Electrical insulator for an electrical outlet

A cover for an electrical outlet, the invention prohibits the insertion of improper objects into an electrical outlet by providing a layer of insulation covering each female element of the electrical outlet. Further, the invention protects against an electrical shock during the insertion or removal of a plug by providing a thick layer of insulation surrounding the outlet. In addition, the invention protects persons and children in particular against electrical shock and prohibits insertion of foreign objects into the wall outlet with movable assemblies covering the outlet. Even further, the invention inhibits unwanted heat loss, or heat exchange in buildings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 1. Field of Invention
 This invention relates to an electrical insulator for an electrical outlet
 specifically for insulating a person against electric shock. Further, the
 invention protects an electrical wall outlet from the elements of the
 environment and inhibits heat exchange through electrical outlets located
 inside or outside of buildings.
 2. The Prior Art
 Attempts by inventors to protect small children and grown persons against
 electrical shock from electrical outlets or plugs engaged therewith, a
 serious hazard, have had limited success functionally and commercially.
 Inventors have created many contraptions in attempts to protect against
 electrical shock. Small plastic inserts that are placed in unused
 electrical outlets frequently get lost and do not protect electrical wall
 outlets engaged with a plug. Other inventions that attempt to protect
 persons against electrical shock while a plug is engaged with an
 electrical wall outlet have proven to be cumbersome, limited in
 effectiveness, and not successful commercially. Further, they have not
 been aesthetically pleasing to interior decor.
 Thus, accordingly, the subject invention alleviates these disadvantages.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 It is an object of the subject invention to protect against electrical
 shock from an electrical wall outlet.
 Specifically, it is an object of the subject invention to protect against
 electrical shock from an unused electrical outlet connected to
 electricity.
 It is further an object of the invention to protect against electrical
 shock from a plug that is engaged with an electrical outlet.
 Even further, it is an object of the subject invention to provide thermal
 insulation for buildings' interior and exterior electrical outlets to
 prevent unwanted heat exchange.
 Further, it is another object of the invention to inhibit insertion of
 improper objects into an electrical outlet.
 Further, it is an object of the invention to protect an electrical wall
 outlet against the elements of the environment.
 Even another object of the invention provides insulating material
 surrounding the electrical outlet.
 Further, another object of the invention is to provide thin layers of
 insulating protection covering the female electrical elements of an
 electrical outlet.
 It is another object of the invention to provide slits that partially
 perforate said layers of the invention.
 Further, another object of the invention contemplates two movable
 assemblies--typically slidable extensions elements in the typical
 embodiment--sliding to uncover and cover the female electrical elements of
 an electrical outlet by squeezing to physically open.
 An additional object of the subject invention proposes a method of securing
 the invention to the faceplate of the electrical wall outlet.
 Another object of the invention is to produce a commercially successful
 invention, at a low cost that satisfies needs existing in the market, in
 an extremely safe and efficient manner.
 The advantages of the invention:
 Once applied to an outlet, it protects against the insertion of improper
 objects into the female electrical elements of an unused electrical
 outlet;
 Once applied to an electrical outlet it protects the outlet from the
 environment;
 Slits that only partially penetrate the layer covering the female
 electrical elements of an electrical outlet. An electrical outlet is
 thereby protected with the invention applied. At the time a plug is
 inserted into the outlet protected with the invention, the slits furnish
 guides for further penetrating the layer.
 Movable assemblies that furnish solid protection against improper access to
 the female elements of an electrical wall outlet;
 In the typical embodiment, the sides of each of the movable
 assemblies--slidable elements--must be squeezed simultaneously to allow a
 plug access to the outlet;
 Further, the amount of pressure necessary to urge open either of the
 slidable elements sufficiently to gain access to electricity is difficult
 for a young child;
 Additionally, the pressure necessary to urge open the slidable elements can
 be adjusted by the manufactured size of the sides of the slidable
 elements;
 Use of an electrical outlet is simple after the invention is applied;
 Removal of a plug is much safer and easier with the invention applied to
 the electrical outlet.
 The insulating main body of the invention protects a person against
 electrical shock during the entire insertion or removal of the plug from
 the electricity;
 Finding, fumbling with or attaching a protective device is eliminated;
 The invention is completely novel, useful and unobvious;
 The typical embodiment of the invention provides synergy.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
 The parts that comprise the invention: the main body 10 of compressible,
 insulating material surrounding an electrical outlet; a thinner layer 11
 of compressible, insulating material having slits partially penetrating
 said thin layer 11 of insulating material that covers each of the female
 electrical elements 2 of said electrical outlet 15; and hard, movable
 assemblies 69L that cover the female electrical elements 2 of the
 electrical outlet 15. The movable assemblies 69L can be urged to allow
 access to the female electrical elements 2 of the electrical outlet 15.
 Further, the invention contains a method of attaching the invention to the
 electrical wall outlet as well--a peel-away type adhesive is used in the
 typical embodiment.
 Specifically, the typical, preferred embodiment of the invention,
 illustrative of the best mode that the applicant has calculated, is shown
 in FIG. 1. The invention main body 10 is composed of material that can be
 repeatedly compressed without structural damage; polyolefin, polyethylene,
 closed cell foam, cellulae elastomer, or thermoplastic elastomer type of
 insulating material. The main body 10 surrounds the electrical outlets 15
 with approximately 3/4" thickness of insulating material, further forming
 hollow openings 8 thus exposing thinner layers 11 manufactured from the
 same material as the main body and connected therewith, located at the
 base of the plug-access, hollow openings 8. Said thinner layers 11 cover
 the female electrical elements 2 of the electrical outlets 15, may be
 repeatedly compressed without structural damage, and have slits 28 that
 correspond to the width and location of the female electrical elements 2
 of the electrical outlet 15. The slits 28 do not completely perforate the
 layer 11. In the typical embodiment, the main body 10, forming two hollow
 openings 8, and layers 11 of the invention, are constructed as one piece.
 In the typical embodiment, the layer 11 covering each of the female
 electrical elements 2 is approximately 1/8" thick, although may be thinner
 or thicker, but not so thick that a plug is forced out by the thin layer
 11 when the plug is engaged with said electrical outlet 15.
 As shown in FIG. 1, the typical embodiment, two movable assemblies 69L for
 each of the two electrical wall outlets 15, are attached to the rear or
 back of the main body 10, further sandwiched between the faceplate 17,
 further overlapped by the thin layers 11. FIG. 1 shows two movable
 assemblies 69L detached in this exploded view and corresponding to the
 upper and lower portions of the invention, further corresponding to the
 positions of the upper and lower female electrical elements 2 of the
 electrical outlet 15. In FIG. 1, specifically, the movable assemblies 69L,
 comprising urging extensions 64X and 68Y which are visible when the
 invention is attached to the electrical outlet 15, connecting interlocking
 means consisting of male elements 68C and female elements 64C, and
 covering extensions 68A and 64A, move when urged-pressed at the sides of
 urging extensions 64X and 68Y. But access to the female electrical
 elements 2 of the electrical outlet 15 is only gained if said sides of
 urging extensions 64X and 68Y are urged-pressed together such that
 covering extensions 68A and 64A are urged, thus moved, thus enlarging the
 gap 88, thus exposing the female electrical elements 2 of the electrical
 outlet 15 and allowing the insertion of a plug because said covering
 extensions 68A and 64A cover the female electrical elements 2 of the
 electrical outlet when a plug is not engaged therewith. The ground
 terminal does not need to be covered.
 A screw hole 18 gives access to a screw of a faceplate of an electrical
 outlet.
 When access to electricity is specifically necessary, a person squeezes
 urging extensions 64X and 68Y with one hand, places a plug in a hollow
 opening 8 with the other hand, pushes and perforates the thin layer 11 of
 insulating material with the plug by pushing the plug until it is fully
 seated. The plug may be inserted into one of the hollow openings prior to
 pressing the sides of the movable assemblies but the plug cannot be pushed
 into the outlet without urging the movable assemblies 69L. Further, the
 force necessary to sufficiently open the slidable assemblies is directly
 proportional to the manufactured size of the sides of the slidable
 assemblies. That is, the smaller the sides the lesser the amount of
 pressure necessary and the larger the sides the greater amount of pressure
 necessary.
 When a plug that is engaged with the electrical outlet and the invention is
 to be removed, instead of pulling said plug out of said electrical outlet
 which can damage the plug-cord connection, a person pushes the
 compressible body of the invention with the thumb and forefinger, thus
 compressing the main body against the outlet faceplate. This compression
 of the invention in removal of the plug applies the main force against the
 outlet. A person then grasps the plug and removes the plug allowing the
 decompression of the invention to assist in removal.
 FIG. 2 shows a cutaway side view of the main body 10 and thin layers 11
 without the movable assemblies. In FIG. 2, specifically, groove 12 located
 on the underside of the invention allows the movable assemblies or
 faceplate to move freely while sandwiched between the compressible
 insulating material and the outlet faceplate. Positions 22 show the
 locations where the adhesive is of fixed Further, screw access hold 18 is
 shown.
 FIG. 3 shows a cutaway exploded end view of the typical embodiment of the
 invention. In FIG. 3, specifically, groove 12 further allows the movable
 assemblies 69L to move freely while sandwiched between the compressible
 insulating material of the main body 10 and the outlet faceplate 17.
 Protruding male element 68C is engaged with female element 64C after being
 snapped together during assembly. Abutment 64P limits the travel of the
 movable assemblies. Slits 28 show the relative positions on thin layer 11
 corresponding to the positions of the female electrical elements 2 of the
 outlet 15.
 FIG. 4 shows a front view of the typical embodiment of the invention,
 further showing the relative cutaway perspectives of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.
 FIG. 5 discloses another embodiment of the invention in which the invention
 is formed for terminal strip. The terminal strip version operates in the
 same manner as previously explained in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4.
 RAMIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF INVENTION
 The descriptions of the invention as previously mentioned contain many
 specificities that should not be construed to limit the scope of the
 invention. Some alternative applications and additional ramifications X:
 foreign electrical outlets that have an alternative shape, manufacture of
 the invention for power strips that have a multitude of outlets joined in
 series, etc. Further, the shape, topology, concavity, activity, color,
 resiliency, size, and texture, specifically, can vary in addition to the
 materials used to manufacture the invention. Moreover, the manufacturing
 process can also vary. Even further, the invention may be manufactured
 attached to the faceplate.
 Further, there are several possibilities in the construction or composition
 of the invention for common electrical outlets. Additional embodiments and
 compositions are possible with the same level and effect of protection.
 The movable assemblies may be manufactured from hard rubber or other
 nonconductive material or may be manufactured such that they shut the gap
 88, in a static state with no plug inserted into the outlet.
 It is important to note that each of the parts are effective independently
 to a lesser degree; the invention is effective with just the compressible,
 main body of insulation surrounding the female electrical elements of the
 outlet as shown in FIG. 5, the terminal strip version; the invention is
 effective with only a partially slitted layer covering the female
 electrical elements of the electrical outlet; the invention is effective
 with a combination of said main body and layers without the slidable
 assembles. However, synergy exists when the parts are combined to form the
 product shown in FIG. 1.