GB2588712A

GB2588712A - Socket

Info

Publication number: GB2588712A
Application number: GB2014472.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Wu Donghu
Original assignee: Schneider Electric Australia Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Schneider Electric Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2019-09-30
Filing date: 2020-09-15
Publication date: 2021-05-05
Anticipated expiration: 2040-09-15
Also published as: GB202014472D0; CN210443701U; GB2588712B

Abstract

An electrical socket comprises a base 5 comprising a cavity (figure 2, 53) for receiving a metal contact 6 and an inclined structure 51 arranged within the cavity (figure 2, 53). The socket further comprises a cover (figure 1, 2) installed on the base 5 and comprising two holes (figure 1, 21) into which two pins 71 of a plug 7 are inserted. A protection gate 3 is attached to a side of the cover (figure 1, 2) facing the cavity (figure 2, 53), where the protection gate 3 comprises a sliding structure (figure 5, 34) and protrusions (figure 3, 31) aligned with the holes (figure 1, 21). The sliding structure is adapted to move, when the two pins 71 are inserted into the two holes (figure 1, 21) at the same time, sliding along the inclined structure 51 towards the cavity (figure 2, 53). This allows the two pins 71 to pass through the two holes (figure 1, 21) to electrically connect to the metal contact 6.

Description

SOCKET

FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a socket, and more particularly to a socket equipped with a protection gate for holes.

BACKGROUND

[0002] As a common electrical connection device, a socket can connect an electrical/electronic device to a power supply or a signal source/signal receiving terminal by inserting plugs of the electrical/electronic device into holes of the socket.

[0003] General sockets with exposed holes are potentially dangerous because users may accidentally stick foreign matter without difficulty into the exposed holes, causing electrical shock and short circuit among other accidents. In particular, young children may stick their fingers or tiny objects (such as iron wire) into the exposed holes purely out of curiosity and thus get an electrical shock. In addition, dust or foreign matter tend to accumulate in the exposed holes, which may further lead to clogged holes or unsatisfactory electric conduction.

[0004] Therefore, it is desirable to provide a socket that not only can avoid the above risks, but also has a more aesthetic appearance and improved reliability.

SUMMARY

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a socket to at least partially solve the above-mentioned and other potential problems of conventional technical solutions.

[0006] In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a socket. The socket may comprise: a base comprising a cavity for receiving a metal contact and an inclined structure arranged within the cavity; a cover installed on the base and comprising two holes into which two pins of a plug are inserted, respectively; and a protection gate attached to a side of the cover facing the cavity, the protection gate comprising a sliding structure and protrusions aligned with the holes; wherein, the sliding structure is adapted to, when the two pins are inserted into the two holes at the same time to move the protrusions, slide along the inclined structure towards the cavity such that the protection gate is moved, which allows the two pins to pass through the two holes to electrically connect to the metal contact.

[0007] The socket in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure has a smooth appearance. A socket surface is seen to have almost no slits when observed from the outside of the socket. Accordingly, dust will not accumulate in the holes and more importantly, the risk of inserting tiny objects into the holes of the socket is eliminated. In addition, since the number of components is relatively small, a protection gate unit of the socket according to embodiments of the present disclosure possesses high mechanical stability and reliability.

[0008] In some embodiments, when the protection gate is in an initial position, the sliding structure is positioned on a top of the inclined structure and spaced apart from the inclined structure by a predetermined distance, so that the protrusions are coplanar with an outer surface of the cover facing away from the cavity.

[0009] In some embodiments, the sliding structure is centrally formed on the protection gate.

100101 In some embodiments, the sliding structure comprises an inclined sliding groove, and the inclined structure comprises a projection that matches with the sliding groove in shape; or the sliding structure comprises an inclined projection, and the inclined structure comprises a sliding groove that matches with the projection in shape.

[0011] In some embodiments, the base further comprises stop structures symmetrically protruding from the cavity with respect to the inclined structure, and the stop structures are arranged to be able to block a displacement of the protection gate along the inclined structure when only one of the two protrusions of the protection gate is moved to cause the protection gate to deflect around a central axis thereof, thereby effectively preventing objects from entering into the socket [0012] In some embodiments, the stop structures are in a form of a buckle.

100131 In some embodiments, the socket further comprises a spring arranged between the protection gate and a portion of the cover such that the spring is adapted to maintain the protection gate in the initial position or to return the protection gate back to the initial position.

[0014] In some embodiments, the spring is a coil spring comprising a short arm which is formed to protrude from an end of the spring adjacent to the protection gate and is embedded within a mounting hole formed in the protection gate, so that the predetermined distance between the sliding structure and the inclined structure is maintained when the protection gate is in the initial position.

[0015] In some embodiments, the protection gate comprises trapping grooves formed adjacent to the protrusions, and the trapping grooves are configured to prevent objects from bypassing the protection gate and entering into the base.

[0016] In some embodiments, the grooves are in a form of an inclined surface.

[0017] Further features of the present disclosure will become apparent through the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] It should be understood that the Summary is not intended to identify the key or important features of embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will be easily understood by the following description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Through the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, the above and other objectives, features, and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent. In the accompanying drawings, a plurality of embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in an exemplary and non-limiting manner, wherein: [0020] Fig. 1 illustrates a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a portion of a socket according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; [0021] Fig. 2 illustrates a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a portion of a socket according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, [0022] Fig. 3 illustrates a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a protection gate of a socket according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; [0023] Fig 4 schemat catty illustrates the protection gate of Fig 3 from a different perspective; [0024] Fig 5 schematically illustrates the protection gate of Fig. 3 from a different perspective; [0025] Fig 6 illustrates a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a portion of a socket according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; [0026] Fig. 7 illustrates a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a portion of a socket according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein an exemplary protection gate in an assembled state is illustrated; [0027] Fig. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a socket according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; [0028] Fig. 9 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a socket according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; [0029] Fig. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a socket according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; [0030] Fig. 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a socket according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein a procedure in which a protection gate is moved by a plug is illustrated; [0031] Fig 12 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a socket according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein a procedure in which a protection gate is moved by a plug is illustrated; [0032] Fig. 13A illustrates a cross-sectional view of a socket according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; [0033] Fig. 13B illustrates an enlarged schematic diagram of a circle A in Fig. 13A, [0034] Fig. 14A illustrates a cross-sectional view of a socket according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; [0035] Fig. 14B illustrates an enlarged schematic diagram of a circle B in Fig. 14A; [0036] Fig. 15 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of a socket according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and [0037] Fig. 16 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of a socket according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0038] The conception of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to various exemplary embodiments in the drawings. It should be understood that these embodiments are only for the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art to better understand and thereby implement the present disclosure, and are not intended for limiting the scope disclosed herein in any manner. It should be noted that similar or identical reference signs may be used in the drawings where feasible, and similar or identical reference signs may represent similar or identical elements. Those skilled in the art will understand from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and/or methods described herein may be adopted without departing from the principles and concepts of the present disclosure described herein.

100391 In the context of this disclosure, the term "comprises" and its variants are to be read as open-ended terms that mean -comprises, but is not limited to." The term "based on" is to be read as "based at least in part on." The term "some embodiments" is to be read as "at least one example embodiment." The term "a further embodiment" is to be read as "at least a further embodiment Other terms that may appear but not mentioned here, unless clearly indicated; otherwise, any interpretation or limitation should not be made in a manner contrary to the concept on which embodiments of the present disclosure are based.

[0040] As mentioned above, there is a need for a socket with enhanced reliability and appearance. Currently, there is a socket with a protection gate structure. A protection gate is provided in holes of the socket. The protection gate closes the holes when the socket is not in use to avoid the aforementioned danger such as abnormal touching. When a plug is inserted into the holes, the plug will push an inclined surface of the protection gate facing the plug, and the inclined surface transforms an insertion action of the plug perpendicular to a socket panel into a movement of the protection gate in parallel to the socket panel. This will move the protection gate toward a side of the holes to open the holes, and thereby a plug can be inserted deeply into the holes.

100411 However, this type of socket still has its own drawbacks. The entire top surface of a side of the protection gate facing the plug is usually inclined Therefore, when viewed outside, three inward dents are still formed at the holes. Dust tens to accumulate in these dents (for example, a large amount of dust falls in the dents during decoration), and it is very difficult to completely remove the dust. Accordingly, the overall appearance of the socket lacks an aesthetic feeling. A more serious issue is that some users (e.g., young children in particular) may touch the inside of the socket via the dents with hands or tiny objects (such as iron wires) and expose themselves to the risk of electrical shock.

[0042] In general, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an improved protection door. This type of protection gate has a simple structure, a small number of components and high reliability. In addition, an effective solution for the above problems caused by the dents is proposed by configuring a top surface of the protection gate assembly in the socket coplanar with an outer surface of the socket.

100431 Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings hereinafter. Figs. 1 to 7 schematically illustrate components of a socket according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figs. 8 to 16 schematically illustrate a cross-section of a socket according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

100441 Hereinafter, referring mainly to Figs. 1 to 7, an implementation manner of the components of a socket according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

100451 Fig. 1 shows a cover 2 of a socket 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, a "cover" can be considered as the outermost surface of the socket 100, and no other parts cover the top of a cover 2 at this time. In some further embodiments, the "cover" may also be additionally covered by a further component, e.g., the panel 1 shown in Fig. 8.

100461 When the panel 1 is used as the outermost component of the socket 100 and covers the top of the cover 2, a through hole 11 is formed in the panel 1, as shown in Figs. 10 and 13. At this time, the pins of the plug will sequentially pass through the through hole 11 of the panel 1 and holes 21 of the cover 2 into a base 5 100471 It should be understood that in the context of the present invention, when it is mentioned that "the top surface or outer surface of the protection gate is coplanar with the top surface or outer surface of the socket", the feature "the outer surface of the socket" means the outer surface of the outermost component of the socket. For example, when the cover 2 is covered with the panel 1, "the top surface or outer surface of the protection gate is coplanar with the top surface or outer surface of the socket' means that the top surface or outer surface of the protection gate and the top surface or outer surface of the panel 1 are coplanar. In addition, the term "coplanar" should be understood to include both "completely coplanar" and "substantially coplanar", wherein "substantially coplanar" means that there may be a small drop within a predetermined range between two surfaces.

[0048] Fig. 1 schematically shows the cover 2 of the socket 100, and a surface 23 shown is usually a side of the socket 100 facing the user during normal use. Holes are formed in a top surface (or an outer surface) of the cover 2, such as two holes 21, three holes 25, and a USB hole 26. The two holes 21 serve as an entrance for two pins 71 of a plug 7 (see Figs. 13 and 14) to be inserted into the socket 100.

100491 Fig. 6 shows another surface or an inner surface 24 of the cover 2. When the cover 2 is installed to the base 5, the inner surface 24 will face the base 5 and covers a cavity 53 of the base 5. In addition, the protection gate 3 will be installed on the inner surface 24 of the cover 2.

[0050] Fig. 2 shows the base 5 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The base 5 provides the cavity 53 in which a contact 6 can be provided (see Figs. 10, 13 and 14). The contact 6 is usually made of metal. When the pins 71 of the plug 7 are inserted into the contact 6, the plug 7 will be connected to the mains supply through the socket 100. This section of the disclosure is known to those skilled in the art, so it will not be described in detail herein. In some embodiments, an inclined structure 51 may be formed in the cavity 53 of the base 5 as shown in Fig. 2. The configuration and function of the inclined structure 51 will be described below in conjunction with the protection gate 3 100511 Figs. 3 to 5 show the protection gate 3 according to embodiments of the present disclosure from different perspectives. The protection gate 3 is attached to a side of the cover 2 facing the cavity 53, i.e., an inner surface 24. In some embodiments, the protection gate may include a sliding structure 34 and a protrusion 31 [0052] The protection gate 3 has two protrusions 31, and each of which is aligned with a hole 21. In the assembled state, for example, when it is viewed from the direction from the hole 21 to the base 5, the protrusions 31 are positioned in the holes 21. As mentioned above, when the cover 2 is considered as an outer surface of the socket 100, the top surface or outer surface of the protrusion 31 is coplanar with the outer surface (or outer periphery) of holes 21.

[0053] In some embodiments, the sliding structure 34 is configured to, when the two pins 71 are inserted into the two holes 21 at the same time to move the two protrusions 31, generally sliding toward the cavity 53 of the base along the inclination structure 51 of the base 5. More specifically, the protection gate 3 will move along an extension direction of the length of the inclined structure 51 toward the cavity 53 of the base and away from the inclined structure 51). Thus, the two pins 71 will be allowed to pass through the two holes 21 of the cover 2 and be inserted into the contact 6. When the pins 71 pass through the cover 2 and bypass the protection gate 3 to connect to the contact 6, the plug 7 is connected to the mains supply through the socket 100.

[0054] When the protection gate 3 is in the initial position, the sliding structure 34, for example, is positioned at the top of the inclined structure 51 such that the protrusions 31 are coplanar with the outer surface of the cover 2 away from the cavity 53. It should be understood that the "top" of the inclined structure may generally be referred to as a portion of the inclined structure 51 adjacent to the cover 2.

[0055] For instance, when the socket 100 is used in an orientation as shown in Figs. 8 to 16 (i.e., the cover 2 is parallel to the ground), the sliding structure 34 of the protection gate is positioned above the inclined structure 51, for example right above the inclined structure 51. In another example, when the socket 100 is used in a vertical orientation (i.e., the cover 2 is perpendicular to the ground), the sliding structure 34 of the protection gate is positioned in front of the inclined structure 51, for example right in front of the inclined structure 51.

[0056] In the context of the present invention, the "initial position' may represent a position where no plug or any object touches the protrusions 31 of the protection gate to drive or abut against the protection gate 3. Alternatively, the "initial position" may represent a position where the outer surface of the protection gate 3 (the protrusions 31) is coplanar with the outer surface of the socket.

100571 According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sliding structure 34 may be centrally formed on the protection gate 3, as shown in Fig. 5. In other words, the sliding structure 34 may be formed along an axis of the protection gate 3, such as a swing axis or a central axis X of Fig. 3.

[0058] In an example, the sliding structure 34 may be implemented as an inclined sliding groove (for example, as shown in Fig. 5), and the inclined structure 51 may be, for example, a projection that matches with the sliding groove (for example, as shown in Fig. 2) in terms of shape. In yet another example, the sliding structure 34 may be implemented as an inclined projection, and correspondingly, the inclined structure 51 may be a sliding groove that matches with the projection in terms of shape.

[0059] In some embodiments, a stop structure 52 may also be formed on the base 5, as shown in Fig. 2. The stop structure 52 may be constructed symmetrically with respect to the inclined structure 51, that is, the stop structure 52 is formed on each side of the inclined structure 51. The stop structure 52 may, for example, extend from the cavity 53 and extend toward the inner surface 24 of the cover 2. In some embodiments, as shown in Figs. 13B and 14B, the stop structure 52 may be in the form of a snap or a hook.

[0060] When only one of the two protrusions 31 of the protection gate 3 is moved, the protection gate 3 will deflect around the central axis X thereof as a result. In this case, the stop structure 52 can prevent the protection gate 3 from moving in parallel to the cover 2 along the inclined structure 51. Although the protection gate 3 still deflects by a certain angle toward one side, an effective displacement of the protection gate toward the inside of the base 5 is prevented due to the blocking of the stop structure 52. This design can effectively prevent any undesired objects (such as thin iron wires) from being inserted into the socket 100, thereby avoiding dangerous accidents such as electric shock.

[0061] Here, the "effective displacement' means that the displacement of the protection gate 3 reaches to such an extent that the protection gate 3, more specifically the protrusions 31, no longer covers the holes 21. As a result, the pins 71 can pass through the holes 21 and bypass the protection gate to be electrically connected to the contact 6.

[0062] An inclined surface 32 may be formed on the protection gate 3, as shown in Fig. 3. The inclined surface 32 can ensure that the protection gate 3 may deflect toward one side by a sufficient angle. In this way, when the protection gate 3 deflects, its lower edge 37 (see Figs. 4 and 13B) can move to a position beneath the stop structure 52. Finally, the lower edge 37 of the protection gate 3 is blocked by the stop structure 52 so that the protection gate 3 cannot move further toward the inside of the base 5.

[0063] An important point for embodiments of the present disclosure is that only when the two protrusions 31 of the protection gate 3 are moved at the same time, can effective displacement of the protection gate 3 occur. When only one protrusion 31 is driven, the protection gate 3 will deflect around the central axis X thereof, and maintain the covering of the holes 21 due to the blocking of the stop structure 52.

[0064] In some embodiments, the socket 100 further includes a spring 4, such as a coil spring as shown in the figures. As shown in Fig. 7, the spring 4 may be arranged between the protection gate 3 and a portion of the cover 2. The portion is, for example, a guide post 22 formed on the inner surface 24 as shown in Fig. 6.

100651 When the protection gate 3 is mounted to the inner surface 24 of the cover 2 by means of the spring 4, an end 42 of the spring 4 facing away from the protection gate 3 is attached to, for example, embedded in the guide post 22. One end of the spring 4 adjacent to the protection gate 3 is attached to a short shaft 35 formed on the protection gate 3, see Fig. 4.

[0066] As shown in Fig. 4, a mounting hole 36 is formed on a side of the short shaft 35 of the protection gate 3. A short arm 41 extending from an end of the spring 4 adjacent to the protection gate 3 is embedded in the mounting hole 36. In this way, when the protection gate 3 is in the initial position, it can be kept in place parallel to the cover 2 under the action of the spring 4.

[0067] Another function of the spring 4 is to return the protection gate 3 back to the initial position. For example, when the user pulls the plug (or other object) out from the socket 100, the pins of the plug disengage from the socket by passing through the holes, and the protrusions of the protection gate will no longer abut against the pins. Without the external force exerted on the protection gate, the protection gate may move back to the initial position under the force exerted by the spring [0068] For example, when the protection gate 3 deflects toward one side, a slit 8 may be formed between the protrusion 31 and hole 21 (Fig. 14A) At this time, if an object such as a thin iron wire is inserted into the hole 21, the object may enter into the hole 21 through the slit 8. This situation should be avoided for safety purposes.

100691 Therefore, in some embodiments, the protection gate 3 may also comprise trapping grooves 33 adjacent to the protrusions 31. As shown in Fig. 3, the trapping grooves 33 may be in the form of an inclined surface, for example. The trapping grooves 33 are designed to prevent undesirable objects (such as thin iron wires) from passing through holes 21 through the slit 8 and then bypassing the protection gate 3 and finally entering into the base 5.

[0070] When the socket 100 is in an assembled state shown in Fig. 8, the outer surface of the protrusion 31 of the protection gate 3 is coplanar (i e, flush with or substantially flush with) with the outer surface of the socket 100 (for example, an outer surface of the panel 1, or an outer surface of the cover 2). In this way, the aforementioned dents will not be formed in the outer surface of the socket 100, thereby eliminating the problems caused by dents.

[0071] Alternatively, there may be a certain drop between the outer surface of the protrusion 31 and the outer surface of a socket 100. The drop is a height difference between the outer surface of the protrusion 31 and the outer surface of the socket 100 when the protection gate is in the initial position. For example, the drop may be in the range of 1.5 mm and 2 mm, such as 1.8 mm. The existence of a drop makes it easy for the user to find where the holes 21 are located in the socket 100, thereby assisting the user to insert the plug 7 into the holes [0072] Although the positions and achievable configurations of the sliding structure 34, the stop structure 52, the spring 4, the trapping grooves and other components are described in view of drawings, such detailed description is only for purposes of explanation, rather than limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Any implementation based on the above general technical concept of the present disclosure will be included in the scope of the present disclosure.

100731 Hereinafter, an exemplary position and a procedure of the movement of the protection gate 3 will be described with reference to Figs. 8 to 16.

100741 It can be considered that the protection gate 3 of Figs. 9 and 10 is in the "initial position', and the plug 7 is not inserted into the socket 100 at this time.

[0075] Fig. 11 shows that the two pins 71 of the socket 7 are being inserted into the socket 100. The two pins 71 pass through the holes 11 of the panel 1 and abut against the two protrusions 31 of the protection gate 3 at the same time, and then push the protection gate 3 toward the inside of the base 5. As the protection gate 3 slides downward along the inclined structure 51 and slide away from the inclined structure 51, the pins 71 pass through holes 21 of the cover 2 into the cavity 53 of the base 5.

100761 The protection gate 3 is pushed by the pins 71 and reaches a position as shown in Fig. 12. At this time, the protection gate 3 no longer covers the holes 21, and thus a path is formed where the pins 71 may be inserted along the path to electrically connect to the contact 6. From the position as shown in Fig. 12, the pins 71 can further move toward the inside of the base (i.e., 'downward-according to the orientation as shown in the figures) until the pins are inserted into the socket 6.

[0077] It should be understood that the movement of the protection gate 3 from the position shown in Fig 11 to the position shown in Fig 12 can be considered as an -effective displacement" mentioned in the foregoing.

100781 Here, "move downward or move toward the inside of the base" can be interpreted as a movement along the direction RI as shown in Fig. 11, and "move away from the inclined structure 51" can be interpreted as a movement along the direction R2 as shown in Fig. if The direction R1 may indicate a direction in parallel to the panel 1 and the cover 2 of the socket 100, and the direction R2 may indicate a direction perpendicular to the panel 1 and the cover 2.

[0079] Figs. 13A, 13B, and Figs. 14A and 14B show an embodiment in which the protection gate 3 deflects toward one side around the central axis X thereof [0080] Fig. 13A shows that when the protection gate 3 is in the initial position, the sliding structure 34 thereof is positioned on the top of the inclined structure 51 of the base 5. Fig. 13B is an enlarged view of part A of the Fig. 13A, from which it can be seen that when the protection gate 3 is in the initial position, the stop structure 52 and the lower edge 37 of the protection gate 3 are not in contact.

[0081] Fig. 14A shows that the protection gate 3 deflects toward one side, i.e., toward right as shown in the figure. At this time, the inclined structure 51 can be considered as a swing lever around which the protection gate 3 deflects. Once the protection gate 3 deflects by a certain angle, it is blocked by the stop structure 52, as shown in Fig. 14B. Fig. 14B is an enlarged view of a part B of Fig. 14A, and Fig. 14B shows that the lower edge 37 of stop protection gate 3 is located below the stop structure 52 and is blocked by the stop structure and thereby further movement of the protection gate 3 is disabled.

[0082] As shown in Fig. 14A, when the protection gate 3 is in the deflected state, the slit 8 may be formed between the protrusion 31 and the hole 21 The trapping groove 33 formed on the protection gate 3 can effectively prevent undesired objects such as thin iron wires from entering into the base 5 through the slit 8 [0083] Figs. 15 and 16 illustrate in more detail the relative positional relationship between the sliding structure 34 of the protection gate 3 and the inclined structure 51 of the base 5 as well as the role they play on the movement of the protection gate 3 [0084] The protection gate 3 of Fig. 15 is in the "initial position", at this time no plug or other objects contact and actuate the protrusions 31 of the protection gate 3. In this case, the protrusions 31 are held in the holes 21 of the cover 2, under the force exerted by the spring 4, more specifically, by the short arm 41 of the spring 4 embedded in the holes 36 of the protection gate 3, as shown by reference sign C. Moreover, at this time, the sliding structure 34 of the protection gate 3 does not contact with the inclined structure 51 of the base S. Therefore, in the initial position shown in Fig. 15, a movable space 9 is formed between the sliding structure 34 and the inclined structure 51.

100851 When the two protrusions 31 of the protection gate are moved downward at the same time, the protection gate 3 will move downward by a predetermined distance toward the base 5 to reach the position as shown in Fig. 16. This movement procedure is also applicable to a situation where only one side of the protection gate 3 is moved, that is, only one protrusion 31 is moved. Specifically, when any one of the protrusions 31 of the protection gate is moved downward, the protection gate 3 will also first move downward by a predetermined distance toward the base 5 to reach the position as shown in Fig. 16. The -predetermined distance" in these two cases refers to, for example, a distance defined by a movable space 9 along a direction perpendicular to, for example, the cover 2.

100861 Referring to Fig. 16, the protection gate 3 is driven by the two pins 71 to move downward by a predetermined distance toward the base 5 At this time, the two protrusions 31 move to a position below the holes 21 of the cover 2, that is, free from a restriction of the holes 21, as shown by the reference sign C'. Moreover, at this time, the sliding structure 34 of the protection gate 3 has already moved to contact with the inclined structure 51 of the base 5, that is, the bottom of the sliding structure 34 for example abuts against the top of the inclined structure 51. Since the sliding structure 34 is in contact with or coupled to the inclined structure 51, the movable space 9 formed when the protection gate 3 is in the initial position no longer exists, as exemplified by the reference numeral 9' [0087] It should be understood that the situation described in Fig. 16 is also applicable to the situation where only one side of the protection gate 3 is actuated to deflect around its central axis X (or the inclined structure 51).

[0088] It should be understood that the technical content well-known in terms of sockets is not specifically described in this disclosure as the content is well-known to those skilled in the art and will not prevent those skilled in the art from understanding embodiments of the present disclosure.

The shapes and positions of the elements mentioned in any of the above embodiments or depicted in any of the drawings are exemplary by principle and are explained or specified merely for the purpose of description. However, it should be appreciated that any alternative elements that can implement mechanisms and functions of the embodiments of the present disclosure in terms of technical principles, including currently known or to be developed ones, are covered by the protection scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art should understand that the above embodiments may be modified without deviating from the scope and the essence of the present disclosure. Moreover, the scope of the present disclosure is subject to the attached claims

Claims

I/We Claim: 1. A socket, characterized in that the socket comprises: a base (5) comprising a cavity (53) for receiving a metal contact (6) and an inclined structure (51) arranged within the cavity; a cover (2) installed on the base (5) and comprising two holes (21) into which two pins (71) of a plug (7) are inserted, respectively; and a protection gate (3) attached to a side of the cover (2) facing the cavity (53), the protection gate (3) comprising a sliding structure (34) and protrusions (31) aligned with the holes (21); wherein, the sliding structure (34) is adapted to, when the two pins (71) are inserted into the two holes (21) at the same time to move the protrusions (31), slide along the inclined structure (51) towards the cavity (53) such that the protection gate (3) is moved, which allows the two pins (71) to pass through the two holes (21) to electrically connect to the metal contact (6).
2 The socket according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the protection gate (3) is in an initial position, the sliding structure (34) is positioned on a top of the inclined structure (51) and spaced apart from the inclined structure (51) by a predetermined distance, so that the protrusions (31) are coplanar with an outer surface of the cover (2) facing away from the cavity (53).
3. The socket according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the sliding structure (34) is centrally formed on the protection gate (3)
4. The socket according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, the sliding structure (34) comprises an inclined sliding groove, and the inclined structure (51) comprises a projection that matches with the sliding groove in shape; or the sliding structure (34) comprises an inclined projection, and the inclined structure (51) comprises a sliding groove that matches with the projection in shape.
5. The socket according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, the base (5) further comprises stop structures (52) symmetrically protruding from the cavity (53) with respect to the inclined structure, and the stop structures (52) are arranged to be able to block a displacement of the protection gate (3) along the inclined structure (51) when only one of the two protrusions (31) of the protection gate (3) is moved to cause the protection gate (3) to deflect around a central axis (X) thereof, thereby effectively preventing objects from entering into the socket (100)
6. The socket according to claim 5, characterized in that, the stop structures (52) are in a form of a buckle
7. The socket according to any one of the preceding claims when dependent on claim 2, characterized in that, the socket (100) further comprises a spring (4) arranged between the protection gate (3) and a portion of the cover (2) such that the spring is adapted to maintain the protection gate (3) in the initial position or to return the protection gate ( 3) back to the initial position.
8. The socket according to claim 7, characterized in that, the spring (4) is a coil spring comprising a short arm (41) which is formed to protrude from an end of the spring (4) adjacent to the protection gate (3) and is embedded within a mounting hole (36) formed in the protection gate (3), so that the predetermined distance between the sliding structure (34) and the inclined structure (51) is maintained when the protection gate (3) is in the initial position.
9. The socket according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, the protection gate (3) comprises trapping grooves (33) formed adjacent to the protrusions (31), and the trapping grooves are configured to prevent objects from bypassing the protection gate (3) and entering into the base (5).
10. The socket according to claim 9, characterized in that the grooves (33) are ina form of an inclined surface.