Mountable power strips

• US 7,626,119 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2007
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Axland Comec, LLC
• Original Assignee: Axland Comec, LLC
• Inventors: Dahlquist, Kevin J., Kovacevich, Ian D., Bizzell, Daniel Lee, Axland, Cheryl, Axland, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, DHIRUBHAI R
• Application Number:
  US11/746,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20080066943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 174/53, 174/135, 439/115, 439/121, 439/652, 439/574, 439/650, 439/653, 439/640, 439/655, 439/651, 439/170, 362/806, D13/39.8, D13/160
• US Class Current: 174/53
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/006 the coupling part being secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. duplex wall receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 35/02 Flexible line connectors without frictional contact members
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/806 Ornamental or decorative

Abstract

Various new designs for a power strip. Each design includes some structure that enables the mounting or attachment of the power strip to an object or portion of the object. The object may include, for example, a Christmas tree, such as the trunk or a branch thereof. Another object may includes, for example: a portion of a stud in the frame of a building that is under construction, in which case the power strip may be plugged into a generator at the construction site; and a portion of a work bench or work table.

Claims

1. An apparatus having electrical receptacles and structure that facilitates the attachment of the apparatus to an object, comprising:

(a) a plurality of arm sections, at least one of the plurality of arm sections including a plurality of electrical receptacles that are positioned adjacent each other along an extent of the respective arm section to define a row or “

strip”

of electrical receptacles;

(b) a coupling assembly configured to couple the arm sections together such that a first arm section is coupled to a second arm section for rotational movement about an axis relative to the second arm section, wherein the coupling assembly comprises a connecting portion of the first arm section that is received within the second arm section in abutting engagement with the second arm section such that the second arm section is retained to the first arm section, the abutment of the connecting portion with the second arm section serving to retain the first and second arm sections to one another for relative rotational movement about the rotational axis while precluding relative axial movement along the axis; and

(c) a ratcheting assembly configured to define degrees of relative rotational movement about the axis between the first arm section and the second arm section.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ratcheting assembly is further configured to selectively permit rotational movement of the first arm section and the second arm section through defined increments of rotational movement toward one another, while inhibiting rotational movement of the first arm section and the second arm section away from one another.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the ratcheting assembly is configured to selectively permit rotational movement of the first arm section and the second arm section away from one another.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a biasing member configured to urge the first arm section and the second arm section rotationally away from one another.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first arm section comprises a first stop and the second arm section comprises a second, corresponding stop, the first stop and the second stop configured to move into abutting engagement with each other for limiting the extent to which the first arm section and the second arm section are rotatable away from each other about the axis.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first arm section comprises a first stop and the second arm section comprises a second, corresponding stop, the first stop and the second stop configured to move into abutting engagement with each other for limiting the extent to which the first arm section and the second arm section are rotatable away from one another about the axis.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the arm sections includes a rigid, arcuate portion that is formed from a hard material through one or more molding processes.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each arm section includes an outer resilient portion that is elastic and capable of resuming its prior shape after deformation.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the resilient portion of each arm section comprises an over molded portion having resilient protuberances for tensioned gripping, the tensioned gripping resulting from compression of the resilient protuberances that occurs when the arm sections are forced into a closed position about an object upon which the apparatus is to be mounted.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connecting portion of the first arm section comprises a connecting member that is secured to a body of the first arm section in fixed disposition relative thereto.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connecting portion of the first arm section comprises a fastener that is secured to a body of the first arm section in fixed disposition relative thereto.

12. An apparatus having electrical receptacles and structure that facilitates the attachment of the apparatus to an object, comprising:

(a) a plurality of arm sections, at least one of the plurality of arm sections including a plurality of electrical receptacles that are positioned adjacent each other along an extent of the respective arm section to define a row or “

strip”

of electrical receptacles;

(b) a coupling assembly configured to couple the arm sections together such that a first arm section is coupled to a second arm section for rotational movement about an axis relative to the second arm section, wherein the coupling assembly comprises a connecting portion of the first arm section that is received within the second arm section in abutting engagement with the second arm section such that the second arm section is retained to the first arm section, the abutment of the connecting portion with the second arm section serving to retain the first and second arm sections to one another for relative rotational movement about the rotational axis while precluding relative axial movement along the axis; and

(c) a ratcheting assembly configured to,

(i) define degrees of relative rotational movement about the axis between the first arm section and the second arm section, and

(ii) selectively permit rotational movement of the first arm section and the second arm section through defined increments of rotational movement toward one another, while inhibiting rotational movement of the first arm section and the second arm section away from one another;

(d) wherein each arm section includes an outer resilient portion that is elastic and capable of resuming its prior shape after deformation, the resilient portion of each arm section comprising an over molded portion having resilient protuberances for tensioned gripping, the tensioned gripping resulting from compression of the resilient protuberances that occurs when the arm sections are forced into a closed position about an object upon which the apparatus is to be mounted.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a biasing member configured to urge the first arm section and the second arm section rotationally away from one another.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein each of the arm sections includes electrical receptacles positioned adjacent each other along an extent of the respective arm section to define a row or “

strip”

of electrical receptacles, the extent of the respective arm section being curved.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the connecting portion of the first arm section comprises a connecting member that is secured to a body of the first arm section in fixed disposition relative thereto.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the connecting portion of the first arm section comprises a fastener that is secured to a body of the first arm section in fixed disposition relative thereto.

17. An apparatus having electrical receptacles and structure that facilitates the attachment of the apparatus to an object, comprising:

(a) a plurality of arm sections, at least one of the plurality of arm sections including a plurality of electrical receptacles that are positioned adjacent each other along an extent of the respective arm section to define a row or “

strip”

of electrical receptacles;

(b) a coupling assembly configured to couple the arm sections together such that a first arm section is coupled to a second arm section for rotational movement about an axis relative to the second arm section, wherein the coupling assembly comprises a connecting portion of the first arm section that is received within the second arm section in abutting engagement with the second arm section such that the second arm section is retained to the first arm section, the abutment of the connecting portion with the second arm section serving to retain the first and second arm sections to one another for relative rotational movement about the rotational axis while precluding relative axial movement along the axis;

(c) a ratcheting assembly configured to,

(i) define degrees of relative rotational movement about the axis between the first arm section and the second arm section, and

(ii) selectively permit rotational movement of the first arm section and the second arm section through defined increments of rotational movement toward one another, while inhibiting rotational movement of the first arm section and the second arm section away from one another; and

(e) a biasing member configured to urge the first arm section and the second arm section rotationally away from one another;

(f) wherein the first arm section comprises a first stop and the second arm section comprises a second, corresponding stop, the first stop and the second stop configured to move into abutting engagement with each other for limiting the extent to which the first arm section and the second arm section are rotatable away from one another.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the connecting portion of the first arm section comprises a connecting member that is secured to a body of the first arm section in fixed disposition relative thereto.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the connecting portion of the first arm section comprises a fastener that is secured to a body of the first arm section in fixed disposition relative thereto.