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AssigneeMelvin G. Hector, Jr.
InventorMelvin G. Hector, JR.
Estimating the term…
A new and useful electrical connector is provided, that is designed to protect existing electrical outlets from trauma and destruction, by preventing them from being dislodged by movement of a patient support such as a hospital bed, or scraped off of the wall by passing (moving) machinery, hospital beds, equipment and vehicles during the normal use of the bed, the machinery, or equipment. in this application reference to an electrical plug component encompasses traditional 2 or 3 prong plugs that pima into grounded or ungrounded wall outlet sockets, as well as phone or laptop jacks that would plug into wall outlet sockets configured for such jacks. In addition, a new and useful coupling structure, for electrical couplings that need to be spaced from a wall socket, is provided.
An electrical connector for attachment to a wall outlet, comprising a cap formed of non conducting material, the cap having a perimeter, a first side configured to lie directly against a wall with the perimeter as close to the wall as possible when the cap is attached to a wall outlet, the first side accommodating one or more electrical plug components configured to engage the sockets of a wall outlet and connect the connector to the wall outlet and electrical conductors extending from the electrical plug components and along the first side of the cap and to the perimeter of the cap, and the cap having a second side having a substantially smooth, continuous surface extending from the perimeter of the cap over the entire extent of the cap and providing an insulating cover for the electrical plug components and a relatively smooth, continuous exterior surface for the cap when the electrical connector is attached to a wall outlet, so that electrical conducting portions of the connector are electrically insulated by the cap, extend along the outside of the cap to the perimeter of the cap, and the perimeter and relatively smooth, continuous surface of the cap providing an exterior of the cap that is relatively free of edges, ridges or other surface configurations that could be caught by an object rubbing against the cap that would cause the cap to pull away from the wall when the electrical connector is connected to a wall socket.
An electrical connector for attachment to a wall outlet of a medical care facility and providing electrical power connection for a bed of the medical care facility or a device being used in the vicinity of the bed, comprising a cap thrilled of non conducting material, the cap having a relatively flat configuration with a perimeter, a first side configured to lie directly against a wall with the perimeter as close to the wall as possible when the cap is attached to a wall outlet, the first side accommodating one or more electrical plug components configured to engage the sockets of a wall outlet and connect the connector to the wall outset and electrical conductors extending from the electrical plug components and along the first side of the cap and to the perimeter of the cap, and the cap having a second side having a substantially smooth, continuous surface extending from the perimeter of the cap over the entire extent of the cap and providing an insulating cover for the electrical plug components and a relatively smooth, continuous exterior surface for the cap when the electrical connector is attached to a wall outlet, so that electrical conducting portions of the connector are electrically insulated by the cap, extend along the outside of the cap to the perimeter of the cap, and the perimeter and relatively smooth, continuous surface of the cap providing an exterior of the cap that is relatively free of edges, ridges or other surface configurations that could be caught by an object rubbing, against the cap that would cause the cap to pull away from the wall when the electrical connector is connected to a wall socket.
Electrical coupling comprising first and second coupling parts, and structure for releasably securing the first and second coupling parts to each other, the first and second coupling parts having respective mating portions that are coupled together to provide an electrical connection between the coupling parts, and the structure for releasably securing the first and second coupling parts to each other comprising a device that is configured to urge the coupling parts together and to provide a releasable lock that holds the coupling parts together and is releasable to enable the coupling parts to be separated, to break the electrical connection between the coupling parts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.