Abstract:
An interlining structure for a multiple socket includes a housing, an indication object and a transparent plate. The housing is consisted of a cover and a base, and the cover is provided with a plurality of receptacles or even switches. The housing is further disposed with a dented embedding region for the transparent plate to cover thereon. A covered range of the transparent plate is placed with the indication object containing contents that are viewable from an exterior of the transparent plate. The indication object has related drawings and texts for indicating uses of the receptacles or switches, or other decorative and illustrative drawings and texts.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   (a) Field of the Invention 
   The invention relates to an interlining panel structure for a multiple socket, and more particularly, to an interlining panel structure having a dented embedding region disposed at a housing of the multiple socket so as to provide a transparent plate to cover thereon, and an indication object placed at a covered range of the transparent plate. Contents of the indication object are viewable from an exterior of the transparent plate. The indication object has related drawings and texts indicating uses of receptacles or switches of the multiple socket, or other decorative and illustrative drawings and texts. 
   (b) Description of the Prior Art 
   A multiple socket is formed by disposing a multiple sets of receptacles on a same housing, which then becomes a unit having multiple sets of receptacles. The unit is connected to a power supply via a relatively long power line in order to provide individual receptacles at the housing with power supply. An extension wire socket, for instance, is a type of multiple socket. In another type of multiple socket, a power pin is directly disposed at a housing thereof. Through the pin inserted in the power socket, each receptacle at the socket is provided with power supply. One example of this prior art is “Expandable Socket” disclosed by the Taiwan Patent Publication No. 380759. 
   Regardless of the type of multiple socket acquiring power supply using either a power line or an inserted pin, a main characteristic thereof is that multiple sets of receptacles are gathered at a same housing.  FIGS. 8 and 9  of the U.S. Pat. No. 6,392,171 disclose another two different types of multi-sockets having the same characteristic. Since a multiple socket has multiple sets of receptacles and even multiple sets of switches, it is rather difficult to distinguish which plug belongs to which electric appliance when all the receptacles are inserted with plugs. Hence, pulling unintended plugs that further incurring accidental power cutoffs is considered as repeated occurrence. In the view of this issue, industrialists have proposed a design disclosed by the Taiwan Patent Publication No. 422423, wherein identification cards having distinct colors are provided at a fixed base and an upper cover thereof. The identification cards are disposed with insertion openings corresponding with the receptacles, and electric appliances connected are thus distinguished using the distinct colors. However, this structure still has drawbacks when put to use due to the following reasons:
     1. This structure merely uses distinct colors as a measure for identification, but lacks a method for a user to remember electric appliances represented by individual colors. Especially in a long-term use, colors for corresponding electric appliances are likely forgotten. Therefore, the measure using colors is not at all practical.   2. According to this structure, identification is carried out through colors of the identification cards at the socket. However, when a plug of an adaptor having a larger volume is inserted into this structure, the identification cards are likely to be concealed by the adaptor plug. Consequently, a user cannot easily make appropriate identifications even in the presence of the identification cards having distinct colors.   

   Furthermore, when a multiple socket is being sold or given as a gift, a housing thereof is often attached with stickers containing texts indicating brand name, precautions for use, product features, name of the person giving the gift or events of remembrance. Nevertheless, these sticker labels are prone to cock up or peel off owing to temperature change or slackening of adhesive properties thereof, and thus again offering inadequate practicability. Suppose that the aforesaid texts, drawings and symbols are directly stamped or printed onto a surface of the multiple socket, although the texts, drawings and symbols are unlikely to fall off, production costs thereof are relatively much higher. In addition, this method hardly fulfills requirements of small quantities and diversified styles. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The primary object of the invention is to provide a multiple socket having clear indicative functions, wherein each set of receptacles or switches is labeled for indicating corresponding electric appliances, thereby enabling a user to appropriately turn on and off power supplies of the electric appliances using the multiple socket. 
   The secondary object of the invention is to provide a multiple socket having readily replaceable decorative drawings or illustrative texts, thereby offering the multiple socket with an easily changed appearance for complying with manufacturing requirements of having diversified styles and small quantities. 
   The other object of the invention is to provide a multiple socket having special visual effects, wherein a three-dimensional interlining effect formed by a transparent plate thereof offers the multiple socket with an enhanced texture. 
   To accomplish the aforesaid objects, an interlining panel structure according to the invention provides the multiple socket with indicative effects, and comprises a housing, an indication object and a transparent plate. The housing is consisted of a cover and a base. The cover is disposed with multiple sets of receptacles and even switches, and is also provided with a dented embedding region for a transparent plate to cover thereon. A covered range of the transparent plate is placed with a piece-like indication object. The indication object has drawings and texts predetermined, or written according to a user&#39;s needs. The drawings and texts may serve indicative purposes and are designed as different indicative symbols for corresponding with individual receptacles or switches, or may simply be decorations or descriptions. When viewing the indication object from an exterior of the transparent plate, marking, decorations and instructions are acquired from the drawings and texts on the indication objects. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows a structural schematic view of a first embodiment according to the invention. 
       FIG. 2  shows an elevational schematic view of the first embodiment according to the invention. 
       FIG. 3  shows a structural schematic view of a second embodiment according to the invention. 
       FIG. 4  shows a structural schematic view of a third embodiment according to the invention. 
       FIG. 5  shows a structural schematic view of a fourth embodiment according to the invention. 
       FIG. 6  shows a structural schematic view of a fifth embodiment according to the invention. 
       FIG. 7  shows a structural schematic view of a sixth embodiment according to the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Various embodiments according to the invention are capable of accomplishing indicative and decorative purposes, and detailed descriptions shall be given with the accompanying drawings hereunder. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1  showing a structure of a first embodiment, the invention comprises a housing  1 , an indication object  2  and a transparent plate  3 . 
   The housing  1  is consisted of a cover  11  and a base  12 . The cover  11  is provided with a dented embedding region  13 . The embedding region  13  is disposed with a pivotal opening  131  at two corners of one side thereof, respectively, and is formed with a projecting butting piece  132  at inner edges of the other side thereof, respectively. The housing  1  is further provided with corresponding receptacles  14  and switches  15 . 
   The indication object  2  is provided according to a size of the embedding region  13 , and is a thin slice made of an acrylic board, a piece of paper or a plastic board. The indication object  2  is further provided with drawings or texts corresponding to positions of the receptacles  14  and switches  15 . In addition, the indication object  2  may also display drawings, brand name, illustrative texts or decorative graphics. The texts and drawings on the indication object  2  are provided in advance, or written and adhered by a user according to the user&#39;s needs. 
   The size of the transparent plate  3  approaches a size of the embedding region  13  at the cover  11 . The transparent plate  3  is provided with a protruding flange  31  at two sides thereof in order to correspond with the pivotal openings  131  at the embedding region  13  of the housing  1 , respectively. 
   During assembly, referring to  FIG. 2 , after completing the drawings and texts on the indication object  2 , the indication object  2  is placed within the embedding region  13 . The flange  31  of the transparent cover  3  are placed into the pivotal openings  131  of the housing  1 , so as to correspondingly cover and buff the transparent cover  3  at the embedding region  13  by butting against the butting pieces  132 . After assembly, the drawings and texts on the indication object  2  correspond with the individual receptacles  14  and switches  15 , thereby clearly indicating uses of the receptacles  14  and switches  15  using the drawings and texts on the indication object  2  levelly placed within the embedding region  13 . In this embodiment, the indication object  2  is placed at a side of the receptacles  14 , and hence the indication object  2  remains apparent and unconcealed even if an adaptor plug  4  having a larger volume or a large plug  5  is inserted into the receptacles  14 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 3  showing a second embodiment according to the invention, a housing  1 A is provided with an embedding region  13 A at a cover  11 A and between the receptacles  14  and switches  15 . The embedding region  13 A is disposed with a wedge groove  131 A at two corresponding inner edges thereof, respectively. Two sides of a transparent plate  3 A are similarly formed with a wedge portion  31 A for corresponding with the wedge grooves  131 A, respectively. One end portion of the transparent plate  3 A is additionally provided with a vertical baffle portion  32 A. The wedge portions  31 A of the transparent plate  3 A are slid and wedged at the corresponding wedge grooves  131 A, and an exit of the end portion is blocked by the baffle portion  32 A for preventing accidental falling off of the indication object  2 . The indication object  2  is then placed at the embedding region  13 A for offering same indicative purposes. 
   Referring to  FIG. 4  showing a third embodiment according to the invention, a cover  11 B of a housing  1 B is provided with an embedding region  13 B having positioning holes  131 B. A transparent plate  3 B is a board, and has a lower side thereof disposed with positioning pillars  24 B for corresponding with the positioning holes  131 B at the embedding regions  13 B. For assembly, the indication object  2  is placed within the embedding region  13 B, and the positioning pillars  31 B at the lower side of the transparent plate  3 B are inserted into and positioned at the positioning holes  131 B at the embedding region  13 B. 
   Referring to  FIG. 5  showing a fourth embodiment according to the invention, an embedding region  13 C of a housing  1 C is extended from a top horizontal side plane of a cover  11 C, across a vertical side plane of the cover  11 C and a base  12 C, and to a bottom horizontal side plane of the base  12 C. Edges of the top and bottom horizontal planes of the embedding region  13 C are disposed with fastening openings  131 C. A transparent plate  3 C corresponding to the embedding region  13 C is formed as a U-shaped board. Horizontal edges of the transparent plate  3 C are disposed with tenons  31 C for corresponding with the fastening openings  135 C, and a vertical plane of the transparent plate  3 C is disposed with accommodating apertures  32 C according to positions, sizes and number of the switches  15 . The indication object  2  is first placed within the embedding region  13 C, and the transparent plate  3 C is embedded and covered at the embedding region  13 C at the housing  1 C, thereby arranging the indication object  2  at the housing  1 C. 
   Referring to  FIG. 6  showing a fifth embodiment according to the invention, a cover  11 D of the housing  1 D is provided with an embedding region  13 D corresponding to the size of the indication object  2 , and the housing  1 D is provided with positioning holes  131 D. A transparent plate  3 D is designed as having a large area covering the receptacles  14  and the switches  15 . The transparent plate  3 D is further disposed with accommodating apertures  31 D and  32 D corresponding to sizes and number of the receptacles  14  and switches  15 , and a lower side of the transparent plate  3 C is provided with protruding positioning pillars  33 D. The indication object  2  is placed within the embedding region  13 D, and the positioning pillars  33 D at the transparent plate  3 D are inserted into the corresponding positioning holes  131 D at the housing  1 D, so as to arrange the receptacles  14  and the switches  15  in the accommodating apertures  31 D and  32 D. 
   Referring to  FIG. 7  showing a sixth embodiment according to the invention, a cover  11 D of the housing  1 D is provided with an embedding region  13 E, which is divided into a plurality of partitions  132 E corresponding to positions of the receptacles  14  using baffle strips  131 E, and each partition  132 E is placed with a lamp  6  connected with internal circuits. Fastening openings  133 E are disposed at embedding region edges where the embedding region  13 E comes into contact with edges of a transparent plate  3 E. The edges of the transparent plate  3 E are disposed with tenons  31 E for corresponding with the fastening openings  133 E at the embedding region  13 E. In addition, the aforesaid indication object  2  in form of a single slice is represented by a plurality of independent indication object  2 A corresponding to sizes of the partitions  132 E in this embodiment. During assembly, the indication objects  2 A are inserted into the partitions  132 E in sequence, and the embedding region  13 E is placed with the corresponding transparent plate  3 E for covering all the indication objects  2 A within the partitions  132 E. Using the lamps  18 E provided in each of the partitions  131 E, especially in dark surroundings, the drawings and texts on the indication object  2  are clearly displayed using illumination effects of the lamps  6  upon the indication object  2 . 
   In the embodiment disclosed in  FIG. 7 , the lamps  6  are provided at the embedding region  13 E for assisting illumination of the indication object  2 . This illumination method may also be adopted in other aforesaid embodiments. Or, the lamps  6  may also project light beams onto the transparent plate  3 E from different directions for providing decorative effects with the coordination of the transparent plate  3 E. 
   It is of course to be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that a wide variety of modifications thereto may be effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.