Relocatable power tap for use in a patient care area

• US 9,543,692 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2013
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: American IV, Inc.
• Original Assignee: American IV, Inc.
• Inventors: Shomali, Majdi
• Primary Examiner(s): CHUNG TRANS, XUONG MY
• Application Number:
  US14/066,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20150118896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 439535-536, 439/652, 439/654, 439/574
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5213 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5224 for medical use
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/003 the coupling part being secured only to wires or cables

Abstract

A power tap configured to deflect falling material, such as liquid and/or object, from electrical outlets. The power tap includes a housing having an opening to an electrical outlet, and a shelf that extends outwardly from a portion of the housing above the opening when the housing is in an upright position to divert or deflect falling matter away from the electrical outlet. The power tap may be configured as a relocatable power tap, and may be configured for use in a patient care area in compliance with one or more standards for safety and effectiveness of medical electrical equipment.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising, a housing that includes:

a first upright wall that has an opening through a surface thereof to a cavity within the housing, wherein the opening is dimensioned to expose an electrical receptacle of an electrical outlet positioned within the cavity;

a horizontal wall, wherein a first edge of the horizontal wall is adjacent to an edge of the first upright wall; and

a lip that extends away from an exterior surface of the horizontal wall, along the first edge of the horizontal wall, to prevent liquid on the exterior surface of the horizontal from flowing over the first edge towards the first upright wall;

wherein a second edge of the horizontal wall is contoured to permit liquid on the exterior surface of the horizontal wall to flow over the second edge of the horizontal wall away from the first upright wall.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first edge of the horizontal wall extends beyond a plane of the first upright wall.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lip extends perpendicularly away from the external surface of the horizontal wall.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lip has a height that is tapered from a first height at each of first and second ends of the lip, to a second height between the first and second ends of the lip.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the housing further includes one or more additional upright walls, each having a corresponding opening through a surface thereof to the cavity;

the first edge of the horizontal wall is adjacent to an edge of each of the one or more additional upright walls;

the lip is configured to prevent liquid on the exterior surface of the horizontal wall from flowing over the first edge of the horizontal wall towards the first upright wall and the one or more additional upright walls; and

the second edge of the horizontal wall is configured to permit liquid on the exterior surface of the horizontal wall to flow over the second edge of the horizontal wall away from the first upright wall and the one or more additional upright walls.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein planes of the first upright wall and the one or more additional upright walls are not parallel with one another.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing is removably mountable to a wheel-mounted pole.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the housing includes a concave surface and protrusions to receive the pole, and wherein the apparatus further including a releasable locking mechanism to secure the housing to the pole.