Safety receptacle

Claim 1

An improved electrical receptacle of the type having a housing, at least two electrically conductive female elements supported in said housing for receiving and making electrical contact with blades of a cooperating plug, a cover for said housing having openings therethrough aligned with said elements, first and second conductor means for electrically connecting each of said elements to a source of electrical power, first and second normally open switches, each of said switches being in series circuit relationship between one of said elements and one of said conductor means, first and second independently movable operating members each having a portion lying in a plane between said cover and said female elements, each of said members being elongated, electrically nonconductive and substantially rigid, each of said portion having a cam surface between one of said elements and its aligned cover opening so that a body inserted through one of said openings contacts a cam surface on one of said members and moves said member to close the one of said switches associated with the element aligned with the other opening before the body contacts the element behind said one opening, said housing including, first and second support ribs extending toward said cover, each of said support ribs having an upper surface spaced from the inner surface of said cover, the upper surfaces of said ribs being on opposite sides of said female elements, and wherein each of said members includes an elongated portion resting and longitudinally slidable on the upper surface of one of said ribs and a lateral portion extending toward the other one of said members.