Abstract:
A power strip having a plurality of grounded outlet receptacles includes a motion sensor circuit. The motion sensor circuit controls operation of the power strip, and hence, operation of all electronic components plugged into the power strip.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the general art of electrical outlets, and to the particular field of power strips. 
     2. Discussion of the Related Art 
     Many people enjoy decorating their homes and gardens. This is especially true during Christmas time as well as other holidays. People often attach lights and other electrical elements to their homes and place lights and other electrical elements around their homes. Many people also like to decorate their homes and gardens for parties or for simple landscaping reasons. Some people also like to locate a plurality of various electrical elements on and around their homes for security purposes. 
     The decorations are often beautiful and interesting and the security elements are often quite effective. However, they are often difficult and time consuming to erect and remove. Cords become tangled, frayed or even shorted, and the like. Furthermore, if there are a multitude of different electrical elements involved in the system, many people become overwhelmed at the complexity of the set up. Thus, many people are reluctant to decorate their homes and gardens in manners that otherwise would be enticing. 
     Therefore, there is need for a versatile means for easily and efficiently connecting a plurality of different elements to a power source. Since many people wish to locate such elements outside, such as in a landscaping situation or a home holiday decoration, or in home security situation, there is need for a such an electrical connection unit that can be used outdoors. Specifically, there is a need for such a means that can be used for holiday decorations, including Christmas decorations and the like as well as such a means that can be used for landscaping and gardening purposes. 
     Often, such systems are located where they may be contacted by water and many times the home is subject to power surges of various types. In order to protect not only the elements of the overall system, but to protect people who may be near these elements during such a power surge, any means for electrically connecting such elements to power should include a surge protector circuit. 
     Since many people are conscious of saving energy, they may wish the decorations erected on and around their home to be active only at certain times. Thus, it would be advantageous if such decorations were only activated when desired and de-activated at all other times. This is also true if the electrical elements are being used for security purposes. For example, a home owner may want certain lights to go on when someone approaches their home, but to be off at all other times. This result is best achieved if the electrical elements are controlled by a motion detector. However, equipping each element of a system with a motion detector may create problems. These problems include cost as well as complexity. If each item of an overall system is equipped with its own motion detector, there is much room for failure. 
     Therefore, there is need for a means for efficiently, reliably and economically connecting a plurality of elements of an overall system to a motion detector unit. 
     While a homeowner may wish an overall system to be on some of the time and off at other times, that homeowner may wish to have a motion controlled system at still other times. Therefore, there is need for a means for connecting a plurality of different elements to power in a manner that can be operated in a plurality of different modes and can be switched between the various different modes. 
     PRINCIPAL OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a main object of the present invention to provide a versatile power connection. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a power connection that can be used outdoors. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a power connection that includes a surge protector circuit. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a power connection that includes a motion detector unit. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a power connection that can be operated in a plurality of different modes. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a power connection that can be switched between various different modes of operation. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a power connection that is suitable for use with Christmas lights. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a power connection that is suitable for garden and landscaping use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     These, and other, objects are achieved by a power strip which comprises a housing; a plurality of electrical outlet receptacles on the housing, each outlet receptacle including a grounded connection; a power cord which can be connected to a source of power; a motion sensor circuit electrically connected to each of the electrical outlet receptacles; a surge protector circuit electrically connected to each of the electrical outlet receptacles; a control switch on the housing. The control switch having three mutually exclusive positions including an “off” position which electrically disconnects the electrical surge protector circuit from power when the control switch is in an “off” condition, an “on” position which electrically connects the electrical surge protector circuit to power when the control switch is in an “on” condition, and a “motion” position which electrically connects the motion sensor circuit to power when the control switch is in a “motion” condition; and an anchor on the housing. The anchor being sized and shaped to fix the housing to the ground and may be electrically connected to the ground when the anchor is fixed to the ground. The power strip further includes a grounding circuit which electrically connects the grounded connection of each of the electrical outlet receptacles to the ground in the power cord or to the anchor whereby each of the outlet receptacles is grounded. 
     The power strip can be used either indoors or outdoors and can be used to connect a plurality of elements to power. Thus, Christmas lights, decorative garden and landscaping lights and the like can be connected to power in an easy and expeditious manner. The surge protector circuit of the power strip protects the connected elements from power surges and the motion detector circuit can be used to activate the connected elements only when a person moves in the vicinity of the power strip. This permits the power strip to activate such elements only when a particular effect is desired while saving energy the rest of the time. This also permits the power strip of the present invention to be used for home security to turn on multiple devices, including lights, if someone approaches the home. However, the power strip of the present invention can be used in any one of a plurality of modes so the power strip is quite versatile. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a motion-sensor controlled power strip embodying the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the power strip embodying the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a circuit schematic of a motion sensor circuit that can be used in the power strip embodying the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic illustrating the operation of the motion sensor circuit shown in FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is a block diagram indicating the modes of operation of the power strip embodying the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, and to the following description, it can be understood that the present invention is embodied in an electrical outlet unit  10  which comprises a weatherproof housing  12  which includes a first side  14  and a second side  16 . A transverse axis  18  extends between the first side  14  and the second side  16 . The housing  12  further includes a first end  20  and a second end  22 . A longitudinal axis  24  extends between the first end  20  and the second end  22 . Housing  12  further includes a front  26  and a rear  28 . Housing  12  can be formed in various colors and of various materials. 
     A power cord  30  is connected to housing  12  and has a connection  32  on a distal end  34  thereof that is shaped and sized to electrically connect to a power source  36  such as an electrical outlet receptacle of a home, or the like. 
     A plurality of grounded electrical outlet receptacles such as receptacles  40  and  42  are located on the front  26  of housing  12 . In the example shown in FIG. 1, the receptacles are arranged in two columns  44  and  46  and three rows  48 - 52 . As can be understood from FIG. 1, the columns  44 ,  46  are spaced apart from each other along the transverse axis  18  of the housing  12  and the rows  48 - 52  are spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal axis  24  of the housing  12 . Each outlet receptacle has a ground connection, such as ground connection  54 . 
     Unit  10  includes a motion sensor unit  60  on housing  12 , and preferably on top  20  of the housing  12 . Motion sensor unit  60  includes a motion sensor circuit electrically connected to each outlet receptacle of the plurality of grounded electrical outlet receptacles to control operation of those receptacles as will be understood from the teaching of this disclosure. 
     An electrical surge protector circuit  66  is located in housing  12  and is electrically connected to each outlet receptacle of the plurality of grounded electrical outlet receptacles. The surge protector circuit  66  is common to power strips and thus will not be further discussed as those skilled in the art will understand what elements and connections are required for the surge protector circuit  66 . 
     A support anchor  70  is located on the second end  22  of the housing  12  and includes a plurality of triangular blades, such as blade  72 . Each blade has a base  74  fixedly attached to the second end  22  of the housing  12  and an apex  76  spaced apart from the second end  22  of the housing  12  along the longitudinal axis  24  of the housing  12 . The apexes  76  of the triangular blades  72  are located adjacent to each other and define a leading point  76  for the support anchor  70 . The leading point  76  of the support anchor  70  guides the support anchor  70  into the ground when the unit  10  is driven into the ground. The blades  72  may be constructed of the same material as the housing  12 , i.e., may be formed integrally with the housing  12 , or each of the blades  72  of the support anchor  70  may be constructed of conductive material, such as metal or other suitable arrangement, and be in electrical contact with the ground when inserted into the ground to form a grounding element for unit  10 . 
     A grounding circuit  80  electrically connects the grounding circuit of each of the grounded outlet receptacles to the grounded conductor of the power cord or a metal support anchor  70  to ground each outlet receptacle. 
     A control switch  90  is located on the housing  12 . As indicated in FIGS. 1 and 5, control switch  90  is electrically interposed between power  36  and the electrical surge protector circuit  66  and between power  36  and the motion detector circuit  60 . Switch  90  includes an “off” position  92  which electrically disconnects the electrical surge protector circuit  66  from power  36  when the control switch  90  is in an “off” condition, an “on” position  94  which electrically connects the electrical surge protector circuit  66  to power  36  when the control switch  90  is in an “on” condition, and a “motion” position  96  which electrically connects the motion sensor unit  60  to power  36  when the control switch  90  is in a “motion” condition. The “on” position  94  and the “off” position  92  and the “motion” position  96  of the control switch  90  are mutually exclusive of each other so that when the control switch  90  is in one of the positions, it cannot be in any other of the positions. That is, if the control switch  90  is in an “on” configuration, the motion sensor unit  60  will not be activated and the electrical outlet receptacles will be powered at all times and so forth for the other positions of the control switch  90 . 
     A motion sensor circuit  100  is indicated in FIGS. 3 and  4 . The circuit  100  shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 detects an object passing in one direction but ignores it going the opposite direction. Two sensors define the sense of direction. The object blocks light to phototransistor Q 1  or Q 2  first dependent on the direction of approach. When the object passes Q 1  then Q 2 , an output pulse is generated at D; while no pulse is seen at D as the object passes Q 2  then Q 1 . 
     Object length measured along the direction of the two sensors should be greater than the separation of the two sensors Q 1  and Q 2 . Pulses shown in FIG. 5 correspond to pulses occurring at the corresponding locations shown in FIG.  4 . 
     An alternative form of the invention includes a motion detector circuit that can be removed from housing  12  and located in a position that is spaced apart from housing  12 . 
     Such a motion detector would be connected to the remainder of the circuitry in the unit via either a landline or a wireless communication system. 
     It is understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts described and shown.