Safety electrical connection system

• US 6,494,728 B1
• Filed: 01/16/2001
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alexandra Block, ANDREW KALANI NIHEU & JAY DEEP CHITNIS, Andrew M. Jenkins, Anne M. Mahoney, Baker Ken, Baum Family Trust, Binkley Family Trust, Bonnie Austin, Brandon Dinoto, Brandon Moore Utma, BRIAN DRISCOLL AND/OR DRISCOLL INVESTMENTS INC., Bruce Johnson, BRUCE & LORENE BOWERS, BRUCE & SANDY BRANDENBURG, CARL A LARSON, TRUSTEE LARSON 1995 REVOCABLE TRUST DTD 11/17/1995, CARL KOBAYASHI & MISHELLE NISHIDA, Chea Chung, CHRISTOPHER MOORE INDIVIDUALLY & AS TRUSTEE MOORE FAMILY TRUST DTD 10/3/2006, Christy L. Hendrickson Trust, CLAUDE KORDUS TRUSTEE KORDUS FAMILY TRUST, CLIFF & MAKOTO MCQUEEN, Court Wilson, Craig Hillegas, Daniel Allen, Daniel C. Serpe, DANIEL & KIMBERLY DOTSON, Daniel White, Dan Way, DAVID & BONNIC AUSTIN INDIVIDUALLY AND AS TRUSTEES AUSTIN FAMILY TRUST DTD 10/1/1999, David Caldwell, David L. Lyon, Dominique Pandolfi, DONALD D. LEARNED, TRUSTEE DONALD LEARNED TRUST C/O SCOTT LEARNED, DONALD & MARY SPENCER, Don Farris Inc Retirement Trust, Doug Cox, Elizabeth Willis, Eric Rawa, Estate Of Gary W. Dixon, GARY & BARBARA A. GENTZKOW AND/OR BARBARA GENTZKOW'S IRA, GARY & LINDSEY BLOCK, George Block, Glenn Frieder, Gloria Marie Gammill, GREG A. JIRAK & LORI HUBBART, GREG BLOCK, TRUSTEE, BLOCK FAMILY TRUST DTD 6/22/1990, Greg MacDonald, Gregory A. Block, Gregory Bernett, HARDEY, JULIE E. AKA JULIE HELLUM FBO BREE DIXON, Hardie David, Howard Brian Malloy, Ian Nausner, IVAN & LORI MENDELSON, James Clifford, James Gammill, JAMES GEVARGES & DOMINIQUE BEITKANOUN, JAMES & KIM WEINBERGER, JAMES & ROBYN CARBAUGH, JANELL SKOMER AKA JANELL SOHMER-BLOCK C/O GREGORY BLOCK, Jeffrey Lubin, Jeffrey Teza, Jeff Schott, Jerry E. Jageman, John Chu, John F. Zolezzi, JOHN & LAUARIE DEWITT AND/OR THIEIR IRAS, JOHN & LYNN BOWEN, TRUSTEES BOWN FAMILY TRUST DTD 11/21/1985, Jon Hillegas, JULIUS & MARRIETTA ZOLEZZI, KASHAN PIRACHA (KPN, LLC), Katherine Williams, KENNETH & JANET SHANER, Ken Rubin, Kevin Thomas Dinoto, Kristopher Dinoto, Laura Lewis, Laurence Balter, LINDA MOORE INDIVIDUALLY & AS TRUSTEE LINDA B. MOORE PERSONAL TRUST, Lisa Odenweller, Lori Shook, MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS LIMITED C/O SMC MULTI-MEDIA, Man-Ling Lai, Marc Cahal, Marc Odenweller, MARION J. BAUER ROSIDUARY TRUST C/O BLOCK, GAUNCE & ASSOCIATES, MARK & DIANA KENNEY, TRUSTEES KENNEY FAMILY TRUST DTD 11/29/1996, Mark McDonald, Marview Holdings, Inc., Maui Preparatory Academy, Megan Molloy, Melody Kitchens, MICHAEL & ANASTASIA FARRELL AND/OR STERLING TRUST CO. FBO MICHAEL FARRELL, Michael Bosworth, Michael Dewitt, MICHAEL MCLOUGHLIN, TRUSTEE MCLOUGHLIN FAMILY TRUST DTD 3/22/1994, Milton F. Damerow, NGUYEN, PETER (KPN, LLC), Nicholas Block, Nicole Cox, Norman M. Estin Trust, Parvis Nabavi, Paul Block, Persis Hataria, PHILIP BURKHARDT, TRUSTEE BURKHARDT 2005 FAMILY TRUST AND/OR THEIR IRAS, Phillip Moore, PHYLLIS ORNDORFF, TRUSTEE PHYLLIS ORNDORFF TRUST DTD 12-30-2010, RANDY & LONA KENT, R/Com Retail Services, LLC, Richard Babcock, RICHARD & DEBRA MYTKO, RICHARD & JACQUELINE SMITH, Robert C. Albrow, Robert M. Skomer, Robert W. Dudley Trust, Ronald S. Chapman, RYAN & SUSAN BOWERS, Ryota Komaru, Samantha Carroll, Scot Hall, Sean Mundy, Shaochong Yan, SMC Multi-Media Products Company Limited (SMC Multi-Media Limited), S Steven Podstreleny, Steve Benshoof, Steve Marlette, Steven Purves, Steven Sreb, STUART & KAREN SHAFER, Sydney Block, TERRENCE E. LEE, TRUSTEE TERRENCE E. LEE TRUST, Terrill Stewart, Terry Davis, THOMAS DINOTO, TRUSTEE DINOTO FAMILY TRUST DTD 1/11/1993, Thomas Goergen, Thomas H. Zolezzi, Timothy Karis Sirak LLC, TIM WALKER, TRUSTEE WALKER FAMILY TRUST DTD 7/21//2009, Valeo Partners LLC, Vincent Guzzetta Vascular Associates Co., WALTER & REBECCA HICKEL C/O CALWEST PROPERTIES, WARREN & ROBIN COHEN, Wendy Frieder, William Orndorff
• Original Assignee: Michael P. Gorman
• Inventors: Gorman, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): HYEON, HAE M
• Application Number:
  US09/761,290
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 439/140, 439/141, 439/139, 439/145, 439/142, 439/911, 439/299, 439/265, 174/66, 174/67
• US Class Current: 439/140
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/4538 Covers sliding or withdrawing in the direction of engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6395 for wall or panel outlets
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/71 Contact members of coupling parts operating as switch , e.g. linear or rotational movement required after mechanical engagement of coupling part to establish electrical connection
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/78 with additional earth or shield contacts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/911 Safety, e.g. electrical disconnection required before opening housing

Abstract

A blocking outlet and corresponding locking plug provide a completely enclosed safety electrical connection system for supplying electrical power from a wall fixture. The blocking outlet installs in a conventional wall-mounted electrical box, providing access to building electrical wiring. The outlet has receptacles that retain spring-loaded covers, which have a closed position generally flush with the front side of the face plate. The springs provide sufficient tension to the covers to block small children from inserting fingers or foreign objects into a receptacle, preventing inadvertent exposure to hazardous voltage. Yet adults can easily insert a corresponding locking plug directly into a receptacle without cover removal. Regardless, the interior of a receptacle has no exposed contacts. Small access apertures in the interior of an outlet receptacle contain recessed contacts. When inserted, the plug compresses the cover fully into the receptacle to an open position, exposing the access apertures to retractable plug prongs. An ergonomic finger hold on the plug is pulled-out to retract the prongs for insertion into an outlet. After insertion, the finger hold is pushed-in to extend the prongs into the access slots, wiping against the outlet contacts and connecting the plug to electrical power. The extended prongs also lock the plug into the receptacle. For removal, the finger hold is pulled-out, unlocking the plug, which can then be easily pulled from the outlet. A face plate seals the receptacles and provides a wall trim for both the electrical box and the outlet in a manner comparable to a standard face plate. An adapter plug has a socket that accepts a standard AC plug, converting it to a locking plug.

Claims

1. A safety electrical connection system comprising:

an outlet housing having a front face and a receptacle, said receptacle having an opening at said front face;

an access aperture defined within said receptacle;

a nonconductive face plate defining a cutout, said face plate mountable to said outlet housing front face so that said cutout aligns with said opening and provides an entrance to said receptacle;

a contact mounted to said outlet housing proximate said access aperture and outside said receptacle, said contact configured to provide an electrical connection between an external power source and an electrical load; and

a cover mounted within said receptacle, said cover generally urged toward said entrance so as to provide a barrier between said entrance and said access aperture.

2. The safety electrical connection system of claim 1 further comprising

a raised wall disposed entirely around said cutout; and

a shelf inside said receptacle disposed around the periphery of said receptacle, said raised wall and said shelf configured to mate when said face plate is mounted to said housing so that said wall becomes a continuous portion of said receptacle.

3. The safety electrical connection system of claim 1 further comprising:

a plug having a probe portion configured to insert into said receptacle; and

a prong having a first position retracted within said probe portion and a second position adapted to extend from said probe portion through said aperture so as to electrically connect with said contact.

4. The safety electrical connection system of claim 3 wherein said receptacle, said face plate cutout and said probe portion have a keyed shape.

5. The safety electrical connection system of claim 4 wherein the keyed shape is generally triangular with rounded corners and a square apex.

6. The safety electrical connection system of claim 1 wherein the distance from said cutout to said access aperture is at least about 0.6 inches.

7. The safety electrical connection system of claim 1 wherein the outlet housing is installed within a wall-mounted electrical box so that said aperture is located behind a wall surface.

8. A safety electrical connection system comprising:

a housing having a generally planar front face and a socket configured to accept an electrical plug;

a probe extending from said front face, said probe configured to insert into an electrical power outlet;

a prong disposed within said probe, said prong having an unlocked position retracted into said probe and a locked position extended from said probe, said prong adapted to hold said probe inside said outlet in said locked position; and

a contact mounted to said prong, said contact adapted to provide an electrical connection between said power outlet and said socket.

9. The safety electrical connection system of claim 8 further comprising a finger hold having a pulled-out position distal said housing and a pushed-in position integrated with said housing, said finger hold actuating said prong, said pulled-out position corresponding to said unlocked position and said pushed-in position corresponding to said locked position.

10. The safety electrical connection system of claim 8 wherein said power outlet comprises:

a covered receptacle configured to accept said probe;

an outlet contact adapted to electrically connect to a power source;

an access aperture located between said receptacle and said outlet contact, said prong extending through said aperture in said locked position so as to connect said prong contact with said outlet contact.

11. The safety electrical connection system of claim 8 wherein said prong extends generally perpendicularly proximate an end of said probe.

12. The safety electrical connection system of claim 11 wherein said probe extends at least about 0.6 inches from said front face to said probe end.

13. The safety electrical connection system of claim 8 wherein said front face has a gasket disposed about said probe so as to provide a seal between said probe and said outlet.

14. The safety electrical connection system of claim 10 where said probe and said receptacle are keyed with a generally triangular shape having rounded corners and a square apex.

15. A safety electrical connection method comprising the steps of:

defining a receptacle that extends from an opening to a bottom;

creating an aperture inside said receptacle proximate said bottom;

locating a contact exterior to said receptacle and proximate to said aperture;

routing a source of electrical power to said contact;

inserting a spring-loaded cover within said receptacle so as to block said opening; and

accessing said contact through said opening and said aperture so as to provide power to an electrical load, wherein said accessing step comprises the substep of pushing said cover to said receptacle bottom so as to expose said aperture.

16. A safety electrical connection method comprising the steps of:

defining a receptacle that extends from an opening to a bottom;

creating an aperture inside said receptacle proximate said bottom;

locating a contact exterior to said receptacle and proximate to said aperture;

routing a source of electrical power to said contact; and

accessing said contact through said opening and said aperture so as to provide power to an electrical load, wherein said accessing step comprises the substeps of;

inserting a probe into said receptacle; and

extending a prong from said probe through said aperture so as to electrically connect said prong with said contact.

17. The safety electrical connection method of claim 16 wherein said accessing step comprises the further substep of locking said probe within said receptacle.

18. The safety electrical connection method of claim 16 wherein said accessing step comprises the further substep of adapting a standard electrical plug to said probe.

19. A safety electrical connection system comprising:

an outlet housing having a front face and a receptacle having an entrance at said front face;

an access aperture defined within said receptacle;

an outlet contact mounted to said outlet housing proximate said access aperture and outside said receptacle, said outlet contact configured to be in communication with an external power source;

a cover mounted within said receptacle, said cover generally urged toward said entrance so as to provide a barrier between said entrance and said access aperture;

a plug housing having a generally planar front face;

a probe extending from said front face, said probe configured to insert into said receptacle;

a prong disposed within said probe, said prong having an unlocked position retracted into said probe and a locked position extended from said probe, said prong adapted to hold said probe inside said receptacle in said locked position; and

a plug contact mounted to said prong, said plug contact configured to be in communication with an electrical load, said plug contact adapted to electrically connect with said outlet contact in said locked position.