Patent Publication Number: US-2015079846-A1

Title: Power socket

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of Taiwanese Application No. 102217416, filed on Sep. 16, 2013, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a power socket, more particularly to a power socket which is adapted to be electrically connected to an electronic device. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an electronic device  1 , such as a notebook computer or an external storage device, can be activated upon receipt of power from a power supplier  2 . The electronic device  1  includes a power socket  11  for transmitting external current into the electronic device  1 . The power socket  11  includes an accommodating space  110  defined by an inner surrounding wall, a first electric terminal  111  disposed in the accommodating space  110 , and a second electric terminal  112  formed on the inner surrounding wall. The power supplier  2  includes a plug  21  for transmitting current. The plug  21  has an inferior surface  211 , an exterior surface  212 , and an interior hole  210  defined by the interior surface  211 . When the plug  21  is plugged in the power socket  11 , the first electric terminal  111  is electrically connected to the interior surface  211 , and the second electric terminal  112  is electrically connected to the exterior surface  212  so as to transmit current from the power supplier  2  to the electronic device  1 . 
     Plugs made by different manufacturers or with different structural designs may have different specifications. Thus, a plurality of adaptors with different specifications may be required. Among the adaptors, one adaptor that has a specification suitable for that of the plug is selected to interconnect the plug and a power socket of an electronic device. However, the plurality of adaptors would be inconvenient to carry. Moreover, more time may be spent to find a suitable adaptor for the plug. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a power socket that can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art. 
     According to an aspect of this invention, there is provided a power socket adapted to be electrically connected to an internal terminal of an electronic device and to be electrically and separably connected to a plug. The plug has a tubular interior surface that defines an interior hole and an exterior surface that surrounds the interior surface. The power socket includes a body, a central terminal, a first conductor, and a second conductor. The body includes a surrounding wall that has an inner surface surrounding an axis and defining an accommodating space. The central terminal is disposed in the accommodating space, extends along the axis, is electrically connected to the internal terminal of the electronic device, and is configured to be insertable into the interior hole of the plug. The first conductor is disposed on the inner surface of the surrounding wall, and has a first elastic portion that projects toward the axis and that is deformable for abutting against and being electrically connected to the exterior surface of the plug. The second conductor is electrically connected to the central terminal, and has a second elastic portion that projects away from the axis and that is deformable for abutting against and being electrically connected to the interior surface of the plug. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a fragmentary partly sectional view to illustrate electrical connection between a plug and a conventional power socket; 
         FIG. 2  is a fragmentary partly sectional view to illustrate a first embodiment of a power socket according to this indention and a power supplier; 
         FIG. 3  is a fragmentary partly sectional view to illustrate that the power supplier is inserted into the first embodiment of the power socket; 
         FIG. 4  is a fragmentary partly sectional view to illustrate the first embodiment of the power socket and a power supplier with a specification different from that of the power supplier shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a fragmentary partly sectional view to illustrate a second embodiment of a power socket and a power supplier; and 
         FIG. 6  is a fragmentary partly sectional view to illustrate that the power supplier is inserted into the second embodiment of the power socket. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Before the present invention is described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying embodiments, it should be noted herein that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the following disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  3 , and  4 , a first embodiment of a power socket according to this invention is adapted to be electrically connected to an internal terminal of an electronic device  4  and to be electrically and separably connected to a plug  91  of a power supplier  9 . The plug  91  has a tubular interior surface  911  that defines an interior hole  910 , and an exterior surface  912  that surrounds the interior surface  911 . 
     In this embodiment, the power socket is integrally provided in the electronic device  4 . The power socket includes a body  5 , a central terminal  6 , a first conductor  7 , and a second conductor  8 . 
     The body  5  includes a surrounding wall  51  that has an inner surface surrounding an axis (X) and defining an accommodating space  50 . The accommodating space  50  has an opening  501  for extension of the plug  91  therethrough. 
     The central terminal  6  is disposed in the accommodating space  50  of the body  5 , extends along the axis (X), is electrically connected to the internal terminal of the electronic device  4 , and is insertable into the interior hove  910  of the plug  91 . 
     Each of the first and second conductors  7 ,  8  has a length in a direction of the axis (X) shorter than that of the accommodating space  50 . The first conductor  7  surrounds the axis (X) and is disposed on the inner surface of the surrounding wall  51 , and has a first elastic portion  73  that projects toward the axis (X) and that is deformable for abutting against and being electrically connected to the exterior surface  912  of the plug  91 . The first conductor  7  further has a fixed end portion  71  secured fixedly on the inner surface of the surrounding wall  51  of the body  5 , and a free end portion  72  opposite to the fixed end portion  71  and movable during deformation of the first elastic portion  73 . The fixed end portion  71  of the first conductor  7  is disposed between the opening  501  and the free end portion  72  of the first conductor  7 . The first elastic portion  73  is disposed between the fixed end portion  71  and the free end portion  72 . 
     The second conductor  8  is electrically connected to the central terminal  6 , and has a second elastic portion  83  that projects away from the axis (X) and that is deformable for abutting against and being electrically connected to the interior surface  911  of the plug  91 . The second conductor  8  further has a fixed end portion  81  secured fixedly on the central terminal  6 , and a free end portion  82  opposite to the fixed end portion  81  and movable during deformation of the second elastic portion  83 . The fixed end portion  81  of the second conductor  8  is disposed between the opening  501  and the free end portion  82  of the second conductor  8 . The second elastic portion  83  is disposed between the fixed end portion  81  and the free end portion  82 . 
     The first elastic portion  73  of the first conductor  7  is spaced apart from the second elastic portion  83  of the second conductor  8 . In this embodiment, the first elastic portion  73  has a minimum inner diameter smaller than a maximum diameter of the second elastic portion  83  of the second conductor  8 . 
     When the plug  91  is inserted into the accommodating space  50  of the body  5  and the central terminal  6  is inserted into the interior hole  910  of the plug  91 , the first elastic portion  73  of the first conductor  7  and the second elastic portion  83  of the second conductor  8  are respectively deformed by the exterior surface  912  and the interior surface  911 , and the free end portions  72 ,  82  of the first and second conductors  7 ,  8  respectively move along the inner surface of the surrounding wall  51  and along the central terminal  6 . Therefore, the first elastic portion  73  of the first conductor  7  tightly abuts against the exterior surface  912  of the plug  91 , and the second elastic portion  83  of the second conductor  8  tightly abuts against the interior surface  911  of the plug  91  so that the electronic device  4  and the power supplier  9  are electrically connected with each other. 
     In general, the exterior surface  912  of the plug  91  has an outer diameter ranging from 4.75 mm to 6.5 mm, and the variation of the outer diameter is 1.75 mm. The interior surface  911  has an inner diameter ranging from 1.7 mm to 4.3 mm and the variation of the inner diameter is 2.6 mm. The plug  91  shown in  FIG. 3  has an outer diameter of 6.5 mm and an inner diameter of 4.3 mm. The plug  91  shown in  FIG. 4  has an outer diameter of 4.75 mm and an inner diameter of 1.7 mm. The first elastic portion  73  and the second elastic portion  83  have elasticity that can respectively compensate the variation of the exterior surface  912  and that of the interior hole  910 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , since the exterior surface  912  of the plug  91  has a larger outer diameter, the first elastic portion  73  is pressed considerably, so that the free end portion  72  moves by a relatively longer distance relative to the inner surface of the surrounding wall  51 . Since the interior surface  911  of the plug  91  has a larger inner diameter, the second elastic portion  83  is pressed slightly so that the free end portion  82  moves by a relatively shorter distance relative to the central terminal  6 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , in contrast, since the exterior surface  912  of the plug  91  has a smaller outer diameter, the first elastic portion  73  is pressed slightly so that the free end portion  72  moves by a relatively shorter distance relative to the inner surface of the surrounding wall  51 . Since the interior surface  911  of the plug  91  has a smaller inner diameter, the second elastic portion  83  is pressed considerably so that the free end portion  82  moves by a relatively longer distance relative to the central terminal  6 . 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  show a second embodiment of the power socket according to this invention. The electronic device  4  used to connect with the power socket of the second embodiment includes a power receptacle unit  41  that is mounted with the internal terminal. The power socket of the second embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment, except that the body  5  of the power socket further includes a connecting portion  52  that is used to engage removably the power receptacle unit  41  for connecting electrically the central terminal  6  to the internal terminal of the electronic device  4 . The connecting portion  52  is disposed at one side of the surrounding wall  51  opposite to the opening  501  and electrically connects to the first and second conductors  7 ,  8 . 
     In the second embodiment, the power socket could be used to electrically connect to the electronic devices  4  and power suppliers  9  with various specifications. In use, the connecting portion  52  of the body  5  is inserted into the power socket of the electronic device  4  so as to electrically connect the power socket to the electronic device  4 . Thereafter, when the plug  91  is inserted into the accommodating space  50  of the body  5 , the first elastic portion  73  of the first conductor  7  and the second elastic portion  83  of the second conductor  8  respectively tightly abut against the exterior surface  912  and the interior surface  911  so as to electrically connect the power socket and the power supplier  9 . 
     To sum up, with the compressible first elastic portion  73  and second elastic portion  83 , the power socket according to this invention may be used for plugs  91  with various specifications without requiring an additional adaptor. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what considered the most practical embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.