Patent Publication Number: US-10326241-B2

Title: iCubeLock

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Provisional patent application 62/495,912 dated Sep. 29, 2016 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     INCORPORATED-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM (EFS-WEB) 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR A JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to H01R CPC Classification. To be more specific, this invention pertains to an anti-theft bracket to secure and facilitate the interconnection of one or more electric components, i.e., charging modules, connecting electric cords to an electrical outlet to thereby secure it against unauthorized removal or theft. 
     Description of Related Art 
     In  FIG. 1  is illustrated prior art known as ichargerlock. This device is limited to the specific charger provided and can be attached only to the older style double oval socket having one mounting screw but not to the newer Decora style socket having two mounting screws. It cannot be used to secure chargers of other shapes or dimensions to the electrical outlet. In other words, only their supplied proprietary charger can be used. In distinction to my invention, the iCubeLock, will secure a wide variety of chargers available at a multitude of retail outlets to either the older style double oval socket having one mounting screw or to the Decora style socket having two mounting screws. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The iCubeLock is a new product. It is a device to secure one or two cell phone chargers or other chargers of other personal electronic devices and charging cables to the electrical outlet as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , thereby discouraging theft or unauthorized “borrowing” of the chargers. It mounts on the electrical outlet using the same screw holes as the outlet cover plate as seen in  FIG. 2 . The iCubeLock accommodates a wide range or variety of chargers, including those for laptop computers and cameras. It would be indispensable in a home or office with multiple occupants who are cell phone users, such as children, who are constantly losing or misplacing the chargers. Equally, in an office, work station, lunch or coffee break room, one could secure their charger and be confident that they could leave and the charger and cable will be there after leaving for other business, errands, lunch, meetings or overnight, without having to disconnect it and stuff it into pocket or handbag. It is made of non-conductive plastic. 
     Healthcare facilities, insurance, legal or other business offices, schools, classrooms, municipal and government offices would all find this useful. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A device to lock cell phone chargers and accompanying cables to the electrical outlet providing power supply. This is to prevent unauthorized borrowing, theft or other removal of said chargers or charging wires. This structure is comprised of a (plastic) bracket that covers and secures the charging modules that are plugged into an electrical outlet, sufficiently to prevent theft or unauthorized removal, but also, by virtue of the open sided structure, allow use of a wide variety of different sized chargers. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In  FIG. 2  is a side view of iCubeLock  1 . Faceplate  3  constitutes the front of iCubeLock  1  and tab  7  is an extension of faceplate  3  and provides for storing coiled cable. Screw  4  secures mounting flange top  8  and screw  5  secures mounting flange bottom  9  of iCubeLock  1  to faceplate  2   a  of Decora style electric outlet as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Screw  6  fastens iCubeLock  1  to the older style double oval electrical outlet having one center screw as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     In  FIGS. 5 and 6  are illustrated hole  11  in top flange  8  for passage of screw  4  and hole  12  in bottom flange  9  for passage of screw  5 . Screws  4  and  5  secure iCubleLock  1  to Decora style faceplate  2   a . Hole  13  is passage of screw  6  for securing iCubeLock  1  to old style double oval outlet faceplate  2   b . A charging cable may be passed through opening  14  and coiled for compact storage, this cable may be either cable  21   a  or  21   b  having terminal connector  22   a  or  22   b  with a diameter smaller than that of opening  14 . Opening  15  is for passage of charging cable  21   a  that inserts into top charger  19   a . Opening  16  is for passage of charging cable  21   b  that inserts into lower charger  19   b . Chargers  19   a  and  19   b  can be of different shapes and sizes. Electrical female receptacle  10   a  receive the prongs of charger  19   a  and receptacle  10   b  receives the prongs of charger  19   b . Terminal connectors  22   a  and  22   b  are small enough to pass through openings  15  or  16 . 
     In  FIG. 7  is a frontal view and in  FIG. 8  is a bottom view showing slit  17 , which provides passage of charging cable  21   c  having terminal connector  18  that is too large for passing through openings  15  or  16 . 
     iCubeCharger  1  maybe produced by injection molding of a suitable plastic such as acrylic or styrene. Another method of production is by cutting sheet of plastic shape to proper shape and heat formed to the finished shape. Another method of production is a plastic stamping process. 
     The attaching screws may be the same screws  4  and  5  that attach electrical outlet faceplate cover  2   a . Screw  6  must be of the length adequate to secure iCubeLock  1  though hole  13  into the center mounting hole of old style double oval electrical outlet  2   b.    
     Installation instructions are as follows: 
     (1) Plug charger  19   a  into the electrical receptacle  10   a.    
     (2) Pick up cable  21   a  and thread small connector  22   a  through opening  15  in the faceplate  3  of the iCubeLock  1 . Terminal connector  22   a  connects to a cell phone or other electronic device. Starting from the inside (enclosed side) insert terminal connector  22   a  through opening  15  and pull cable  21   a  through until USB terminal  20   a  touches the inside of iCubeLock  1 . Because the diameter of USB terminal  20   a  is greater than the diameter of opening  15 , iCubeLock  1  captures and secures USB terminal  20   a  along with charging cable  21   a  to iCubeLock  1 . The same procedure captures USB terminal  20   b  and charging cable  21   b  within iCubeLock  1  by threading small terminal connector  22   b  through opening  16 .
 
(3) Remove the two screws holding the electrical outlet cover plate  2   a , or the center screw for older style double oval style outlet  2   b . Do not discard faceplate  2   a  or faceplate  2   b.  
 
4) Plug USB terminal  20   a  of charging cable  21   a  into the chargers  19   a  and plug charger  19   a  into receptacle  10   a . Repeat the procedure for USB terminal  20   b  and charger  19   b , plug charger  19   b  into receptacle  10   b.  
 
5) For Decora style outlet, remove screws  4  and  5  and align hole  11  of iCubeLock  1  with the top screw hole in faceplate  2   a  and align hole  12  of iCubeLock  1  with the bottom hole in faceplate  2   a , then insert and tighten screws  4  and  5 . Use screws  4  and  5  removed from faceplate  2   a  if long enough. If not, use longer screws.
 
6) For the older style double oval sockets with single central screw fastening faceplate  2   b , remove the central screw holding faceplate  2   b  in place, be careful not to remove faceplate  2   b . Align hole  13  of iCubeLock  1  with the center screw hole in faceplate  2   b , insert screw  6  through hole  13  and into said center screw hole of faceplate  2   b . With iCubeLock in the vertical position, tighten screw  6  until iCubeLock  1  securely fastens to the faceplate  2   b . Customary screw size is 3 inches long 6-32 SAE. Refer to drawings in  FIGS. 2 through 4  to see positioning of iCubeLock 1 .
 
7) When using charging cable  21   c  having large terminal connector  18 , which is too large for pass through openings  15  or  16 , slit  17  is available. After plugging charger  19   c  into receptacle  10   a , insert USB terminal  20   c  into charger  19   c . Then pass charging cable  21   c , through the slit  17  of bottom flange  9 , so that it threads out of the iCubeLock through the bottom as shown in  FIG. 8 . Use instructions in 5 and 6 above to fasten iCubeLock  1  to either faceplate  2   a  or  2   b.  
 
8) Tab  7  of iCubeLock  1  is used to store charging cable  21   a, b  or  c  when coiled-up or similarly arranged. Charging cable terminal connector  22   a  and  22   b  can pass through the opening  14  in tab  7  for securing cables  21   a  and  21   b.  
 
     LIST OF DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows photograph of prior art, the ichargerlock. 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of iCubeLock  1  and screws for different applications. 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of iCubeLock  1  attached to Decora style electrical outlet faceplate  2   a  using two screws. 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of iCubeLock  1  attached to an old style double oval style electrical outlet faceplate  2   b  using one screw. 
       FIG. 5  is a frontal view of iCubeLock  1  overlying Decora style faceplate  2   a.    
       FIG. 6  is a side view of iCubeLock  1  attached to faceplate  2   a  showing chargers and cables. 
       FIG. 7  is frontal view of iCubeLock  1  showing a charger  19   c  with connecting cable  21   c  having terminal connector  18  that is too large to pass through holes  15  or  16  so the cable is passed through slit  17  and thereby secured. 
       FIG. 8  a bottom view of iCubeLock  1  of cable illustrated in  FIG. 7 .