Abstract:
A protective device for use with a GFCI or electrical plug includes at least one flange for holding the GFCI or plug off of a surface (e.g., a ground or floor surface) during use. The protective device may be permanently affixed to the GFCI housing, the cord, or the electrical plug, or may be made removable allowing the electrical cord to be more easily coiled and stored.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/531,730, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention generally relates to devices employing ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) devices and/or power cord electrical plugs, and more particularly to a protective device suitable for use with a GFCI or electrical plug for holding the GFCI or plug off of a surface (e.g., a ground or floor surface) during use.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     When power tools, particularly hand-held power tools are used in wet environments it is often desirable to employ an inline or electrical cord mounted ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). The GFCI constantly monitors electricity flowing in the circuit providing electricity to the power tool to sense any loss of current due to a ground fault. If the current flowing through the circuit differs by a small amount from that returning, the GFCI quickly interrupts the circuit (i.e., the GFCI switches off power to the circuit), and thus shuts off power to the power tool.  
         [0004]     The electrical cord further includes an electrical plug which is often is plugged into an extension cord, particularly when the work area is distant from an electrical outlet or generator. When the power cord is dragged trough water, mud, or the like, the GFCI and/or electrical plug may become undesirably wet or muddy. Consequently, it would be desirable to provide a protective device for holding the GFCI or plug off of a surface, such as a ground or floor surface, which may be wet or muddy.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The present invention to a protective device suitable for use with a GFCI or electrical plug for holding the GFCI or plug off of a surface (e.g., a ground or floor surface) during use. In exemplary embodiments, the protective device comprises a flange, which holds the housing or plug above the surface for preventing contact between the housing and the surface. The protective device may be permanently affixed to the GFCI housing, the cord, or the electrical plug, or may be made removable allowing the electrical cord to be more easily coiled and stored.  
         [0006]     It is to be understood that both the forgoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not necessarily restrictive of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the general description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     The numerous advantages of the present invention may be better understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying figures in which:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view illustrating a power tool employing a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protective device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is an exploded isometric view illustrating the ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protective device shown in  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view illustrating protective device for an electrical plug in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  illustrates a power tool  100  employing a protective device  110  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention employed with an in-line ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI)  120 . The protective device  110  is attached to GFCI  120  to support the GFCI  120  above a surface  130  such as a floor or ground surface. In this manner, the GFCI  120  is prevented from being placed in water, mud, snow, or the like. The protective device  110  may also help to prevent water from running down the cord set  140  and entering GFCI  120  during operation of the power tool  100  in wet environments. Preferably, the protective device  110  allows the cord set  140  to which it is attached to be pulled across the surface  130  and remain above the surface  130  on which the GFCI  120  would otherwise rest, which may be wet, preventing potential contamination of the GFCI  120  and malfunction of the power tool  100 .  
         [0013]     In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the GFCI  120  comprises a housing  150  attached along the cord set  140  coupled to the power tool  100 , which is electrically powered.  FIG. 1  illustrates the GFCI protective device  110  used with a Wet Polisher (specifically a Flex LW1503 Wet Polisher). However, it will be appreciated that the protective device  110  may be employed with any electrically powered device including but not limited to stationary tools such as table saws, contractor saws, and the like; hand tools such as hand drills, circular saws, reciprocating saws, wet polishers, grinders, sanders, and the like; consumer electronic equipment (e.g., portable stereos, work lights, etc.), audio equipment, and video equipment. Moreover, the protective device  110  shown in  FIG. 1  is shown in an embodiment adapted for use with an inline GFCI. However, it is contemplated that the protective device  100  may also be used with GFCI devices provided as part of an extension cord terminated at one end with a male electrical plug and at the other end with one or more female electrical plugs, or by stand-alone GFCI devices (i.e., GFCI devices which are separate from a cord set  140 ), or the like, without departing from the scope and intent of the present invention.  
         [0014]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the protective device  110  comprises one or more flanges (two flanges are shown)  160  that support the GFCI housing  150  above the surface  130 . It will be appreciated that the flanges  160  may be permanently attached to the GFCI housing  150 , or may be removable to facilitate storage of the cord set. For example, as illustrated, the flanges  160  fit over the ends of the GFCI housing  150 . In the particular embodiment shown, the flanges  160  include a slot  170  which slides over the ends of the GFCI housing  150 . The housing  150  includes a tapered first end having a first flange mounting member  180  for receiving a first one of the flanges  160  and a second end having a second flange mounting member  180  for receiving a second one of the flanges  160 . Preferably, each flange mounting member  160  is rounded and may include a groove or channel  190  which is inserted into the flange slot  170  when the flange  160  is received onto the flange mounting member  180 .  
         [0015]     In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the flanges  160  illustrated are flattened and generally circular or disk shaped. However, it will be appreciated that the flanges  160  are not necessarily limited to this shape but may alternatively be formed in other shapes (e.g., oval, rectangular, square, cross-shaped, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal, ball-shaped, or the like). Moreover, in the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the protective device  110  comprises two flanges  160 . However, it is contemplated that in exemplary embodiments of the invention only one flange  160  may be provided, or alternatively, three or more flanges  160  may be provided without departing from the scope and intent of the present invention.  
         [0016]     Turning now to  FIG. 3 , a protective device  200  for a power cord  210  having an electrical cord  220  and an electrical plug  230  is described in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The protective device  200  is attached to the electrical plug  230 , or alternatively, the electrical cord  220  of the power cord  210  to support the plug  230  above a surface such as a floor or ground surface. In this manner, the electrical plug  230  is prevented from being placed in water, mud, snow, or the like. The protective device  200  may also help to prevent water from running down the electrical cord  220  in wet environments. Preferably, the protective device  200  allows the electrical plug  230  to which it is attached to be pulled across the surface when plugged to the female plug of an extension power cord, and to remain above the surface on which the electrical plug  230  would otherwise rest.  
         [0017]     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the protective device  200  comprises a flange  240  coupled to one of the electrical plug  230  and the electrical cord  210 . The flange  240  may be permanently attached to the plug  230  or cord  210 , or may be removable to facilitate coiling and storage of the power cord  210 . For example, like the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the flange  240  includes a slot  250  which slides over the end of the end of the electrical plug  230  adjacent to the electrical cord  220 . The electrical plug  230  includes a flange mounting member  260  for receiving the flange  240 . In the specific embodiment shown, the flange mounting member  260  is rounded and includes a groove or channel  270  which is inserted into the flange slot  250  when the flange  240  is received onto the flange mounting member  260 .  
         [0018]     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , the flanges  240  illustrated is flattened and generally circular or disk shaped. However, as in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , it will be appreciated that the flange  240  is not necessarily limited to this shape but may alternatively be formed in other shapes (e.g., oval, rectangular, square, cross-shaped, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal, ball-shaped, or the like) without departing from the scope and intent of the present invention.  
         [0019]     It is believed that the present invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form herein before described being merely an explanatory embodiment thereof, it is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.