Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to a power outlet device that senses whether a plug is inserted into a terminal and controls determining supply or interruption of power to a socket according to the sensed result. 
     The power outlet device includes: a housing having a plug insertion hole inserted with an external plug; a substrate provided in the housing; a terminal provided on the substrate to be deployed to face the plug insertion hole; and a switching unit controlling whether to supply power to the terminal by sensing that the plug is inserted into the terminal, wherein the terminal is electrically connected to the switching unit.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is based on and claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2014-0161768, filed on Nov. 19, 2014 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a power outlet device, and more particularly, to a power outlet device that senses whether a plug is inserted into a terminal and controls determining supply or interruption of power to a socket according to the sensed result. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    A power outlet device that enables a general electronic apparatus to be used is installed in a vehicle. 
         [0004]    The power outlet for the vehicle includes a terminal provided in a housing and a plug insertion hole provided on an exterior of the housing and inserted with a plug of an electronic apparatus. The terminal is electrically connected with a battery of the vehicle to maintain a state in which power is continuously applied to the terminal. Therefore, when the plug of the electronic apparatus is inserted through the plug insertion hole to contact the terminal, the power is immediately supplied to the plug. 
         [0005]    Since the plug insertion hole is exposed to the outside, foreign materials or conductive materials may easily intrude into in the power outlet in the related art, and as a result, there exists a risk of an ignition or electric shock. 
         [0006]    Therefore, in recent years, a power outlet product to which a separate operating switch is separately applied has been introduced for safety of a driver or active handling. 
         [0007]    For example, Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2010-0044876 discloses a power outlet device in which a connector presses a movable contact downward and the power is applied while the movable contact moves downward, so the fixed contact is connected. 
         [0008]    However, as the power outlet having an operating switch in the related art has a structure in which the movable contact and the fixed contact are mechanically connected, when the movable contact and/or the fixed contact are damaged due to a mechanical or physical damage, it becomes impossible to supply the power. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0009]    The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art while advantages achieved by the prior art are maintained intact. 
         [0010]    An aspect of the present disclosure provides a power outlet device that significantly improves stability and implements structural simplification by implementing a safety function to supply power to a terminal by an electronic configuration only when an external plug is inserted. 
         [0011]    According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a power outlet device includes: a housing having a plug insertion hole inserted with an external plug; a substrate provided in the housing; a terminal provided on the substrate to face the plug insertion hole; and a switching unit controlling whether to supply power to the terminal by sensing that the plug is inserted into the terminal, wherein the terminal is electrically connected to the switching unit. 
         [0012]    The switching unit may include an insertion sensor sensing that the plug is inserted into the terminal and the insertion sensor senses that the plug is fully inserted into the bottom of the terminal. 
         [0013]    The switching unit may further include a controller outputting a switching signal by receiving a sensing signal from the insertion sensor, and a power supply switching unit configured to supply the power to the terminal by the switching signal of the controller. 
         [0014]    A start sensing unit that outputs a start-on signal by sensing a start of a vehicle may be electrically connected to the controller, and the controller may be configured to output the switching signal in accordance with the sensing signal of the insertion sensor in the state where receiving the start-on signal of the start sensor. 
         [0015]    The insertion sensor may have an optical sensing structure to sense that the plug is fully inserted into the bottom of the terminal. 
         [0016]    The terminal may have a pair of conductive strips which are spaced apart from each other and a sensing opening opened in a lateral direction is formed between the pair of conductive strips, and the insertion sensor may be configured to optically sense that the plug is fully inserted into the bottom of the terminal through the sensing opening of the terminal. 
         [0017]    The insertion sensor may include a sensing block installed on the substrate and having a structure to besiege the sensing opening of the terminal, a light emitting unit installed at one side of the sensing block, and a light receiving unit installed at the other side of the sensing block, and an optical signal transmitted by the light emitting unit may be received by the light receiving unit after passing through the sensing opening. 
         [0018]    The sensing block may include a first mounting wall and a second mounting wall deployed to face each other, and the light emitting unit may be mounted on the first mounting wall and the light receiving unit may be mounted on the second mounting wall. 
         [0019]    A first mounting groove on which the light emitting unit is mounted may extend on the first mounting wall in a longitudinal direction and a second mounting groove on which the light receiving unit is mounted may extend on the second mounting wall in the longitudinal direction. 
         [0020]    A rotation plate having a plug insertion hole may be rotatably installed on the top of the housing. 
         [0021]    According to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a power outlet device includes: a housing having a plug insertion hole inserted with an external plug; a terminal deployed to face the plug insertion hole in the housing; and a switching unit controlling whether to supply power to the terminal by sensing that the plug is inserted into the terminal. 
         [0022]    The switching unit may include an insertion sensor sensing that the plug is inserted into the terminal, a controller outputting a switching signal by receiving a sensing signal from the insertion sensor, and a power supply switching unit configured to supply the power to the terminal by the switching signal of the controller. 
         [0023]    A start sensing unit that outputs a start-on signal by sensing a start of a vehicle may be electrically connected to the controller, and the controller may be configured to output the switching signal in accordance with the sensing signal of the insertion sensor in the state where receiving the start-on signal of the start sensor. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0024]    The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
           [0025]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a power outlet device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0026]      FIG. 2  is a side cross-sectional view of the power outlet device according to the present disclosure. 
           [0027]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating configurations of a terminal and an insertion sensing unit in the state where the housing is omitted in the power outlet device according to the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0028]    Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. For reference, the sizes of the components, the thickness of lines, and the like illustrated in the drawings referred for describing the present disclosure may be somewhat exaggeratingly expressed for easy understanding. Further, since terms used to describe the present disclosure are defined by considering functions in the present disclosure, the terms may be construed in different ways by the intention of users and operators, customs, and the like. Therefore, the terms should be defined based on the entire contents of the present specification. 
         [0029]      FIGS. 1 to 3  are views illustrating a power outlet device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         [0030]    As illustrated in the figures, the power outlet device according to the present disclosure includes a housing  10  having a plug insertion hole  11  inserted with a plug  5 , a terminal  20  installed in the housing  10 , and a switch unit  30  controlling whether to supply power to the terminal  20  by sensing that the plug  5  is inserted into the terminal  20 . 
         [0031]    The housing  10  has the plug insertion hole  11  on the top thereof as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The plug insertion hole  11  has an appropriate size so that a plug pin  6  of the plug  5  is inserted into the plug insertion hole  11 . For example, in a structure in which two plug pins  6  are provided in the plug  5 , the plug insertion holes  11  may also be constituted by two plug insertion holes  11  to correspond thereto. 
         [0032]    Further, the housing  10  is installed to open/close a cover  15  that may cover the top of the plug insertion hole  11  as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0033]    In addition, a substrate  18  with a power supply circuit, and the like is installed in the housing  10 . 
         [0034]    The terminal  20  is installed on the substrate  18  in the housing  10  and deployed to face the plug insertion hole  11  of the housing  10 . The number of terminals  20  is the same as that of the plug insertion hole  11 . 
         [0035]    In the terminal  20 , a pair of conductive strips  21  and  22  are spaced apart from each other and the conductive strips  21  and  22  are made of an elastically transformable conductive material. In particular, the terminal  20  has a structure in which one side of each of the conductive strips  21  and  22  is bent toward inside of the terminal  20  to facilitate electrical connection through elastic transformation when the plug pin  6  of the plug  5  is inserted. 
         [0036]    In addition, a sensing opening  23  opened in a lateral direction is formed between the pair of conductive strips  21  and  22 . 
         [0037]    Meanwhile, a rotation plate (not illustrated) having the plug insertion hole may be rotatably installed on the top of the housing  10 , and as a result, a location of the plug insertion hole in the terminal  20  varies by the rotation plate. 
         [0038]    The switching unit  30  is configured to control whether to supply the power to the terminal  20  by sensing that the plug  5  is inserted into the terminal  20  and the switching unit  30  is electrically connected to the terminal  20 . 
         [0039]    An insertion sensing unit  31  is configured to optically sense that the plug  5  is fully inserted into the bottom of the terminal  20  through the sensing opening  23  of the terminal  20 . 
         [0040]    The switching unit  30  includes the insertion sensing unit  31  that senses that the plug  5  is inserted into the terminal  20 . 
         [0041]    The insertion sensing unit  31  is configured to sense that the plug pin  6  of the plug  5  is fully inserted into the bottom of the terminal  20 . In particular, the insertion sensing unit  31  is preferably configured to optically sense that the plug pin  6  of the plug  5  is fully inserted into the bottom of the terminal  20 . 
         [0042]    The insertion sensing unit  31  includes a sensing block  32  installed on the substrate  18 , a light emitting unit  41  installed at one side of the sensing block  32 , and a light receiving unit  42  installed at the other side of the sensing block  32  as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0043]    The sensing block  32  is configured in a structure to besiege the sensing opening  23  of the terminal  20  and the sensing block  32  has a first mounting wall  32   a  and a second mounting wall  32   b  that are arranged to face each other. The light emitting unit  41  may be mounted on the first mounting wall  32   a,  the light receiving unit  42  may be mounted on the second mounting wall  32   b,  and an optical signal transmitted from the light emitting unit  41  may be received by the light receiving unit  42  after passing through the sensing opening  23 . 
         [0044]    Therefore, when the plug pin  6  of the plug  5  is inserted between the conductive strips  21  and  22  of the terminal  20 , the optical signal in the light emitting unit  41  is received by the light receiving unit  42  by passing through the sensing opening  23  to more accurately sense whether to insert the plug  5 . 
         [0045]    A first mounting groove  43  on which the light emitting unit  41  is mounted extends on the first mounting wall  32   a  of the sensing block  32  in a longitudinal direction and a second mounting groove  44  on which the light receiving unit  42  is mounted extends on the second mounting wall  32   b  in the longitudinal direction. As described above, as the first and second mounting grooves  43  and  44  extend in the longitudinal direction, mounting locations of the light emitting unit  41  and the light receiving unit  42  may be variously controlled. 
         [0046]    Meanwhile, in the sensing block  32 , the plug  5  has two plug pins  6  and the terminal  20  is constituted by two terminals  20  to correspond thereto, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . As a result, the sensing block  32  may be configured in an H-type structure to besiege two terminals  20 . 
         [0047]    A controller  35  is electrically connected to the light emitting unit  41  and the light receiving unit  42  of the insertion sensor and as a result, the controller  35  is configured to output a switching signal by receiving a sensing signal for sensing whether to insert the plug  5  from the insertion sensor  31 . 
         [0048]    A power supply switching unit  36  is electrically connected to the controller  35 , and as a result, the power is configured to be supplied to the terminal  20  by a switching signal of the controller  35 . 
         [0049]    Meanwhile, a start sensor  37  that outputs a start-on signal by sensing a start of the vehicle is electrically connected to the controller  35 , and as a result, the controller  35  may be configured to output the switching signal according to the sensing signal of the insertion sensor  37  in the state where the control unit  35  receives the start-on signal of the start sensor  37 . 
         [0050]    According to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, whether a plug is fully inserted into a terminal is accurately sensed to more accurately control whether to supply power to the terminal. For example, since the power is not supplied to the terminal as the insertion of the plug is not sensed even though foreign materials or other conductive materials intrude in or are inserted into the terminal, and as a result, safety thereof can be secured, the safety can be significantly improved and structural simplification is implemented to significantly save manufacturing cost through simplification of an assembly process. 
         [0051]    Since it is sensed that the plug is fully inserted into a lower end of the terminal to more accurately safely sense whether to insert the plug, it is advantageous of accurately controlling whether to supply the power to the terminal. 
         [0052]    Although detailed exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, the present disclosure is not limited by the exemplary embodiments disclosed in the specification and the accompanying drawings, and may be variously modified by those skilled in the art within the scope without departing from the technical spirit of the present disclosure.