Electrical outlet theft prevention system

Abstract

We provide an anti-theft system for electrical outlets. [Solution] The embedded electrical outlet 10 and electronic device 20 are included. The embedded electrical outlet includes an outlet body 100, a signal conversion module, an Ethernet® connection port, a first electrical connection port 180, and a first locking part 150. The signal conversion module, the first locking part, the Ethernet connection port, and the first electrical connection port are each located in the outlet body, and the signal conversion module is electrically connected to the Ethernet connection port and the first electrical connection port. The electronic device includes a device body 200, a second locking part 220, a circuit module, and a second electrical connection port 240. The circuit module is located inside the device body, the second electrical connection port is electrically connected to the circuit module, located in the device body, and detachably connected to the first electrical connection port, and the second locking part is located in the device body and detachably locks to the first locking part, thereby fixing the electronic device to the embedded electrical outlet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a theft prevention system, and more specifically, to an outlet theft prevention system.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in addition to an alternating current (AC) power jack, a USB connection port and a network connection port are installed in a built-in power outlet. Thus, when the network connection port of the built-in power outlet is plugged into an Ethernet cable and an operating device (e.g., a wireless network router, etc.) is directly plugged into the USB charging connection port, a user can provide a signal service to the operating device via the network signal of the Ethernet cable.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] However, since the built-in power outlet does not have a removal prevention structure, the operating device on the built-in power outlet often falls off or is stolen from the built-in power outlet.

[0004] From this, it can be seen that the above technology clearly has inconveniences and defects and needs to be further improved. Therefore, how to effectively solve the above inconveniences and defects is one of the important current research and development issues and is a goal that needs to be quickly improved in the current related fields.

[0005] One object of the present invention is to provide an outlet theft prevention system for solving at least some of the problems existing in the prior art.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, an outlet theft prevention system is provided, comprising: an outlet body, a signal conversion module, an Ethernet connection port, a first electrical connection port, and a first locking part, wherein the signal conversion module, the first locking part, the Ethernet connection port, and the first electrical connection port are each located in the outlet body, and the signal conversion module is electrically connected to the Ethernet connection port and the first electrical connection port; and an electronic device comprising a device body, a second locking part, a circuit module, and a second electrical connection port, wherein the circuit module is located inside the device body, the second electrical connection port is electrically connected to the circuit module, is located in the device body, and is detachably connected to the first electrical connection port, and the second locking part is located in the device body and is detachably locked to the first locking part, thereby permanently attaching the electronic device to the outlet.

[0007] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, in the above-mentioned outlet theft prevention system, the first locking part and the second locking part are a locking groove and a locking member that engage with each other, respectively.

[0008] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the outlet anti-theft system includes a locking groove located on the front of the outlet body and a locking opening formed on the inner wall of the groove, and a locking member includes an elastic arm with one end connected to the device body and a locking block protruding from the elastic arm, wherein when the elastic arm is inserted into the groove, the locking block engages with the locking opening.

[0009] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the outlet anti-theft system further comprises a release member that is detachably movable on an elastic arm and used to push the elastic arm and release the locking block from the locking opening.

[0010] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, in the above-mentioned outlet theft prevention system, the device body has a rear and side faces adjacent to each other, the rear faces a recessed electrical outlet and has a through-hole, the side has a lock release opening, the through-hole and the lock release opening communicate with the internal space of the device body, the elastic arm includes a first part and a second part that are in contact with each other, the first part is located in the internal space and is aligned with the lock release opening, and the second part is located in a locking groove, the lock release member penetrates the lock release opening and contacts the first part of the elastic arm.

[0011] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the outlet anti-theft system further includes a shielding member that is fixedly located within the internal space, covers a through-hole, and forms a guide gap between itself and the inner wall of the device body, the guide gap being connected to an elastic arm and a release opening, respectively, and used to guide the release member to move to a first portion of the elastic arm.

[0012] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, in the above-mentioned outlet anti-theft system, the outlet body further includes a side wall adjacent to the front and a lock release opening formed in the side wall and communicating with a locking groove, the elastic arm includes a first part and a second part that are in contact with each other, the first part being located in the internal space and the second part being located in the locking groove and aligned with the lock release opening, and the lock release member being located in the lock release opening and in contact with the second part of the elastic arm.

[0013] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, in the above-mentioned outlet theft prevention system, the unlocking member has a hemispherical recess, and the elastic arm has a hemispherical protrusion. When the unlocking member contacts the elastic arm, the hemispherical protrusion is inserted into the hemispherical recess, and the hemispherical recess directly covers the hemispherical protrusion, and the curvature of the hemispherical recess matches the curvature of the hemispherical protrusion.

[0014] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, in the above-mentioned outlet theft prevention system, the second locking part is integrally connected to the device body or locked to the device body.

[0015] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the outlet anti-theft system further includes a support rib and two protective ribs, the support rib and the two protective ribs all formed on the surface of the device body facing the outlet body and arranged together in a triangle, the second electrical connection port is located between the two protective ribs and the second locking portion is located between the second electrical connection port and the support rib. (Effects of the invention)

[0016] Thus, the outlet theft prevention system described in this invention, through the architecture of each of the above embodiments, can reduce the chances of electronic devices falling out of or being stolen from embedded electrical outlets.

[0017] The above is merely a description of the problems that this invention aims to solve, the technical solutions to solve those problems, and their effects. The specific details of this invention will be introduced in detail in the following embodiments and related drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] When read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, aspects of this invention can be best understood through the embodiments described below. Note that, in accordance with standard practice in this industry, various features are not depicted proportionally. In practice, for the sake of clarity of discussion, the size of various features can be arbitrarily increased or decreased. [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of an embodiment of the electrical outlet theft prevention system of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is an exploded view of the outlet theft prevention system. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view along line segment AA in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an electrical outlet after disassembly. [Figure 5A-5B] These are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of the outlet theft prevention system shown in Figure 3. [Figure 6]It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the socket theft prevention system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a partial cross-sectional view of the socket theft prevention system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0019] To more clearly explain the technical content of the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below in conjunction with the drawings. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without making progressive efforts, and other embodiments can also be obtained.

[0020] To simplify the drawings, each drawing schematically shows only the parts related to the present invention and does not represent the actual structure as a product. Also, to simplify the drawings and facilitate understanding, in some drawings, for elements having the same structure or function, only one of them may be schematically drawn or only one of them may be shown. In this specification, "one" means "only one", and also means "one or more" in some cases, and "at least one" may indicate the cases of "one" and "plural".

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the socket theft prevention system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the socket theft prevention system 1 in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the socket theft prevention system 1 includes an embedded electrical socket 10 and an electronic device 20. The embedded electrical socket 10 includes a socket body 100 and a first locking portion (for example, a locking groove 150). The first locking portion (for example, the locking groove 150) is located on the socket body 100. The electronic device 20 includes a device body 200 and a second locking portion (for example, a locking member 220). The second locking portion (for example, the locking member 220) is located on the device body 200 and is removably locked to the first locking portion (for example, the locking groove 150), whereby the electronic device 20 can be fixedly attached to the embedded electrical socket 10 (FIG. 3).

[0022] In this embodiment, the first locking portion (e.g., the locking groove 150) and the second locking portion (e.g., the locking member 220) are the locking groove 150 and the locking member 220 that can be engaged with each other, respectively. The locking groove 150 is located on the surface of the power strip body 100 facing the electronic device 20 (hereinafter referred to as the front surface 101 of the power strip body 100), and the locking member 220 is located on the surface of the device body 200 facing the embedded electrical outlet 10 (hereinafter referred to as the back surface 201 of the device body 200). However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0023] Furthermore, the locking groove 150 includes a concave groove 151 and a locking port 152. The concave groove 151 is located on the front surface 101 of the power strip body 100 and extends from the front surface 101 of the power strip body 100 into the power strip body 100. The locking port 152 is formed on the inner wall of the concave groove 151 and communicates with the concave groove 151 and the accommodation space 140 of the power strip body 100. The locking member 220 includes an elastic arm 221 and a locking block 222. One end of the elastic arm 221 is connected to the back surface 201 of the device body 200 and is provided corresponding to the concave groove 151. Also, the locking block 222 protrudes from one side of the elastic arm 221. In this embodiment, the elastic arm 221 and the locking block 222 are integrally formed with each other, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0024] In this embodiment, the device body 200 further has a through hole 213 and a unlocking port 217. The through hole 213 is located on the back surface 201 of the device body 200 and corresponds to the position of the locking member 220, and communicates with the internal space 203 of the device body 200. The unlocking port 217 is located on the side surface 202 adjacent to the back surface 201 of the device body 200 and communicates with the internal space 203 of the device body 200.

[0025] More specifically, the elastic arm 221 is substantially curved, with one end integrally connected to the inner edge of the through-hole 213 and the other end inserted from the through-hole 213 into the internal space 203 of the device body 200. In other words, the elastic arm 221 includes a first portion 221A and a second portion 221B that are in contact with each other. The first portion 221A is located within the internal space 203 of the device body 200 and is aligned with the unlocking opening 217 (i.e., superimposed on it), so that the orthographic projection from the unlocking opening 217 to the locking member 220 is located on the first portion 221A of the elastic arm 221. The second portion 221B is located within the locking groove 150.

[0026] Thus, when a user attempts to attach the electronic device 20 to the recessed electrical outlet 10, the user attaches the front surface 101 of the outlet body 100 to the back surface 201 of the device body 200, thereby inserting the elastic arm 221 into the groove 151. In this way, the locking block 222 of the locking member 220 can engage with the locking opening 152, thereby permanently attaching the electronic device 20 to the recessed electrical outlet 10.

[0027] Furthermore, the embedded electrical outlet 10 includes a shielding cover 153. The shielding cover 153 covers the locking opening 152 and part of the outlet body 100 to block communication between the housing space 140 and the groove 151, thereby reducing the risk of dust and foreign matter entering the outlet body 100.

[0028] Similarly, the electronic device 20 further includes a shielding member 224. A portion of the shielding member 224 is fixed within the internal space 203 and simultaneously covers the through-hole 213 and part of the device body 200 to block communication between the internal space 203 and the outside through the through-hole 213, thereby reducing the risk of dust and foreign matter entering the electronic device 20. In addition, a guide gap G is partitioned between another portion of the shielding member 224 and the inner wall of the device body 200, and the guide gap G is connected to the first portion 221A of the elastic arm 221 and the lock release port 217, respectively.

[0029] In this embodiment, the locking member 220 is integrally connected to the device body 200. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, it may be an elastic piece that locks to the device body 200, so that if the elastic piece is damaged it can be replaced, and it is not necessary to replace the entire device body 200.

[0030] Figure 4 is an exploded schematic diagram of the electrical outlet shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the recessed electrical outlet 10 further includes a signal conversion module 160, an Ethernet connection port 170, and a first electrical connection port 180. The signal conversion module 160, the Ethernet connection port 170, and the first electrical connection port 180 are each located within the outlet body 100, and the Ethernet connection port 170 and the first electrical connection port 180 are each soldered to the signal conversion module 160. The Ethernet connection port 170 is wired to an Ethernet cable (not shown) and is used to receive network signals from the Ethernet cable. The signal conversion module 160 is electrically connected to the Ethernet connection port 170 and the first electrical connection port 180, and performs signal conversion between the Ethernet connection port 170 and the first electrical connection port 180. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0031] More specifically, the outlet body 100 includes a front cover 110 and a rear cover 120. The front cover 110 can cover the rear cover 120, thereby defining the housing space 140 between them. The signal conversion module 160 is locked within the housing space 140, and the first electrical connection port 180 extends from the signal conversion module 160 to the front cover 110 and is exposed through the front opening 111 of the front cover 110. The Ethernet connection port 170 extends from the signal conversion module 160 to the rear cover 120 and is exposed through the rear opening 121 of the rear cover 120. The front cover 110 has a mounting structure 130. The front cover 110 can be embedded in a fixed object (e.g., an interior wall, equipment, or stand) via the mounting structure 130, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The mounting structure 130 is, for example, a snap, a fitting member, a hook, a boss, or / or a screw hole.

[0032] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the electronic device 20 further includes a circuit module 230 and a second electrical connection port 240. The circuit module 230 is fixed within the device body 200 of the electronic device 20. The second electrical connection port 240 is located in the internal space 203 of the device body 200, extending from the circuit module 230 to the rear surface 201 of the device body 200, and is also exposed from the rear surface 201 of the device body 200. The second electrical connection port 240 is soldered to the circuit module 230, electrically connected to the circuit module 230, and detachably connected to the first electrical connection port 180.

[0033] The electronic device 20 further includes a support rib 211 and two protective ribs 212, the support rib 211 and these protective ribs 212 are all formed on the back surface 201 of the device body 200 and are arranged together in a triangle. The second electrical connection port 240 is located between these protective ribs 212, and the locking member 220 is located between the second electrical connection port 240 and the support rib 211. The outlet body 100 further includes a first slot 103 and two second slots 104, the first slot 103 and these second slots 104 are all formed on the front surface 101 of the outlet body 100 and are arranged together in a triangle. The first electrical connection port 180 is located between these second slots 104, and the groove 151 is located between the first electrical connection port 180 and the first slot 103.

[0034] In this way, when the electronic device 20 is attached to the recessed electrical outlet 10, the second electrical connection port 240 is detachably connected to the first electrical connection port 180, the support rib 211 is inserted into the first slot 103, and the protective rib 212 is inserted into the second slot 104, thereby allowing the electronic device 20 to be firmly attached to the recessed electrical outlet 10.

[0035] Figures 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams of the operation of the outlet theft prevention system 1 shown in Figure 3, respectively. As shown in Figure 5A, when a user attempts to detach the electronic device 20 from the embedded electrical outlet 10, the user inserts the unlocking member 300, which is at least partially columnar, into the internal space 203 of the device body 200 through the unlocking opening 217, and guides it to the first portion 221A of the elastic arm 221 of the locking member 220 through the guide gap G. Then, as shown in Figure 5B, the user causes the unlocking member 300 to continue pressing the first portion 221A of the elastic arm 221, thereby deforming the elastic arm 221, and ultimately disengaging the locking block 222 from the locking opening 152 of the locking groove 150, thereby allowing the user to pull out the first electrical connection port 180 of the electronic device 20 from the second electrical connection port 240, thus achieving separation of the embedded electrical outlet 10 and the electronic device 20 (Figure 2).

[0036] Since a guide gap G is formed between the shielding member 224 and the device body 200, the unlocking member 300 can only be slid linearly along the elastic arm 221 of the locking member 220, and it is important to understand that the unlocking member 300 does not shift when moving within the internal space 203 of the device body 200.

[0037] Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the outlet theft prevention system 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 6, the outlet theft prevention system 2 according to this embodiment is substantially the same as the outlet theft prevention system 1 according to the above embodiment, the difference being that the lock release opening 218 is not located on the main body 200 of the electronic device 20, but on the outlet body 100 of the embedded electrical outlet 10.

[0038] More specifically, the unlocking opening 218 is formed in the side wall 102 adjacent to the front surface 101 of the outlet body 100, communicates with the recessed groove 151 of the locking groove 150, and is coaxially aligned with the second portion 221B of the elastic arm 221. In other words, the orthographic projection from the unlocking opening 218 to the locking member 220 is located at the second portion 221B of the elastic arm 221.

[0039] Thus, when a user attempts to detach the electronic device 20 from the recessed electrical outlet 10, the user inserts the unlocking member 300 into the groove 151 of the outlet body 100 through the unlocking opening 218. This causes the unlocking member 300 to push the second portion 221B of the elastic arm 221 within the groove 151, thereby separating the recessed electrical outlet 10 from the electronic device 20 (Figure 2).

[0040] Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the outlet theft prevention system 3 of an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 7, the outlet theft prevention system 3 of this embodiment is substantially the same as the outlet theft prevention system 1 of the above embodiment, the difference being that a hemispherical recess 310 is arranged on the unlocking member 301 and the hemispherical recess 310 is located at the end of the unlocking member 301. A hemispherical protrusion 223 is arranged on one side of the elastic arm 221 of the locking member 220, and the hemispherical protrusion 223 is aligned with the unlocking opening 217 (i.e., it is arranged to overlap).

[0041] Thus, when the unlocking member 301 contacts the elastic arm 221 of the locking member 220, and the hemispherical protrusion 223 is inserted into the hemispherical recess 310, the curvature of the hemispherical recess 310 matches the curvature of the hemispherical protrusion 223. Therefore, the hemispherical recess 310 can directly cover the hemispherical protrusion 223, which is advantageous because the unlocking member 301 in this embodiment pushes the elastic arm 221, allowing the locking member 220 to smoothly detach from the locking groove 150.

[0042] It is important to understand that even if an unauthorized person (unauthorized user) were to thrust an arbitrary columnar object (not shown) into the hemispherical protrusion 223 of the locking member 220, the end of the columnar object would become slippery on the hemispherical protrusion 223 because no specific design is applied to the end of the columnar object. As a result, the biasing force applied by the unauthorized person (unauthorized user) would be weakened, making it difficult to dislodge the locking member 220 from the locking groove 150.

[0043] In each of the above embodiments, the electronic device 20 is, for example, a wireless network router, a Wi-Fi relay, a signal splitter, a HUB, or a network camera, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The Ethernet connection port 170 is a Power over Ethernet (PoE) connection port and is provided in the form of, for example, an RJ45 jack or an optical fiber plug, but the present invention is not limited to the form of the Ethernet connection port 170. The first and second electrical connection ports 180 and 240 are complementary male / female connectors, for example, USB Type A, USB Type-C, or USB PD connection ports, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0044] Thus, the outlet theft prevention system described in the present invention can reduce the chances of electronic devices falling out of or being stolen from a recessed electrical outlet through the architecture of each of the above embodiments.

[0045] It should be noted that the above embodiments can be freely combined as needed. The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention, and it should be pointed out that those skilled in the art can make several improvements and refinements without departing from the principles of the present invention, and these improvements and refinements should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1-3: Anti-theft system for electrical outlets 10: Recessed electrical outlet 20:Electronic equipment 100: Outlet unit 101:Front 102: Side wall 103: Slot 1 104: Second slot 110: Front cover 111: Front opening 120: Rear lid body 121: Rear opening 130: Mounting structure 140: Containment space 150: Locking groove 151: Groove 152: Locking port 153: Shielding cover 160: Signal conversion module 170: Ethernet connection port 180: First electrical connection port 200: Main unit of the device 201: Back 202: Side view 203: Interior Space 211: Support Rib 212: Protective Rib 213: Through-hole 217, 218: Lock release ports 220: Locking member 221: Elastic Arm 221A: Part 1 221B:Second part 222: Locking block 223: Hemispherical convexity 224: Shielding member 230: Circuit Module 240: Second electrical connection port 300, 301: Lock release component 310: Hemispherical recess AA: Line segment G: Guide gap

Claims

1. It is an outlet theft prevention system, A recessed electrical outlet comprising an outlet body, a signal conversion module, an Ethernet connection port, a first electrical connection port, and a first locking part, wherein the signal conversion module, the first locking part, the Ethernet connection port, and the first electrical connection port are each located in the outlet body, and the signal conversion module is electrically connected to the Ethernet connection port and the first electrical connection port, An electronic device comprising a main body, a second locking part, a circuit module, and a second electrical connection port, wherein the circuit module is located within the main body, the second electrical connection port is electrically connected to the circuit module and is located within the main body and is detachably connected to the first electrical connection port, and the second locking part is located within the main body and is detachably locked to the first locking part, thereby permanently attaching the electronic device to the embedded electrical outlet, An outlet theft prevention system equipped with this feature.

2. The outlet theft prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the first locking portion and the second locking portion are a locking groove and a locking member that engage with each other, respectively.

3. The locking groove includes a recessed groove located on the front surface of the outlet body and a locking opening formed on the inner wall of the recessed groove. The outlet theft prevention system according to claim 2, wherein the locking member includes an elastic arm with one end connected to the main body of the device and a locking block protruding from the elastic arm, and when the elastic arm is inserted into the groove, the locking block engages with the locking opening.

4. The outlet anti-theft system according to claim 3, further comprising a release member that is detachably movable on the elastic arm and used to push the elastic arm and disengage the locking block from the locking opening.

5. The device body has a rear and side that are adjacent to each other, the rear faces the embedded electrical outlet and has a through-hole, the side has a lock release opening, and the through-hole and the lock release opening each communicate with the internal space of the device body. The elastic arm includes a first portion and a second portion that are in contact with each other, the first portion being located within the internal space and aligned with the lock release opening, and the second portion being located within the locking groove. The outlet theft prevention system according to claim 4, wherein the unlocking member penetrates the unlocking opening and contacts the first portion of the elastic arm.

6. The aforementioned electronic device is The outlet theft prevention system according to claim 5, further comprising a shielding member fixedly positioned within the internal space, covering the through-hole, and forming a guide gap between itself and the inner wall of the device body, wherein the guide gap is connected to the elastic arm and the release opening, respectively, and is used to guide the release member to move to the first portion of the elastic arm.

7. The outlet body further comprises a side wall adjacent to the front, and a lock release opening formed in the side wall and communicating with the locking groove, The elastic arm includes a first portion and a second portion that are in contact with each other, the first portion being located within the internal space of the device body, and the second portion being located within the locking groove and aligned with the lock release opening. The outlet theft prevention system according to claim 4, wherein the unlocking member is located inside the unlocking opening and contacts the second portion of the elastic arm.

8. The unlocking member has a hemispherical recess, and the elastic arm has a hemispherical protrusion. The outlet theft prevention system according to claim 4, wherein when the unlocking member contacts the elastic arm, the hemispherical convex portion is inserted into the hemispherical recess, the hemispherical recess directly covers the hemispherical convex portion, and the curvature of the hemispherical recess matches the curvature of the hemispherical convex portion.

9. The outlet theft prevention system according to any one of claims 1, 2, 7, and 8, wherein the second locking portion is integrally connected to the main body of the device or locked to the main body of the device.

10. The electronic device further includes a support rib and two protective ribs, the support rib and the two protective ribs are all formed on the surface of the device body facing the outlet body and are arranged together in a triangular shape. The outlet anti-theft system according to any one of claims 1, 2, 7, and 8, wherein the second electrical connection port is located between the two protective ribs, and the second locking portion is located between the second electrical connection port and the support rib.

Images