Abstract:
A socket power supply control structure is controlled by a controller in three stages, e.g. “power on,” “power off”, and “power source disconnected”. By so, unauthorized use of outlet supplying power for working various electrical appliances such as television computer, and microwave oven, by innocent children can be effectively avoided so as to protect their health of eyes and electric safety.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a socket power supply control structure, and more particularly, to a power supply outlet for household electrical appliances enclosed in a housing, and whose ON/OFF power supply is controlled by a controller in three stages. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   In keeping pace with the economic development and progress in science, an average family may own several household electrical appliances such as television sets and computers etc. Now, the television and computer have already become necessary facilities of civilization. On the other hand, watching TV or operating the computer too longer might greatly degrade the eyesight of the user, especially the children. To avoid such disadvantage, prohibiting the children to watch TV or operate the computer at home for longer time is very important. But the problem is that the outlets of the residential wiring are in energized stage all the time that makes children easy to turn on these two appliances at any time and keep them working as long as desired. How will it be ideal for parents if ON/OFF of the outlets can be controlled properly by some means so as to limit their children to overuse the television and computer thereby contributing to health of their eyes! 
   It is what the reason the inventor has endeavored for years by continuous research and experimentation attempting to find out the remedy to rectify the inherent shortcoming of the conventional residential wiring outlet described above, and at last has succeeded in coming out with the present invention. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, the present invention is to provide a socket power supply control structure applicable to control random use of the household electrical appliances applicable to control random use of the household electrical appliances such us the television, the computer, and various heating appliances so as to protect users form being injured from inappropriate use of such appliances. 
   Another, the present invention is to provide a controller with an ability to control the power supply to the household outlet with three stages, e.g. energized, de-energized, and completely disconnected from the power source. 
   The socket power supply control structure of the present invention includes a lower housing, a controller, an extension cord plug, a siamese twin plug and socket connector, a latch, an upper housing, and an enclosure. The lower housing is divided into a first, a second and a third accommodation spaces. A three stage controller installed in the first accommodation space has an approximately ellipsoidal cap nut provided around its middle portion with a key bolt accompanying with a switching key to turn the cap nut. The controller is located distantly apart from one side of the second accommodation space and is connected to a plug with extension cords so that the controller can get the power supply. The other side of the controller proximate to the second accommodation space is connected to a siamese twin plug and socket connector so as to control ON/Off of the power supply to the plug and socket connector. The first accommodation space is enclosed by the upper housing whose top surface being emerged to form key bolt. A drilled hole is formed on the upper housing near the second accommodation space. A sliding way is provided on the bottom surface of the upper housing and is extended out of the end surface where the drilled hole is formed. The latch whose cross section is configured into an approximate T shape is provided with a compressed spring fitted on it for giving restoring force to the latch. The latch is laid in the sliding way capable of entering the drilled hole and in close contact with the cap nut to reciprocate along with the movement of the cap nut. The third accommodation space admits entrance of the power input plug of the appliance to be inserted into the socket side of the plug and socket connector. An enclosure is provided to cover the second and third accommodation spaces, so as to be turnable on the lower housing, and an insertion hole is provided nearby the end surface of the first accommodation space, and is aligned to the drilled hole on the upper housing to communicate with each other thereby enabling the latch to pierce into the front insertion hole of the enclosure. With the structure described above, the three stage controlling mode can be carried out by the controller with a switching key inserted into the key bolt emerged out of the upper housing of the controller. The three stages are respectively a de-energized stage (enclosure can not be open), an energized stage (enclosure can not be open), and a disconnected stage (enclosure can be open) for the power supply outlet to the appliance. 
   For fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference should be mode to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. 
   These features and advantages of the present invention will be fully understood and appreciated from the following detailed description of the accompanying Drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIGS. 1A to 1C  are the exploded views of the socket power supply control structure of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the whole structure of socket power supply control structure according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 2A  is a schematic view of the upper housing and the latch; 
       FIG. 3A  is an assembly view of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3B  is an assembly view of the present invention where the enclosure is open; 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  are schematic views for illustration of the first stage controlling mode; 
       FIGS. 5A and 5B  are schematic views for illustration of the second stage controlling mode; and 
       FIGS. 6A and 6B  are schematic views for illustration of the third stage controlling mode. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The socket power supply control structure of the present invention comprises a controller  1 , a lower housing  2 , a plug with extension cords  3 , a siamese twin plug and socket connector  4 , an upper housing  5 , a compressed spring  6 , an enclosure  7 , and a latch  9 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  1 C, the socket power supply control structure along with its upper housing are shown, the upper housing  5  has a downwardly disposed sleeve  51  on its top surface and provided with a bottom opening  511 . An indicator lamp  52  is equipped at one side of the sleeve  51  to indicate if the plug and socket connector  4  is energized. A breach  53  is formed at one side of the upper housing  5 . A sliding way  54  is formed on the inner wall surface of the upper housing  5  between the breach  53  and the sleeve  51 . The sliding way  54  is provided with a damper  541  near the sleeve  51 . A limitator  55  is fixed with screw  56  on the damper  541  nearby the breach  53 . A guide slot  551  is formed at the bottom of the limitator  55  to form a guide hole when the guide slot  551  and the guide way  54  are mated. Two stopper plates  56  are provided on the bottom side of the upper housing  5  at two sides of the sleeve  51  facing with each other. A recessed slot  57  is formed on the upper housing  5  at the distant side of the slide way  54 . The three stage controlling marks “energized (ON)”, “de-energized (OFF)”, and “disconnected (OPEN)” are labeled on the top edge of the sleeve  51 . The latch  9  composed of a latch pin  91  and a L shaped stopper  92  is installed in the slide way  54  with its end stop block  911  clogged in a trap slot  921  of the stopper  92  so as to conjoin the latch  91  with the stopper  92  such that the stopper  92  can mate firmly with the damper  541  of the slide way  92  and the latch pin  91  can be inserted into the guide slot  551  of the limitator  55  to face against the breach  53  of the upper housing  5 . A compressed spring  6  is wound around the latch pin  91  with its one end fixed to the stopper  92  and the other end impressing the wall surface of the limitator  55 . 
   The controller  1  is composed of a key bolt  11 , an opening member  19 , a set sleeve  13 , and a base box  14 . 
   The key bolt  11 , configurated in a pentagonal shape, has a stage portion  112  at its front end, and two guide grooves  111   a ,  111   b , respectively formed at its middle and lower sections thereof. The middle set groove  111   a  is equipped with a C-ring  18   a . The key bolt  11  has a screw hole  113  at its bottom and a collar  12  encircled around it. The bottom surface of the collar  12  is mated to the stage portion  112  so that it can not slip out of the top of the key bolt  11 . A coil spring  15  is wound around the key bolt  11  with its one end fixed to the top edge of the color  12 . When the key bolt  11  is inserted into the sleeve  51  of the upper housing  5  and pierces out of a bottom hole  511  of the set sleeve  51  along the guide groove  111   b  such that the key bolt  11  is fixed stationally in the sleeve  51  by another C-ring  18   b  encircled around the guide groove  111   b . At this time, the other end of the spring  15  impresses the bottom surface of the sleeve  51  so as to support tightly the collar  12  and keep flush with the top surfaces of the sleeve  51  and the key bolt  11 . 
   The switching member  19  is fitted on the key bolt  11  to turn the latter. 
   The set sleeve  13  has a protrusion  136  at one end, and a block  137  at the other end. An accommodation slot  135  of the set sleeve  13  is provided with a pentagonal clogging groove  132  on its bottom thereof An ellipsoidal cap nut  131  is extended out of the port of the accommodation slot  135 . A tapered controlling pillar  133  is stretched downwards the bottom of the set sleeve  13  and has a through hole  134  formed at its center to communicate with the accommodation slot  135  and the clogging groove  132 . Furthermore, the controlling pillar  133  has a recessed portion  1331  formed at one side of the pillar  133 . A flipper  1332  is formed at each of the two sides of the recessed portion  1331 . The set sleeve  13  is conjoined to the bottom of the upper housing  5  so that the accommodation slot thereof is able to cover the bottom end of the sleeve  51  formed with the upper housing  5 . With this structure, when the key bolt  11  is put into the accommodation slot  135  in the set sleeve  13  and the bottom end of the key bolt  11  is retained in the clogging groove  132  so as to align the bottom tapped hole  113  of the key bolt  11  to the through hole  134  of the controlling pillar  133 , the set sleeve  13  can be engaged with the key bolt  11  with a fastening screw  16  and able to rotate together with the key bolt  11  the major axis fringes of the ellipsoidal cap nut  131  is able to mate with the L shaped stopper  92  of the latch  9  so that the latch  9  can reciprocate by turning motion of the cap nut  131 . 
   The base box  14  is essentially composed of a hollow housing  141  and a lid  142 . The hollow housing  141  is provided with an opening  1411  at its top surface whereas a change over switch is installed at its one side. The change over switch includes a first and a second conductor blades  143  and  144  fastened at one side of the hollow housing  141  with both of their rear terminals exposed out of the hollow housing  141 . The front end of the first conductor blade  143  is laid horizontally, on the other hand, the second one  144  is tilted, but normally the two blades  143  and  144  are not in contact with each other. An approximately triangular shaped stop block  1441  is formed at the center portion of the second conductor blade  144 . The hollow housing  141  is sealed with the lid  142  using a fastening screw  17  from the bottom of the housing  141  thereof. 
   The set sleeve  13  is put into the base box  14  through the opening  1441  of the base box  14  so as to settle the set sleeve  13  such that the recessed portion  1331  of the controlling pillar  133  stretched from the bottom of the set sleeve  13  is faced to the stop block  1441  of the second conductor blade  144 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3A ,  3 B, the exploded and assembly views of the structure of the present invention wherein a lower housing  2 , a plug with extension cords  3 , a siamese twin plug and socket connector  4 , an upper housing  5 , a latch  9  and an enclosure  7  are shown. 
   The lower housing  2  has a first, a second, and a third accommodation spaces  21 ,  22 , and  23 . Wherein a hinged block  24  with a through hole  241  is formed at one side of the second and third accommodation spaces  22  and  23 . A base box  14  of the controller  1  is fixed in the first accommodation space  21 . The set sleeve  13  is settled in the base box  14  through an opening  1441  by enclosing the first accommodation space  21  with the upper housing  5  together with the assembled key bolt  11  and the latch  9  so as to aging the recessed portion  1331  of the controlling pillar  133  to the central stop block  1441  of the second conductor blade  144 . The third accommodation space is prepared for placing a power input plug  8  of the electrical appliance and has detention means  231  to hold the power input plug  8  so that it is assured not to be pulled away from the siamese twin plug and socket connector  4  accidentally. 
   The plug with extension cords  3  is provided with a source side plug  31  at the front side and a live wire  32  and a grounding wire  33  extended from the rear side the rear portion of the plug with extension cords  3  is placed in the first accommodation space  21  of the lower housing  2  distantly apart from the second accommodation space  22  with its live wire  32  connected to the terminal of the first conductor blade  143  of the controller  1 . 
   The siamese twin plug and socket connector  4  has at least a live terminal  41  and a grounding terminal  42  extended from its rear end, while the front portion of the connector  4  is formed into a source side socket  43 . The plug and socket connector  4  is disposed in the second accommodation space  22  of the lower housing  2 . The source side socket  43  is facing to the third accommodation space  23  to accept insertion of the power input plug  8  of the load side electrical appliance. Unless the live terminal  41  of the plug and socket connector  4  is connected to the terminal of the second conductor blade  144  of the controller  1  and the grounding terminal  42  is connected to the grounding wire  33  of the plug with extension cords  3  so as to bring the first and the second conductor blades  143  and  144  in the controller  1  to mutually in contact with each other, the plug with extension cords  3  will not be able to feed power to the plug and socket connector  4 . 
   The enclosure  7  has a through hole  71  opened at its end portion to admit passing the cords  81  of the electrical appliance at load side. An insertion hole  72  is provided on the front top surface of the enclosure  7 . An indentation  73  with a hinge hole  731  formed at each of the two sides is provided at one side of the enclosure  7 . By covering the enclosure  7  on the second and third accommodation spaces  22 ,  23  of the lower box  2  and inlaying the hinged block  24  in the indentation  73  and aligning the through hole  241  of the hinged block  24  to both hinge holes  731  so as to pierce a hinge pine  74  there through and hinge the enclosure  7  to one side of the lower box  2  thereby enabling the enclosure  7  to turn on the lower box  2  about the hinge pin  74 , whereas the insertion hole  72  of the enclosure  7  is aligned to and communicated with the opening  511  of the upper housing  5 . By so the latch pin  92  is able to pass through the insertion hole  72  and latch the enclosure  7  so as to fix the enclosure  7  tightly covering the second and third accommodation spaces of the lower housing  2 . 
   Hereinafter, the three stage control mode disclosed by the present invention will be depicted in conjunction with  FIG. 4A  through  FIG. 6B . Before operation, a switching member  19  (key) should be inserted into the key bolt  11  of the controller  1 . To understand the first stage control mode, reference should be made to  FIGS. 4A and 4B  in which the operational procedures in this stage are illustrated. The switching member  19  inserted into the key bolt  11  pushes down the collar  12  so as to cause the compressed spring  15  produce an elastic force and enable the controller  1  to operate. Of course the collar  12  will return to its initial location by the restoring force of the spring  15  as soon as the switching member  19  is taken off. The first stage operation is shown as in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . By turning the key bolt  11  with the switching member  19  to “OFF” mark on the upper housing  5  so as to bring the protrusion  136  of the set sleeve  13  to mate with one of the stopper plates  56  of the upper housing  5 . By so, being pushed by one of the major axis edge of the ellipsoidal cap nut  131 , the latch pin  91  will be pushed into the breach  53  of the upper housing  5  and the insertion hole  72  of the enclosure  7  to lock the enclosure  7  in irremovable stage, and the compressed spring  6  is in compressed stage. At this instant the one of the flipper  1332  formed on the recessed portion  1331  of the controlling pillar  133  is mating the stock block  1441  of the second conductor blade  144  which causes the second conductor blade  144  could not be pressed downwards to contact the first conductor blade  143  and hence the plug and socket connector  4  could not get power supply and is in “de-energized” stage. In this state the power input plug  8  of the load side electrical appliance is also unable to be separated and could not be remove to other power source. In this first stage control mode the enclosure  7  could not be removed either. 
   To understand the second stage control mode, reference should be made to  FIGS. 5A and 5B  in which the operational procedures in this stage are illustrated. The switching member  19  inserted into the key bolt  11  is turned to mark “ON” on the upper housing  5  so as to bring the protrusion  136  to mate with another stopper plate so as to turn the controlling pillar  133  of the set sleeve  13  a certain angle that liberates the stop block  1441  of the second conductor blade  144  from the detention of the recessed portion  1331  of the controlling pillar  133  and causes the stop block  1441  to contact the pillar  133 . In this case the second conductor blade  144  is pressed down to contact the first conductor blade  143  and bring the power to energize the plug and socket connector  4  therefore the electrical appliance at load side can be fed. At this instant the other protruded fringe of the ellipsoidal cap nut  131  pushes the latch pin  9  forwards to advance a certain distance so as to insert its latch pin  91  into the breach  53  and the insertion hole  72  of the enclosure  7 . At this moment the compressed spring  6  is in compressed stage so that the enclosure  7  could not be taken off, then the plug and socket connector  4  is in “energized” stage. 
   To understand the third stage control mode, reference should be made to  FIGS. 6A and 6   b  in which the operation al procedures in this stage are illustrated. The switching member  19  inserted into the key bolt  11  is turned to mark “OPEN” on the upper housing  5  so as to bring the block  137  of the set sleeve  13  to confined in the recessed slot  57  of the upper housing  5 , the controlling pillar  133  further advances such that the stop block  1441  is clogged in the recessed portion  1331  and contracts the other side flipper  1332 . By so the first and the second conductor blades  143  and  144  are separated each other and the power supply could not reach the plug and socket connector  4 . At this instant the latch  9  is loosely in contact with the minor axis fringe of the ellipsoidal cap nut  131  so that its can return to its initial position with the restoring force of the compressed spring  6  fitted on it. Since the latch pin  91  is also released from the insertion hole  721  of the enclosure  7 , the enclosure  7  can be lifted to allow putting in or taking out the power input plug  8  from the second accommodation space  22  of the lower housing  2 . Accordingly, in the third stage controlling mode, the power supply to the plug and socket connector  4  is completely disconnected. 
   The three stage controlling mode described above is only one preferred embodiment of the present invention provided for purpose of reference and explanation, and shall not be construed as limitations applicable to the invention herein. 
   It emerges from the above description that the socket power supply control structure of the present invention has several distinct advantages compared with any conventional outlet, namely: 
   1. The operation of the controller is carried out with a simple switching key. 
   2. The ingeniously designed three stage controlling mode allows the use of the outlet conveniently and securely. 
   3. It is widely applicable to many electrical appliances so as to protect the children&#39;s health of eyes and physical security. 
   Many changes and modification in the above described embodiment of the invention can of course, be carried out without departing form the scope thereof. Accordingly, to promote the progress in science and the useful arts, the invention is disclosed and is intended to be limited only be 3  the scope of the appended claims.