Variable orientation switching type electrical receptacle

Abstract

An electrical receptacle includes a housing that is defined by identical nonconductive housing halves which are held in side-by-side assembled relationship by a metal mounting bracket. The mounting bracket carries a ground wire connection screw that extends through a rear wall of the housing and threads into a threaded rear end region of a metal post which extends centrally through the housing to provide a threaded front end region configured to receive a cover plate mounting screw. Two nonconductive rotors are journaled by the housing for independent rotation between 'off' positions and various 'on' orientations for selectively supplying electrical energy to sets of female contacts that are carried by the rotors. A leaf spring is carried within the hollow interior of the housing for engaging detent formations of the rotors for releasably retaining the rotors in 'off' and 'on' orientations. The rotor carried contacts have front end regions that are configured to receive and conductively engage the metal prongs of conventional male plugs, and rear end regions that are configured to selectively engage forwardly facing conductive surfaces provided on at least one circuit board which is carried within the hollow interior of the housing near the rear wall of the housing. Wire connection terminals carried on opposite sides of the housing deliver electrical energy to the electrically conductive surfaces of the circuit board. Crimpable formations provided on the metal mounting bracket and/or the metal post may be utilized to maintain the assembled relationships of components of the receptacle.