US 5,902,140 AGranted

Child-safe power strip

AssigneeRecoton Corporation

InventorsSamuel Cheung, Leny N. Y. Heung

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Abstract

A power strip that is resistant to the tampering of children is provided. The power strip includes a non-conductive housing and multiple electrical sockets. In front of each socket is a non-conductive plate with holes corresponding to the holes of the outlet. The plate is spring-biased into a first position so that the holes in the plate are out of alignment with the holes in the socket to prevent a child from inserting anything into the socket. A non-conductive barrier is disposed between the spring that biases the plate and the conductors that connect the sockets together to prevent inadvertent contact between the spring and the conductors. A depression is formed in the housing so that, when the prongs of a standard three-prong plug are inserted into the holes of the plate to rotate the plate, all three prongs will make contact with the plate and rotation thereof will be facilitated. The power strip may include a surge protector as well.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A power strip, comprising:

a housing having a plurality of electrical sockets adapted to receive electrical plugs, said sockets having socket-holes;
at least one conductor connected to said sockets so that power may be supplied to said sockets via said conductor;
a plurality of non-conductive plates, each of said non-conductive plates respectively disposed in front of respective ones of said electrical sockets, each of said non-conductive plates having a set of holes corresponding to said socket-holes of said electrical sockets;
a plurality of biasing springs each attached to said housing and each of said non-conductive plates respectively, said biasing springs each adapted to bias said non-conductive plates into a first position so that said holes in said non-conductive plates do not align with said socket-holes of said electrical sockets;
and
a plurality of depressions, formed respectively in each of said sockets, each depression in a position corresponding to one of said holes of each of said non-conductive plates when said non-conductive plates are in said first position
wherein said non-conductive plates each may be rotated into a second position in which said holes in said non-conductive plates align with said socket-hole of said electrical sockets.

4 more elements

A power strip, comprising:

a housing having a plurality of electrical sockets adapted to receive electrical plugs, said sockets having socket-holes;
at least one conductor connected to said sockets so that power may be supplied to said sockets via said conductor;
a plurality of non-conductive plates respectively disposed in front of said electrical sockets, each of said non-conductive plates having a set of holes corresponding to said socket-holes of said electrical sockets;
a plurality of biasing springs each attached to said housing and each of said non-conductive plates respectively, said biasing springs each adapted to bias said non-conductive plates into a first position so that said holes in said non-conductive plates do not align with said socket-holes of said electrical sockets;
a plurality of recesses adapted to receive said non-conductive plates and allow rotation of said non-conductive plates therein;
and
a plurality of depressions, formed respectively in each of said sockets, each depression in a position corresponding to one of said holes of each of said non-conductive plates when said non-conductive plates are in said first position,
wherein said non-conductive plates each may be rotated into a second position in which said holes in said non-conductive plates align with said socket-holes of said electrical sockets.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.