Patent ID: 6015307
Filing Date: 2000-01-18
Classification: H01R

Abstract:
An electric outlet comprising:a rectangular top-open casing having a row of male coupling elements on the middle and two longitudinal rows of locating blocks at two opposite sides of said longitudinal row of male coupling elements;a cover shell covered on said casing, said cover shell having a plurality of socket holes longitudinally arranged in a line;a plurality of rotary socket bodies respectively mounted in said casing, said rotary socket bodies each having a bottom female coupling means respectively coupled to the male coupling elements of said casing, a flat circular head respectively inserted into the socket holes on said cover shell, and two metal blade insertion slots and one grounding prong insertion slot provided at said flat circular head and adapted to receive the metal blades and grounding prong of an electric plug;a grounding strip longitudinally mounted in said casing on the middle for connection to the grounding wire of the electric wire to be used with the electric outlet, said grounding strip comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced through holes, which receive the male coupling elements of said casing, and electric contact means respectively disposed at two opposite sides of each through hole and longitudinally aligned for receiving the grounding prong of an electric plug; andtwo metal conductive strips mounted in said casing and longitudinally arranged in parallel at two opposite sides of said grounding strip for connection to the hot wire and neutral wire of the electric wire to be used with the electric outlet, said metal conductive strips each having a plurality of longitudinally spaced coupling units respectively coupled to the locating blocks of said casing;wherein when the metal blades and grounding prong of an electric plug are inserted into the metal blade insertion slots and grounding prong insertion slot of one of said rotary socket bodies, the rotary socket body can be rotated on the respective male coupling element inside said casing and retained between ""ON"" position to hold the metal blades and grounding prong of the installed electric plug in contact with the coupling units of said metal conductive strips and the electric contact means to said grounding strip, and ""OFF"" position to disconnect the metal blades and grounding prong of the installed electric plug from the coupling units of said metal conductive strips and the electric contact means of said grounding strip.