Power tester for electrical outlets

• US 7,259,567 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2005
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harold Sears
• Original Assignee: Harold Sears
• Inventors: Sears, Harold, Slater, Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Benson; Walter
• Assistant Examiner(s): NATALINI, JEFF WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US11/280,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20060132143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 324/508
• US Class Current: 324/508
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/69 of terminals at the end of a cable or a wire harness; of plugs; of sockets, e.g. wall sockets or power sockets in appliances

Abstract

A power tester apparatus for testing an electrical outlet. The power tester apparatus includes multiple indicators for identifying the condition of the electrical outlet.

Claims

1. An electrical power tester for evaluating the condition of an electrical outlet comprising:

a user-input member for activating the tester;

an activation circuit operably coupled to the user-input member;

an electrical measurement system for receiving and transmitting information from the electrical outlet;

a microcontroller operably coupled to the activation circuit, wherein the microcontroller receives information from the electrical measurement system, interprets the information, and transmits corresponding results based on the information; and

a plurality of indicators operably coupled to the microcontroller providing test results of the electrical outlet audibly and visually, wherein the ground integrity testing system comprises;

a plurality of capacitors configured in an unbalanced bridge configuration;

a plurality of optoisolators receiving electrical signals from the capacitors; and

a plurality of phototransistors electrically coupled to the microcontroller for transmitting logic status values.

2. The electrical power tester of claim 1, further comprising:

a body having a front and a rear panel;

a multiple prong conductor extending from the rear panel for receiving a signal when coupled to the electrical outlet, the multiple prong conductor having a ground electrical contact member, a neutral electrical contact member, a first line voltage contact member and a second line voltage contact member;

a processor unit for receiving the signal and determining a state of the signal;

a display system for usually indicating the state of the signal; and

an audible system for audibly indicating the state of the signal.

3. The electrical power tester of claim 2, wherein the display system comprises:

a first display for displaying the state of the signal from the multiple prong conductor;

a second display for indicating that no signal is received from the multiple prong conductor.

4. The electrical power tester of claim 2, wherein the multiple prong conductor is operable with any one of a 20 amp, 30 amp, and 50 amp electrical outlet.

5. The electrical power tester of claim 1, further comprising:

a multiple prong conductor for operably coupling to the electrical outlet and transmitting information from the electrical outlet, the multiple prong conductor having a ground electrical contact member, a neutral electrical contact member, a first line voltage contact member and a second line voltage contact member;

an evaluation circuit for receiving the transmitted information from the multiple prong conductor and generating at least one output representing a state of electrical outlet;

a signal conditioning circuit operably coupled to the evaluation circuit receiving analog information from the electrical outlet and converting it to a digital signal;

a visual display electrically coupled to the output of the evaluation circuit, wherein the visual display displays a visual indication of the integrity of the electrical outlet; and

an audio system electrically coupled to the output of the evaluation circuit, wherein the audio system produces an audible indication of the integrity of the electrical outlet.

6. The electrical power tester of claim 5, wherein the visual display comprises:

a voltmeter display providing numeric voltage information for at least one line voltage;

a first display including a plurality of light-emitting diode status lamps, wherein the lamps identify which line voltage is simultaneously being displayed on the voltmeter display; and

,

a second display including a plurality of light-emitting diode status lamps identifying the condition of the electrical outlet.

7. The electrical power tester of claim 5, wherein the audio system comprises:

at least one speaker; and

a voice playback circuit, wherein the voice playback circuit is operably coupled to the speaker for transmitting a pre-recorded voice information.

8. The electrical power tester of claim 5, wherein the multiple prong conductor is operable with any one of a 20 amp, 30 amp, and 50 amp electrical outlet.

9. The electrical power tester of claim 1, wherein the activation circuit comprises:

a power supply;

a start switch operably coupled to the power supply;

a charging capacitor;

a current-limiting resistor; and

,

a metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor, wherein the metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor is electrically coupled to the start switch, charging capacitor, and current-limiting resistor.

10. The electrical power tester of claim 1, wherein the electrical measurement system receives and transmits information from any one of a 20 amp, 30 amp, and 50 amp electrical outlet.

11. The electrical power tester of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller includes an analog to digital converter.

12. The electrical power tester of claim 11, wherein the microcontroller comprises:

a plurality of random access memory registers for data storage; and

a software program for coordinating the test procedure.

13. The electrical power tester of claim 1, wherein the plurality of indicators includes at least one of a numeric display system, an electrical condition display system, and an audio display system.

14. The electrical power tester of claim 13, wherein the numeric display system comprises:

a decoder and driver for converting electrical information into digital format; and

,

a digital light-emitting diode voltmeter display.

15. The electrical power tester of claim 13, wherein the electrical condition display system comprises a plurality of light-emitting diode status lamps providing visual condition descriptions analysis.

16. The electrical power tester apparatus of claim 13, wherein the audio display system includes a voice playback device which stores pre-recorded voice messages.

17. The electrical power tester of claim 13, wherein the audio display system includes an audio amplifier.

18. The electrical power tester of claim 13, wherein the audio display system includes at least one speaker.