Electrical outlet safety cover
View Patent ↗A safety cap for an electrical outlet having an adhesive section can be attached to a standard outlet cover. Alternately, an outlet cover including two slidable plates including a spring or spring groove can be used to prevent access to the outlet by a child. An elongated member on one plate is used to contact a spring on the other plate. Alternately, the elongated member can fit into a spring groove to bias the plates apart into the closed position. Locking pins can be used to lock the plates onto an aperture at the base of a plug's power prong. Additionally, a recess around each electrical outlet can mate with a respective lip of a plug to provide an interlocking interface between the plug and outlet cover to prevent a child from being able to insert a metal object between the plug and the faceplate.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a safety cap including prongs made of a non-electrically conductive material shaped to fit into a standard electrical outlet;
an adhesive section for connecting the apparatus to a standard electrical outlet cover plate; and
a bendable section for rotating the prongs from a position outside an electrical outlet to a position inside an electrical outlet.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is “T” shaped.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus has a hole to receive the central screw of an outlet cover plate.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive section is frame-shaped such that it would surround the outlet on an electrical outlet cover plate.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a tab attached to the safety cap for removing the safety cap.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a ridge or bar that allows for popping-up the tab on the safety cap into a position that allows for the prongs of the safety cap to be removed from the electrical outlet.