Abstract:
This invention secures an electrical plug by inserting a locking pin through a hole in the prong(s) of a male plug or through a hole in a female plug and through a corresponding hole in the male or female receptacle that secures the device plugged into the receptacle. The locking pin is secured by a latching system or locking mechanism that limits access to those not authorized. This invention may be used in conjunction with access-control devices that control access to users of appliances such as video game systems, TVs, computers and the like.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to appliance locking mechanisms. More specifically, this invention relates to plug-locking mechanisms. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   A variety of electrical plug locking mechanisms are used to secure or limit access to an electrical outlet and the device or appliance plugged into the electrical outlet. Typically, such mechanisms require expensive locking mechanisms and/or contain complex securing assemblies that add cost to the final product. In addition, many of these mechanisms are designed to keep a power plug from being inserted into an outlet instead of securing a plug in an outlet. Although these references may not constitute prior art, for general background material, the reader is directed to the following United States patents, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material contained therein: U.S. Pat. Nos.: 6,508,654, 6,367,293, 5,507,656, 5,338,212, 5,331,353, 5,190,466, 5,073,122, 5,055,057, 5,051,837, 5,046,157, 4,769,765, 4,484,220, 4,348,696 and PCT patent number: WO 02/41084 A1. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   It is desirable to provide a low-cost plug-locking mechanism that secures a power cord by placing a locking pin through holes in the plug and through the receptacle. 
   Therefore, it is a general object of this invention to provide a plug-locking mechanism that locks a male plug and a female receptacle with a locking pin and a sliding mechanism. 
   It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a plug-locking mechanism that has a latch beam connected to the sliding mechanism and a locking ramp to secure the sliding mechanism. 
   It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a plug-locking mechanism that has a locking ramp connected to the sliding mechanism and a latch beam to secure the sliding mechanism. 
   It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a plug-locking mechanism that has a latch beam connected to a locking pin and a locking ramp to secure the sliding mechanism. 
   It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a plug-locking mechanism that has a locking ramp connected to a locking pin and a locking ramp to secure the sliding mechanism. 
   It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a plug-locking mechanism that is secured within a lockable housing. 
   It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a plug-locking mechanism where the sliding mechanism has a locking hole for securing the sliding mechanism. 
   It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a plug-locking mechanism where the sliding mechanism is a sliding bar, a cam, a solenoid, and/or a push bar. 
   It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a plug-locking mechanism where the female or male power cord is connected to an appliance. 
   It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a plug-locking mechanism where power to the receptacle is controlled by an access controller. 
   It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a plug-locking mechanism where power to the receptacle is controlled by a card-reading access controller. 
   It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a plug-locking mechanism where the receptacle is in a power strip. 
   It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a plug-locking mechanism that locks a female receptacle with a locking pin and a sliding mechanism. 
   It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a plug-locking mechanism that locks a male plug and a female receptacle with a locking pin. 
   It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a plug-locking mechanism that locks a female plug and a male receptacle with a locking pin and a sliding mechanism. 
   It is a further object of an embodiment of this invention to provide a plug-locking mechanism that locks a female plug and a male receptacle with a locking pin. 
   These and other objects of this invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following drawings, detailed descriptions, and claims. In the present preferred embodiment of this invention, the plug-locking mechanism makes use of a novel locking mechanism by sliding a locking pin through a hole in a male or female power cord and a securing mechanism to hold the locking pin in place, which restricts access to unauthorized individuals. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     In order to show the manner in which the above-recited and other advantages and objects of the invention are obtained, a more particular description of the present preferred embodiments of this invention, which are illustrated in the appended drawings, is described as follows. The reader should understand that the drawings depict only present preferred and best mode embodiments of the invention, and are not to be considered as limiting in scope. A brief description of the drawings is as follows: 
       FIG. 1  is an angled view of the present preferred sliding bar pin-sliding mechanism with a latch beam and a locking hole. 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the present preferred sliding bar and locking pin securing a male power cord plug with a female receptacle. 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the present preferred embodiment showing a locking ramp and the latch beam securing a sliding bar. 
       FIG. 4  is a drawing of the present preferred embodiment showing a male power cord plug connected to an appliance and a female receptacle connected to a card-reading access controller. 
       FIG. 5  is a drawing of the present preferred locking mechanism inside a lockable housing. 
       FIG. 6  is a drawing of the present preferred side view of the locking mechanism that shows a locking ramp attached to a sliding bar. 
       FIG. 7  is a drawing of the present preferred female power cord plug connected to a male receptacle that has a push bar sliding mechanism. 
       FIG. 8  is a drawing of the present preferred male power cord plug connected to a female receptacle that has a cam sliding mechanism. 
       FIG. 9  is a drawing of the present preferred male power cord plug connected to a female receptacle that has a solenoid sliding mechanism. 
       FIG. 10  is a drawing of the present preferred female receptacle and sliding bar locking mechanism that is housed in a power strip. 
       FIG. 11  is a drawing of the present preferred female power cord plug connected to a male receptacle that has a locking pin with a latch beam. 
       FIG. 12  is a drawing of the present preferred female power cord plug connected to a male receptacle that has a locking pin with a locking ramp. 
   

   Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1  is an angled view of the present preferred sliding bar pin-sliding mechanism with a latch beam and a locking hole. The sliding bar  102  has a latch beam  101  that is flexible and can be used to secure the sliding bar  102 . The sliding bar  102  has a connected locking pin  100 . The sliding bar  102  is a type of pin-sliding mechanism used to move the locking pin  100 . The sliding bar also has a locking hole  103  which can be used to secure the sliding bar  102  by placing a paddle lock or other types of locks through the locking hole  103 . 
     FIG. 2  is a side view of the present preferred sliding bar and locking pin securing a male power cord plug with a female receptacle. A male power cord plug  200  that has one or more prong holes  201  plugs into a female receptacle  202 . The female receptacle  202  has a receptacle hole  204 . The male power cord plug  200  can have a transformer as shown or the male power cord plug  200  can be just a male power cord plug  200 . The sliding bar  102  can be slid in and out.  FIG. 2  shows the sliding bar  102  where the locking pin  100  has locked the male power cord plug  200  by sliding through the prong hole  201  in the male power cord plug  200  and through the receptacle hole  204  in the female receptacle  202 . The locking pin  100  can be slid out of the prong hole  201  and the receptacle hole  204  by pushing on the right side of the sliding bar  102 . The housing  203  holds the sliding bar  102  and the female receptacle  202  in place. 
     FIG. 3  is a side view of the present preferred embodiment showing a locking ramp and the latch beam securing a sliding bar. When the sliding bar  102  is pushed from right to left, the latch beam  101  flexes as the latch beam  101  slides past the locking ramp  301  until the latch beam  101  slides completely over the locking ramp  301  and locks the sliding bar  102 . This keeps the user from sliding the sliding bar  102  from left to right. A pin or other object can be inserted into the unlocking hole  302  so that the pin pushes on the latch beam  101  while sliding the sliding bar  102  to unsecure the sliding bar  102 . 
     FIG. 4  is a drawing of the present preferred embodiment showing a male power cord plug connected to an appliance and a female receptacle connected to a card-reading access controller. The male power cord  200  is plugged into the female receptacle  202 , which is in the housing  203 . Power to the female receptacle  202  is controlled by an access controller  401 , which has a card reader  400  used for granting access to an appliance  403 , which is connected to the male power cord  200 . If the user has not been granted access to the appliance  403  by the access controller  401 , power is disconnected to the female receptacle  202 , thus controlling access to the appliance  403 . U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,157 shows how an access controller  401  with a card reader  400  grants access to an appliance  403  by sliding a magnetic card  404 . 
     FIG. 5  is a drawing of the present preferred locking mechanism inside a lockable housing. The locking mechanism unit is secured within a lockable housing  500 , which prohibits access to the locking mechanism once the male power cord plug  501  is secured. The lockable housing  500  has a hole in the lockable housing  500  so the power cord plug  501  that is connected to the power cord  502  can go through the lockable housing  500 . 
     FIG. 6  is a drawing of the present preferred side view of the locking mechanism that shows a locking ramp attached to a sliding bar. The locking ramp  601  is connected to the sliding bar  602 . The latch beam  600  is connected to the housing  603 , which also holds the sliding bar  602  in place. When the sliding bar is slid from right to left, the locking ramp  601  slides over the latch beam  600  until the latch beam  600  secures the locking ramp  601  and the sliding bar  602 . 
     FIG. 7  is a drawing of the present preferred female power cord plug connected to a male receptacle that has a push bar sliding mechanism. A female power cord plug  704  with a plug hole  706  is inserted into a male receptacle  702  with a prong hole  701 . The female power cord plug  704  can contain a transformer, as shown, or not. The locking pin  700 , as shown, has slid through the plug hole  706  and through the prong hole  701  to secure the female power cord plug  704 . The locking pin  700  is connected to a push bar  707 . The push bar  707  is a type of pin-sliding mechanism used to move the locking pin  700 . The push bar slides out via a spring  705  and in via a user pushing on the push bar  707 . 
     FIG. 8  is a drawing of the present preferred male power cord plug connected to a female receptacle that has a cam sliding mechanism. The male power cord plug  804  is inserted into the female receptacle  802 . The male power cord plug  804  can also include a transformer. In  FIG. 8 , the locking pin  800  has slid through the prong hole  801  and the receptacle hole  807  to secure the male power cord plug  804 . The cam  805  is connected to the housing  803  and rotates when each side is pushed, thus pushing or pulling the locking pin  800  in and out. The cam  805  is a type of pin-sliding mechanism used to move the locking pin  800 . The cam  805  is connected to the locking pin by a connecting bar  806 . The connecting bar  806  is not necessary if the locking pin  800  connects directly to the cam  805  and the cam  805  has an elongated hole. 
     FIG. 9  is a drawing of the present preferred male power cord plug connected to a female receptacle that has a solenoid sliding mechanism. The male power cord plug  904  with a prong hole  901  is inserted into the female receptacle  902  with a receptacle hole  907 . The locking pin  900  slides through the receptacle hole  907  and the prong hole  901  to secure the male power cord plug  904 . The solenoid  905  pushes the locking pin  900  in and out when power is applied or turned off to the solenoid  905  via wires  906  that are connected to the solenoid  905 . This allows the male power cord plug  904  to be secured and released remotely, via software control, manual control, and the like. The solenoid  905  is a type of pin-sliding mechanism used to move the locking pin  900 . The housing  903  holds the female receptacle  902  in place. 
     FIG. 10  is a drawing of the present preferred female receptacle and sliding bar locking mechanism that is housed in a power strip. The female receptacle  1000  is housed in a power strip  1002  to secure a male power cord being inserted into the female receptacle  1000  by sliding the sliding bar  1001 . In this example, only one of the female receptacles  1000  can be secured while the other female receptacles  1003  cannot be secured. A model with a sliding bar for each outlet can be built, which would secure all the outlets in the power strip  1002 . 
     FIG. 11  is a drawing of the present preferred female power cord plug connected to a male receptacle that has a locking pin with a latch beam. A female power cord plug  1107  is plugged into a male receptacle  1104 . The male receptacle  1104  has a prong hole  1105  and the female plug  1107  has a plug hole  1106 . The locking pin  1100  slides through the plug hole  1106  and the prong hole  1105  to secure the female power cord plug  1107 . A latch beam  1101 , which is connected to the locking pin  1100 , slides over the locking ramp  1103  until the latch beam  1101  secures the locking pin  1100 , which also secures the female power cord plug  1107 . The housing  1108  holds the locking pin  1100  and the locking ramp  1103  in place. 
     FIG. 12  is a drawing of the present preferred female power cord plug connected to a male receptacle which has a locking pin with a locking ramp. A female power cord plug  1207  is plugged into a male receptacle  1204 . The male receptacle  1204  has a prong hole  1205  and the female plug has a plug hole  1206 . The locking pin  1200  slides through the plug hole  1206  and the prong hole  1205  to secure the female power cord plug  1207 . A locking ramp  1203 , which is connected to the locking pin  1200 , slides over the latch beam  1201  until the latch beam  1201  secures the locking pin  1200 , which also secures the female power cord plug  1207 . The housing  1208  holds the locking pin  1200  and the latch beam  1201  in place. 
   Each of the embodiments of this invention can be constructed using a variety of materials, such as plastics, metals, composites, and the like. In addition, each of the embodiments can be machined, molded, and the like. 
   The described embodiments of this invention are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not as restrictive. Although specific diagrams are provided, the invention is not limited thereto. The scope of this invention is, therefore, indicated by the claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.