Abstract:
A power strip includes a base, a casing, at least one latching member, and at least one first elastic member. The case includes at least one cover. Each cover includes at least one first hook. The cover is able to move between a first position and a second position. Each latching member is slidably connected to the base and includes at least one second hook. Each first elastic member is received in the base and capable of providing a spring force to keep one cover to be in the first position. When the cover is moved to the second position, the first hook engages the second hook to keep the cover in the second position. When the latching member is operated to cause the first hook disengages from the second hook, the cover is pushed to the first position due to the spring force of the first elastic member.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to power strips and, particularly, to a power strip with a safety cover. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Power strips are universally used in our lives. A power strip can accommodate a number of plugs. However, it may be troublesome for a user to remove a plug from a power strip if the plug is tightly plugged into the power strip. Moreover, if the users&#39; hand is wet, the user may suffer from electric shock while removing the plug. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The components of the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of a power strip with safety cover. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout several views. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a power strip in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a partial, isometric view of the power strip of  FIG. 1 , showing an interior structure of the power strip. 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric view of a cover of the power strip of  FIG. 1 , viewed from another viewpoint. 
         FIG. 4  is an isometric view of a base of the power strip of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a partially exploded, perspective view of the power strip of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded, perspective view of a latching member of the power strip of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  is a block diagram of a circuit board of the power strip of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view of the power strip of  FIG. 1 , taken along line VIII-VIII. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail below, with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , a power strip  100  includes a casing  10 , a base  20 , a wire  30 , and at least one latching member  40 . The casing  10  includes at least one cover  11 . The at least one latching member  40  latches the at least one cover  11  to the base  20 , in the embodiment, there are three covers  11  and two latching members  40  are deployed to latch one cover  11  to the base  20 . One end of the wire  30  is connected to the base  20 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a top surface of each cover  11  defines a number of through holes  111 . In the embodiment, the through holes  111  can accommodate either a grounded 3-pin or a non-grounded 2-pin plug. In an alternative embodiment, the through holes  111  can only accommodate a grounded 3-pin plug. In another alternative embodiment, the through holes  111  can only accommodate a non-grounded 2-pin plug. A first sleeve  112  and at least one guide member  113  protrudes from a lower surface of each cover  11 . Each guide member  113  is adjacent to one of opposite sidewalls  114  of the cover  11 . In this embodiment, four guide members  113  are deployed, and two of the guide members  113  are adjacent to one of the sidewalls  114  and substantially parallel to each other, and the other guide members  113  are adjacent to the other sidewall  114  and substantially parallel to each other. A first hook  115  protrudes from each guide member  113  and faces the first sleeve  112 . Two stopper portions  116  respectively protrude from the sidewalls  114 . In this embodiment, each stopper portion  116  is arranged between and substantially perpendicular to two guide members  113 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the two opposite outer sidewalls  21  of the base  20  respectively define a number of recessed portions  22 . Each stopper portion  116  hooks a top sidewall of one recessed portion  22 . The bottom of each recessed portion  22  defines a through opening  23 . A portion of each latching member  40  is operable through one through opening  23 . Two opposite inner sidewalls  24  of the base  20  respectively define a number of guide slots  25  corresponding to the guide members  113 . Each guide slot  25  is substantially perpendicular to the bottom of the base  20 . Each recessed portion  22  is arranged between two guide slots  25 . Each guide member  113  is slidably received in one guide slot  25 , and the first hooks  115  are external to the guide slots  25 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the power strip  100  further includes a number of support members  50  and a number of elastic members  60 . One support member  50  and one elastic member  60  correspond to one cover  11 . The support members  50  and the elastic members  60  are attached to the bottom of the base  20 . Each support member  50  includes a support plate  501 , a number of contacts  502 , a second sleeve  503 , and an elastic member  504 . The support plate  501  is fixed to the bottom of the base  20 . The contacts  502  are attached to the support plate  501  and are electrically connected to the wire  30 . Each contact  502  corresponds to one through hole  111 . The second sleeve  503  protrudes from the support plate  501 . The outer diameter of the second sleeve  503  is less than the inner diameter of the first sleeve  112 . The elastic member  504  is partially received in the second sleeve  503 , and one end of the elastic member  504  is attached to the support plate  501 . The elastic member  504  can provide a spring force to cause the bottom of the casing  10  to be spaced from the base  20 . 
     Each elastic member  60  is arranged below one support plate  501  and includes at least two elastic arms  61 . The joint of the arms  61  are attached to the bottom of the base  20 . In the embodiment, each elastic member  60  includes four elastic arms  61  arranged in X-shaped. Each elastic arm  61  includes a free end  610 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , each latching member  40  includes a resisting member  41 . The resisting member  41  includes a main body  411 , two pairs of limiting members  412 , and at least one projection  413 . The main body  411  is slidably connected to the base  20 . The main body  411  includes a first sidewall  4111  and a second sidewall  4112 . The first sidewall  4111  is opposite to the second sidewall  4112 . Each pair of limiting members  412  protrudes from an end of the first sidewall  4111 . In the embodiment, each pair of limiting members  412  is parallel to each other and forms a gap  414 . The free ends  610  of the elastic arms  61  are respectively received in the gaps  414 . Each projection  413  protrudes from the top surface of the main body  411 . In the embodiment, two projections  413  are deployed and respectively protrude from opposite ends of the top surface of the main body  411 . Each projection  413  includes a second hook  415 . The second hook  415  is opposite to the guide slot  25  and capable of engaging the first hook  115 . 
     In the embodiment, each resisting member  41  further includes an extending member  416 . The extending member  416  extends from the second sidewall  4112  of the main body  411 . In the embodiment, the extending member  416  extends from the middle of the second sidewall  4112 . Each extending member  416  extends through one through opening  23  of the base  20  and is partially external to the base  20 . The free end of the extending member  416  defines a groove  417 . Each latching member  40  further includes a pressing member  42 . The pressing member  42  includes a plate  421  and a securing member  422  substantially perpendicular attached to the plate  421 . Each securing member  422  is received in one groove  417 , and the plate  421  is external to the base  20  for users to operate. 
     Initially, the cover  11  is kept in a first position under the spring force of the elastic member  504 , and in the first position, the stopper portions  116  respectively hook the top sidewalls of the recessed portions  22 . To plug a plug (not shown) into the power strip  100 , the plug is inserted into the through holes  111  of the cover  11 , causing the guides members  113  to move down in the guide slot  25  until the cover  11  reaches a second position. At this point, the elastic member  504  is compressed, the plug is electrically connected to the power strip  100 , and the first hooks  115  engage the second hooks  415 . 
     To remove the plug, the plates  421  of the latching members  40  employed to latch the cover  11  are simultaneously pressed, causing the resisting members  41  to compress the elastic member  60  until the second hooks  415  disengage from the first hooks  115 . At this point, the cover  11  is pushed to be in the first position and the plug is driven to be separated from the power strip  100  under the spring force of the elastic member  504 . When the pressing members  421  are released, the elastic members  60  rebound to return the resisting members  41  to their initial state. 
     In other embodiment, each projection  413  further defines a through hole  418  substantially parallel to the main body  411 . Each latching member  40  further includes a push strip  43 . The push strip  43  is made of metal or magnetic material. Each push strip  43  extends through two through holes  418 . The power strip  100  further includes a number of magnetic members  70  and a number of circuit boards  80 . One magnetic member and one circuit board correspond to one cover. The magnetic member  70  is arranged between two push strips  43 . When current flows through the magnetic member  70 , the push strips  43  are attracted to move toward the magnetic member  70 , causing the resisting members  41  to move toward the elastic member  60  to compress the elastic member  60 . 
     When the plug of a chargeable device is plugged into the through holes  111  of one cover  11 , current exists between the chargeable device and the power strip  100 , when the chargeable device has been charged, the value of the current between the chargeable device and the power strip  100  decreases to a minor value slightly greater than zero. Referring to  FIG. 7 , each circuit board  80  includes a detecting unit  801  and a control unit  802 . The detecting unit  801  detects whether the value of the current between the power strip  100  and the chargeable device reaches a predetermined value, which represents that the chargeable device has been charged, and further detects whether the value of the current reaches zero, which represents that the chargeable device and the power strip have been disconnected. The control module  802  allows the current to flow the magnetic member  70  if the value of the current between the power strip  100  and the chargeable device reaches the predetermined value. In addition, interrupts the current provided to the magnetic member  70  if the value of the current between the power strip  100  and the chargeable device is greater than the predetermined value or reaches zero. 
     When the current flows the magnetic member  70  attracts the resisting members  41  to compress the elastic member  60  until the second hooks  415  are disengaged from the first hooks  115 . At this point, the elastic member  504  rebounds to return the cover  11  to the first position. Therefore, with such configuration, when the chargeable device is charged, the power strip  100  can automatically push the cover  11  to the first position, thus the chargeable device and the power strip  100  are disconnected. When the chargeable device and the power strip  100  are disconnected, the value between the chargeable device and the power strip  100  reaches zero, the control unit  802  interrupts the current provided to the magnetic member  70 , thus the elastic member  60  rebounds to push the resisting members  40  to their original position. 
     Although the present disclosure has been specifically described on the basis of the exemplary embodiment thereof, the disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the embodiment without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure.