Electrical receptical

• US 7,527,519 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2007
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kathleen Kyser Van Dyne
• Original Assignee: Kathleen Kyser Van Dyne
• Inventors: Van Dyne, Kathleen Kyser
• Primary Examiner(s): Duverne; Jean F
• Application Number:
  US11/973,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20090090608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 439/441, 439/76.1, 439/638, 439/188, 200/1.R, 200/42.01, 361627-632, 361/636, 361/641, 361/643, 307/40, 307/310.06, 307/126
• US Class Current: 439/441
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/70 with built-in switch

Abstract

An electrical receptacle includes a switch having an open state and a closed state; an electrical socket that receives an electrical plug; an electrical interface that directly couples to electrical wires and conductively carries current to the switch; a user interface having an input device that receives user commands, and an output device that sends user signals; and a timer that, upon user command, causes the switch to close. When the switch is in the closed state, current conductively reach the electrical socket. When in the open state, current does not conductively reach the electrical socket.

Claims

1. An electrical receptacle adapted to mount substantially within an electrical box, said receptacle comprising:

a current switch having a default open state, and a closed state;

an electrical socket adapted to receive an electrical plug, said electrical socket being conductively connected to said current switch;

an electrical interface adapted to directly couple to wires conductively carrying electrical current, and further adapted to conductively carry the electrical current to said current switch; and

a user interface, communicatively connected to a timer, and having an input device adapted to receive an activation command from a user, and an output device adapted to send an activation signal to the user;

wherein when said current switch is in the closed state, the electrical current conductively reaches said electrical socket, when said current switch is in the open state, the electrical current does not conductively reach said electrical socket, and the timer, upon receipt by the input device of the activation command, causes said current switch to close for a predetermined amount of time and causes the output device to send the activation signal.

2. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein the electrical box is disposed within one of a wall and a floor.

3. The electrical receptacle of claim 2,

wherein said receptacle includes a faceplate having an interior face plate surface and an exterior face plate surface, the one of a wall and a floor respectively includes one of an exterior wall surface and an exterior floor surface, at least a portion of at least one of the input device and the output device is accessible by the user from the exterior faceplate surface, and when said receptacle is attached to the electrical box, the interior face plate surface opposes the one of an exterior wall surface and an exterior floor surface.

4. The receptacle of claim 3, wherein the receptacle includes a receptacle interface connected to said timer, the faceplate is removably attachable to said receptacle, the faceplate includes a faceplate interface for at least one of electrical and communicative connection with the receptacle interface, and the at least a portion of at least one of the input device and the output device is connected to the faceplate interface.

5. The receptacle of claim 3, wherein the faceplate is integral with the receptacle.

6. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein the predetermined amount of time is an indefinite amount of time.

7. The receptacle of claim 6, wherein the input device is further adapted to receive a deactivation command from the user, the output device is further adapted to send a deactivation signal to the user, and upon receipt by the input device of the deactivation command, the timer causes said switch to open and the output device to send the deactivation signal.

8. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein the input device includes at least one button.

9. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein the output device includes a display device.

10. The receptacle of claim 9, wherein the display device displays a numeric value.

11. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein said input device is further adapted to receive a start time and an end time from the user, the timer includes a clock having a set time, and based on the set time, the timer causes said current switch to close when the start time is reached and to open when the end time is reached.