Watthour meter socket adapter with interface connection

A watthour meter socket adapter removably mountable in a watthour meter socket having a plurality of electrical contacts and receiving the terminals of a socket-type watthour meter, the socket adapter comprising:

• a first housing, the first housing comprising:
• a watthour meter receiving portion;
• a plurality of electrical contacts mounted in the watthour meter receiving portion for removably receiving the electrical terminals of a socket-type watthour meter;
• and
• a plurality of electrical terminals connected to the electrical contacts and extending outward from the first housing, the terminals being removably insertable within the electrical contacts of a watthour meter socket;
• first means for sealingly connecting the first housing to the watthour meter socket to control access to the watthour meter socket and the socket adapter;
• second means for sealingly connecting the watthour meter to the first housing to control access to the watthour meter and the socket adapter;
• an electrical connector electrically connected to the contacts within the first housing;
• and
• a second housing and supporting the electrical connector, the second housing including:
• a hollow sleeve mounted in the first housing of the socket adapter, the sleeve having an open end opening externally from the first housing;
• the electrical connector mounted in the sleeve;
• cover means removably covering the open end of the sleeve;
• and
• removable seal means for sealingly connecting the cover means over the open end of the sleeve to control access to the second housing for the connection of an external electrical connector of an external electrical device to the electrical connector in the second housing.

A watthour meter socket adapter removably mountable in a watthour meter socket having a plurality of electrical contacts and receiving the terminals of a sockettype watthour meter, and further including a first seal means for sealingly connecting the socket adapter to the watthour meter socket to control access to the watthour meter socket and the socket adapter and a second seal means for sealingly connecting a watthour meter to the socket adapter to control access to the socket-type watthour meter and the socket adapter, the socket adapter comprising:

• a housing, the housing comprising:
• a socket-type watthour meter receiving portion;
• a plurality of electrical contacts mounted in the watthour meter receiving portion for removably receiving the electrical terminals of a socket-type watthour meter;
• and
• a plurality of electrical terminals connected to the electrical contacts and extending outward from the housing, the terminals being removably insertable within the electrical contacts of a watthour meter socket;
• a hollow sleeve mounted in the housing of the socket adapter, the sleeve having an open end opening externally from the socket adapter housing;
• an electrical connector mounted within the sleeve and electrically connected to the contacts within the socket adapter housing;
• cover means releasably mountable over the open end of the sleeve;
• third access controlling means for releasably attaching the cover means to the sleeve to control access to the electrical connector mounted within the sleeve;
• a body;
• a first electrical connector mounted at one end of the body and removably insertable into the electrical connector mounted in the sleeve in the socket adapter housing;
• a second electrical connector mounted on the opposite end of the body for removably receiving an electrical connector attached to an external electrical device;
• and
• electrical power converting means mounted in the body and connected between the first and second electrical connectors for converting electrical power at a first voltage level to electrical power at a second voltage level.

A watthour meter assembly comprising:

• a watthour meter socket having a plurality of electrical contacts;
• a socket-type watthour meter having a plurality of outwardly extending terminals;
• a watthour meter socket adapter removably mountable between the watthour meter socket and the socket-type watthour meter;
• first seal means for sealingly connecting the watthour meter socket adapter to the watthour meter socket to control access to the watthour meter socket and the watthour meter socket adapter;
• and
• second seal means for sealingly connecting the watthour meter to the watthour meter socket adapter to control access to the watthour meter and the watthour meter socket adapter;
• the watthour meter socket adapter including:
• a first housing, the first housing comprising
• (a) a socket-type watthour meter receiving portion;
• (b) a plurality of electrical contacts mounted in the watthour meter receiving portion for removably receiving the electrical terminals of the socket-type watthour meter;
• and
• (c) a plurality of electrical terminals connected to the electrical contacts and extending outward from the first housing, the terminals being removably insertable within the electrical contacts of the watthour meter socket;
• electrical connector means electrically connected to the contacts within the first housing, for matingly receiving an electrical connector of an electrical device external to the watthour meter socket, the watthour meter socket adapter and the socket-type watthour meter;
• a second housing supporting the electrical connector means;
• and
• third means for separately and sealingly closing the second housing to control access to the second housing independently from access to the watthour meter socket, the watthour meter socket adapter and the socket-type watthour meter.