Connector for electric plug

• US 4,002,397 A
• Filed: 09/29/1975
• Issued: 01/11/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wolsk Associates Limited
• Original Assignee: Wolsk Associates Limited
• Inventors: Wang, James P., Wolsk, David I.
• Primary Examiner(s): McGlynn, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US05/617,706
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 339/153, 339/147, 339/154 R, 339/154 A, 340/218, 340/280, 340/283, 58/53, 58/58, 58/23 R
• US Class Current: 439/225
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1409 for removal detection of electrical appliances by detecting their physical disconnection from an electrical system, e.g. using a switch incorporated in the plug connector
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/185 Electrical failure alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6691 with built-in signalling means H01R13/717 takes precedence

Abstract

A housing has two openings to receive the electrically conductive prongs of a plug to mount the housing and a third opening to receive the grounding prong. Electrically conductive strips are disposed within the housing and have the conductive prongs of the plugs, which pass through the two openings in the housing, pass through openings in the electrically conductive strips to be in contact with the strips to provide a source of power to the strips, which are electrically connected to an alarm circuit. The alarm circuit produces an audible signal whenever there is no current through the plug due to a power failure or the plug being removed from its power source and a battery, which is supported within the housing, is connected to this alarm circuit.

Claims

1. A connector for mounting on an electrical plug for disposition in an electrical receptacle without preventing prongs of the plug from being inserted sufficiently into the receptacle for connection to a source of power including:

a housing of an electrically insulating material;

said housing having a receptacle therein, said housing fully enclosing said receptacle;

said housing having a relatively thin portion extending from one side thereof and away from said receptacle;

said thin portion having at least two openings extending therethrough;

a pair of electrically conductive strips mounted within said thin portion, each of said electrically conductive strips having an opening therein with each of said openings aligned with the corresponding opening in said thin portion to enable one of the prongs of the plug to pass therethrough;

said openings in said electrically conductive strips being smaller than the prongs of the plug to grasp the prongs of the plug when the prongs are inserted therein;

each of said electrically conductive strips being formed of a material capable of expanding to receive the prongs of the plug and returning substantially to its original shape after the prongs of the plug are withdrawn therefrom;

and electrical means disposed in said receptacle in said housing and connected to said electrically conductive strips to receive power therefrom when the plug is connected to a source of power through the electrical receptacle.

2. The connector according to claim 1 including said thin portion having a width less than the width of said housing in a direction substantially normal to the thickness of said thin portion.

3. The connector according to claim 1 in which:

said housing comprises at least two portions connected to each other and having said receptacle enclosed thereby;

one of said portions has the space of said receptacle therein in which the electrical means is disposed;

said one portion has a relatively thin portion extending from one side thereof;

another of said portions of said housing has a thin portion for cooperation with said thin portion of said one portion to form said thin portion of said housing;

one of said thin portions of said one portion and said another portion has a recess therein, said electrically conductive strips being mounted in said recess;

and each of said thin portions of said one portion and said another portion has at least two openings therein and aligned with the corresponding opening in the other of said thin portions and the corresponding opening in said electrically conductive strip when said one portion and said another portion are connected to each other.

4. The connector according to claim 3 in which said thin portion of said one portion has said recess therein.

5. The connector according to claim 3 in which each of said openings in each of said thin portions of said one portion and said another portion is larger than said opening in each of said electrically conductive strips.

6. The connector according to claim 5 in which each of said thin portions of said one portion and said another portion has a third opening therein aligned with the corresponding third opening in the other of said thin portions of said one portion and said another portion when said one portion and said another portion are connected to each other, said third openings adapted to receive a grounding prong of the plug.

7. The connector according to claim 3 including:

means to divide said receptacle into two chambers;

one of said chambers having the electrical means therein;

and the other of said chambers having a battery for the electrical means therein.

8. The connector according to claim 7 including means supported by one of said portions of said housing to form a removable wall of said other chamber.

9. The connector according to claim 1 in which each of said openings in said thin portion is larger than said aligned opening in each of said electrically conductive strips.

10. The connector according to claim 9 in which:

said thin portion has a third opening therein adapted to receive a grounding prong of the plug;

and said electrically conductive strips are spaced from said third opening so that said electrically conductive strips do not contact the grounding prong on the plug passing through said third opening in said thin portion.

11. The connector according to claim 1 including:

means to divide said receptacle into two chambers;

one of said chambers having the electrical means therein;

and the other of said chambers having a battery for the electrical means therein.

12. The connector according to claim 1 including means supported by said housing to form a removable wall of said other chamber.