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US 4,900,259 AGranted
Duplex electrical receptacle with one-piece multi-function grounding strip and choice of grounding wire termination
AssigneeEagle Electric Manufacturing Co., Inc.
InventorsMelvin Ludwig, Neal Kluger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dual mode grounding arrangement includes a one-piece, multi-function, grounding strip assembled within an electrical receptacle, and includes a screw terminal which is highly resistant to removal of a grounding screw from the strip. A grounding wire is connected to the screw terminal by either a wrap-around or a push-in wiring technique.
Claims16
A dual mode grounding arrangement assembled within an electrical receptacle of the type mounted in a junction box and covered by a wall plate, said arrangement comprising:
- (A) a one-piece, multi-function, grounding strip including
- (a) a wiper means integral with the strip, for wipingly contacting ground prong of an electrical plug to be plugged into the receptacle,
- (b) box fastener contact means integral with the strip, for contacting a box fastener operative for mounting the receptacle in the junction box,
- (c) wall plate fastener means integral with the strip, for supportably engaging a wall plate fastener operative for mounting the wall plate over the receptacle,
- (d) means integral with the strip, for holding the strip at a predetermined position within the receptacle during assembly, and
- (e) screw terminal means integral with the strip, for electrically grounding the strip, including a pair of spaced-apart electrically conductive grounding plates having juxtaposed slots;
- (B) a grounding screw having a head and a threaded shaft extending with clearance through and past the juxtaposed slots;
- (C) a nut having a plurality of threads for threadedly engaging the shaft of the grounding screw to resist axially directed forces tending to pull the grounding screw from the strip;
- and
- (D) biasing means for urging the screw and the nut to a selected one of a first, wrap-around, grounding position in which a grounding wire is wrapped about the screw shaft and clamped between the screw head and one of the grounding plates, and a second, push-in, grounding position in which the grounding wire is clamped between the nut and the other of the grounding plates.
7 more elements
An improved electrical receptacle of the type mounted in a junction box and covered by a wall plate, comprising:
- (A) a housing having upper and lower parts;
- (B) a one-piece, multi-function, grounding strip assembled within the receptacle between the housing parts, said grounding strip including
- (i) prong wiper means integral with the strip, for wipingly contacting a ground prong of an electrical plug to be plugged into the receptacle,
- (ii) box fastener contact means integral with the strip, for contacting a box fastener operative for mounting the receptacle in the junction box,
- (iii) wall plate fastener means integral with the strip, for supportably engaging a wall plate fastener operative for mounting the wall plate over the receptacle,
- (iv) means integral with the strip, for holding the strip at a predetermined position within the receptacle during assembly, and
- (v) screw terminal means integral with the strip, for electrically grounding the strip, including a pair of spaced-apart electrically conductive grounding plates having juxtaposed slots;
- (C) a grounding screw having a head and a threaded shaft extending with clearance through the juxtaposed slots;
- (D) a nut having a plurality of threads for threadedly engaging the screw shaft to resist axially-directed forces tending to pull the grounding screw from the strip;
- and
- (E) biasing means for urging the screw and the nut to a selected one of a first, wrap-around, grounding position in which a grounding wire is wrapped about the screw shaft and clamped between the screw head and one of the grounding plates., and a second, push-in,grounding position in which the grounding wire is clamped between the nut and the other of the grounding plates.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.