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US 7,480,123 B2Granted
Electrical receptacle
AssigneeMSX, Inc.
InventorThaddeus M. Jones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrical receptacle including a housing having an inwardly directed side and an electrical resistor thermally coupled to the inwardly directed side of the housing.
Claims18
An electrical receptacle, comprising:
- a housing having an exterior portion with an inwardly directed side, said housing including a plurality of openings through said side, said side being electrically nonconductive;
- a plurality of electrical terminals positioned within the receptacle including a neutral terminal and a line terminal, said neutral terminal positioned proximate to one of said plurality of openings and configured to receive a prong of a plug, said line terminal positioned proximate to another one of said plurality of openings and configured to receive another prong of the plug;
- and
- an electrical resistor thermally coupled to said inwardly directed side of said housing, said electrical resistor being proximate to said openings.
1 more element
An electrical assembly, comprising:
- a plate having an exterior portion with a plurality of openings therein for establishing electrical connections therethrough;
- a plurality of electrical terminals positioned within the receptacle including a neutral terminal and a line terminal, said neutral terminal positioned proximate to one of said plurality of openings and configured to receive a prong of a plug, said line terminal positioned proximate to another one of said plurality of openings and configured to receive another prong of the plug, the plug being an electrical plug having the prong and the another prong extending therefrom, the plug being removable from the electrical assembly;
- and
- an electrical resistor thermally coupled to said plate, said electrical resistor being proximate to at least one of said openings.
1 more element
A method of preventing the formation of condensate on an electrical receptacle, comprising the steps of:
- thermally coupling an electrical resistor to an inner surface of an exterior wall of a housing of the electrical receptacle between two openings in said exterior wall;
- and
- supplying electrical power to said electrical resistor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.