Wall outlet lock apparatus

• US 4,479,688 A
• Filed: 12/24/1981
• Issued: 10/30/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gordon B. Jennings
• Original Assignee: Gordon B. Jennings
• Inventors: Jennings, Gordon B.
• Primary Examiner(s): McGlynn, Joseph H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Austin, Paula
• Application Number:
  US06/334,148
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 339/37, 339/82, 200/50 B, 200/42, 200/44
• US Class Current: 200/43.02
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/44 Means for preventing access to live contacts making use of a switch actuated by engagement of counterpart H01R13/7036
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6397 with means for preventing unauthorised use

Abstract

A wall outlet lock apparatus for retaining an electrical appliance plug at an electrical wall outlet comprises an electrical plug receptacle for receiving an electrical appliance plug; a power transfer unit coupled to the electrical plug receptacle for transferring power from the electrical wall outlet to the electrical plug receptacle; a first locking mechanism for restricting removal of the wall outlet lock apparatus from the electrical wall outlet; and a second locking mechanism coupled to the power transfer unit for disengaging the power transfer unit from the electrical plug receptacle to prohibit transfer of power from the electrical wall outlet to the electrical plug receptacle.

Claims

1. An electrical wall outlet plug lock apparatus for locking an electrical appliance plug at an electrical wall outlet comprising:

a housing enclosure means including a base means and selectively removable security cover means;

at least one electrical plug recepticle operatively coupled within said housing enclosure means for removably receiving at least one electrical appliance plug therein for completing an electrical circuit conection therebetween;

a master electrical plug operably disposed within said base means including plug prongs operably disposed through the bottom of said base means of said housing enclosure means for mechanically and electrically engaging said wall outlet;

fastening means operably disposed within said base means for operatively securing said base means of said housing enclosure means to a selected wall location proximate said wall outlet such that the plug prongs of said master electrical plug are continuously mechanically and electrically coupled within said wall outlet for maintaining a continuous supply of electrical power therebetween until the housing enclosure means is removed from the wall;

power transfer means operably disposed within said housing enclosure means and electrically coupled between said at least one electrical plug receptacle and said master electrical plug for transfering electrical power from said master electrical plug to said at least one electrical plug receptacle;

said housing enclosure means further including means for operatively covering said base means with said selectively removable security cover means for preventing said at least one electrical plug from being removed from said housing enclosure means and for concealably protecting said fastening means from being unfastened for preventing the removal of said housing enclosure means from said selected wall location and preventing the mechanical and electrical uncoupling of said plug prongs of said master electrical plug from said wall outlet;

first locking means for selectively securing said selectively removable security cover means to said base means to prevent tampering and the like;

electrical switching means operatively disposed in an electrical circuit between said master electrical plug and said at least one electrical plug receptacle for selectively opening and closing said electrical circuit; and

second locking means operatively coupled to said power transfer means for selectively closing said switching means to complete an electrical path between said master electrical plug and said at least one electrical plug receptacle and for selectively opening said switching means for breaking the circuit between said master electrical plug and said at least one electrical plug receptacle so as to selectively electrically energize and deenergize said at least one electrical plug receptacle from said master electrical plug to prevent the transfer of electrical power therebetween.

2. The plug lock apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fastening means includes a setting screw means for operatively coupling said housing enclosure means to said electrical wall outlet to assure that said master electrical plug continually mechancially and electrically engages said electrical outlet, and wherein said selectively removable security cover means includes means for restricting access to said setting screw means and to said at least one electrical plug receptacle;

and

first key-operated locking means for locking said selectively removable security cover means on said base means of said housing enclosure means to prevent unauthorized removal thereof thereby preventing access to said setting screw and the removal of said housing enclosure means from said wall outlet.

3. The plug lock of claim 2 wherein said second locking means includes a second key-operated locking means electrically coupled to said power transfer means for selectively actuating and de-actuating said electrical switching means.

4. The plug lock of claim 3 wherein said housing enclosure means is generally rectangular in shape having open rear and bottom sides and wherein said selectively removable security cover means is adapted to be slidably received within said base means so that said selectively removable security cover means can be selectively slidably inserted and removed therefrom for preventing unauthorized access to said fastening means and said at least one plug receptacle and the corresponding appliance plug inserted therein.

5. The plug lock of claim 4 wherein said selectively removable security cover means includes a generally L-shaped integral panel means for adding rear and bottom sides to said base means to complete the construction of said generally rectangular housing enclosure means when said selectively removable security cover means is operatively secured to the base means of said housing enclosure means.

6. The plug lock of claim 5 wherein said selectively removable security cover means includes at least one slot therein through which an electrical cord operatively coupled to said appliance plug may pass but through which said electrical appliance plug cannot be removed from said housing enclosure means once said selectively removable security cover means is slidably inserted into said base means and locked therein.

7. The plug lock of claim 6 wherein said selectively removable security cover means includes an enlongated latching slot, wherein said first locking means includes an elongated latching arm and means for pivotably securing one end of said latching arm adjacent the bottom of said base means, the length of said latching arm being such that it extends through said latching slot when said selectively removable security cover means is slidably positioned on said base means and a key-operated means for selectively rotating said latching arm in a first direction to disposed said latching arm substantially perpendicular to the plane of said cover means for extending said latching arm out of said elongated latching slot to prevent removal of said selectively removable security cover means from the base means and for selectively rotating said latching arm in a second direction to withdraw said latching arm from said elongated latching slot for enabling said selectively removable security cover means to be slidably removed from said base means.

8. A pilfer-proof electrical plug-locking apparatus for securing an electrical plug from an external utilization device and a receptacle proximate a wall outlet comprising:

a generally rectangular housing means including a base means and removable security cover means adapted to be operatively received by said base means for forming a relatively completely enclosed generally rectangular box-like housing means;

a wall outlet-engaging plug operatively mounted proximate the back surface of said base means and including plug prongs, said plug prongs being permanently extended through the back surface of said base means;

fastening means operatively disposed within said housing means and exteriorly through a bottom surface of said base means for relatively fixedly securing said housing means proximate said wall outlet, said base means being oriented with respect to said wall outlet such that said permanently extended plug prongs become relatively permanently mechanically and electrically engaged with said wall outlet as said base means is mounted proximate said wall outlet by said fastening means for insuring a continuous supply of electrical power from said wall outlet to said wall outlet-engaging plug;

at least one external utilization device electrical plug receptacle operatively secured within said base means for mechanically and electrically receivably engaging the prongs of at least a corresponding one of said external utilization device plugs, said at least one of said external utilization device plugs being operatively connected to the external utilization device through an electrical cord means;

said removable security cover means including means for operatively receiving at least one of said electrical power cord means therein when said removable security cover means is removed from said base means and for preventing said at least one of said external utilization device plugs from being physically removed from said housing means once said removable security cover means is secured to said base means and for prohibiting access to said fastening means to prevent said housing means from being removed from said wall outlet before said removable security cover means is secured to said base means;

electrical circuit means operatively coupled between said at least one external utilization device electrical plug receptacle and said wall outlet-engaging plug for completing an electrically conductive path between said wall outlet and said external utilization device via said wall outlet-engaging plug, said electrical circuit means, said at least one external utilization device electrical plug receptacle, said at least one of said external utilization device plugs and said at least one of said electrical power cord means;

key-operated security cover locking means for selectively locking said removable security cover means to said base means for preventing the removal of said removable security cover means from said base means and for prohibiting access to said fastening means within the interior of said housing means and for selectively unlocking said removable security cover means from said base means for enabling the removal of said removable security cover means therefrom for granting access to the interior of said housing means, said key-operated security cover locking means including a lock tumbler means operatively disposed within said base means, a latching means responsive to said locking tumbler means for performing the locking and unlocking function, and an externally disposed key inlet means operatively extended through a side portion of said housing means, for allowing an authorized users key to be inserted into said externally disposed key inlet for turning in a first direction to rotate said lock tumbler means in a first direction for locking the removable security cover means to the base means and for turning in the opposite direction for operating said latching means to unlock said removable security cover means from said base means;

key-operated power control locking means including a power control latching tumbler means operatively disposed within said housing, a power control linkage mechanism means responsive to said power control latching tumbler means for selectively controlling an electrical switch operating means, and a key insert means operably extended externally through one side of the housing means for providing a key insertion means on the outside thereof, said key insert means of said housing means for receiving an authorized users key therein for manually rotating said power control latching tumbler means in a first direction for positioning said power control linkage mechanism means in a first switch control position and for manual rotation in the opposite direction for positioning said power control linkage mechanism means to a second switch control position; and

said electrical circuit means including an electrical switching means responsive to said first switch control position of said power control linkage mechanism means for completing a circuit between said wall outlet-engaging plug and said at least one external utilization device electrical plug reeceptcle for supplying power from the wall outlet to the external utilization device and responsive to said second switch control position of said power control linkage mechanism means for breaking the circuit between the wall outlet-engaging plug and said power control latching tumbler means for stopping the flow of electrical power from said wall outlet to said external utilization device.

9. The pilfer-proof electrical plug-locking apparatus of claim 8 wherein said base means includes a back panel, three side panels, an open end, and an open front, each of the three sides including a flange portion operably disposed approximately perpendicular to the plane of each side and disposed inwardly over and parallel to the back panel for defining a sliding guide path;

wherein said removable security cover means includes a front panel cover and an integrally formed plurality of slot-defining L-shaped leg portions, said slots being adapted to operably receive said electrical power cord therein when said removable security cover means is removed from said base means, said front panel cover being adapted to slidably engage said sliding guide portion of said base means for sliding said removable cover means therein so that said front panel cover means covers substantially the complete open front side of said base means and that portion of said L-shaped leg portions which is integral with and approximately perpendicular to the lower distal end portion of the front cover of the panel is adapted to close said open end of the housing means while the opposite end of the L-shaped leg portions which is substantially parallel to the plane of the front cover panel is adapted to slide into the base means along the back panel thereof for preventing the legs from being bent out to gain unauthorized access to the housing means; and

wherein said front cover plate of said removable security cover means further including an enlongated slot means for operatively engaging cover locking latching means for locking said removable security cover means in position slidably within said base means when said cover locking latching means extends through said enlongated slot and for releasing said removable security cover means for slidable removal from said base means whenever said latching means is removed from said enlongated slot.