FIG.5 shows the electrical socket enclosure of FIG. 1 in a closed position; and FIG. 6 shows the electrical socket enclosure of FIG.l in use. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Typical external electrical socket enclosures comprise a plastic housing having one or more cable guides extending out of the housing for accommodating a cable of an appliance when plugged in. The plastic housing is prone to weather degradation, while the protruding cable guides become points of weakness in the construction that can lead to water leaking into the housing through cracks and damages. According to embodiments of the present technology, a device is provided that comprises a cover and a base forming a housing to enclose an external electrical socket within a cavity defined by the housing. To access the electrical socket, the cover may be opened by pivoting about a hinge mechanism to allow a plug of an appliance to be inserted into the electrical socket. A cable leading from the plug to the appliance may then be placed within a cable retainer and upon closing the cover, the first and second parts of the cable retainer couple together forming a substantially cylindrical aperture that allows the cable to extend out of the housing while retaining the cable in place. The first part of the cable retainer is disposed within a recess in the cover (or the base), while the corresponding second part protrudes from the base (or the cover) extending towards the cover (or the base). This arrangement allows the second part to extend into the recess to couple with the first part when the cover is closed, such that the cable retainer is entirely within the wall of the housing leaving no gap between the cover and the base and no protrusion. In doing so, it is possible to allow access out of the housing by the cable while maintaining a good seal around the exterior of the housing. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a device 100 for enclosing an electrical socket. The device 100 generally comprises a cover 110 and a base 120 forming a housing. The cover 110 and base 120 may be formed of any suitable material such as plastic; however, the cover 110 and base 120 are preferably formed of metal for improved strength, weather resistance and durability. In the present embodiment, the walls of the cover 110 defines a first portion 111 of a cavity, while the walls of the base 120 defines a second portion 121 of the cavity, such that placing the cover 110 over the base 120 forms a single cavity space for accommodating the electrical socket. The cover 110 is attached to the base 120 through hinges 130-1, 130-2, which allow the cover to move relative to the base 120 by pivoting between an open position for access and a closed position for protection. Latch assemblies comprising a corresponding pair of hook 112-1 and latch 122-1, 122-2 are provided respective to the cover 110 and the base 120 for locking the cover 110 in the closed position to ensure a secure seal around the housing. A recess or alcove 115 is formed in along one edge (e.g. bottom edge) of the cover 110 for accommodating a first part 113 of a cable retainer. A second part 123 of the cable retainer is disposed along the corresponding edge (e.g. bottom edge) of the base 120 at a position that corresponds to the first part 113 to allow the first part 113 and the second part 123 to meet when the cover 110 is closed. The second part 123 protrudes from the corresponding edge of the base 120 such that when the cover 110 is closed, the second part 123 extends into the recess 115 and couple with the first part 113 to define a substantially cylindrical aperture that forms the cable retainer. It should be noted that while in the present embodiment, the aperture defined by the cable retainer is substantially cylindrical, other shapes of aperture are equally possible, such as rectangular, triangular, oval, hexagonal or any other shapes, as desired. In the present embodiment, the recess 115 is formed in the cover 110 and the first part 113 of the cable retainer is disposed in the cover 110 while the second part 123 is disposed in the base 120. However, it is equally possible to form a recess in the base 120 to dispose the first part of the cable retainer in the recess in the base 120 while having the second part disposed in the cover 110, if desired. The walls of the first part 113 of the cable retainer defines an internal cavity 114 which, in the present embodiment, houses a first seal block (not shown) formed of a deformable material such as rubber or silicone. Similarly, the walls of the second part 123 of the cable retainer defines an internal cavity 124 which, in the present embodiment, houses a second seal block (not shown) formed of a deformable material such as rubber or silicone. The first seal block and the second seal block may be formed of the same deformable material, or they may be formed of different deformable materials, as desired. When the cover 110 is in the closed position and the first and second parts 113, 123 are coupled together, the respective first and second seal blocks press against a cable that is placed through the aperture defined by the cable retainer and form a substantially water-tight seal around the cable. It should be noted that it is not essential to provide the first seal block and the second seal block, for example in situations where a water-tight seal is not essential, e.g. when the electrical socket is in a sheltered position such as under a roof. In other embodiments, it is possible to provide only one of the first seal block or the second seal block, if desired. Other forms of seal may alternatively be used such a deformable seal strip around the aperture or a pipe-shaped seal with internal ribs, etc. When an appliance is plugged into the electrical socket and the cable of the appliance is retained by the cable retainer 113, 123, relative movement between the electrical socket and the device 100 may result in damages to the cable that can be dangerous. Thus, in the present embodiment, a socket retaining insert 125 is provided in the second portion 121 of the cavity in the base 120, which is shaped and configured to retain the electrical socket to prevent relative movement between the electrical socket and the base 120. Lastly, a bonding conductor 140 is provided which is attached at one end to the cover 110 and at the other end to the base 120. The bonding conductor 140 is formed of an electrically conducting material. When the device is formed of metal, the provision of a bonding conductor 140 improves safety by protecting users from electric shocks should there be a fault within the device, e.g. a short circuit or an exposed wire. The bonding conductor acts as an Earth bonding between the cover and the base to protect a user from the risk of electric shocks when touching two separate metal parts (e.g. the cover and the base) at the same time if one part becomes charged due to a fault in the electrical accessory within the enclosure. In the present embodiment, a threaded stud (not shown) is provided in the base 120 which serves as an earthing terminal. Since the base is earthed, connecting the cover to the base through a bonding conductor reduces a build-up of voltage in the cover. The bonding conductor 140 in the form of a cable may also act to limit the extent to which the cover 110 can open relative to the base 120, if desired. In embodiments where the device 100 is formed of a non-conducting material, a bonding conductor may be omitted. While FIG. 1 shows an embodiment for accommodating one electrical socket, an enclosure for accommodating two or more electrical sockets is possible e.g. by increasing the size of the housing and providing a suitable number of cable retainers and corresponding number of recesses. In this case, a corresponding number of socket retaining inserts may be provided for the number of electrical sockets to be accommodated, or a single larger socket retaining insert with the corresponding number of opening may instead be provided. FIG.2 shows an embodiment of the socket retaining insert 125 of the device 100. In the present embodiment, the socket retaining insert 125 comprises a substantially rectangular frame 210 that is approximately the same size (or slightly bigger than) a standard UK electrical socket. Four legs 221, 222, 223, 224 are formed at the four corners of the frame 210 such that, when the socket retaining insert 125 is inserted into the second portion 121 of the cavity in the base 120, the frame 210 is spaced apart from the base 120 to accommodate the electrical socket. The frame 210 is formed with a first projection 231 and a second projection extending from the inside rim of the frame 210 on opposing sides, which help to retain the electrical socket in place. FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of the first part 113 of the cable retainer of the device 100 as seen from a top side. The first part 113 of the cable retainer defines a first half 310 of the substantially cylindrical aperture of the cable retainer. FIG. 3B shows a perspective view of the first part 113 of the cable retainer as seen from under. The walls 320 of the first part 113 defines an internal cavity 114 for receiving a first seal block. FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the second part 123 of the cable retainer. The second part 123 defines a second half 410 of the substantially cylindrical aperture of the cable retainer. The walls 420 of the second part 123 defines an internal cavity 124 for receiving a second seal block. The second part 123 comprises a base 430, and to form the cable retainer, the (walls 420 of the) second part 123 is inserted into the first part 113 and the base 430 then abuts a top end 330 of the first part 113 and the first half 310 of the aperture and the second half 410 of the aperture together then defines a substantially cylindrical aperture, with the first and second seal blocks (not shown) siting within the aperture and pressed against each other to form a seal. FIG. 5 shows the device 100 with the cover 110 in the closed position. The latch assembly 112-1, 122-1 is locked to ensure a good seal all around the device 100. The flexible bonding conductor 140 is bent when the cover 110 is closed. As can be seen from FIG. 5, since (the first and second parts of) the cable retainer is positioned away from the (bottom) edge of the device 100, the cable retainer, and therefore the aperture, is inside a recess 500 spaced apart from the edge such that the exterior of the (bottom) edge of the device 100 is flat without any parts protruding or extending from the housing that may become points of weakness e.g. for cracks and damages that allow water into the cavity. FIG. 6 shows the device 100 during use. As can be seen in FIG. 6, when installed e.g. on an external wall of a structure, an electrical socket 610 sits within the second (base) portion of the cavity in the base 120, retained by a socket retaining insert (e.g. the socket retaining insert 125). The cover 110 is lifted open to allow access to the electrical socket 610 to insert or remove a plug 640 of an appliance, and a cable 650 attached to the plug 640 may be placed over the second part 123 of the cable retainer to allow the cover 110 to close, thereby covering the front of the electrical socket 610. In the present embodiment, a rain guard may be provided to the device 100 on the hinge side, which, in the present embodiment, represents the top side of the device 100. The rain guard is arranged to at least partially cover the interface between the cover 110 and the base 120 to direct rainwater away from the interface, thereby reducing the likelihood of water pooling in or around the interface and reducing the likelihood water leaking into the cavity. The first part 113 and the second part 123 of the cable retainer are respectively provided with a first seal block 620 and a second seal block 630 within the respective internal cavities of the first 113 and second 123 parts. Moreover, in the present embodiment, a seal strip may be provided around the edges of the base 120 (and / or the cover 110) to further improve the watertightness of the device 100. Thus, in the closed position, the device is sealed all around the edges and in the aperture around the cable 650. The examples and conditional language recited herein are intended to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the present technology and not to limit its scope to such specifically recited examples and conditions. It will be appreciated that those skilled in the art may devise various arrangements which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, nonetheless embody the principles of the present technology and are included within its scope as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, as an aid to understanding, the above description may describe relatively simplified implementations of the present technology. As persons skilled in the art would understand, various implementations of the present technology may be of a greater complexity. In some cases, what are believed to be helpful examples of modifications to the present technology may also be set forth. This is done merely as an aid to understanding, and, again, not to limit the scope or set forth the bounds of the present technology. These modifications are not an exhaustive list, and a person skilled in the art may make other modifications while nonetheless remaining within the scope of the present technology. Further, where no examples of modifications have been set forth, it should not be interpreted that no modifications are possible and / or that what is described is the sole manner of implementing that element of the present technology. It will be clear to one skilled in the art that many improvements and modifications can be made to the foregoing exemplary embodiments without 5 departing from the scope of the present technology.

Claims

09 10 241. A device for enclosing an electrical socket, comprising:a cover (110) and a base (120) forming a housing, the cover and the base5 defining respectively a first portion (111) and a second portion (121) of a cavity for receiving the electrical socket;a hinge mechanism (130-1, 130-2) configured to couple the cover to the base and allow the cover to pivot relative to the base between an open position and a closed position;10 a cable retainer formed of a first part (113) and a second part (123), thefirst part and the second part of the cable retainer being configured to couple together to define a substantially cylindrical aperture; anda recess formed into an edge of the cover or base adapted to accommodate the first part of the cable retainer, the recess extending through the edge of the15 cover or base from the cavity to an exterior of the housing,wherein the second part of the cable retainer is disposed protruding from an interior surface of the base or cover towards the recess, such that when the cover is in the closed position, the second part protrudes into the recess and couples to the first part to form the substantially cylindrical aperture capable of20 receiving an electrical cable extending from the electrical socket in the cavity to the exterior of the housing, and wherein the first part of the cable retainer is positioned spaced apart inwards from the edge of the cover or base, and the second part of the cable retainer is correspondingly positioned spaced apart inwards from the edge of the base or cover, such that when the first part is coupled25 to the second part when the cover is in the closed position, the cable retainer is entirely inside the housing.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a latch assembly (112-1, 122-1) configured to lock the cover to the base in the closed position.

303. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the first part of the cable retainer is formed of a plurality of walls defining a first internal cavity (114), and the first part comprises a first seal block formed of a deformable material disposed within the first internal cavity of the first part.3509 10 244. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the second part of the cable retainer is formed of a plurality of walls defining a second internal cavity (124), and the second part comprises a second seal block formed of a deformable material disposed within the second internal cavity of the second part.

55. The device of claims 3 and 4, wherein the first seal block and the second seal block together form a seal around the electrical cable when the first part of the cable retainer is coupled to the second part when the cover is in the closed position.

106. The device of any preceding claim, further comprising a socket retainer (125) disposed within the second portion of the cavity, the socket retainer comprising a frame dimensioned to retain the electrical socket within the second portion of the cavity while allowing access to the electrical socket by a plug.

157. The device of any preceding claim, further comprising a seal strip formed of a deformable material disposed along one or more edges of the cover and / or the base.20 8. The device of any preceding claim, wherein at least the cover and the baseare made of metal.

9. The device of claim 8, further comprising a bonding conductor (140) formed of an electrically conducting material coupled at one end to the cover and at the 25 other end to the base.

10. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the base has formed therein at least one mounting hole for mounting the device to a structure.30 11. The device of any preceding claim, further comprising a water guarddisposed along a top side of the device arranged to at least partially cover an interface between the cover and the base to direct water away from the interface.

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