IP Library Granted Patent US 6,894,221
Granted Patent B2
US 6,894,221 · App. 10/737,713 · Granted May 17, 2005

Safety outlet module

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,894,221
App. No.
10/737,713
Granted
May 17, 2005
Kind
B2
Abstract

A safety outlet module includes a housing, a receptacle defined by the housing, an aperture defined within the receptacle, a cover slidably retained within the receptacle and a plug retained at least partially within the housing. The receptacle has an opening, a bottom and a wall extending between the opening and the bottom. The aperture partially extends along the wall. The cover has a closed position proximate the opening and an open position proximate the bottom. The aperture is blocked in the closed position and exposed in the open position. The plug extends from a housing face and is adapted to removably connect to an electrical power source. A contact is retained by the housing outside of the receptacle and proximate to the aperture, and a buss internal to the housing connects the plug to the contact.

Claims (46)

1. An outlet module comprising:

a housing;

a receptacle defined by said housing and having an opening, a bottom and a wall extending between said opening and said bottom;

an aperture defined within said receptacle and partially extending along said wall;

a cover slidably retained within said receptacle and having a closed position proximate said opening and an open position proximate said bottom, said aperture blocked in said closed position and exposed in said open position;

a plug retained at least partially within said housing and extending from a housing face, said plug adapted to removably connect to an electrical power source; and

a buss internal to said housing providing a electrical path between said plug and said receptacle,

said wall interior to said housing.

2. The outlet module according to claim 1 further comprising a shield extending from said housing face and disposed around said plug so as to substantially enclose said plug.

3. The outlet module according to claim 2 further comprising:

a ground bar extending from said housing face;

a ground sleeve disposed within said receptacle and extending along said wall; and

a ground buss internal to said housing connecting said ground sleeve to said ground bar.

4. The outlet module according to claim 3 further comprising:

a second aperture defined within said receptacle and partially extending along said wall;

a second plug retained at least partially within said housing and extending from said housing face, said second plug adapted to removably connect to said electrical power source;

a second buss internal to said housing providing an electrical path between said second plug and said receptacle,

said busses providing hot and neutral electrical paths between said plugs and said receptacle.

5. The outlet module according to claim 4 further comprising:

an end cap attachable to said housing so as to form said receptacle bottom; and

a spring retained between said end cap and said cover so as to urge said cover to said closed position.

6. The outlet module according to claim 5 further wherein said receptacle has a cross-section generally comprising:

a trapezoid having a wide base, a narrow base parallel to said wide base, and two lateral sides each connecting said wide base and said narrow base; and

a notch extending from said narrow side.

7. The outlet module according to claim 6 wherein said ground sleeve is disposed within said notch.

8. The outlet module according to claim 6 wherein said apertures are disposed on said lateral sides.

9. The outlet module according to claim 8 wherein said apertures are relatively offset along said lateral sides.

10. The outlet module according to claim 4 further comprising:

a plurality of attachment ears disposed on diagonal corners of said housing and adapted to mount said housing to a wiring panel disposed within an electrical box.

11. The outlet module according to claim 5 further comprising a plurality of posts extending from an inside portion of said housing, said end cap heat staked to said posts.

12. The outlet module according to claim 11 wherein said cover comprises a plurality of blocks configured to retain said cover within said receptacle.

13. An outlet module comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of shielded plugs extending from a plug-in side of said housing, said shielded plugs adapted to mesh with a corresponding plurality of structured sockets disposed on a wiring module so as to electrically communicate with a power cable wire to said wiring module; and

a plurality of covered receptacles disposed on a functional side of said housing, each of said receptacles adapted to receive a corresponding plurality of lucking plugs, wherein

said shielded plugs are configured to transmit electrical power to said covered receptacles, and

said covered receptacles are configured to transmit electrical power to said lucking plugs.

14. The outlet module according to claim 13 further comprising:

a plurality of apertures disposed within said receptacles; and

a plurality of busses recessed from said receptacles proximate said apertures, wherein

said apertures are adapted to pass through to said busses a corresponding plurality of prongs extending from said locking plug so as to enable said prongs to electrically connect with said busses and to retain said locking plugs within said receptacles.

15. The outlet module according to claim 14 further comprising a plurality of attachment ears disposed on said housing and adapted to install said housing within an electrical box in conjunction with said wiring module.

16. The outlet module according to claim 15 further comprising:

a plurality of covers inserted into said receptacles from an inside portion of said housing and retained within said receptacles by blocks disposed on said covers;

a plurality of end caps attached to said inside portion of said housing so as to form bottom portions of said receptacles; and

a plurality of cover springs disposed between said covers and said end caps so as to urge said covers to a closed position.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 15, 2017
From: PROTECTCONNECT
To: BAUM FAMILY TRUST DTD 1/11/2001; JOHN & LYNN BOWEN, TRUSTEES BOWN FAMILY TRUST DTD 11/21/1985; ALLEN, DANIEL; BLOCK, GEORGE AND/OR HIS IRA; PHILIP BURKHARDT, TRUSTEE BURKHARDT 2005 FAMILY TRUST AND/OR THEIR IRAS; DAMEROW, MILTON F.; JOHN & LAUARIE DEWITT AND/OR THIEIR IRAS; DINOTO, KRISTOPHER; BINKLEY FAMILY TRUST DTD 2/9/2000; CARL A LARSON, TRUSTEE LARSON 1995 REVOCABLE TRUST DTD 11/17/1995; SMC MULTI-MEDIA; BAKER KEN AND/OR HIS IRA; BLOCK, NICHOLAS AND/OR HIS IRA; CALDWELL, DAVID; DAVIS, JAMES P; KASHAN PIRACHA (KPN, LLC); KEVIN THOMAS DINOTO AND/OR HIS ROTH IRA; GREG BLOCK, TRUSTEE, BLOCK FAMILY TRUST DTD 6/22/1990; THOMAS DINOTO, TRUSTEE DINOTO FAMILY TRUST DTD 1/11/1993; TIM WALKER, TRUSTEE WALKER FAMILY TRUST DTD 7/21//2009; BALTER, LAURENCE; BLOCK, PAUL AND/OR HIS IRA; CHU, JOHN; DAVIS, TERRY; ESTATE OF GARY W DIXON; DINOTO, BRANDON; HARDEY, JULIE E. AKA JULIE HELLUM FBO BREE DIXON; ROBERT W. DUDLEY TRUST; CHRISTY L. HENDRICKSON TRUST DTD 3/22/2011; GREG A. JIRAK & LORI HUBBART; NGUYEN, PETER (KPN, LLC); LAI, MAN-LING; LYON, DAVID; JANELL SKOMER AKA JANELL SOHMER-BLOCK C/O GREGORY BLOCK; NORMAN M ESTIN TRUST; THOMAS GOERGEN AND/OR HIS IRA; ANDREW KALANI NIHEU & JAY DEEP CHITNIS; JOHNSON, BRUCE; MARK & DIANA KENNEY, TRUSTEES KENNEY FAMILY TRUST DTD 11/29/1996; TERRENCE E. LEE, TRUSTEE TERRENCE E. LEE TRUST; MACDONALD, GREG; NAUSNER, IAN; GARY & BARBARA A. GENTZKOW AND/OR BARBARA GENTZKOW'S IRA; PHYLLIS ORNDORFF, TRUSTEE PHYLLIS ORNDORFF TRUST DTD 12-30-2010; JENKINS, ANDREW M; TIMOTHY KARIS SIRAK LLC; RANDY & LONA KENT; LEWIS, LAURA; MAHONEY, ANNE M.; MALLOY, HOWARD BRIAN AND/OR HIS IRA; CLIFF & MAKOTO MCQUEEN; CHRISTOPHER MOORE INDIVIDUALLY & AS TRUSTEE MOORE FAMILY TRUST DTD 10/3/2006; UTMA, BRANDON MOORE; S. STEVEN PODSTRELENY AND/OR HIS IRA; RUBIN, KEN; STUART & KAREN SHAFER; STEVEN SREB AND/OR HIS IRA; MEGAN MALLOY AND/OR HER ROTH IRA; IVAN & LORI MENDELSON; CARROLL, SAMANTHA; BENSHOOF, STEVE; PURVES, STEVEN; CHUNG, CHEA; LORI SHOOK AND/OR HER IRA; TERRILL STEWART AND/OR HIS IRA; MCDONALD, MARK; CARL KOBAYASHI & MISHELLE NISHIDA; LINDA MOORE INDIVIDUALLY & AS TRUSTEE LINDA B. MOORE PERSONAL TRUST; ORNDORFF, WILLIAM; RAWA, ERIC; SERPE, DANIEL C; SKOMER, ROBERT M; JAMES & KIM WEINBERGER; KATHERINE WILLIAMS C/O JOHN DEWITT; JULIUS & MARRIETTA ZOLEZZI; COX, DOUG; DANIEL & KIMBERLY DOTSON; WAY, DAN; ALBROW, ROBERT C.; RYAN & SUSAN BOWERS; JAMES & ROBYN CARBAUGH; YAN, SHAOCHONG; ZOLEZZI, THOMAS H.; WHITE, DANIEL; HATARIA, PERSIS; NABAVI, PARVIS; DONALD & MARY SPENCER; BRUCE & LORENE BOWERS; DON FARRIS INC RETIREMENT TRUST; ZOLEZZI, JOHN F.; MARVIEW HOLDINGS INC.; KENNETH & JANET SHANER; DAVID FERREBEE & JEANNE HARDIE; MARLETTE, STEVE; BERNETT, GREGORY; RICHARD & DEBRA MYTKO; DEWITT, MICHAEL C/O JOHN DEWITT; WILSON, COURT; GLENN FRIEDER AND/OR HIS IRA AD/OR HIS RETIREMENT TRUST; MUNDY, SEAN; WARREN & ROBIN COHEN; R/COM RETAIL SERVICES, LLC; HALL, SCOT; MARION J. BAUER ROSIDUARY TRUST C/O BLOCK, GAUNCE & ASSOCIATES; MOORE, PHILLIP C/O TERRY DAVIS; LUBIN, JEFFREY; CHAPMAN, RONALD S.; BLOCK, SYDNEY; SCHOTT, JEFF; BRIAN DRISCOLL AND/OR DRISCOLL INVESTMENTS INC.; BRUCE & SANDY BRANDENBURG; CLAUDE KORDUS TRUSTEE KORDUS FAMILY TRUST; JAGEMAN, JERRY E.; DONALD D. LEARNED, TRUSTEE DONALD LEARNED TRUST C/O SCOTT LEARNED; BLOCK, ALEXANDRA; MAUI PREPARATORY ACADEMY PMB #186; WALTER & REBECCA HICKEL C/O CALWEST PROPERTIES; ODENWELLER, MARC; JAMES GEVARGES & DOMINIQUE BEITKANOUN; ODENWELLER, LISA; MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS LIMITED C/O SMC MULTI-MEDIA; GAMMILL, GLORIA MARIE; MICHAEL & ANASTASIA FARRELL AND/OR STERLING TRUST CO. FBO MICHAEL FARRELL; PANDOLFI, DOMINIQUE; FRIEDER, WENDY; JON HILLEGAS AND/OR HIS IRA; DAVID & BONNIC AUSTIN INDIVIDUALLY AND AS TRUSTEES AUSTIN FAMILY TRUST DTD 10/1/1999; JEFFREY TEZA AND/OR HIS IRA; KITCHENS, MELODY; MARC CAHAL AND/OR HIS IRA; COX, NICOLE; BONNIE AUSTIN AND/OR HER ROTH IRA; VINCENT GUZZETTA VASCULAR ASSOC. PENSION PLAN; MICHAEL MCLOUGHLIN, TRUSTEE MCLOUGHLIN FAMILY TRUST DTD 3/22/1994; CLIFFORD, JAMES; WILLIS, ELIZABETH; JAMES GAMMILL AND/OR HIS IRA; GARY & LINDSEY BLOCK; RICHARD & JACQUELINE SMITH; VALEO PARTNERS LLC; BOSWORTH, MICHAEL; RICHARD BABCOCK AND/OR HIS IRA; CRAIG HILLEGAS AND/OR HIS IRA; GREGORY A. BLOCK AND/OR HIS IRA
Reel/Frame 044870/0154 →
SECURITY INTEREST TERMINATION Recorded May 6, 2014
From: KNOBBE, MARTENS, OLSON & BEAR, LLP
To: PROTECTCONNECT, INC.
Reel/Frame 032836/0270 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 21, 2014
From: SMC MULTI-MEDIA PRODUCTS LIMITED, A BVI CORPORATION
To: PROTECTCONNECT
Reel/Frame 032007/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2011
From: PROTECTCONNECT, INC.
To: KNOBBE, MARTENS, OLSON & BEAR, LLP
Reel/Frame 025901/0546 →