CA2239573A1 - Combined grounded and ungrounded receptacles in common housing - Google Patents
Combined grounded and ungrounded receptacles in common housing Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2239573A1 CA2239573A1 CA 2239573 CA2239573A CA2239573A1 CA 2239573 A1 CA2239573 A1 CA 2239573A1 CA 2239573 CA2239573 CA 2239573 CA 2239573 A CA2239573 A CA 2239573A CA 2239573 A1 CA2239573 A1 CA 2239573A1
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- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- prong
- receptacles
- line
- contacts
- receptacle
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Abstract
A multiple receptacle strip containing one or more ungrounded two prong electrical plug receptacles and a grounded three prong electrical plug receptacle. The like contacts of the ungrounded and grounded receptacles are connected to a common bus bar and the ground terminal of the grounded receptacle is connected to an isolated ground.
Description
Docket No.: 0267-001-1194 COMBINED GROUNDED AND UNGROUNDED
RECEPTACLES IN COMMON HOUSING
Inventor: James N. Pearse BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention The invention is directed to multiple receptacles and more particularly multiple receptacles in a common housing.
Description of the Prior Art Presently known arrangements of electrical receptacles in a common housing or strip employ all grounded receptacles or all non-grounded receptacles making it difficult to use the same receptacle strip for devices which have the three-prong plug and those with the two-prong plug. To use a three prong plug with a receptacle arranged for a two prong plug requires the use of an adapter and a ground connection for the three prong plug. The use of such adapters severely limits the available receptacles in, for example, a single gang box.
The vast majority of cord and plug connected equipment and appliances used in dwellings are supplied by two wire electrical cords terminating in two prong plugs. These include floor, table and swag lamps, TV's, VCR's, radios, vacuum cleaners, clocks, flat irons, toasters, toaster ovens, cooking appliances, coffee grinders and makers, food mixers and processors, food warmers, electric knives, can openers, night lights, pencil sharpeners, telephone equipment and the like. It is difficult to find an appliance with a three wire electrical cord and three-prong plug around a home and the newer versions of these devices tend to be double insulated and employ a two cord, two prong plug.
Also, rechargeable battery-operated kitchen appliances, flashlights and cordless phones are supplied by chargers which are permanently mounted and constantly plugged into a receptacle, making the receptacles unavailable as "convenience outlets," for which they are originally designed.
This continuing trend has led to shortages of available receptacles in dwellings and an increased use of temporary wiring, frequently leading to unsafe temporary wiring practices. The need is not so great for more grounding receptacles, as it is for more receptacles.
With the prior art approaches it is not possible to get one or more grounding receptacles in the same strip as one or more non-grounding receptacles.
The extensive use in modern dwellings of grounded receptacles limits the availability of receptacles to handle those devices which do not need grounded receptacles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The instant invention overcomes the difficulties noted above with respect to prior art receptacle strips and satisfies the need for available two-wire two-prong plug receptacles and three-wire three-prong plug receptacles which can be combined to fit into standard sized gang boxes and in receptacle strips.
For example, in the space available in a single standard sized gang box two two-wire-two prong plug receptacles can be placed along with a single three-wire-three prong plug receptacle. A first common bus can be used to couple together the phase contacts of all three receptacles and a second common bus can be used to couple together the three neutral contacts of all three receptacles. Only the three-wire-three-prong plug receptacle ground contact is arranged to be connected to a grounding conductor. It is an object of this invention to provide a receptacle arrangement in a common housing which includes two-wire two-prong plug receptacles and three wire-three prong plug receptacles.
It is another object of the invention to combine in a single housing grounded and ungrounded receptacles.
Other objects and features of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principles of the invention, and the best modes presently contemplated for carrying them out.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings in which similar elements are given similar reference characters:
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a combined grounded and ungrounded receptacles in a common housing in accordance with the concepts of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a side elevation of combined receptacles of FIG. l and showing a single gang box into which the combined receptacles can be placed and having a cut-away comer to shown the means of attachment to such box.
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the device of FIG. 1 with the tabs and top removed to show the interior structure.
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of device of FIG. 1 with the tabs and top removed to show an alternative interior structure.
FIGS. 5 to 10 are top plan views of alternative arrangements of the grounded and ungrounded receptacles which can be provided in accordance with the concepts of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a first form of a device constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention is shown. A multi-receptacle strip 20 is made up of a base 22 and a cover 24 suitably joined by adhesives, sonic welding etc. to the base 22. The top surface 26 of the cover 24, also termed a face plate, has three sets of plug prong openings 28, 30 and 32.
The corresponding plug prong openings of a set will be referred to as a receptacle for ease of description. Each set of openings is made up of longer opening 28a, 30a and 32a and a standard opening 28b, 30b and 32b. Because of the difference in length between openings 28a and 28b, a polarized two prong plug with one wide prong and one narrow prong (not shown) can only be plugged in one orientation and the prong openings are considered polarized and thus maintain the correct orientation of the receptacle and the device plugged in. Although the strip 20 shows the plug prong openings in alignment, other configurations, such as circular are considered to be included in the term strip. In addition to the standard opening 32b, longer opening 32a, the plug prong openings 32 include a generally semi-circular opening 32c for the ground prong often termed the U-ground of a three prong, grounded plug (not shown).
Extending from each end of strip 20 is a tab 34 having two substantially circular, apertured ears 36. The ears 36 can be retained on the tab 34 and used to mount strip 20 to a wall, gang box or the like, used to stabilize the strip 20 in a gang box or removed as by twisting about a reduced thickness neck 3 8. The strip 20 is mounted to the threaded apertures in the ears 46 of a standard, single gang box 44 using a threaded fastener 42 passed through slot 40 in tab 34.
Three terminal screws 60, 62 and 64 are visible on the side panel 23 of base 22, to connected electrical conductors (not shown) to the contacts of the receptacles.
The bared ends of conductors or fork terminal or ring terminal terminated conductors will be placed about the terminal screws which will be tightened to secure the conductors in place.
Referring now to FIG. 3, the contacts 28e, 30e and 32e which receive the longer prong of the electrical plug are connected by a bus bar 48 which in turn receives the terminal screw 60. The contacts adjacent the standard sized prong openings 28f, 30f and 30f are connected by a bus bar 50 which in turn receives the terminal screw 62. The contacts 32g which receives the ground prong of a plug is connected by a bus bar 52 to terminal screw 64. With this arrangement receptacles 28 and 30 are two prong plug receptacles which do not have an isolated ground and receptacle 32 is a three prong plug receptacle which is grounded.
FIG. 4 shows another arrangement of the bus bars and terminal screws which also provides two ungrounded and one grounded receptacle.
Contacts 28e, 30e and 32e are connected by a bus bar 72 to terminal screw 60 which is mounted on side panel 23 as in FIG. 3. Contacts 28f, 30f and 32f are connected by a bus bar 74 to a terminal screw 66 mounted on the opposite side panel 25. Contacts 32g are connected by bus bar 76 to a terminal screw 68 located in the bottom panel 27.
In addition to the orientation shown in FIG. l, the longer prong plug openings 28a, 30a and 32a and standard openings 28b, 30b and 32b can be reversed as shown in FIG. 5. The receptacle 32 can be inverted as in FIG. 6, placed on its side, right facing in FIG. 7 or placed on its side left facing as in FIG.
8. The face plate 26 in FIG. 1 is flat but the face plate 80 can be made generally flat with raised portions about the prong plug openings of each receptacle.
The raised portion 82 surrounds openings 28a, 28b of receptacle 28 and is generally rectangular with rounded corners. Similar raised portions 84 and 86 surround the prong plug openings of receptacles 30 and 32. The same arrangements of raised portions with intermediate and marginal flat regions shown in FIG. 9 can be employed with the receptacle arrangements of FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. The raised portions can be more barrel-shaped as shown by raised portions 92 about receptacle 28, 94 about receptacle 30 and 96 about receptacle 32 of the otherwise flat face plate 90. The same arrangement can also be used with the receptacle arrangements of FIGS. 6, 7 and 8.
While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the presently preferred embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes of the form and details of the devices illustrated and in their operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention.
RECEPTACLES IN COMMON HOUSING
Inventor: James N. Pearse BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention The invention is directed to multiple receptacles and more particularly multiple receptacles in a common housing.
Description of the Prior Art Presently known arrangements of electrical receptacles in a common housing or strip employ all grounded receptacles or all non-grounded receptacles making it difficult to use the same receptacle strip for devices which have the three-prong plug and those with the two-prong plug. To use a three prong plug with a receptacle arranged for a two prong plug requires the use of an adapter and a ground connection for the three prong plug. The use of such adapters severely limits the available receptacles in, for example, a single gang box.
The vast majority of cord and plug connected equipment and appliances used in dwellings are supplied by two wire electrical cords terminating in two prong plugs. These include floor, table and swag lamps, TV's, VCR's, radios, vacuum cleaners, clocks, flat irons, toasters, toaster ovens, cooking appliances, coffee grinders and makers, food mixers and processors, food warmers, electric knives, can openers, night lights, pencil sharpeners, telephone equipment and the like. It is difficult to find an appliance with a three wire electrical cord and three-prong plug around a home and the newer versions of these devices tend to be double insulated and employ a two cord, two prong plug.
Also, rechargeable battery-operated kitchen appliances, flashlights and cordless phones are supplied by chargers which are permanently mounted and constantly plugged into a receptacle, making the receptacles unavailable as "convenience outlets," for which they are originally designed.
This continuing trend has led to shortages of available receptacles in dwellings and an increased use of temporary wiring, frequently leading to unsafe temporary wiring practices. The need is not so great for more grounding receptacles, as it is for more receptacles.
With the prior art approaches it is not possible to get one or more grounding receptacles in the same strip as one or more non-grounding receptacles.
The extensive use in modern dwellings of grounded receptacles limits the availability of receptacles to handle those devices which do not need grounded receptacles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The instant invention overcomes the difficulties noted above with respect to prior art receptacle strips and satisfies the need for available two-wire two-prong plug receptacles and three-wire three-prong plug receptacles which can be combined to fit into standard sized gang boxes and in receptacle strips.
For example, in the space available in a single standard sized gang box two two-wire-two prong plug receptacles can be placed along with a single three-wire-three prong plug receptacle. A first common bus can be used to couple together the phase contacts of all three receptacles and a second common bus can be used to couple together the three neutral contacts of all three receptacles. Only the three-wire-three-prong plug receptacle ground contact is arranged to be connected to a grounding conductor. It is an object of this invention to provide a receptacle arrangement in a common housing which includes two-wire two-prong plug receptacles and three wire-three prong plug receptacles.
It is another object of the invention to combine in a single housing grounded and ungrounded receptacles.
Other objects and features of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principles of the invention, and the best modes presently contemplated for carrying them out.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings in which similar elements are given similar reference characters:
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a combined grounded and ungrounded receptacles in a common housing in accordance with the concepts of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a side elevation of combined receptacles of FIG. l and showing a single gang box into which the combined receptacles can be placed and having a cut-away comer to shown the means of attachment to such box.
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the device of FIG. 1 with the tabs and top removed to show the interior structure.
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of device of FIG. 1 with the tabs and top removed to show an alternative interior structure.
FIGS. 5 to 10 are top plan views of alternative arrangements of the grounded and ungrounded receptacles which can be provided in accordance with the concepts of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a first form of a device constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention is shown. A multi-receptacle strip 20 is made up of a base 22 and a cover 24 suitably joined by adhesives, sonic welding etc. to the base 22. The top surface 26 of the cover 24, also termed a face plate, has three sets of plug prong openings 28, 30 and 32.
The corresponding plug prong openings of a set will be referred to as a receptacle for ease of description. Each set of openings is made up of longer opening 28a, 30a and 32a and a standard opening 28b, 30b and 32b. Because of the difference in length between openings 28a and 28b, a polarized two prong plug with one wide prong and one narrow prong (not shown) can only be plugged in one orientation and the prong openings are considered polarized and thus maintain the correct orientation of the receptacle and the device plugged in. Although the strip 20 shows the plug prong openings in alignment, other configurations, such as circular are considered to be included in the term strip. In addition to the standard opening 32b, longer opening 32a, the plug prong openings 32 include a generally semi-circular opening 32c for the ground prong often termed the U-ground of a three prong, grounded plug (not shown).
Extending from each end of strip 20 is a tab 34 having two substantially circular, apertured ears 36. The ears 36 can be retained on the tab 34 and used to mount strip 20 to a wall, gang box or the like, used to stabilize the strip 20 in a gang box or removed as by twisting about a reduced thickness neck 3 8. The strip 20 is mounted to the threaded apertures in the ears 46 of a standard, single gang box 44 using a threaded fastener 42 passed through slot 40 in tab 34.
Three terminal screws 60, 62 and 64 are visible on the side panel 23 of base 22, to connected electrical conductors (not shown) to the contacts of the receptacles.
The bared ends of conductors or fork terminal or ring terminal terminated conductors will be placed about the terminal screws which will be tightened to secure the conductors in place.
Referring now to FIG. 3, the contacts 28e, 30e and 32e which receive the longer prong of the electrical plug are connected by a bus bar 48 which in turn receives the terminal screw 60. The contacts adjacent the standard sized prong openings 28f, 30f and 30f are connected by a bus bar 50 which in turn receives the terminal screw 62. The contacts 32g which receives the ground prong of a plug is connected by a bus bar 52 to terminal screw 64. With this arrangement receptacles 28 and 30 are two prong plug receptacles which do not have an isolated ground and receptacle 32 is a three prong plug receptacle which is grounded.
FIG. 4 shows another arrangement of the bus bars and terminal screws which also provides two ungrounded and one grounded receptacle.
Contacts 28e, 30e and 32e are connected by a bus bar 72 to terminal screw 60 which is mounted on side panel 23 as in FIG. 3. Contacts 28f, 30f and 32f are connected by a bus bar 74 to a terminal screw 66 mounted on the opposite side panel 25. Contacts 32g are connected by bus bar 76 to a terminal screw 68 located in the bottom panel 27.
In addition to the orientation shown in FIG. l, the longer prong plug openings 28a, 30a and 32a and standard openings 28b, 30b and 32b can be reversed as shown in FIG. 5. The receptacle 32 can be inverted as in FIG. 6, placed on its side, right facing in FIG. 7 or placed on its side left facing as in FIG.
8. The face plate 26 in FIG. 1 is flat but the face plate 80 can be made generally flat with raised portions about the prong plug openings of each receptacle.
The raised portion 82 surrounds openings 28a, 28b of receptacle 28 and is generally rectangular with rounded corners. Similar raised portions 84 and 86 surround the prong plug openings of receptacles 30 and 32. The same arrangements of raised portions with intermediate and marginal flat regions shown in FIG. 9 can be employed with the receptacle arrangements of FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. The raised portions can be more barrel-shaped as shown by raised portions 92 about receptacle 28, 94 about receptacle 30 and 96 about receptacle 32 of the otherwise flat face plate 90. The same arrangement can also be used with the receptacle arrangements of FIGS. 6, 7 and 8.
While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the presently preferred embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes of the form and details of the devices illustrated and in their operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Claims (8)
1. A multiple receptacle strip to receive the prongs of at least two electrical plugs comprising:
a) a first receptacle portion having a first set of contacts to receive one prong of a first inserted two prong electrical plug and be connected to one line of a two line electrical circuit and a second set of contacts to receive the other prong of said first inserted two prong electrical plug and be connected to the other line of said two line electrical circuit; and b) a second receptacle portion having a third set of contacts to receive one prong of an inserted free prong electrical plug and be connected to said one line of a two line electrical circuit, a fourth set of contacts to receive a second prong of said inserted three prong electrical plug and be connected to the other line of said two line electrical circuit and a fifth set of contacts to receive the third prong of said inserted three prong electrical plug and be connected to an isolated ground.
a) a first receptacle portion having a first set of contacts to receive one prong of a first inserted two prong electrical plug and be connected to one line of a two line electrical circuit and a second set of contacts to receive the other prong of said first inserted two prong electrical plug and be connected to the other line of said two line electrical circuit; and b) a second receptacle portion having a third set of contacts to receive one prong of an inserted free prong electrical plug and be connected to said one line of a two line electrical circuit, a fourth set of contacts to receive a second prong of said inserted three prong electrical plug and be connected to the other line of said two line electrical circuit and a fifth set of contacts to receive the third prong of said inserted three prong electrical plug and be connected to an isolated ground.
2. A multiple receptacle strip, as defined in Claim 1, further comprising:
a) a third receptacle portion having a sixth set of contacts to receive one prong of a second inserted two prong electrical plug and be connected to said one line of said two line electrical circuit and a seventh set of contacts to receive the other prong of said second inserted two prong electrical plug and be connected to said other line of said two line electrical circuit.
a) a third receptacle portion having a sixth set of contacts to receive one prong of a second inserted two prong electrical plug and be connected to said one line of said two line electrical circuit and a seventh set of contacts to receive the other prong of said second inserted two prong electrical plug and be connected to said other line of said two line electrical circuit.
3. A multiple receptacle strip as defined in Claim 1, wherein said first and third sets of contacts are connected to one another and said one line of said two line electrical conductor.
4. A multiple receptacle strip as defined in Claim 1, wherein said second and fourth sets of contacts are connected to one another and said other line of said two line electrical circuit.
5. A multiple receptacle strip as defined in Claim 3, wherein said second and fourth sets of contacts are connected to one another and said other line of said two line electrical circuit.
6. A multiple receptacle strip as defined in Claim 2, wherein said first, third and sixth sets of contacts are connected to one another and said one line of said two line electrical conductor.
7. A multiple receptacle strip as defined in Claim 2, wherein said second, fourth and seventh sets of contacts are connected to one another and said other line of said two line electrical circuit.
8. A multiple receptacle strip as defined in Claim 6, wherein said second, fourth and seventh sets of contacts are connected to one another and said other line of said two line electrical circuit.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US87007897A | 1997-06-05 | 1997-06-05 | |
| US08/870,078 | 1997-06-05 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2239573A1 true CA2239573A1 (en) | 1998-12-05 |
Family
ID=25354757
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2239573 Abandoned CA2239573A1 (en) | 1997-06-05 | 1998-06-03 | Combined grounded and ungrounded receptacles in common housing |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2239573A1 (en) |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US7938676B1 (en) | 2009-10-30 | 2011-05-10 | Leviton Mfg. Co. | Receptacle with antenna |
| US8011937B2 (en) | 2002-09-17 | 2011-09-06 | Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc. | Unitary member with multiple outlets having surge protection circuitry |
| USRE43156E1 (en) | 2002-06-06 | 2012-02-07 | Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc. | Receptacle with shaped surface |
-
1998
- 1998-06-03 CA CA 2239573 patent/CA2239573A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USRE43156E1 (en) | 2002-06-06 | 2012-02-07 | Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc. | Receptacle with shaped surface |
| US8011937B2 (en) | 2002-09-17 | 2011-09-06 | Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc. | Unitary member with multiple outlets having surge protection circuitry |
| US7938676B1 (en) | 2009-10-30 | 2011-05-10 | Leviton Mfg. Co. | Receptacle with antenna |
| US8105094B2 (en) | 2009-10-30 | 2012-01-31 | Leviton Mfg. Co. | Receptacle with antenna |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEER | Examination request | ||
| FZDE | Dead |