Safety locking system for electrical plugs
First Claim
1. A plug engagement apparatus for engaging and conducting electricity into an electric plug having plug prongs, the prongs having prong free ends with prong openings, the apparatus comprising:
- prong retaining means for receiving and retaining at least one of said plug prongs;
and a slide bolt structure comprising at least one locking bolt and a locking bolt constraining means for constraining said locking bolt to slide relative to said prong retaining means and into the prong opening in the plug prong, such that the plug prong is engaged against removal from said prong retaining means, and wherein said locking bolt constraining means constrains locking bolt to slide relative to said prong retaining means and out of the prong opening in the plug prong, such that the plug prong is released and removable from said prong retaining means; and
wherein said locking bolt constraining means comprises a mounting structure constraining said slide bolt structure to slide relative to said face plate, such that said locking bolt slides to enter the prong opening and thus locks the at least one prong within the apparatus.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A plug engagement apparatus for engaging and conducting electricity into an electric plug having plug prongs, the prongs having prong free ends with prong openings includes a prong retaining mechanism for receiving and retaining at least one of the plug prongs; and a slide bolt structure including at least one locking bolt and a locking bolt constraining structure for constraining the locking bolt to slide relative to the prong retaining mechanism and into the prong opening in the plug prong, so that the plug prong is engaged against removal from the prong retaining mechanism, and where the locking bolt constraining structure constrains the locking bolt to slide relative to the prong retaining mechanism and out of the prong opening in the plug prong, so that the plug prong is released and removable from the prong retaining mechanism; where the locking bolt constraining structure includes a mounting structure, so that the locking bolt constraining structure constrains the slide bolt structure to slide relative to the face plate, so that the locking bolt slides to enter the prong opening and thus locks the at least one prong within the apparatus.
20 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A plug engagement apparatus for engaging and conducting electricity into an electric plug having plug prongs, the prongs having prong free ends with prong openings, the apparatus comprising:
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prong retaining means for receiving and retaining at least one of said plug prongs;
and a slide bolt structure comprising at least one locking bolt and a locking bolt constraining means for constraining said locking bolt to slide relative to said prong retaining means and into the prong opening in the plug prong, such that the plug prong is engaged against removal from said prong retaining means, and wherein said locking bolt constraining means constrains locking bolt to slide relative to said prong retaining means and out of the prong opening in the plug prong, such that the plug prong is released and removable from said prong retaining means; and
wherein said locking bolt constraining means comprises a mounting structure constraining said slide bolt structure to slide relative to said face plate, such that said locking bolt slides to enter the prong opening and thus locks the at least one prong within the apparatus.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
face plate securing means for securing said face plate against a building wall;
at least two tubular prong passageways protruding perpendicular to and rearwardly from said face plate rear surface, encircling said prong passing ports, said passageways being sized in diameter to fit around and thus to receive plug prongs, and being sized in length to permit free ends of the plug prongs to extend beyond and protrude rearwardly out of said passageways.
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6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said locking bolt constraining means comprises a slide bolt structure support flange extending rearwardly from said face plate rear surface.
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7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said slide bolt structure support flange extends around said prong passageways in a substantially circular configuration.
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8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said slide bolt structure comprises two said locking bolts for engaging two prong openings and wherein said slide bolt structure comprises:
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a pair of opposing guide channels protruding rearwardly from said face plate rear surface and opening toward each other;
a bolt slide panel comprising a central panel portion and having two guide slats protruding from opposing edges of said central panel portion and fitting into said guide channels, said guide slats having a length such that said bolt structure has room within said guide channels to slide laterally within said guide channels;
and first and second electrical terminals laterally spaced apart from each other and secured to said bolt slide plate in electrical contact with said locking bolts such that said locking bolts protrude laterally from said terminals and are slidable simultaneously into and out of the prong openings;
said electrical terminals being connectable to electrical wires external to said apparatus.
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9. The apparatus of claim 8, additionally comprising a generally U-shaped resilient prong engagement clip having a clip port which fits around one said locking bolt and is secured to said bolt slide panel;
such that when said slide bolt structure is slid laterally within said guide channels toward the prongs, said locking bolts pass through the prong openings and the said engagement clips simultaneously bear against corresponding prongs and snap over the prongs to enhance electrical conductive contact between the said terminals and the prongs.
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10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said slide panel has a stem port and wherein said slide bolt structure displacement means comprises:
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curved slots forming segments of a circle in said face plate, surrounding said prong openings;
an annular plate placed against said face plate front surface, and connected to said face plate with annular plate guide means constraining said annular plate to slide in rotation about the center of said annular plate, and at least one engagement leg protruding perpendicularly from said annular plate and rearwardly through said curved slot, protruding into said stem port in said slide panel, such that rotation of said annular plate by a user causes said at least one engagement leg to bear against said slide panel through said stem port and thereby to slide said slide panel and slide said locking bolts into and out of the prong openings.
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11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said annular plate comprises a forwardly extending gripping tab for engagement by user fingers to rotate said annular plate.
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12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said bolt stop structure comprises:
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a slat opening in each said guide channel;
and an anchor bar having two opposing anchor bar ends, each anchor bar end being bent to engagingly snap into one of said slat openings such that said anchor bar extends between said guide channels, said anchor bar having two substantially parallel and laterally spaced apart resilient stop arms extending from said anchor bar obstructing movement of said locking bolts behind said passageways when no prongs are in said passageways;
such that as the prongs are inserted into said passageways, the prongs bear against and deflect said stop arms rearwardly and out of the paths of and locking bolts.
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13. A plug and engagement apparatus, comprising:
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an electric plug having plug prongs, said prongs having prong free ends with prong openings;
prong retaining means for receiving and retaining at least one of said plug prongs;
and a slide bolt structure comprising at least one locking bolt and locking bolt constraining means for constraining said locking bolt to slide relative to said prong retaining means and into said prong opening in said plug prong, such that said plug prong is engaged against removal from said prong retaining means, and wherein said slide bolt structure constraining means constrains locking bolt to slide relative to said prong retaining means and out of the prong opening in the plug prong, such that the plug prong is released and removable from said prong retaining means; and
wherein said locking bolt constraining means comprises a mounting structure on the face plate rear surface constraining said slide bolt structure to slide relative to said face plate, such that said locking bolt slides to enter the prong opening and thus locks the at least one prong within the apparatus.- View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
face plate securing means for securing said face plate against a building wall;
at least two tubular prong passageways protruding perpendicular to and rearwardly from said face plate rear surface, encircling said prong passing ports, said passageways being sized in diameter to fit around and thus to receive plug prongs, and being sized in length to permit free ends of the plug prongs to extend beyond and protrude rearwardly out of said passageways.
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18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said slide bolt structure comprises two said locking bolts for engaging two prong openings and wherein said slide bolt structure comprises:
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a pair of opposing guide channels protruding rearwardly from said face plate rear surface and opening toward each other;
a bolt slide panel comprising a central panel portion and having two guide slats protruding from opposing edges of said central panel portion and fitting into said guide channels, said guide slats having a length such that said bolt structure has room within said guide channels to slide laterally within said guide channels;
and first and second electrical terminals laterally spaced apart from each other and secured to said bolt slide plate in electrical contact with said locking bolts such that said locking bolts protrude laterally from said terminals and are slidable simultaneously into and out of the prong openings;
said electrical terminals being connectable to electrical wires external to said apparatus.
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19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said bolt stop structure comprises:
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a slat opening in each said guide channel;
and an anchor bar having two opposing anchor bar ends, each anchor bar end being bent to engagingly snap into one of said slat openings such that said anchor bar extends between said guide channels, said anchor bar having two substantially parallel and laterally spaced apart resilient stop arms extending from said anchor bar obstructing movement of said locking bolts behind said passageways when no prongs are in said passageways;
such that as the prongs are inserted into said passageways, the prongs bear against and deflect said stop arms rearwardly and out of the paths of and locking bolts.
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20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said locking bolt constraining means comprises a slide bolt structure support flange extending rearwardly from said face plate rear surface.
Specification