Electricity: conductors and insulators – Boxes and housings – With electrical device
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-14
2001-03-20
Kincaid, Kristine (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Boxes and housings
With electrical device
C439S107000, C439S617000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06204449
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to electrical receptacle assemblies and, more particularly, is concerned with projections on a face of an electrical receptacle for preventing inadvertent tripping of a test switch by an oversized electrical plug.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, electrical receptacles manufactured and marketed by Hubbell Incorporated of Orange, Conn., the assignee of the subject application, and commonly known as ground fault receptacles, have employed both test and reset switches on a face or front cover of the electrical receptacle. Electrical plugs with plug bodies having different diameter sizes can be used with most electrical receptacles. The bodies of some of these plugs have diameters which are oversized relative to the dimensions of the mating surface portions of the front face of the electrical receptacle containing holes where the prongs of the plugs are inserted into electrical contacts of the receptacle. Due to their oversized diameters, the bodies of these oversized plugs have peripheral edges which extend beyond the mating surface portions of the receptacle.
A problem exists in that, with the action of inserting and mating the oversized plug with the electrical receptacle, a portion of the peripheral edge of the body of the oversized plug may contact one or both of the test and reset switches and cause inadvertent tripping thereof. A satisfactory solution to this problem does not appear to exist in the prior art.
Consequently, a need remains for an innovation which will provide an effective solution to the aforementioned problem in the prior art without introducing any new problems in place thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an electrical receptacle designed to satisfy the aforementioned need. The electrical receptacle of the present invention incorporates at least one and preferably a pair of projections on a face thereof which protrude outwardly from the face for preventing inadvertent engagement with and tripping of either a test switch or reset switch by a peripheral edge portion of a body of an oversized electrical plug. The projections on the receptacle are preferably disposed adjacent to opposite ends of one or both of the switches and extend to a height outwardly from the receptacle face at least the same as a height of the test switch or reset switch therefrom. Thus, upon mating with the receptacle, an oversized electrical plug will engage the projections and thereby be prevented from making contact with either of the switches sufficient to cause tripping of the same. The projections also have sufficient structural rigidity to stop movement of the oversized electrical plug toward the switches that would otherwise produce tripping contact with the one or both switches.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an electrical receptacle which comprises: (a) a receptacle body having electrical elements disposed therein for making electrical contact with an electrical plug of various diameter sizes, the receptacle body having a face with at least one set of apertures formed therein for receiving prongs of the plug for mating of the plug with the receptacle; (b) at least one switch mounted to the face of the receptacle body adjacent to the one set of apertures and being actuatable to affect operation of the electrical elements in the receptacle body; and (c) at least one projection made of a substantially rigid material and mounted to the face of the receptacle body adjacent to the one switch and one set of apertures and protruding therefrom, the one projection extending outwardly from the face of the receptacle body such that upon mating with the receptacle an electrical plug having an oversized diameter will engage the one projection and thereby be prevented from making contact with the one switch sufficient to cause tripping thereof and thereby avoid inadvertent actuation of the one switch.
More particularly, the at least one switch with which the projections are associated can be either a test switch and/or a reset switch. The at least one set of apertures in the receptacle body includes two sets of apertures each for receiving prongs of a respective one electrical plug. The test switch is disposed closer to one of the sets of apertures of the body and the reset switch is disposed closer to the other of the sets of apertures. Preferably, at least one pair of projections is provided. Each projection is positioned adjacent to one of a pair of opposite ends of the respective switch.
Also, the switch and the projections extend to respective heights from the face of the receptacle body where the height of the projections is at least as great as, and preferably greater than, the height of the switch. The switch and the projections have respective sizes where the size of the switch is greater than the size of the projections.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2813938 (1957-11-01), Speizman
patent: 3723948 (1973-03-01), Wyatt et al.
patent: 3900238 (1975-08-01), Anderson
patent: 4363944 (1982-12-01), Poirier
patent: 4668034 (1987-05-01), McHattie et al.
patent: 5161240 (1992-11-01), Johnson
patent: 5266039 (1993-11-01), Boyer et al.
patent: 5484309 (1996-01-01), Howard et al.
patent: 5708554 (1998-01-01), Liner
Clark Christopher J.
Howard Carol A.
Putorti John J.
'Hubbell Incorporated
Kincaid Kristine
Patel Dhiru R.
Swartz Michael R.
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