Leviton Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Hubbell Limited

Dennis A Oddsen

Anthony C Tufano

Leslie Lindenstraus

Steve Zacharevitz

Gerd Schmieta

Paul Endres

James J Sherman

Michael Meyer

Tim Langfitt

Stephen R Kurek

Alfredo Arenas

Denise Chan-Richter

Edward Bazayev

James N Pearse

Scot J Hale

Kenneth J Brown

Tim Langfit

Jian Hua Li

Carlos E Ramirez

John Michael Eder

Christopher Rafferty

Michael John Marchetti

Pieter Loftus

Paul Kadar

Stanley R Swiencicki

Anthony T Tufano

Jian Li

An electrical receptacle is selectively coupled to a power plug, and the power plug includes a plurality of prongs insertable into the electrical receptacle. The electrical receptacle includes a contact configured to be engageable with one of the plurality of prongs, a power relay in electrical communication with the power source and the contact, and a switch electrically coupled to the power relay. The switch is moveable between a first position and a second position. The switch is biased toward the first position. The power relay is configured to disable electrical communication between the power source and the contact when the switch is positioned in the first position. The power relay is also configured to enable electrical communication between the power source and the contact in response to the one of the plurality of prongs slidably engaging the switch to move the switch into the second position.

Electrical receptacle

A triplex electrical receptacle has a flexible, compact arrangement of bus bars and phase, neutral and ground contacts associated with three outlets. Two outlets are nearest two corners of the body that share a common first side, and the third outlet is between them but closer to the opposite side of the body. A common neutral bus bar (with terminal) is connected to the neutral contacts of all three outlets. The phase bus bar (with terminal) is connected to the phase contacts of at least two of the outlets. One embodiment permanently connects the phase contact of the third outlet to the phase bus bar; another embodiment permanently isolates the third outlet, connecting its phase contact to a separate phase terminal; and an additional embodiment incorporates a separate phase terminal for the third outlet and an optionally severable connection between the third outlet and the first phase terminal.

Bus bar arrangements for multiple outlet electrical receptacles

The instant invention discloses a receptacle where the surface of the face along its width is flat in one plane and along its length has a constant radius. The shape of the face of the receptacle allows for the proper seating of an inserted plug. The receptacle is adapter to be located in a wall plate having a vertical axis of positive first differential and zero second differential, comprised of a combination of splines drawn between points of varying distance from a datum plane and zero second differential when the rate of height increase of individual splines is constant. The receptacle can be placed next to a switch, the front face of which follows the shape of the wall plate.

Receptacle with shaped surface

A wiring system includes a wiring module and a functional module. The wiring module in at least one embodiment includes elongated holes or openings which are configured to engage or lock with prongs on a functional module to create a lockable connection. The wiring module and the functional module form both a physical and an electrical connection. In another embodiment, there is an adapter which is configured to connect the wiring module and the functional module or unit together.

Modular wiring system with locking elements

A unitary body has both a plurality of outlets and protection circuitry integrated therein. An indicator device in the body provides a visual signal to indicate normal operation of the outlets. The protection circuitry may be a transient voltage surge suppressor (TVSS), a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI), and/or an integrated circuit breaker. Another indicator device provides an audible signal in accordance with failure of the protection circuit. In a particular embodiment, the body has six outlets and the protection circuitry is a transient voltage surge suppressor (TVSS). The visual signal is provided by an LED, and an alarm buzzer sounds when the TVSS is disabled.

Unitary member with multiple outlets having surge protection circuitry

An electrical receptacle with a body sized to fit in a NEMA-standard single wall box has a substantially rectangular face with phase blade openings, neutral blade openings and ground prong openings associated with respective first, second and third outlets, each outlet having a centerline passing through its ground prong opening parallel to its phase and neutral blade openings. The centerline of the first outlet is oblique to the edges of the face and oblique to the centerline of at least one other outlet. The centerlines of all of the outlets may be mutually nonparallel, and they may be mutually oblique. The centerline of the second outlet may be parallel to an edge of the face; and if so, the centerline of the third outlet may be either perpendicular to or parallel to the centerline of the second outlet. In a preferred arrangement, the centerlines are mutually nonparallel, and the ground prong openings of two of the outlets are located at corners of the face that share a common longer edge. All of the arrangements simultaneously accommodate plugs, chargers and transformers of many known sizes and types.

Multiple outlet electrical receptacle

Quick connect receptacle

The instant invention overcomes the difficulties encountered with respect to mounting electrical wiring devices to a common box and then positioning the devices relative to each other prior to attaching a wall plate. Some of the difficulties encountered are positioning the wiring devices to be in alignment with each other, locating the wiring devices to be parallel to each other, adjusting the spacing between the different devices to be equal and uniform and fixing all of the devices to be flat against the wall. The alignment pins, when engaged by the close clearance locating openings, accurately positions the wiring devices to allow a wall plate to be placed around the wiring devices without requiring any initial or subsequent adjustment. Each set of alignment pins on the alignment plate can be located on a vertical axis which accurately defines the center for the wiring device. The opening in the wiring device receives and holds captive a set of alignment pins. The alignment pins accurately position, align and locate all of the wiring devices mounted to the alignment plate, and the plate allows the wiring devices to be positioned against a flat surface.

Multifunction clips and ground/mounting strap for wiring device

Modular connector

Multiple outlet receptacle

There is disclosed structure which overcomes the deficiencies with respect to prior art devices by providing a wiring device such as a switch having a paddle that pivots about its upper end and is biased to assume the same at rest position when either in its on position or off position. Repeated pressing and releasing the lower portion of the face of the switch paddle alternately closes and opens a set of contacts within the switch to alternately connect and disconnect a load form a source of electricity each time the paddle is pressed. Thus, regardless of whether adjacent switches are on-off switches or 3-way switches, they will always be in alignment. An on-off indicator such as a small light is provided to indicate to a user when the contacts of the switch are opened or closed. The paddle of the switch has a length-width ratio dimension that is proportioned to provide a finger contact surface of increased area to allow a user to more easily and quickly identify and operate a particular switch. The vertical axis of the switch has a surface of positive first differential, comprised of splines drawn between points of varying distance from a datum plane, and has along the horizontal axis a surface of a positive first differential and negative second differential, comprised of a combination of splines drawn between points of varying distance from the datum plane.

Switch with shaped face

A modular wiring system comprising a functional unit and a wiring unit. There is also a system for coupling the functional unit to the wiring unit in a rotational manner. This system can be formed from at least one locking prong comprised of electrically conductive material. When the functional unit is coupled to the wiring unit, the locking prong is both electrically and physically coupled to the functional unit at a first end and to the wiring unit at a second end. Alternatively, or in addition, the system for coupling the functional unit to the wiring unit in a rotational manner can include at least one flange coupled to the functional unit and at least one flange coupled to the wiring unit. These flanges operate such that when the functional unit and the wiring unit are coupled together, they are rotated to form a locking connection between the flange on the functional unit and the flange on the wiring unit.

There is disclosed a wall plate for a wiring device. The wall plate has a single opening for receiving one or a gang of two or more wiring devices within the single opening. The wall plate has along its vertical axis, a surface of positive first differential and zero second differential, including a combination of splines drawn between points of varying distance from a datum plane. The surface has zero second differential when the rate of height increase of individual splines is constant. The wall plate, when composed of non-conducting material, has a conductive coating on its front surface, on its back surface or on both its front and back surfaces. When the wiring device is a switch, the surface of the switch face follows that of the wall plate. When the wiring device is a receptacle, the surface along the receptacle face is flat in one plane to allow for the proper seating of an inserted plug.

Electrical receptacle assembly having a clip

A tamper resistant assembly provides tamper resistance to an electrical receptacle. The tamper resistant assembly includes a base member having first and second grooves. Each groove has a first portion and a second portion connected to the first portion. The first portion is substantially perpendicular to a rear wall of the member and the second portion forms an angle with the first portion. A shutter member is slidably and pivotally connected to the base member for movement between open and closed positions. First and second protrusions extend outwardly from the shutter member and are slidably and pivotally received in the first and second grooves, respectively, in the base member. The first and second protrusions are disposed in the first portions of the grooves when the shutter member is in the closed position and prevent lateral sliding movement of the shutter member to prevent insertion of a foreign object past the shutter member, and in the second portions when the shutter member is in the open position by allowing lateral sliding of the shutter member. The first portions prevent lateral movement of the shutter member and allow pivoting movement of the shutter member to positions preventing insertion of a foreign object past the shutter member.

Growing community of inventors

Eatons Neck, NY, United States of America

Dennis A Oddsen