Pivoting Face Receptacle for Furniture Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional receptacles installed in walls often require plugs to be inserted perpendicularly, leading to cable bends that obstruct furniture placement due to the need for the cord to bend 90 degrees, creating gaps between furniture and the wall.
Innovation Solution
A pivoting face receptacle with a female plug that can rotate 90 degrees, allowing it to pivot when mounted in a wall, eliminating cable bends and enabling unobtrusive placement of furniture by preventing cord obstruction within the electrical box.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional receptacle is installed in a wall with perpendicular plug orientation, then the receptacle provides stable electrical connection, but the cord creates a 90-degree bend that obstructs furniture placement and creates gaps between furniture and wall
Solution Approach 1:
The receptacle incorporates a pivoting mechanism that allows the plug orientation to change from a fixed perpendicular position to a dynamic configuration where the plug can rotate 90 degrees. This dynamic adjustment eliminates the sharp 90-degree cord bend by allowing the cord to exit at different angles, enabling smooth furniture placement against the wall without creating gaps or obstructions.
2Ease of operation
If the receptacle allows pivoting motion, then cord obstruction is eliminated and furniture placement is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the pivoting mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The receptacle is divided into distinct functional segments: a stationary mounting portion that attaches to the wall and a movable plug portion that can pivot independently. This segmentation allows the pivoting functionality to be isolated to only the necessary component, reducing overall device complexity while still achieving the goal of eliminating cord obstruction and improving furniture placement.
3Ease of manufacture
If a standard electrical box is used, then installation is straightforward, but the cord bend creates clutter and aesthetic issues within the box
Solution Approach 1:
The receptacle design utilizes the third dimension within the electrical box by allowing the plug to pivot in a rotational manner, creating a three-dimensional cord path instead of a fixed two-dimensional bend. This dimensional change enables the cord to exit the electrical box at an optimized angle, eliminating clutter and aesthetic issues while maintaining straightforward installation using standard electrical boxes.
Data Source
AI summary
A pivoting face receptacle may include a receptacle module. The receptacle module may include a hinge and a receptacle attached to the hinge. The receptacle is configured to pivot, about the hinge, from a retracted position in which a face of the receptacle is parallel to a front of the receptacle module, to an extended position in which the face of the receptacle is substantially perpendicular to the front the receptacle module and protrudes from the face of the receptacle module. The pivoting face receptacle may also include a receptacle housing. The receptacle housing, having a front affixed to a rear of the receptacle module, may include a plurality of contacts on exterior faces of the receptacle housing. The receptacle housing may be configured to receive the receptacle into a space enclosed by the receptacle housing when the receptacle is in the retracted position.