Patent · US Expired

Safety electrical plug

US4810199A · kind A · utility

33Cited by
9References
13Claims
0Family size

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 25, 1987
Grant dateMar 7, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 25, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S439/915
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An improved electrical plug household use to protect household occupants from electrical shocks while inserting or removing the plug from an electrical receptacle. The plug, in general, is a standard household electrical plug with or without a ground prong. The improvement of the present invention is to mount an elastically collapsible electrically insulating hood on the plug surrounding the prongs so that when the improved plug is inserted more than half way into the household electrical receptacle, the extent of the prongs not yet within the receptacle is surrounded by the hood and inaccessible to contact by household occupants, especially children. The hood can be a plastic bellows integrally molded with the body of the plug or the hood can be formed separatly and glued to the body of the plug. The hood can also be a foamed polymer tube section glued to the body of the plug.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.