US3163481A

US3163481A - Clasp for holding an attachment plug to an electrical outlet

Info

Publication number: US3163481A
Application number: US122182A
Authority: US
Inventors: Salvador Carmelo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-07-06
Filing date: 1961-07-06
Publication date: 1964-12-29
Anticipated expiration: 1981-12-29

Description

C. SALVADOR Dec. 29, 1964 CLASP FOR HOLDING AN ATTACHMENT PLUG TO AN ELECTRICAL OUTLET Filed July 6. 1961 INVENTOR. (a rmeb .Sz/vador:

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,163,481 CLASP FOR HGLDING AN ATTAQHMENT PLUG TO AN ELECTRICAL OUTLET Carmelo Salvador, 2926 Royal Palm Ave, Miami Beach, Fla. Filed July 6, 1961, Ser. No. 122,132 1 Claim. (Cl. 339-75) This invention relates to an attachment for plugs of the type inserted into an electrical wall outlet or socket to supply a lamp or appliance with current.

The wires of electrical appliances are ordinarily well insulated, but, in use of an appliance or machine, the prongs of the plug may become loosened from the socket thus creating a danger of electrical shock also the current may be interrupted as electrical contact is lost by a pull on the wire.

The instant invention provides means to securely retain a plug in its socket thereby eliminating the aforesaid danger and, at the same time, providing means whereby a pull on an electrical cord connecting an appliance to a wall outlet will be absorbed because the means described hereinafter are resilient and will reluctantly yield to an application of force, opposing it, and tending to restore the plug to the normal position when its prongs are partially withdrawn from the socket.

It is accordingly, an object of this invention to provide an electrical connector for general use, and for the household in particular, which will not easily yield to forces tending to break an electrical connection, but will tend to maintain electrical contact despite forces which would otherwise pull the plug from its socket.

It is another object of this invention to provide a device of the type described hereinafter which is safe for use in homes, and which will maintain electrical contact between wall outlets and plugs for appliances.

Another object of this invention is to provide an electrical connector which is adaptable for use on all sizes and types of plugs in general household use whereby said plugs may be held in wall outlets in accordance with the foregoing objects.

It is a general object of this invention to provide an electrical connector of the type described hereinafter which is of novel construction, is strong and durable, of simple and practical construction, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted to secure safe, strong and positive electrical contact between the plugs of household devices and wall outlets.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view partially in cross section of an electrical plug with the invention applied to hold it in electrical contact with a wall outlet;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the clasp detached from the plug; and

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view in cross section taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, and referring particularly to FIG. 1, 11 designates generally a wall outlet having a plate 12 atlixed to a receptacle, not shown, by means of screws 13 and 14. The wall outlet provides for two sockets, 16, for receiving plugs such as 17. The conventional plug comprises a body 18 having a base 19 provided with an aperture 21 for receiving an electrical conductor or cord 22, and having protruding therefrom two terminals or prongs.

Referring to FIG. 2, the clasp is shown as a onepiece unitary item including bands or

arms

34 and 36 of rubber or other resilient rubber-like material projecting outwardly in diametrically opposite directions from a central enlarged body portion 42, which is provided with an elliptical opening 43 therein having a major axis 44 perpendicular to the common center line or axis of said bands and a minor axis 46 aligned with said center line. The distal ends of

bands

34 and 36 are provided with rigid clips 37 and 38.

Each clip, as more particularly shown upon FIGURE 3 for clip 38, consists of a one-piece item of rigid metal or plastic having a straight shank portion with one end embedded within the distal end of arm 36 and its other or free end bent into the form of a hook 41. Each clip is unitarily secured to its arm by appropriate means such as a hole 47 in its shank so that when the shank is embedded within the material of its arm, the material protrudes within the hole to thereby secure the arm and clip against separation. Clip 37 is identical with clip 38 just described and is attached to its arm 34 in the same way.

In use, opening 43 is expanded and distorted by pulling the clips apart until it fits smoothly over and about the body of plug 17. The pull is then released and the resiliency of body portion 42 causes it to contract about and firmly grip the plug. Thereafter the prongs of the plug are inserted into the socket and clips 37, 38 are hooked over and about opposite edges of cover plate 12, to thereby firmly but releasably hold the prongs of the plug in electrical contact with the contacts of the socket. Due to the elliptical shape of opening 43 it may be distorted to receive the plug, merely by a straight pull exerted on and between the clips.

While the instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departtues may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is therefore not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles.

What is claimed is:

In combination, an electrical outlet including an apertured socket and a face plate apertured to receive and fit about said socket in substantially flush fixed relation therewith, a plug generally elliptical in transverse section and including spaced parallel prongs frictionally fitting the apertures in said socket, a unitary one-piece clasp of resilient material and comprising a central enlarged body portion and first and second arms integral with said body portion and extending in diametrically opposite directions from opposite sides thereof along a common axis, there being a generally ellipitical opening in said body portion and having its major and minor axes respectively normal to, and aligned with, said common axis, and first and second clips each unitarily attached to the distal end of a respective one of said arms, each said clip being hooked over and about a respective side 5 edge of said face plate with said plug tightly fitting within said opening, said opening being enlargeable and distortable by a pull on and between said clips, to enable the plug to be inserted thereinto, release of said pull causing the natural resiliency of the clasp material to contract about 10 said plug to firmly grip and hold the same with its prongs in said apertures of said socket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hubbell Dec. 8, Ellis Nov. 29, Jones Mar. 18, Klumpp Apr. 13, Phalen Dec. 20,

FOREIGN PATENTS France Jan. 31, Great Britain June 15,

Great Britain Aug. 7,