Abstract:
A snap-in electrical receptacle comprising a housing including a plurality of sides, a face plate attached to the housing, at least one electrical outlet attached to the face plate, and at least one L-shaped member included in at least one of the plurality of sides, the L-shaped member including a shelf generally coplanar with the face plate and an inclined protrusion. The snap-in electrical receptacle can be installed without tools or extraneous fasteners, and may be configured with a multiple variety of electrical inlet ports and electrical outlets.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to electrical power receptacles, and, more particularly, to snap-in electrical receptacles with multiple outlet possibilities. 
       2. Description of the Related Art 
       [0002]    In many applications, electrical receptacles are needed to receive and distribute power. They are required in permanent locations such as walls in fixed structures, as well as temporary locations such as modular office furniture. Many types of receptacles are required according to the needs of users. Some receptacles, for example, include distribution of power for computers, telephones, and corded appliance, etc. The electrical receptacles also are required in places that are convenient for the user, and may need to be re-located. 
         [0003]    It is known in the art to have electrical receptacles that are attached to supporting surfaces via fasteners, typically screws. It is also known in the art to permanently attach electrical receptacles to supporting surfaces. It is further known in the art to require access to the back of the receptacle in order to remove it from the supporting surface. 
         [0004]    Depending upon the types of electrical receptacles and the applications in which they are used, various problems can be encountered. One problem is the reliance upon screws or other fasteners to secure the electrical receptacles to their respective supporting surfaces. Using fasteners makes installation and removal cumbersome and prone to failures. It also requires a mating configuration at each desired location. 
         [0005]    Another problem that can be encountered is that very little modularity is available with current electrical receptacles; that is, they are typically limited as to their electrical input ports and electrical outlet configurations. 
         [0006]    A further problem that can be encountered is the inability to easily install the electrical receptacle and remove it at a later time, and further to use the same receptacle in a different location. 
         [0007]    What is needed in the art is an apparatus that can receive and distribute power and can be installed and removed easily into openings of supporting surfaces. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention is directed to an improved electrical power receptacle with features that allow it to be snapped in to an opening of a supporting surface, and easily removed if desired. 
         [0009]    The present invention provides a snap-in electrical power receptacle for providing a power inlet and outlet to desirable locations, insertable into openings in support surfaces without tools or extraneous fasteners. 
         [0010]    The present invention further provides a snap-in electrical power receptacle with at least one elastically deformable manner that displaces while the receptacle is being inserted, and returns to its original position when the receptacle is fully seated. 
         [0011]    The present invention further provides a snap-in electrical power receptacle variably configured with electrical outlets and electrical input ports. 
         [0012]    An advantage of the present invention is that the snap-in electrical power receptacle can be easily installed in an and remain secured to an opening of a supporting surface, without tools or extraneous fasteners. 
         [0013]    Another advantage of the present invention is that the snap-in electrical power receptacle can be removed from the opening in the supporting surface without the necessity of removing or loosening extraneous fasteners. 
         [0014]    Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the snap-in electrical power receptacle can be removed from the front; that is, it can be removed without needing to access the inventive receptacle from behind the supporting surface. 
         [0015]    Still another advantage of the present invention is that the the snap-in electrical power receptacle can be configured with a variety of electrical inlet ports and electrical outlets. 
         [0016]    Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the snap-in electrical power receptacle can be used in any supporting surface including walls, tables, ceilings, floors, raceways, columns, posts, etc. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]    The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0018]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a snap-in electrical receptacle assembly of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a front view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  shown placed on a mounting surface; 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a snap-in electrical receptacle assembly of the present invention; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of another alternate embodiment of a snap-in electrical receptacle assembly of the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0024]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0025]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-3 , there is shown an embodiment of a snap-in electrical receptacle assembly  10  according to the present invention. Snap-in electrical receptacle assembly  10  includes housing  12  and face plate  16 . 
         [0026]    Housing  12  of snap-in electrical receptacle assembly  10  includes a plurality of sides  14 , a back  26 , a front opening  28  (not illustrated), a length L 2 , and a width W 2 . Housing  12  further includes at least one electrical input port  36  on at least one of the plurality of sides  14 . The at least one electrical input port  36  can be on any of the at least one of the plurality of sides  14 ;  FIGS. 1-2  illustrate one possible configuration. 
         [0027]    The at least one electrical input port  36  can be any type of electrical input port; although a two-wire port is shown, a three-wire port or any other electrical input port  36  may be included. Additionally, housing  12  may include one type of electrical input port  36  or a mixture of different types. 
         [0028]    Housing  12  further includes a bisecting plane BP (see  FIG. 3 ), which divides the housing  12  into two parts. An additional bisecting plane BP 2  (not shown) may also be included, which is perpendicular to bisecting plane BP. 
         [0029]    Housing  12  further includes at least one L-shaped member  20  on at least one of the plurality of sides  14 . The at least one L-shaped member  20  can be on any of the at least one of the plurality of sides  14 ;  FIGS. 1-2  illustrate one possible configuration. 
         [0030]    The at least one L-shaped member  20  includes a shelf  22  with a top surface  38  and a bottom surface  40 , and further includes an inclined protrusion  24 . The at least one L-shaped member  20  may further include a slot  42  in the shelf  22 . The purposes of the shelf  22 , inclined protrusion  24 , and slot  42  are described further in this specification. 
         [0031]    The at least one L-shaped member is configured so that the shelf  22  and inclined protrusion  24  can flexibly move toward bisecting plane BP when a force is applied to it and then away from bisecting plane BP when the force is removed from it. 
         [0032]    Face plate  16  includes a front surface  30 , a back surface  32 , a notch  34 , a length L 2 , and a width W 2 . Face plate  16  further includes at least one electrical outlet  18  on front surface  30 . The at least one electrical outlet  18  can be any type of electrical input port; although a Universal Serial Bus (USB) outlet is shown, an alternating current (AC) outlet (see  FIG. 6 ) or any other electrical outlet  18  may be included. Additionally, face plate  16  may include one type of electrical outlet  18  or a mixture of different types. 
         [0033]    Face plate  16  and housing  12  can be manufactured as a single unit, or face plate  16  can be attached to housing  12  with a plurality of fasteners  56 , for example. When the electrical receptacle assembly  10  is assembled, the top surface  38  of shelf  22  of the at least one L-shaped member  20  is flush with the front surface  30  of face plate  16 . Additionally, the shelf  22  of the at least one L-shaped member  20  fits within the notch  34  of face plate  16 . 
         [0034]    Now referring to  FIG. 4  with continued reference to  FIGS. 1-3 , a method of installing the snap-in electrical receptacle assembly  10  in a supporting surface  46  is described hereby. Supporting surface  46  can be any surface such as a wall, a table, a ceiling, a floor, a raceway, a column, a post, or any other surface where an electrical receptacle is desired in a permanent or temporary location. Supporting surface  46  includes back face  48 , front face  50 , and opening  44 . 
         [0035]    As previously mentioned, housing  12  includes an inclined protrusion  24  on the at least one L-shaped member  20 . Inclined protrusion  24  protrudes a depth P 1  from one of the plurality of sides  14 . 
         [0036]    To install snap-in electrical receptacle assembly  10  in the supporting surface  46 , the back  26  of housing  12  is inserted into the opening  44 , which is dimensionally larger than L 2  and W 2  of housing  12  but dimensionally smaller than W 2  of housing  12  plus P 1  of inclined protrusion  24 . As the housing  12  continues to be inserted into opening  44 , the inclined protrusion  24  and shelf  22  are flexibly urged under elastic deformation toward bisecting plane BP. When the inclined protrusion  24  clears the back face  48  of supporting surface  46 , the inclined protrusion  24  and shelf  22  are free to move back to their original position. 
         [0037]    At this point, which is the final position of the snap-in electrical receptacle assembly  10 , the top surface  60  of the inclined protrusion  24  prevents the snap-in electrical receptacle assembly  10  from being pulled from the opening  44  as a result of its contact with the back face  48  of supporting surface  46 . The snap-in electrical receptacle assembly  10  is prevented from further insertion into opening  44  as a result of the back surface  32  of face plate  16  contacting the front face  50  of supporting surface  46 , and the dimensions L 1  and W 1  being greater than the corresponding opening  44  dimensions. 
         [0038]    To remove snap-in electrical receptacle assembly  10  in the supporting surface  46 , the shelf  22  of at least one L-shaped member  20  is urged toward bisecting plane BP, which in turn displaces inclined protrusion  24  toward bisecting plane BP. This displacement allows a housing-only dimension of W 2 , which is smaller than the corresponding opening  44  dimension, and the snap-in electrical receptacle assembly  10  can be completely removed. 
         [0039]    Alternatively, and as mentioned above, the at least one L-shaped member  20  can include a slot  42  in the shelf  22 . The slot  42  can either be countersunk in shelf  22 , or pass all the way through it. If desired, a tool may be placed in slot  22  to assist in the urging of the at least one L-shaped member  20  toward bisecting plane BP. 
         [0040]    Now referring to  FIGS. 5-6 , alternate embodiments of snap-in electrical receptacle assembly  10  are shown. 
         [0041]    In both  FIGS. 5 and 6 , embodiments are shown wherein housing  12  further includes an attached cord or wire that is instead of or in addition to the at least one electrical input port  36 . In  FIG. 5 , an alternate embodiment is shown wherein a switch  54  is shown instead of the electrical outlet  18 .  FIG. 6  shows another alternate embodiment, wherein an AC outlet is shown as the electrical outlet  18 , as described above. It is to be understood that embodiments of the invention may include any combination of switch  54  and/or electrical outlet  18 . 
         [0042]    While snap-in electrical receptacles have been described with respect to at least one embodiment, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.