Abstract:
A new and useful electrical connector is provided, that is designed to protect existing electrical outlets from trauma and destruction, by preventing them from being dislodged by movement of a patient support such as a hospital bed, or scraped off of the wall by passing (moving) machinery, hospital beds, equipment and vehicles during the normal use of the bed, the machinery, or equipment. In this application reference to an electrical plug component encompasses traditional 2 or 3 prong plugs that pima into grounded or ungrounded wall outlet sockets, as well as phone or laptop jacks that would plug into wall outlet sockets configured for such jacks. In addition, a new and useful coupling structure, for electrical couplings that need to be spaced from a wall socket, is provided.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION/CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
     This application is related to and claims priority of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/758,981, filed Jan. 31, 2013, and which provisional application is incorporated lay reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates to a new and useful electrical connector, that is particularly useful in a medical care facility such as a hospital or nursing home, where frequent movement of a hospital bed, and movement of machinery and/or equipment about the hospital bed, is common, and that movement can damage or dislodge existing electrical connectors from their wall sockets. The electrical circuit connector of the invention is also useful with devices that are in jeopardy of damage (such as phone jacks, laptop jacks, or equipment) that would be located in the vicinity of moving objects such as furniture or beds, and plugged into a wall outlet (socket) located near furniture items or beds. 
     The present invention also provides a new and useful electrical coupling structure, that provides an electrical coupling that extends away from the circuit connector and can be used to securely provide electrical connection between components that are thus purposefully extended away from the wall socket. The electrical coupling comprises first and second coupling parts, and structure for releasably securing the first and second coupling parts to each other. The first and second coupling parts have respective mating portions that are coupled together to provide an electrical connection between the coupling parts, and the structure for releasably securing the first and second coupling parts to each other comprises a device that is configured to urge the coupling parts together and to provide a releasable lock that holds the coupling parts together and is releasable to enable the coupling parts to be separated, to break the electrical connection between the coupling parts. 
     Each of the low profile circuit connector and the coupling structure of the present invention provides a new and useful way of protecting existing electrical outlets (or electrical couplings) from trauma and destruction by preventing them from being dislodged by movement of the hospital bed, or scraped off of the wall by passing (moving) machinery, hospital beds, furniture, equipment and vehicles during the normal use of the bed, furniture, the machinery, or equipment. 
     Electrical plug-ins have been used for decades to connect electrically powered devices to electrical outlets quite efficiently. With the advent of more modern equipment designed to function in tight spaces such as the new “low beds” in hospitals and nursing homes, the frequent result is that the bed by moving up and down as it is designed can easily scrape the electrical plug-ins of electrical equipment as it moves up and down against the wall—often the plug in of the bed itself—completely or partially off the wall, causing damage to the plug-ins, to the equipment that the plug-ins serve, and to the electrical outlets themselves and creating a fire hazard or increasing the personal risk of shock or injury to the electrician who is required to undo this damage and repair it. Frequent strategies of using screw attachments to “track” wires across the wall only increase the exposure and risk of damage to the wiring; tactics of moving the patient&#39;s bed away from the wall only increases the chance for injury for the patient when falling between the bed and the wall. 
     Many devices have been constructed to protect the electrical outlet from weather conditions, from children, from inappropriate use, from theft, but none have done so with the purpose or consideration of attempting to create a protective cover for outlets to prevent them from being literally scraped off the wall with subsequent attendant damage, costs, injuries. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One aspect of the present invention provides a new and used electrical circuit connector that is designed to protect existing electrical outlets (sockets) and electrical appliances plugged into them from trauma and destruction, by preventing them from being dislodged by movement of the hospital bed, or scraped off of the wall by passing (moving) machinery, hospital beds, equipment and vehicles during the normal use of the bed, the machinery, or equipment. 
     The present invention provides a new, inexpensive, convenient, and useful way to protect electrical outlets and the electrical plug-ins they are designed to serve from being torn off the walls by the use of other equipment, while continuing to provide the service of the electrical outlet in the vicinity of its intended locale. Specifically, the ‘low profile protective outlet connector arrangement cover device’. 
     An electrical circuit connector, according to the present invention comprises a cap formed of non conducting material. The cap has a perimeter, and a first side configured to lie directly against a wall with the perimeter as close to the wall as possible when the cap is attached to a wall outlet. The first side has a receptacle that fits snuggly around one or more electrical circuit plug components configured to engage the sockets of a wall outlet and connect the connector to the wall outlet and electrical conductors extending from the electrical plug components and along the first side of the cap, and to the perimeter of the cap. The cap has a second side having a substantially smooth, continuous surface extending from the perimeter of the cap over the entire extent of the cap, that provides an insulating cover for the electrical plug components and a relatively smooth, continuous exterior surface for the cap when the electrical connector is attached to a wall outlet, as well as a router to direct the electrical cords from the circuit director to the perimeter of the cap; so that electrical conducting portions of the circuit connector are electrically insulated by the cap, extend along the first side of the cap to the perimeter of the cap, and the perimeter and relatively smooth, continuous surface of the cap provides an exterior of the cap that is relatively free of edges, ridges or other surface configurations that could be caught by an object rubbing against the cap that would cause the cap to pull away from the wall when the electrical circuit connector is connected to a wall socket. 
     According to a preferred embodiment, the cap has an electrically insulated transition router portion at its perimeter, that provides a route for the insulated electrical circuit connection between the electrical conductors that extend to the perimeter of the cap and electrical wires that extend beyond the perimeter of the cap to a coupling configured to mate with another connector for providing electrical connection to a device associated with the other connector. In addition, the relatively smooth, continuous surface has a curved configuration from the perimeter over the entire extent of the cap. More particularly, the relatively smooth, continuous surface of the cap has a curved partial spherical configuration with a curvature that has a relatively constant radius. 
     In this application reference to an electrical plug component encompasses traditional 2 or 3 prong plugs that plug into grounded or ungrounded wall outlet sockets, as well as phone or laptop jacks that would plug into wall outlet sockets configured for such jacks. 
     Another aspect of the present invention relates to a new and useful electrical coupling structure, which provides an electrical circuit coupling that extends away from the connector, and can be used to securely provide electrical connection between components that extend away from the wall socket. The electrical coupling structure (which can be used with the electrical connector or with other electrical connectors that plug into wall sockets) comprises first and second coupling parts, and structure for releasably securing the first and second coupling parts to each other. The first and second coupling parts have respective mating portions that are coupled together to provide an electrical connection between the coupling parts, and the structure for releasably securing the first and second coupling parts to each other comprises a device that is configured to urge the coupling parts together and to provide a releasable lock that holds the coupling parts together and is releasable to enable the coupling parts to be separated, to break the electrical connection between the coupling parts. 
     The new coupling structure of the invention is designed for the situation where the circuit connection is spaced from the wall socket and requires an electrical coupling that is secure, even though the connecting plug in may come in many sizes and shapes depending on the machine it serves. 
     Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a schematic plan view of the second or outside of an electrical circuit connector assembly according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 1B  is a schematic view of the first or inside of the cap device showing structure that covers the circuit connector structure of the assembly; 
         FIG. 2A  is an enlarged view of the outside of the electrical connector of  FIG. 1  revealing (in dashed lines) its relationship to the structure that covers the circuit connecter structure that fits within it; 
         FIG. 2B  is a schematic view of the side of the low profile circuit connector, with the cap covering the circuit connector assembly. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic plan view of the inside of an electrical circuit connector assembly according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic three dimensional view of the inside of an assembled electrical circuit connector assembly with its covering cap attached according to the present invention; 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  provide schematic illustrations of the side ( FIG. 5A ) and front ( FIG. 5B ) of an electrical connector assembly according to the present invention, showing the external couplings at the ends of the connector assembly; 
         FIG. 6  (parts A-F) is a schematic illustration of a new and useful electrical coupling structure, according to the present invention, and 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic illustration of a portion of a hospital bed (shown in dashed lines) with a current type of connector. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As discussed above, one aspect of the present invention relates to a new and useful electrical connector that is particularly useful with a patient support such as a hospital bed. That aspect of the present invention is described herein in connection with a patient support such as a hospital bed, and from that description, the Manner in which the invention can be applied to equipment such as phone jacks, laptop jacks, or other equipment that might have issues similar to those found with electrical connectors in the vicinity of hospital beds will be apparent to those in the art. 
       FIG. 7  shows (in dashed lines) a portion of a traditional hospital bed  100 , with a traditional electrical connector  102  of the type that is typically found with a hospital bed. The hospital bed  100  is on wheels/rollers  105  that enable the hospital bed to be maneuvered about a hospital room or hospital facility. The hospital bed can be raised and, lowered in ways well known to those in the art. The electrical connector  102  is at the end of an electrical cable  106 , and has a plug  108  that is plugged into a wall socket  104 . As the hospital bed is being maneuvered about a room, or raised or lowered, there is mechanical strain on the plug  108  that can cause trauma and destruction to the connector, e.g. by causing the plug to be scraped off of the wall  110  (and the wall socket  104 ) by passing machinery, movement of the hospital bed, use of tools and vehicles during the normal use of the hospital bed. 
     The present invention provides an electrical circuit connector assembly  200  shown in  FIGS. 1A , B- 5 A,  5 B that is designed to protect existing electrical outlets from trauma and destruction, by preventing them from being scraped off of the wall  110  by passing machinery, movement of hospital beds, use and operation of tools and vehicles during the normal use of the hospital bed. 
     Thus, the electrical connector aspect of the present invention provides a new, inexpensive, convenient, and useful way to protect electrical outlets and the electrical plug-ins they are designed to serve from being torn off the walls by the use of other equipment, while continuing to provide the service of the electrical outlet in the vicinity of us intended locale. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1A-1B through 5A, 5B , an electrical circuit connector assembly  200 , according to the present invention comprises a cap  202  formed of non-conducting material (preferably a modestly flexible plastic material). The cap  202  has a perimeter  204 , and a first side  206  (the “inside”) configured to lie directly against a wall  110  (see  FIG. 5A ) with the perimeter  204  as close to the wall as possible when the cap is properly attached to the circuit connector that is in turn attached (plugged in) to a wall outlet and held by attaching screw  230 . The first side  206  has a receptacle  208  within it that closely accepts the configuration of the circuit connector structure  201  and has ridged edges within  207 B that will mesh with a single ridged edge  207 A surrounding the circuit connector structure  201  and its electrical circuit plug components  210  and  211  ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ) molded and configured within it to engage the sockets of a wall outlet (similar to wall socket  104  of  FIG. 7 ) and connect the circuit connector structure  201  to the wall outlet, and the cap  202  in turn to it. The inside of the circuit connector assembly also has molded and configured conductive posts  211  ( FIG. 3 ) physically and electrically connected to the plug components  210  ( FIG. 4 ) and physically and electrically connected to electrical conductors  212  extending from the electrical plug components and eventually along the inside of the cap as connecting wire  222  and through the perimeter of the cap to coupling structure  224 . In addition, the circuit connector structure  201  has stabilizing wings  215  that provide some additional rigidity to the circuit connector structure and provide lateral stability to it and the cap attached to it. The cap has an outside or second side  202   a  having a substantially smooth, continuous surface extending from the perimeter of the cap over the entire extent of the cap ( FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B ), that provides an insulating cover for the electrical circuit connector plug components  201  and a relatively smooth, continuous exterior surface for the cap when the electrical circuit connector is attached to a wall outlet and covered by the cap; so that electrical conducting portions  210 ,  211  and wires  212  of the circuit connector structure are molded within the inside of the circuit connector structure  201 , ultimately couched within receptacle  208 , and tightened against the wall by compression of the cap  202  onto the exposed surface of the circuit connector structure  201 , thereby latching the single ridge of  207 A within the ridges of  207 B, and forming a latching mechanism  209  that holds the assembly tightly adjacent to the wall  110  within which the plug in resides. This feature provides an exterior of the cap that is relatively free of edges, ridges or other surface configurations that could be caught by an object rubbing against the cap that would cause the cap to pull away from the wall when the electrical connector is connected to a wall socket. 
     When the circuit connector structure  201  is plugged and fastened into a wall socket, a screw  230  can be tightened through it into the slot that is normally used to couple the wall socket cover to the wall  110  ( FIG. 5A ), so that the inside and perimeter of the circuit connector are held tightly against the wall. The ridges  207 B of the cap receptacle  208  are snapped over the single ridge  207 A of the circuit connector  201 , pressing the transitional piece  220  to include and direct the insulated wires  222  using the partition  221  away from the circuit connector  201  and towards the coupling structure  224  that attaches independent electrical instruments to this assembly. The smooth continuous outer surface  202   a  of the cap  202  is then in place on the outside of this inner molded electrical configuration and is free of burrs, edges or other configurations on which a tool, a part of the hospital bed, a piece of machinery could catch, and thereby cause trauma to, or displacement of, the cap. 
     When the circuit connector structure  201  is plugged and fastened into a socket, a screw  230  can be tightened through it into the slot that is normally used to couple the wall socket cover to the wall socket  110  ( FIG. 5A ), so that the inside and perimeter of the circuit connector are held tightly against the wall. The ridges of the cap receptacle  208  are snapped over the single ridge  207 A of the circuit connector  201 , pressings the transitional piece  220  to include and direct the insulated wires  222  using the partition  221  away from the circuit connector  201  and towards the connector  224  that attaches independent electrical instruments to this assembly. The smooth continuous outer surface of the cap  202  is then in place on the outside of this inner molded electrical configuration and is free of burrs, edges or other configurations on which a tool, a part of the hospital bed, a piece of machinery could catch, and thereby cause trauma to the cap. 
     According to a preferred embodiment, the cap has an electrically insulated transition portion  220  at its perimeter, that provides an insulated electrical circuit pathway for the connection between the electrical conductors  222  that extend to the perimeter of the cap and continue as electrical wires  222  that extend beyond the perimeter of the cap to coupling structure  224  that provides electrical coupling at a location that is spaced at chosen distances from the electrical connector and the wall socket. The coupling structure  224  is the new and useful coupling structure aspect of the present invention, and is described in more detail below in connection with  FIG. 6  (A-F). That coupling structure  224  is designed for the situation where the circuit connection is spaced from the wall socket and requires an electrical coupling that is secure, even though the connecting plug forming one of the coupling parts of the coupling structure may come in many sizes and shapes depending on the machine it serves. 
     With the connector structure described herein, the relatively smooth, continuous outer surface of the cap has a curved configuration from the perimeter over a large extent (and may extend over the entire extent) of the cap. More particularly, the relatively smooth, continuous surface of the cap can have a curved partial spherical configuration with a curvature that has a relatively constant radius (and if desirable, a small relatively flat portion in its center that mates with the curved portion in a relatively smooth transit ion). 
     The coupling structure  224  is shown in  FIG. 6  (parts A-F). The coupling structure is designed to provide an electrical coupling that extends away from the connector (in the sense that it is located at the end of the electrical wires  222 ), and is designed to securely provide electrical connection between a coupling part  224 A ( FIG. 6A ) and a mating coupling part  224 B ( FIG. 6D ), where the mating coupling part  224 B may come in many sizes and shapes depending on the machine it serves. The coupling part  224 A has slots  224 C ( FIG. 6C ) that mate with plugs  224 D on the coupling part  224 B to provide electrical connection between the coupling parts. The electrical coupling structure  224  (which can be used with the with the electrical circuit connector described herein, or with other electrical connectors that plug into wall sockets) comprises the coupling parts  224 A and  224 B, and structure (described below) for releasably securing the coupling parts  224 A and  224 B to each other to provide an electrical connection between the coupling parts, and the structure for releasably securing the first and second coupling parts to each other comprises a device (schematically shown at  225  ( FIGS. 6E  and F that is configured to urge the coupling parts together and to provide a releasable lock that holds the coupling parts together and is releasable to enable the coupling parts to be separated, to break the electrical connection between the coupling parts. 
     The device  225  comprises at least one strap  225 A that can slide in first and second directions in guide structure  225 B located on the coupling part  224 A. It is preferred that a plurality of straps  225 A are provided, and in the illustrated embodiment 3 straps  225 A and 3 guide structures  225 B (each of which comprises a track  225 C and an inverted U shaped member  225 D) are provided, and each strap  225 A can slide in a respective guide structure  225 B. The straps  225 A are made of flexible plastic (e.g. of the type used to form electrical ties), and are configured to interact with their respective guide structures  225 B to apply a force that urges the coupling parts together and provides a releasable lock that holds the coupling parts  224 A,  224 B together when the straps slide in the first direction (e.g. toward the right in  FIGS. 6B, 6C, 6E and 6F ), and the strap and guide structures are configured to be manipulated in a manner that releases the look holding the coupling parts together and enables the straps to slide in the second direction (e.g. to the left in  FIGS. 6B, 6C, 6E and 6F ), to enable the coupling parts to be separated, to break the electrical connection between the coupling parts. 
     The straps  225 A have pull tabs  229  at one end and tabs  228  with respective posts  227  and holes  226  at their other ends ( FIG. 6B ). The posts and holes enable the tabs to be connected to each other to form a yoke  233  ( FIGS. 6E, 6F ) about the electrical wires  234  at one end of the coupling part  224 B and the guide structures  225 B (each of which can comprises a track  225 C, and an inverted U shaped member  225 D which has locking, profiles on its inside configured to engage ratchet teeth  231  on a straps when the strap  225 A slides in the first direction in the inverted U shaped members  225 D. The straps  225 A are biased toward the locking profiles on the insides of the U shaped members  225 D such that the teeth  231  on the straps  225 A ratchet against the locking profiles on the insides of the inverted U shaped members  225 D when the straps slide in the guide structures in the first direction, and engage with and lock the straps against movement in the second direction when the straps have been moved to a selected amount in the inverted U shaped members  225 D. The straps  225 A and guide structures  225 B can be manipulated to separate the ratchet teeth  231  of the straps  225 A from the locking profiles on the insides of the inverted U shaped members  225 D, to enable the straps to slide in the second direction. The yoke  233  formed at the one end of the coupling parts is configured such that when the straps slide in the first direction, the yoke  233  formed by the connection of the straps applies a force to the coupling parts that urges the coupling parts together. That force is applied, e.g. to the left side of the coupling in  FIGS. 6 e , 6 f    and urges the coupling parts  224 A,  224 B together. 
     Thus, by forming the yoke  233 , and pulling the pull tabs  229  of the straps, the coupling parts  224 A,  224 B are urged together, to provide a secure electrical connection between the coupling parts. As the pull tabs  229  are being pulled, the straps  225 A slide in the first direction along the tracks  225 C and the insides of the inverted U shaped members  225 D, and the straps are biased toward the insides of the inverted U shaped members  225 D, so that the teeth  231  ratchet against the locking profiles on the inside of the inverted U shaped members  225 D. When the straps have been pulled to a desired extent in the first direction, the ratchet teeth  231  can engage the locking profiles on the inside of the inverted U shaped members  225 D, to resist movement of the straps in the second direction, thereby providing a secure coupling between the coupling parts  224 A,  224 B. When it is desired to release the coupling, the posts and holes  226 ,  227  used to form the yoke  233  can be disconnected, thereby disassembling the yoke  233 , and allowing the flexible straps  225 A be manipulated so that the ratchet teeth disengage from the inverted U shaped members  225 D, so that the straps  225 A can slide in the second direction to enable the coupling parts to be disconnected. Alternatively, the flexible straps  225 A can be bent against their bias to disengage the ratchet teeth  231  from the guides  225 B, allowing the flexible straps to move in the opposite direction to enable the coupling parts to be disengaged from each other. 
     Thus, the foregoing detailed description provides a new and useful electrical circuit connector, and new and useful coupling structure designed to avoid the types of traumas to electrical connections and circuits that can be associated with a patient support such as a hospital bed. With the foregoing disclosure in mind, it is believed that various adaptations of the electrical connector and/or electrical coupling, to prevent traumatic damage to circuits and connections in environments comparable to those found in a hospital bed setting, will be apparent to those in the art.