Hubbell Limited

John J Putorti

Carol A Howard

Sorin Ioan Mortun

Ward E Strang

Christopher J Clark

An electrical wiring device has a longitudinal axis extending between a top surface and a bottom surface. The electrical wiring device includes at least one line phase wiring terminal, at least one neutral wiring terminal, at least one line phase electrical conductor entry extending along the longitudinal axis of the electrical wiring device and extending between the line phase wiring terminal and the top surface or the bottom surface of the electrical wiring device and at least one neutral electrical conductor entry extending along the longitudinal axis of the electrical wiring device and extending between the neutral wiring terminal and the top surface or the bottom surface of the electrical wiring device.

Electrical devices with longitudinal electrical conductor entries

An electrical receptacle includes a receptacle body, test and reset switches and a pair of projections. The body has electrical elements disposed therein for making electrical contact with an electrical plug of various diameter sizes. The body has a face with a set of apertures for receiving prongs of the electrical plug for mating of the plug with the receptacle. The switches are mounted to the face of the body adjacent to the set of apertures and are actuatable to affect operation of the electrical elements. The projections are made of a substantially rigid material and mounted to the face of the body adjacent to the test switch and the set of apertures and protrude from the body. The projections extend outwardly from the face of the body adjacent to the test switch such that upon mating with the receptacle a plug having an oversized diameter will engage the projections and thereby be prevented from making contact with the test switch sufficient to cause tripping thereof and thereby avoid inadvertent actuation of the test switch. The height of the projections is at least as great as the height of the test switch. The projections are located adjacent to opposite ends of the test switch.

Projections on face electrical receptacle for preventing inadvertent tripping of test switch by oversized electrical plug

A housing for an electrical wiring device includes an adjustable clamping mechanism for retaining electrical conduits therein. The clamping mechanism has a pair of opposing strain relief members on opposite sides of a conduit passageway, set to accept a predetermined conduit width. Each strain relief member has a frangible portion which can be removed by a user. In this manner, if a user desires to retain, by means of an interference fit, a conduit having a diameter larger than the predetermined spacing of the intact strain relief members will allow, one or both frangible portions can be removed to accommodate a larger sized conduit. Alternatively, more than one pair of strain relief members having frangible portions can be alternately arranged to clamp a conduit in an S-shaped configuration, capable of accepting multiple conduit sizes by removing some or all of the frangible portions. Preferably, the strain relief members are integrally formed with the housing, and each frangible portion is integrally formed with the remainder of the strain relief member and the housing.

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Seymour, CT, United States of America

John J Putorti