Patent Publication Number: US-10790607-B2

Title: Tamper resistant plug-able socket adapter

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application is a continuation-in-part and claims the priority benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/711,665 filed on Sep. 21, 2017, which claims the priority benefit of U.S. provisional patent application 62/399,577 filed on Sep. 26, 2016, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present disclosure is directed to providing a tamper resistant socket. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed to adapting electrical sockets that are not tamper resistant to being tamper resistant. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In recent years, an increasing number of States in the U.S. have adopted 2008NEC (National Electrical Code) standard which requires use of Tamper Proof Outlet (TRO) in new buildings. These outlets have a plastic (or other electrically insulating material) screen covering the Live and Neutral outlets to protect against children inserting metal objects in powered outlets. When a plug is inserted in a tamper resistant socket, it would push against a spring loaded mechanism that pulls the screen down o or pushes it in a sideways direction, thus allowing the insertion of the Live and Neutral blades. When the plug is pulled, as soon as the blades disengage from their outlets, the screen jumps back up. Customers will have to replace their existing wall sockets with a TRO and while such sockets are not expensive, replacing existing wall sockets is not always straightforward. Customers will have to turn the power off, remove the old socket and wire the new TRO socket correctly. 
     The prior art in this field as depicted in the patents referenced above can be divided into three categories: One the deals with design of and construction of the mechanism inside the wall socket to make it tamper resistant teaching different methods for such implementation. Not surprisingly these patents were assigned to major socket manufacturers such as Leviton and Hubble. The second category is one where the patents pertain to covers of wall sockets to make them tamper resistant. The third category is for patents pertaining to socket plug locked combination to prevent separation if the plug is yanked but prevent partial disengagement, thereby exposing live conductors. 
     SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED INVENTION 
     The presently claimed invention relates to an electrical adapter that can convert older electrical sockets that do not include a tamper resistant feature to include the tamper resistant feature. The electrical adapter may include a first and a second electrically conductive protrusion that protrude from a first surface of the adapter and that mate with respective neutral and electrically active contacts of an electrical socket. The adapter may include a first formed metallic piece configured to receive an electrically conductive connector. The adapter may also include a receptacle disposed on a second surface that includes holes can receive an electrical plug that includes a neutral connection, an electrically active connection, and a grounding pin. The receptacle may include a cover that moves (flexibly covering) at least a hole associated with an electrically energized (live or ‘hot’) plug bar. When assembled, the first formed metallic piece may aligned between a cover of the electrical socket and the adapter, the electrically conductive connecting protrusion electrically connects to the first formed metallic piece and physically connects the first formed metallic piece to the electrical socket. In such an instance the first and second electrically conductive protrusions respectively mate to the neutral contact and to the electrical active contact. The ground pin of the electrical plug electrically connects to the first formed metallic piece when the electrical plug is received by the adapter and when the adapter is received by the electrical socket. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a flat piece of metal of shape that may be folded. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates the metal piece of  FIG. 1  after that metal piece has been folded. 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrates other metallic pieces that may be used in a tamper resistant outlet (TRO) or TRO adapter consistent with the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4A  illustrates plug bars and formed lips in a first configuration that may have been formed by processes that may include cutting, stamping, or folding of flat metal pieces as described in respect to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4B  illustrates a single plug bar with a formed lip in a second configuration that may have been formed by cutting, stamping, or folding flat metal pieces. 
         FIG. 5A  illustrates a standard TRO that has been adapted to plug into an existing electrical receptacle/socket. 
         FIG. 5B  illustrates a second exemplary TRO adapter consistent with the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a non-TRO compliant wall socket. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a grounding piece that may be included in an assembly when a socket is adapted to be a TRO compliant socket. 
         FIG. 8A  illustrates a grounding contact that can be formed from a flat metal piece illustrated in  FIG. 8B . 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a back side portion of TRO adapter consistent with the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 10  shows a metal bracket that may be used to provide an Earth ground connection to an adaptor consistent with the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 11  shows a bottom part that may be used in an adaptor consistent with the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 12  shows the top part of a tamper resistant outlet (TRO). 
         FIG. 13  illustrates an outside portion of an adapter consistent with the present disclosure. 
         FIGS. 14A and 14B  illustrate an exemplary adapter that can connect to a wall socket. 
         FIG. 15  illustrates parts that may be included in an exemplary spring loaded socket cover that may be used to cover receptacles consistent with the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 16  illustrates a connecting piece that may be used to replace a screw. 
         FIG. 17  illustrates three different views of an adapter that may convert a NEMA-1 wall socket to include the functionality of a tamper resistant socket. 
         FIG. 18  illustrates three different views of an adapter that may convert a NEMA-5 wall socket to include the functionality of a tamper resistant socket. 
         FIG. 19  illustrates an inside portion of an adapter consistent with the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The current disclosure relates to field of electrical adapters with receptacles may be disposed on one side and a plug on the other. Such adapters are common as travel plug adapters where the receptacles are designed to accept plugs designed for one market, e.g., United Kingdom (U.K.) or Europe and plug into a wall socket of another market, e.g. United States (U.S.). The current disclosure includes adapters that may plug into conventional legacy wall sockets with or without a ground pin and turns it to a Tamper Resistant Outlet (TRO) that is compliant with National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) standards. 
     The invention may be a duplex ( 2  gang) tamper resistant socket adapter pluggable into a regular wall socket (NEMA-1 or NEMA-5). The plug terminals provide alternating current (AC) power and grounding to the socket outlets. 
     On embodiment for realizing this invention include a case that holds a TRO compatible socket that plugs into an older non-TRO compliant socket. Another embodiment includes an adapter that uses simple inexpensive parts that adapt a non-TRO compliant socket into a TRO compliant socket. The present disclosure may be used to adapt NEMA-5 (grounded) wall sockets and NEMA-1 (ungrounded wall sockets) into TRO compliant socket. 
     As such, tamper resistant outlets (TRO) or TRO outlet adapters may be assembled as a new part or may be made by adapting or modifying a pre-existing power outlet wall socket. TROs or TRO outlet adapters may include creating new outlets/inlets-plug bar combinations, may include modifications to a plastic enclosure to accommodate the plug bars and connections that may be used to electrically connect to conductors in a wall socket outlet. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a flat piece of metal of shape that may be folded. The flat metal piece in  FIG. 1  includes notches  130 , folding lines A, folding part  120 A, folding part  120 B, connecting strip  170 , bottom part of plug bar  150 , bottom part of plug bar  140 , folding line B, folding line C, and optional holes  160 . Note that parts  120 A and  120 B may be folded along folding lines A and along folding line B to form features that extend in a direction away from a plane surface identified by axis X and Y shown in  FIG. 1 . A plug bar may be formed by folding the plug bar bottom piece  150  along folding line C. Plug bar bottom piece may be folded such that it makes contact with the plug bar top piece  160 . The folding of the flat metal piece of  FIG. 1  may form a plug bar that is capable of being received by an electrical socket and may be used to form electrically conductive parts or lips that may form electrical connections when installed in an assembly or a TRO adapter. Connecting strip  170  may simply be a piece of the flat metal piece that electrically connects plug bar pieces of an electrical plug with folding parts  120 A and  120 B. The flat metal piece of  FIG. 1  may have been made from flat metal stock that has been cut or stamped into the shape shown in  FIG. 1 . Such cutting or stamping of metal stock may be performed by methods known in the art of metal forming. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the metal piece of  FIG. 1  after that metal piece has been folded.  FIG. 2  includes lip  210 B and lip  210 A that have been formed by folding the metal piece of  FIG. 1  along folding lines B and A.  FIG. 2  also includes axes X, Y, and Z in three dimensional space. Lips  201 A and  210 B extend in a direction that is not perpendicular to a plane identified by axes X and Y. Plug bar  290  has been formed by folding the metal piece of  FIG. 1  along folding line C as described above. Plug bar  290  may also include optional rivet  280 . Rivet  280 , when used may help stiffen plug bar  290  after plug bar  290  has been formed by folding the metal piece of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrates other metallic pieces that may be used in a tamper resistant outlet (TRO) or TRO adapter consistent with the present disclosure. The metallic pieces of  FIG. 3A or 3B  may have been formed by folding flat metal pieces.  FIGS. 3A and 3B  each include connecting strip  320  and Earth pins  310 , where connecting strip  320  electrically connects Earth pins  310  that point in a direction that may be perpendicular to connecting strip  320 . Note that Earth pins  310  may be flat or may be formed into a circular shape. Earth pins  310  may be used in a TRO or a TRO adapter consistent with the present disclosure where they may provide an Earth ground to socket or electrical plug received by a TRO or TRO adapter. 
       FIG. 4A  illustrates plug bars and formed lips in a first configuration that may have been formed by processes that may include cutting, stamping, or folding of flat metal pieces as described in respect to  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  FIG. 4A  includes two electrically connected plug bars  490 A and  490 A′, where plug bars  490 A and  490 A′ are electrically connected by connecting strip  470 .  FIG. 4A  also include axes X, Y, and Z in three dimensional space. Note that lips  410  are similar to the lips of  FIG. 2  and extend in a direction that point away from a plane identified by axis X and Y. The plug bars  490 A and  490 A′ may be used in a TRO or TRO adapter consistent with the present disclosure where they may be used to form connections with a live power contact or with a neutral connector. 
       FIG. 4B  illustrates a single plug bar with a formed lip in a second configuration that may have been formed by cutting, stamping, or folding flat metal pieces.  FIG. 4B  includes plug bar  490 B and lip  420 . 
       FIG. 5A  illustrates a standard TRO that has been adapted to plug into an existing electrical receptacle/socket. TRO  510  of  FIG. 5A  may be assembled within enclosure  580  when a TRO adapter is made. TRO  510  includes a top portion  510 T, a bottom portion  510 B, neutral terminals  520 , connecting piece  570 , and Earth terminal  550 . The TRO adapter of  FIG. 5A  may also include connector  560 , neutral bar  530 , and Earth pin  540 . Note that connecting portion  570  may electrically connect neutral terminals  520  to each other, to connector  560 , and to neutral bar  530 . Earth Pin  540  may also be connected to Earth terminal  550  by connector  590 . 
     Neutral bar  530  and Earth pin  540  may be plugged into a conventional electrical wall socket after a screw that holds a cover (not illustrated in  FIG. 5A ) on the electrical wall socket is removed. In such an instance, such a cover may also be removed before the TRO adapter of  FIG. 5A  is plugged into the wall socket. Next screw  525  may be used to physically secure/connect the TRO adapter of  FIG. 5A  to the wall socket. As such the TRO adapter of  FIG. 5A  may adapt a non-TRO compatible wall socket into a TRO compatible wall socket without having to remove wires from the existing non-TRO compatible wall socket when that non-TRO compatible socket is replaced with a TRO compatible wall socket. In such an instance, a person connecting the TRO adapter would not have to turn power off to the wall socket when converting their wall sockets to TRO compatible wall sockets. Note that the TRO adapters consistent with the present disclosure will also include one or more live power bars that plug into an existing wall socket. 
       FIG. 5B  illustrates a second exemplary TRO adapter consistent with the present disclosure. The TRO adapter of  FIG. 5B  is similar to the TRO adapter of  FIG. 5A , it includes TRO  510 B, live terminals  520 L that may be connected by connecting strip  570 L, connectors  560 L, live bar  530 L, and Earth pin  540 . Connector  560 L may electrically connect connecting strip  570 L and live terminals  520 L to live bar  530 L. In certain instances, connectors like  560 L may be or include a printed circuit board (PCB) that includes conductors that make electrical connections. Such connectors may also be used to connect Earth pin  540  to Earth or ground connectors in TRO socket  510 B. The TRO adapter of  FIG. 5B  may be inserted into an existing wall socket with adapting that wall socket to be TRO compliant. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a non-TRO compliant wall socket. The wall socket of  FIG. 6  may be a NEMA-1 compatible wall socket and may include neutral outlets  630 , live outlets  620 , socket cover  650 , and screw  640 . Note that socket cover  650  may be removed with screw  640  is removed from the non-compliant wall socket of  FIG. 6 . After screw  650  is removed a TRO adapter may be attached and electrically connected to neutral outlets  630  and live outlets  620  of  FIG. 6 . A ground contact may be accessed via screw  640  and ground adapter  660  that may be connected to ground  670 . Ground  670  may be a wire or be a formed metal piece that connects to Earth ground. Grounding adapter may include screw hole  640 G to which screw  640  may attach. 
     Note that screw  640  and socket cover  650  may be removed from a non-TRO compliant socket and ground adapter  660  may be connected to ground  670  after which socket cover  650  and ground adapter  660  may be connected using screw  640  such that screw  640  can be connected to an Earth ground. Ground connection  670  may be electrically connected to Earth ground when ground adapter  660  physically contacts a grounded wall socket box  680  that contains a NEMA compatible wall socket. Commonly, such wall socket boxes are connected to Earth ground to comply with electrical codes. One of ordinary skill in the art would understand that wall socket boxes like wall socket box  680  commonly are made of metal and contain electrical outlets to which electrical plugs may be plugged into. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a grounding piece that may be included in an assembly when a socket is adapted to be a TRO compliant socket. Grounding piece  710  may have been made from a flat metal piece that was stamped, cut, and/or formed. Note that grounding piece  710  includes screw hole  720 .  FIG. 7  includes a side view and a front view of grounding piece  710 . Grounding piece  710  may be assembled into a sub-assembly using parts illustrated in  FIG. 6 , with socket cover  650 , grounding piece  660 , and with screw  640 , for example. In such an instance, grounding piece  710  may be placed on an outer surface of socket cover  650 , where screw  640  connects grounding piece  710  to ground adapter  660  with screw  640 . Note that  FIG. 14  illustrates such a connection. The socket of  FIG. 7  may be a NEMA-1 socket type that does not include a receptacle for a ground connection as it is a two pronged outlet/socket and not a three pronged outlet/socket. 
       FIG. 8A  illustrates a grounding contact that can be formed from a flat metal piece illustrated in  FIG. 8B . Note that grounding piece  810  includes connecting strip  820 . Note that grounding piece  810  may have been formed by folding the flat metal piece  830  of  FIG. 8B  along lines D and E. Connecting strip  820  may also be connected to an Earth ground. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a back side portion of TRO adapter consistent with the present disclosure. Adapter  910  may include live bar  920 , neutral bar  930 , ground bar  950 , and depression/recession  940 . Live bar  920 , neutral bar  930 , and neutral bar  930  may plug into a conventional wall socket when adapting that wall socket to be TRO compliant. In such an instance a front side (not illustrated in  FIG. 9 ) of the TRO adapter of  FIG. 9  may include covers that cover a live bar receptacle and a neutral bar receptacle when a plug is not inserted in that front side of the TRO adapter. 
       FIG. 10  shows a metal bracket that may be used to provide an Earth ground connection to an adaptor consistent with the present disclosure. Note that metal bracket  1010  houses the Earth outlets  1020  (ground contact) and secures the socket to the wall and secures a face plate associated with the adaptor with a screw through a screw hole  1030 . Note that the ground adapter  660  of  FIG. 6  may be shaped like the metal bracket  1010  of  FIG. 10  and the Earth ground may be provided via an electrical connection at a grounded wall socket box. Metal bracket  1010 / 1010 S when electrically connected to a grounded wall socket box may be used to provide a ground connection to a ground pin of a plug via Earth outlet contact  1020 / 1020 S. Note that items  1010 S and  1020 S is a partial side view of metal bracket  1010  that may include a metallic or copper contact  1020 S that a ground pin of a plug may electrically connect to in a manner similar to the Earth pin  1415  of plug  1410  of  FIG. 14  A/B. 
       FIG. 11  shows a bottom part that may be used in an adaptor consistent with the present disclosure. The bottom part  1100  of  FIG. 11  may be included in an internal portion of a socket adapter consistent with the present disclosure. Bottom part  1100  of  FIG. 11  may include a plastic portion  1110 , an Earth ground metal bracket  1120 , a metallic portion that may be connected to live power via a plug bar (like the plug bar  1340 B of  FIG. 13 or 490B  of  FIG. 4B ), cut-outs for plug bars  1150 , and a point  1040  where a ground pin may contact metal bracket  1120  when a plug is plugged into a socket adapter. The bottom part of  FIG. 11  may also be Earth grounded by metal portion  1120  being electrically connected to a wall socket box. 
       FIG. 12  shows the top part of a tamper resistant outlet (TRO).  FIG. 12  includes TRO  1210  and screw hole for the wall plate  1220  where neutral and live plug receptacles are covered with a retractable gray covers  1230 . These retractable covers  1230  may be retracted under when a plug is inserted in the TRO socket based on both a neutral and a live plug bar of a plug being inserted into the TRO socket at the same time. 
       FIG. 13  illustrates an outside portion of an adapter consistent with the present disclosure. The adapter  1310  of  FIG. 13  may include plug bars  1340 B that may be used to attach adapter  1310  to a wall socket. In such an instance plug bars  1340 B may be used to provide live and neutral connections to the bottom portion of  FIG. 11 . For example, when adapter  1310  is attached to a wall socket, a live plug bar of adapter  1310  may electrically connect the metallic portion  1130  to a live connection. Furthermore, when the electrical plug of an appliance is received by the plug bar cutouts  1150  of  FIG. 11 , that electrical appliance plug may receive electrical power by a live pin of that appliance plug touching metallic portion  1130  of  FIG. 13 . Additionally adapter  1310  of  FIG. 13  may include a ground pin  1320 . As such, the bottom part  1100  of  FIG. 11  may receive a plug from an appliance and the adapter  1310  may provide that plug with live and neutral connections when adapter  1310  is plugged into a wall socket. 
       FIGS. 14A and 14B  illustrate an exemplary adapter that can connect to a wall socket. The wall socket  1460  of  FIGS. 14A and 14B  may be a wall socket, such as a NEMA-1 socket that includes only two pin (live and neutral) receptacles. The adapter  1400  of  FIG. 14  allows plugs with three bars (live, neutral, and ground/Earth) to be plugged in similar to the way that conventional three pronged receptacles are used. Here, however grounding metal piece  1440  may be used to complete a ground connection. Note that grounding metal piece  1440  is similar to the grounding metal piece  710  of  FIG. 7  which is L shaped. Note that grounding piece  1440  includes a screw hole  1040 H that can receive screw  1435  to secure the plastic face plate  1460 F to wall socket  1460 . In such an instance screw  1435  may goes through screw hole  1445  and the metal bracket  1450 . 
     Like the screw of  FIG. 6 , screw  1435  of  FIG. 14A  may be removed when removing face plate  1460 F such that metal bracket  1450  may be installed behind face plate  1460 F. Like the grounding adapter of  FIG. 6 , metal bracket  1450  may be connected to ground via a wire or metal piece. Screw  1435 , grounding metal piece  1440 , metal cover  1460 F, and metal bracket  1450  may be used to form a sub-assembly that allows a TRO compliant socket or adapter to be plugged into receptacles  1455  in wall socket  1460 , such that a ground connection can be coupled to Earth ping  1415  of plug  1410 . 
       FIG. 14A  includes TRO adapter  1400  that a bottom of the adapter that has an optional depression/recession  1430  in the middle that may be deep enough to cover grounding metal piece  1440  such that adapter  1400  can fit flush against cover plate  1460 F without leaving a gap. 
     Adapter  1400  of  FIG. 14  includes folding part  1425  that may be similar to the metal folding pieces of  FIGS. 1 and 2  that may be folded to form plug bar  1425 B and lip  1425 C. The adapter  1440  of  FIG. 14  may use folded metal pieces  1425  &amp;  1440  such that plug bar  1420 A and Earth pin  1415  of plug  1410  may be properly electrically connected to socket  1460 . 
     Adapter  1400  may also include TRO socket that includes covers (not illustrated for clarity) that cover receptacles when plugs are not inserted into a respective socket. 
       FIG. 14B  illustrates wall socket that has been adapted into a TRO compliant grounded wall socket. For clarity all of the parts included in  FIG. 14B  are not identified with reference numbers, yet  FIG. 14B  includes all of the features illustrated in  FIG. 14A . Note that when adapter  1440  is connected to wall socket  1460  and electrical plug  1410  is plugged into adapter  1400 , electrical contact is provided to plug bar  1420  via folding metal piece  1425 . Note also that when plug  1410  is plugged into the assembly of  FIG. 14B , that earth pin  1415  also contacts metal pieces  1440 , such that a ground connection is provided to earth pin  1415  of plug  1410 . 
     In certain instances adapter  1400  may include a screw hole that allows screw  1435  to be optionally replaced with a longer screw that could physically connect and retain adapter  1400  to wall socket  1460 . In such an instance, the longer screw would pass through adapter  1400 , like the screw illustrated in respect to  FIG. 5A . 
       FIG. 15  illustrates parts that may be included in an exemplary spring loaded socket cover that may be used to cover receptacles consistent with the present disclosure.  FIG. 15  includes TRO socket  1500  that includes a spring loaded slide-able cover  1510 , holes  1520 , spring  1530 , and receptacles  1520 . Dashed lines in the side view illustrate holes in slide-able cover  1520  that are not aligned with receptacles  1540  because spring  1530  pushes slide-able cover  1510  into a position where holes  1520  are not aligned with receptacles  1540 . In such a configuration a pointy object could not be directly pushed into a live/hot/electrically energized receptacle. 
     The top view with receptacles covered of  FIG. 15  shows holes  1520  and receptacles  1540  illustrated with dashes lines because in this orientation, spring loaded cover  1510  covers receptacles  1540 . The top view with receptacles open perspective of  FIG. 15  illustrates an orientation where slide-able cover  1510  has been pushed to the right such that holes  1520  and receptacles  1540  align such that plug bars of a plug can be inserted into a socket because of the open/aligned orientation. Holes in the slide-able cover may be aligned with receptacles  1540  by a person pushing slide-able cover to the right to compress spring  1530 . This would allow a plug to be installed into receptacles  1540 . When that plug is removed, slide-able cover  1510  would be pushed back to the left as spring  1530  returns to its normal position, this allows for the receptacles to be covered whenever a plug is not inserted in a socket. 
       FIG. 16  illustrates a connecting piece that may be used to replace a screw. Connecting piece  1600  may include ribbed portions  1610  and a center portion  1620 . Connecting piece may be simply pushed into a screw hole of the present disclosure without requiring rotation as a screw does. In such an instance the ribbed portions may make contact with portions of a screw hole, for example the holes of  1440 H and  1445  of  FIG. 14  when ground connections are made. Ribbed portion  1610  may be flexible and may extend beyond central portion  1620  of connecting piece  1600 . Connecting pieces may be flexible and electrically conductive allowing for them to be inserted or removed without rotation. 
       FIG. 17  illustrates three different views of an adapter that may convert a NEMA-1 wall socket to include the functionality of a tamper resistant socket.  FIG. 17  includes a first perspective A that illustrates a tamper resistant portion of the adapter/enclosure  1700  that includes protective screens  1710  that cover live inlet  1720  and neutral inlet  1730  connections. Perspective A also illustrates ground inlets  1740  and a screw  1750  that may be used to attach adapter  1700  to a wall socket. 
     Perspective B of adapter  1700  illustrates backside portion of the adapter that may plug into a NEMA-1 socket using neutral bar  1750  and live bar  1760 . Perspective B of adapter  1700  also includes screw  1740 . Perspective C of adapter  1700  illustrates neutral bar  1750 , live bar  1760 , and screw  1740 . 
       FIG. 18  illustrates three different views of an adapter that may convert a NEMA-5 wall socket to include the functionality of a tamper resistant socket.  FIG. 18  includes a first perspective A that illustrates a tamper resistant portion of the adapter/enclosure  1800  that includes protective screens  1810  that cover live inlet  1820  and neutral inlet  1830  connections. Perspective A also illustrates ground inlets  1840 . 
     Perspective B of adapter  1800  illustrates backside portion of the adapter that may plug into a NEMA-5 socket using neutral bar  1850 , live bar  1860 , and ground pin  1870 . Perspective C of adapter  1800  illustrates neutral bar  1850  and live bar  1860 . 
       FIG. 19   FIG. 19  illustrates an inside portion of an adapter consistent with the present disclosure.  FIG. 19  includes protective screens  1910  that cover live inlets  1920 , neutral inlets  1930 , ground inlets  1940 , and screw hole  1950 . 
     The foregoing detailed description of the technology herein has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the technology to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The described embodiments were chosen in order to best explain the principles of the technology and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the technology in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the technology be defined by the claim.