Lockable electrical outlet

Claim 1

An electrical outlet for the lockable reception of both two and three prong plugs of the type associated with household appliances, the latter type plug having a ground prong, said outlet comprising, a main housing defining multiple cavities each for the reception of contact finger assemblies, an internally threaded bore within said housing extending intermediate a pair of said cavities and terminating in communication with an additional cavity within the housing, contact finger assemblies disposed within each of said cavities and adapted for engagement with the inserted prongs of an electrical plug, a threaded locking member rotatably mounted within the housing bore and terminating outwardly of the housing in an exposed fingergrip, said locking member threaded for a portion of its length, cam surfaces oppositely formed on said locking member for laterally biasing a pair of contact finger assemblies into positive contact with plug prongs, said locking member terminating inwardly in an end portion disposed within said additional cavity for biasing a ground contact finger against the ground prong of a plug whereby the plug prongs are frictionally engaged by each contact finger assembly and by a ground contact finger assembly to assure positive electrical contact and to prevent inadvertent plug separation from the outlet.