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US4840577A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Plug locking cover
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1987-09-28
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Granted: 1989-06-20
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Expires: 2007-09-28
Abstract
Abstract A releasing engaging means, which is manually manipulated, and is fixably attached over a typical female plug or receptacle that is connected to the mains is used to fixedly hold, a male plug into the receptacle and to inhibit its removal from the receptacle unless the releasing engaging means is manually manipulated, thus inhibiting erroneous removal of the plug as by pulling the cord to which it is attached. Specifically the mechanism provides a "hinged door" mounted in proximity and above the female receptacle. The plug passes through the doors as they swing open and the edge of the doors urge against the plug to hold it in the socket. The doors may be manipulated away from the plug by movement through integral extending tags that are integral to the doors which then release their frictional urging engagement with the plug.
Inventors
- 👤 David Prouty
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 15:15
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R13/00; H01R13/62; H01R13/639; H01R13/6395
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
157 words
In combination with a wall mounted power box carrying a female power receptacle, a cover plate adapted for releasingly engaging the marginal profile of a male electrical plug adapted to be inserted into, thereupon to cause electrical engagement therewith, or to be removed from the female power receptacle whereby the plug is constrainingly engaged into the receptacle by the cover plate, the cover plate comprising: (a) an outer housing defining an upper essentially flat surface which itself defines a recess in the form of an "H" and hence the upper surface includes fingers, which lie in the plane of the surface, and which project toward each other so that their distal and lateral margins or edges define with the upper flat surface the "H" recess, while proximate ends of each finger merge integrally with and are part of the upper surface; (b) means on the sides of the housing for fixedly engaging the housing onto the receptacle.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
157 words
In combination with a wall mounted power box carrying a female power receptacle, a cover plate adapted for releasingly engaging the marginal profile of a male electrical plug adapted to be inserted into, thereupon to cause electrical engagement therewith, or to be removed from the female power receptacle whereby the plug is constrainingly engaged into the receptacle by the cover plate, the cover plate comprising: (a) an outer housing defining an upper essentially flat surface which itself defines a recess in the form of an "H" and hence the upper surface includes fingers, which lie in the plane of the surface, and which project toward each other so that their distal and lateral margins or edges define with the upper flat surface the "H" recess, while proximate ends of each finger merge integrally with and are part of the upper surface; (b) means on the sides of the housing for fixedly engaging the housing onto the receptacle.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
The cover plate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fingers in proximity to their distal ends have upwardly extending detents, disposed in an inclined fashion, adapted to receive a biasing force thereon and to cause movement of the distal ends of the fingers away from each other and hence from engagement with a plug.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The cover plate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the housing has an end wall aperture through which a cord may pass to which the plug is electrically connected.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
The cover plate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the proximal ends of the fingers merge through a resilient region into the integral upper surface and the resilient region urges the fingers toward each other.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
The cover plate as claimed in claim 4 wherein the proximal ends of the fingers merge through a curved sheet into the surface and hence form a resiient hinge adapted to permit flexation of the fingers out of a plane co-incident with the upper surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
94 words
The cover plate as claimed in claim 5 together with a depending detent merging with the under-surface of the said resilient hinge, but depending vertically downward and into a downwardly inclining face that transforms into a lower distal end engaging tip that steps reversingly backwards subjacent the face and into an integral downward depending tag, whereby each hinge disposes oppositely inclined faces with tips at a relative position less than the normal cross-sectional width of a male plug whereby the tips engage the plug and restrain the plug from removal from the female receptacle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
63 words
The cover plate as claimed in claim 6 wherein the extent of the fingers is such, that when the fingers are biased downward out of the coincident plane with the upper surface they urge against, respectively, the inclined face beneath it and hence move laterally urge the tip away from the male plug, thereby allowing the plug to be removed from the receptacle.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The cover plate as claimed in claim 7 wherein the housing has an end wall aperture through which a cord may pass to which the plug is electrically connected.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2510745A
Cited
US4045108A
Cited
US4105274A
Cited
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Cited
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-06-19 | 1992-12-19 | 1993-06-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-06-19 | 1996-12-19 | 1997-06-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-06-19 | 2000-12-19 | 2001-06-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |