| US3056863A | 1962-10-02 | |||
| CH419273A | 1966-08-31 | |||
| DE8517303U1 | 1985-11-21 |
| 1. | Boxshaped electric socket (10), (50) for wall or for flush mounting, characterized in that it is extensible by means of a socket (30), (90) withdrawable from a box (1.1), 5 (60) in which it is housed, remaining connected to one end of an electric cable (15), (83) that winds round a coil (19), (80) revolving freely inside the box (11), (60), there being inside a return spring (36) which becomes load¬ ed as little by little the cable (15), (83) unwinds to al 10 low said cable t.o be automatically rewound, the other end of the cable (15), (83) being secured to electric means (19), (20), (21) rotating integrally with the coil (19), (80), said means, even while the coil is rotating, maintaining contact with fixed electric means (25), (26), (27), (7 ) se j cured to the box (11), (60), said socket (10), (50) being either wallmounted onto an ordinary electric socket by means of pins (22), (23),24) secured to the box (11) and connected to the fixed electric means (25), (26), (27) or flushmounted in the wall (106) in place of the usual em 0 bedded sockets, the fixed electric means (71) being direct¬ ly connected to terminals (65), (66), (67) in the main elec¬ tricity network inside the wall. |
| 2. | Boxshaped electric socket (10), (50) for wall or for flush mounting, as in claim 1, characterized in that the 5 rotating electric means are tracks (19), (20), (21), annular and secured to the coil (19), (80), concentric to the axis (14), (82) of rotation, while the fixed electric means (25), (26), (27), (71) are electric contacts which press elastical¬ ly against the annular tracks (19), (20), (21), or else the 0 rotating electric means are electric contacts secured to the coil (19), (80) that press elastically against the fixed electric means consisting of annular metal tracks concentric to the axis of rotation of the rotating elec¬ tric means. 5. |
| 3. | Boxshaped electric socket (10), (50) for wall or for flush mounting, as in claim 1, characterized in that the fixed electric means (25), (26), (27) secured to the box(H) are elastic contacts connected by electric pins (22), (23), (24) projecting from the back face (12) of said box (11) their dimensions center distance and composition making them suitable for plugging into ordinary wallmounted el ectric sockets like ordinary electric plugs, while the electric socket (30), ithdrawable from its box (11), is housed in one side of said box (11), perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the coil (13). |
| 4. | Boxshaped electric socket (10), (50) for wall or for flush, mounting, as in claim 1, characterized in that it is embedded in the wall, the electric means (71) secured to the box (60) being connected to the terminals (65), (66), (67) of the main electricity network in the wall, either directly or by means of electric terminals (68), (69), (70) to which the aforementioned terminals (65),66), (67) can be connected, the withdrawable electric socket (90) being housed on the front cover plate (61). |
| 5. | Boxshaped electric socket (10), (50) for wall or for flush mounting, as in claim 4, characterized in that when leaving the coil (80), the electric cable (83) is guided by means of parallel rollers (100), (101), or equivalent means, which cause the electric cable (83) to change di¬ rection from perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the coil (80) and parallel to the front plate (61) of the box (60) to a direction perpendicular to said plate (61) at the same time facilitating winding and unwinding of the electric cable (83) when the withdrawable electric socket (90)is pulled or released, to regulate the length of the cable (83) according to the distance between the wall(106) and the position of the electric appliance. |
The rotating electric means consist of annular metal ' track secured to the coil, concentric to the axis of rotation , while the fixed electric means consist of electric contact pressing elastically on the annular tracks.
Or again the rotating electric means consist of electric contacts secured to the coil and pressing elastically on the fixed electric means consisting of annular metal track concentric to the axis of rotation of the rotating electri means.
In the wall-mounted version the box-shaped socket has fixed electric means, secured to the box, consisting of elastic contacts connected to electric pins projecting from the back face of the box, their dimensions center-distance and composition making them suitable for insertion into ordi¬ nary wall sockets like normal electric pins.
The socket that can be withdrawn from the box is housed at one side of said box perpendicular to the axis of ro¬ tation of the coil.
In the flush-mounted version the box-shaped socket has el¬ ectric means secured to the box, connected to the main el¬ ectricity network either directly or by terminals to which those of the main network are connected.
The withdrawable socket fits into the front cover plate.
In this type of flush mounting, on leaving the coil the electric cable passes over parallel rollers or equivalent means which guide it from a direction perpendicular to the coil's axis of rotation and parallel to the front plate of the box, causing it to assume a direction perpendicular to said plate.
This facilitates winding and unwinding of the electric ca¬ ble when the withdrawable socket is pulled out or released
and regulates the length of said cable according to the distance between the wall and the electric appliance.
Characteristics and purposes of the invention will be made even clearer by the following examples of its execution illustrated by drawings.
Fig. 1 Perspective view of the wall-mounted execution of the box-shaped socket subject of the invention.
Fig. 2 The same, but for the flush-mounted execution.
The box-shaped socket (10) comprises a box (11) with cover (12) housing a coil (13) revolving on the shaft (14), a three-pole electric cable (1 ) winding round said coil.
One end of said cable is connected, by weldings (16), (17) » (18), to the annular metal tracks (19), (20), (21) respec¬ tively, concentric to the shaft (i4). On the back face of the box, corresponding to the cover
(12), there are three pins (22), (23), (24) each of which is connected, by means of the elastic contacts (25), (26), (27) respectively, to the three tracks (19), (29),(21) .
The øther end of the cable is connected to the withdrawable socket (30) with its three female contacts (31), (32), (33} placed in communication respectively with the three wires of the cable (15) joined to the tracks (19), (20), (21) . The withdrawable socket (30) has a front plate (35 shapeα to allow .the fingers to pull said socket out of the box(11) and connect it to the plug of an electric appliance.
Removal of the socket (30) from the box (11) causes the cable (15) to unwind from the coil (13) which therefore r£ tates overcoming the resistance opposed by the flat spiral spring (36) that winds itself round the shaft (1 )secured to the box (11).
When the socket is left to itself, the spiral spring (36) rewinds causing the cable (15) to be wound up again on the coil (13). By means of contacts (25), (26), (27) between the pins (22),
(23), (24) and the tracks (19), (20), (21), and by plugging the right pins into any electric socket, the elastic con¬ nection causes current to flow to the withdrawable socket (30) along the entire length of the cable (15). Fig. 2 shows a box-shaped socket (50) substantially like the one already described but adapted for housing in the receptacle (51) embedded in the wall (106) and held in place by means of the tabs (52) and screws (53).
This box-shaped socket (50) comprises the casing (60) and cover plate (61) secured by screws (62) to said casing.
Out of the wall (106), through the tube (63), emerges the electric cable (64) with wires (65), (66), (67) fixed to the three terminals (68), (69), (70) .
Said terminals are connected to elastic contacts, similar to the elastic contacts (25), (26), (27) in Fig. 1, one only (71) of which has been drawn for simplicity.
Said contacts press against tracks, not shown in the fi¬ gure, placed on the side (81) of the coil (80), said tracks corresponding to tracks (19), (20), (21) in Fig. 1. The coil (80) can revolve round the shaft (82) fixed to the casing (60) and is connected to said shaft (82) by means of a spiral spring like spring (36) in Fig. 1. A three- pole electric cable (83) is wound round the coil (80).
One end of said cable is connected to the set of annular tracks mentioned above in such a way that each of the three wires in the cable is secured to one each of the said three tracks.
The other end of the electric . cable is connected to the withdrawable socket (90) comprising the external plate(92). Connection between the three wires of the cable (83) res¬ pectively and the three female contacts (93), (94), (95) per¬ mits electrical communication between these latter and the electric wires (65) , (66), (67) emerging from the wall (64) through the tube.
On leaving the coil (80), the cable (83) passes over the rollers (100), (101) revolving freely on their pins (102), (103) ,supported " by "the side pieces (104), (105).
The first roller (100) keeps the electric cable (83) -about midway across the coil (80) while the roller UC1) keeps said cable (83) adhering to the roller (100) whatever the position of the socket (90) may be.
In this way, said socket (90) can be removed from the co¬ ver plate (61) and taken away from the wall as far as the length of the electric cable (83) allows it to go, opera¬ ting in a way similar to that of the withdrawable socket (30) in Fig. 1 already described.
Advantages
These are evident. In both the wall-mounted and flush-mounted types, the with drawable socket can be taken away from the wall and brought nearer to the electrical appliance - lamp, TV set, electric stove, telephone, refrigerator, washing machine, flatiron etc. - as far as the length of its cable allows it to go. When electrical connection is no longer needed, the socket subject of the invention has only to be unplugged from the appliance to enable the electric cable automatically to be rewound inside the respective boxes and the sockets,al¬ ready described, to be returned inside their housings. The whole being practical, convenient, safe; inexpensive and taking up very little space.
As the applications of the invention have been described as examples only not limited to these it is understood that every equivalent application of the inventive concepts explained and any product executed and/or in operation in accordance with the characteristics of the invention will be covered by its field of protection.