Information handling system multi-axis power adapter

1. An information handling system comprising:

a housing;

a processing components disposed in the housing and operable to process information;

a display integrated with the housing and interfaced with the processing components to present the information as visual images;

a power subsystem having an external power connector and operable to provide power to the processing components and the display;

a power adapter having a body with a length and a width and having a cable extending from the body, the cable terminating at a power plug configured to fit into the external power connector; and

a multi-axis plug coupled to the power adapter body and having an outer housing and an inner housing, the inner housing having first and second prongs adapted to connect with a wall socket, the multi-axis plug operable to rotate between a storage position, a wall socket position and a power strip position

wherein:

the storage position has the prongs withdrawn into the outer housing and oriented along a first axis;

the wall socket position has the prongs extended from the outer housing and oriented in a second axis rotated ninety degrees from the first axis about a third axis, the third axis perpendicular to the first and second axes; and

the power strip position has the prongs extended from the outer housing and oriented along the third axis, the prongs rotating ninety degrees from the second axis to the third axis about the first axis.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the multi-axis plug is further operable to rotate about the second axis when in the wall socket position.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the multi-axis plug is further operable to rotate about the third axis when in the power strip position.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the multi-axis plug removably couples to a power wire connector of the body, the power wire connector accepting a power wire at one end terminating at another end in a plug adapted to connect to a wall socket.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the multi-axis plug further comprises:

an outer housing;

first and second prongs disposed in the housing and coupled together by a prong support that holds the first and second prongs in alignment to fit in a wall socket; and

an alignment adapter rotationally coupling the first and second prongs in the housing to move between the storage, wall socket and power strip positions.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the alignment adapter comprises:

an inner housing having first and second slots adapted to allow ninety degrees of rotation of the first and second prongs;

a base having a cradle to rotationally couple to the prong support to support the ninety degrees of rotation;

first and second wire connectors disposed proximate the base to communicate electrical power from the inner housing to the body; and

first and second contacts extending from each of the first and second prongs and aligned to contact the first and second wire connectors at each extreme of the ninety degrees of rotation.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising an electrical conductor interfacing the first and second prongs with the first and second wire connectors during rotation of the base relative to the housing.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the body includes circuitry to transform alternating current to direct current.

9. A method for connecting a power adapter to a socket in plural orientations, the method comprising:

rotating first and second prongs ninety degrees about a first rotation axis from a retracted position within the power adapter to a first extended position outside the power adapter and aligned with a first extended axis, the first extended position aligned to couple with a power socket in a first orientation;

at the first extended position, connecting the first and second prongs to first and second wire connectors with a first connector extension on each of the first and second prongs;

rotating the first and second prongs ninety degrees about a second rotation axis from the first extended position to a second extended position outside the power adapter and aligned with a second extended axis, the second extended position aligned to couple with a power socket in a second orientation, the second extended axis parallel to the first rotation axis; and

at the second extended position, connecting the first and second prongs to the first and second wire connectors with a second connector extension on each of the first and second prongs.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

rotating the first and second prongs about the first extended axis; and

maintaining electrical communication between the first and second prongs and the first and second wire connectors with a cable disposed between each of the first prong and wire connector and the second prong and wire connector.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

rotating the first and second prongs about the second extended axis; and

maintaining electrical communication between the first and second prongs and the first and second wire connectors with a cable disposed between each of the first prong and wire connector and the second prong and wire connector.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

removing a portion of the adapter having the first and second prongs from a portion of the adapter having power transformation circuitry to transform alternating current to direct current; and

coupling a power cable to the portion of the adapter having power transformation circuitry, the power cable terminating at a plug.

13. A power adapter comprising:

power transformation circuitry operable to convert AC power to DC power;

a cable extending from the power transformation circuitry to a power plug adapted to couple to an information handling system external power connector; and

a multi-axis plug interfaced with the power transformation circuit and adapted to connect with a wall socket, the multi-axis plug having at least first and second prongs, the first and second prongs operable to rotate between a storage position having the first and second prongs contained within the multi-axis plug, a wall socket position having the prongs extending outward from the body on a first axis, and a power strip position having the prongs extending outward from the body on a second axis, the prongs rotating between the storage position, the wall socket position and the power strip position about at least two different axes that are perpendicular to each other.

14. The power adapter of claim 13 wherein the multi-axis plug is further operable to rotate about the first axis when extended in the wall socket position.

15. The power adapter of claim 13 wherein the multi-axis plug is further operable to rotate about the second axis when extended in the power strip position.

16. The power adapter of claim 13 further comprising:

a housing having a first portion removable from a second portion, the first portion containing the power transformation circuitry and the second portion containing the multi-axis plug; and

a power wire connector disposed in the first portion and operable to accept a power wire adapted at one end to couple to the first housing portion and terminating at a second end in a plug, the plug configured to insert into a wall socket to communicate power to the power transformation circuitry;

wherein housing second portion is adapted to couple to the housing first portion in the place of the power wire connector.

17. The power adapter of claim 16 wherein the multi-axis plug further comprises:

first and second prongs disposed in the housing and coupled together by a prong support that holds the first and second prongs in alignment to fit in a wall socket; and

an alignment adapter rotationally coupling the first and second prongs in the second housing portion to move between the storage, wall socket and power strip positions.

18. The power adapter of claim 17 wherein the alignment adapter comprises:

an inner housing having first and second slots;

a base having a cradle to rotationally couple to the prong support, the base rotating relative to the housing first and second portions;

first and second wire connectors disposed proximate the base to communicate electrical power from the first and second prongs to the power wire connector; and

first and second contacts extending from each of the first and second prongs and aligned to contact the first and second wire connectors when the prongs rotate to first and second positions at the first and second slots and the base.

19. The power adapter of claim 18 wherein the prong first and second positions comprise the wall socket position and the power strip position.

20. The power adapter of claim 18 further comprising an electrical conductor interfacing the first and second prongs with the first and second wire connectors during rotation of the base relative to the first and second housing portions.