Wall outlet adapter having sawtooth profile

• US 5,605,466 A
• Filed: 01/12/1995
• Issued: 02/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: New Vector Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: New Vector Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Devlin, Thomas E., Ulrich, Karl T., Favaloro, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Assistant Examiner(s): STANDIG, BARRY
• Application Number:
  US08/371,950
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 439/142, 439/144, 439/954, 439/652
• US Class Current: 439/144
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/447 Shutter or cover plate
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6395 for wall or panel outlets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/954 Special orientation of electrical connector

Abstract

An electrical outlet adapter has a base that has a support face and a room face. The support face has a cord end, an oppositely disposed nose end and two sides. The room face is spaced from the support face and comprises a cord end socket surface and a nose end socket surface, spaced from each other and substantially parallel, each socket surface forms an angle with the support face of between 90° and 135°. A medial surface connects the cord end socket surface with an adjacent socket surface relatively noseward. Piercing each socket surface is at least one set of socket holes adapted to receive a multi-prong electrical power plug. Adjacent each set of socket holes is an electrical conductor configured to mate with the multi-prong electrical power plug when inserted into the set of holes. Connected to each of the electrical conductors, is an electrical network that is configured as a multi-prong electrical power plug. The adapter may also have a cover. The cover comprises a main plate that extends over an area substantially at least as large as the medial surface of the base and means for attaching the main plate to the base, movably between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, an opening is defined between the cord end of said cover and the shell to accommodate the passage of electrical cords therethrough.

Claims

1. An electrical outlet adapter comprising:

a) a base, comprising;

i) a shell comprising;

A) a support face comprising a substantially planar annular perimeter, having;

I) a cord end;

II) an oppositely disposed nose end; and

III) two sides, each connecting said cord end to said nose end;

B) a room face, spaced away from said support face and generally coextensive therewith, comprising;

I) a cord end socket surface and a nose end socket surface, spaced from each other and substantially parallel, each socket surface having a room edge and a support edge and forming an angle with said support face of between 90° and

135°

as measured from the cord end of said support face;

II) a medial surface that connects the room edge of said cord end socket surface with the support edge of an adjacent socket surface relatively noseward; and

III) piercing each said socket surface, at least one set of socket holes adapted to receive a multi-prong electrical power plug;

C) a first side that joins said room face to a first side of said support face; and

D) a second side that joins said room face to the second side of said support face;

ii) adjacent each set of socket holes, between said socket holes and said support face, an electrical conductor configured to mate with said multi-prong electrical power plug when inserted into said set of holes; and

iii) connected to each said electrical conductor, an electrical network that extends beyond said support face away from said room face and is configured as a multi-prong electrical power plug;

b) a cover comprising;

i) a main plate that extends over an area substantially at least as large as said medial surface of said base, said main plate comprising;

A) a cord end;

B) a nose end; and

C) two side edges, each connecting said cord end to said nose end; and

ii) means for attaching said main plate to said base, movably between a closed position and an open position, wherein in said closed position, an opening is defined between said cord end of said cover and said shell to accommodate the passage of electrical cords therethrough.

2. The adapter of claim 1, said cover comprising a pair of oppositely disposed side plates, each extending substantially from said cord end to said nose end of said main plate and attached to a side edge thereof, each sized and arranged to substantially cover a respective shell side when said cover is in said closed position.

3. The adapter of claim 1, said cover further comprising a cord end plate, attached to said main plate at said cord end, sized and arranged to generally close off said opening between said cord end of said cover and said shell, except for an opening sized to accommodate the passage of at least one electrical cord therethrough.

4. The adapter of claim 1, said room face of said shell further comprising a cord end surface that connects said support edge of said cord end socket surface to said cord end of said support face.

5. The adapter of claim 1, said medial surface carrying thereon, adjacent at least one of said sets of socket holes, an indicia of the orientation of said socket holes.

6. The adapter of claim 5, said indicia being visibly perceptible.

7. The adapter of claim 5, said indicia being tactilely perceptible.

8. The adapter of claim 1, at least one of said sets of socket holes being adapted to accommodate a two pronged electrical plug.

9. The adapter of claim 1, at least one of said sets of socket holes being adapted to accommodate a three pronged electrical plug.

10. The adapter of claim 1, a set of socket holes carried by said nose end socket surface and a set of socket holes carried by said cord end socket surface being collinear with a line perpendicular to both said cord end and said nose end of said support face.

11. The adapter of claim 1, none of said sets of socket holes carried by said nose end socket surface being collinear with a line perpendicular to both said cord end and said nose end of said support face and any of said sets of socket holes carried by said cord end socket surface.

12. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising means for releasably securing said adapter to a wall outlet.

13. The adapter of claim 3, further comprising means for releasably latching said cover in said closed position relative to said base.

14. The adapter of claim 13, said means for releasably latching said cover in a closed position comprising a latch that engages between said cord end of said main plate and said cord end of said base.

15. The adapter of claim 14, said latch comprising a tab extending from said cord end of said room face of said base toward said cover and a cooperating tab recess in said cover cord end plate.

16. The adapter of claim 14, said latch comprising a slotted tab extending from said cord end of said room face of said base toward said cover and a cooperating quarter-turn fastener head and key carried by said cover cord end plate.

17. The adapter of claim 1, said means for releasably latching said cover in a closed position comprising a latch that engages between a central region of said main plate and a medial region of said room face of said base.

18. The adapter of claim 17, said latch comprising a quarter turn latch.

19. The adapter of claim 2, said side cover plates extending as far as said nose end of said base support face, said cover side plates each bearing a hinge stub and said sides of said shell each bearing a hinge hole located to cooperate with said respective hinge stub to form a hinge.

20. The adapter of claim 2, said side cover plates extending as far as said nose end of said base support face, said cover side plates each bearing a hinge hole and said sides of said shell each bearing a hinge stub located to cooperate with said respective hinge hole to form a hinge.

21. The adapter of claim 2, said side cover plates extending as far as said nose end of said base support face, said means for securing said cover in an open position comprising an opening-position protrusion carried in each side cover plate and a closure recess carried in each side of said shell, said opening protrusions and closure recesses arranged to coincide when said cover is in a closed position, and said opening protrusions sized to frictionally and releasably secure said cover in at least one open position.

22. The adapter of claim 1, said sockets of said nose-ward socket surface consisting of two prong sockets.

23. The adapter of claim 3, said means for releasably latching said cover in a closed position comprising a permanently captured quarter-turn fastener.

24. An electrical outlet adapter comprising:

a) a shell comprising;

i) a support face comprising a substantially planar annular perimeter, having;

A) a cord end;

B) an oppositely disposed nose end; and

C) two sides, each connecting said cord end to said nose end;

ii) a room face, spaced away from said support face and generally coextensive therewith, comprising;

A) at least a cord end socket surface and a nose end socket surface, spaced from each other and substantially parallel, each socket surface having a room edge and a support edge and forming an angle with said support face of between 90° and

135°

as measured from the cord end of said support face;

B) a medial surface that connects the room edge of said cord end socket surface with the support edge of an adjacent socket surface relatively noseward; and

C) piercing each said socket surface, at least one set of socket holes adapted to receive a multi-prong electrical power plug;

iii) a first side that joins said room face to a first side of said support face; and

iv) a second side that joins said room face to the second side of said support face;

b) adjacent each set of socket holes, between said socket holes and said support face, an electrical conductor configured to mate with said multi-prong electrical power plug when inserted into said set of holes; and

c) connected to each said electrical conductor, an electrical network that extends beyond said support face away from said room face and is configured as a multi-prong electrical power plug.