Rotatable plug assembly including an extra outlet

259 136 T3

DESCRIPTION

Swivel plug assemblies with an extra power socket.

Background of the invention

1. Field of the invention

This invention relates generally to a rotary plug assembly for incorporation into an electrical appliance, and in particular to a rotary plug assembly equipped with one or more extra electrical outlets.

2. Description of the corresponding technique

Plug-in electrical appliances such as vaporizers, night lights, timers, and the like are well known in the art. Typically, these devices are left plugged into a wall outlet for extended periods of time, thereby preventing or limiting the use of other electrical appliances in that outlet. To deal with this problem, several patents propose electrical appliances that have an extra power socket, to replace the one occupied by the plug-in appliance. US patents Nos. 5,937,140, ​​6,478,440, and EP-0 464 451 describe examples of plug-in appliances with extra power sockets.

Some types of plug-in appliances, particularly wick-based liquid vaporizers, must be oriented upright to work properly. Since some receptacles are vertical (that is, one pin receptacle is on top of another), while other such receptacles are horizontally arranged (that is, the receptacles are located next to each other), it is It is preferable for these devices to have a swivel plug that allows the device to be used in both horizontal and vertical sockets. US Pat. No. 5,647,053 describes a wick-based liquid vaporizer equipped with a rotating plug.

Summary of the invention

According to one aspect, this invention relates to a wall mount plug-in apparatus, including a housing and a plug assembly. The plug assembly is rotatably arranged within the housing, and includes: I) a plug for the electrical connection of the assembly thereof to a wall socket, and II) at least one extra socket integral with said assembly, a which can be plugged in another electrical appliance. The plug assembly conducts power to the electrical components of the appliance in each of at least two 90 degree rotation ranges of the plug assembly, and the extra outlet is accessible through a plurality of different windows in the housing at different intervals of 90 degrees of rotation of the plug assembly.

According to another aspect, this invention relates to a wall mount plug-in apparatus including a housing and a plug assembly. Said plug assembly is rotatably arranged within the housing and includes: I) a set of plug-in pins extending in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the plug assembly for electrical connection of said plug assembly to a wall socket ; and II) at least one extra integral socket to receive a set of plug pins from another electrical device. The extra socket is oriented so that the plug pins of the other electrical device, when inserted into said extra socket, extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the plug assembly. Said plug assembly electrically connects the electrical components of the appliance to the wall socket at each of the 90 degree rotation intervals of the plug assembly, and the extra socket is accessible through the different windows of the plurality of them in the housing in at least two of the four 90 degree rotation ranges.

According to yet another aspect, this invention relates to a plug-in electrical device for dispersing an active chemical in a surrounding environment. The device includes a housing with a plurality of windows, at least one electrical component contained within the housing to enhance dispersion of the active chemical in the surrounding environment, and a plug assembly rotatably disposed within the housing. Said plug assembly includes: I) a male plug to electrically connect said assembly to a wall outlet, and II) at least one extra outlet integral with said assembly to which another electrical appliance can be plugged. The plug assembly conducts power to the electrical component in each of at least two 90 degree rotation intervals of said plug assembly, and the extra outlet is accessible through different windows of the plurality of them in the housing. , at different 90 degree rotation intervals of the plug assembly.

In yet another aspect, this invention relates to a plug-in vaporizer for dispensing an active chemical into a surrounding environment. The vaporizer includes: I) a bottle containing a liquid formula that includes at least one active chemical; II) a wick, having a lower part arranged inside the bottle and an upper part protruding from said bottle, to draw the liquid formula from the bottle towards the upper part of the wick; III) a housing in which the bottle is detachably retained, which housing includes a plurality of windows; IV) an electrical heating device arranged within the housing, in a position near the top of the wick, to promote evaporation of the liquid formula from the top of the wick; and V) a plug assembly rotatably disposed within the housing, to supply power to the heating device. The plug assembly includes a set of plug-in pins extended in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of said plug assembly, for the electrical connection of said assembly to a wall electrical socket, and at least one extra integral socket. with the set to receive a set of plug pins from another electrical appliance. Said extra socket is oriented so that the plug pins of the other electrical appliance, when inserted into the extra socket, extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the plug assembly. Said plug assembly electrically connects the electrical components of the appliance to the wall socket at each of four 90 degree rotation intervals of the plug assembly, and said extra socket is accessible through

ES 2 259 136 T3 windows different from the plurality of them of the housing, in at least two of the four intervals of rotation of 90 degrees.

A better understanding of these and other features and advantages of this invention may be achieved with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated and described.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vaporizer incorporating a preferred rotary plug assembly.

Fig. 2 is a rotated perspective view of the vaporizer shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the vaporizer shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the rotary plug of the vaporizer shown in Fig.

1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the swivel plug assembly shown in Fig. 4, configured for insertion into a vertical wall outlet.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the swivel plug assembly shown in Fig. 4, configured for insertion into a horizontal wall outlet.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of a preferred electrical circuit for the vaporizer shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 8 and 9 are, respectively, front and rear perspective views of another vaporizer incorporating a preferred rotary plug assembly.

Fig. 10 is an exploded view of the vaporizer assembly shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10, in which the vaporizer is provided with a fan.

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 10 but from a different point of view, in which the vaporizer is provided with a night light.

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 12, in which the vaporizer is provided with an indicator light.

Description of preferred embodiments

Figures 1 through 7 illustrate a vaporizer 100 incorporating a preferred rotary plug in accordance with the invention. As shown in FIG. 1, vaporizer 100 comprises a multi-piece housing 110 in which a bottle 120 is detachably retained. Bottle 120 contains an evaporable substance (not shown), such as, for example, a liquid formula that includes an active chemical, such as insecticide, fragrance, odor remover, or the like. The term "bottle" is used herein in the broadest possible sense, and includes any receptacle, container, bag, etc. capable of containing the chemical formula. A relief pattern 130 on one side of the bottle is attached to an opening 140 in the front shield 150 of the vaporizer housing 110, while a similar relief pattern (not shown) on the opposite side of the bottle 120 is attached to a recess 170 (shown in Fig. 3) in an intermediate shield 180, in order to hold said bottle 120 inside the vaporizer 100. The front shield 150 is flexible enough so that when pulling the bottle 120 in a downward direction, it causes the relief patterns 130 to be released. of the opening 140 of the front shield 150 and of the recess 170 of the intermediate shield 180, respectively, thereby allowing the removal of said bottle 120 from the vaporizer 100. Alternatively, the neck portion of the bottle may be designed to snap or screw into the vaporizer housing. Suitable refill bottles are available with a wide variety of liquid formulas from SC Johnson

Son, Inc., of Racine, Wisconsin, under the trademarks GLADE®, PLUGIN®, and RAID®.

As shown in Fig. 3, the bottle 130 includes a wick 190 to draw the liquid formula out of the bottle 120 and into an upper portion of said wick 190. A lower portion of the wick 190 is immersed in the liquid formula, and the upper part of it protrudes above the neck of said bottle 120. Preferably, wick 190 is located within bottle 120 by means of a cap 200, which includes a shell 210 that encloses the top of said wick 190, except for an open area near the tip of wick 190. Alternatively, it may be used a lid without the wrapper. Preferably, the wick is about mm in diameter, and is made of ultra-high molecular weight, high-density polyethylene.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7, the vaporizer housing 110 comprises three shields, the anterior and intermediate 150, 180 mentioned above, and a rear shield 220, which are fastened together by means of thermal engagement or any other suitable fastening means, including, for example, rivets. , press fit, snap fit, screws, ultrasonic welding, adhesives, or the like. The electrical components of the vaporizer 100 (discussed in detail below) are housed within the space between the intermediate and rear shields 180, 220.

Referring to FIG. 2, rear shield 220 contains a circular opening in which electrical plug assembly 230 is seated. Said plug assembly 230 serves the dual purpose of supplying power to the electrical components of vaporizer 100, and also holding vaporizer 100 in a wall outlet (not shown). Preferably, plug assembly 230 is rotatable 360 ​​degrees in order to hold vaporizer 100 in an upright position on both horizontal and vertical polarized wall outlets. Advantageously, the plug assembly 230 may be provided with an extra socket 160, located on the side of the vaporizer 100 when it is plugged into a vertical wall socket (Figs. 1 and 5), and at the bottom of the vaporizer 100 when it is plugged into a horizontal wall outlet (see Fig. 6).

As illustrated in Figs. 4-6, plug assembly 230 comprises a cylindrically shaped, stepped body 360. Socket fins 370 protrude through narrow slots 380 in the rear face of socket assembly body 360, in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of socket assembly 230. In the preferred embodiment shown, each socket leg 370 it includes a spring contact 390 at its distal end and a sliding contact 400. As best illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the sliding contacts 400 project directly through the openings 410 provided on opposite sides of the body 260 of the assembly.

ES 2 259 136 T3 plug. Plug pins 370 include spring contacts 390 and slide contacts 400, preferably made of nickel plated brass, although other well known conductive materials could also be used.

The plug assembly 230 includes at least one, and preferably two extra outlets 160. In the preferred embodiment shown, two extra sockets 160 are provided on opposite sides of the body 360 of the plug assembly, spaced approximately 180 degrees from each other. A pair of rigid conductive members 420 are snapped onto spring contacts 390, thereby electrically connecting extra outlets 160 to pins 370. The conductive members 420 do not make contact with each other. Preferably, said conductive members are made of brass, although other well-known conductive materials could also be used.

Plug assembly 230 rotates within the bottom of vaporizer housing 110. A pair of contact carriers 430 are fixed within housing 110 and substantially surround the cylindrical surface of plug assembly 230. Preferably, the contact carriers 430 are made of phosphor bronze, although other well-known conductive materials could also be used. Contact carriers 430 selectively provide an electrical connection between plug assembly 230 and the electrical components of vaporizer 100. In the preferred embodiment shown, contact carriers 430 include four electrical contacts 440 spaced around plug assembly 230 approximately 90 degrees to each other. Opposing pairs of contacts 440 are dimensioned to receive sliding contacts 400 of plug pins 370 at each of four 90 degree intervals of rotation of plug assembly 230. To facilitate this, sliding contacts 400 are preferably tapered along along its edges, as indicated in Fig. 4. Thus, in the preferred embodiment shown, plug assembly 230 is capable of conducting power to the electrical components of vaporizer 100 in each of four possible 90 degree rotation intervals of plug assembly 230. Plug assembly 230 of this The invention is capable of being rotated in any direction any number of times, and will still provide the required electrical connections at each 90 degree rotation interval.

Preferably, vaporizer housing 110 includes three windows 460, one at the bottom of vaporizer 100 and one on each side. The windows 460 are positioned so that at least one of the extra outlets 160 is accessible through a window in at least two of the four possible 90 degree rotation intervals of the plug assembly 230. For example, in the orientation shown in Fig. 5, the extra outlets 160 are aligned with the windows 460 on opposite sides of the housing 110, while in the rotated orientation shown in Fig. 6, only one of the extra outlets 160 is accessible through the window 460 in bottom of housing 110. Thus, if the plug assembly 230 includes two extra outlets 160 on its opposite sides, at least one of said extra outlets 160 will be accessible in each of the four possible 90 degree rotation ranges. If there is only one extra tap, it will be accessible in three of the four 90-degree turn intervals.

Alternatively, vaporizer 100 may have just two windows 460 arranged on mutually orthogonal sides of housing 110, for example on the side and on the bottom. In this case, if the plug assembly 230 includes two extra outlets 160 on its opposite sides. one of said extra taps 160 will be accessible at each of the four possible 90 degree turn intervals. If there is only one extra tap, it will be accessible in two of the four 90-degree turn intervals.

Although in the preferred embodiment described above, the swivel plug assembly 230 is incorporated into a liquid vaporizer, those skilled in the art will appreciate that such a plug assembly can be used in many different types of wall-mounted plug-in appliances, such as non-liquid fragrance dispensers, non-liquid insect control devices, timers, and the like.

The electrical components of the aforementioned vaporizer 100 will now be described with reference to Figs. 3 and 7. Each contact carrier 430 is electrically connected by pins 600, 610 to a circuit board 240, which in turn is electrically connected to a heating device 250, and preferably also to a fan unit 260. The firing device 250 is disposed adjacent a window 270 of the intermediate shield 180, which faces the tip of the wick 190 when the bottle 120 is inserted into the vaporizer 100. The firing of the wick 190 improves the rate at which it is burned. evaporates the liquid formula into the surrounding environment, as described in detail below. Preferably, the heater 250 is a 1.9 kQ 7 W metal oxide resistor encapsulated in a ceramic block. The resistor preferably has PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) characteristics, which means that its resistance value increases slightly as the resistor heats up. A suitable strength is available, for example, from Great Land Enterprise Co. Ltd. of Shenzhen, China. Alternatively, the heating device 250 may comprise one or more other types of heating resistors, a wire wound heater, a PTC heater, or the like.

The fan unit 260 is disposed within an upper part of the housing 110. The rear shield 220 includes air inlets 280 (shown in Fig. 2) to supply air to said fan unit 260. As described in more detail forward, the fan unit 260 creates a stream of air that carries away the evaporated liquid formula and assists in the dispersion of the active chemical into the surrounding environment. Preferably, the flow rate of the ventilation unit 260 within the vaporizer 100 is approximately 0.0142 m.³ per minute, and the fan speed is approximately 2800 to 3800 RPM. A suitable fan unit 260 is a 12V DC brushless fan, such as available from Power Logic Tech. Inc., of Tapei-Hsien, Taiwan. Alternatively other DC or AC fans could be used, with appropriate settings on circuit board 240, which is described in detail below.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of a board

ES 2 259 136 T3 of preferred circuit 240 for vaporizer 100. Preferably, circuit board 240 is constructed of a fireproof material. Pins 600, 610 of circuit board 240 are arranged in electrical contact with respective contact carriers 430. The voltage applied across pins 600, 610 is 120 V, at a frequency of 60 Hz. The heater 250 is connected to the circuit board 240 by means of a pair of rivets 620, 630. Connected in parallel are: I) a Zener diode 640 of 15 V and 1.3 W; II) an aluminum electrolytic capacitor 650, 22 pF and 50 V, adjusted for a temperature of 105 ° C; and III) the fan unit 260. The circuit board 240 also includes a 660 IN 4007 diode. The power consumption through the entire circuit is from about 3.5 W to about 4.0 W. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous alternative circuit configurations are possible, and that the values ​​will vary depending on the applied voltage.

Immediately downstream of the vent unit 260 is a port structure 290 shown in Fig. 3, comprising at least one fin, and more preferably a plurality of fins 300. Preferably. Port structure 290 is an integral part of intermediate shield 150, but may also be disposed separately from intermediate shield 150. As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 10, the fins 300 are angled upward and away from the heater 250 and the top of the wick 190, preferably at an approximate angle of between 20 degrees and 60 degrees relative to the horizontal, when the vaporizer 100 is in an upright position.

The optimal angle of the port varies depending on factors such as the fan speed and the air exchange rate within the room in which the vaporizer 100 is located. In rooms with a relatively low air exchange rate (for example , between about 0.6 to about 1.2 exchanges per hour), a fin angle of about 40 degrees to about 45 degrees relative to horizontal is preferred. In rooms with higher air exchange rates, a fin angle of about 25 degrees to about 30 degrees from horizontal is preferred.

Intermediate shield 180 is shaped to direct the air stream created by ventilation unit 260 through fins 300. Notably, intermediate shield 180 does not allow diffuse air currents to recirculate within housing 110, where such streams could exert an undesirable cooling effect on heater 250. A pair of openings 225 (shown in Fig. 2) on the side of the vaporizer 100 help to achieve adequate air circulation through the vaporizer.

The front shield 150 includes a plurality of ventilation holes 310, through which the air stream from the vaporizer 100 exits after passing through the fins 300. When said air stream leaves the vaporizer 100 through said holes 310 , drags the evaporated liquid formula, which rises from the wick 190 through an opening 320 in the front shield 150, below said ventilation holes 310.

Optionally, vaporizer 100 also includes an adjustment mechanism 330 that positions the top of wick 190 relative to heating device 250. Preferably, adjustment mechanism 330 includes a hollow cylindrical portion 340 that surrounds and engages the portion. top of wick 190, preferably at a location where wick 190 is surrounded by shell 210. The adjustment mechanism 330 also includes an indicator wheel 350 accessible from outside the vaporizer housing 110, to rotate the cylindrical portion 340 about an axis of rotation. Rotation of the indicator wheel 350 of the adjustment mechanism 330 causes the wick 190 to move towards or away from the heating device 250 in a lateral direction, that is, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the wick 190. .

Other preferred embodiments of this invention are illustrated in Figs. 8 to 13. In Fig. 8 a vaporizer is shown that includes a first shield 1 and a second shield 2, which can be attached to each other in any well-known manner, including rivets, screws, heat fit, or the like. The first and second shields 1 and 2 together form the vaporizer core housing structure. Said structure contains many of the basic functional components of said vaporizer, as well as one or more additional functional devices. As shown in Figs. 8 and 10, the basic components of the vaporizer include a rotating electrical plug assembly S, a contact carrier M having several electrical contacts, an electrical heating device R connected to a pair of contacts M_Rof the contact carrier M, a bottle F containing the liquid substance to be evaporated, and a wick W for sucking the liquid substance out of the bottle and towards an upper part of said wick.

The S plug assembly is of the sliding contact type, and has the S contacts_M for coupling to any two possible corresponding pairs of contacts M_S on the M contact carrier. The M contact pairs_S on the contact carrier M they are offset from each other by approximately 90 degrees, which allows the plug to be rotated through a space of 360 degrees. This makes the vaporizer easily adaptable for use with both horizontal and vertical electrical outlets, as found in different parts of the world.

The vaporizer is completed by a cover 3, which preferably surrounds substantially the entire outer surface of the second shield 2, so that substantially only the cover is visible when the vaporizer is viewed from the front. The cover 3 is attached to the housing structure, preferably to the second shield 2, by any suitable fastening system. The cover 3 includes one or more access windows corresponding to any additional functional device or devices with which the vaporizer is equipped. Apart from these minimal functional considerations, the cover design can be tailored to the aesthetic preferences of consumers.

An advantageous feature of the invention is that it allows any of a number of different additional functional devices to be incorporated into the vaporizer, without requiring any substantial modification to the core housing structure or basic functional components of the vaporizer.

ES 2 259 136 T3

To this end, the housing structure is configured in advance to receive any of the additional functional devices. At the same time, the design of the cover 3 can be varied depending on the additional functional device (s) with which the vaporizer is equipped, and on the aesthetic preferences of a particular market. Additional functional devices for the vaporizer may include, for example, a suction regulator, a wick adjustment mechanism, a fan, a night light, an indicator light, a programmable user interface, or the like.

In the preferred embodiment shown, the vaporizer includes an extra electrical outlet. As shown in Fig. 10, a pair of metal bands 5 are arranged within the body of the rotatable plug assembly S. One end of each band 5 is pressed in engagement with the spring contacts of the plug pins, while the other end has a clamping system 5p for connection to an electrical plug. The extra electrical outlet is accessible through any of two windows 5f arranged in the first shield 1, depending on the position adopted by the plug assembly S.

Fig. 11 illustrates a vaporizer that includes a fan as an additional functional device. The fan is housed in the upper part of the first and second shields 1 and 2, which for this purpose are provided with a wide cavity. This cavity houses a printed electrical circuit 10 and a fan assembly 11, which is powered and controlled by circuit 10. Said circuit 10 is in turn powered by a pair of contacts M₁₀ (which is precisely the same pair of contacts M_R described above in connection with Fig. 10). In this embodiment, the heating device R is connected to the circuit 10 instead of being directly connected to the contact carrier M. The circuit 10 is equipped with a switch 10a that is accessible through a window 10f in the first shield 1.

Fig. 12 illustrates a vaporizer that includes a night light 12 as an additional functional device. Such night light 12 may be chosen from several well-known types of commercially available devices, such as incandescent lamps, neon lamps, LED (light emitting diode) devices (as shown in Fig. 12), or the like. If desired, a diffusing lens 12a can also be used. The electrical connections in this embodiment are identical to those discussed above with respect to Fig. eleven.

Fig. 13 illustrates a vaporizer that includes a programmable user interface 13 as an additional functional device. In the preferred embodiment shown in Fig. 13, the interface includes three LED devices. The LED devices preferably have a much lower wattage than those used in the realization of night light, since it is not intended to provide illumination but only a signal of the different operating modes of the vaporizer. In this embodiment, a diffuser lens 13a can also be used. if so desired. The electrical connections of this embodiment are identical to those discussed above with respect to Fig. 11.

From the above description it is clear that it is possible to modify the number and type of additional functional devices with which the vaporizer is equipped, without making any significant modification to its core housing structure, including the first and second shields 1 and 2. Rather, the vaporizer can simply be provided with a cover 3 having the desired aesthetic characteristics, and only those access windows that are necessarily based on the particular additional functional devices with which the vaporizer is equipped. During the manufacture of such a vaporizer, the additional functional devices can be easily inserted into their respective places, and connected to the electrical contacts already arranged on the first and second shields 1 and 2.

The embodiments set forth are representative of the preferred embodiments of this invention, and are set forth for illustrative purposes only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Although structures, components, circuits, etc. have been shown and described. specific, these are not limiting. Modifications and variations are contemplated within the scope of this invention and are intended to be limited only by the scope of the accompanying claims.