Abstract:
Technologies are generally described for a socket, plug, and jumper system. In an example, a receptacle socket includes a first prong receptacle for a ground circuit, a second prong receptacle for a neutral circuit, and a third prong receptacle for an active voltage circuit. A plug housing includes a first prong contact corresponding to the first prong receptacle for the ground circuit, a second prong contact corresponding to the second prong receptacle for the neutral circuit, and a fourth prong receptacle for the active voltage circuit. A jumper component includes a third prong contact corresponding to the third prong receptacle for the active voltage circuit, and a fourth prong contact corresponding to the fourth prong receptacle for the active voltage circuit, wherein the fourth prong contact is completely recessed within the jumper component.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    When creating connections between two or more electrical circuits, it is important to protect the person making the connection from risk of electrical shock. The time and cost of wiring electrical circuits together is often alleviated by adopting a plug and socket approach, wherein each of the electric circuits is connected via wiring into a plug or a socket adapter, and then the two are mounted together and unmounted as needed. The circuit carrying active voltage is typically attached to the socket, which is recessed and “touch safe”, thereby minimizing the risk of electric shock. The circuit meant to receive active voltage while mounted is attached to the plug. During the initial wiring of the plug and socket to their respective circuits, safety for the person performing the work is typically ensured by taking precautions to ensure that both of the circuits are not carrying active voltage before carrying out any work. 
         [0002]    However, in some situations, such as when electrical generation equipment is connected to a power distribution network, both of the two electrical circuits may be energized with active voltage. It is often not feasible to shut down the distribution grid and the electrical generation equipment. When it is feasible, shutting down either the electrical generation equipment or the distribution grid requires additional time and work, as well as an abundance of caution from workers to ensure the electrical circuits are off, which slows down work further. A common problem when connecting two potentially live circuits using a plug and socket approach is that the plug adapter must necessarily expose one of the live circuits to contact by a person, thereby exposing the risk of electric shock. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    A socket, plug, and jumper system provides the ability to safely connect multiple circuits together even when the circuits are connected to live voltage. In an example, a receptacle socket includes a first prong receptacle for a ground circuit, a second prong receptacle for a neutral circuit, and a third prong receptacle for an active voltage circuit. A plug housing includes a first prong contact corresponding to the first prong receptacle for the ground circuit, a second prong contact corresponding to the second prong receptacle for the neutral circuit, and a fourth prong receptacle for the active voltage circuit. A jumper component includes a third prong contact corresponding to the third prong receptacle for the active voltage circuit, and a fourth prong contact corresponding to the fourth prong receptacle for the active voltage circuit, wherein the fourth prong contact is completely recessed within the jumper component. 
         [0004]    The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    The foregoing and other features of this disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Further, understanding that these drawings depict only several embodiments in accordance with the disclosure and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the disclosure will be described with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  shows a top view of an exemplary plug housing exposing prong contacts for the ground and neutral electrical circuits corresponding to those in a receptacle socket. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  shows a rear view of an exemplary plug housing exposing prong contacts for the ground and neutral electrical circuits corresponding to those in a receptacle socket. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  shows a side view of an exemplary plug housing exposing prong contacts for the ground and neutral electrical circuits corresponding to those in a receptacle socket. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  shows a front view of an exemplary plug housing exposing prong contacts for the ground and neutral electrical circuits corresponding to those in a receptacle socket. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  shows a top view of an exemplary jumper component exposing prong contacts for the circuits carrying active electrical voltage and incorporating overcurrent protection technology. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  shows a rear view of an exemplary jumper component exposing prong contacts for the circuits carrying active electrical voltage and incorporating overcurrent protection technology. 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  shows a side view of an exemplary jumper component exposing prong contacts for the circuits carrying active electrical voltage and incorporating overcurrent protection technology. 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  shows a front view of an exemplary jumper component exposing prong contacts for the circuits carrying active electrical voltage and incorporating overcurrent protection technology. 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  shows a top view of an exemplary jumper component exposing prong contacts for the circuits carrying active electrical voltage and incorporating overcurrent protection technology, with the access panel for the overcurrent protection open. 
           [0015]      FIG. 10  shows a front view of an exemplary primary receptacle socket enclosing contacts for the following electrical circuits: an electrical neutral wire, an electrical ground wire, and one or more wires carrying active electrical voltage. 
           [0016]      FIG. 11  shows a front view of an exemplary primary receptacle socket with a plug housing inserted. 
           [0017]      FIG. 12  shows a side view of an exemplary primary receptacle socket with a plug housing inserted. 
           [0018]      FIG. 13  shows a front view of an exemplary primary receptacle socket with a plug housing and jumper component inserted. 
           [0019]      FIG. 14  shows a side view of an exemplary primary receptacle socket with a plug housing and jumper component inserted. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the description. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. Furthermore, unless otherwise noted, the description of each successive drawing may reference features from one or more of the previous drawings to provide clearer context and a more substantive explanation of the current example embodiment. Still, the example embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein and illustrated in the drawings, may be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are explicitly contemplated herein. 
         [0021]    This disclosure is generally drawn to a socket, plug, and jumper system that, when used together, provides the ability to safely connect multiple circuits together even when the circuits are connected to live voltage, while providing overcurrent protection to the connected circuits. The socket, plug, and jumper system also provides the ability to safely disengage the circuits while the circuits are connected to live voltage (e.g., “break under load”). In addition, the socket, plug, and jumper system may also provide the ability to connect a data transfer circuit as well. At no time in the connection or disconnection process is an electrical contact that is connected to live voltage exposed to anyone working on the system. 
         [0022]    For example, the interconnection process may include the following steps. A plug housing may be mounted to the receptacle socket to engage the contacts for the ground and neutral circuits. Note, however, that the active voltage circuits are not completed and are not capable of passing energy across the connection. Only the ground and neutral circuits are complete. The plug housing may then be affixed to the receptacle socket using a securing apparatus such as screws. The jumper component may then be simultaneously mounted to the receptacle socket and a secondary receptacle socket in the rear of the plug housing, thereby completing the active voltage circuits and enabling energy to flow across the connection. 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  shows a top view of an exemplary plug housing  100  exposing prong contacts  102  and  104  for ground and neutral electrical circuits, respectively. A sponson  106  on each side of the plug housing  100  contains means to securely attach electrical wiring or conduit carrying electrical wiring to the plug housing  100 . Captive screws  108  fulfill the dual purpose of securing the plug housing  100  into a receptacle, and also ensuring that a jumper component cannot be attached to the plug housing  100  before it is inserted and secured to a receptacle. 
         [0024]      FIG. 2  shows a rear view of the exemplary plug housing  100  exposing prong receptacles  200  and  202  for circuits carrying active electrical voltage. These prong receptacles  200  and  202  are electrically connected to electrical wiring or conduit carrying electrical wiring via an access hole in the sponson  106 . The sponson  106  on each side of the plug housing  100  contains means to securely attach electrical wiring or conduit carrying electrical wiring to the plug housing  100 . Captive screws  108  fulfill the dual purpose of securing the plug housing  100  into a receptacle, and also ensuring that a jumper component cannot be attached to the plug housing  100  before it is inserted and secured to a receptacle. The placement of the captive screws  108  may be asymmetrical to ensure that the plug housing  100  cannot be secured to a receptacle upside down. 
         [0025]      FIG. 3  shows a side view of the exemplary plug housing  100  exposing prong contact  102  for the ground electrical circuit. The neutral electrical circuit prong  104  is not visible in this view. An access hole  300  in the sponson  106  on each side of the plug housing  100  contains means to securely attach electrical wiring or conduit carrying electrical wiring to the plug housing  100 . Captive screw  108  fulfills the dual purpose of securing the plug housing  100  into a receptacle, and also ensuring that a jumper component cannot be attached to the plug housing  100  before it is inserted and secured to a receptacle. 
         [0026]      FIG. 4  shows a front view of the exemplary plug housing  100  exposing prong contacts  102  and  104  for the ground and neutral electrical circuits, respectively. The sponson  106  on each side of the plug housing  100  contains means to securely attach electrical wiring or conduit carrying electrical wiring to the plug housing  100 . Captive screw  108  fulfills the dual purpose of securing the plug housing  100  into a receptacle, and also ensuring that a jumper component cannot be attached to the plug housing  100  before it is inserted and secured to a receptacle. Guide slots  400  on the plug housing  100  ensure that only the plug housing  100  and not the jumper component can be inserted into the appropriate part of the receptacle. 
         [0027]      FIG. 5  shows a top view of an exemplary jumper component  500  exposing prong contacts  502  and  504  for the circuits carrying active electrical voltage. 
         [0028]      FIG. 6  shows a rear view of the exemplary jumper component  500 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 7  shows a side view of the exemplary jumper component  500  exposing prong contact  502  for a circuit carrying active electrical voltage. 
         [0030]      FIG. 8  shows a front view of the exemplary jumper component  500  exposing prong contacts  502 ,  504 ,  800 , and  802  for the circuits carrying active electrical voltage. Prong contacts  800  and  802  are not visible in previous figures depicting the jumper component  500  as they are recessed in a well inside the jumper component to reduce or eliminate the possibility of an installer&#39;s hand or digits coming into contact during the insertion of jumper component  500  into the plug housing  100  installed in a receptacle. Small receptacles  804  for captive screw heads  108  allow the jumper component  500  to install onto the plug housing  100  only when the plug housing has been secured to a receptacle. 
         [0031]      FIG. 9  is similar to  FIG. 5 , and shows a top view of the exemplary jumper component  500  exposing prong contacts  502  and  504  for the circuits carrying active electrical voltage. The cover of the cavity  900  that holds overcurrent protection fuses has been removed. A fuse  902  is held by fuse holders  904  and is electrically connected to prong contact  502 , as well as its corresponding non-visible recessed prong contact  800 . Fuse holder  906  does not contain a fuse, and is connected to prong contact  504  as well as its corresponding non-visible recessed prong contact  802 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 10  shows a front view of an exemplary primary receptacle socket  1000  enclosing contacts for the following electrical circuits: an electrical neutral wire  1002 , an electrical ground wire  1004 , and contacts  1006  and  1008  for carrying active electrical voltage. Screw holes  1010  allow the captive screws  108  on the plug housing  100  to be secured to the receptacle socket  1000 . Guide bars  1012  in the receptacle socket  1000  allow only the plug housing  100  to be inserted into the lower half of the receptacle socket  1000 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 11  shows a front view of the exemplary primary receptacle socket  1000  with the plug housing  100  installed. Captive screws  108  have secured the plug housing  100  to the receptacle socket  1000 . The ground and neutral prong contacts on the plug housing  100  have made electrical contact with their respective prong receptacles in the receptacle socket  1000  ensuring the whole assembly will be properly grounded before any active electrical voltage is connected. The two prong contacts  200  and  202  for the electrical circuit carrying active electrical voltage are visible on the rear of the plug housing  100 . As depicted any ground and neutral wires connected via the access holes  300  in the sponsons  106  to the plug housing  100  are connected to ground and neutral. Any wires carrying active electrical voltage and connected to the plug housing  100  are electrically connected to the jumper component prong receptacles  200  and  202 . The jumper component prong receptacles  200  and  202  are recessed so that even while energized, the installer&#39;s hand or digits cannot come into contact with active electrical voltage carrying circuits. 
         [0034]      FIG. 12  shows a side view of the exemplary primary receptacle socket  1000  with the plug housing  100  installed. Captive screws  108  have secured the plug housing  100  to the receptacle socket  1000 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 13  shows a front view of the exemplary primary receptacle socket  1000  with the plug housing  100  installed, although not visible, and jumper component  500  inserted into the plug housing  100  and the receptacle socket  1000  completing all electrical circuits. 
         [0036]      FIG. 14  shows a side view of the exemplary primary receptacle socket  1000  with the plug housing  100  and jumper component  500  inserted. All electrical circuits are connected. If the circuits carrying active electrical voltage in the primary receptacle socket  1000  need to be disconnected from the circuits carrying active electrical voltage in the plug housing  100  or any wires connected to the plug housing  100 , the jumper component  500  may be manually removed without tools by withdrawing it from the primary receptacle socket  1000 . This will leave the ground and neutral electrical circuits still connected, and will also reveal only electrical prong receptacles on the primary receptacle socket  1000  and plug housing  100  that are recessed so that even while energized, the installer&#39;s hand or digits cannot come into contact with active electrical voltage carrying circuits. 
         [0037]    From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.