Foldable Plug Prong Housing Stability Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional foldable electrical plug devices lack structural stability, particularly when being removed from a plug socket, as they can be disassembled unintentionally if gripped improperly, leading to instability during use.
Innovation Solution
The electrical plug device features a housing with a base wall, slot forming wall, engaging-groove forming wall, and side walls that define a receiving space, a cover unit mounted on the housing, and a plug module with pivotable plug prongs that extend perpendicularly for both folded and unfolded positions, ensuring stability by maintaining the plug-in and unplugging directions perpendicular to the mounting direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the plug prongs are folded at 90 degrees parallel to the housing assembly direction, then the plug device can be compactly stored, but the housing walls become vulnerable to unintentional disassembly when force is applied during removal from the socket
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by designing the housing with integrated reinforcement structures and interlocking mechanisms that preemptively resist the disassembly force. The reinforcement ribs and interlocking features are built into the housing structure beforehand, creating preliminary counter-forces that prevent unintentional separation when the plug is pulled from the socket.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a one-dimensional linear assembly to a three-dimensional integrated structure. The housing walls are designed with vertical reinforcement ribs and multi-level interlocking features that add dimensional complexity, creating a more stable spatial configuration that resists separation forces while maintaining compact folded dimensions.
2Ease of manufacture
If the plug device uses a simple foldable structure with parallel housing walls, then the manufacturing is easier, but the structural stability during plugging and unplugging operations is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into multiple functional components including reinforcement ribs, interlocking features, and modular wall sections. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall structural integrity, balancing manufacturing simplicity with enhanced stability during plug operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing employs composite structural design combining different material properties and structural configurations. The reinforcement ribs and interlocking features create a composite structure that leverages the strengths of different structural elements to achieve both ease of manufacture and high reliability during plugging and unplugging operations.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical plug device includes a housing, a cover unit mounted to the housing and a plug module mounted to the cover unit. The housing includes a base wall, a slot forming wall peripherally extending from the base wall, an engaging-groove forming wall peripherally extending from the base wall and opposite to the slot forming wall, and at least one slot formed in the slot forming wall and extending to and meeting the base wall. The plug module extends into the housing and includes a plug member fixed to the cover unit by a fixing unit. The plug member includes at least one plug prong that is movably disposed in the at least one slot to pivot between a folded position and an unfolded position.