Patent ID: 7489227

Claim:
An electrical receptacle for supplying power to an electrical plug, comprising: at least one outlet for receiving load and neutral prongs of the electrical plug, the outlet having a plug prong contact pair for each of the load and neutral prongs, at least three thermal sensors for sensing temperature at respective locations in the electrical receptacle and for detecting temperature greater than a predetermined threshold, each of the thermal sensors having a bimetal and an associated spring, and a power cutoff mechanism for interrupting power to the electrical plug when at least one of the thermal sensors detects temperature greater than the predetermined threshold, the power cutoff mechanism having a shaft spring, a latch and a shot pin, wherein the shot pin is flush with an exterior of the electrical receptacle when unreleased, and when one of the bimetals reaches a temperature greater than the predetermined threshold, the bimetal releases its associated spring which moves the latch to release the shaft spring that pushes the shot pin to protrude from the exterior of the electrical receptacle.