Safety electrical outlet with logic control circuit

• US 6,552,888 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2001
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Blackbird Tech LLC
• Original Assignee: Pedro J. Weinberger
• Inventors: Weinberger, Pedro J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leja, Ronald W.
• Application Number:
  US09/767,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20020097546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 361/42-50, 361/55-59, 361/62, 361/103, 361/106, 307/326, 307/117, 307/125, 307/126
• US Class Current: 361/57
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/652 with earth pin, blade or socket
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/713 the switch being a safety switch
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/78 with additional earth or shield contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/12 responsive to underload or no-load for motors H02H7/0827
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 5/042 using temperature dependent resistors

Abstract

An electrical safety outlet for accepting a plug to provide power to electrical appliances including a power supply and an intelligent circuitry for controlling the power supply to the electrical outlet; the intelligent circuitry includes circuits for determining temperature condition in the outlet, mechanical plug insertion into the outlet, load presence on the outlet, and current capacity conditions.

Claims

1. An electrical safety outlet having contact friction apertures for accepting non-ground blades of a plug to provide power to an electrical appliance, the electrical outlet comprises

an electrically controlled switch;

and

intelligent circuitry for controlling the power flow received from a power source via the electrically controlled switch to the electrical safety outlet, the intelligent circuitry includes a source disposed between the contact friction apertures, and at least one sensor for determining full and proper plug insertion into the outlet, the at least one sensor being disposed so as to receive emissions from the source after passing through only the associated contact friction aperture.

2. The electrical safety outlet according to claim 1, wherein the intelligent circuitry includes a sensor for load presence, a sensor for current load on the outlet and a sensor for temperature in the outlet.

3. The electrical outlet according to claim 2, wherein the intelligent circuitry includes a microprocessor for processing information supplied by the at least one sensor for monitoring full and proper plug insertion, the load presence sensor, the current load sensor and the temperature sensor.

4. The electrical outlet according to claim 3, wherein the electrically controlled switch provides the power supply to the electrical outlet only when the sensed information processed by the microprocessor of the monitored full and proper plug insertion, the load presence, the current load and temperature meets a set standard.

5. The electrical outlet according to claim 4, wherein the electrically controlled switch is connected to the electrical outlet and the microprocessor.

6. The electrical outlet according to claim 5, wherein the intelligent circuitry is provided on a PCB board, and disposed on the electrical outlet.

7. The electrical outlet according to claim 6, wherein the temperature sensor is a thermistor having a change in resistance upon a change in the temperature.

8. The electrical outlet according to claim 7, wherein the microprocessor includes a Schmitt trigger and wherein the change in resistance is compared by the Schmitt trigger to a reference temperature and, depending on the results of the comparison, the microprocessor, via the electrically controlled switch, effects the power supply to the outlet.

9. The electrical outlet according to claim 4, wherein the source is a light source emitting light into at least one channel positioned substantially transverse to at least one of the contact friction apertures such that upon proper and fill insertion, the light is intermitted.

10. The electrical outlet according to claim 9, wherein the source is a light source and the at least one sensor for monitoring proper and fill plug insertion are two sensor, two channels connect the light source to the respective contact fiction apertures, the two sensors being disposed in the outlet proximate the respective contact friction apertures opposite their associated channels.

11. The electrical outlet according to claim 10, wherein the information provided to the microprocessor by the sensors for monitoring fill and proper plug insertion, the load presence sensor, the current load sensor and the temperature sensor is processed instantaneously.

12. The electrical outlet according to claim 10, wherein the information provided to the microprocessor by each sensor for monitoring fill and proper plug insertion is processed simultaneously.

13. The electrical outlet according to claim 12, wherein the sensors for monitoring proper and full plug insertion are photo sensors.

14. The electrical outlet according to claim 13, wherein the photo sensors are cadmium-sulphide photo cell.

15. The electrical outlet according to claim 12, wherein the sensors for monitoring proper and full plug insertion are photo diodes.

16. The electrical outlet according to claim 12, wherein the sensors for monitoring proper and fill plug insertion are photo transistors.

17. The electrical outlet according to claim 9, wherein the light source is a light emitting diode.

18. The electrical outlet in accordance with claim 1, wherein the source is a radiation source, radiation emitted from the radiation source is transmitted to at least one of the contact friction apertures through radiation transmitting material.

19. The electrical outlet according to claim 18, wherein the radiation transmitting material is fiber optics.

20. The electrical outlet according to claim 18, wherein the at least one sensor for monitoring proper and full plug insertion are two sensors, radiation emitted from the radiation source is transmitted to each contact friction aperture through radiation transmitting material, the two sensors being disposed in the outlet proximate the respective contact friction apertures to receive the emitted radiation after passing through an associated contact friction aperture.

21. An electrical safety outlet having contact friction apertures for accepting non-ground blades of a plug to provide power to an electrical appliance, the electrical outlet comprises

an electrically controlled switch;

intelligent circuitry for controlling power supply received from a power source via the electrically controlled switch to the electrical outlet, the intelligent circuitry includes a source disposed between the contact friction apertures, and at least one sensor for monitoring proper and full plug insertion, the at least one sensor being disposed so as to receive emissions from the source after passing through only the associated contact friction aperture, the intelligent circuitry further including a sensor for load presence, a sensor for current load on the outlet and a sensor for temperature in the outlet.

22. The electrical outlet according to claim 21, wherein the source is a light source and at least one sensor for monitoring proper and full plug insertion are two sensors, two channels connect the light source to the respective contact friction apertures, the two sensors being disposed in the outlet proximate the respective contact friction apertures opposite their associated channels.

23. The electrical outlet in accordance with claim 21, wherein the source is a radiation source, radiation emitted from the radiation source is transmitted to at least one of the contact friction apertures through radiation transmitting material.

24. The electrical outlet according to claim 23, wherein the radiation transmitting material is fiber optics.

25. The electrical outlet according to claim 23, wherein the at least one sensor for monitoring proper and full plug insertion are two sensors, radiation emitted from the radiation source is transmitted to each contact friction aperture through radiation transmitting material, the two sensors being disposed in the outlet proximate the respective contact friction apertures to receive the emitted radiation after passing through an associated contact fiction aperture.

26. An electrical safety outlet having contact friction apertures for accepting non-ground blades of a plug to provide power to an electrical appliance, the electrical outlet comprises

an electrically controlled switch;

intelligent circuitry for controlling power supply received from a power source via the electrically controlled switch to the electrical outlet, the intelligent circuitry includes a source disposed between the contact friction apertures and at least one sensor for monitoring proper and full plug insertion, the at least one sensor being disposed so as to receive emissions from the source after passing through only the associated contact friction aperture, the intelligent circuitry further including a sensor for load presence, a sensor for current load on the outlet and a sensor for temperature in the outlet; and

wherein the intelligent circuitry includes a microprocessor which includes an I/O port for remote addressing.

27. The electrical outlet according to claim 26, wherein the source is a light source and at least one sensor for monitoring proper and full plug insertion are two sensors, two channels connect the light source to the respective contact friction apertures, the two sensors being disposed in the outlet proximate the respective contact friction apertures opposite their associated channels.

28. The electrical outlet according to claim 26, wherein the source is a radiation source, radiation emitted from the radiation source is transmitted to at least one of the contact friction apertures through radiation transmitting material.

29. The electrical outlet according to claim 28, wherein the radiation transmitting material is fiber optics.

30. The electrical outlet according to claim 28, wherein the at least one sensor for monitoring proper and full plug insertion are two sensors, radiation emitted from the radiation source is transmitted to each contact friction aperture through radiation transmitting material, the two sensors being disposed in the outlet proximate the respective contact friction apertures to receive the emitted radiation after passing trough an associated contact friction aperture.

31. A method for operating an electrical safety outlet having contact friction apertures for accepting non-ground blades of a plug to provide power to an electrical device, the outlet including an electrically controlled switch, the method comprising the step of

controlling the power flow from a power source via the electrically controlled switch to the electrical outlet based on the detection of full and proper plug detection using intelligent circuitry, the intelligent circuitry including a source disposed between the contact friction apertures and at least one sensor for determining full and proper plug insertion into the outlet, the at least one sensor being disposed so as to receive emissions from the source after passing through only the associated contact friction aperture.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the controlling step further comprises controlling the power flow from the power source via the electrically controlled switch to the electrical outlet based on the detection of load presence, current load and temperature in the outlet using the intelligent circuitry.

33. The method according to claim 31, wherein the source is a light source and at least one sensor for monitoring proper and full plug insertion are two sensors, two channels connect the light source to the respective contact friction apertures, the two sensors being disposed in the outlet proximate the respective contact friction apertures opposite their associated channels.

34. The method according to claim 31, wherein the source is a radiation source, radiation emitted from the radiation source is transmitted to at least one of the contact friction apertures through radiation transmitting material.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the radiation transmitting material is fiber optics.

36. The method according to claim 34, wherein the at least one sensor for monitoring proper and full plug insertion are two sensors, radiation emitted from the radiation source is transmitted to each contact friction aperture through radiation transmitting material, the two sensors being disposed in the outlet proximate the respective contact friction apertures to receive the emitted radiation after passing through an associated contact friction aperture.