Universal Travel Plug Adapter With Integrated Coupling Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing travel plug adapters are not compact, user-friendly, or robust, often requiring multiple actuating slides that compromise design and electrical safety, and are not easily producible at a low cost while accommodating multiple standards.
Innovation Solution
A travel plug adapter with a housing that can be designed in various shapes, featuring a coupling element that moves support elements and contact pins between ready and use positions, allowing for easy operation and compact design, while maintaining electrical safety and accommodating multiple standards through a mechanism involving actuating slides and guide slots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple actuating slides are provided to accommodate multiple standards, then the adapter can support more plug types, but the housing becomes more open and less robust, compromising electrical safety and design integrity
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple actuating slides are merged into a single integrated actuating mechanism that controls the selection of different plug standards. This single mechanism maintains housing integrity while enabling selection among multiple standards, thus preserving both electrical safety and versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The single actuating mechanism serves multiple functions by controlling the selection of different plug standards (e.g., EU, UK, US, Australian). This multi-functional design eliminates the need for multiple separate actuating slides, maintaining housing robustness while supporting multiple standards.
2Ease of operation
If controls are provided on the surface of the connector, then multiple plug pin sets can be moved, but the controls take up a lot of space, preventing compact design and free design-oriented configuration
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple control functions for different plug pin sets are merged into a single integrated control mechanism. This consolidation reduces the space required for controls on the connector surface, enabling a more compact design while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The single control mechanism performs multiple functions by enabling the selection and movement of different plug pin sets (EU, UK, US, Australian standards). This multi-functional control reduces the overall space requirement while preserving operational ease.
3Reliability
If a selector lever and locking plate mechanism are used to move and lock pin sets, then the pins can be securely held in positions, but the mechanism requires two-handed operation and is complex
Solution Approach 1:
The selection and locking functions are merged into a single integrated mechanism. This eliminates the need for separate selector levers and locking plates, enabling one-handed operation while maintaining secure positioning of plug pins through the unified mechanism.
4Adaptability or versatility
If actuating slides are moved within connecting links, then different plugs can be selected, but this requires an open housing design that is not user-friendly and compromises robustness
Solution Approach 1:
The actuating slides and connecting links are merged into a single integrated actuating mechanism. This integration allows plug selection functionality to be achieved while maintaining a closed, robust housing design that is more user-friendly and electrically safe.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a connector. With the aid of such a connector, for example, mains plugs of a specific (domestic) standard can be plugged into the sockets available at the travel destination.In particular, the connector (10) has a housing and at least one first connector according to a first standard, comprising at least one first contact pin and one second contact pin, wherein the first contact pin (30; 34) is arranged on a first support element (52; 54) and the second contact pin (32; 36) is arranged on a second support element (58; 60), and wherein the first connector can be moved between a ready position, in which the connector is substantially inside the housing, and a usable position, in which the connector is usable outside the housing, characterized in that a coupling element (64) is provided with which the first support element (52; 54) and the second support element (58; 60) can be coupled and moved together into the usable position.