Patent ID: 7179992

Claim:
An electrical wiring device comprising: a receptacle member including a housing and a cover assembly, the cover assembly including receptacle openings configured to accommodate plug blades; a plurality of receptacle contacts disposed in the housing, a portion of which are electrically coupled to an electrical distribution system, each of the plurality of receptacle contacts being in communication with a corresponding receptacle opening; and a protective shutter mechanism disposed within the receptacle member between the receptacle openings and the plurality of receptacle contacts, the protective shutter mechanism including, at least one shutter member configured to move between a closed position and an open position, the plurality of receptacle contacts being in communication with the receptacle openings in the open position and not in communication with the receptacle openings in the closed position, and a blade detection geometry disposed on the at least one shutter member, the blade detection geometry being configured to engage a plug blade having predetermined dimensional characteristics and not engage objects not having the predetermined dimensional characteristics, the blade detection geometry being configured to move the shutter member to the open position when engaged with the plug blade having the predetermined dimensional characteristics and not move the at least one shutter member otherwise.