Electrical safety plug assembly

Claim 1

An electrical safety plug adapted to plug into an electrical outlet, said plug comprising a housing, electrical prongs rigidly supported adjacent their inner ends within the housing and extending from the exterior thereof adapted for insertion into an electrical outlet, said housing having a cavity therein through which said prongs extend, an insulating sheath slidably received within said cavity and moveable therein parallel to said prongs from a retracted position wherein the sheath is within the housing to an extended position wherein the sheath extends from the housing to mask all but the tip portions of said prongs, said insulating sheath being generally U-shaped in configuration with the legs of the U enclosing said prongs, said housing having an abutment extending into said cavity and engageable with the base portion of said U-shaped sheath to limit extension of the sheath from the cavity and define said extended position thereof, and resilient means within the housing urging the sheath into its said extended position, whereby as the prongs of said plug are inserted into an electrical outlet said sheath is moved from its extended toward its retracted position against the force exerted by said resilient means to prevent exposure of any substantial portion of said prongs during insertion or removal of the plug prongs with respect to an electrical receptacle.