Rotating Travel Adapter Socket for Multi-Standard Plug Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing travel adapters have complex structures that confuse inexperienced users and do not adequately protect against incorrect usage in different countries, with a risk of dirt and foreign bodies entering the adapter due to gaps between housing parts.
Innovation Solution
A travel adapter with a compact and robust design, featuring a socket with contact elements that can be rotated to connect with plugs of different standards, and contact pins that can be swiveled out for easy insertion into external sockets, along with a protective conductor system and overcurrent protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a rotating housing part is mounted on the lower housing to enable multiple plug standards, then the adapter can be used in different countries, but the size becomes impractical for users
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter is divided into a stationary lower housing containing fixed plugs and an upper housing containing the socket that can be rotated independently. This segmentation allows the socket to access different plugs without requiring the entire adapter to rotate or expand, maintaining a compact size while providing versatility for different plug standards
Solution Approach 2:
The upper housing with the socket is made rotatable relative to the lower housing, allowing dynamic reconfiguration of the electrical connection. This dynamic element enables the socket to be positioned against different plugs (Type C, Type E, Type F) without changing the overall adapter structure or size
2Adaptability or versatility
If the housing is divided into multiple parts for rotation, then different plug standards can be accessed, but gaps between parts accumulate dirt and foreign objects
Solution Approach 1:
The design accepts the presence of the gap between housing parts but converts the potential harm into a manageable feature by adding a protective flap that can be opened when needed and closed when not in use, preventing dirt accumulation while maintaining the rotational functionality for different plug standards
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple plugs and rotating parts are included, then different standards are supported, but the structure becomes complex and confuses users
Solution Approach 1:
The complexity of selecting and switching between different plug configurations is extracted from the user's task by providing pre-configured plugs (Type C, E, F) in the lower housing. The user only needs to perform the simple action of rotating the upper housing to bring the socket into contact with the appropriate plug, rather than having to manually switch between multiple plug types
Data Source
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Figure 8~9b
AI summary
The invention relates to a travel adapter (100), comprising a housing (101), at least one receptacle (10) of a first standard and at least one plug (20, 20') of a second standard. The receptacle (10) of the first standard has at least one first contact socket (11) and one second contact socket (12). The plug (20, 20') of the second standard has at least one first contact pin (21) and one second contact pin (22). The plug (20, 20') is arranged on the housing (101). The receptacle (10) is rotatably mounted in the housing (101). The plug (20, 20') or the first contact pin (21) and the second contact pin (22) are pivotally arranged on the housing (101) in such a way that the plug (20, 20') or the first contact pin (21) and the second contact pin (22) can be pivoted out of the housing (101). The invention also relates to a set and an additional travel adapter.