Safety electrical outlet with logic control circuit

• US 20020097546A1
• Filed: 01/22/2001
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackbird Tech LLC
• Original Assignee: Pedro J. Weinberger
• Inventors: Weinberger, Pedro J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,552,888 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/103
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/652 with earth pin, blade or socket
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/713 the switch being a safety switch
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/78 with additional earth or shield contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/12 responsive to underload or no-load for motors H02H7/0827
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 5/042 using temperature dependent resistors

Abstract

An electrical safety outlet for accepting a plug to provide power to electrical appliances including a power supply and an intelligent circuitry for controlling the power supply to the electrical outlet; the intelligent circuitry includes circuits for determining temperature condition in the outlet, mechanical plug insertion into the outlet, load presence on the outlet, and current capacity conditions.

Claims

1. An electrical safety outlet for accepting a plug to provide power to an electrical appliance, the electrical outlet comprises

a power source;

an electrically controlled switch;

an intelligent circuitry for controlling the power flow from the power source via the electrically controlled switch to the electrical outlet; and

wherein the intelligent circuitry includes a sensor for determining full and proper plug insertion into the outlet.

2. An electrical safety outlet for accepting a plug to provide power to an electrical appliance, the electrical outlet comprises

a power source;

an electrically controlled switch;

an intelligent circuitry for controlling power supply from the power source via the electrically controlled switch to the electrical outlet; and

wherein the intelligent circuitry includes a sensor for determining whether a load is present on the outlet.

3. An electrical safety outlet for accepting a plug to provide power to an electrical appliance, the electrical outlet comprises

a power source;

an electrically controlled switch;

an intelligent circuitry for controlling power supply from the power source via the electrically controlled switch to the electrical outlet; and

wherein the intelligent circuitry includes a sensor for monitoring the current load on the outlet.

4. An electrical safety outlet for accepting a plug to provide power to an electrical appliance, the electrical outlet comprises

a power source;

an electrically controlled switch;

an intelligent circuitry for controlling power supply from the power source via the electrically controlled switch to the electrical outlet;

the intelligent circuitry includes a sensor for monitoring a temperature in the outlet.

5. An electrical safety outlet for accepting a plug to provide power to an electrical appliance, the electrical outlet comprises

a power source;

an electrically controlled switch;

an intelligent circuitry for controlling power supply from the power source via the electrically controlled switch to the electrical outlet;

the intelligent circuitry includes at least one sensor for monitoring proper and full plug insertion, a sensor for load presence, a sensor for current load on the outlet and a sensor for temperature in the outlet.

6. The electrical outlet according to claim 5, wherein the intelligent circuitry includes a microprocessor for processing information supplied by the at least one sensor for monitoring full and proper plug insertion, the load presence sensor, the current load sensor and the temperature sensor.

7. The electrical outlet according to claim 6, wherein the electrically controlled switch provides the power supply to the electrical outlet only when the sensed information processed by the microprocessor of the monitored complete and proper plug insertion, the load presence, the current load and temperature meets a set standard.

8. The electrical outlet according to claim 7, wherein the electrically controlled switch is connected to the electrical outlet and the microprocessor controller.

9. The electrical outlet according to claim 8, wherein the intelligent circuitry is provided on a PCB board, and disposed on the electrical outlet.

10. The electrical outlet according to claim 9, wherein the temperature sensor is a thermistor having a change in resistance upon a change in the temperature.

11. The electrical outlet according to claim 10, wherein the microprocessor includes a Schmitt trigger and wherein the change in resistance is compared by the Schmitt trigger to a reference temperature and, depending on the results of the comparison, the microprocessor, via the electrically controlled switch, effects the power supply to the outlet.

12. The electrical outlet according to claim 7, wherein proper and full plug insertion in to the outlet is sensed by providing a radiation source placed substantially centrally between the outlet openings;

the radiation source emits radiation in at least one direction and upon intermittence of the emitted radiation, the at least one sensor indicates proper and full plug insertion.

13. The electrical outlet according to claim 12, wherein the radiation source is a light source emitting light into at least one channel positioned transverse to the outlet openings such that upon proper and full plug insertion, the light is intermitted.

14. The electrical outlet according to claim 13, wherein the at least one sensor for monitoring proper and full plug insertion are two sensors, disposed in the outlet opposite of each.

15. The electrical outlet according to claim 14, wherein the information provided to the processor by the at least one sensor for monitoring full and proper plug insertion, the load presence sensor, the current load sensor and the temperature sensor sensors is processed instantaneously.

16. The electrical outlet according to claim 14, wherein the at least one sensor for monitoring full and proper plug insertion are two sensors and wherein the information provided by each sensor to the micro processor is processed simultaneously.

17. The electrical outlet according to claim 13, wherein the light source is a light emitting diode.

18. The electrical outlet according to claim 16, wherein the sensors are photo sensors.

19. The electrical outlet according to claim 18, wherein the photo sensors are cadmium-sulphide photo cell.

20. The electrical outlet according to claim 16, wherein the sensors are photo diodes.

21. The electrical outlet according to claim 16, wherein the sensors are photo transistors.

22. An electrical safety outlet including a ground fault circuit interrupter, for accepting a plug to provide power to an electrical appliance, the electrical outlet comprises

a power source;

an electrically controlled switch;

an intelligent circuitry for controlling power supply from the power source via the electrically controlled switch to the electrical outlet;

the intelligent circuitry includes at least one sensor for monitoring proper and full plug insertion, a sensor for load presence, a sensor for current load on the outlet and a sensor for temperature in the outlet.

23. An electrical safety outlet for accepting a plug to provide power to an electrical appliance, the electrical outlet comprises

a power source;

an electrically controlled switch;

an intelligent circuitry for controlling power supply from the power source via the electrically controlled switch to the electrical outlet;

the intelligent circuitry includes at least one sensor for monitoring proper and full plug insertion, a sensor for load presence, a sensor for current load on the outlet and a sensor for temperature in the outlet; and

wherein the intelligent circuit includes a microprocessor which includes an port for remote addressing.

24. A method for operating an electrical safety outlet for accepting a plug to provide power to an electrical device, the method comprising the steps of

providing a power source;

providing an electrically controlled switch;

providing an intelligent circuitry for controlling the power flow from the power source via the electrically controlled switch to the electrical outlet; and

determining with the intelligent circuitry full plug insertion into the outlet.

25. A method for operating an electrical safety outlet for accepting a plug to provide power to an electrical device, the method comprising the steps of

providing a power source;

providing an electrically controlled switch;

providing an intelligent circuitry for controlling power supply from the power source via the electrically controlled switch to the electrical outlet; and

determining with the intelligent circuitry a load presence on the outlet.

26. A method for operating an electrical safety outlet for accepting a plug to provide power to an electrical device, the method comprising the steps of

providing a power source;

providing an electrically controlled switch;

providing an intelligent circuitry for controlling power supply from the power source via the electrically controlled switch to the electrical outlet; and

determining with the intelligent circuitry a current load on the outlet.

27. A method for operating an electrical safety outlet for accepting a plug to provide power to an electrical device, the method comprising

providing a power source;

providing an electrically controlled switch;

providing an intelligent circuitry for controlling power supply from the power source via the electrically controlled switch to the electrical outlet;

determining the temperature in the outlet; and

, depending on the determined temperature, providing power to the outlet.

28. A method for operating an electrical safety outlet for accepting a plug to provide power to an electrical device, the sensor comprising

providing a power source;

providing an electrically controlled switch;

providing an intelligent circuitry for controlling power supply from the power source via the electrically controlled switch to the electrical outlet;

providing an intelligent circuitry for determining complete plug insertion, load presence, current load and temperature in the outlet.