Patent ID: 7867036

Claim:
A plug converter ( 1 ) for changing an electrical pin configuration of an appliance plug ( 2 ), comprising an enclosure comprising a base ( 3 ), a cover ( 4 ) for the base ( 3 ), and connector pins ( 6 ) having a first electrical pin configuration on the base ( 3 ) for connecting the plug converter ( 1 ) to an electrical outlet, electrical connectors ( 9 , 10 ) within the enclosure for connection with an appliance plug ( 2 ) having a second electrical pin configuration, and connected with the connector pins ( 6 ) of the converter ( 1 ), the electrical connectors being arranged to receive conducting portions ( 14 a , 15 a ) of the appliance plug ( 2 ), and the base comprising pin retention means ( 7 , 8 ) defining a pin receiving channel with a width smaller than the width of the conducting portions of the appliance plug and the pin retention means defines shoulder ( 71 a , 72 a , 81 a , 82 a ) adjacent the electrical connectors, the shoulder being shaped such that on insertion of pins of the appliance plug into the pin receiving channel, an edge of the pins where a conducting portion of the pins meet an insulating portion of the pins, is adapted to abut the shoulder in order to resist retraction of the appliance plug from the plug converter in a direction parallel to the axis of the pins but the shoulder allows retraction in a direction transverse to the axis of the pins to maintain the conducting portions of the appliance plug in contact with the electrical connectors.