Abstract:
An electrical receptacle/connector having a releasable locking portion for securing most standard electrical male plugs in part is disclosed. The said receptacle/connector having relative positioned jut elements which accept and restrain the holes near the ends of the contact blades of a male plug; the male plug insert action is the same as mating with a non locking receptacle/connector. A locking release button is used to disengage the said jut element portion which constructed within the receptacle/connector to release the contact blades of the male plug, therefore to free the contact blades from said invention.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is in continuation-in-part of application 09/681,209, which was filed on Feb. 22, 2001. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention relates to an electrical receptacle as wall outlet and or a female connector of one end of an electrical extension cord, more particularly to electrical receptacle/connector having releasable locking portion to secure the insert male plug in part.  
           [0004]    2. Summary of Prior Art  
           [0005]    The conventional wall type electrical receptacle and the male plug receptor of one end of electrical extension cord which normally called female connector generally have an insulate housing and a pair of transversely spaced electrical conductive contact bars and a grounded contact member for grounding purpose. The contact bars of such receptacle/connector generally parallel one another, and the flexible, slightly bowed flat bars are commonly used, wherefore suitable for the contact blades of the male plug be plugged in. Once the contact blades of the male plugs are inserted into the said housing, the flat bars or contact bars abut against the contact blades of the male plug, and the pressure of the flexed portions of the bars which frictionally retained the contact blades inside the said housing with some degree of intensity, but is not enough to prevent the disconnection between the male plug and the said receptacle/connector, therefore, such locking and releasable receptacles/connectors were well invented such as: U.S. Patent Nos. 5,893,772 to R. Carmo et al, 5,393,239 to N. E. Ursich, 4,909,749 to J. Long.  
           [0006]    But these arrangements of prior inventions are costly and complex to produce and are not commonly used. The primary objective of this invention is to provide an electrical receptacle/connector having a locking and releasable function with simple, effective and low cost advantages. The present invention fulfills such a need.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    The purpose of the present invention is to provide a locking and releasable receptacle/connector for use with a standard electrical male plug, comprising of a housing of insulating material having an aperture end wall adapted to allow a pair of electrically conductive contact blades of an electrical plug to be inserted through there, the said housing having transversely spaced, electrically conductive resilient contact bars positioned and adapted to be contacted by the said contact blades to transmit the electricity. The said contact bar having well positioned, one directional lockable jut elements portion constructed and arranged to fit into the related holes of each said contact blades when the plug is fully inserted; wherefore to prevent the opposite movement of said plug. Upon the reception, the said plug is unable to be freed unless preferred. When the preference of separation of the said plug is considered necessary, a slide able nonconductive element being accessible from the outside of the said housing, engaged to release the said jut elements from the holes of the said contact blades of said plug, said slide able element means the locking release button, when depressed which deflect the jut element portion, causing the jut elements to swing out off the holes of the contact blades, disengage from the holes of contact blades of the male plug, therefore eliminating the locking function of the said jut elements. Since there is a minimal amount of moving parts, it lessens the chance of breakage, furthermore, it is more effective and more cost efficient to produce.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a male plug to be mated with a wall receptor constructed in accordance with this invention, with wall and cover plate omitted.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a male plug to be mated with a female connector of one end of the extension cord constructed in accordance with this invention.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a sectional plan view take along the line  3 - 3  of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 showing the condition of the plug of contact blades of an electrical plug into it.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is a sectional plan view take along the line  4 - 4  of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 showing the condition of the plug contact blades has been inserted into it.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a partially perspective view of jut element on the contact bar as shown on FIG. 3.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 6 is a partially perspective view of another version of jut element on the contact bar.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 7 is a partially perspective view of another version of jut element on the contact bar.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 8 is a partially perspective view of another version of jut element on the contact bar.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 9 is a partially perspective view of another version of jut element on the contact bar.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 10 is a partially perspective view of another version of jut element on the contact bar.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 11 is a partially perspective view of another version of jut element on the contact bar with contact blade inserted condition.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 12 is a partially perspective view of another version of jut element on the contact bar with contact blade inserted condition  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 13 is a partially perspective of another version of said invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0021]    [0021]FIG. 1 shown a commonly used electrical duplex wall receptor, which having two similar receptors within one same housing  20 , only one receptor will be described here.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 2 shown a female connector of one end of conventional electrical extension cord  23 ;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, both constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention, positioned to mate with a grounded male plug  10 , where the receptacle/connector usually having a insulating housing  20  as wall receptor,  21  as female connector, which contains two transversely spaced resilient conductive bars adapted to contact to corresponding contact blades of the plug  10  through arranged opening  22 ,  24  to transmit the electricity, the third opening  26  has a contact conductor inside to accept the ground pin  16  of the plug  10  for ground purpose, and holes  11 ,  13  on the end of contact blades  12 ,  14  of said plug  10  is a must to perform the locking function of this invention;  18  is the wire connection for the plug  10 ,  23  is the wire connection for extension cord, screws  35  for tighten the wire  37  on the contact bar (not show in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) to connect the electricity from power source.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 3 shows inside of the said receptacle/connector, which contains two transversely spaced resilient conductive bars  32 ,  34  adapted to contact to corresponding contact blades  12 ,  14  of the plug  10  through arranged opening  22 ,  24  to transmit the electricity,  31 ,  33  are thread holes for screws  35  to tighten the wires  37  ( 35  &amp;  37  was omitted in this drawing) on the contact bars  32 ,  34  to connect the electricity from power source, a locking release button  40  made with nonconductive material was arranged to be slid between released position, means actuated position  40 a (phantom lines) and unreleased position means deactuated position  40  (solid lines), and access from outside housing  20  to be pushed (arrow direction) to release the contact blades  12 ,  14 , when release is desired; and the resilient contact bars  32 ,  34  biased the said locking release button (phantom lines)  40   a  back to unreleased position (solid lines)  40 , whenever the push force is removed. When the plug  10  mate with the said receptacle/connector, which is inserting said contact blades  12 ,  14  through the opening  22 ,  24  of the housing  20 , the adapted resilient contact bars  32 ,  34  constructed inside the housing  20  arranged to allow the contact blades  12 ,  14  frictionally to be fully inserted and to contact related contact bars  32 ,  34  each other, once the contact blades  12 ,  14  is fully inserted, where both jut elements  36 ,  38  on each contact bars  32 ,  34  were positioned to bias into the holes  11 ,  13  of each contact blades  12 ,  14 , the jut elements  36 ,  38  shaped like a half funnel as FIG. 9, a slope or other forms, a punch out of the same bars  32 ,  34  as FIG. 8, 9,  10  or a molded lump as FIGS. 5, 6,  7  was preferred, and the downward sloping portions  27 ,  29  is facing the openings  22 ,  24  of the housing  20  means the contact blades  12 ,  14  insert direction (arrow direction), which ensure the free end parts  15 ,  17  of the contact blades  12 ,  14  be slide over the jut elements  36 ,  38  of the said contact bars  32 ,  34  during insertion. With the contact blades  12 ,  14  fully inserted, the said jut elements  36 ,  38  on the resilient contact bars  32 ,  34  arranged bias into each related holes  11 ,  13 ; and the said jut elements  36 ,  38  having a sudden angular jutting portions  37 ,  39  face the opposite side  25  of said openings  22 ,  24 , which stopped the said contact blades  12 ,  14  to move opposite directions as pull apart, once the said jut elements  36 ,  38  inside the holes  11 ,  13  of said contact blades  12 ,  14 , meaning the contact blades  12 ,  14  is wedged and immobilized by the sudden angular portion of the said jut element within the holes  11 ,  13 . The ground pin  16  of the plug  10  and contact conductor constructed inside the housing  20  were omitted for clarity. When separation is needed, means withdrawal of the plug  10  is desired, depress the locking release button  40  which slides in to push apart the said contact bars  32   a,    34   a  (phantom lines), therefore swinging out the said jut elements  36   a,    38   a  (phantom lines) off the holes  11 ,  13  of said contact blades  12 ,  14 , which eliminates the locking function, therefore withdrawal can be made the same as non locking receptor/connector.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 4 is a side view of FIG. 3 with ground pin  16 , but the contact conductor for pin  16  was omitted for clarity.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 5 shown with the jut element  36  on the partially contact bar  32  as shown on  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 for more clear view.  
         [0028]    FIGS.  6 - 10  shown different versions of said jut element  36  on the partially contact bar  32 , which enable the same function as above.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 11 shown one jut element  67  and partially contact bar  32  with partially contact blade  12  inserted condition and the jut element  67  was inside the hole  11  of the contact blade  12 , the jut element  67  shaped like a hook, a stick out tongue, an overhang, or any other forms which with any separation force makes the contact blade  12 , stay deeper inside of the hook  69  of said jut element  67  where the hole  11  is, which stopped the jut element  67  off the vertical movement, therefore withdrawal is impossible unless broken. When withdrawal is desired, first insert (arrow direction) the plug fully till stop, that arranges the contact blade  12  where the hole  11  is to pass the hook point  69 , means the said jut element  67  enable it to be off the hole  11  with vertical movement, then push the locking release button  40 , which slide away (similar as said vertical movement) the said jut element  67  off the hole  11  of said contact blade  12  therefore enable the plug  10  to be pull apart.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 12 is another version of FIG. 11 and it functions as same.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 13 Shows another version which the jut element  45  was constructed on a separate portion  46  from said contact bar  42   a,  and the contact bar  42   a  having a aperture  41 , therein adapted to pass the said jut element  45  through; the said portion  46  may be made more resilient for easy to push to unlock the contact blade  12  (not shown here) of the plug  10 , and the said portion  46  should be bigger than said contact bar  42   a  which can be pushed away by locking release button  40 . The function is same as illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 with the jut element  36  on the contact bar  32 .  
         [0032]    While there have been shown and described in its preferred embodiments of this invention, various modification and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which is to be limited as defined in the appended claim.