Electrical connectors – Alternatively connected – Coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-28
2004-01-06
Duverne, Jean F. (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Alternatively connected
Coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
active
06672890
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an Electrical Adapter for use in connection with residential appliances and tools. Typical dwellings have electrical service for appliances and tools near 220-volts. Upon converting to natural gas operated appliances, a power supply of at least 110-volts is required for their operation. Avoiding a separate lower voltage circuit, the present invention inserts into an existing nearly 220-volt socket and lowers the voltage to nearly 110-volts. The present invention connects two hot wires to the breaker from the socket but has only one hot wire between the socket and the receptacle. The Electrical Adapter has particular utility with connecting residential appliances and tools to sockets of higher voltage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electrical Adapters are desirable to step down a socket's voltage to that required by an appliance or tool. Typical dwellings have electrical service for appliances and tools. Ranges, stoves, ovens, and dryers operate on a power supply of at least 220-volts. Upon converting to natural gas operated appliances or using light construction tools, a power supply of at least 110-volts is required for their operation. A voltage step down requires a separate lower voltage circuit or a transformer.
The use of transformers is known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,108,226 to Ghosh, et. al discloses a transformer and method to detect line conditions. However, the Ghosh '226 patent does not have a circuit breaker and does not reduce the number of wires, and has further drawbacks of energy loss during transforming and of complexity in the processor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,545 to Lee discloses an adapter that has multiple plug sets for different national power supplies. However, the Lee '545 patent does not have fixed prongs, does not reduce the number of wires, and additionally does not have a side mounted receptacle.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,760 to Lee discloses a voltage converter that automatically switches between output wattages. However, the Lee '760 patent does not does not reduce the number of wires, and cannot reduce the energy lost during transforming.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,644,128 to Henrich discloses a regulator that changes the phase of an auxiliary voltage. However, the Henrich '128 patent does require two transformers, and cannot have a side-mounted receptacle.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,107,636 to DiGirolamo discloses a plug-in adaptor that lowers voltage with an encased transformer. However, the DiGirolamo '636 patent does not connect with three prong sockets common in 220-volt circuits, and cannot reduce the number of wires between the socket and the secondary line.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 412,699 to Lee discloses an adapter that has a side receptacle. However, the Lee '699 patent does not have prongs, and has the additional deficiency of the receptacle extending well beyond the side.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe an electrical adapter that allows connecting residential appliances and tools to sockets of higher voltage. The Ghosh '226 patent makes no provision for a circuit breaker. The Lee '545 patent lacks a side-mounted receptacle. The Lee '760 patent makes no provision for reducing the number of wires. The Henrich '128 patent makes no provision for omitting a wire to lower the voltage. The DiGirolamo '636 patent and the Lee '699 patent lack prongs to connect with 220-volt circuits.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved Electrical Adapter that can be used for connecting residential appliances and tools to sockets of higher voltage. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. In this respect, the Electrical Adapter according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of connecting residential appliances and tools to sockets of higher voltage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of transformers now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved Electrical Adapter, and overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved Electrical Adapter and method which has all the advantages of the prior art mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a Electrical Adapter which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises an electrical adapter that connects a plug of a device of a lower voltage to a socket of an higher voltage. The adapter has a housing, prongs, a breaker, a first group of wires, a receptacle, and a second group of wires. The housing has a front face parallel to the socket, a rear face opposite the front face, a first side substantially perpendicular to said front face, a second side opposite said first side, a third side substantially perpendicular to said first side, and a fourth side opposite said third side. The first, second, third, and fourth sides form a rectangle that joins the perimeter of the front and rear faces. The prongs, in a group of three or more, extend out from the front face and align with the socket. The prongs include a first prong with a round cross-section in a plane parallel to the front face. A breaker is located between the front face and the rear face substantially near and parallel to the third side. The breaker has a button that extends through the second side. A first group of wires connects each of the prongs individually to the breaker. A receptacle is located between the front face and the rear face, opposite the breaker, substantially near and parallel to the fourth side. The receptacle extends through the second side and has holes to receive the plug of the device. A second group of wires connects the holes in the receptacle individually to the breaker. The second group of wires has one less hot wire than the first group of wires thus, lowering the voltage at the receptacle.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
The invention may also include a concave front face to mount the invention easily upon a socket, an electrically inert housing like poly-vinyl-chloride, rectangular prongs, and a polarized receptacle. The breaker remains in series with the one hot wire to the receptacle with a rating of one or more amperes. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In this respect, before explaining the current embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarde
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