Patent Publication Number: US-2007099499-A1

Title: Leveraged Electronic Plug

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY  
      This application is a continuation application of and claims priority to my co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/266,130, filed on Nov. 2, 2005. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Electronic plugs used in high-end audio-visual appliances often require significant manual efforts to insert and remove. To insert a plug into a socket one must grab onto the plug and push it with a twisting motion. Conversely, to remove a plug a twist-and-pull motion is required. Both the insertion and the removal must overcome a tractional friction force between the metal surfaces of the plug and the socket. Notably, for the optimal performance of electronic appliances the plug connection must be very tight, thus creating a strong frictional force that makes it difficult to insert and remove the plugs. The task of inserting and removing plugs demands substantial manual dexterity because the sockets for the plugs are usually located on a rear, or otherwise hard-to-reach, surface of the appliance unit. Even more manual dexterity is required where the socket area is crowded with other plugs and cables. Prior art solutions merely involved aids for gripping, such as providing a non-slip surface or making the shape of the plug square or hexagonal for easier gripping. To date there has been no solution for reducing the amount of force required to insert or remove the plug.  
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART  
      An electrical plug is generally understood in the art to be a male connector adapted to mate with a female receptacle socket for achieving an electrical connection. Such plugs, typically found at the terminal end of coaxial cables, are generally cylindrical in shape and include four basic components: an outer and an inner tube, an insulator separating the tubes and a conductive member in the center of the plug. (See U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,280). The conductive member is the terminal pin that engages the receptacle socket. Generally, the body of the plug is encased in an insulating material, some of which have grooves to facilitate gripping.  
      More specifically, at present electronic plugs are commonly coated with heat-resistant insulating outer jackets. The main purpose of the outer jacket is to provide insulation, and often times no thought is given to its usage as a gripping aid. Though some plugs are also provided with a collar for easy gripping, that is typically not an essential design element. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,611 is directed to a female snap-on plug having a plastic collar, in which it is mentioned as an afterthought that the flange of the collar may be provided with a pair of indents to allow for easy gripping.  
      Other types of collars found on the back of plugs are resin caps and plug body mitts. These collars, however, do not aid in removing or inserting the plug. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,233, it is taught that the collar is made of an insulating material, and no mention is made of the collar as a gripping aid. From the specification, it is surmised that the collar merely has a protective function. In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,893,289 describes a body collar that could be characterized as a mitt that helps to maintain a bend in the cable extending from the plug.  
      In plugs that specifically have a gripping feature, the design is typically based on some variation of a hexagonal nut. As in U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,553, a cylindrical metal plug may be equipped with a hexagonal nut that allows for easier gripping with tool or hand, to facilitate the twisting motions of inserting and removing the plug. In yet another device, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,901, a cylindrical plug is placed inside a rectangular “keying funnel” that fits snugly into the socket.  
      In summary, while providing several means for gripping, the prior art does not provide a solution based on the leveraging of force to facilitate the insertion and removal of the plug.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention involves an electronic plug with a leveraged gripping surface fitted to the back end of the plug body. The invention facilitates the insertion and removal of the plug by reducing the amount of force required necessary to insert or remove a plug and also by providing an extended grip for handling the plug in hard to reach areas. The two main problems currently encountered by users of electronic plugs involve, first, the amount of force required to insert or remove a tight-fitting plug; and second, the difficulty encountered in manipulating the plug in an area of the appliance unit crowded with plugs and cables. Both problems are addressed by the gripping design in the present invention.  
      First, the grip design of the present invention creates a lever that elongates the moment arm and reduces the amount of force required to overcome the frictional forces inherent in inserting and removing the plug. Second, the rear placement of the gripping surface provides an extended handle that makes it easier to reach sockets located behind the appliance unit where the space is obstructed by other plugs and cables. In addition, a flat polymer surface of the collar may be used to affix a trademark or a functional symbol that could not otherwise be affixed to the surface of the plug that is metallic and curved. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a plug.  
       FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  are perspective views of an alternative embodiment of a plug. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , in the first preferred embodiment a conventional cylindrical electronic plug  1  having a plug body  10  with a front end  10   a  and a back end  10   b . The front end  10   a  of the plug body  10  contains a terminal pin  11  and the back end  10   b  of the plug body is connected to a cord  3  (connection not shown). The plug body  10  is equipped on its back end with a grip collar  2  made of an insulating material. The grip collar  2  is buttressed against the plug body at the junction where the cord  3  is attached to the plug body  10 . The grip collar  2 , symmetrical relative to the longitudinal axis of the plug  1 , has two pairs of gripping surfaces  5  and  6 . The two surfaces  5  are flat and wide. The two side surfaces  6  are narrow and concave, forming a skirt shaped grip. The width  4  of grip collar  2  is greater than the diameter of cord  3 .  
      The grip collar  2 , with its symmetrical design and concave surfaces, allows for easy gripping and provides a sort of handle to which force can be applied, for example by a thumb in a twisting motion. Further, the gripping surfaces  5  and  6  of the grip collar  2  may be equipped with slits or grooves (not shown) to enhance gripping. Most notably, because grip collar  2  is buttressed against the back end  10   b  of the plug body  10 , it provides greater leverage for insertion and removal of the plug into/from electronic devices. Lastly, the gripping surfaces  5  may optionally bear a trademark or other symbol  7 .  
      In another embodiment as shown in  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b , the plug  20  has an asymmetrical grip collar  22  comprising a front portion  26  and a back portion  28 . The front portion  26  of grip collar  22  is buttressed against the back end  21   b  of the plug body  21 , with the back portion  28  being joined to the base  26   a  of the front portion  26 .  
      Referring to  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b , the front portion  26  of grip collar  22  is of an asymmetrical polygonal shape, having a base  26   a , parallel polygonal side surfaces  26   b , a generally flat side surface  26   c , and a sloped side surface  26   d . The back portion  28  of grip collar  2  is joined to the base of front portion  26 . The base  26   a  of the front portion  26  has a width  24 , which is wider than the diameter of the plug body. As such, the width  24 , being perpendicular with respect to the axis of rotation of plug  20 , provides increased leverage for twisting plug  20  by reducing the torque involved in inserting or removing plug  20 .  
      Further, as shown in  FIG. 2   a , the parallel polygonal side surfaces have grooves  28  to facilitate gripping of the front portion  26 . Similarly, the back portion  28  also has enlarged grooves  29  for easy gripping. It is also to be noted that the sloped surface  26   d  on the front portion  26  provides a natural gripping surface, especially for pulling upon removal of the plug  20 . Although as shown, front portion  26  is asymmetrical in shape, it is to be understood that front portion  26  is not limited to the shape illustrated in the drawings. It is contemplated that front portion  26  can take any shape, symmetrical or asymmetrical, including, for example, a square, rectangle, or a trapezoid.  
      Because first portion  9  is buttressed against the back end of the plug body, and its width is broader than the diameter of the plug body, first portion  9  will provide increased leverage for inserting and removing plug  1 .  
      While the invention is described in connection with the illustrations, it is understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to the models depicted in the drawings, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternative modifications and equivalents that may be included in the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.