WO1995015597A1

WO1995015597A1 - An adaptor for electric plugs

Info

Publication number: WO1995015597A1
Application number: PCT/AU1994/000673
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gregory James Dolan
Original assignee: Gmp Innovations Pty. Ltd.
Priority date: 1993-11-30
Filing date: 1994-11-03
Publication date: 1995-06-08

Abstract

An adaptor (10) for electric plugs has a gripping means (14) attached to the body (11) of the adaptor (10) so that arthritis sufferers can more easily remove or insert a plug from or into an electric power point.

Description

TITLE An Adaptor for Electric Plugs FIELD OF THE INVENTION THIS INVENTION relates to an adaptor for electric plugs, and particularly to an adaptor to allow arthritic people to easily insert and remove appliance plugs from power points.

BACKGROUND ART

Appliance power plugs usually have a conical or tapered conical body and a flat front face from which the pins extend. The plug is pushed into a power point to make contact. To remove the plug, the body of the plug is gripped with a pinching type action and pulled to pull the plug from the power point. It is of course dangerous to remove a plug by pulling the cord.

To assist in removing the plug, it is known to provide a neck portion on the rear of the plug which can be gripped by a person. The neck portion is typically ribbed or otherwise profiled to assist in the gripping action.

One severe disadvantage• with existing power points is that arthritic people have difficulty, or are unable, to remove or insert the appliance plug from the power point. This is because arthritic people are unable, or have a reduced ability to grip items. These people cannot grip the power plug and even if a gripping action is possible, they have insufficient strength to remove the plug from the power point without their hand slipping from the plug. Aged persons, and persons with physical handicaps also suffer from the above.

It is known to provide a plastic strip having slots therethrough through which the pins of the plug can pass. The strip can then be curved around the plug and fastened to provide a loop which can then be pulled by a person. United States patents 5,062,803, 4,210,377 and Australian patent application 52826/86 describe such strips. The strip suffers from a number of disadvantages. Firstly, the strip is in electric contact with the points of the plug, and should the strip be damp it may create an electrical hazard for the person touching the strip. Secondly, the strip must be passed through the pins of the plug, and this is not easy for elderly people. Thirdly, the strip is too flexible and tends to twist and distort when being used. Fourthly, the strip prevents the pins from being completely pushed into the power point which is a hazard. The slots have pushed out edges which again prevents complete insertion of the plug into the power point. Finally, the strip is unable to help persons to push the plug into the power point.

Elderly people or people with some type of disability find it difficult to grip and push a relatively small plug into the power point, thus flexible strips are unsuitable.

Other types of pull out devices for plugs are described in United States patents 4,917,626 and 5,026,300. A disadvantage with all the above devices is that they must be attached to the plug itself. For devices which are permanently attached to the plug, numerous devices must be purchased to convert the plugs of various appliances such as water kettles, toasters, lamps, to name but a few. For detachable devices such as the strip handles, it is difficult, finicky and often dangerous to repeatedly remove and attach the strip to the front face of the plug.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to an adaptor which can be used by arthritic people to more easily and safely remove or insert electric plugs from or into a power point.

It is an object of the invention to provide an adaptor which may overcome the abovementioned disadvantages or provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice.

In one form, the invention resides in an adaptor for electric plugs, the adaptor having a body portion, electric pins extending from the body portion for insertion into a power point, and slots to allow a plug to be plugged into the adaptor, the slots being in electrical communication with the pins, characterised in that gripping means are provided, the gripping means being attached to the body portion at a position spaced from the pins.

In this manner, there is little likelihood of electrocution occurring when elderly or arthritic people remove an appliance plug from the power point.

The adaptor may be of any desired shape or size. The electric pins are plate-like in configuration for Australian power points, but may be of different shapes depending on the power point configuration in other countries. There may typically be provided three pins extending from the body portion, the third pin being the earth pin, although a two-pin arrangement may also be used. The adaptor may allow a single, or a number of plugs to be plugged into the adaptor. Thus, the adaptor may include a single adaptor, a double adaptor or an adaptor for a multiplicity of plugs.

The slots may be provided on a rear face of the adaptor and are configured to allow the. pins of the plug to be inserted into the slot. The slots may be rectangular in configuration. Within the body of the adaptor and near the slots may be located metal contact plates which may be an electrical communication with the pins of the adaptor.

The gripping means may be integrally formed with the plug, or may be separately formed and attached thereto. The gripping means preferably include a configuration whereby an arthritic person can hook a number of fingers around or through the gripping means.

The gripping means may be looped in configuration and may extend from each side of the body portion and around a rear part of the plug. The loop may be indented to facilitate positioning of the cord of the plug which can be plugged into the adaptor.

The gripping means may be pivotally mounted to the body portion to allow the gripping means to move between an extended use position, and a folded non-use position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The embodiment of the invention will be illustrated with reference to the following drawings in which

Figures 1 to 4 illustrate various adaptors according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 illustrates the use of the adaptor of Figure 1. BEST MODE

Referring to the drawings, and especially Figure 1, there is disclosed an adaptor 10 having a body portion 11, extending electric pins 12, slots 13 to receive an appliance plug and gripping means 14. The adaptor is typically formed from plastics material with the gripping means 14 integrally moulded with body portion 11. Gripping means 14 comprises a loop extending from diametrically opposed parts of body portion 11, and extending around the rear of the body portion. Gripping means 14 is sufficiently large to allow an arthritic person to hook a number of fingers around the loop. The loop is also sized to still allow a plug to be plugged into slots 13. The gripping means is formed from substantially rigid plastic, and rounded in cross-section such that it does not sag or deform when not in use. By having the gripping means substantially rigid, it will not bruise or cut an arthritic or elderly person's hands when the adaptor is being removed from a power point, and assists in pushing the adaptor into the power point. The loop has an indented or humped portion to allow a power cord to press under the loop without undue bending or kinking of the loop.

Figure 2 illustrates an adaptor similar to Figure 1 except that gripping means 15 is now pivotally mounted through pivot pins 16 to body portion 17 to allow the gripping means to move between an extended use position and a folded storage position. Figure 3 illustrates an adaptor wherein the gripping means comprises a pair of extending arms 18 which extend outwardly from body portion 19 substantially at right angles and from adjacent the rear face 20 of the body portion. Arms 18 are provided with inwardly turned end knobs 21, such an arthritic person can pass a number of fingers around arms 18 and between knob 21 and body portion 19 to remove the adaptor.

Figure 4 illustrates a double adaptor 22 having a pair of inclined faces 23, 24 each provided with slots to allow two plugs to be plugged into the adaptor. The adaptor is provided with a gripping means 25 in the form of a substantially rigid loop extending from opposed side faces of the adaptor.

Figure 5 shows the adaptor of Figure 1 in use with a plug 26 plugged into adaptor 10.

It can be seen that the invention allows elderly or arthritic people to safely remove appliance plugs from a power point without risking electrocution. The gripping means allows the person to safely remove the adaptor without having to place fingers too close to the electric pins. By having the gripping means attached to the body portion, and not contacting the electric pins, the risk of electrocution is substantially reduced. Furthermore, by advantageously having the gripping means being substantially rigid, and not flexible, the gripping means does not bruise or cut a person's hand, and can assist in pushing the adaptor into the power point.

It should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications may be made to the embodiment described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An adaptor for electric plugs, the adaptor having a body portion, electric pins extending from the body portion and for insertion into a power point, slots to allow a plug to be plugged into the adaptor, the slots being in electrical communication with the pins, characterised in that gripping means are provided, the gripping means being attached to the body portion at a position spaced from the pins.

2. The adaptor of claim 1, wherein the gripping means includes arm members which extend outwardly from the body portion and are dimensioned to allow a person's fingers to pass around the arm members.

3. The adaptor of claim 2, wherein the arm members are joined to form a loop extending rearwardly of the electric pins.

4. The adaptor of claim 3, wherein the loop is hinged to the body portion.

5. The adaptor of claim 2, wherein the arm members are rigid to assist in pushing the adaptor into a power point.

6. The adaptor of claim 2, wherein a number of sets of slots are provided to allow more than one plug to be plugged into the adaptor.

7. The adaptor of claim 2, wherein the arm members extend from adjacent the slots and distant from the electric pins.