Electrical connectors – With circuit conductors and safety grounding provision – Direct grounding of coupling part member passing into aperture
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-08
2002-09-03
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With circuit conductors and safety grounding provision
Direct grounding of coupling part member passing into aperture
C439S650000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06443746
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to electrical receptacles. In particular, this invention relates to electrical receptacles capable of being electrically coupled together without electrical wires.
BACKGROUND ART
Multiple receptacles such as duplex receptacles have long been used in wall outlets, power strips and extension boxes for supplying power to electrical devices, such as refrigerators, fans, electric typewriter, and the like. As an example,
FIG. 1
illustrates how a single duplex receptacle
16
is used in a typical wall outlet
30
. The duplex receptacle
16
includes two receptacles
20
each having apertures to receive a plug
39
. A neutral prong
41
may be received into a neutral aperture
24
of the receptacles
20
. A hot prong
40
of the plug
39
may be received into a hot aperture
22
of the receptacles
20
, whereas a ground prong
42
may be received into a ground aperture
26
of the receptacles
20
. The duplex receptacle
16
further includes a ground screw
50
for connection via a wire to the ground of the power line. Similarly, a hot screw
51
and a neutral screw
52
of the duplex receptacle
16
connect via wires to the power source. Screws
50
,
51
,
52
are typically used to catch and to hold the connection wires. The duplex receptacle
16
is further configured to electrically couple the hot
51
, neutral
52
and ground
50
screws to the hot
40
, neutral
41
and ground
42
prongs, respectively, of the plug
39
that are inserted into the receptacle apertures
22
,
24
,
26
. If instead of screws
50
,
51
,
52
and that other means are used in their place, these means continue to function for the receptacle to catch and hold connection wires. The entire duplex receptacle
16
is fitted into the inside of a outlet box
28
of the wall outlet
30
. It is further screwed onto the outlet box
28
through the holes in the mounting flanges
60
of the duplex receptacle
16
and through mounting holes
38
of the outlet box
28
. Finally, the wall outlet
30
is operatively formed when a wall plate (not shown) is then screwed onto the outlet box
28
using a wall plate screw hole
32
of the duplex receptacle
16
.
The configuration such as in this typical duplex receptacle
16
is adequate for use in the formation of wall outlets. However, it is disadvantageous for power strip and extension box applications. For instance, an elongated, generally rectangular-box shaped power strip adapter having six receptacles may have inside the housing of the power strip three duplex receptacles (without the mounting flanges
60
) linearly-aligned and electrically-connected to each other via electrical wires. Namely, in order to operate the power strip properly, the neutral, hot and ground screws of one of the three duplex receptacles have to be connected to those of the other two via wires. This increases the size and costs of the power strip. In addition, it increases the risks of electrical shorts and fires because of the use of wires.
Thus, there is a continuing need for an improved electrical receptacle where the use of electrical wires for connection is greatly minimized or completely eliminated. This need is particularly keen in the case when two or more of these electrical receptacles are to be electrically coupled together in adapter products such as power strips or extension boxes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an electrical receptacle having a generally rectangular-box shaped housing. The housing also contains plug apertures for receiving a power plug and for supplying power to an electrical device to which the plug is connected. This receptacle has metal contact strips extending outward from two opposite side faces of the receptacle housing. These metal contact strips are adapted to be separately and electrically coupled to the hot, neutral and ground prongs of the power plug when it is plugged into the plug apertures of the receptacle. The receptacle embodiments of the present invention are further configured so that when the metal-strip sides of two of such receptacles are disposed in close proximity of each other, the metal contact strips of the receptacles would then be physically paired. The metal contacts are paired in a manner whereby electrical connection is established and whereby the two receptacles are easily fastened. One preferred way to fasten the receptacles is through soldering together each of the metal contact pairs. Another aspect of the present invention includes catch members disposed at the first ends of metal contact strips. So when paired, second ends of metal contact strips for one receptacle are caught in the catch members of the first ends of the metal contact strips of another receptacle.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention include three metal contact strips, namely hot, neutral and ground strips, each disposed in and extending through the receptacle housing. Each metal strip is configured in combination with the physical structures internal to the receptacle housing so that the hot, neutral and ground prongs of the power plug that is inserted into the receptacle apertures are electrically coupled to the hot, neutral and ground metal strips respectively.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3310770 (1967-03-01), Ramsing
patent: 3327277 (1967-06-01), Ramsing
patent: 3478295 (1969-11-01), Gneshaber
patent: 4240686 (1980-12-01), Kurbikoff
patent: 5350310 (1994-09-01), Chen
patent: 5429518 (1995-07-01), Chen
patent: 5484309 (1996-01-01), Howard et al.
patent: 5582522 (1996-12-01), Johnson
patent: 5788521 (1998-08-01), Milan
patent: 5885109 (1999-03-01), Lee et al.
patent: 5899774 (1999-05-01), Sexton
patent: 6045399 (2000-04-01), Yu
patent: 6113434 (2000-09-01), Pate
Bradley P. Austin
León Edwin A.
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