Electrical male plug lock

• US 5,507,656 A
• Filed: 10/28/1994
• Issued: 04/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matthew W. Ales
• Original Assignee: Matthew W. Ales
• Inventors: Ales, Matthew W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bradley, P. Austin
• Assistant Examiner(s): WITTELS, DANIEL NMN
• Application Number:
  US08/328,781
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 439/133, 439/134
• US Class Current: 439/133
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/60 Means for supporting coupling part when not engaged
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6397 with means for preventing unauthorised use

Abstract

The invention is a lock for male electrical connectors used with appliances and power equipment and consists of a housing with receiving slots for the connector prongs and a U-shaped spring in the housing containing nibs that engage the apertures on the connector prongs. A spring biased plunger engages the arms and cause them to release the prongs when depressed. Cooperating holes through the housing and the plunger allow a lock to pass through and disable the plunger. The spring biasing the plunger is selectibly changeable for situations where a stronger spring would negate the use of a lock. The housing is sufficiently thin that a three conductor plug could be locked without interference from the ground prong.

Claims

1. An electrical male plug lock for plugs with two or more prongs where at least each of two parallel blade shaped prongs have transverse apertures, the invention comprising:

a rectilinear housing including, a back panel, two side walls and two end walls and a removable cover panel parallel to the back panel;

a pair of rectilinear receiving apertures in one end wall;

a spacer block within the housing between and proximate to the receiving apertures;

a fiat U-shaped spring having a base and two parallel arms mounted within the housing, said base and approximately one third of each adjacent arm in juxtaposition with the interior wall perimeter of the housing, where the remaining two thirds of each arm curves away from the wall perimeter toward the longitudinal center line of the housing and each arm rests on opposed sides of the said spacer block;

aperture means in the base of the U-shaped spring;

congruent aperture means in the housing end wall matching the aperture in the U-shaped spring;

plunger means in the housing adapted to move along the longitudinal axis of the housing and further adapted to extend through apertures in the spring and housing for operation;

a coil spring within the housing positioned between the spacer block and the end of the plunger for biasing the plunger in the direction of said aperture, and arms on said plunger extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the housing and engaging each arm of the U-shaped spring, whereby movement of the plunger against the bias of the coil spring will cause the arms of the fiat spring to move away from the spacer block and release the prongs of an electrical plug engaged through the receiving apertures.

2. An electrical male plug lock according to claim 1 further including:

inwardly facing nibs positioned on each fiat spring arm proximate the end of the arm and in and oriented to cause each to rest on the spacer block when not engaging the apertures in the parallel blades of a male electrical plug.

3. An electrical male plug lock according to claim 2 further including:

complementary apertures in the cover panel, plunger and back panel for receiving a locking device and disabling the plunger.

4. An electrical male plug lock according to claim 3 wherein:

the coil spring providing bias force for the plunger is changeable for selected applications.

5. An electrical male plug lock according to claim 1 wherein:

the flat spring is held in position against the perimeter of the interior wall by a pair of studs secured to the back panel and extending in the direction of the cover.

6. An electrical male plug lock according to claim 1 wherein:

the walls of the housing are sufficiently restricted in height to allow the blades of a conventional three conductor plug to enter the receiving slots without interference from the ground prong.