Patent ID: 7320613

Claim:
A female locking electrical outlet comprising: an outlet body having at least one pair of slots for apertured prongs of a male electrical plug; a pair of receptacles for each of the at least one pair of slots respectively mounted within said outlet body and each receptacle having flanges for receiving electrical leads, and an outer arm and inner arm for making electrical contact with one of the apertured prongs of the electrical plug; a locking member having inner ends inwardly angled toward a longitudinal axis of the outlet and locking tabs for each of said receptacles, said locking member positioned between the outer arms of said receptacles so that said locking tabs are positional within apertures in the prongs to place said outlet in a locked position when an the electrical plug is connected to the outlet; and at least one unlocking mechanism within said outlet body having a release button and a release member for engaging said locking member and to transition said locking member from the locked position to an unlocked position, said release member having tapered ends joined to said release button that a user urges toward the pair of slots during the transition from the locked position to the unlocked position causing the tapered ends of said release member to press inward on the inner ends of said locking member and to cause said locking tabs to move toward the longitudinal axis of the outlet.