Patent Publication Number: US-7220137-B1

Title: Cover for multiplex receptacle set

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention is related to a cover for a multiplex and multi-directional receptacle set, and especially to a brand-new structure of a cover that can be connected by inserting an engaging block on a tailing end of a bent strip into a through hole provided on an insertion socket integrally formed on each of the receptacles on a main body of the multiplex and multi-directional receptacle set. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   Generally, a conventional one-for-plural receptacle set was designed to be of the style with one or two sides, i.e., a plug on the tailing end of an electric line was connected with an elongate rectangular box on one or two sides of which plural receptacles were arranged linearly. This can get a one-for-plural effect, however, the receptacles are closely arranged along straight lines, plugs are very hard to be plugged in or extracted. 
   Afterwards, a multiplex and multi-directional receptacle set with plural receptacles facing to multiple directions was developed to have the plural receptacles provided at the tailing end of an electric line of a plug, thus the above problem is solved. The receptacles are integrally formed on a main body after electrodes are well allocated; for example, a triplex receptacle set can be formed in this mode. 
   Each receptacle on such a multi-directional receptacle set extends individually to a different direction; in order to prevent entering of dust or rain drops through the unused receptacles, each receptacle must be provided with a cover for the function of protection. Each of these covers is a closure cap that has an annular mounting portion extended therefrom to engage in a mounting groove provided on the main body of the receptacle set for assembling. 
   By the fact that the receptacles themselves have sizes of a predetermined specification, the annular mounting portions each must be made with quite a large size to be engaged in a mounting groove, hence material is wasted quite much. Besides, the connecting action for engaging an annular mounting portion in a mounting groove is harder; particularly the annular mounting portion is subjected to be broken by stretching and thereby is no more useful, or the annular mounting portion which surrounds a receptacle is subjected to being worn out and broken after use for a long time. 
   Further, referring to  FIG. 5  showing a housing for a conventional electrical connector, as is in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,412, the electrical connector  914  has a housing  912  therearound, a closure cap  916  can be closed over the front side of the electrical connector  914 . The closure cap  916  is integrally connected with a mounting gasket  918  provided on the rear side of the electrical connector  914 ; the housing  912  and the mounting gasket  918  can be fixedly attached by using screws or an appropriate pressing member. It is very difficult in assembling to fix by using the screws or the appropriate pressing member, this will largely increase the working hours in manufacturing a receptacle set, and also increase the cost of manufacturing. 
   In view of the above stated; the multiplex receptacle set having receptacle covers is really necessary to be improved. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In view of the above defects of the conventional techniques, the structure for connecting a plurality of covers with the main body is redesigned in the present invention. In the present invention, each of a plurality of receptacles of a multiplex and multi-directional receptacle set is provided on a lateral side thereof with an insertion socket formed integrally therewith and having a through hole; the covers are openably and closably provided on the receptacles and each has a bent strip extended laterally thereof; the bent strip has a conical engaging block on its tailing end. All the engaging blocks are used to be directly engaged in the through holes of the insertion sockets to form connection; so that the covers are kept at the sockets to be opened or closed relative to the sockets. Thereby, the covers are easily and firmly assembled at the sockets to be convenient for operation of a user to open or close, and an effect of saving material can be obtained. 
   And more, for the designing of the covers for the multiplex and multi-directional receptacle set of the present invention, the insertion sockets on the multi-directional receptacle set extend in the same horizontal plane as that of the main body, so that the bent strips of the covers are in the same horizontal plane too; and when in closing and opening the covers, the bent strips will not protrude out of the main body. 
   The present invention will be apparent in its structural features and effect of operation after reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof in reference to the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an enlarged perspective view of a cover of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a sectional view showing a part of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view taken along the arrows in  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective schematic view of a housing of a conventional electric connector. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , a multiplex and multi-directional receptacle set for the present invention has an extension line  10  of which one end is a plug  20  that can be connected to an electric power supply, and of which the other end is connected to a main body  30  of the multi-directional receptacle set. The main body  30  of the multi-directional receptacle set as shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 1  has three receptacles  31  in different orientations in a horizontal plane. 
   Insertion holes  32  of each receptacle  31  can be closed by covering of a cover  33  of the present invention, such as is shown in  FIG. 1 , in order to get an effect of dust and water proofing. 
   The cover  33  can also be opened away from the receptacle  31 , so that the insertion holes  32  can be inserted therein with a plug  40 , such as is shown in  FIG. 1 , in order to make electric connection. 
   A lateral side of each receptacle  31  formed on the main body  30  has an insertion socket  34  (having a through hole  341 ) extending in the same horizontal plane as that of the main body  30  and out of the main body  30 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , the cover  33  is basically a lid having an inserting portion  331  of which the outer diameter closely matches with the inner diameter of a protruding annulus  35  formed on the periphery of the receptacle  31 ; and in closing it onto the receptacle  31 , it can firmly close the receptacle  31  as is depicted in the sectional view of  FIG. 3 . 
   One side of the cover  33  has a bent strip  332  extending out of it, the tailing end of the bent strip  332  has an engaging block  333 ; the engaging block  333  is a conical member, the area of the bottom surface of the conical engaging block  333  is smaller than that of an opening of the through hole  341  on the insertion socket  34 , while the top area of the conical engaging block  333  is larger than that of the opening of the through hole  341 . The top area of the conical engaging block  333  is connected to a reduced part  334  with a width smaller than that of the through hole  341  as are shown in the embodiment of  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The reduced part  334  can be moved slightly in the through hole  341  in favor of moving the bent strip  332  and in order that the bent strip  332  is prevented from extending through the through hole  341 . 
   Further, the side on the cover  33  opposite to that with the bent strip  332  has a push plate  335  protruding outwards for the convenience of pushing the push plate  335  by a user when the cover  33  is closed, to thereby open the cover  33 . 
   Obviously, the cover  33  provided in the present invention is particularly beneficial to having it mounted on the insertion socket  34 , because in assembling, it needs only to push the engaging block  333  on the tailing end of the bent strip  332  of the cover  33  into the through hole  341 , when the upper side of the engaging block  333  passes through the through hole  341 , by virtue that the area of the upper side is larger than that of the opening of the through hole  341 , the upper side will not be retracted to disengage from the through hole  341 . And by virtue that the engaging block  333  is designed to be a conical member with inclined peripheral sides, the engaging block  333  thereby can be extended through the through hole  341  easily. 
   In comparing the engaging block  333  with the annular mounting portion of the conventional technique, material used for the engaging block  333  is much saved, and in or after assembling, no defect of incurring of breaking exists. 
   Further, by the fact that the top area of the conical engaging block  333  is connected to the reduced part  334 , thereby the bent strip  332  is prevented from extending through the through hole  341 , and an effect of positioning is obtained and moving range of the bent strip  332  is diminished. 
   The embodiment shown in the drawings is used for receptacles respectively in three orientations; the present invention is applicable to duplex receptacle sets as well as multiplex receptacle sets, and hence is not limited to the above triplex receptacle set. 
   While the covers  33  shown in the drawings each has an inserting portion  331  which matches with the protruding annulus  35  formed on the periphery of the receptacle  31 ; but if there is no protruding annulus  35 , the covers  33  of the present invention can be designed as a simple cover. This is an alternation that can be easily done, all such modifications and changes also fall within the scope of the appended claims and are intended to form part of this invention.