Abstract:
A cord anchor device is used in conjunction with an electrical cord itself to prevent an electrical plug from becoming dislodged from an electrical socket of an electrical outlet assembly. Several embodiments and attachment methods are disclosed including methods where the electrical cord may be attached by “looping and threading” the electrical cord through the cord anchor device.

Description:
[0001]    The benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/464,174 filed Mar. 1, 2011 is claimed. 
     
    
       [0002]    Today, many people use electrical appliances for a wide variety of reasons. To connect electrical appliances to a source of power, electrical cords typically run directly from the appliance to an electrical outlet where an electrical male plug at the end of the electrical cord is plugged into a female socket of the electrical outlet. When using these electrical appliances, whether indoors or outdoors, there can be a great amount of tension on the electrical cord, which causes the electrical plug to dislodge from the electrical socket and move away from the outlet. This is an all too common problem with electrical devices such as vacuum cleaners, portable saws, hedge clippers, and power lawn mowers. When the electrical plug pulls out of the electrical socket, it can be frustrating, as well as a major inconvenience because the work stops. In order to plug the electrical plug back into the electrical outlet, the person using the appliance must walk back the full length of the electrical cord, wasting time and effort. 
         [0003]    There have been many attempts to create a device that prevents the electrical plug from being dislodged. However, many of those devices are only for a single appliance and require complete disassembly when switching from one appliance to another. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,974, issued to Cowan on Sep. 6, 1988, provides a strap which is attached to a cord of an appliance. This strap has a hook, which is used to anchor the cord to an eyelet attached to an outlet. To retain the electrical connection of a different appliance, the strap must be removed from the cord of one appliance, and then attached to the cord of another appliance. Alternatively, multiple straps could be purchased and attached to various appliances. However, this increases cost and introduces handling problems. 
         [0004]    For the forgoing reasons, there is a need for a cord anchor and anchoring method that is simple and easy to use and does not require straps or the like to prevent an electric plug from being dislodged from an electrical connection. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    This invention provides an electrical connection, an electrical outlet assembly, and/or a cord anchor that prevents the dislodgement of an electrical plug from an electrical socket. 
         [0006]    This invention also provides a method for anchoring an electrical cord to prevent dislodgement of an electrical plug from an electrical socket. 
         [0007]    In one aspect, the invention provides an inexpensive, easy to install cord anchor for preventing an electrical plug from inadvertently dislodging from an electrical socket. 
         [0008]    Accordingly, the present invention provides a cord anchor that works with the electrical cord itself, allowing for use without additional cord preparation. The cord anchor reduces the tension applied to the electrical cord at the connection to the electrical outlet. The tension at least in part is diverted to the cord anchor, thus keeping the electrical connection intact. The cord anchor is simple, easy to use, and does not require any preparation of the cord. The cord anchor also preferably has rotatable parts so that the cord anchor can be configured substantially flat when not in use or when being shipped. 
         [0009]    In another aspect, the invention provides a method of anchoring an electric cord which relies on the cord anchor or and/or the electrical connector at the end of the electric cord without any need for any auxiliary device such as a strap or the like. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, partially sectioned front view of an electrical outlet assembly illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the electrical outlet assembly illustrated in  FIG. 1  with the face plate removed and showing the cord anchoring device attached; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a section view taken substantially along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2  looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the electrical outlet assembly installed in a wall; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a section view taken substantially along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 2  looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the electrical outlet assembly installed in a wall; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of a portion of the section of the electrical outlet assembly shown at  5  in  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a front view of a cord anchor which is part of the electrical outlet assembly illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a front view of the electrical outlet assembly illustrated in  FIG. 1  and an electrical cord in the process of being anchored to the electrical outlet assembly; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a front view of the electrical outlet assembly illustrated in  FIG. 1  with the electrical cord anchored and connected to the electrical outlet assembly; 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is a partially sectioned front view of a modified electrical outlet assembly illustrating another preferred embodiment of the invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is a side view of the modified electrical outlet assembly shown in  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 10A  is a section taken substantially along the line  10 A- 10 A of  FIG. 9  looking in the direction of the arrows. 
           [0021]      FIG. 11  is a front view of the electrical outlet assembly shown in  FIG. 9  illustrating an electrical cord attached to the electrical outlet assembly in a different manner; 
           [0022]      FIG. 11A  is a side view of the electrical outlet assembly and electrical cord shown in  FIG. 11 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 12  is a perspective front view of another modified electrical assembly illustrating another preferred embodiment of the invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 12A  is a front view of another modified electrical outlet assembly illustrating another preferred embodiment of the invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 12B  is a rear perspective view of a component that is part of the electrical outlet assembly shown in  FIG. 12A ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 13  is a front view of yet another modified electrical outlet assembly illustrating another preferred embodiment of the invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 14  is a front view of the modified electrical outlet assembly of  FIG. 13  showing an electrical cord attached, 
           [0028]      FIG. 15  is an enlarged view of a component of the modified electrical assembly shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14 . 
           [0029]      FIG. 16  is a front view of still yet another modified electrical outlet assembly illustrating still another preferred embodiment of the invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 17  is a front view of the modified electrical outlet assembly of  FIG. 16  showing an electrical cord attached to the electrical outlet assembly. 
           [0031]      FIG. 18  is a front view an electrical outlet assembly illustrating another preferred embodiment of the invention; 
           [0032]      FIG. 19  is a section taken substantially along the line  19 - 19  of  FIG. 18  and looking in the direction of the arrows to show details of a cord anchor which is part of the electrical outlet assembly illustrated in  FIG. 18 ; 
           [0033]      FIG. 20  is a section taken substantially along the line  20 - 20  of  FIG. 18  looking in the direction of the arrows to show details of the cord anchor which is illustrated in  FIGS. 18 and 19 . 
           [0034]      FIG. 21  is a front view of another electrical outlet assembly illustrating another preferred embodiment of the invention equipped with the cord anchor shown in  FIGS. 19 and 20 . 
           [0035]      FIG. 22  is a front view an outdoor electrical outlet assembly illustrating still yet another preferred embodiment of the invention; 
           [0036]      FIG. 23  is a front view of the outdoor electrical outlet assembly illustrated in  FIG. 22  and an electrical cord in the process of being anchored to the outdoor electrical outlet assembly; 
           [0037]      FIG. 24  is a front view of the outdoor electrical outlet assembly illustrated in  FIG. 22  with the electrical cord anchored and connected to the electrical outlet assembly; 
           [0038]      FIG. 25  is a side view of the outdoor electrical outlet assembly illustrated in  FIG. 24 .  FIG. 25   a  is an enlargement of a portion of  FIG. 25 . 
           [0039]      FIG. 26  is a front view of another embodiment of a cord anchor of the invention for the outdoor electrical outlet assembly shown in  FIGS. 22 ,  23 ,  24  and  25 ; 
           [0040]      FIG. 27  is a side view of the cord anchor shown in  FIG. 26  and; 
           [0041]      FIG. 28  is a bottom view of the cord anchor shown in  FIGS. 26 and 27 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0042]    An electrical outlet assembly  10  illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6 ,  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 . 
         [0043]    The electrical outlet assembly  10  comprises an electrical box  18 , an electrical socket assembly  20 , a face plate  24 , an electrical cord  12  and a cord anchor  22 . The electrical box  18  has an opening that is defined by a rim  26 . 
         [0044]    The electrical socket assembly  20  comprises two electrical sockets  14  and a metal strap  48  that passes through the electrical sockets  14  and spans the opening of the electrical box  18 . The metal strap  48  has two ends, each with an oval-shaped hole  50 ,  52 , that are positioned above two round holes in the rim  26  of the electrical box  18 , to attach the electrical sockets  14  to the electrical box  18  by fasteners such as screws  32 ,  34 . The metal strap  48  also has four ears  54 ,  56 ,  58 ,  60 , which protrude from the four corners of the metal strap  48  respectively. 
         [0045]    The cord anchor  22  comprises a flat base  36  and an anchor ring  40 . The flat base  36  has an attachment hole  46  and a clearance hole  44 . The flat base  36  has an anchor collar  38  at one end that may be formed by bending an end portion of the flat base  36  to form a square or round anchor collar  38  around a round pin portion  41  of the anchor ring  40  as best shown in  FIG. 5 . The anchor ring  40  is usually a D shaped ring although other shapes may be used. In any event, the anchor ring  40  preferably has a round pin portion  41  that rotates in the anchor collar  38  so that the anchor ring  40  is moveable from a storage position parallel to the flat base  36  (as shown in solid line in  FIG. 4 ) to an angular position with respect to the flat base  36  (as shown in phantom line in  FIG. 4 ). The angular position is the operative position of the anchor ring  40 . The preferred operative position for anchoring the electrical cord  12  is easily provided when the anchor ring  40  is perpendicular to the flat base  36 . Ideally, the flat base  36  of the cord anchor  22  is completely flat (except for the anchor collar  38 ) so that the flat base  36  and the cord anchor  22  lie substantially flat against wall  37  when the electrical outlet assembly  10  is installed in a conventional manner and the anchor ring  40  is in the storage position parallel to the flat base  36 . It should be noted that the anchor collar  38  at the bottom end of the anchor base  36  is preferably bent in a clockwise manner as viewed in  FIG. 5  so that the seam  43  is isolated from the face plate  24  and the seam  43  itself is shielded thus protecting both the electrical outlet assembly  10  and the anchor collar  38  against ingress of water and other deleterious material. 
         [0046]      FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4  show the cord anchor  22  attached to the electrical socket assembly  20  by fastener  34  which passes through the hole  52  in strap  48  and through the attachment hole  46  of the cord anchor  22  and screws into the round hole  55  in the rim  26  of the electrical box  18 . 
         [0047]    The cord anchor  22  is easily attached to the electrical socket assembly  20  simply by removing the face plate  24  (which is held by a single central fastener  25  screwed into the metal strap  48 ) and then removing the fastener  34  which holds the lower end of the metal strap  48  to the electrical box  18 . The flat base  36  of the cord anchor  22  is then placed between the lower end of the metal strap  48  and the rim  26  of the electrical box  18 . The oval shaped hole  52  of the metal strap  48 , the attachment hole  46  of the cord anchor  22  and the round hole in the rim  26  of the electrical box  18  are then aligned. The fastener  34  is then inserted through the oval shaped hole  52  and the attachment hole  46  and then screwed into the round hole  55  of the rim  26  to secure the metal strap  48  and the flat base  36  of the cord anchor  22  to the rim  26  of the electrical box  18 . The face plate  24  is then reattached by the single fastener  25 . 
         [0048]      FIG. 3  shows the electrical outlet assembly  10  installed in a wall  37  with the cord anchor  22  attached to the installed electrical outlet assembly  10 . The flat base  36  of the cord anchor  22  easily fits tightly between the metal strap  48  of the electrical socket assembly  20  and the rim  26  of the electrical box  18 . This provides a secure attachment for immovably holding the flat base  36  of the cord anchor  22  against the wall  37 . 
         [0049]      FIG. 4  shows that the anchor ring  40  of the cord anchor  22  is rotatable when the cord anchor  22  is attached to the installed electrical outlet assembly  10 . This feature allows movement of the anchor ring  40  from a storage position to an operative position. In the storage position, the anchor ring  40  is substantially parallel to the flat base  36  for ease in shipping the cord anchor  22  itself. Moreover, the in the storage position, the anchor ring  40  is substantially coplanar with the face plate  24  for ease in storage substantially flat against the wall  37  when the cord anchor  22  is not being used. 
         [0050]      FIG. 6  shows the cord anchor  22  in detail . . . . The flat base  36  has a clearance hole  44  and an attachment hole  46 . The anchor ring  40  can be a variety of shapes, but it is typically a D-shaped as shown in solid line or rectangular shaped as shown in dashed line. The anchor ring  40  may be wider than shown and may be made of metal, plastic or other materials. The anchor ring  40  may be centered in the anchor collar  38  in various ways. For instance, the anchor collar  38  may have a dimple  39  that fits between the ends of a formed D-shaped anchor ring  40  as shown in  FIG. 6  or in a recess in an endless anchor ring (not shown). 
         [0051]    The electrical cord  12  is anchored and plugged into the electrical outlet assembly  10  to make a secure electrical connection by a “looping and threading” method. If in a stored position against the wall  37 , the anchor ring  40  is rotated to an operative position away from the wall  37  where the anchor ring  40  is at substantial angle (and ideally perpendicular) with respect to the wall  37  as shown in  FIG. 4 . A plug end portion of the electrical cord  12  is then simply looped, i.e. formed into a loop  42  and the loop  42  is then threaded through the anchor ring  40  and positioned so that the loop  42  of the electrical cord  12  aligns with one of the electrical sockets  14  while the electric plug  16  remains spaced outwardly of the anchor ring  40  away from the electrical socket  14  as shown in  FIG. 7 . The electrical plug  16  is then brought over the anchor ring  40 , inserted through the loop  42  of the electrical cord  12  and plugged into the lower one of the electrical sockets  14  thus anchoring the electrical cord  12  and electrical plug  16  in place as shown in  FIG. 8 . It should be noted that the loop  42  is wrapped around electrical plug  16  (and kept wrapped around the electrical plug  16  by the anchor ring  40 ) so that any pull on the electrical cord  12  from the opposite end of the electrical cord  12  applies a lateral force to the electrical plug  16 . The electrical plug  16  thus resists a considerably higher pull out force from the electric cord  12  than a pull out force that would be applied in an axial direction in a conventional installation. 
         [0052]    As noted above, the primary function of the anchor ring  40  is to hold the loop  42  wrapped around the electrical plug  16 . Thus the tension on electrical cord  12  normally does not apply any great force to the anchor ring  40 . However, if an excessive force is applied to the anchor ring  40  of the cord anchor  22  the anchor collar  38  simply unbends allowing the anchor ring  40  to separate from the cord anchor  22  freeing electric cord  12 . This optional fail safe feature of this particular embodiment prevents the entire electrical outlet assembly  10  being ripped out and causing any damage to the wall  37  in the event that an excessive force is applied to the electrical cord  12  and to the cord anchor  22  via the anchor ring  40 . 
         [0053]    The anchor ring  40  is preferably large enough to provide enough space for a plug end portion of a second electrical cord (not shown) to be looped and inserted through the anchor ring  40  so that the plug of the second cord can also be plugged into the upper one of the electrical sockets  14  by a looping and threading method. 
         [0054]    A second preferred embodiment is shown in  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 10  in an electrical outlet assembly  110 . In this embodiment, the electrical socket assembly  120  is slightly different than electrical socket assembly  20  but the other components of the electrical outlet are substantially the same and identified by adding 100 to the identifying numerals for the components in the first embodiment. The electrical socket assembly  120  of this second embodiment has two electrical sockets  114  embedded in a single plastic unit and a modified metal strap  148  that has two end holes  115  and  117  for attaching a suitably modified face plate  124  as shown in  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 10 . This configuration is popular of both interior and exterior outlets. 
         [0055]    The cord anchor  122  is identical to the cord anchor  22  and it is installed in the same manner. The flat base  136  of the cord anchor  122  like the flat base  36  of the cord anchor  22  has a clearance hole  144  and an attachment hole  146 . The attachment hole  146  is used to attach the cord anchor  122  to the electrical box  118  in the same manner that the attachment hole  46  is used to attach the cord anchor  22  to the electrical box  18 . However, the modified face plate  124  is attached by upper and lower fasteners  125   a  and  125   b  instead of a single central fastener  25 . When the face plate  124  is attached after the cord anchor  122  is installed, the clearance hole  144  provides clearance for the lower fastener  125   b  to secure the face plate  124  against the wall  137  as shown in  FIG. 10 . Thus the clearance hole  144  provides versatility in that the identical cord anchors  22  or  122  can be used with either electrical socket assembly  20  or socket assembly  120 , both of which are popular today. For exterior outlets, a sealing gasket  162  is customarily placed between the face plate  124  and the rim  126  of the electrical box  118  to keep water out of the electrical outlet assembly  110 . For such applications, the flat base  136  can be made quite thin so that the base  136  does not interfere with the effectiveness of the sealing gasket. For instance, the flat base  136  of the cord anchor  122  may be made of steel or aluminum which is about 0.020 inches thick. This possibility adds to the versatility of the identical cord anchors  22  and  122 . 
         [0056]    It is also possible that an electrical plug  116  may be small enough to fit through the anchor ring  140  in which case, the end portion of an electrical cord  112  attached to the electrical plug  116  need not be looped. In this instance, the electrical plug  116  and end portion of the electrical cord  112  is simply threaded through the anchor ring  140  and the electrical plug  116  is simply plugged into one of the electrical sockets  114  as shown in  FIGS. 11 and 11A . Thus any pull on the electrical cord  112  results primarily in a lateral force rather than an axial pull-out force being applied to the electrical plug  112 . In fact, pull on the electrical cord  112  may be diverted through anchor ring  140  and may even result in an axial force tending to push the electrical plug  116  into the socket  114 . See  FIG. 11A  particularly. This method of threading an electrical plug and end portion of an electrical cord through anchor ring will also work with the anchor ring  40  provided the plug  16  is small enough to fit through anchor ring  40 . This threading and plugging method, however, while advantageous may not be as desirable or effective as the above-mentioned “looping and threading” method. 
         [0057]    It is also possible for a cord anchor  122 A to have a fixed or non-rotatable anchor ring  140 A which can be a complete anchor ring or a part attached to another component to form an anchor ring such as a bail  142 A non-rotatably secured to a face plate  124 A as shown in  FIG. 12 . In this particular instance, the anchor ring  140  is secured to the longer side of the face plate which may be an advantage when a plug is plugged in each electrical socket and anchored. Such fixed anchor rings may be just as effective as rotatable anchor rings for anchoring an electric cord with either the threading and looping method or the threading and plugging method described above. However, a fixed anchor ring does not have the shipping and storage advantages of the cord anchors  22  and  122  (shown in  FIGS. 1-11A ) which not only provide these shipping and storage advantages but which also have the financial and ecological advantages of being marketed as a low cost add-on to existing electrical outlet assemblies. 
         [0058]    It is also possible for a cord anchor  122 B to have a hybrid anchor ring  140 B having a rotatable bail  142 B attached to another component to form the anchor ring  140 B, such the bail  142 B which is rotatably secured to a face plate  124 B as shown in  FIGS. 12A and 12B . Such hybrid anchor rings may be just as effective as rotatable anchor rings for anchoring an electric cord with either the threading and looping method or the threading and plugging method described above. Moreover, the hybrid anchor ring does have the shipping and storage advantages of the cord anchors  22  and  122  (shown in  FIGS. 1-11A ) which not only provide these shipping and storage advantages but which also have the financial and ecological advantages of being marketed as a low cost add-on to existing electrical outlet assemblies. 
         [0059]    Another embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIGS. 13 ,  14  and  15 . In this embodiment, the cord anchor  222  has a gated anchor ring  240  instead of the ungated anchor rings  40  and  140  of the embodiments described above. However, the cord anchor  222  is otherwise the same as cord anchor  22  or cord anchor  122  and it is attached the same way. Like parts are identified with a  200  series of corresponding numbers. The gated anchor ring  240  accommodates a simplified method of anchoring and mating an electrical connector similar to that described in connection with  FIGS. 11 and 11A . However, an advantage of the gated anchor ring  240  is that it does not restrict the size of the electrical connector  216  that is attached to the electrical cord  212  as in the case of the anchor ring  140  described in connection with  FIGS. 11 and 11A . The gated anchor ring  240  comprises a partial ring  280  that defines an opening  282  that is closed by a moveable gate  284 . Gate  284  is pivotally attached to the partial ring  280  at one end and biased against a stop  286  at the opposite end by a spring  288  so that gate is moveable from a closed position shown in solid line in  FIGS. 13 and 15  to an open position shown in phantom. To make an electrical connection, the end portion of the electrical cord  212  is simply pushed laterally against the gate  284  opening the gate  284  and admitting a portion near the plug end of the electrical cord  212  inside the anchor ring  240 . The gate  284  then snaps shut under the bias of spring  288 . The electrical plug  216  is then simply plugged into the one of the electrical sockets  214 , for instance the lower one as shown in  FIG. 14 . 
         [0060]    The gated anchor ring  240  may be rotatably attached to a base  236  as in the case of cord anchors  12  and  112 . Alternatively, the gated anchor ring  240  can be attached directly to another component, such as the face plate  224  with the attachment being either rotatable or non-rotatable. 
         [0061]    A still further embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIGS. 16 and 17 . In this embodiment, the anchor ring of the cord anchor  322  is replaced by a hook  340  that has one leg  342  rotatably attached to a base  336  and an opening  344  that is defined by the attached leg  342  and a second leg  346 . In this embodiment, an end portion of the electrical cord  312  that is attached to the electrical plug  316  is simply inserted laterally into the hook  340  through the opening  344  opening as shown in  FIG. 16 . The electrical plug  316  is then simply plugged into the one of the electrical sockets  314  as shown in  FIG. 17 . Thus cord anchor  322  with the hook  344  also accommodates a simplified method of anchoring and mating an electrical connector similar to that described in connection with  FIGS. 11 and 11A . An advantage of the cord anchor  322  with the hook  340  like that of the cord anchor  222  with gated anchor ring  240  is that the cord anchor  322  also does not restrict the size of the electrical connector plug  316  as in the case of the embodiment described in connection with  FIGS. 11 and 11A . 
         [0062]    The hook  340  may be rotatably attached to a base  336  as in the case of cord anchors  12  and  112 . Alternatively, the hook  340  can be attached directly to another component, such as the face plate  324  with the attachment being either rotatable or non-rotatable. In any event, the hook  340  is preferably horse shoe shaped to reduce the size of the opening  344  and provide an arched second leg  346  that improves retention of the electrical cord in the hook  340 . 
         [0063]      FIG. 18  is a front view an electrical outlet assembly  410  illustrating another preferred embodiment of the invention;  FIG. 19  is a section taken substantially along the line  19 - 19  of  FIG. 18  and looking in the direction of the arrows to show details of a cord anchor  422  which is part of the electrical outlet assembly  400  illustrated in  FIG. 18 ; and  FIG. 20  is a section taken substantially along the line  20 - 20  of  FIG. 18  looking in the direction of the arrows to show details of the cord anchor  422  which is illustrated in  FIGS. 18 and 19 . 
         [0064]    The cord anchor  422  comprises a base  436  and an anchor ring  440 . The base  436  has mid portion  444  that includes two aligned attachment holes  446  that extend through the mid portion  444 . The base  436  has an anchor collar  438  at each end of the mid portion  444 . Base  436  may be formed like the anchor collar  38  shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6  by bending a metal strip into a square tube. A fifth side  436   a  may be added so that the square tube has overlapping ends as shown in  FIG. 19 . Side  436   a  has a slot  446   a  that aligns with the attachment holes  446 . Base  436  also may be formed by drilling aligned attachment holes through a round tube and using the end portions of the tube to provide coaxial anchor collars at each end. The round tube may be continuous or split with or without overlapping ends. The anchor ring  440  is usually a D shaped ring although other shapes may be used. In any event, the anchor ring  440  preferably has a linear base that is slotted to provide two round pin portions  441  that are spaced apart for passage of a fastener through the attachment holes  446  and slot  446   a . The two round pin portions  441  rotate in the coaxial anchor collars  438  respectively so that the anchor ring  440  is moveable from a storage or assembly position abutting the face plate  424  or close to it as shown in  FIG. 18  to an operative position where the anchor ring  440  is at an angle with respect to the face plate  424  (not shown). The preferred operative position for anchoring an electrical cord (not shown) is best provided when the anchor ring  440  is perpendicular to the face plate  424  but an operative position where the anchor ring  440  is at a substantial angle to the face plate  424  may suffice in some instances. 
         [0065]    The cord anchor  422  is easily attached to the electrical outlet assembly  410  which includes an electrical socket assembly  420  that like the electrical socket assembly  20  described above includes a metal strap  448  that passes through the electrical sockets  414  and lies behind the face plate  424 . The single central fastener  425  which is screwed into the middle of the metal strap  448  between the electrical sockets  414  is simply removed. The base  436  of the cord anchor  422  is then held against the face plate  424  over the hole in the face plate  424  with the anchor ring  440  in an assembly position as shown in  FIG. 18 . The central fastener  425  then inserted through the aligned attachment holes  446  and screwed into the metal strap  448  behind the face plate  424 . The cord anchor  422  will open up responsive to high pull forces downward on the anchor ring  440  due to the slot  446   a  which allows the pin portions  441  to unfold the anchor collars  438  releasing anchor ring  440 . It may be necessary to replace the original fastener  425  with a longer fastener. 
         [0066]    An electrical cord (not shown) is anchored and plugged into the electrical outlet assembly  410  to make a secure electrical connection either of two methods after the anchor ring  440  is raised to an operative position. In the first method, the cord plug is simply passed through the anchor ring  440  and plugged into one of the electrical sockets  414 . If the cord plug is too large to pass through the anchor ring  440 , the second method is used, namely, the “looping and threading” method described above in connection with  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
         [0067]      FIG. 21  is a front view of another type electrical outlet assembly  510  illustrating the cord anchor  422  described in connection with  FIGS. 18 ,  19  and  20 . The electrical outlet assembly  510  is the same type as the electrical outlet assembly  110  of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 9 ,  10 ,  13  and  14  wherein two electrical sockets  414  are embedded in a single rectangular plastic unit  420 . In this type, the face plate  524  is held by upper and lower fasteners  525   a  and  525   b.    
         [0068]    The cord anchor  422  is easily attached to the electrical outlet assembly  510  simply by removing one of the fasteners, preferably the lower fastener  525   b , screwed into the metal strap behind the face plate  524  to hold it in place. The base  436  of the cord anchor  422  is then held against the face plate  524 . The removed fastener  425   b , or if necessary, a longer fastener, is then inserted through the attachment holes  446  and screwed back into the metal strap behind the face plate  524 . 
         [0069]    An enhanced advantage of the cord anchor  422  when used in connection with the electrical outlet assembly  510  is that the face plate  524  is held in place by one of the fasteners  425   a  or  425   b  during the assembly process assuring that the components in the electrical box  512  behind the face plate  524  are not exposed. This enhanced advantage is available frequently because modern electrical outlet assemblies are of the type shown in  FIG. 21 . 
         [0070]    When the face plate  524  is held by two fasteners as in the case of face plate  524 , it is also possible to attach two cord anchors  422 , one for each of the electrical outlets  414  although one cord anchor may be able to hold more than one cord depending on the size of the cords. 
         [0071]      FIG. 22  is a front view an outdoor electrical outlet assembly  610  illustrating still yet another preferred embodiment of the invention;  FIG. 23  is a front view of the outdoor electrical outlet assembly  610  and an electrical cord  612  in the process of being anchored to the outdoor electrical outlet assembly;  FIGS. 24 and 25  are front and side views respectively of the outdoor electrical outlet assembly  610  with the electrical cord  612  anchored and connected to the electrical outlet assembly. 
         [0072]    The cord anchor  622  for the outdoor electrical outlet assembly  610  comprises a base  636  and an anchor ring  640 . The base  636  has flat end portion  644  that includes two attachment holes  646  that extend through the flat end portion  644  for attaching the cord anchor  622  to the cover door  613  of the outdoor electrical outlet assembly  610 . The base  636  includes a wide hook  637  at one end of the flat end portion  644  and an anchor collar  638  at the opposite end. Anchor collar  638  may be formed like the anchor collar  38  shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6  by bending a metal strip into a square tube. A fifth side may be added so that the square tube has overlapping ends as shown in  FIG. 19 . Anchor collar  636  preferably includes a peripheral slot  639  midway between its ends as further explained below. Base  636  also may be formed by cutting the slot  639  in a round tube which may be continuous or split with or without overlapping ends. 
         [0073]    The anchor ring  640  is usually a D shaped ring although other shapes may be used. In any event, the anchor ring  640  preferably has a continuous linear base that serves as a round pin  641  that rotates in the anchor collar  638 . Thus the anchor ring  640  is moveable from a storage or assembly position abutting the flat end portion  644  of base  636  or close to it as shown in  FIG. 22  to an operative position where the anchor ring  640  is at an angle with respect to the flat base portion  644  as shown in  FIGS. 23 ,  24  and  25 . The preferred operative position for anchoring an electrical cord is best provided when the anchor ring  640  is perpendicular to the flat base portion  644 . Consequently, the cord anchor  622  may include a stop as an optional feature. This stop may be provided by a flat headed screw  641  that inserted into the slot  639  and screwed into the round pin  641  forming the base of the anchor ring  640  so that the head of the screw is projects outwardly of the anchor collar  638 . The screw head then engages the cover door  613  to limit the rotation of the anchor ring  640  to about 90°. While the 90° position is preferred, an operative position where the anchor ring  40  is at a substantial angle to the base portion  644   424  may suffice in some instances. 
         [0074]    Base  636  may be formed by bending a flat strip of metal. The cord anchor  622  is easily attached to the cover  613  of the outdoor electrical outlet assembly  610  simply by inserting fasteners  625  through the attachment holes  646  and screwing the fasteners  625  into the cover door  613  as shown in  FIGS. 22 ,  23 ,  24  and  25 . Using self drilling screws for the attachment is preferred. 
         [0075]    The electrical cord  612  is anchored and plugged into the outdoor electrical outlet assembly  610  to make a secure electrical connection by a “looping and threading” method similar to “looping and threading” method described above in connection with  FIGS. 7 and 8 . More specifically, the anchor ring  640  is lowered to an assembly or operating position and a plug end portion of the electrical cord  612  is simply looped, i.e. formed into a loop  642  as shown in  FIG. 23 . The loop  642  is then threaded through the anchor ring  640  and positioned in the hook  637 . The electrical plug  616  is then simply plugged into the lower one of the electrical sockets  614  as shown in  FIG. 25 . Any pull-out force P on the electrical cord  612  takes up slack in the electrical cord  612  until it bottoms in the hook  637  whereupon the pull-out force is resisted by the anchor ring  640  plug thus anchoring the electrical cord  612  and maintaining the electrical connection of the electrical plug  616  with the electrical socket  614 . It is also possible to plug the electrical plug  616  into the electrical socket  614  first and then form the loop  642 , thread the loop  642  through the anchor ring  640  and position the loop  642  in the hook  637 . While it is easier to use the lower electrical socket  614 , it is also possible to use the upper electrical socket. 
         [0076]      FIG. 26  is a front view of another embodiment of a cord anchor of the invention for an outdoor electrical outlet assembly such as the outdoor electrical assembly  610  shown in  FIGS. 22 ,  23 ,  24  and  25 ;  FIG. 27  is a side view of the cord anchor shown in  FIG. 26  and  FIG. 28  is a bottom view of the cord anchor shown in  FIGS. 26 and 27 . 
         [0077]    Cord anchor  722  is similar to cord anchor  622 , the major difference being that the anchor ring  740  is welded to the base  736  at the end opposite the hook  737  in an 90° or perpendicular assembly position. The cord ring  740  has also been shaped as a race track or flat oval to reduce the projection from the base portion to which it is attached. 
         [0078]    The cord anchors  22 ,  122 ,  122 A,  122 B,  222 ,  322 ,  422 ,  622  and  722  can be installed in multiple types of electrical outlets, and thus their use not limited to the particular installations described in the above-mentioned embodiments. It should also be noted that cord anchors  622  and  722  can be used independently of an electrical outlet due to the inclusion of the hook. Thus it can be attached to any support anywhere between the ends of the cord. 
         [0079]    While there has been described particular embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and, therefore it is aimed to cover all such changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. For instance while the invention has been described in connection with an electrical plug at an end of an electrical cord that mates with an electrical socket of an electrical outlet, the locations of the electrical connector can be reversed. In other words, an electrical socket can be disposed at the end of the electrical cord while the mating electrical plug can be part of the electrical outlet.