Socket having loading detecting function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9231353-B2
Application number	US-201213448606-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2012
Priority date	Dec 2, 2011
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to a socket having loading detecting function, which comprises: a housing; at least a socket; a sensor; a relay; a detection circuit capable of detecting the loading value of the socket; and a control unit. The control unit can be used for recording the maximum of the loading value, and said maximum is multiplied by an coefficient thereby obtaining a first threshold value; meanwhile comparing the loading value to the first threshold value and a second threshold value, when the loading value is lower than both of the first threshold value and the second threshold value, the control unit terminates the relay after a second time period for cutting off the electric source of the socket.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A socket having loading detecting function, comprising:
a housing formed with at least a first orifice;
at least one socket installed in said housing and each socket being respectively exposed outside said first orifice for allowing an electric equipment to be inserted;
a sensor installed in said housing or exposed outside said housing, and capable of emitting a sensing signal when a human being approaching;
a relay installed in said housing and coupled to said socket, one end thereof being coupled with an electric source, and capable of controlling whether supplying electric power to said socket;
a detection circuit installed in said housing and coupled to said socket, capable of sensing a loading value of said socket;
a control unit installed in said housing and coupled to said sensor, said relay and said detection circuit, when receiving said sensing signal, a control signal being outputted to said relay, said relay being conducted for supplying said electric source to said socket; and when a maximum loading value of said loading value having been persisted for a first time period, said control unit recording said maximum loading value, and said maximum loading value being multiplied by an coefficient thereby obtaining a first threshold value; meanwhile said control unit comparing said loading value to said first threshold value and a second threshold value, when said loading value of said socket being lower than both of said first threshold value and said second threshold value, said control unit starting a second time period and terminating said relay and cutting off said electric source of said socket after said second time period.

2. The socket as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said housing is made of an insulation material, and said electric source is an AC electric source or a DC electric source.

3. The socket as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said first time period is 20 seconds, said second time period is 180 seconds, said coefficient is 0.3, 0.4 or 0.6; said second threshold value is 0.4 A with the AC electric power source being 230V, and is 0.8 A with the AC electric power source being 120V.

4. The socket as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the quantity of said socket is the same of the quantity of said first orifice.

5. The socket as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said sensor is an infrared (IR) sensor, a pyroelectric passive infrared (PIR) sensor, a radio frequency (RF) sensor or a combination thereof, wherein said infrared (IR) sensor is used for sensing any infrared turning-on or shutting-off signal emitted by a remote control of said electric equipment; said pyroelectric passive infrared (PIR) sensor is used for sensing the human motion; and said radio frequency (RF) sensor is used for sensing any turning-on or shutting-off signal having a certain frequency emitted by said remote control of said electric equipment.

6. The socket as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said control unit is a microcontroller and further installed with a memory and an analogy-to-digital port.

7. The socket as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said detection circuit is a current sensor capable of sensing the current of said socket and feeding back to said analog-to-digital port for being converted to a digital data then transmitted to said control unit.

8. The socket as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said memory further includes a determination program which is capable of determining whether said loading value of said electric equipment inserted with said socket exceeding said first threshold value and said second threshold value with respect to the current fed by said current sensor.

9. The socket as claimed in claim 1 , further including a protection circuit installed in said housing, said protection circuit is coupled between said detection circuit and said at least one socket and said detection circuit is coupled between said protection circuit and said control unit, when the current of said socket is overly high, a bypass function is provided for protecting said socket, wherein said protection circuit is a surge protection circuit or an EMI filter.

10. The socket as claimed in claim 1 , further including a switch and said housing further includes a second orifice and a third orifice, wherein said second orifice is provided for exposing said sensor, said switch is installed in said housing and exposed outside said third orifice, and said switch is coupled between said electric source and said relay for turning on or shunting off said electric source.

Assignees

• Lee Whe-Ching
• Powertech Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Whe-Ching

Classifications

• H01R25/003

  the coupling part being secured only to wires or cables · CPC title

• Y10T307/469

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H01R13/6683 Primary

  with built-in sensor · CPC title

• H01R13/6691

  with built-in signalling means (H01R13/717 takes precedence) · CPC title