PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-8011975-B1
Application Number: US-91648010-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B1

Title: Power connector having protective interior cover

Abstract:
Circuits, methods, and apparatus that may provide protection from exposed wires or terminals when a power plug is damaged or destroyed. One example may provide a plug having an inner cover that shields power carrying wires or terminals when an outer shell is damaged or destroyed. The inner cover may include openings to receive conductors, where the openings may lead to terminals or wires that connect to plug prongs. The received conductors may attach directly or indirectly to an outer shell, and further to a power cord, circuitry, or other electronic components. When the outer shell is damaged or destroyed, the conductors may pull out of the openings in the inner cover, thus disconnecting from the wires or terminals. The wires or terminals may thus remain protected by the inner shell, avoiding exposure to contact by users or inadvertent conductors.

Claims:
1. A power plug comprising:
 a bottom plate; 
 a plurality of prongs fixed to the bottom plate; 
 a plurality of terminals electrically connected to the plurality of prongs; 
 an inner cover fixed to the bottom plate and covering the plurality of terminals, the inner cover having a plurality of openings; 
 an outer shell attached to the bottom plate and covering the inner cover; 
 a plurality of conductors attached to the outer shell, each conductor to fit in one of the plurality of openings in the inner cover to form an electrical connection with one of the plurality of terminals; and 
 a clip attached to the outer shell, wherein the plurality of conductors are attached to the clip. 
 
     
     
       2. The power plug of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a fuse in series between one of the plurality of prongs and one of the plurality of terminals. 
 
     
     
       3. The power plug of  claim 1  further comprising:
 circuitry enclosed in the outer shell to convert AC power to DC power. 
 
     
     
       4. The power plug of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a housing attached to the clip. 
 
     
     
       5. The power plug of  claim 4  further comprising:
 circuitry enclosed in the housing to convert AC power to DC power. 
 
     
     
       6. The power plug of  claim 4  further comprising:
 a wireless transceiver enclosed in the housing. 
 
     
     
       7. The power plug of  claim 4  further comprising a universal serial bus receptacle attached to the housing. 
     
     
       8. A power plug comprising:
 a bottom plate; 
 a plurality of prongs fixed to the bottom plate; 
 a plurality of terminals electrically connected to the plurality of prongs; 
 an inner cover fixed to the bottom plate and covering the plurality of terminals, the inner cover having a plurality of openings; 
 an outer shell attached to the bottom plate and covering the inner cover; 
 a clip attached to the outer shell; 
 a plurality of conductors attached to the clip, each conductor to fit in an opening in the inner cover to form an electrical connection with one of the plurality of terminals; and 
 a universal serial bus receptacle attached to the housing. 
 
     
     
       9. The power plug of  claim 8  further comprising:
 a fuse in series between one of the plurality of prongs and one of the plurality of terminals. 
 
     
     
       10. The power plug of  claim 8  further comprising:
 a housing attached to the clip. 
 
     
     
       11. The power plug of  claim 10  further comprising:
 circuitry enclosed in the housing to convert AC power to DC power. 
 
     
     
       12. The power plug of  claim 11  further comprising:
 a wireless transceiver enclosed in the housing. 
 
     
     
       13. A power plug comprising:
 an outer housing attached to a plurality of prongs; 
 an inner housing having a plurality of openings; 
 a plurality of conductors attached to the outer housing and each to fit in one of the plurality of openings of the inner housing such that an electrical connection between each of the conductors and a prong is formed; 
 a plurality of terminals, each to form a connection between one of the plurality of conductors and one or more of the plurality of prongs; 
 a clip attached to the outer shell, wherein the plurality of conductors are attached to the clip; 
 a housing attached to the clip; and 
 a wireless transceiver enclosed in the housing. 
 
     
     
       14. The power plug of  claim 13  wherein when the outer housing is damaged or destroyed, the plurality of terminals may remain protected by the inner housing. 
     
     
       15. The power plug of  claim 13  further comprising:
 a fuse in series between one of the plurality of prongs and one of the plurality of terminals. 
 
     
     
       16. The power plug of  claim 13  further comprising:
 circuitry enclosed in the housing to convert AC power to DC power. 
 
     
     
       17. A power plug comprising:
 an outer housing attached to a plurality of prongs; 
 an inner housing having a plurality of openings; 
 a plurality of conductors attached to the outer housing and each to fit in one of the plurality of openings of the inner housing such that an electrical connection between each of the conductors and a prong is formed; 
 a plurality of terminals, each to form a connection between one of the plurality of conductors and one or more of the plurality of prongs; 
 a clip attached to the outer shell, wherein the plurality of conductors are attached to the clip; 
 a housing attached to the clip; and 
 a universal serial bus receptacle attached to the housing. 
 
     
     
       18. The power plug of  claim 17  wherein when the outer housing is damaged or destroyed, the plurality of terminals may remain protected by the inner housing. 
     
     
       19. The power plug of  claim 17  further comprising:
 a fuse in series between one of the plurality of prongs and one of the plurality of terminals. 
 
     
     
       20. The power plug of  claim 17  further comprising:
 circuitry enclosed in the housing to convert AC power to DC power.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 61/349,187, filed May 27, 2010, which is incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Electronic devices often receive power from a wall outlet, car power outlet, or other such source. For example, a power plug may include two or more prongs that fit into openings in a wall outlet. The prongs of the plug may connect to conductors in a cord that connects to the electronic device. Power may thus be provided from the wall outlet to the electronic device. 
     Wall outlets may provide different voltages depending on geographical region. For example, in the United States, the power supplied by a wall outlet is 110 Volts AC. In the United Kingdom it is 220 Volts AC. 
     Often, an electronic device may need to be powered by a DC voltage instead of an AC voltage. Circuitry such as transformers may be used to convert the AC voltage to a DC voltage, which can then be provided to the electronic device. This circuitry can be located in a unit, often referred to as a brick, located either between the plug and the electronic device, or attached as part of the plug. 
     These plugs may on occasion be kicked, bumped into, or otherwise struck such that they may become damaged. This is perhaps more likely when circuitry such as a power transformer is included in housing attached to the plug, since the housing itself may be struck causing damage to the attached plug. Also, cords attached to the plugs may be pulled such that damage to the plug may result. In such cases, the damage may expose wires or terminals that are carrying the power supplied by the wall outlet. 
     Having these wires or terminals exposed may cause various problems. For example, a user may try to unplug a damaged plug. In so doing, the user may make contact with the exposed wires or terminals, which may lead to the user being shocked or electrocuted. Also, the exposed wires or terminals may be shorted by a conductive object, thereby leading to large current flows between the wires or terminals. This in turn may lead to fire or other heat related damage to the wall outlet, conductive object, and surrounding area. 
     Thus, what is needed are circuits, methods, and apparatus that provide protection from exposed wires or terminals when a plug is damaged or destroyed. 
     SUMMARY 
     Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention may provide circuits, methods, and apparatus that may provide protection from exposed wires or terminals when a plug is damaged or destroyed. An illustrative embodiment of the present invention may provide a plug having an inner cover. The inner cover may shield and thus provide protection from wires or terminals that may be carrying power supplied by a wall outlet, car power outlet, or other power source, when an outer shell of a power plug is damaged or destroyed. 
     An illustrative embodiment of the present invention may provide one or more prongs or other conductors that may mate with one or more openings on a power outlet, and may thus receive power from the outlet. An inner cover may shield one or more wires or terminals that may carry the power from the outlet. The inner shield may include openings to receive conductors. These openings may lead to the terminals or wires, which connect to the prongs. The received conductors may attach directly or indirectly to an outer shell, and further to a power cord, circuitry, or other electronic components. If the outer shell is damaged or destroyed, the conductors may disconnect from the wires or terminals. The wires or terminals may thus remain protected by the inner shell, avoiding exposure to contact by users or inadvertently conducting objects. 
     A specific embodiment of the present invention may provide a power plug having a bottom plate that may be connected to a number of prongs. The prongs may be connected to wires or terminals. The wires or terminals may be covered by an inner cover. The inner cover may include one or more openings leading to the wires or terminals. The inner cover may be covered by an outer shell. The outer shell may include conductors that fit in the one or more openings, where the conductors form electrical connections with the wires or terminals. The outer shell may instead mate with another plug portion or clip, which may include conductors that fit in the one or more openings, where the conductors may form electrical connections with the wires or terminals. The power plug may also include a fuse in series with a wire or terminal to protect an electronic device powered via the plug from damage due to transient overvoltage conditions at a power outlet. 
     Various embodiments of the present invention may incorporate one or more of these and the other features described herein. A better understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be gained by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a top oblique view of a power plug consistent with a specific embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a bottom oblique view of a power plug consistent with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an exploded view of a power plug consistent with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a bottom plate consistent with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an inner cover consistent with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates an outer shell consistent with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a clip consistent with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates portions of a clip consistent with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 9  illustrates portions of a bottom plate consistent with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a top oblique view of a power plug consistent with a specific embodiment of the present invention. This figure, as with the other included figures, is shown for illustrative purposes only and does not limit either the possible embodiments of the present invention or the claims. 
     Power plug  100  may include a number of prongs  110 . Prongs  110  may be arranged to fit in a power outlet, such as a wall socket. Power received at prongs  110  may be provided at terminals  132 . Prongs  110  may be arranged to receive power from outlets commonly available in various countries or regions. For example, prongs  110  may be arranged to fit in outlets in the United Kingdom, the United States, China, or other country or region. Alternately, prongs  110  may be arranged to fit in less common or proprietary outlets. 
     Terminals  132  may be attached to clip  130 . Clip  130  may include a slot  134 . Housings external to plug  100  may be attached by inserting a tab into slot  134 . Circuitry in the housing may be powered by power provided at terminals  132 . Clip  130  may be fixed to outer shell  120 . In various embodiments of the present invention, clip  130  and outer shell  120  may be formed as a single piece. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a bottom oblique view of a power plug consistent with an embodiment of the present invention. This view illustrates bottom plate  250  and fuse cover  270 . Fuse cover  270  may cover a fuse (not shown) that is electrically in series between one or more prongs  110  and one or more terminals  132 . This fuse may protect circuitry coupled to power plug  100  from transient overvoltage conditions. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an exploded view of a power plug consistent with an embodiment of the present invention. This figure includes a bottom plate  350 , which may be attached to a number of prongs  310 . Again, prongs  310  may be arranged to fit in openings in a power outlet, such as a wall socket. Terminals  354  and  356  may attach to bottom plate  350 . Terminal  354  and fuse holder  352  may electrically connect to terminals of fuse  380 . 
     Inner cover  340  may be fixed to bottom plate  350  to protect terminals  354  and  356 . Outer shell  320  may be fixed to bottom plate  350  to cover inner shell  340 . Conductors  334  and  336  may attach to clip  330  and may be held in place by piece  332 . Conductors  334  and  336  may form an electrical connection between terminals  338  and terminals  354  and  356 . Specifically, portions  335  and  337  of conductors  334  and  336  may be available at terminals  338 . Tabbed ends of conductors  334  and  336  may fit through openings  342  in inner cover  340  and make contact with terminals  354  and  356 . In this way, an electrical pathway from terminals  338  through conductors  334  and  336  to terminals  354  and  356 , ending at prongs  310  may be formed. Fuse holder  370  may hold fuse  380  in the bottom portion of bottom plate  350 . 
     Again, an external housing may attach to the power plug. In one example, the housing includes a tab to fit into slot  339 . The housing may further include terminals to receive power from conductors  334  and  336  in terminals  338 . The housing may include circuitry such as AC-to-DC and DC-to-DC power conversion, including transformers and capacitors, wired or wireless transceivers, or other power, networking, or other circuitry. 
     This arrangement may provide a power plug where inner cover  340  protects terminals  354  and  356  from exposure when outer shell  320  is damaged or destroyed. Again, this is particularly likely when a housing (not shown) is attached to clip  330 , though it is not limited to these instances. Such a housing may protrude from a wall outlet and be relatively large. For this reason, the housing may be vulnerable to being struck by persons or equipment. Such contact may damage or destroy some or all of the outer shell  320 . In this event, inner cover  340  may remain intact, protecting terminals  354  and  356 . This reduces or eliminates the chance of accidental contact of voltages on these terminals by people or other objects, thereby reducing the chances of injury or property damage. 
     A power plug according to an embodiment of the present invention may be assembled as follows. Terminal  356  may attach to contact  314  on bottom plate  350 . Fuse holder  352  may attach to contact  312 . Terminal  354  may attach to bottom plate  350 . Contacts  312  and  314  may each connect to a prong  310 . Terminal  354  may be attached to fuse holder contact  355 . Fuse holder contact  352  may be attached to bottom plate  350 . In this way, fuse holders  355  and  352  may be made available under base plate  350 . Fuse  380  may be inserted into fuse holders  355  and  352 , and covered by fuse cover  370 . 
     Inner cover  340  may be attached to bottom plate  350 , thereby covering contacts  354  and  356  and protecting them from exposure in the event of damage to the power plug. Outer shell  320  may attach to bottom plate  350 . 
     Again, conductors  334  and  336  may fit under clip  330  and be held in place by piece  332 , while ends  335  and  337  of conductors  334  and  336  may be inserted in terminals  338  of clip  300 . Tab ends of conductors  334  and  336  may fit in openings  342  in inner cover  340  to make contact with terminals  354  and  356 . Clip  330  may be attached to outer shell  320 . In other embodiments, clip  330  and outer shell  320  may be formed as a single piece. A housing (not shown) may attach to the plug by using a tab inserted into slot  339 . Terminals  338  may also be used to provide mechanical support for the housing. Power available at terminals  338  may be used to power circuitry in the housing, or the power available at terminals  338  may be converted by circuitry in the housing. 
     In various embodiments of the present invention, the shell portions of the power plug may be plastic or other insulative material, while the conductive portions may be aluminum, steel, copper, or other conductive material. For example, clip  330 , outer shell  320 , inner cover  340 , and base plate  350  may be plastic or other nonconductive material. Part or all of prongs  310  may be conductive material. Terminals  354  and  356 , as well as fuse holders  352  and  355  and conductors  334  and  336 , may be formed using a conductive material. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a bottom plate consistent with an embodiment of the present invention. A number of prongs  410  may be attached to bottom plate  420 . Bottom plate  420  may include a recess or cavity  430  that may hold a fuse. Prongs  410  may be electrically connected to contacts  440  on the top side of bottom plate  420 . Terminals, for example terminals  354  and  356  in  FIG. 3 , may be attached to contacts  440 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates an inner cover  510  consistent with an embodiment of the present invention. Inner cover  510  may be fixed to bottom plate  420  in  FIG. 4 . Inner cover  510  may include openings  520 . Openings  520  allow electrical contact to be made with terminals fixed to contacts  440 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates an outer shell  610  that is consistent with an embodiment of the present invention. Outer shell  610  may include recessed portion  620 . Recessed portion  620  provides a grip for a user to extract the power plug from a wall outlet or other power source. 
     Outer shell  610  may cover inner cover  510  shown in  FIG. 5 . In this way, if outer shell  610  is damaged or destroyed, the inner cover  510  may remain intact protecting the terminals attached to prongs  410 . In this way, even when the power plug is damaged or destroyed, voltages received at prongs  410  are not exposed to contact with a user or other object. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a clip consistent with an embodiment of the present invention. Clip  710  includes terminals  730  and slot  720 . Again, an external housing may include a tab to fit in slot  720 , thereby holding the housing in place. Terminals  730  may also provide mechanical support for the housing. Power available at terminals  730  may be used or converted by circuitry inside the housing. The housing may include circuitry for AC-to-DC power conversion, such as transformers, capacitors, and other circuitry. In other an embodiments of the present invention, the housing may include other circuitry, such as wireless transceivers, USB power or hub circuits, or other networking or other power-related circuitry. In one embodiment of the present invention, power is made available at a USB receptacle attached to the housing. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates portions of a clip consistent with an embodiment of the present invention. Conductors  830  may include tabbed end  832 . Two conductors  830  may fit with piece  820  such that tabbed ends  832  fold over edge  822 . Tabbed ends  832  may fit in openings  512  in inner cover  520 . Piece  820  may fit under clip  810 . Ends  834  of conductors  830  may fit in openings in terminals  812 . Clip  810  and piece  820  may be formed of plastic or other nonconductive material, while conductors  830  may be made of a conductive material. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates portions of a bottom plate consistent with an embodiment of the present invention. Plate  900  may include terminals  910  and  920 , which may connect to prongs underneath bottom plate  900 . Fuse holder  985  may be attached to contact  910 . Terminal  990  may connect to contact  920  and may provide a terminal portion  930 . When the plug is assembled, terminal portion  930  mates with a tabbed end  832  of conductor  830 . 
     A fuse may form an electrical connection between fuse holder  950  and fuse holder  960 . Piece  980  includes fuse holder  960  and provides a terminal  940  that may mate with tabbed end  832  of conductor  830 . 
     In this way, a first prong (underneath bottom plate  900  and not shown) may connect to contact  910 . Contact  910  may connect to fuse holder  950  with piece  985 . A fuse (not shown) may continue the electrical path to fuse holder  960 . Piece  980  may tie fuse holder  960  to terminal  940 . A second prong (also underneath bottom plate  900  and not shown) may connect to contact  920 . Piece  990  may provide a path from contact  920  to terminal  930 . 
     Terminals  930  and  940  may align with openings  520  in inner cover  510 . Tabbed ends  832  of conductors  830  may fit through openings  520  in inner cover  510  and fit in terminals  930  and  940 . In this way, if an outer shell  620  is damaged or destroyed, or clip  810  is pulled away from outer shell  620 , conductors  830  may pull out of openings  520  in inner cover  510  and thus out of terminals  930  and  940 . This may leave inner cover  510  intact to protect terminals  930  and  940  from exposure. 
     The above description of embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form described, and many modifications and variations are possible in light of the teaching above. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Thus, it will be appreciated that the invention is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20101029
Publication Date: 20110906
Grant Date: 20110906
Priority Date: 20100527
Inventors: KIM MIN CHUL
YUAN PAUL
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H01R13/516", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/506", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10S439/934", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/665", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10S439/934", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/447", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6675", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R2103/00", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/02", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R31/065", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R24/30", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/02", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R24/68", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R31/065", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R24/30", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/665", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R2103/00", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/688", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R24/68", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/688", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/506", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 44513515