Safety end-connector used for extension cord

• US 4,834,664 A
• Filed: 12/11/1987
• Issued: 05/30/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mei-Mei Lin
• Original Assignee: Mei-Mei Lin
• Inventors: Lin, Mei-Mei
• Primary Examiner(s): BRADLEY, PAULA A
• Application Number:
  US07/131,937
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 439/135-140, 439/142-145, 439/621, 439/622, 337/197, 337/198, 337/241, 337/265
• US Class Current: 439/145
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/447 Shutter or cover plate
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/567 Traverse cable outlet or wire connection
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5841 allowing different orientations of the cable with respect to the coupling direction
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/68 with built-in fuse
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/717 with built-in light source
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7177 filament or neon bulb

Abstract

An improved safety end-connector used for extension cord includes: a circuit protection fuse, a detachable fuse box for easy inspection and replacement, two lead-in wires clamped firmly by a tail clamp of a base, a plurality of pairs of socket openings each pair of socket openings protected by a shutter slide, and an indicator lamp furnished for indicating the receptacle during night time or in a dark place, or serving as a trouble indicator.

Claims

1. An improved safety end-connector used for extension cord comprising:

a base having a plural pair of socket openings of distributed uniformly on each side along of its longitudinal axis, a left and right side conducting strip troughs adjacent each of said socket openings, a fuse compartment and an indicating through-hole located between said conducting strip troughs, a rear portion of the base is extended out and formed into a tail clamp, a top surface provided with respective sliding ways for each pair of socket openings;

conducting strips comprising a flat negative pole conducting strip, a U-shaped positive pole fuse clip, and a flat positive pole conducting strip with one end extended and bent inwardly to form another fuse clip, after connection with respective lead-in wires of the extention cord, the flat negative conducting strip is place in one of the said left or right side conducting strip troughs, and the U-shaped positive pole fuse clip is placed in the rear end of the said fuse compartment, while the flat positive pole conducting strip with the fuse clip at one end is placed in another one of the unoccupied said left or right side conducting strip troughs with its fuse clip end located at the front end of the said fuse compartment;

an indicator lamp connected by a cramping method across the connecting points of the lead-in wires to the said negative pole conducting strip and the said positive pole fuse clip and housed in the said indicating through-hole on said base for serving both locating and trouble shooting purposes;

a fuse box having an integrated front panel and a downward extended rear piece for receiving a fuse easily detachable/attachable from/to the fuse compartment for fuse replacement or inspection;

a fuse placed in the said fuse box, when said fuse box is pushed into said fuse compartment, its two conducting ends will be clamped by the two said fuse clips for circuit protection;

plural shutter slides provided with a respective pair of socket through-openings and protruding bosses for switching the respective pair of socket openings underneath it to an open or close position;

a cover provided with respective pairs of socket through-openings and openings for the protruding bosses and having top and bottom sides provided with respective indicating windows, the cover is utilized for housing and positioning of said base;

whereby a receptacle is constructed and is protected and said fuse box can be easily detached/attached for fuse replacement or inspection, the pairs of socket openings can be switched to an open position or to a closed position with the indicator lamp serving both as a receptacle locating during night time or in a dark place, and for trouble shooting purposes.

2. An improved safety end-connector used for extension cord as set forth in claim 1, in which, the conducting strip troughs can be provided in-line with either the inner sides or the outer sides of the said pairs of socket openings for receiving the said conducting strips.

3. An improved safety end-connector used for extension cord as set forth in claim 1, in which, the tail clamp of the base comprises an intergrated bottom clamp and a fastening clamp, when these clamps are closed they apply uniform clamping force to both of the core and the insulation layer of the lead-in wire of the cord.

4. An improved safety end-connector used for extension cord as set forth in claim 1 or 3, in which protruded clipping pieces at the tail clamp end on both the top and bottom sides of the said base are clipped onto a clipping dent at the rear end on both the top and bottom inner surfaces of the cover for positioning said base and for harnessing the lead-in wires of the cord.