IP Library Granted Patent US 10,931,074
Granted Patent B2
US 10,931,074 · App. 16/884,964 · Granted Feb 23, 2021

Assembly of worldwide AC adapter supporting foldable prongs

Inventors: Andrew Thomas Sultenfuss (Leander, TX); Priyank Jatin Gajiwala (Austin, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products, L.P.
H01R31/065H01R13/15H01R13/5213H01R24/68H01R35/04H05K1/117
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,931,074
App. No.
16/884,964
Granted
Feb 23, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

An AC (Alternating Current) plug for providing power via a power circuit is assembled by: selecting a cover that includes prongs and structures on an inner side; positioning a PCB (printed circuit board) that includes contact pads connecting the PCB to the power circuit on structures of the inner side of the cover; positioning the spring mounted terminals on structures on the inner side of the cover such that a first end of each spring mounted terminal is positioned on a contact pad of the PCB; positioning a cap on the spring mounted terminals, the PCB and the cover, such that assembly holes of the cap, the PCB and the cover are aligned; and fastening the cap to the cover, such that the first end of each spring mounted terminal is secured against a respective contact pad and each spring mounted terminal is loaded and exerts a force against a prong.

Claims (32)

1. An AC (Alternating Current) plug for providing power, the AC plug comprising:

a cover comprising a plurality of prongs;

a PCB comprising a plurality of contact pads;

a plurality of spring mounted terminals; and

a cap fastened to the cover, wherein the fastening of the cap secures a first end of each spring mounted terminal against a contact pad of the PCB, and wherein the fastening of the cap positions each spring mounted terminal for contact with a prong of the plurality of prongs.

2. The AC plug of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of prongs are fixed to an outer side of the cover.

3. The AC plug of claim 1 , wherein the spring mounted terminals are positioned based on an alignment of a second end of each of the spring mounted terminals with an alignment structure of the cover.

4. The AC plug of claim 1 , wherein the fastening of the cap connects the prongs to a power circuit via the contact pads.

5. The AC plug of claim 4 , wherein no wires are included in the connections between the plurality of prongs and the power circuit.

6. The AC plug of claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises a plurality of slots, and wherein the each of the plurality of prongs are foldable prongs that may be rotated into a slot of the cover.

7. The AC plug of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of prongs comprises a cam that contacts a spring mounted terminal when the foldable prongs are rotated to an extended position.

8. The AC plug of claim 7 , wherein the cam of each of the plurality of prongs does not contact the respective spring mounted terminal when the foldable prongs are rotated to a folded position.

9. A method of assembling an AC (Alternating Current) plug for providing power, the method comprising:

selecting a cover comprising a plurality of prongs;

positioning a PCB on an inner side of the selected cover, wherein the PCB comprises a plurality of contact pads;

positioning a plurality of spring mounted terminals, wherein a first end of each spring mounted terminal is positioned on a contact pad of the PCB; and

fastening a cap to the cover, wherein the fastening secures the first end of each spring mounted terminal against a contact pad of the PCB, and wherein the fastening positions each spring mounted terminal for contact with a prong of the plurality of prongs.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the cover comprises a plurality of slots, and wherein the each of the plurality of prongs are foldable prongs that may be rotated into a slot of the cover.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the cover is selected from covers comprising prongs conforming to electrical outlets used in different geographic regions.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the fastening connects each of the prongs to a power circuit of the PCB via contact with a spring mounted terminal that is fastened to a contact pad of the PCB.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein no wires are utilized to connect any of the plurality of prongs to the power circuit.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of prongs are fixed to an outer side of the cover.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of prongs comprises a cam that contacts a spring mounted terminal when the foldable prongs are rotated to an extended position.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the cam of each of the plurality of prongs does not contact the respective spring mounted terminal when the foldable prongs are rotated to a folded position.

17. An AC (Alternating Current) adapter for providing power to an Information Handling System (IHS) via a power circuit, wherein the AC adapter comprises an AC plug comprising:

a cover comprising a plurality of prongs;

a PCB comprising a plurality of contact pads;

a plurality of spring mounted terminals; and

a cap fastened to the cover, wherein the fastening of the cap secures a first end of each spring mounted terminal against a contact pad of the PCB, and wherein the fastening of the cap positions each spring mounted terminal for contact with a prong of the plurality of prongs.

18. The AC adapter of claim 17 , wherein the cover comprises a plurality of slots, and wherein the each of the plurality of prongs are foldable prongs that may be rotated into a slot of the cover.

19. The AC adapter of claim 17 , wherein the fastening connects the prongs to a power circuit via the contact pads.

20. The AC adapter of claim 19 , and wherein no wires are included in the connections between the plurality of prongs and the power circuit.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053574/0221) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060333/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053578/0183) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060332/0864 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053573/0535) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060333/0106 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 053531 FRAME 0108 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0371 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053578/0183 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053573/0535 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053574/0221 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 18, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 053531/0108 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 27, 2020
From: SULTENFUSS, ANDREW THOMAS; GAJIWALA, PRIYANK JATIN
To: DELL PRODUCTS, L.P.
Reel/Frame 052765/0699 →