Abstract:
An electrical connection connector device, comprising a housing portion designed to position a removable GFI, which is designed to securely connect to a first and second electrical connector. The housing comprises a top transparent section and a bottom section which may be coupled together. The GFI device may be connected to the first and second electrical connectors within the housing, or the GFI may be removed and connected to the first and second electrical connectors without the housing. Restraining portions within the housing securely position the first and second electrical connectors within the housing and inhibit moisture from seeping past the electrical cords into the housing. The restraining portions may comprise a flexible material.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. The Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a removable portable ground fault interrupt (GFI) connector. Specifically, the present invention relates to a removable electrical cord connector with a GFI feature with a moisture resistant housing.  
         [0003]     2. The Relevant Art  
         [0004]     For many years our society has had a sharp increase in the use of portable electrical tools. Consequently the use of electrical cords has also sharply increased. The typical home owner, for example, may use an electrical lawn mower, an electrical weed cutter or an electrical leaf blower. A typical construction site uses numerous electric saws, lights, drills, and nail guns.  
         [0005]     However, this incessant need for more and more electrical tools has not come without a price. Every year thousands of individuals have been injured or died as a result of electrocution from using these same tools. One of the most common causes of this danger is that most users simply do not have electrical cords that extend or reach as far as is necessary. Therefore, as a simple fix to this situation, the user simply connects two cords together. Similarly, poor maintenance and improper use of electrical cords contributes to the danger.  
         [0006]     In and by itself, the two cord connection system is not a problem. However, most lawns or work sites are often besieged by moist environments. Specifically, a work site can have standing puddles, a lawn may have just been watered by sprinkler systems, or morning dew may be lying on the grass.  
         [0007]     One profession in particular, has a very high occurrence of standing water that is extremely dangerous for electrical cords. Firemen, in their every day professional operation, use many electrical tools. For example, electrical fans are needed to move air after fires are extinguished; electrical saws are needed to cut access holes, for example, before, during and after a fire. When these electrical cords are employed, the connection points of these cords often are located near if not in standing water. As is often the case, a fireman will contact the electrified water and experience an unpleasant sensation, at the least, and a deadly one, at most.  
         [0008]     For years ground fault interrupters (“GFI&#39;s”) have been used to curtail these dangers. GFI&#39;s are designed to protect from electrical shock by interrupting a circuit when there is a difference in the currents in the “hot” and neutral wires. Such a difference indicates that an abnormal diversion of current from the “hot” wire is occurring. Such a current might flow in the ground wire, such as a leakage current from a motor or from capacitors. More importantly, that current diversion may occur because a person has come into contact with the “hot” wire and is being shocked. When a circuit is functioning normally, all the return current from an appliance flows through the neutral wire, so the presence of a difference between “hot” and neutral currents represents a malfunction which in some circumstances could produce a dangerous or even lethal shock hazard.  
         [0009]     GFI&#39;s are required by the electrical code for receptacles in bathrooms, some kitchen receptacles, some outside receptacles, and receptacles near swimming pools. The horror story scenarios which led to these code requirements are things like dropping a hair dryer or a portable radio into a bathtub with a person, causing electrocution. A typical circuit breaker interrupts the circuit at 20 amperes, but it takes only about 100 milliamperes to electrocute a person in such a scenario. The GFI is designed to detect currents of a few milliamperes and trip a breaker at the receptacle or at the breaker panel to remove the shock hazard. Unfortunately, not all receptacles include the GFI and not all goods, such as appliances, tools, and computers, include a built in GFI.  
         [0010]     Accordingly, a need exists for a removable portable connector device that allows for the removal of the GFI to use with unprotected goods, goods that require connections that do not fit within a GFI housing, and the ability to connect two or more electrical cords in moist environments, to eliminate, or at least greatly decrease, the risk of electrocution to those persons using potentially dangerous goods.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     The various elements of the present invention have been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available GFI devices. Accordingly, the present invention provides a device for a removable portable GFI connector. More particularly, there is an electrical cord connector that has both a removable GFI feature and a moisture resistant housing.  
         [0012]     The device provides for an electrical connection connector device, comprising a housing designed to position a removable GFI, which is designed to securely connect to a first and second electrical cord. The housing comprises a top transparent portion and a bottom portion which may be coupled together. The GFI device may be connected to the first and second electrical cords within the housing, or the GFI may be removed and connected to the first and second electrical cords without the housing. Restraining portions within the housing securely position the first and second electrical cords within the housing and inhibit moisture from seeping past the electrical cords into the housing. The restraining portions may comprise a flexible material.  
         [0013]     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention so that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and so that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. Other features of the present invention will become clearer from the following detailed description of the invention, taken with the accompanying drawings and claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention.  
         [0014]     Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]     In order for the advantages of the invention to be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a removable portable ground fault interrupt connector in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a removable portable ground fault interrupt connector in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view of a removable portable ground fault interrupt connector in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]     Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.  
         [0020]     Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a removable portable ground fault interrupt connector (“GFI connector”)  100 . In this embodiment, the GFI connector  100  comprises a plastic housing  102  having a first housing section  104 , illustrated as a top portion, and a second housing section  106 , illustrated as a bottom portion. One embodiment the first housing section  104  is transparent or translucent to allow some amount of viewing into the housing  102 .  
         [0022]     It is noted that the plastic housing  102  may be made of STAREX, which can be purchased at H. Muehlstein &amp; C., 800 Connecticut Ave., Norwalk, Conn. 06854 U.S.A., Phone: 1-800-257-3746 and which is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,592,393, which is incorporated herein by reference for its teachings. This material emits a fire suppressant or extinguishing gas a when exposed to a spark or fire conditions. A skilled artisan will know that this material works when it is exposed to fire sufficient to begin melting, whereby the material will then exhibit the anti-fire characteristics. Although, it is noted and even contemplated to make the housing  102  out of any known material that has fire and smoke resistant characteristics.  
         [0023]     In one embodiment, the first housing section  104  may include a set of holes  116  located on the top section  104  that allows control buttons  118  on the surface of the GFI  122  to protrude therefrom. In another embodiment, instead of using the holes  116 , a flexible material is placed on the housing section  104  above the control buttons  118 . The flexible material is capable of being pressed to contact the control buttons  118 . The control buttons  118  typically may include a test “T” and a reset “R” button, but the invention is not limited to these in particular. The user may press the “T” button to check to see if the GFI connector is functioning correctly. The user may press the “R” button to reset the GFI connector if the GFI connector has tripped due to a fault or error.  
         [0024]     The GFI connector  100  includes a receiving hole  120  at each end for receiving an electrical cord  121  therethrough, and to allow the cord  121  to connect to a ground fault interrupter (“GFI”)  122 . Restrainers  124  and  126  are located at each end of the GFI connector  100  and hold the electrical cords  121  within the GFI connector  100 . The restrainers  124  and  126  prevent the electrical cords  121  from disconnecting from the GFI  122  and inhibit moisture from entering into the GFI connector  100 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 2  illustrates an exploded view of the GFI connector  100  in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The first and second housing sections  104  and  106  are configured to house the GFI  122 . The second housing section  106  includes positioning members  202  for receiving and positioning the GFI  122  in a central location within the GFI connector  100 . In this embodiment, the GFI  122  is configured to be removable from between the positioning members  202 . An advantage of a removable GFI  122  is to increase the universal use of the GFI  122 . Specifically, many electrical devices do not have GFI&#39;s  122  built into the system. Similarly, many electrical devices are not equipped to connect to a GFI  122  enclosed in a housing. Additionally, in some applications, moisture and stress relief are not a concern when using electrical devices, and therefore, a GFI housing is not absolutely necessary. Accordingly, it is advantageous to have a removable GFI  122 .  
         [0026]     A light indicator may be designed to show that the GFI  122  is in one of several states. Specifically, the GFI  122  may include a green light, or LED, within the clear or translucent housing  102 , or GFI  122 , to indicate that the GFI  122  device is “on” and functioning correctly and that electricity is flowing evenly across the GFI  122 . In contrast, a red light, or red LED, would indicate that the GFI  122  is “off” and that an error or fault has occurred, that electricity has flowed unevenly across the GFI  122 , or that the test button has been activated and electricity is prevented from flowing through the GFI  122  until the “R” reset button has been activated.  
         [0027]     The restrainers  124  and  126  include grooves  206  formed along each restrainer  124  and  126  that form a canal for holding the electrical cords  121  when the top section  104  and the bottom section  106  unite. A slanted section  208  is configured to accommodate a plug located at the end of the electrical cords  121  and to hold the plug against the GFI  122 . In a preferred embodiment, the restrainers  124  and  126  are comprised of a soft flexible type material and may contain fire retardant and water repellant properties. One embodiment may include a GFI restrainer  214 , which encircles the control buttons  118  at the top surface of the GFI  122 , for securing the GFI  122  inside the housing  102  and for preventing moisture from passing through the set of holes  116  to the inside of the housing  102 .  
         [0028]     The restrainers  124  and  126  fit tightly against the inside top and bottom surfaces of the GFI connector  100 . When the top housing section  104  is closed the restrainers  124  and  126  unite to form a tight fit around the electrical cords  121 . The restrainers  124  and  126 , therefore, prevent moisture from gaining easy access to the interior of housing  102 , as well as secure the electrical cords  121  within the housing  102 .  
         [0029]     In a preferred embodiment, the restrainers  124  and  126  may have air cells made to contain an inert gas, such as halon, argon, neon or any of the other periodic table inert gases. A skilled artisan will easily realize that any other non-flammable gas or a gas that actually inhibits fire or smoke, such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen would also work. Thus, if an electrical cord  121  begins to short or spark, the cells in the foam break open and release the fire and/or smoke suppressant gas, thus suppressing the fire conditions.  
         [0030]     The top section  104  has several elements that correspond to elements located in the bottom section  106 . Specifically, the first housing section  104  may include a tongue  108 , which encircles the first housing section  104  on a lip  110 . The second housing section  106  may include a groove  112  on a second lip  114  for receiving the tongue  108 . In this embodiment, both the first housing section  104  and the second housing section  106  are comprised of plastic, which includes a deforming property to allow the tongue  108  to pass into the groove  112 . Jointly, the tongue and groove form a water resistant housing when the tongue  108  is pressed into the groove  112 .  
         [0031]      FIG. 3  illustrates a side cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the GFI connector  100 . The GFI  122  is configured to receive electrical cords  121  through the restrainers  124  and  126 , along a groove  300  and into a cavity  302  to connect a male connector to a female  304  connection of the GFI  122  or to connect a female plug to a male portion  306  of the GFI  122 . The top section  104  shuts over the electrical cords  121  to form a tight water resistant seal to prevent moisture from entering the cavity  302  and ultimately to prevent moisture from contacting the electrical male  306  and female plugs  304 , thus preventing electrocution of workers using this device in water laden environments.  
         [0032]     The GFI  122  may be removed from the GFI connector  100  to be plugged directly into an electrical connector that would normally not fit within the housing, i.e. a wall socket would not fit into the housing  102 . Consequently, the GFI  122  would lose the advantage of being water resistant; however, the GFI  122  would gain the advantage of versatility. Specifically, the GFI  122  may be used in water laden environments when installed within the housing  102 , and it may be removed to be used with any type of electrical device when moisture may not be considered a significant threat.  
         [0033]     It is noted that there are innumerable variations that could be undertaken in the design of the described invention once a skilled artisan has read the attached specification. For example, the restrainers  124  and  126  are shaped to fit electrical cords  121 , and the restrainers  124  and  126  include slanted sections  208  for fitting electrical plugs. However, a skilled artisan would envision many types of shapes that may be carved into the restrainers  124  and  126  to accommodate the electrical cords  121  and the plugs. For example, a form fitting cavity  302  may be used. Additionally, the restrainers  124  and  126  may extend all the way into the housing  102 , thus eliminating most of the cavity  302  and only making enough room for the plugs.  
         [0034]     Another design choice is the inclusion of control buttons  118  inside the housing  102 . Specifically, the control buttons  118  may not be actuatable from the outside of the housing  102 . It would be necessary to open the housing  102  to reset or test the GFI  122 . Additionally, although two control buttons  118  are illustrated, there are any combination of control buttons  118  that may exist. For example, the test “T” button may be eliminated and there may only be the reset “R” button. More buttons may also exist as the need dictates.  
         [0035]     A skilled artisan will realize that although only an elementary illustration has been made for securing the top and bottom sections  104  and  106  of the housing  102 , there are, in fact, a plethora of design choices available. The main goal of any connection means utilized will be the retardation of moisture from gaining access to the interior of the housing  102  to prevent electrical shortages. For example, foam, rubber or gasket type material may be used around the edges of the housing  102 , or locking type designs may be utilized. There may be hinges, snaps, clasps, sliding portions etc.  
         [0036]     Although the first and second section  104  and  106  are illustrated as having separate restrainers  124  and  126 , it is contemplated to make the housing  102  as one continuous unit. Specifically, the entire housing  102  may be made of a pliable material that would seal against the electrical cords when the first and second sections  104  and  106  are closed together.  
         [0037]     It is noted that no device can be made to both open and close and to have passageways from the exterior to the interior and have a completely moisture proof design without encountering significant costs. Therefore, the present invention incorporates a GFI  22 , which deactivates the electrical flow when water is sufficiently accumulated to cause potential electrocution of persons coming in contact with the exposed water.  
         [0038]     It is noted that the restrainers  124  and  126  do not have to be attached to the housing  102 , they could be friction fit into the housing  102 , i.e. wedged into place. The restrainers  124  and  126  may also be glued down to get a tight seal around the electrical cords  121 .  
         [0039]     The restrainers  124  and  126  may appear level to the edges of the first and second sections  104  and  106  or as forming a canal with the same diameter as the openings  120  when the restrainers  124  and  126  unite, however, skilled artisans would realize that having a smaller diameter on the restrainers  124  and  126  would be beneficial to further prevent moisture seepage along the passageway used by the electrical cord  121  to have access to the GFI  122 . Thus, closing of the top and bottom sections  104  and  106  would cause the restrainers  124  and  126  to squeeze around the electrical cords  121  to form a tighter fit.  
         [0040]     Although the specification discusses the use of lights within the GFI  122  to indicate the status of the GFI  122 , it is envisioned that the GFI connector may include other locations for the lights. The lights may be mounted on the exterior of the housing or they may be placed to be viewable through the transparent first housing section  104  and placed next to the control buttons  118 .  
         [0041]     Additionally, the specification discusses the use of a transparent first housing section  104 . It is envisioned that the entire housing  102  may be transparent or that just a portion of the housing  102  be transparent.  
         [0042]     Numerous other modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements. Thus, while the present invention has been described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications are contemplated.