Patent Description:
Marine vessels have electrical systems powered by one or more batteries storing electrical power on the boat. The batteries require charging and an on-board marine battery charging system is installed on many marine vessels. On-board marine battery chargers are configured to connect to shore power and facilitate charging the batteries thereby. The marine battery chargers have a cable with a male plug end configured to plug into a shore power outlet or an extension cord that connects to a shore power source. Similarly, many types of systems and vehicles incorporate a battery and on-board charging system that requires connection to a power outlet, the battery chargers having a cable with a male plug end configured to plug into the power outlet or an extension cord that connects to a power source.

<CIT> describes a waterproof bushing connector assembly comprising a waterproof bushing receptacle connector and a waterproof bushing plug connector engaged detachably with the waterproof bushing receptacle connector.

<CIT> describes a plug device for a standard electrical or optical connection cord provided at an end with a cord plug having a body which includes an external mechanical latch. The plug device comprises a plug body and a packing body. The plug device comprises further a link part having a first end for connecting with the plug body, and a second end for connecting with the packing body.

<CIT> describes a protective sleeve for an electrical cable. The protective sleeve comprises a removable cover.

The invention relates to a plug holder for installing a male plug end of a marine battery charger on a marine vessel includes an outer housing, a removable sleeve, and a backstop. The outer housing has a front end defining a plug opening and a back end defining a back opening. The plug holder further comprises a flange on the front end of the outer housing, and the flange is configured to connect to a surface of a vessel hull so as to attach the outer housing to the vessel hull and wherein the outer housing is configured to hold a male plug end of the marine battery charger within the outer housing such that it is accessible through the plug opening. The removable sleeve fits within the outer housing and is shaped to secure the male plug end within the outer housing, by the removable sleeve being configured to pinch sides of the male plug end, such that it does not move when connecting or disconnecting to the male plug end. The backstop is removably connectable to the back end of the outer housing to cover the back opening. The backstop is configured to retain the removable sleeve and the male plug end within the outer housing.

In another embodiment, the plug holder according to the invention comprises at least one key element provided on the removable sleeve that is configured to mate with a corresponding key element on an inner wall of the outer housing. The key element and the corresponding key element are configured to require that the removable sleeve can only be inserted into the outer housing in a predefined orientation that maintains the male plug end in the upright orientation, and wherein the outer housing and the backstop are also configured such that the male plug end can be maintained loosely within the outer housing without the removable sleeve.

Present inventors have recognized that current devices and systems for installing plug ends of battery chargers on marine vessels and other vehicle types are deficient and problematic. For example, available plug holders do not fixedly hold plug ends, such as a male plug end of a marine battery charger, and thus the plug end moves around and/or exits the plug holder when the user is connecting and disconnecting to the plug end. For example, many current plug holder designs do not have a mechanism that retains the plug end in the holder when a user disconnects from the plug end, such as disconnects a female extension cord end from the male plug end, and thus the male plug end pulls out of the plug holder during disconnection. This requires the user to engage in a multi-step process whereby the user pulls on the extension cord and pulls the male plug end of the cord out of the holder, and must disconnect the male and female plug ends using two hands. The user must then push the male plug end back into the plug holder. Other solutions have provided a plate or other element in front of the male plug end to retain it in the holder, which has the undesirable effect of shortening the pin length by placing a non-conductive part between the male and female plug ends. While the examples described herein are with respect to installation on a marine vessel, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the systems and devices described herein may be installed on any type of vehicle or vessel and that such embodiments are within the scope of the present disclosure.

The inventors have recognized additional problems with current plug holders, including that current plug holders do not accommodate multiple plug geometries of many different styles. Thus, the inventors endeavored to develop a universal AC plug holder for installing a plug end of a marine battery charger onto a marine vessel that could be used with any of multiple different plug geometries and that securely holds the plug end within the holder such that the plug end is held stable during connection and disconnection thereto.

<FIG> depict embodiments of plug holders according to the present disclosure. <FIG> depicts a plug holder <NUM> installed onto a surface <NUM> on a marine vessel. The plug holder <NUM> holds and installs a male plug end <NUM> of a marine battery charger onto the marine vessel such that a user can easily connect and disconnect to the male plug end <NUM> and the male plug end <NUM> will be held in place within the plug holder <NUM>. The male plug end <NUM> is accessible through a plug opening <NUM>. The plug holder <NUM> has an outer housing <NUM> that is fixedly connected to the flat surface <NUM> on the vessel by a number of screws <NUM>. The screws <NUM> penetrate through a flange <NUM> of the outer housing <NUM>. The flange <NUM> is configured with screw divots <NUM> on a front face <NUM> of the flange <NUM>, which each accommodate a screw <NUM>. In the depicted embodiment, three screws <NUM> are utilized to secure the plug holder <NUM> to the surface <NUM>. In other embodiments, a lesser or greater number of screws may be utilized.

Referring also to <FIG>, the plug holder <NUM> has an elongated cylindrical body comprised of an outer housing <NUM> and a backstop <NUM>. The flange <NUM> is connected to and extends from a front end <NUM> of the outer housing <NUM> and is configured to connect to the surface <NUM> of the marine vessel. In the depicted embodiment, a back face <NUM> (<FIG> and <FIG>) of the flange <NUM> opposes the surface <NUM> and the cylindrical outer housing <NUM> extends through a circular hole in the surface such that the plug holder <NUM> installs the male plug end <NUM> onto the surface <NUM> of the vessel hull, making the plug end easily accessible and protected from the harsh marine environment. The plug holder <NUM> includes a cover element <NUM> having a cover piece <NUM> that closes off and covers the plug opening <NUM>. Specifically, the cover piece <NUM> has a connection edge <NUM> configured to connect with the front end <NUM> of the outer housing <NUM> so as to close off the plug opening <NUM> to protect the plug end <NUM>. In the depicted embodiment, the connection edge <NUM> of the cover piece <NUM> includes ridges <NUM>, such as comprised of a flexible plastic or rubbery material, configured to provide a friction fit with the first inner circumference <NUM> of the front end <NUM> of the outer housing <NUM>. For example, the cover piece <NUM> may fit tightly to the housing <NUM> provide a waterproof or watertight seal with the front end <NUM> of the outer housing <NUM>.

The cover element <NUM> includes a tab <NUM> configured to allow a user to grip the cover piece <NUM> in order to open and close the cover piece <NUM> over the plug opening <NUM>. The cover element <NUM> further includes a tether <NUM> connecting the cover piece <NUM> to the rest of the plug holder <NUM>. The tether <NUM> includes a flexible extender <NUM> that bends to allow the cover piece <NUM> to connect with the front end <NUM>. The tether <NUM> may be made from a specific durometer rubber material such that the tether <NUM> forms a gasket between face <NUM> and the mounting surface <NUM>. The tether <NUM> further includes a loop <NUM> that is configured to connect around the outer housing <NUM>, wherein the extender <NUM> extends from the loop <NUM> and may form the sealing gasket required to keep water from getting inside the mounting surface <NUM>. The loop <NUM> has an inner diameter that is configured to slide over the back end <NUM> and length of the outer housing <NUM>. The tether <NUM> has a front face <NUM> that abuts the back face <NUM> of the flange <NUM> (see <FIG> and <FIG>). Thereby, the cover element <NUM> is fixedly mounted between the flange <NUM> and the surface <NUM> on the marine vessel.

The plug holder <NUM> generally includes the outer housing <NUM>, a removable sleeve <NUM> configured to fit within the outer housing <NUM>, and a backstop <NUM> removably connectable to the back end <NUM> of the outer housing <NUM> and configured to retain the removable sleeve <NUM> within the outer housing <NUM>. Certain embodiments of the plug holder <NUM> may also include the cover element <NUM> as shown and described herein. The removable sleeve <NUM> is shaped to secure the plug end <NUM> within the outer housing <NUM>. The plug end <NUM> may be a male plug end having hot and neutral prongs <NUM> and a ground post <NUM>, as may be provided in any of the various standard plug arrangements. The plug end <NUM> has a molded plastic head having a substantially flat top side and two substantially flat sides <NUM> extending perpendicular from the top side. While plug heads may take on various shapes, the shape depicted in <FIG> depicts a typical male plug head configuration. The plug head has a rounded bottom <NUM> that holds and accommodates the ground post <NUM>.

It is standard that plug heads be maintained in an upright orientation, which is the orientation shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. The inventors have recognized that the upright orientation is highly preferred by users. Additionally, the inventors have recognized that current plug holders permit installation of plug heads in various positions, such as sideways or upside down, which is undesirable to the user. Accordingly, the inventors developed the plug holder disclosed herein which has features that prevent the installation of the plug end in an incorrect orientation where the plug end is not in the standard upright orientation. The plug holder <NUM> is configured to require and maintain the plug end <NUM> in the upright orientation where the prongs <NUM> are positioned horizontally with respect to one another and above the ground post <NUM>, which is orientated at the <NUM> o'clock position. Assuring correct upward orientation of the cover provides an additional benefit of protecting the mounting surface. Where the cover opens upwards against gravity such that when it is released it falls down partially covering plug connection or the hole <NUM> to prevent or reduce downward rain entry into the mounting surface <NUM> through the plug opening <NUM>.

The removable sleeve <NUM> is an elongated c-shaped element with an opening <NUM> at a top side thereof. The opening <NUM> is sized to allow the removable sleeve <NUM> to slide onto and over the cord <NUM> such that it can then be slid over the male plug end <NUM>. In one embodiment, the opening <NUM> has a width between <NUM> to <NUM>. The removable sleeve <NUM> is shaped to fit snuggly around the plug end <NUM> so as to hold it in place within the outer housing <NUM>. The removable sleeve <NUM> wraps around the male plug end <NUM>. The c-shaped removable sleeve <NUM> has a front end <NUM> and a back end <NUM> and a cavity <NUM> shaped to receive the plug end <NUM>. The removable sleeve <NUM> is configured to slide into the outer housing <NUM>, wherein the front end <NUM> slides through the back opening <NUM> at the back end <NUM> of the outer housing <NUM>, and toward the front end <NUM> of the outer housing <NUM>. Prior to sliding the removable sleeve <NUM> into the outer housing <NUM>, the removable sleeve <NUM> is slid onto the plug end <NUM>, and the assembled pair is inserted into the outer housing <NUM>. The cavity <NUM> has a bottom edge <NUM> configured to accommodate the bottom <NUM> of the plug end <NUM>.

The c-shaped removable sleeve <NUM> is compressible in order to pinch the sides of the male plug end <NUM> and provide strong frictional engagement with the plug end <NUM> and maintain it in place when connecting or disconnecting thereto. As best shown in <FIG>, the outer housing <NUM> has tapered inner walls <NUM> that are configured to compress the c-shaped removable sleeve <NUM> as the removable sleeve <NUM> slides toward the front end <NUM> of the outer housing <NUM>. The compression on the removable sleeve <NUM> causes the removable sleeve to pinch the plug end <NUM>, and particularly compresses the side edges 45a and 45b against the sides 5a and 5b, respectively, of the plug end <NUM>. This frictional engagement prevents the plug end <NUM> from being pulled outward out of the removable sleeve <NUM> and/or the outer housing <NUM> when a female end is disconnected from the male plug end <NUM>.

Referring also to <FIG>, the removable sleeve <NUM> has a collar <NUM> at the back end <NUM> that is configured to engage a back lip <NUM> of the plug end <NUM> and to prevent the plug end <NUM> from moving backward within the removable sleeve <NUM> and/or the outer housing <NUM> when connecting a female plug end thereto. Specifically, a back lip <NUM> of the collar <NUM> engages the back lip <NUM> of the plug end <NUM> to resist backward force imposed upon the plug end <NUM>, such as during connection, and generally to maintain the plug end <NUM> tightly within the plug holder <NUM>.

The plug holder <NUM> includes a backstop <NUM> removably connectable to the back end <NUM> of the outer housing <NUM> to cover the back opening <NUM> thereof. The backstop <NUM> has a front end <NUM> and a back end <NUM>, where the front end <NUM> slides into the back end <NUM> of the outer housing <NUM>. The back end <NUM> of the backstop <NUM> has a back face <NUM> that forms an outer backside of the plug holder <NUM> and a front face <NUM> that engages the back end <NUM> of the sleeve <NUM>. Thereby, the backstop <NUM> is configured to tightly hold the removable sleeve <NUM> within the outer housing <NUM>. Any backward force on the removable sleeve <NUM> may be transferred to the backstop <NUM>, which is secured to the back end <NUM> of the outer housing <NUM>. In the depicted example, the backstop <NUM> is secured to the outer housing <NUM> via threaded engagement between the threads <NUM> on the backstop and threads <NUM> on the outer housing <NUM>. Thus, attachment of the backstop <NUM> includes screwing the backstop onto the back end <NUM> of the outer housing <NUM>.

As described above, the removable sleeve <NUM> is configured to receive the plug end <NUM> only in an upright orientation, and the plug holder <NUM> is generally configured to only enable installation of the plug end in the upright orientation. To that end, the removable sleeve <NUM> has a key element configured to mate with a corresponding key element on an inner wall <NUM> of the outer housing <NUM>. The key element and the corresponding key element are configured to require that the removable sleeve can only be inserted in to the outer housing <NUM> in a predefined orientation that maintains the male plug end <NUM> in an upright orientation. Various key elements may be utilized for such purpose, which are elements configured to mateably connect and have complementary shapes, and otherwise prevent the removable sleeve <NUM> from being installed into the outer housing <NUM> in an incorrect orientation. As best seen in <FIG>, the key element on the removable sleeve <NUM> may be a ridge <NUM>, such as a ridge <NUM> toward the backend <NUM> of the removable sleeve <NUM>, but ahead of the narrowed collar portion <NUM>. The corresponding key element on the outer housing <NUM> is a groove <NUM> on the inner wall <NUM> thereof. As also seen in <FIG>, the groove <NUM> is sized to accommodate the ridge <NUM>, such as having a length and a width that complement and receive the ridge <NUM>. In the depicted embodiment, the removable sleeve <NUM> has two key elements, including two ridges <NUM>, each received at a corresponding groove <NUM> on the tapered inner wall <NUM>. In other embodiments various key element configurations may be utilized.

The backstop <NUM> has an opening <NUM> that permits the cord <NUM> to extend out of the backside of the plug holder <NUM>, but prevents the plug end <NUM> from exiting, such as due to backward force thereon. In one embodiment, the plug holder <NUM> is configured such that the removable sleeve <NUM> can be removed such that the outer housing <NUM> and backstop <NUM>, alone, can maintain a plug end <NUM> therein, which may be maintained loosely depending on the configuration of the plug end. <FIG> depicts one embodiment where a large plug end <NUM>' is being inserted into the outer housing <NUM>.

<FIG> depicts a cross-sectional view of the plug end <NUM>' and plug holder <NUM>. The particular plug end <NUM>' is a proprietary plug end <NUM>' which is a Guest Connect ™ provided with the Guest Connect Battery Charger by Power Products of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. The Guest Connect plug end <NUM>' is oversized compared to most standard plug ends, and in one embodiment the outer housing <NUM> may be specifically configured to receive that plug end when the removable sleeve <NUM> is removed. Specifically, the third inner circumference <NUM> is configured to accommodate the diameter P of the plug end <NUM>' and the interior length B (see <FIG>) is configured to accommodate the length of the Guest Connect plug end <NUM>'. The plug holder <NUM> is configured such that the backstop <NUM> fits against a back edge <NUM> of the plug end <NUM>' and the opening <NUM> in the backstop <NUM> is configured to accommodate the diameter Q of the plug end <NUM>'. Specifically, the front end <NUM> of the backstop <NUM> opposes the back edge <NUM> of the plug end <NUM>' when the backstop <NUM> is screwed into the outer housing <NUM>. Thereby the plug end <NUM>' is maintained snugly within the plug holder <NUM>. To provide just one exemplary embodiment, length B may be in the range of about <NUM> to about <NUM> and the diameter G may be in the range of about <NUM> to about <NUM>.

In certain embodiments, the plug end <NUM>' and the outer housing <NUM> may include key elements configured to require that the plug end <NUM>' be inserted in an upright orientation and to maintain the plug end <NUM>' in that upright orientation. In the depicted example, the plug end <NUM> has a tab <NUM> extending outward therefrom. The outer housing <NUM> has a groove <NUM> that receives the tab <NUM>. Thus, the plug end <NUM>' can only be inserted in the orientation in which the tab <NUM> slides into the groove <NUM>, which is the upright orientation.

The outer housing <NUM> is sized to contain the entire plug end, including the prongs <NUM> and ground post <NUM> within the housing cavity. <FIG> depicts an exemplary embodiment and exemplary dimensions are provided in order to further demonstrate the specific embodiment. However, a person having ordinary skill in the art will understand in view of the disclosure that various dimensions may be provided to accommodate different plug ends <NUM>. In the example, the outer housing <NUM> has graduated circumferences <NUM>-<NUM> toward the front end which accommodate various aspects. The first inner circumference <NUM> accommodates and forms the plug opening <NUM> which has a diameter J, which in one embodiment is in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>. At the opposite side of the second inner circumference <NUM>, a stop for the removable sleeve <NUM> is provided. In one embodiment, the second circumference <NUM> has a diameter E in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>. A third inner circumference <NUM> is sized to accommodate a front end <NUM> of the removable sleeve <NUM>. In one embodiment, the third circumference <NUM> has a diameter G in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>.

As described above, the outer housing <NUM> has a tapered inner wall <NUM> configured to accommodate and compress the removable sleeve <NUM>. The tapered inner wall <NUM> narrows from an initial diameter I in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>, to the narrower diameter G described above. At the back end, the tapered inner wall <NUM> of the outer housing <NUM> has a thickness H in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>, and at the front end has a thickness F in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>. The inner diameter C of the collar <NUM> is in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>. The inner diameter D of the opening <NUM> in the backstop <NUM> is in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A plug holder (<NUM>) for installing a male plug end (<NUM>) of a marine battery charger on a marine vessel, the plug holder (<NUM>) comprising:
- an outer housing (<NUM>) having a front end (<NUM>) defining a plug opening (<NUM>) and a back end (<NUM>) defining a back opening (<NUM>);
- a removable sleeve (<NUM>) that fits within the outer housing (<NUM>) and is shaped to secure the male plug end (<NUM>) within the outer housing (<NUM>), by the removable sleeve (<NUM>) being configured to pinch sides of the male plug end (<NUM>), such that it does not move when connecting or disconnecting to the male plug end (<NUM>);
characterized in that it further comprises:
- a flange (<NUM>) on the front end of the outer housing (<NUM>), wherein the flange (<NUM>) is configured to connect to a surface of a vessel hull so as to attach the outer housing (<NUM>) to the vessel hull and wherein the outer housing is configured to hold a male plug end (<NUM>) of a marine battery charger within the outer housing (<NUM>) such that it is accessible through the plug opening (<NUM>); and
- a backstop (<NUM>) removably connectable to the back end (<NUM>) of the outer housing (<NUM>) to cover the back opening (<NUM>), wherein the backstop (<NUM>) is configured to retain the removable sleeve (<NUM>) and the male plug end (<NUM>) within the outer housing (<NUM>).