Abstract:
A plug and socket combination positions a plug and electrical cord at an orientation perpendicular to a wall socket, thus reducing the required clearance to substantially that of the plug width without the electrical cord or less than half of the clearance normally required. Two-pronged and three-pronged plug and socket combinations have been developed that are substantially the same width, length, and depth as the typical plug on a two or three wire electrical cord.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 60/618,652, filed Oct. 14, 2004. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The field of the invention pertains to common household plugs and sockets in use in North America and, in particular, to plug and socket combinations for use in very restricted areas. 
   A wide variety of plug and socket combinations have been created for expanding the number of sockets from the one or two sockets available in a typical wall outlet. Wall outlet sockets require two or more inches of clearance for typical plugs and associated wires to avoid pinching the wires and causing a possible fire hazard. Plug and socket combinations for expanding the number of available sockets increase the clearance required to three or more inches. Where space is at a premium and furniture or appliances should be as close to the wall sockets as possible, a more compact plug and socket is needed to reduce the clearance required. This problem also occurs where sockets are mounted in mantelpieces, or just above mantelpieces. In such locations, plugs and sockets should be discretely hidden. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   With a view to reducing the clearance as much as possible, two-pronged and three-pronged plug and socket combinations have been developed that are substantially the same width, length, and depth as, or less than, the typical plug on a two or three wire electrical cord. The new plug and socket combination positions the plug and electrical cord at an orientation perpendicular to the wall socket, thus reducing the required clearance to substantially that of the plug width without the electrical cord or less than one and one-half inches for grounded plugs and about one-half inch for ungrounded plugs. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a three-prong right angle plug and socket combination; 
       FIG. 2  is a socket side view of the plug and socket; 
       FIG. 3  is a wall face view of the plug and socket combination with a plug and cord attached; 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of the plug and socket combination with a plug and cord attached; 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of a two-prong polarized plug and socket combination; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a the two-prong polarized plug and socket combination; 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective of an alternate form of three-prong right angle plug and socket combination; 
       FIG. 8  is a wall face view of the plug and socket combination of  FIG. 7  with a plug and cord attached; 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a three-prong plug and socket combination with the three prongs oriented at 45° from the combinations in  FIGS. 1 and 7 ; 
       FIG. 10  is a wall face view of the plug and socket combination of  FIG. 9  with a plug and cord attached; 
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view of an ungrounded two-prong plug with sockets above and below; 
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view of an ungrounded two-prong plug with sockets to each side; 
       FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a grounded three-prong plug with sockets above and below; and 
       FIG. 14  is a perspective view of a grounded three-prong plug with sockets to each side. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Illustrated in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  is a body of cube or parallelepiped shape having six faces. The first face  12  has socket holes  14  and  16  for polarized prongs and a third socket hole  18  for a ground prong in a conventional arrangement. A second face  20  is perpendicular to the first face  12  and has polarized prongs  22  and  24  and ground prong  26  extending therefrom. This plug and socket combination permits a very simple internal electrical configuration. Specifically hole  14  and prong  22  lie in substantially the same plane, hole  16  and prong  24  both lie in a second plane and hole  18  and prong  26  both lie in a third plane, the planes being parallel to each other. Thus, each electrical connection need only lie in a single plane. A dimple  28  is formed in a third face  30  and optionally a second dimple may be formed in a fourth face  32  opposite the third face to assist in easily removing the plug and socket combination from a wall socket. 
   The plug and socket combination of  FIGS. 1 and 2  is shown in use in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The wall  34  includes a conventional wall socket into which the three prongs  22 ,  24 , and  26  are inserted to bring the body  10  close to the wall. In turn the three prongs  36 ,  38 , and  40  of a conventional plug  42  and electrical cord  44  are inserted into the socket holes  14 ,  16 , and  18  from below, thus keeping the conventional plug and cord within the clearance required by the body  10 . This clearance is normally less than one and one-half inches. 
   Illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6  is a body  46  of parallelepiped shape for a two wire ungrounded polarized household electrical system. Although generally no longer approved in new construction or remodeling, two wire systems remain in common use. As shown above the smaller socket hole  48  and smaller prong  50  lie in substantially the same plane and the larger socket hole  52  and larger prong  54  lie in a parallel plane, thus simplifying the electrical connections within the combined plug and socket. As shown above the body  46  includes at least one dimple  56  for ease of removal from a wall outlet. The thickness of the two-prong plug and socket combination can be about one-half inch thick to match two-prong plugs of similar thickness. 
   In  FIG. 7  as shown the body  58  has the socket face  60  and dimple  62  face  64  reversed in orientation relative to the prong face  66  in comparison with  FIG. 1 . This configuration positions the socket face  60  to the side permitting a plug  42  and cord  44  to be oriented to the side at a wall socket and wall  24  as shown in  FIG. 8 . Unfortunately, this orientation does not permit all of the electrical connections between the prongs and their respective socket holes to lie in the same planes thus requiring more complicated electrical connections within the plug and socket combination. 
   Illustrated in  FIG. 9  the body  68  has the socket face  70  and dimpled  72  face  74  in the same orientation as in  FIG. 1  however, the three prongs  76  are symmetrically located about a diagonal plane including edges  78  and  80  of the body. This diagonal orientation permits the plug and socket combination to be plugged into a wall  34  socket at a 45° angle as shown in  FIG. 10 . With the body  68  at a 45° angle the plug  42  and cord  44  extend from the body at a 45° angle which is particularly advantageous where the cord will extend along a floor adjacent to the floor molding. 
   Illustrated in  FIGS. 11 through 14  are plug and dual socket combinations where the sockets are above and below or to either side of the plug portion. In addition, to the exterior of each plug and dual socket combination the interior configuration of the electrical conductors are shown. 
   In  FIG. 11 , two prongs  82  and  84  are shown extending from the body  86 . Above and below the prongs  82  and  84  are socket holes  88  and  90  (above) and  92  and  94  (below). The interior electrical connections  96 , as well as the below socket holes  92  and  94 , are shown in dashed outline. 
   In  FIG. 12 , the prongs  98  and  100  are oriented 90° from the prongs  82  and  84  in  FIG. 11 . Thus, the sockets  102  and  104  are oriented to either side of the body  106  with plugs  108  and  110  inserted therein. 
   Shown in  FIG. 13  is a body  112  having a third ground prong  114  extending below the other prongs  116  and  118 . Sockets  120  and  122  are oriented above and below the prongs  114 ,  116  and  118 . As above, the interior electrical conductors  124  are shown in dashed outline. 
   Similarly, in  FIG. 14 , the sockets  126  and  128  are oriented side-to-side with respect to the prongs  130 ,  132  and  134  extending from the body  136 .