Electrical plug lock

• US 6,080,004 A
• Filed: 03/09/1998
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alert Safety Lite Products Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Alert Safety Lite Products Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Kovacik, James D., Blanch, Paul S., Grzywna, Stanley E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bradley, Paula
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TRUC T
• Application Number:
  US09/036,973
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 439/352, 439/369
• US Class Current: 439/369
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6392 for extension cord

Abstract

An electrical connection comprised of a pair of cooperating separable plug members having a separable locking yoke having legs the ends of which are pivotally mounted to boss members formed on one of the plug members and a pair of cooperating spaced apart elements for frictionally engaging the electrical conduit leading away from the other of the plug members.

Claims

1. An electrical plug lock assembly for securing an electrical connection between a pair of plug members comprising:

a first electrical plug member having a main body portion and a pair of opposed bosses extending outwardly from said first plug member main body portion; and

a locking yoke having a pair of spaced apart leg members and means for preventing disengagement of said first electrical plug member from another electrical plug member, each said leg member having a socket formed therein receiving an associated one of said bosses for pivotal movement of said locking yoke relative to said first electrical plug member between an unlocked position and a locked position, said means for preventing disengagement including a first wall extending between adjacent ends of said leg members and having a pinching slot formed therein for receiving the second electrical plug member electrical conduit and a second wall extending between said leg members spaced from said first wall and having a slot formed therein for receiving the second electrical plug member electrical conduit whereby when said first electrical plug member is electrically connected to a second electrical plug member having a main body portion with an electrical conduit extending therefrom and said locking yoke is in said locked position, said first electrical plug member main body portion and the second electrical plug member main body portion are positioned between said leg members and said means for preventing disengagement retains the second electrical plug member electrical conduit.

2. The electrical plug lock assembly according to claim 1 wherein said means for preventing disengagement includes a pair of locking segments each being attached to an associated one of said leg members and frictionally engaging the second electrical plug member electrical conduit.

3. The electrical plug lock assembly according to claim 2 wherein said locking segments each have a plurality of generally parallel ribs extending generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the second electrical plug member electrical conduit for frictionally engaging the second electrical plug member electrical conduit.

4. An electrical plug lock assembly for securing an electrical connection between a pair of plug members comprising:

a first electrical plug member having a main body portion and a pair of opposed bosses extending outwardly from said first plug member main body portion; and

a locking yoke having a pair of spaced apart leg members and means for preventing disengagement of said first electrical plug member from another electrical plug member, each said leg member having a socket formed therein receiving an associated one of said bosses for pivotal movement of said locking yoke relative to said first electrical plug member between an unlocked position and a locked position, said means for preventing disengagement including a pair of locking segments each being attached to an associated one of said leg members and frictionally engaging the second electrical plug member electrical conduit, each said locking segment having a plurality of generally parallel ribs extending generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the second electrical plug member electrical conduit for frictionally engaging the second electrical plug member electrical conduit a first wall extending between adjacent ends of said leg members and having a pinching slot formed therein for receiving the second electrical plug member electrical conduit, and a second wall extending between said leg members spaced from said first wall and having a slot formed therein for receiving the second electrical plug member electrical conduit whereby when said locking yoke is in said unlocked position, a second electrical plug member having a main body portion with an electrical conduit extending therefrom can be electrically connected to said first electrical plug member, and when said first electrical plug member is electrically connected to the second electrical plug member and said locking yoke is in said locked position, said first electrical plug member main body portion and the second electrical plug member main body portion are positioned between said leg members and said means for preventing disengagement retains the second electrical plug member electrical conduit.