Power plug with safety feature

Details Power plug with safety feature Power plug with safety feature

2001-10-23

2003-08-12

Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With contact preventer or retractable cover part

Movably mounted

C439S106000, C439S141000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06604954

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to plugs, and more particularly, to a power plug with a main body safety feature.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Power plugs are one part of a two-part supply device used to transmit electrical power from a source wire to an electrically powered device. Instead of hardwiring the electrically powered device to the source wire, use of the jack device allows any electrically powered device comprising a power plug to be used anywhere there is a corresponding power outlet, barring a rare exception of power source incompatibility due to differing national standards.
Please refer to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, which show a power plug
10
and a power jack
20
, according to the prior art. The power plug
10
comprises an outer casing
12
, a neutral prong
14
, a voltage prong
16
, and a ground prong
18
set in the casing
12
. The power jack
20
comprises a casing
22
, and a plurality of openings
24
corresponding to the prongs
14
,
16
, and
18
of the power plug
10
.
Being made of metal, when the prongs
14
,
16
, and
18
of the power plug
10
make connection with internal circuitry (not shown) of the power jack
20
, electricity is conducted through the voltage prong
16
to power a device connected to the power plug
10
. However, for appropriately long prongs, and appropriately small fingers, a gap left momentarily open, as the plug
10
is inserted into to the jack
20
, can pose danger to a user of the supply. If the user were to accidentally use their fingers to close a circuit across the voltage prong
16
and either, or both of, the ground prong
18
and the neutral prong
14
, a potentially fatal current could flow through the body of the user.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a power plug with a safety measure in the form of a body that encloses prongs of the power plug.
Briefly, a power plug according to the claimed invention comprises an outer casing, a main body elastically installed on the casing, and a voltage prong and a neutral prong fixed inside the outer casing. The main body encircles the voltage prong and the neutral prong, such that when plugging in the power plug, the main body retracts to reveal the prongs, and when unplugging the power plug, the main body is pushed out to encircle the prongs.
It is an advantage of the claimed invention power plug that current carrying prongs are not left exposed, but instead are effectively covered both as the plug is plugged in, and as the plug is unplugged.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4340267 (1982-07-01), Nukaga
patent: 4445739 (1984-05-01), Wooten
patent: 5108297 (1992-04-01), Hoffman et al.
patent: 5226827 (1993-07-01), Corcoles et al.
patent: 5466164 (1995-11-01), Miyazaki et al.
patent: 6176712 (2001-01-01), Huang
patent: 6231358 (2001-05-01), Kerr et al.
patent: 6328597 (2001-12-01), Epps
patent: 6468095 (2002-10-01), Kerr et al.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Power plug with safety feature does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Power plug with safety feature, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Power plug with safety feature will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3127860