Electric plug organizer

• US 4,921,444 A
• Filed: 10/12/1988
• Issued: 05/01/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CCC Trading Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CCC Trading Incorporated
• Inventors: Cama, Christopher C.
• Primary Examiner(s): DESMOND, EUGENE
• Application Number:
  US07/256,734
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 439/501, 439/528, 439/529, 439/590, 439/373, 439/536, 439/542, 174/66, 174/67, 248/316, 248/314
• US Class Current: 439/528
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/60 Means for supporting coupling part when not engaged

Abstract

An electric plug organizer includes a holder which surrounds the periphery of an electric plug for securely retaining the plug in a storage position. The holder is formed from a resilient material and is mounted near an electrical outlet. A longitudinal slot extending through one sidewall of the holder enables the holder to selectively receive a standard size two prong plug, or in the alternative, the holder may be expanded to receive a larger three prong plug. The electric plug organizer may include a receptacle adjacent to the holder for storing electrical cord, and may further include a protective outlet cover for insertion into an exposed electrical outlet when a plug is stored in the holder. The holder may be formed in varying dimensions to accommodate different size plugs, and each unit may include more than a single plug holder.

Claims

1. A device for storing an electrical plug comprising:

at least one storage compartment including a front wall, a rear wall and a pair of opposed sidewalls defining a receptacle having an open top and an open bottom, said at least one storage compartment being formed from a resilient material, said at least one storage compartment adapted to surround and engage the periphery of an electrical plug receivable therein,

at least one slot defined in one of said walls, and

means for mounting said plug storage compartment proximate to an electrical outlet.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said at least one slot cooperates with said resilient material forming said plug storage compartment such that said plug storage compartment is expandable to receive electrical plugs of different sizes.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said plug storage compartment is tapered outwardly in a direction from said opened bottom to said opened top.

2. The device of claim 2 wherein said plug storage compartment is formed from an electrically insulated material.

5. A device for storing an electrical plug comprising:

a plurality of plug storage compartments, each of said compartments including a front wall, a rear wall and a pair of opposed sidewalls defining a receptacle having an open top and an open bottom,

at least one slot defined in one of said walls of each of said compartments, and

means for mounting said plurality of plug storage compartments proximate to an electrical outlet.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said plurality of plug storage compartments are defined adjacent to each other, each of said adjacent plug storage compartments having one common sidewall.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein said plurality of plug storage compartments are integrally joined to each other by a connecting member.

8. The device of claim 5 wherein each of said plurality of plug storage compartments is of the same dimensions.

9. A device for storing an electrical plug comprising:

at least one plug storage compartment including a front wall, a rear wall and a pair of opposed sidewalls defining a receptacle having an open top and an open bottom,

at least one slot defined in one of said walls, and

means for mounting said plug storage compartment proximate to an electrical outlet,

said device further including at least one electrical cord storage compartment defined proximate to said at least one plug storage compartment, said electrical cord storage compartment including a front wall, a rear wall and a pair of opposed sidewalls defining a receptacle having an open top and an open bottom.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said at least one electrical cord storage compartment is defined adjacent to said at least one plug storage compartment, said plug and said electrical cord storage compartments being formed from resilient material, said electrical cord storage compartment defining a slot in at least one of its said walls.

11. A device for storing an electrical plug comprising:

at least one plug storage compartment including a front wall, a rear wall and a pair of opposed sidewalls defining a receptacle having an open top and an open bottom,

at least one slot defined in one of said walls, and means for mounting said plug storage compartment proximate to an electrical outlet,

said device further including an electrical outlet protective shield mounted to said device, said electrical outlet protective shield being insertable into an exposed electric outlet proximate to the position at which said plug storage compartment is mounted.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein said electrical outlet protective shield is mounted to said device by a cord.

13. A device for storing an electrical plug or an electrical cord, said device comprising:

at least one plug storage compartment including a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of opposed sidewalls defining a first receptacle having an open top and an open bottom;

at least one of said walls of said plug storage compartment defining a slot therein,

at least one electrical cord storage compartment including a front wall, a rear wall and a pair of opposed sidewalls defining a second receptacle having an open top and an open bottom;

at least one of said walls of said electrical cord storage compartment defining a slot therein,

at least one electrical outlet protective shield mounted to at least one of said first and second receptacles, said electrical outlet protective shield adapted to being selectively inserted into an exposed electrical outlet, and

means for mounting said first and second receptacles proximate to an electrical outlet.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein said at least one plug storage compartment and said at least one electrical cord storage compartment are formed from resilient material.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein said at least one plug storage compartment and said at least one electrical cord storage compartment are adjacent to each other, said adjacent compartments having a common sidewall.

16. A device for storing an electrical plug comprising a receptacle having at least one wall defining a substantially closed peripheral structure having an open top and an open bottom, said at least one wall defining a slot therein, said closed structure adapted to receive and retain an electrical plug therein by frictional engagement thereof against an inner surface of said at least one wall,

said receptacle being formed from a resilient material, said receptacle being expandable as a result of cooperation between said resilient material and said slot defined in said receptacle.