The present invention relates to electrical receptacles and, more particularly, to electrical receptacles that may be mounted in a generally face-up orientation and potentially exposed to liquids from inadvertent spills.
Electrical receptacles or outlets, such as 110V AC or 220V AC simplex or duplex outlets or the like, are typically designed to receive at least two or three conductive prongs of an electrical plug associated with an electrical consumer, such as an appliance. The electrical receptacles have faces defining openings that receive respective prongs of an electrical plug, and have female electrical contacts spaced behind the openings. When such electrical receptacles are mounted in generally-face up orientations in which water or other liquids could pool on the face, there is posed a risk that the liquid could “bridge” between adjacent openings and thereby establish electrical continuity across electrical contacts inside the receptacle, creating a short circuit hazard and the risk of electric shock due to contact with electrically energized liquid by a user touching the outlet face.
The present invention provides an electrical power receptacle that can be mounted in a face-up orientation in environments that are prone to liquids falling on the face of the receptacle and through one or more of the receptacle's openings. This tolerance for liquid is achieved by isolating the liquid that might contact any one of the electrical contacts within the receptacle from the liquids that might contact any of the other electrical contacts within the receptacle, and routing the isolated liquids outwardly through the bottom of the receptacle. Liquids that enter the receptacle through the line or neutral openings in the receptacle face are divided inside the receptacle and kept isolated after the initial dividing, so that they exit on one side of the receptacle or the other depending on the initial path they follow out of a slider chamber. Any liquid entering the ground contact exits the bottom of the receptacle, near the center, through its own isolated exit opening.
According to one form of the present invention, an electrical power outlet includes a housing body defining an interior chamber, an intermediate wall in the chamber, a pair of contact passageways, a pair of drainage passageways, a pair of drainage channels, and a pair of drain openings. The housing body includes a face with a pair of outlet openings, a bottom wall spaced from the face, and a sidewall extending between the face and the bottom wall to define an interior chamber. The intermediate wall has an upper surface defining a pair of contact openings. The contact passageways are defined through the interior chamber and are open to respective contact openings. The drainage passageways extend upwardly from the bottom wall through the interior chamber. The drainage channels extend along the upper surface of the intermediate wall to respective ones of the drainage passageways. The drain openings are formed in the bottom wall and are in fluid communication with respective drainage channels.
In one aspect, a first drainage channel cooperates with a first of the drainage passageways and a first of the drain openings to define a first flow path. A second of the drainage channels cooperates with the second drainage passageway and the second drain opening to define a second flow path that is isolated from the first flow path.
In another aspect, the drainage passageways are spaced apart and isolated from one another and from each of the contact passageways.
In yet another aspect, there is a pair of contact drain openings formed in the bottom wall and in fluid communication with respective ones of the drainage channels. The contact drain channels are positioned below respective contact passageways.
In a further aspect, there is a pair of upright divider walls disposed between the intermediate wall and respective ones of the drainage passageways. The upright divider walls define respective openings that form respective portions of the drainage channels.
Therefore, the electrical power receptacles of the present invention provide drain-through capability for liquids that inadvertently fall upon an face of the receptacle and enter outlet openings formed in the face. The liquid follows separate drainage pathways through the receptacle and exits and opposite end of the receptacle.
These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings.
Referring now to the drawing and the illustrative embodiment depicted therein, an electrical power outlet 10 is configured for mounting in a generally face-up orientation (
Upper face 12 defines a line contact opening 30a, a neutral contact opening 30b, and a ground contact opening 30c, which permit respective line, neutral, and ground prongs of a compatible male plug (not shown) to enter the main receptacle body 14 and establish electrical continuity with a line contact 32, a neutral contact 34, and the ground contact 26. As will be described below in more detail, liquid drainage channels or passageways extend through the main receptacle body, from the contact openings 30a-c in the upper face to the drainage outlets 18, 20, so that any liquid falling into one or more of the contact openings 30a-c is permitted to flow harmlessly through the outlet 10 and out through the drainage outlets 18, 20 without causing a short or electrical continuity because of liquid pooled atop the upper face 12.
Referring to
The recessed horizontal surface 38 inside the main body 14, and the bottom of slider chamber 36, receives any liquid passing downwardly through the line and neutral contact openings 30a, 30b and directs the liquid through a pair of drainage channels 50 formed in walls 52 that otherwise separate the slider chamber 36 from the vertical rectangular drainage passageways 47, such as shown in
Although most of the liquid flowing into the line and neutral contact openings 30a, 30b would be expected to follow the alternative flow path illustrated with a heavy dark line in
As can be seen in
However, it should further be understood that in the illustrated embodiment, in which tamper-proof structure (including slider 40) is provided, any liquid entering through line and neutral contact openings 30a, 30b would be required to either seep past the slider 40 in its blocking position, or seep through the spaces between prongs of a properly-inserted male plug and the surfaces of the upper face 12 that define line and neutral contact openings 30a, 30b. Therefore, the available surface area for liquid to pass into the slider chamber 36 via the line and neutral contact openings 30a, 30b would likely be substantially less than the total combined surface area of the line and neutral contact openings 30a, 30b, such that the total combined surface area of the four drainage outlets 18, 20, the total combined surface area of the channels 50, and the total combined surface area of the lower drainage passages 54, may each be substantially less than the total combined surface area of the line and neutral contact openings 30a, 30b while still providing adequate flow.
Any liquid passing into the main body 14 through the ground contact opening 30c in the upper face 12 will exit the electrical power outlet 10 via a flow path that is isolated from the flow paths illustrated in
Although the primary embodiment described herein is arranged as a NEMA simplex receptacle for 110V AC current, with tamper-resistant features, it will be appreciated that the various features and benefits of the present invention may be applied to other types of receptacles, including non-tamper-resistant outlets configured for 110V or 220V AC current, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. This may be accomplished by altering the dimensions and/or spacing of liquid flow paths or openings, forming slopes along draining surfaces that are illustrated or described herein as being horizontal or substantially horizontal, or other design variations that may also be conceived for accommodating different geometries and electrical current for a given application.
Changes and modifications in the specifically-described embodiments may be carried out without departing from the principles of the present invention, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/859,102, filed Jun. 8, 2019, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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