CN111509481A

CN111509481A - Foldable plug assembly and device comprising the same

Info

Publication number: CN111509481A
Application number: CN202010245413.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 童水波
Original assignee: Anker Innovations Co Ltd
Current assignee: Anker Innovations Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-03-31
Filing date: 2020-03-31
Publication date: 2020-08-07

Abstract

The present invention provides a foldable plug assembly and a device including the same, comprising: the plug pin fixing device comprises at least two plug pins, a shell, plug pin accommodating grooves, a limiting structure and a cam structure which are arranged at intervals, wherein an accommodating space is formed in the shell, a support for fixing the plug pins is arranged in the accommodating space, and the at least two plug pins are rotatably fixed on the support through a rotating shaft; the pin receiving grooves are arranged on the shell, and the pins are received in the pin receiving grooves when the pins are in a folded state; the limiting structure is arranged on the outer side of at least one end part of the rotating shaft; a cam structure is disposed on at least one end of the pivot shaft and is configured to abut against the retention structure to cause a portion of the retention structure to protrude from the housing to mate with a retention feature on the device body to limit separation of the foldable plug assembly from the device body when the foldable plug assembly is mounted to the device body and the prongs are in the open position.

Description

Foldable plug assembly and device comprising the same

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of electronic product accessories, in particular to a foldable plug assembly and a device comprising the same.

Background

At present, the charger products are more popular and have various types, the design and the requirements of most of the plugs of the middle and American Japanese standards are similar, most of the utility model is designed to be folded, the plug pins can be folded and unfolded or folded according to the use condition, the storage is convenient, meanwhile, in order to meet the requirements of plugs with different specifications in the world, a user can freely replace the design scheme of the plug according to the requirement, so that the folding plug can be applied in a larger range, replaceable folding plugs are also widely used in this context, but are limited by safety regulations, making almost all detachable folding plugs bulky, and limiting the design of the product appearance, the replaceable connection mode between the folding plug and the charger device main body mostly depends on friction force and a buckle key, the reliability and the safety of connection between the folding plug and the charger device main body are poor only depending on the friction force, the buckle key is complex in design, and user experience is poor.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a novel foldable plug assembly and a device including the same to solve the above-mentioned problems.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides, in one aspect, a foldable plug assembly comprising:

at least two pins arranged at intervals;

the plug pin fixing device comprises a shell, wherein an accommodating space is formed in the shell, a support for fixing plug pins is arranged in the accommodating space, and the at least two plug pins are rotatably fixed on the support through rotating shafts;

the plug pin receiving groove is formed in the shell, and when the plug pin is in a folded state, the plug pin is received in the plug pin receiving groove;

the limiting structure is arranged on the outer side of at least one end part of the rotating shaft;

a cam structure disposed at least one end of the pivot shaft, the cam structure configured to abut against the retention structure to cause a portion of the retention structure to protrude from the housing to mate with a fixed location structure on the device body to limit separation of the foldable plug assembly from the device body when the foldable plug assembly is mounted to the device body and the prongs are in the open position.

Optionally, the housing is formed with an opening configured to allow the stopper structure to move within the opening along a length extension of the opening during folding and unfolding of the pin.

Optionally, the limiting structure comprises a locking structure, part of the locking structure is located in the opening and configured to: when the foldable plug assembly is mounted to a device body and the prongs are in an open state, the portion protruding from the housing mates with a retention feature on the device body, defining the separation of the foldable plug assembly from the device body.

Optionally, the stop structure further comprises a return structure connected to the locking structure and configured to limit the locking structure to be located within the housing when the prong is folded and to limit the locking structure against the cam structure when the prong is unfolded.

Optionally, the reset structure includes a reset spring, a first end of the locking structure passes through the reset spring and extends into the opening, a second end of the locking structure is located in the accommodating space, wherein a radial dimension of the second end is greater than a radial dimension of the first end, one end of the reset spring abuts against the housing, and the other end of the reset spring abuts against the second end of the locking structure.

Optionally, the cam structure is disposed at least one end of the rotating shaft offset from the axial center of the rotating shaft.

Optionally, the free end of the cam structure is located outside the pin, and/or the cam structure extends a partial length in an axial direction parallel to the axis of rotation.

Optionally, the foldable plug assembly is applied to a charging device, the charging device includes a device body, the foldable plug assembly further includes a mounting assembly disposed on the housing for detachably mounting the foldable plug assembly to the device body, wherein the mounting assembly includes a power transmission assembly electrically connected to the pins and electrically connected to a power input interface of the device body when mounted to the device body.

In yet another aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus including a foldable plug assembly, the apparatus comprising:

the foregoing foldable plug assembly;

a device body detachably mountable with the foldable plug assembly, wherein the device body includes a retention feature configured to mate with a portion of the retention feature protruding from the housing when the foldable plug assembly is mounted to the device body and the prongs are in the open state for restricting separation of the foldable plug assembly from the device body.

Optionally, the fixing position structure is a groove structure arranged on the device main body, and the limiting structure extends into the groove structure from the protruding part of the shell, or the fixing position structure is a protrusion structure arranged on the device main body, and a groove structure matched with the protrusion structure is arranged on the limiting structure protruding from the shell.

The foldable plug assembly in the embodiment of the invention comprises a limiting structure arranged at the outer side of at least one end part of the rotating shaft and a cam structure arranged at least one end part of the rotating shaft, when the foldable plug assembly is installed to the device body and the pins are in an opening state, the cam structure is configured to abut against the limiting structure to enable part of the limiting structure to protrude from the shell to be matched with a fixed positioning structure on the device body for limiting the separation of the foldable plug assembly from the device body, the foldable plug assembly has small volume and larger freedom of product appearance design, and the foldable plug assembly is locked with the device body by the limiting structure and the cam structure when the pin assembly is connected with the device body and the pins are opened and can not be separated under the condition of non-violent damage, the connection is more reliable and safer. When participating in the subassembly and breaking away from the device main part, must fold and pack up to participate in and just can make and participate in subassembly and the separation of device main part, guarantee to participate in to pack up and be convenient for accomodate, user experience is better.

The device comprising the foldable plug assembly comprises the foldable plug assembly and a device body, wherein the device body is detachably mounted with the foldable plug assembly, the device body comprises a fixing position structure which is configured to be matched with a part of the limiting structure protruding from the shell when the foldable plug assembly is mounted to the device body and the pins are in an opening state, and the fixing position structure is used for limiting the separation of the foldable plug assembly and the device body, so that the connection is more reliable and safe. When participating in the subassembly and breaking away from the device main part, must fold and pack up to participate in and just can make and participate in subassembly and the separation of device main part, guarantee to participate in to pack up and be convenient for accomodate, user experience is better.

Drawings

The following drawings of the invention are included to provide a further understanding of the invention. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of the prongs of a foldable plug assembly in a folded state, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic view of the prongs of a foldable plug assembly in an embodiment of the present invention in an open state;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view of a foldable plug assembly in one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates an enlarged schematic view of the prongs of a foldable plug assembly in one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a foldable plug assembly in one embodiment of the present invention when not mounted to a device body and with prongs in a folded state;

FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a foldable plug assembly in one embodiment of the present invention when not mounted to a device body and with prongs in an open state;

FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a device including a foldable plug assembly with prongs in a folded state, in one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a device including a foldable plug assembly with prongs in an open state, in one embodiment of the invention;

fig. 9 shows a schematic perspective view of a device body in an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without one or more of these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in order to avoid obscuring the invention.

It is to be understood that the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the size and relative sizes of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "adjacent to," "connected to," or "coupled to" other elements or layers, it can be directly on, adjacent to, connected or coupled to the other elements or layers or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly adjacent to," "directly connected to" or "directly coupled to" other elements or layers, there are no intervening elements or layers present. It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the present invention.

Spatial relational terms such as "under," "below," "under," "above," "over," and the like may be used herein for convenience in describing the relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, then elements or features described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary terms "under" and "under" can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatial descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of the associated listed items.

In order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention, a detailed structure will be set forth in the following description in order to explain the present invention. The following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, however, the invention is capable of other embodiments in addition to those detailed.

In order to solve the technical problems of large volume, poor safety of connection between a device main body and the like existing in the prior foldable plug, the invention provides a foldable plug assembly, which comprises:

the foldable plug assembly provided by the embodiment of the invention has the advantages that the size is small, the degree of freedom of product appearance design is larger, the foldable plug assembly is locked with the device main body through the limiting structure and the cam structure when the pin assembly is connected with the device main body and the pins are opened, the foldable plug assembly cannot be separated under the condition of non-violent damage, and the connection is more reliable and safer. When participating in the subassembly and breaking away from the device main part, must fold and pack up to participate in and just can make and participate in subassembly and the separation of device main part, guarantee to participate in to pack up and be convenient for accomodate, user experience is better.

The foldable plug assembly and the device comprising the foldable plug assembly of the present invention will be explained and explained with reference to fig. 1 to 9.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a foldable plug assembly comprises: the shell, form the accommodation space in the casing. In the specific example shown in fig. 1 and 2, the housing includes a front shell 101 and a bottom shell 108, and the front shell 101 has an accommodating space therein for accommodating various devices, such as a conductive elastic sheet, a locking member, and the like.

The front shell 101 and the bottom shell 108 are engaged, and the bottom shell 108 covers the accommodating space in the front shell 101, so that the accommodating space is formed in the combined shell, wherein the front shell 101 and the bottom shell 108 can be engaged by any suitable means, such as a snap-fit manner, a tight-fit manner, a welding manner, or a screwing manner, and the like, wherein in this embodiment, the front shell and the bottom shell 108 are engaged by the snap-fit manner to form a complete shell, and the combination between the two is firm, can be regarded as an integral non-detachable piece, and cannot find a relative displacement therebetween.

Illustratively, as shown in fig. 3, the housing is provided with a pin receiving slot 103, and more specifically, the pin receiving slot 103 is provided on the face shell 101, and the pin is received in the pin receiving slot 103 when the pin is in a folded state. Wherein the size of the pin receiving groove 103 is matched with and larger than the size of the pin so as to receive the pin therein.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the foldable plug assembly includes at least two prongs 102 spaced apart from each other. The pins 102 may include pins complying with safety standards of various countries, for example, pins complying with safety standards of countries such as china, the united states, japan, the united kingdom, and the like. In the present embodiment, the foldable plug assembly of the present invention is mainly explained and illustrated by taking the structure of two pins 102 spaced apart from each other as an example, but it should be noted that the structure of the pins is not limited to the above structure, and other suitable structures are also possible.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 3, at least two pins 102 spaced apart from each other are connected by a rotation shaft 1041, and the pins 102 are rotated by the rotation of the rotation shaft. The rotation shaft 1041 is disposed at one end of the pin 102 for electrically connecting with the conductive elastic sheet, and is away from one end of the pin 102 for electrically connecting with a power supply.

Participate in 102 can be at the bottom surface vertical to parallel range with the drain pan and rotate folding, can rotate at 0 ~ 90 within range, can make the bottom surface of participating in the perpendicular to drain pan when using conveniently be connected with the power electricity through the rotation of participating in, can fold when not using simultaneously and pack up, conveniently carries.

In one example, as shown in fig. 3, a limiting structure 111 is provided outside at least one end of the rotation shaft 1041 and is configured to limit separation of the foldable plug assembly from the device body when the foldable plug assembly is mounted to the device body and the pins are in the open state. Alternatively, the stopper structure 111 may be provided only outside one end portion of the rotation shaft 1041, or the stopper structures 111 may be provided outside both end portions of the rotation shaft 1041, respectively.

In one example, as shown in fig. 3, the housing is formed with an opening 110, for example, the opening 110 is disposed on a downward-hanging sidewall of the front shell 101, or may be disposed on the bottom shell, and particularly, the opening 110 is configured to allow the limiting structure 111 to move in the opening 110 along the length extending direction of the opening 110 during the folding and unfolding process of the pins, for example, during the switching process of the pins from the unfolded state to the folded state, the limiting structure moves into the housing along the length extending direction of the opening 110, and during the switching process of the pins from the folded state to the unfolded state, the limiting structure moves out of the housing along the length extending direction of the opening 110, so as to partially protrude out of the housing, as shown in fig. 2.

In one example, as shown in fig. 4, the foldable plug assembly further includes a cam structure 109, disposed at least one end of the rotation shaft 1041, the cam structure 109 may be provided in accordance with the above-described limit structure, for example, the limit structure 111 is provided outside one end portion or both end portions of the rotation shaft 1041, the cam structure 109 is provided at the corresponding end portion, when the foldable plug assembly is mounted to the device body with the prongs in the open position, the cam structure 109 is configured to abut against the retention structure 111 to cause a portion of the retention structure to protrude from the housing to mate with a fixed location structure on the device body, defining separation of the foldable plug assembly from the device body, the foldable plug assembly is locked with the device body and can not be separated under the condition of non-violent damage, and the connection is more reliable and safer.

Further, the cam structure 109 is disposed at least one end of the rotation shaft 1041 offset from the axis of the rotation shaft so that the cam structure 109 is spaced apart from the stopper structure without applying a force thereto when the plug pins are folded. Optionally, the free end of the cam structure is located outside the pin, and/or the cam structure extends a partial length in an axial direction parallel to the axis of rotation.

Illustratively, as shown in fig. 3, the position-limiting structure 111 includes a locking structure 1111, and a portion of the locking structure 1111 located in the opening 110 is configured to: when the foldable plug assembly is mounted to the device body with the prongs in the open position, the portion protruding from the housing mates with a retention feature on the device body 201, defining the foldable plug assembly to be detached from the device body 201, as shown in fig. 8.

Further, as shown in fig. 3, the limiting structure 111 further comprises a reset structure 1112, the reset structure 1112 being connected to the locking structure 1111 and configured to limit the locking structure 1111 within the housing when the prongs are folded and to limit the locking structure 1111 against the cam structure 109 when the prongs are unfolded.

In one example, the return structure 1112 includes a return spring, as shown in fig. 5, a first end of the locking structure 1111 extends into the opening 1110 of the housing through the return spring, a second end of the locking structure 1111 is located in the receiving space of the housing, wherein a radial dimension of the second end of the locking structure 1111 is larger than a radial dimension, such as a width or a diameter, of the first end of the locking structure 1111, and one end of the return spring abuts against the housing, such as the housing in the opening, and the other end abuts against the second end of the locking structure 1111, so that the return spring returns the locking structure.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 5, the prongs 102 are in a folded state in which the foldable plug assembly is not connected to the device body, and the locking structure 1111 located in the opening is not moved outwardly of the housing by the reset structure 1112. Whereas in the embodiment shown in fig. 6, the pin 102 is in the open position, in which the foldable plug assembly is not connected to the device body, the pin 102 is opened by the rotation shaft, in which the cam structure 109 provided at the end of the rotation shaft 1041 is rotated to a position opposite to the end of the locking structure 1111 located in the housing and against the end of the locking structure 1111, and the locking structure 1111 is maintained in engagement with the cam structure 109 at all times by the reset structure 1112, so that when the pin is opened, the locking structure 1111 is pushed out of the housing by the cam structure 109 to cause part of the locking structure 1111 to protrude out of the housing, so that when the foldable plug assembly is mounted to the device body and the pin is in the open position, the locking structure protruding from the housing mates with the fixed position structure on the device body to limit the detachment of the foldable plug assembly from the device body, the foldable plug assembly and the device body are locked, and can not be separated under the condition of non-violent damage, so that the connection is more reliable and safer, and the problem that the device comprising the foldable plug assembly can not work normally due to the separation of the foldable plug assembly and the device body when the plug pins are opened is prevented.

Illustratively, as shown in fig. 3, a fixing structure 1080 is disposed in the accommodating space in the housing, and the fixing structure 1080 is disposed in the accommodating space of the housing, and more specifically, the fixing structure is disposed on the bottom shell 108, and the fixing structure 1080 can be fixed on the bottom shell 108 by any suitable manner, such as by bonding, welding, screwing, and the like, in the example shown in fig. 3, the fixing structure 1080 is fixed on the bottom shell 108 by screws 1083, and the number of the screws 1083 may be 3, or any other suitable number, which is not limited herein.

A support 1082 for fixing the plug pins is disposed in the accommodating space, the at least two plug pins are rotatably fixed on the support 1082 through a rotation shaft 1041, in a specific example, as shown in fig. 3, a support 1082 for fixing the plug pins 102 is disposed on the bottom case 108, the at least two plug pins are fixed on the support 1082 through the rotation shaft 1041, wherein the support 1082 may be two supports 1082 disposed at intervals, and a top end of the support is disposed in a concave arc shape to match with the rotation shaft 1041. Wherein after the rotation shaft 1041 is fixed on the support 1082, the rotation shaft is fixed on the support. More specifically, the fixing structure 1080 is further provided with a bracket 1082 for fixing the pins, and the fixing structure 1080 is provided on the bottom case 108, and the bracket is correspondingly provided on the bottom case 108.

Illustratively, the fixing structure 1080 is further provided with a spring fixing seat 1081 for fixing the conductive spring 107 to the bottom housing 108.

Alternatively, the bottom shell 108 may be any suitable shape, wherein the bottom shell 108 may include only a bottom plate to cover the opening in the bottom of the face shell 101, or the bottom shell 108 may further include a bottom plate and a vertically disposed mounting plate disposed at one end of the bottom plate, the mounting plate and the face shell being snap-coupled.

The side wall of the housing is further provided with a connecting hole 1084, the connecting hole 1084 is, for example, a positive and negative connecting hole, the positive and negative electrodes of the device body are electrically connected with the foldable plug assembly through the connecting hole, and meanwhile, when the foldable plug assembly is detachably mounted to the device body, the unlocking structure (for example, positive and negative electrodes) on the device body inserts the unlocking locking piece 1050 into the connecting hole, so that the plug pins can be rotatably opened and folded.

Illustratively, as shown in fig. 3, the coupling hole is provided in a moving direction of the locking member, for an unlocking structure of the device body to pass through the coupling hole when the device body and the foldable plug assembly are coupled, and apply a force to the locking member to move the locking member 1050, thereby unlocking the locking member 1050.

In one example, the attachment hole 1084 is provided on a vertical mounting plate of the bottom housing 108. Further, the fixing structure 1080 is provided with a through hole opposite to the connecting hole 1084, and the size and shape of the through hole can match with the connecting hole 1084.

In one example, the foldable plug assembly is applied to a charging device including a device body, and the foldable plug assembly further includes a mounting assembly (not shown) provided on the housing for detachably mounting the foldable plug assembly to the device body. Wherein, the mounting assembly can be arranged on the bottom shell or the face shell. For example, the mounting assembly is disposed on the fixed structure 1080.

Optionally, the mounting assembly includes a power transfer assembly (not shown) electrically connected to the pins, when mounted to the device body, to a power input interface of the device body. Since it is a conventional art in the art that the charging plug and the charging body are detachably mated, embodiments of the present invention will not be described in detail.

In one example, as shown in fig. 3, the foldable plug assembly 100 further includes a conductive spring 107, the conductive spring 107 is disposed below the pins 102, one end (contact end) of the pins is in contact with the conductive spring 107 and electrically connected to the power transmission assembly when the pins are in the open state, and the pins are not in contact with the conductive spring 107 when the pins 102 are in the folded state.

Optionally, the conductive elastic sheet 107 is provided with a fixing portion, the fixing portion is provided with a fixing hole 1071, the bottom case 108 is provided with an elastic sheet fixing seat 1081, and the fixing hole 1071 is matched with the elastic sheet fixing seat 1081, so as to fix the conductive elastic sheet 107 on the bottom case 108.

The conductive elastic sheet 107 may be any suitable metal elastic sheet, such as a copper elastic sheet, an aluminum elastic sheet, etc., and may be configured into a suitable shape according to actual needs, which is not limited herein.

The number of the conductive spring 107 may be determined according to the number of the pins 102, for example, when the pins 102 are two, the number of the conductive spring 107 is also two, and a general plug assembly has two pins, and the two pins are respectively connected to the live wire or the neutral wire, so that the number of the conductive spring is two.

In one example, as shown in fig. 3, the locking member 1050 includes a detent structure 105, and the detent structure 105 is movably disposed in the accommodating space of the housing, and further disposed on the bottom shell 108, and is used to limit the pivot shaft to pivot the prongs to open when the prongs are in the folded state.

For example, the locking structure 105 can be moved in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotation shaft 1041 to move the locking structure 105 toward or away from the rotation shaft.

Illustratively, when the prongs are folded, the detent structure 105 abuts against a limiting structure, such as a groove, provided on the pivot shaft 1041 to limit the rotation of the pivot shaft.

The detent structure 105 may be disposed on the bottom shell 108 between the adjacent brackets 1082, and in order to limit the moving direction of the locking member, a sliding slot (not shown) may be disposed on the bottom shell 108, and the detent structure 105 is disposed in the sliding slot and moves along the length extension direction of the sliding slot. Illustratively, the retaining structure 105 extends out of the retaining structure main body and extends out of the housing through the connecting hole 1084, that is, a part of the retaining structure 105 extends out of the retaining structure main body and extends out of the housing through the connecting hole 1084, for example, a part of the retaining structure 105 (e.g., the protruding portion 1052) extends into the through hole of the fixing structure 1080 or further extends into the connecting hole 1084, so as to prevent a general foreign object or the like from falling into the connecting hole and affecting the normal function of the connecting hole, or further extends out of the housing through the connecting hole 1084, so as to prevent a general foreign object or the like from falling into the connecting hole and affecting the normal function of the connecting hole, or the retaining structure 105 is opposite to the connecting hole 1084 and is located outside the connecting hole 1084.

The detent structure 105 may be formed in a suitable shape, such as a square column or the like, or other irregular shapes, as desired, but it is desirable that the surface of the detent structure 105 contacting the bottom case be formed flat to facilitate movement of the locking member.

In one example, as shown in fig. 3, one end of the top of the retaining structure 105 facing the rotation shaft is provided with a retaining portion matching with the limiting structure 1042 on the rotation shaft, and the retaining portion can be inserted into the limiting structure 1042 to limit the rotation of the rotation shaft.

In one example, as shown in fig. 3, the locking member 1050 further includes a reset structure 106 for resetting the detent structure 105, such as when the foldable plug assembly is detached from the device body, the reset structure resets the detent structure 105, such that the detent structure 105 abuts the limiting structure 1042 on the pivot axis to limit the rotation of the pivot axis, thereby locking the prongs in the folded state and not opened.

Optionally, the free end of the resetting structure 106 is connected to the latching structure 105, and the fixed end of the resetting structure 106 abuts against the housing, for example, the front shell 101 or the bottom shell 108. Specifically, the fixed end abuts against the sidewall of the panel 101 or the sidewall of the bottom case 108 according to the actual structure of the two, if the panel 101 has a downwardly-suspended sidewall and the bottom case 108 is fastened to the bottom end of the sidewall, the fixed end of the reset structure 106 abuts against the sidewall of the panel 101, and if the bottom case has an upwardly-protruded sidewall and is fastened to the panel, the fixed end of the reset structure 106 may abut against the sidewall of the bottom case 108.

Illustratively, the restoring structure 106 includes a return spring, wherein one end of the detent structure 105 connected to the restoring structure has a protrusion (not shown), and a free end of the return spring is connected to the protrusion, for example, the free end of the return spring is sleeved on the protrusion (not shown) to connect the restoring structure 106 and the detent structure 105. In one example, the end of the detent structure 105 connected to the reset structure 106 is provided with a groove (not shown), and the protrusion is located in the groove. The radial dimension of the groove is larger than that of the resetting structure, and the cross section of the groove can be circular, square, other polygons and the like. Alternatively, the axial length of the projection is less than the axial length of the groove, so that the entire projection is located within the groove, or alternatively, a partial length of the projection may be located outside the groove.

When the foldable plug assembly is not connected to the device body, the front shell 101 and the bottom shell 108 are combined to form a housing of the foldable plug assembly, which can be regarded as an integral non-detachable member, and no relative displacement occurs, at this time, the pins 102 are kept in a folded and retracted state, i.e. a locked state, if the pins 102 are to be opened, the rotating shaft 1041 needs to be rotated 90 ° in the counterclockwise direction to open the pins 102, but at this time, under the action of the reset structure 106, the locking structure 105 is in a pop-up state to abut against the limiting structure 1042 on the rotating shaft (for example, the limiting structure is a concave structure, and a part of the locking structure 105 is inserted into the concave structure to limit the rotation of the rotating shaft, so that the pins cannot be opened, and can not be normally inserted for conducting use, at this time, it is a safe state, so, the foldable plug assembly can not be opened under the condition of non-violent damage, can not be normally plugged into a strong electric appliance, so that the safety and the reliability are higher, and the volume of the foldable plug assembly is smaller.

In another embodiment, the invention also provides a device comprising the foldable plug assembly in the previous embodiment, which may be any device comprising a plug assembly, for example, the device may comprise a charging device, wherein the charging device may comprise a mobile phone charger, an adapter, a mobile power supply, etc.

Specifically, in one example, as shown in fig. 7, the apparatus 200 of the present invention including a foldable plug assembly, the apparatus 200 comprising: the structure of the foldable plug assembly 100, which includes the face housing, the pins 102, etc., can be referred to the description of the previous embodiments and will not be repeated here.

As shown in fig. 9, the device 200 further includes a device main body 201 detachably mounted with the foldable plug assembly, and only a partial structure of the device main body 201 is shown in the drawing, wherein a housing of the device main body 201 is formed with a receiving dock for mounting the foldable plug assembly 100, a power receiving assembly is provided in the receiving dock, the power receiving assembly is electrically connected to a circuit structure provided in the device main body 201, and is electrically connected to a power transmitting assembly provided in the foldable plug assembly 100 at the time of mounting, for transmitting power on the pins 102 to the circuit structure. The device body 201 may be connected to the collapsible plug assembly by snap-fit connection, snap-fit clamping, ultrasonic welding, or other suitable means.

As shown in fig. 7 and 9, the device body 201 includes a fixing structure 202, for example, the fixing structure 202 may be disposed on a sidewall of the device body 201, and configured to match with a portion of the limiting structure protruding from the housing when the foldable plug assembly is mounted to the device body and the pins are in the open state, so as to limit the separation of the foldable plug assembly from the device body. Under the condition that the pins are opened, the foldable plug assembly is locked with the device body and cannot be separated under the condition of non-violent damage, and the connection is more reliable and safe. When participating in the subassembly and breaking away from the device main part, must fold and pack up to participate in and just can make and participate in subassembly and the separation of device main part, guarantee to participate in to pack up and be convenient for accomodate, user experience is better.

Alternatively, the fixing position structure 202 is a groove structure provided on the device body, and a part of the limit structure (e.g. the locking structure 1111) protruding from the housing protrudes into the groove structure, or the fixing position structure 202 is a protrusion structure provided on the device body, and a groove structure matching with the protrusion structure is provided on the limit structure (e.g. the locking structure 1111) protruding from the housing. Alternatively, other configurations may be used which match each other.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 7, the foldable plug assembly 100 is mounted to the device body 201 and the pins 102 are in a folded state, and the locking structure 1111 of the limiting structure is located in the housing under the action of the reset structure 1112, which is not limited by the body fixing position 202, and the foldable plug assembly 100 is not locked on the device body connection, and can be normally detached.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 8, the foldable plug assembly 100 is mounted to the device body 201 and the pins 102 are in the open state, and under the action of the cam structure 109, the locking structure 1111 of the limiting structure moves outwards from the housing to partially protrude and is matched with the fixed positioning structure on the device body 201, so that the foldable plug assembly and the device body are locked when connected, and in the case of non-violent damage, the foldable plug assembly and the device body cannot be separated and detached, and more reliable connection and safety during normal use of the device 200 are realized. When the foldable plug assembly needs to be separated from the device body, the plug pins need to be folded and retracted, so that the locking structure 1111 of the limiting structure moves into the shell under the action of the reset structure 1112, the fixing structure and the locking structure 1111 of the device body are not connected, the state shown in fig. 7 is restored, the foldable plug assembly can be separated from the device body, the plug pins are ensured to be retracted conveniently, and the user experience is better.

In one specific example, the device body 201 is detachably mounted to the foldable plug assembly, wherein the device body 201 includes an unlocking structure, such as the positive and negative electrodes 203, and when the foldable plug assembly is assembled into the device body, the unlocking structure is used for unlocking the locking member 1050 to allow the pins to be rotatably opened and folded for storage, and when the unlocking structure is the positive and negative electrodes 203, the unlocking structure also functions as an electrical connection with the foldable plug assembly in addition to the unlocking of the locking member 1050.

Illustratively, when the foldable plug assembly is assembled into the device body, one end of the unlocking structure abuts against the retaining structure 105 of the foldable plug assembly, so that the retaining part of the retaining structure 105 abutting against the limiting structure on the rotating shaft 1041 is separated from the limiting structure to release the limitation on the rotating shaft, and the plug pins can be rotatably opened and folded for storage.

When the foldable plug assembly is assembled and connected with the device body, the unlocking structure abuts against the locking piece 1050 of the foldable plug assembly through the connecting hole on the foldable plug assembly or further through at least part of the through hole, so as to unlock the locking piece 1050 and enable the pins to be rotatably opened and folded for storage.

Specifically, the bottom housing of the foldable plug assembly further includes a vertically disposed mounting plate, wherein the mounting plate is provided with a connecting hole opposite to the end of the locking member 1050 of the foldable plug assembly, the unlocking structure of the device body 201 passes through the connecting hole provided on the bottom housing to apply a force to the locking structure 105, the force causes the locking structure 105 to overcome the elastic force of the reset structure 106 to apply a force to move laterally until the device body 201 and the foldable plug assembly are completely mounted in place, and the locking member releases the restriction on the rotation shaft 1041 to allow the rotation shaft 1041 to rotate, so that the pins 102 can be folded and retracted or opened, wherein the space between the rotation shaft and the locking structure is enough to accommodate the rotation of the rotation shaft. When the user uses the device, the locking structure 105 no longer restricts the rotation shaft 1041, so that the pin 102 can be directly applied with force to open the device, thereby electrically connecting the device 200 with a power source.

In summary, the device including the foldable plug assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the foldable plug assembly and a device body, the device body is detachably mounted to the foldable plug assembly, wherein the device body includes a fixing structure configured to be matched with a portion of the limiting structure protruding from the housing when the foldable plug assembly is mounted to the device body and the pins are in the open state, so as to limit the foldable plug assembly to be separated from the device body, thereby making the connection more reliable and safe. When participating in the subassembly and breaking away from the device main part, must fold and pack up to participate in and just can make and participate in subassembly and the separation of device main part, guarantee to participate in to pack up and be convenient for accomodate, user experience is better.

The device comprising the foldable plug assembly comprises the foldable plug assembly and a device body, wherein the device body is detachably connected with the foldable plug assembly, the device body comprises an unlocking structure, when the foldable plug assembly is assembled into the device body, one end of the unlocking structure abuts against a locking piece of the foldable plug assembly, and the locking piece is moved to release the limitation on the rotating shaft, so that pins can be normally folded, folded and unfolded, and the normal use of the device is ensured. After the foldable plug assembly is separated from the device body, the pins are in a folding locking state, and cannot be opened under normal operation and cannot be normally inserted into a strong current for use, so that the safety and the reliability are higher. In addition, the foldable plug design is more convenient for the user to carry, and the user experience is better.

Although the illustrative embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the foregoing illustrative embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention thereto. Various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative elements and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware or combinations of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the implementation. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention.

In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and method may be implemented in other ways. For example, the above-described device embodiments are merely illustrative, and for example, the division of the units is only one logical functional division, and other divisions may be realized in practice, for example, a plurality of units or components may be combined or integrated into another device, or some features may be omitted, or not executed.

In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. It is understood, however, that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description.

Similarly, it should be appreciated that in the description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the invention and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. However, the method of the present invention should not be construed to reflect the intent: that the invention as claimed requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that all of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and all of the processes or elements of any method or apparatus so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where such features are mutually exclusive. Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise.

Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that while some embodiments described herein include some features included in other embodiments, rather than other features, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention and form different embodiments. For example, in the claims, any of the claimed embodiments may be used in any combination.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements, and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In the unit claims enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The usage of the words first, second and third, etcetera do not indicate any ordering. These words may be interpreted as names.

Claims

1. A foldable plug assembly, comprising:

at least two pins arranged at intervals;

2. The foldable plug assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing defines an opening therein configured to allow the retention structure to move within the opening along a length extension of the opening during folding and unfolding of the pins.

3. The foldable plug assembly of claim 2, wherein the retention structure comprises a locking structure, a portion of the locking structure being located within the opening and configured to: when the foldable plug assembly is mounted to a device body and the prongs are in an open state, the portion protruding from the housing mates with a retention feature on the device body, defining the separation of the foldable plug assembly from the device body.

4. The foldable plug assembly of claim 3, wherein the retention structure further comprises a return structure coupled to the locking structure and configured to limit the locking structure to be positioned within the housing when the prongs are folded and to limit the locking structure against the cam structure when the prongs are unfolded.

5. The foldable plug assembly of claim 4, wherein the return structure comprises a return spring, a first end of the locking structure extends through the return spring into the opening, a second end of the locking structure is positioned within the receiving space, wherein a radial dimension of the second end is greater than a radial dimension of the first end, and one end of the return spring abuts the housing and the other end abuts the second end of the locking structure.

6. The foldable plug assembly of claim 1, wherein the cam structure is disposed at least one end of the pivot shaft offset from an axis of the pivot shaft.

7. The foldable plug assembly of claim 2, wherein the free end of the cam structure is located outside of the pins and/or the cam structure extends a partial length in an axial direction parallel to the axis of rotation.

8. The foldable plug assembly of claim 1, wherein the foldable plug assembly is applied to a charging device comprising a device body, the foldable plug assembly further comprising a mounting assembly disposed on the housing for detachably mounting the foldable plug assembly to the device body, wherein the mounting assembly comprises a power transmitting assembly electrically connected to the prongs and electrically connected to a power input interface of the device body when mounted to the device body.

9. An apparatus including a foldable plug assembly, the apparatus comprising:

the foldable plug assembly of any one of claims 1 to 8;

10. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the fixing position structure is a groove structure provided on the device body, and a portion of the stopper structure protruding from the housing protrudes into the groove structure, or a protrusion structure provided on the device body, and a groove structure matching the protrusion structure is provided on the stopper structure protruding from the housing.