Grounding type adaptor receptacle

• US 3,997,225 A
• Filed: 07/03/1975
• Issued: 12/14/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Product Concepts Company
• Original Assignee: Product Concepts Company
• Inventors: Horwinski, Elwood R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lake, Roy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bicks, Mark S.
• Application Number:
  US05/593,124
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 339/14 R, 339/154 R, 339/154 A, 339/156 R, 339/157 R, 339/159 R, 339/159 C, 339/166 R, 339/164 R, 339/164 M
• US Class Current: 439/105
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/648 Protective earth or shield arrangements on coupling devices , e.g. anti-static shielding coaxially arranged shields H01R24/38
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/02 Intermediate parts for distributing energy to two or more circuits in parallel, e.g. splitter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/92

Abstract

An electrical grounding-type adaptor receptacle providing, from a standard duplex wall outlet, multiple circuits to accommodate a plurality of electrical plugs. The adaptor includes a wall plate or housing which has the configuration of a truncated pyramid and is adapted to overlie and completely conceal the outlet opening of the wall receptacle. Two pairs of parallel-connected conductive prongs protrude from the rear of the housing and are adapted to be inserted in the recess pairs respectively of the wall outlet for electrical contact with the circuits thereof. Carried by the housing are multiple three-conductor sockets for receiving grounding-type appliance plugs, the sockets being connected in parallel with one another and with the parallel-connected prongs.

To provide the grounding function there is disposed within the housing an elongate conductor bar substantially in line with the sockets, the conductor bar having multiple spring fingers adapted to be engaged by the ground pins of the plugs. The conductor bar is secured by a mounting screw, which in turn is received in the grounded mounting nut in the wall outlet. The arrangement is such that the mounting screw for the adaptor operates to mechanically hold it in a position overlying the wall outlet, while at the same time providing an electrical ground connection for the conductor bar. Thus, three-circuit grounding type plugs which are inserted into the adaptor will have their third pins grounded at all times, regardless of whether the adaptor is employed with conventional two-circuit or three-circuit wall outlets.

Claims

1. An electrical receptacle type adaptor providing from a standard wall outlet having a ground portion, multiple circuits to accommodate up to four three-prong grounding-type electrical plugs, comprising in combination:

a. a wall plate adapted to overlie the wall outlet,

b. a pair of conductive prongs protruding from the rear of the wall plate and adapted to be received in the recesses of the wall outlet for establishing electrical contact with the circuits thereof,

c. means defining an electrical three-conductor socket in the wall plate, two of the said three conductors thereof being connected respectively to said prongs,

d. conductive means providing an electrical connection from the third of said conductors to the ground portion of said wall outlet, and

e. means defining three additional, three-conductor sockets in the wall plate adapted to receive three additional electrical plugs respectively, two of the said three conductors of each socket being connected respectively to said prongs,

f. said sockets being substantially aligned with one another,

g. said conductive means comprising a single, one-piece elongate solid conductor bar extending adjacent said aligned sockets, each end of said bar having a pair of integral transverse spring contact fingers disposed angularly with respect to each other and adapted to mechanically engage and electrically contact the ground pins respectively of the plugs inserted into said sockets,

h. said bar including non-yielding abutment portions interposed between the spring fingers of each pair, respectively,

i. said abutment portions each cooperating with only one of the fingers of each pair for frictional engagement with the ground pin of a plug and providing a non-yielding, fixed positioner device and guide for said plug to maintain the alignment thereof.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein:

a. each of the fingers has an elongate, concave, pin contact surface located between the opposite flat side edges of the bar.