Connector housing mounted on a wall socket by means of an adaper plate

A retractable wall mounted electrical connector assembly is mounted to an existing electrical wall socket for charging a battery of a hand held device, and includes an adapter plate with adapter openings for alignment with the support openings of the wall socket, and a perimeter support rim. The cord housing includes a perimeter mating rim that fits with the perimeter support rim of the adapter plate, and a lock for connecting the perimeter mating rim of the cord housing to the perimeter support rim of the adapter plate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Portable hand held communication devices are powered by batteries and the power of the battery depletes over time from use by its users. The hand held devices usually have an access port or “jack” for receiving a charging connector. An insulated power cord has a connector at one end for connection to the port of the hand held device and a conventional wall connector at its other end for connection to the conventional electrical wall socket of a dwelling.

While this arrangement seems to be convenient and useful, there are problems usually associated with the conventional power cords since the user of such a cord would likely want to move it to other locations, such as in different rooms of a house, a business or from one house to another, etc., or to a vehicle. A result is that the rechargeable power cord is likely to be misplaced and “lost,” temporarily or permanently unavailable to its owner. While this problem can be solved by maintaining the power cord plugged in at a single outlet and never moving it, there likely will be exceptions to the effort to maintain the power cord in a single location.

The lost power cord is likely to cause substantial frustration to the owner and other users of the power cord, and in many situations the owner of the missing power cord is likely to purchase a substitute power cord.

Another undesirable feature of the power cords described above is that the insulated power cord usually has a length of about three feet and when the cord is not connected to the communication device it extends from its wall connector out onto a counter top, desk top or other horizontal surfaces and it presents an undesirable cluttered appearance.

For these and other reasons it would be desirable to have a “docking station” for a communication power cord that is neat in appearance, is in a fixed position when in use but can be relocated to other outlets, and is conveniently used for the purpose of charging hand held communication devices and other devices that have a connector receptacle used for recharging.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly described, the present invention concerns a wall-mounted electrical connector assembly for charging a battery of a portable device, such as a battery in a hand held communication device. The electrical connector assembly may be mounted to a conventional electrical wall socket such as the type that includes a socket support plate mounted in a hollow wall. A typical hollow wall socket has upper and lower electrical receptacles mounted to a socket support plate, and “rabbit ears” extending from opposite ends of the socket support plate that define mounting openings for screws that fasten the wall socket to the internal wall of a building structure, and an opening positioned between the rabbit ear openings, such as shown inFIGS. 1-4.

An adapter plate is to be provided for mounting a cord housing or other type of housing to the surface of a wall structure. The adapter plate may be designed for the prior art sockets, such as the conventional dual sockets or the dual décor sockets.

A cord housing that accommodates an electrical cord leading to the connector is mounted to the adapter plate.

A feature of the invention is that the adapter plates of both types of sockets have openings extending there through that align with the openings between the ears of the rabbit ears of the electrical wall socket support plate so that a conventional screw or other type fastener can securely mount the adapter plate in its position against the wall socket. The adapter plates may include large central openings that expose the connector receptacles of the wall socket for receiving the blades of a conventional connector.

After the adapter plate has been mounted to the electrical wall socket support plate, the cord housing may be mounted to the adapter plate. The cord housing may include the retractable cord, and the cord housing has a perimeter mating rim that extends about the adapter plate and toward the surface of the exterior of the wall.

A lock is formed to securely fasten the cord housing to the adapter plate, with a simple means for mounting the cord housing to the adapter plate and releasing the cord housing from the adapter plate.

An advantage of the invention is that it may include a connector mounted at the distal end of an extendable cord, and the internal end of the cord that reaches through the opening of the adapter plate and is connected to an electrical circuit, thereby providing the electrical charge for the external plug that is to be received in the receptacle of the hand held battery charged device.

Another feature of the invention is that both the adapter plate and the cord housing may have perimeter rims so that one perimeter rim is supported by the other perimeter rim. A lock pin and lock opening arrangement may be used for securely holding the cord housing and the adapter plate in connection with each other. Further, the simple lock pin opening through the perimeter mating rim of the cord housing that receives the lock pin allows a person to insert a pointed instrument, such as the pointed end of a mechanical pencil, through the lock pin opening to press and push the lock pin out from the lock opening to release the cord housing from the adapter plate.

The cord housing may contain a conventional reel that is biased to retract the cord toward the housing. A recess is formed in the cord housing to receive the connector at the terminal end of the cord.

Others objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now in more detail to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views,FIG. 1illustrates a conventional dual wall socket10that is to be mounted in an opening17in a hollow wall13. The wall socket10includes a support plate12that has a central portion14, upper and lower distal ends that are in the form of a pair of “rabbit ears”16and18, and openings19are formed in each of the rabbit ears between and centrally of the rabbit ears for the insertion of fasteners such as wood screws20that rigidly mount the electrical wall socket and its electrical box to an adjacent hollow wall structure13of a building. Central mounting opening22is positioned in the central portion14of the socket support plate, between the electrical sockets23.

The wall socket10is to be mounted in the wall opening17of the hollow wall13, usually in a junction box (not shown) mounted in the hollow wall. This is conventional in the art.

As shown inFIG. 1, an adapter plate24and a cord housing50are to be mounted in alignment with each other and in alignment with the conventional dual wall socket10and the wall opening17.

As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the adapter plate24includes a flat central panel27that includes dual openings28A and28B for registering with the electrical sockets23of the conventional style receptacles and a central screw opening29.

FIGS. 3 and 4illustrate a decora' electrical wall socket110and how a decora' adapter plate124can fit about the rectangular body of the socket. The decora' wall socket110includes rabbit ears116at opposite ends and the decora' adapter plate has a rectangular opening128that is sized and shaped to fit about the body of the decora' wall socket110and its electrical sockets123and its rabbit ears. The large rectangular central opening128in the decora' adapter plate124is sized to extend about the rectangular shape of the wall socket and about both of the electrical sockets123, and the fastener openings129A and129B of the adapter plate are vertically spaced above and below the opening128for decora' style receptacles. Screws115A and115B may be used to extend through the fastener openings129A and129B of the adapter plate124and to the support openings119of the rabbit ears of the socket support plate123to securely mount the adapter plate to the socket support plate.

Adapter plate24ofFIGS. 1 and 2and adapter plate124ofFIGS. 3 and 4each include a perimeter rim30and130, respectively, that extends about its central panel for bearing against the hollow wall13and facing toward the wall opening17and toward the electrical wall socket. The perimeter rims of both of the adapter plates may be of a dimension to extend around the electrical wall socket10and110, respectively. The perimeter rims30and130of both adapter plates of the electrical sockets and the perimeter rims of both cord housings50and150are similar in size, shape and function. The perimeter rims may include opposed top and bottom rims and opposed side rims that may form a continuous rim about the adapter plate.

As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the cord housing50also includes a perimeter mating rim52that is sized and shaped to telescopically mount about the perimeter rim30of the adapter plate24, as shown by the dash lines extending between the cord housing50and the adapter plate24. Preferably, the dimensions of the perimeter mating rim52of the cord housing50and the rim30of the adapter plate24make a snug relationship with respect to each other, with the perimeter mating rim52of the cord housing50surrounding the rim of the adapter plate24, with both rims facing toward engagement with the surface of the hollow wall13of the building. The snug fit between the two may be made because of their complementary dimensions.

As shown inFIGS. 4-7, one or more rim locks38may be mounted in the rims of the adapter plates24and124for connecting the perimeter mating rim52of the cord housing50to the perimeter rim of the adapter plate. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the rim locks38may be mounted in the perimeter rim30,130of the adapter plates, such as in opposing top and bottom rims31and32ofFIG. 2. For example, as illustrated inFIGS. 2 and 6, the rim locks38may include springs40that are supported adjacent the interior surfaces of the opposed rims by a shelf85. The springs40of the rim locks are biased toward a perimeter rim of the adapter plate24, in alignment with the rim lock opening48.

The rim locks include a lock pin46that is mounted on the spring40to protrude through a lock opening47formed in the rim wall of the adapter plate24. The dome shaped lock pin46is sized and shaped to slidably pass through the lock pin opening47of the perimeter rim30, and are of a length to extend through and beyond the surface of the perimeter mating rim52of the adapter plate, protruding upwardly and downwardly as generally shown in the upper and lower rims31and32ofFIG. 2. The lock pins protrude beyond their rims of the adapter plate for extending into the lock pin openings48of the cord housing50. This locks the cord housing50-150to its adapter plate.

The lock pin opening48in the perimeter mating rim52of the cord housing50ofFIG. 2becomes aligned with the lock pin46and is sized and shaped to slidably receive the lock pin when the cord housing50is telescopically mounted about the adapter plate24. The lock pin is pushed by its spring into the lock pin opening48.

Preferably, the dimensions of the rims of the cord housing50and the adapter plate24make a sliding relationship with respect to each other, with the mating rim of the cord housing surrounding the perimeter rim of the adapter plate so that when the cord housing50is to be mounted about the adapter plate24, a snug and secure fit between the two is made because of their common dimensions.

As shown inFIGS. 5 and 6, a beveled edge60is formed in the central portion of the top perimeter mating rim52and a similar beveled edge may be formed in the central portion of the lower perimeter mating rim. The beveled edges are sloped so that as its lock pin moves toward its lock opening48, the beveled edge applies a downward force to the moving lock pin46, causing the lock pin to temporarily retract against the bias of its spring40, sliding through the beveled edge until it is aligned with the opening48, whereupon the spring40pushes the lock pin46up through the lock pin opening48.

This lock pin arrangement ofFIGS. 5-7may be duplicated at both the top and bottom of the perimeter rims of the adapter plate wall so that both the upper and lower end portions of the adapter plate24will be securely retained at the edge of the perimeter mating rim of the cord housing50. Likewise, the lock pin arrangement ofFIGS. 5-7may be used on the opposed sidewalls of the perimeter rim of the adapter plate and the cord housing, if desired.

When it is desired to remove the cord housing50from the adapter plate24, a person may use a pointed instrument, such as a mechanical pencil (not shown), to push the lock pin46back through its lock opening as shown inFIG. 6, and pull the cord housing away from the adapter plate.

It will be noted that the depth of the adapter plate24is considerably smaller than the depth of the cord housing50, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2. This leaves a significant interior space (not shown) within the cord housing to accommodate the reel, spring, and cord of the electrical charge device that are positioned therein.

As shown inFIG. 1, the insulated electrical conductor cord64may be pulled progressively from the cord housing50with the cord to extend from cord housing through a shaped recess66. The connector68at the distal end of the cord64is to be plugged into the hand held device. When the battery of the hand held device has been charged, the connector assembly is removed from the device and the cord and connector are moved back to the cord housing, with the connector fitting into the shaped recess66in the cord housing.

As shown inFIGS. 2 and 4, an electrical plug has its blades82extending from the cord housing50through the openings in the adapter plate and toward an electrical socket23for electrically connecting the cord64to a power supply.

Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail herein, variations and modifications of the disclosed embodiment can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.