Releasable cord coupler

Details Releasable cord coupler Releasable cord coupler

1999-11-16

2001-04-17

Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...

Retaining means

C439S367000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06217366

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of devices for securing electrical connectors, such as the male and female ends associated with power conducting cords used for extension cords and power tool electrical cords and the like, in assembled, united or mated engagement so that the plugs are prevented from being accidentally separated.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is an identified problem in the prior art that male and female plugs on the ends of power conductors such as electrical extension cords and power tool electrical cords and the like may be accidentally separated if the junction between the cords is pulled under tension without some sort of restraining device coupling the male and female plugs together in mated engagement.
It is known that most power tools and heavy duty appliances include a relatively short power cord or rigid receptacle having a pronged male electrical connector at the end thereof. Typically the ends of the power cords are the only means provided by which extension cords may be connected to the power cords to provide power to the tools. Realistically, power tools are routinely used with extension cords and a user while moving about, for example at a work site, will quite often reach an outer limit of the range afforded by the extension cord and will inadvertently pull on the power tool thereby separating the junction between the power tool cord and the extension cord. More aggravatingly, a junction between connected extension cords removed from the location of the user requires the user to walk across the job site to locate separated connectors between extension cords.
Quite apart from the aggravation and inefficiency of such a situation, the partial separation of electrical connectors is also potentially hazardous. Consequently, the need identified in the prior art and attempted to be solved in the prior art exists to releasably secure by means of a releasably mountable device, male and female electrical plugs in mated engagement.
In the prior art devices, U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,524 which issued to Falcon on Dec. 1, 1992, identifies many prior art attempts to solve the above problem as such devices existed in the published prior art up to 1991. The Falcon device itself is a coupling restraint assembly which includes a pair of generally identically configured U-shaped flexible mounting straps which are secured relative to each of the male and female connectors in opposing relationship with respect to one another using integrally formed locking tabs which are extendible through openings provided in each strap. The mounting straps are constructed so as to be used interchangeably on different types and sizes of power cords and electrical connectors. In the embodiment taught to be preferred by Falcon, a pair of selfbinding restraint straps are secured to two legs of one of the generally U-shaped mounting straps and are selectively extendible through openings in opposing leg portions of the adjacent mounting strap. The restraint straps are secured upon themselves by use of hook and loop releasable fasteners.
What is neither taught nor suggested, and which is an object of the present invention to provide, is a coupling device superficially similar in plan view profile to the Falcon device when laid flat, but one which is of simplified construction when compared thereto for ease of manufacture and of increased tensile load bearing capacity. Load bearing capacity is increased due to the lack of apertures formed as tensile load transfer couplings between a base portion to which are mounted a pair of generally parallel straps. The present invention has no such limitation, being formed of a unitary piece which may be cut out of a sheet in a “cookie-cutter” fashion as better described below.
Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,107 which issued to Sheryll on Aug. 9, 1994 for a plug retention device. Sheryll discloses a device for retaining an electrical plug and extension cord to another plug and extension cord by the use of fasteners strip elements secured to each cord adjacent to each plug by a circumferential clamp. With the electrical plug engaged with its corresponding socket, mechanical interacting fastener elements that engage each other when in the assembled state maintain the plug in the socket. It is taught that the fastening elements may be mushroom-shaped fasteners sold under the trademark Dual Lock or other forms of interacting article elements of the type the subject of the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,192,589 and 3,266,113. What is neither taught nor suggested is a coupler adapted for use in storing a coiled extension cord, the Sheryll device also being of a molded plastic design not well adapted for being formed in a unitary piece cut out from a sheet in a “cookie-cutter” fashion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In summary, the cord coupler of the present invention includes a flexible planar first sheet of hook and loop fastener material. A first side of the first sheet includes hook material of the hook and loop fastener material. An opposite second side of the first sheet includes loop material of the hook and loop fastener material. The first sheet is formed into at least three portions. A first portion is elongate in a first direction from a first end to an opposite second end. A second portion is elongate in a second direction from a first end to an opposite second end. A third portion is elongate in a third direction from a first end to an opposite second end.
The first direction is perpendicular to the second and third directions. The second and third directions are parallel. The second portion is adjacent the third portion. The first ends of the second and third portions are formed integrally with the first end of the first portion.
A first plug on one end of a first electrical cord may be laid between the second and third portions so as to dispose a coupling end of the first plug away from the first portion and so as to lay the first electrical cord perpendicularly across the first portion. The first portion may be wrapped around the first electrical cord so as to releasably fasten the first end of the first portion to the second end of the first portion thereby forming a collar secured on the first electrical cord behind the first plug. The wrapping of the first portion around the first electrical cord oppositely rotates the second and third portions relative to each other into generally opposed facing relation on opposite sides of the first plug. The second and third portions are thus positioned either for releasable fastening to corresponding releasable fasteners on a second plug when mated to the first plug, or for securing the first electrical cord, when coiled, to the first plug by wrapping and releasably securing the second and third portions around coils of the first electrical cord when coiled.
The corresponding releasable fasteners on the second plug may be second and third portions of a second sheet substantially identical to the first sheet. The second sheet is mounted to the end of the second electrical cord behind the second plug by wrapping a first portion of the second sheet around the second electrical cord behind the second plug. The second portions and the third portions of the first and second sheets may be overlapped into releasably fastened engagement so as to releasably secure the first plug coupled to the second plug.
Alternatively, the corresponding releasable fasteners on the second plug may be strips of releasable fastener material mounted directly onto opposite sides of the second plug. In this case, the second plug may be an electrical plug rigidly mounted to an appliance such as a hand tool. Advantageously, the first sheet is, or the first and second sheets are, double-sided hook and loop material or equivalent having solely hook pile or equivalent on the first side, and having solely loop pile or equivalent on the second side. The sheet or sheets may be cut to shape by a cookie-cutter method from a bulk supply of the double-sided hook and loop material.
In one aspect of the present invention, at l

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