AU723387B2

AU723387B2 - Protective casing

Info

Publication number: AU723387B2
Application number: AU53868/98A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Frank Sartore
Original assignee: HPM Industries Pty Ltd
Current assignee: HPM Industries Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1997-02-11
Filing date: 1998-02-10
Publication date: 2000-08-24
Anticipated expiration: 2018-02-10
Also published as: AU5386898A

Description

-1- P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT a.* a aa b -J Invention Title: PROTECTIVE CASING The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: GH REF: P04210-WD:RW/LN -2- This invention relates to a protective casing and, in particular, to a casing for an electrical power outlet socket. The invention is hereinafter described in the context of a weatherproof casing for a switched power outlet but it will be understood that the invention may have broader application, for example to a protective casing for other electrical products, for communication equipment or for pneumatic equipment. Also, although the invention is described in the context of a weatherproof casing, it will be understood that the invention will have application in various environments, for example in industrial environments where dust or similar such pollutants present a problem.

Electrical power outlet sockets as used in some :.industrial situations are required to be protected against 15 entry of water and/or environmental dust when plugs are not connected to the sockets. Such protection is normally provided by spring-loaded flaps or screw-on caps but both of these types of covers have disadvantages. Spring-loaded flaps frequently do not provide adequate protection against persistently intrusive water or dust particles and, because of the inconvenience of screwing a cap onto a casing, screwcapping devices frequently are not repositioned after plugs have been removed from power outlet sockets.

The present invention is directed to a protective 25 casing which is provided with a closure which offers the eoee sealing capacity of a screw-on cap and the convenience of a *hinged flap. It also permits the use of a screwed coupling for connecting an attachment, for example a plug, to the casing.

Thus, the present invention provides a protective casing having an opening and a closure for the opening. The opening is surrounded by a cylindrical wall which is formed externally with a helical male screw thread, with convolutions of the screw thread being interrupted circumferentially by at least one longitudinally extending flute. The or each flute has a depth at least equal to the depth of the thread. The closure is in the form of a cap which is sized to overfit the wall of the opening and the 04210WD/10.2.98 3 cap is formed internally with a radial projection that has a circumferential width less than that of the flute. Also, the radial projection is formed with a portion of a female screw thread that is engageable with the male screw thread.

The closure is pivotably mounted to the casing in a manner such that it may be pivoted into overfitting relationship with the cylindrical wall and, when so positioned, be rotated to effect engagement of the male and female screw threads.

The casing in accordance with the invention preferably comprises a two-part casing having a base moulding and a cover moulding of which the cylindrical wall forms a part.

The cover moulding preferably is arranged to mount a power outlet socket which is accessed by way of the opening 15 defined by the cylindrical wall. Also, the cover is preferably arranged to carry a switch which is operated by an actuator mounted to the outside of the cover.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment of a protective casing for a switched power socket. The S. description is provided with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: *Figure 1 shows a sectional side elevation view of the casing, Figure 2 shows a front elevation view of the casing as oo seen in the direction of arrow 2 shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 shows an inverted plan view of the casing as seen in the direction of arrow 3 shown in Figure 2, Figure 4 shows a scrap view of a portion of the casing with a closure component illustrated in an open pivotal position, Figure 5 shows a view of the interior of the closure as seen in the direction of arrow 5 shown in Figure 4, and Figure 6 shows a front view of an opening portion of the casing as seen in the direction of arrow 6 shown in Figure 4.

As illustrated, the protective casing comprises a twopart casing 10 having a base moulding 11 and a cover 04210WD/10.2.98 4 moulding 12, both of which are formed from a plastics material. The casing 10 houses a switch 13 which is operated by a handle 14. The handle has a portion 15 which projects through the cover moulding 12 and which drives a switch actuator 16.

The components 14, 15 and 16 of the switch operating mechanism are arranged and positioned in a manner to inhibit flow of moisture into the interior of the casing The casing 10 also houses a power outlet socket which is indicated in outline and identified by numeral 17. The outlet socket would normally be wired electrically with the switch 13, and removable wall portions 18 are provided to permit conduit entries to be made to the casing S "The cover moulding 12 is formed integrally with a 15 cylindrical wall 19 which surrounds an opening 20 through which a plug (not shown) may be projected for connecting with the outlet socket 17.

*.9"*The cylindrical wall 19 is formed externally with a helical male screw thread 21 which, as best seen from Figure 6, has convolutions which are interrupted circumferentially by two longitudinally extending flutes 22 and 23. The flute 22 has a depth greater than the depth of the thread 21, and the flute 23 has a depth approximately equal to that of the thread 21. The flute 23 has a width which is significantly 25 greater than the width of the flute 22.

A pivotable closure 24 is provided for closing the S" opening 20 which is defined by the cylindrical wall 19. The closure 24 is in the form of a cap which is sized to overfit the wall 19 and it has a central plug-like portion 25 which is formed with an encircling groove 26 and, also, an encircling flange 27. The flange 27 is formed with a radially projecting pivot arm 28 which is connected by way of a pivot pin 29 to spaced-apart lugs 30. The lugs are formed integrally with the cover moulding 12 and, thus, the closure 24 is pivotably mounted to the cover moulding 12 of the casing The closure 24 also incorporates a generally cylindrical, ring-like moulded portion 31 which is carried 04210WD/10.2.98 5 by the central closure portion 25 and which is rotatable within the groove 26. The rotatable moulded portion 31 is formed internally with two radial projections 32, as shown in Figure 5, which have a circumferential width less than the width of both of the flutes 22 and 23 that separate the helical thread portions 21 that surround the cylindrical wall 19. The flute 23 is sufficiently wide to receive both the pivot arm 28 and one of the radial projections 32.

Both of the radial projections 32 are formed with portions of a female screw thread 33 that is engageable with the male thread 21 that surrounds the cylindrical wall 19.

When the closure 24 is pivoted from the position shown in Figure 4 through to that shown in Figure i, and the threaded projections 32 are aligned with the flutes 22 and 15 23, the female thread portions that are formed in the projections 32 may be aligned with the interrupted thread portions 21 of the wall 19 and, then, the rotatable moulded portion of the closure may be turned to effect engagement of the male and female screw threads. Conversely, to open the 20 closure 24, the rotatable moulded portion 31 of the closure may be turned in the opposite direction until the female thread portions 13 move out from engagement with the thread portions 21 and into the flutes 22 and 23, at which position the closure may be pivoted upwardly to the position shown in Figure 4. Thus, the closure 24 functions in effect both as a closure flap and as a rotatable closure which facilitates S" positive sealing of the opening 20 which is surrounded by the cylindrical wall 19.

A portion of the pivot arm 28 locates within the flute 23 when the closure is pivoted into the position shown in Figure 1, and that portion of the pivot arm 28 functions to provide a limit stop to clockwise and counter-clockwise rotation of the closure.

04210WD/10.2.98

Claims

1. A protective casing having an opening and a closure for the opening, the opening being surrounded by a cylindrical wall which is formed externally with a helical male screw thread with convolutions of the thread being interrupted circumferentially by at least one longitudinally extending flute that has a depth at least equal to the depth of the thread, the closure being in the form of a cap which is sized to overfit the wall of the opening and the cap being formed internally with a radial projection that has a circumferential width less than that of the flute, the radial projection being formed with a portion of a female screw thread that is engageable with the male screw thread, 15 the closure being pivotably mounted to the casing in a *--manner such that it may be pivoted into overfitting relationship with the cylindrical wall and, when so positioned, be rotated to effect engagement of the male and female threads. 20

2. The casing as claimed in claim 1 when in the form of a two-part casing having a base moulding and a cover moulding of which the cylindrical wall forms a part.

3. The casing as claimed in claim 2 wherein the cover "--moulding is arranged to mount a power outlet socket which is accessed by way of the opening defined by the cylindrical u wall. :i

4. The casing as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the cover moulding is arranged to carry a switch which is operated by an actuator mounted to the outside of the cover moulding.

The casing as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the convolutions of the helical male thread are interrupted circumferentially by two of the longitudinally extending flutes.

6. The casing as claimed in claim 5 wherein the flutes are diametrically disposed.

7. The casing as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the closure is formed internally with two of the radial 04210WD/10.2.98 7 projections, wherein the two radial projections are formed with portions of the female screw thread and wherein respective ones of the radial projections are positioned angularly to align with the longitudinally extending flutes.

8. The casing as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the closure comprises a central portion and a generally cylindrical ring-like moulded portion which is carried by and is rotatable about the central portion.

9. The casing as claimed in claim 8 wherein the central portion of the closure is formed integrally with a radially projecting pivot arm by which the closure is pivotably mounted to the casing.

The casing as claimed in claim 9 wherein a portion of the radially projecting pivot arm is disposed to locate 15 within the flute or, if more than one, within one of the •I flutes when the closure is pivoted into overfitting relationship with the cylindrical wall.

11. The casing as claimed in claim 10 wherein the portion of the pivot arm that is disposed to locate within the flute 20 functions to provide a limit stop to clockwise and counter- clockwise rotation of the cylindrical ring-like moulded portion of the closure. S..12. A protective casing substantially as shown in the •e accompanying drawings and substantially as herein before described with reference thereto. DATED this 10th day of February 1998 H.P.M. INDUSTRIES PTY LIMITED By their Patent Attorney GRIFFITH HACK 04210WD/10.2.98