EP3651278A1 - Power socket with light source - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a socket outlet (1) comprising an insulating base (10) housing:
- a cylindrical wall (22) delimiting an insertion well (2) of an electrical plug extending along a longitudinal axis (R),
a piston (50) partially closing the section of this insertion well (2) and movable in translation relative to said cylindrical wall (22) along the longitudinal axis (R) and
- at least one light source (92).

According to the invention, this light source (92) is disposed between a rear edge (22A) of said cylindrical wall (22) and a bottom wall (11) of the insulating base (10), so as to illuminate at least partially, from the rear, the section of the insertion well (2).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD TO WHICH THE INVENTION RELATES

The present invention relates generally to the field of sockets.

It relates more particularly to a socket outlet as described in the preamble of claim 1.

TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND

It is useful to provide light means for signaling the position of an electrical outlet so that a user can easily find its location in a dark room.

We already know of the document EP3043424 an outlet of the aforementioned type, in which a light source is provided. This light source is located here on the surface of an external face of the cover plate of the socket which covers the entire switchgear mechanism and the socket of the socket. A through opening is provided in this cover plate so that the light rays emitted by the light source can be visible on the front face of the socket outlet once it has been installed. Here, the light source emits light rays only when a plug of an electrical appliance is inserted into the socket.

In the socket outlet described in this document, the presence of light sources therefore requires specific structural modifications to the various elements of the socket outlet, and in particular involves the drilling of openings in the cover plate and in the support. apparatus delimiting the insertion socket of the socket.

In addition, the light sources described do not allow locating unused sockets, therefore available to connect the electrical plug to electrical equipment.

The implementation of this outlet is relatively complex.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

In order to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art, the present invention provides a socket outlet comprising a light source whose manufacture and use are simplified and which makes it possible to signal an unused socket outlet.

More particularly, there is proposed according to the invention a power outlet as described in claim 1.

Thus, the light source illuminates all or part of the section of the socket for inserting the socket, from inside the socket.

The light emitted by the light source can escape on the front face of the outlet from all places not completely blocked by the piston.

Other non-limiting and advantageous characteristics of the socket outlet according to the invention, taken individually or in any technically possible combination, are set out in claims 2 to 15.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXAMPLE OF EMBODIMENT

The description which follows with reference to the appended drawings, given by way of nonlimiting examples, will make it clear what the invention consists of and how it can be implemented.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique en perspective éclatée avant d'une prise de courant conforme à l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue schématique en perspective avant de la prise de courant de la figure 1 partiellement assemblée :
• la figure 3 est une vue schématique de face de la prise de courant de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 4 est une vue schématique en coupe selon le plan A-A de la prise de courant de la figure 3, le ressort de compression agissant sur le piston n'étant pas représenté ;
• la figure 5 est une vue schématique en perspective avec un arraché sur un côté de la prise de courant de la figure 1, le ressort de compression agissant sur le piston n'étant pas représenté.

In the accompanying drawings:

• the figure 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view before a power outlet according to the invention;
• the figure 2 is a schematic perspective view before the power outlet of the figure 1 partially assembled:
• the figure 3 is a schematic front view of the power outlet of the figure 1 ;
• the figure 4 is a schematic sectional view along the plane AA of the socket of the figure 3 , the compression spring acting on the piston not being shown;
• the figure 5 is a schematic perspective view with a broken away on one side of the socket of the figure 1 , the compression spring acting on the piston not being shown.

By convention, the terms “front” and “rear” will be used with respect to the direction of the gaze of the user turned towards the socket outlet mounted in a wall or a chute. Thus, the front of an element will designate the side of this element which is turned towards the user, and the rear will designate the opposite side.

On the Figures 1 to 5 , there is shown a socket 1 according to the invention. This socket 1 has an insertion well 2 adapted to receive an electrical plug for the electrical connection of this electrical plug to an electrical network.

The socket 1 is intended to be mounted in an apparatus support (not shown) itself intended to be positioned either in an electrical box embedded or attached projecting from any wall, or in a chute. As a variant, this socket could be an extension type socket, or be part of a multi-socket block, without the principle of the invention being modified.

As the figures 1 , 2 and 5 , the socket 1 comprises an insulating base 10, housing the electrical components of said socket, and a cover 20 which materializes, inside the socket 10, the insertion well 2 of the socket 1.

The base 10 is made of insulating material, for example by molding a plastic material. It has a generally parallelepiped shape (see figures 1 , 2 and 5 ). It comprises a bottom wall 11, from which rises, generally perpendicularly, a side wall 12 having four sides, two to two opposite. The base thus forms a box, open at the front (see figures 1 and 2 ).

As the figures 1 and 2 , the base 10 here accommodates a cover 30, made of insulating material, located at the border between a front part 10A and a rear part 10B of the base 10. The cover 30 thus here forms an intermediate bottom of the base 10 (see figures 4 and 5 The cover 30 comprises a generally rectangular plate comprising a flat part 30A which extends substantially parallel to the bottom wall 11 of the base 10 (see figure 2 ). This plate also includes a side wall 30B which borders the outer peripheral edge of the flat part 30A and rises forward.

The cover 30 includes fixing means intended to cooperate with complementary fixing means of the base. More specifically, to prevent any forward movement of the cover 30, said cover 30 carries, on the one hand, projecting from two opposite lateral sides, anti-tearing teeth 31A folded into a U (see figure 1 ), and, on the other hand, projecting from the two other opposite lateral sides, simple hooking teeth 31B (see figure 1 ), said anti-tearing teeth 31A and simple hooking teeth 31B each having a gripping surface intended to cooperate with retention with the surface additional attachment of a window 13 provided in the side wall 12 of the base 10 (see figure 1 ).

On the other hand, to prevent any displacement of the hood 30 towards the rear, the hood carries fins 33 projecting from two of its opposite lateral sides (see figure 1 ), and intended to bear on protrusions (not visible) provided projecting from the internal face of two opposite sides of the side wall 12 of the base 10. To prevent any movement of recoil of the cover 30, said cover 30 also includes studs 34 extending backwards (see figure 1 ) and intended to bear against elements housed in a rear space of the base 10 of the socket 1 (not visible).

Said rear space 1B of the base 10, delimited by the rear part 10B of the base 10, houses the electrical contact elements of the socket outlet 1 (see figure 5 ). This rear space 1B is more precisely closed at the rear by the bottom wall 11 of the base 10, at the front by the cover 30, and laterally by a part of the side wall 12 of the base 10 (see figures 4 and 5 ). Three connection terminals 40 are mounted in this rear space 1B of the base 10: a phase terminal, a neutral terminal, and a ground terminal (see figures 1 and 5 ).

As the figure 1 , each of these connection terminals 40 is an automatic terminal provided with two conductive end cages 41, respectively accessible from two opposite lateral sides of the base 10, via a pair of respective openings 15 (visible on the figure 1 ), and electrically connected to each other by a transverse contact blade 42 carrying a receiving socket 43 intended to receive a pin of the electrical plug (phase and neutral terminal), or a ground pin 44 (ground terminal) intended to connect the electrical plug to earth. One of the openings of each pair of openings 15 is intended for the passage of the stripped core of an electric wire coming from the network carrying the current of neutral, phase, or connected to the ground, into the conductive cage 41, l another opening being provided for a possible transplanting of this connection terminal 40. The leaf spring of each conductive cage can be actuated by a pull tab or a stroller 46 (see figure 1 ) to free the bare core of the electric wire if necessary.

The receiving cells 43 connected to the contact blades 42 of the neutral and phase terminals are located opposite two passage openings 35 provided in the cover 30, through which the connection pins of the electrical plug can be inserted into said receiving cells 43 (see figure 1 ).

These passage openings 35 are here each bordered by a wall 35A rising perpendicular to the flat part 30A of the plate forming the cover 30, towards the front of the socket. Each of these walls 35A form an insulating sleeve around the socket for receiving the pin of the electrical plug.

The receiving cells 43 of the connection terminals 40 of the socket 1 are here aligned along an axis X oriented at 45 ° relative to the usual horizontal axis H which is the axis generally parallel to the floor of the room in the which socket outlet 1 is fitted (see figure 3 ).

In other words, the insulating base 10 being usually mounted in a wall with one of its side walls parallel to the ground, the axis X of alignment of the receiving cells 43 of the connection terminals 40 of the socket current 1 is here oriented at 45 ° from each side wall 12 of the base 10.

The earth pin 44, here of cylindrical shape, is supplied by the contact blade 42 via a conductive foot which carries said earth pin 44 at a distance from the bottom wall 11 of the base 10 (see figure 1 ). The earth pin 44 extends through the cover 30, via another passage opening 36 surrounded by an insulating sleeve 36A, inside the front part 10A of the base 10 (see figure 2 ).

The front part 10A of the base 10 is intended, on the one hand, for mounting the socket outlet 1 in the switchgear support, and, on the other hand, for receiving the hubcap 20 from the socket outlet 1.

As the figures 1 and 2 , for its mounting on the apparatus support (not shown), the front part 10A of the base 10 of the socket outlet 1 comprises, on the one hand, a sidewalk 14 projecting outwards, close from its front edge, the rear face of which is intended to come into abutment against a front face of the apparatus support, and, on the other hand, latching means 16, provided in the side wall 12 of the base 10, intended to hang on the back of the support (see figures 1 and 2 ).

The hubcap 20 is attached to the front part 10A of the base 10 so as to close said base 10 from the front. The hubcap 20 for this purpose comprises hooking means, here in the form of lugs 25 terminated by a tooth 25A attachment (see figure 1 ), intended to hang in complementary attachment means of the front part 10A of the base 10, here windows 17 provided in the side wall 12 of the base 10 (see figures 1 and 2 ).

To prevent any backward movement of the hubcap 20, a front portion 21 of the hubcap 20 is intended to come into abutment against the front face of the sidewalk 14 of the front portion 10A of the base 10 of the socket outlet 1 (see figure 2 ).

As the figures 1 , 4 and 5 , the hubcap 20 comprises a cylindrical wall 22 extending along a longitudinal axis R, which laterally delimits the insertion well 2 of the socket 1, the front portion 21 which laterally borders, at the front, this cylindrical wall 22, and a piston 50 movably mounted inside the insertion well 2.

The front part 21, which here has a rectangular outline, participates in the decorative finishing of the socket 1. It is in one piece with the cylindrical wall 22. The insertion well 2 of the socket 1 is the space in which the socket of the electrical plug is inserted.

As the figure 1 , the piston 50 is movably mounted inside the cylindrical wall 22 of the hubcap 20 so as to close off a large part of the section of the insertion well 2 which it delimits. This piston 50 forms a movable bottom of the insertion well 2.

The piston 50 is movable in translation relative to said cylindrical wall 22, along the longitudinal axis R of this cylindrical wall 22 (see figure 1 ), between two extreme positions: a high standby position, and a low position for activating the socket. The high position, shown on the figures 2 , 4 and 5 , corresponds to the rest position of the hubcap 20, in which the front face 50A of the piston 50 is aesthetically flush with the front face 21A of the front part 21 of the hubcap 20 ( figure 4 ). The low position (not shown) corresponds to the position in which the piston 50 extends at the bottom of the insertion well 2, near the cover 30 forming the intermediate bottom of the base 10.

The piston 50 has, at the front, a piston wall 55, the front face of which forms the front face 50A of the piston 50 (see figure 1 ). This piston wall 55 comprises a disc 54 in which three passage orifices 53 are provided, and a cylindrical wall 56 laterally bordering said disc 54 towards the rear (see figure 1 ). Two of the passage openings 53 of the disc 54 of the piston wall 55 are provided opposite the passage openings 35 of the cover 30 (see figure 1 ) and aligned along the same X axis oriented at 45 ° as the receiving cells 43 of the phase and neutral terminals (see figure 1 ). The third passage opening 53 of the disc 54 of the piston wall 55 is opposite the earth pin of the socket outlet 1 (see figure 1 ).

Under normal conditions of use, the piston 50 is adapted to be pushed backwards, from its high position to its low position, by inserting the pins of the electrical plug into the through holes 53 of the piston wall. 55, which makes it possible to bring the base of the electrical plug into contact with the disc 54 of the piston wall 55 and to exert a pushing force thereon. In the low activation position, the passage openings 53 of the piston wall 55 extend near the passage openings 35 of the cover 30 so that the pins of the electrical plug can penetrate into the receiving cells 43 of the power outlet 1.

The socket 1 also comprises means 60 for raising the piston 50 from its low position to its high position (see figure 1 ). These means 60 for raising the piston permanently exert a force tending to return the piston 50 to the high position. Thus, as soon as the pins of the electrical plug are removed from the receiving cells 43 of the electrical outlet 1, and the base of the electrical plug is removed from the insertion well 2, the piston 50 automatically rises to its high position. .

The displacement of the piston 50 forwards, beyond its high position, is prevented by stop lugs 57, here four in number, extending radially outwards from the rear edge of the cylindrical wall 56 of the piston wall 55 (see figure 1 ), and intended to abut against a surface of the cylindrical wall 22 of the hubcap 20, perpendicular to the axis of translation of the piston (not visible in the figures). The translation axis of the piston 50 coincides with the longitudinal axis R of the cylindrical wall 22.

Advantageously, here, the means 60 for raising the piston 50 are located exclusively in a space before 1A of the socket, delimited, on the one hand, laterally by said cylindrical wall 2, and, on the other hand, at the rear, by the cover 30 which closes the rear space 1B of the base 10.

The front space 1A in which the lifting means 60 are located of the piston 50 is itself located inside the front part 10A of the base 10 of the socket outlet 1 (see figure 4 ).

The means 60 for raising the piston 50 thus disposed in the front space 1A leave the rear space 1B of the base 10 fully available for arranging the connection terminals 40 so that, on the one hand, the receiving cells 43 are aligned along the X axis, oriented at 45 ° relative to the usual horizontal axis H, and, on the other hand, the contact blades 42 extend transversely from one side to the other of the base 10 for connection lateral of said connection terminals 40. In addition, the means 60 for raising the piston 50 do not present any risk of interference with the connection terminals 40 of the socket outlet 1.

The means 60 for raising the piston 50 more precisely comprise a compression spring 61 which extends along the axis of translation of the piston 50 (see figure 1 ). This compression spring 61 has a rear end 62 which bears against the front face 30A of the cover 30, and a front end 64 which bears against a part of the piston 50, so that said compression spring 61 is interposed between the cover 30 and the piston 50 to permanently push the piston 50 back to its high position.

The compression spring 61 is here unique and extends along the longitudinal axis R of said cylindrical wall 22 (see figure 1 ). A rear portion of the spring is housed in a housing 37 of the cover 30 which keeps it in place even when it is compressed (see figure 1 ). More precisely, the cover 30 carries a cylindrical sleeve 38 which extends forward and laterally delimits the cylindrical housing 37 (see figure 2 ) receiving the rear portion of the compression spring 61. The rear end 62 of the compression spring 61 then bears against a bearing surface formed by the bottom of the housing 37, so that said compression spring 61 is held in the front space 1A previously defined, whatever the position of the piston 50.

To hold the compression spring 61 in place and guide it in compression when the piston 50 is pushed towards its low position, a front portion of said compression spring 61 is wound around a central rod 58 of the piston wall 55 (see figure 4 ) extending behind the disc 54 of the piston wall 55, perpendicular to this disc 54, along the longitudinal axis R of the cylindrical wall 22 of the hubcap 20 (see figure 4 ).

The bottom of the housing 37 delimited by the sleeve 38 is pierced with a passage opening provided to let part of said central rod 58 pass ( figure 4 ). When the piston 50 is pushed back to its low position, part of the central rod 58 of the piston wall 55 then extends into the rear space 1B of the base 10, the assembly of the compression spring 61 being wound around of the part of the central rod 58 still located in the front space 1A. Note that the length of the central rod 58 is such that when the piston 50 is in the low position, it sinks into the central part of the rear space 1B without interfering with the electrical contact elements, its free end remaining at above the contact strips 42 which extend against the bottom wall 11 of the base 10.

The socket outlet 1 according to the invention also comprises lighting means 90 comprising at least one light source 92.

Remarkably, this light source 92 is disposed between a rear edge 22A of said cylindrical wall 22 ( figures 1 , 2 , 4 and 5 ) and the bottom wall 11 of the insulating base 10, so as to illuminate at least partially, from the rear, the section of the insertion well 2.

The rear edge 22A of the cylindrical wall 22 is its free edge closest to the bottom wall 11 of the base 10.

The term “cross section of the insertion well 2” means the surface delimited by the intersection of the volume delimited internally by the insertion well 2 and of a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis R of the cylindrical wall 22.

In other words, said light source 92 is disposed in the base 10, at the rear of the cylindrical wall 22 delimiting the insertion well 2 of the socket 1. It illuminates at least one space located in the well insert 2 of the socket.

More precisely, here, each light source 92 illuminates at least one interstice I situated between said cylindrical wall 22 and said piston 50 so that at least part of said light rays emitted by this light source 92 passes through said interstice I ( figures 2 , 4 and 5 ).

For this, each light source 92 is for example arranged substantially in line with the gap I, that is to say in front of this gap I.

As the figure 5 , the gap I is formed between the external face of the cylindrical wall 56 of the piston 50 and the internal face of the cylindrical wall 22 of the hubcap 2. This gap I produces a clearance between the piston 50 and the cylindrical wall 22 of the hubcap 20 allowing the piston 50 to slide in the insertion well 2 of the socket 1 between its high standby position and its low position without excessive friction against the cylindrical wall 22 of the hubcap 20.

The piston 50 thus completely closes, to within a clearance, the insertion well 2 of the socket outlet 1.

Here, each light source 92 is arranged in the front space 1A of the base 10. In the example shown in the figures, it is thus more precisely arranged between the rear edge 22A of the cylindrical wall 22 and the cover 30.

Each light source 92 is for example here a light-emitting diode.

It is in particular a light-emitting diode emitting light rays in an angular area of 120 degrees on either side of a preferred direction of emission.

More specifically, it may be a light emitting diode manufactured by the company LITEON®, reference LTW-M140ZVS-PEL. For example, it emits a light beam with an angular extent of approximately 120 degrees at 50% brightness. The color of the light emitted is for example white. This is for example the color neutral white cold.

This light emitting diode is in the form of an elongated strip ( figure 2 ) along a main direction D.

According to the embodiment shown in the figures, each light source 92 is mounted on a support plate 91A of a printed circuit 91.

The light beam F emitted by this diode is for example little extended in a direction perpendicular to the main direction D of the strip. In this main direction D on the contrary, the beam F emitted is wide and extends over an angle A of approximately 120 ° centered on an axis perpendicular to the support plate 91A ( figure 2 ).

The support plate 91A of the printed circuit 91 is here distinct from said cover 30 and arranged against the latter ( figures 4 and 5 ).

This support plate 91A has an external peripheral edge 91B of a shape similar to the section of the base 10. It is here a rectangular or square shape ( figure 2 ).

The support plate 91A also here has a central window 95 delimited by an internal peripheral edge 91C ( figure 2 ) of this support plate 91A. The internal peripheral edge 91C here matches part of the contour of the cylindrical walls of the cover 30 which rise towards the front of the socket, in particular around the passage openings 35 of the cover 30 allowing the receiving cells 43 to pass.

The internal peripheral edge 91C delimiting the window 95 of the support plate 91A of the printed circuit 91 also follows part of the contour of the sleeve 38 delimiting the housing 37 for the compression spring 61 ( figures 1 and 2 ).

Finally, it runs along a part of the outline of a parallelepipedal portion of the plate forming the cover 30 which supports the insulating sleeve 36A surrounding the earth pin 44.

The outer peripheral edge 91B of the support plate 31A comprises hooking means 93 in the insulating base 10. These attachment means 93 cooperate here with additional attachment means of the cover 30 (see figure 1 and 2 ).

These are notches 93 which form a plurality of reliefs on the edge of the support plate 91A. These notches 93 are arranged on two opposite sides of the support plate 91A and here cooperate with hooking teeth 32A formed in two opposite opposite sides corresponding to the side wall 30B of the cover 30 (see figure 2 ). The support plate 91A is thus clipped onto the cover 30.

Thus, a rear face of the support plate 91A of the printed circuit 91 is disposed against the flat part of the plate forming the cover 30.

A front face of the support plate 91A comprises an electrical circuit comprising one or more light sources 92, here a plurality of light-emitting diodes ( figures 1 and 2 ).

Preferably, a plurality of light sources 92 mounted on said support plate 91A are provided, said light sources 92 being regularly disposed near the external peripheral edge 91B of this support plate 91A ( figure 2 ).

Here, four light sources 92 are provided arranged at the four corners of this plate ( figure 2 ).

More precisely, each light-emitting diode is in the form of an elongated strip ( figures 1 and 2 ) depending on the direction main D, each diode is oriented at 45 degrees from the sides of the corresponding corner of the support plate 91A. In other words, the main direction D of the strip formed by the diode extends at 45 ° from the sides of the corner of the support plate 91A ( figure 2 ).

Preferably, in addition, each light-emitting diode is located at the right of the gap I, that is to say facing this gap.

This positioning, as well as the characteristics of the light beam emitted by each diode, ensure effective lighting of the gap I between the piston and the cylindrical wall 22.

The electrical circuit of the printed circuit 91 is extended on the rear face of the support plate 91A by electrical contact zones making it possible to connect the electrical circuit of the printed circuit 91 to a power supply.

These are two electrical contact zones (not visible in the figures).

Each of these electrical contact zones on the rear face of the support plate 91A is arranged opposite a through opening of the flat part 30A of the cover plate 30 ( figure 4 ).

An electrical connection element 94 connects each electrical contact zone of the rear face of the support plate 91A to one of the contact blades 42 of phase and neutral of the connection terminals 40 of the socket outlet 1.

Each electrical connection element 94 is for example a compressible element compressed between the rear face of the support plate 91A of the printed circuit 91 and the contact blade 42 so that the light source 92 is permanently supplied by the electrical connection terminal 40 of the electrical outlet 1 when it is connected to the electrical network.

This is a compression spring which is compressed between the rear face of the support plate 91A and a front face of one of the contact blades 42. Thus, the compression spring permanently maintains an electrical contact between the contact blade 42 of the connection terminal and the electrical circuit of the printed circuit 91. This electrical contact can only be broken by dismantling the socket to remove the compression springs. In normal operation of the socket, the electrical connection between the contact blades 42 and the printed circuit 91 is uninterrupted. No means of cutting the power supply to the light sources that are the diodes is in effect expected here.

When the electrical wires of the socket 1 are connected to the connection terminals 40, the light sources 92, here the diodes, are supplied continuously, without interruption.

To connect the contact blade 42 to the printed circuit 91, each electrical connection element 94 crosses said cover 30 at one of said through openings formed opposite the contact areas of the rear face of the support plate 91A. Each of these through openings is located here at the bottom of a recess 32B of the cover 30 ( figures 2 and 4 )

In order to improve electrical safety, it is conceivable that the cover has insulating sleeves surrounding these through openings.

As a variant, it can be envisaged that the support plate of the printed circuit forms said cover. In this case, the support plate is provided with hooking means directly on the base 10 of the socket outlet 1.

One can also consider for example that the printed circuit comprises a plurality of light sources arranged in a circle on the printed circuit, facing said gap.

Thus thanks to the invention, it is possible to propose a socket outlet which can integrate a light function in a simple manner, without modifying the structure of the socket outlet, by adding a printed circuit and elements of electrical connection.

In the socket according to the invention, the gap I is permanently lit from the inside of the socket, so as to create a light circle visible to the user, which surrounds the insertion socket of the socket.

This luminous circle is formed by the light rays escaping from the socket through the gap I.

This light circle is not noticeable in a well-lit room, but effectively signals the position of the outlet while remaining discreet in a dark room.

In addition, this light circle is only visible when no electrical plug is inserted in the socket. Thus, only unused and therefore available sockets are indicated. To reinforce the safety of the user, there is provided, on the one hand, a shutter 71 housed in the piston 50 and intended to close the passage orifices 53 of the piston wall 55, and, on the other hand part, blocking means 82, 84 of the piston 50 in the high position.

The piston 50 comprises in particular a cassette 70 housing the shutter 71, attached to the rear of the disc 54 of the piston wall 55 so as to be integral in translation with said piston wall 55 (see figure 1 ).

This cassette 70 is in the form of a box open at the front, comprising a bottom wall 77 from which rises a side wall 79 (see figure 1 ). The bottom wall 77 of the cassette 70 is pierced with two circular openings arranged facing, on the one hand, passage openings 35 of the cover 30, and, on the other hand, passage openings 53 of the disc 54 of the piston wall 55 (see figure 1 ). The bottom wall 77 of the cassette 70 is also pierced with a central opening allowing the passage of the means 60 for raising the piston, in particular the central rod 58 of the disc 54 and the compression spring 61.

The shutter 71 is mounted movably in the cassette 70, between a closed position in which it prevents access to the phase and neutral terminals, by interposing between the passage orifices 53 of the disc 54 of the piston wall 55 and the circular openings of the cassette 70 which communicate with the passage openings 35 of the cover 30, and an open position (not shown) in which it allows this access. The shutter 71 thus protects the user from any electrical contact with the conductive elements housed in the rear part 10B of the base 10 of the socket outlet 1.

The shutter 71 is here in the form of a helix (see figure 1 ) pivotally mounted in the cassette 70 of the piston 50, the blades of which each have, on the front face, an inclined face of inverted slope. When the connection pins of the electrical plug are inserted into the through holes 53 of the disc 54 of the piston wall 55, said connection pins slide against the inclined faces of the shutter 71 to force it to pivot in the position of opening. The shutter 71 has a return means, here in the form of a spring leaf 74 (see figure 1 ), intended to automatically return the shutter 71 to the closed position. This leaf spring 74 permanently exerts a pushing force tending to push the shutter 71 in the closed position against two stop pads extending behind the disc 54 of the piston wall 55.

The locking means 82, 84 of the piston 50 in the high position intervene here for example between the piston 50 and the cylindrical wall 22 of the hubcap 20. They are therefore located in the front part 10A of the base 10 of the socket 1. Said locking means 82, 84 of the piston 50 in the high position comprise, on the one hand, at least two tabs 82 belonging to said piston 50, and, on the other hand, at least two notches 84 formed in the internal face of the cylindrical wall 22, intended to receive said legs 82.

The piston 50 comprises in particular a locking wheel 80, attached to the rear of the cassette 70 of the piston 50 and carrying four tabs 82 of generally parallelepiped shape, which extend radially outwards from the locking wheel 80 in being two to two diametrically opposite (see figure 1 ).

There are provided in correspondence four notches 84, formed in the internal face of the cylindrical wall 22 (see figure 1 ). These notches 84, of complementary shape to the section of the lugs 82 of the locking wheel, that is to say here of rectangular shape, extend generally orthogonally to the direction of translation of the piston. Each notch 84 of the cylindrical wall forms a retaining surface perpendicular to the direction of translation of the piston, against which the lug 82 of the locking wheel 80 rests engaged in said notch 84 to block the translation of the piston 50 from its position high to its low position.

The locking wheel 80 is adapted to pivot around the longitudinal axis R of the cylindrical wall 22 of the hubcap 20, between a locking position in which each tab 82 is engaged in a notch 84 and bears against the surface of retaining this notch 84, and an unlocking position in which each tab 82 is released from said retaining surface of the notch 84 to allow the translation of the piston 50 between its high and low positions.

Under normal conditions of use of the socket 1, the locking wheel 80 is pivotally driven by the pivoting of the shutter 71 from its closed position to its open position, following the insertion of the pins. the electrical plug in the passage openings 53 of the piston wall 55. The shutter 71 for this purpose comprises suitable drive means, during its movement from its closed position to its open position, to be driven in rotation of the locking wheel 80 from its locking position to its unlocking position. Advantageously, here, said blocking means 82, 84 of the piston 50 in the high position are also automatically disengageable in the event of an impact occurring on a front face 50A of the piston 50, and combine with energy dissipation means 27, dissipating the energy acquired by the piston 50 during this impact in order to limit the recoil of the piston 50 in said insertion well 2 after this impact.

Thus, the socket 1 remains intact and is not damaged when it receives a shock on the front face 50A of its piston 50.

Furthermore, as soon as the speed of the piston 50 is zero, the compression spring 61 of the lifting means 60 of the piston 50 pushes it back into the high position.

There is also provided a return means 89 of the locking wheel 80 in the locking position, separate from the return means 74 of the shutter 71 in the closed position already described (see figure 1 ). The return means 89 of the locking wheel 80 in the locking position is here formed by a compression spring 89 interposed between a bearing surface of the cassette 70 and a bearing surface of the locking wheel 80. The invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown.

In particular, it is not limited to implementation in a socket having the internal architecture described with reference to the figures.

Claims (15)

Power outlet (1) comprising an insulating base (10) housing: - a cylindrical wall (22) delimiting an insertion well (2) of an electrical plug extending along a longitudinal axis (R), a piston (50) partially closing the section of this insertion well (2) and movable in translation relative to said cylindrical wall (22) along the longitudinal axis (R) and - at least one light source (92), characterized in that this light source (92) is disposed between a rear edge (22A) of said cylindrical wall (22) and a bottom wall (11) of the insulating base (10), so as to at least partially illuminate, by the rear, the section of the insertion well (2). Power outlet (1) according to claim 1, in which each light source (92) illuminates at least one gap (I) situated between said cylindrical wall (22) and said piston (50) so that at least one part of said light rays emitted by this light source (92) passes through said gap (I). Power outlet (1) according to one of claims 1 to 2, in which each light source (92) is a light-emitting diode. A socket according to claim 3, in which each light emitting diode emits light rays in an angular region of 120 degrees on either side of a preferred direction of emission. Power outlet (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, in which each light source (92) is mounted on a support plate (91A) of a printed circuit (91). Power outlet (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each light source (92) is electrically connected to terminals (40) for electrical connection of the power outlet (1) housed in said base (10 ). Power socket (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 6, in which the base (10) comprising a rear space (1B), in which is mounted at least one connection terminal (40), closed at the front by a cover (30), and a front space (1A) delimited, at the rear, by said cover (30), each light source (92) is arranged in the front space of the base. Power outlet (1) according to claim 7, in which each light source (92) is mounted on a support plate (91A) of a printed circuit (91) separate from said cover (30) and arranged against the latter. A socket according to claim 7, in which each light source is mounted on a support plate of a printed circuit forming said cover. Power outlet (1) according to one of claims 8 and 9, in which there is provided at least one electrical connection element (94) in contact on the one hand with the rear face of the support plate (91A) of the circuit printed (91), and secondly, with a conductive blade (42) of the terminal (40) for electrical connection of the socket (1) housed in the rear space (1B) of the base (10). Power outlet according to claim 10, in which the electrical connection element (94) is a compressible element compressed between the rear face of the support plate (91A) of the printed circuit (91) and the conductive blade (42) of such so that the light source (92) is permanently supplied by the terminal (40) for the electrical connection of the socket outlet (1) when the latter is connected to the electrical network. Power outlet according to claim 8, in which at least one electrical connection element (94) in contact on the one hand with the rear face of the support plate (91A) of the printed circuit (91), and on the other hand, with a conductive blade (42) of the terminal (40) for the electrical connection of the socket (1) housed in the rear space (1B) of the base (10) being provided, said cover (30) comprises a through opening allowing the passage of said electrical connection element (94) through said cover (30). Power outlet (1) according to claim 5, in which a plurality of light sources (92) are provided mounted on said support plate (91A) of the printed circuit (91), said light sources (92) being regularly arranged in the vicinity from the outer peripheral edge (91B) of this support plate (91A). Power socket (1) according to claim 13, in which the support plate (91A) has a rectangular or square shape and four light sources (92) are provided arranged at the four corners of this support plate (91A). Power outlet according to claim 14, each light source (92) is oriented at 45 degrees from the sides of the corresponding corner of the support plate (91A).

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