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Conical Power Port

Make them stackable!
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The standard car cigarette lighter/power port is a barrell shaped connector about 3/4 of an inch in diameter. This design while common has a major flaw, only one connector can occupy a power port at any one time.

I propose a modified design for the connectors used in low power draw devices such as cell phones, radar detectors, Ipod FM chargers and the like. This new connector would have a slightly conical shape that tapers from about 1/2 inch to the usual 3/4 inch. The inside of the connector is hollow to permit multiple devices to be connected to the power port at the same time.

The current connectors are barrel shaped and so cannot nest together tightly, that is why the slightly conical shape. Think like soup cans stacked together compared to Styrofoam cups stacked together.

Large draw devices such as laptop s, power inverters refrigerators, pump and others would maintain the regular style connector. A simple integrated slide down adapter would allow the conical connectors to operate on normal plugs, the design would also prevent stacking of high load devices over low load devices for safety.

jhomrighaus, Mar 12 2007


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       A fine and dandy idea. But why do you need "A simple integrated slide down adapter would allow the conical connectors to operate on normal plugs" ? Isn;'t this just a connector that replicates the socket (I mean, standard "plug" on one face, and standard "socket" on the other) to allow stacking? Confused bun.
MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 13 2007
  

       If you did it that way the thing would be sticking way out into the car. The current connectors are barrel shaped and so cannot nest together tightly, that is why the slightly conical shape. Think like soup cans stacked together compared to Styrofoam cups stacked together.
jhomrighaus, Mar 13 2007
  

       Wouldn't the plugs slide out of the port though? It's rather like styrofoam cups stacked together, but horizontally, in a vibrating and swinging environment.
placid_turmoil, Mar 13 2007
  

       placid_turmoil, you could fashion a small section at the end which was 'clickable', not unlike the way phono plugs are retained in the sockets.   

       jhomrighaus, a very fine idea. I wish I'd thought of it. +
TheLightsAreOnBut, Mar 13 2007
  


 

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