Patent Application
20250038465
None.
An electrical outlet expander installing within a household wall outlet provides a low profile connection for one or more electrical outlet connections in a vertical orientation and one or more respective cord securing means to avoid accidental disengagement of each plug with the electrical outlet expander, the expander providing for nominal clearance making it suitable for restricted spaces between the expander and an item of furniture located against a wall.
A preliminary review of prior art patents was conducted by the applicant which reveal prior art patents in a similar field or having similar use. However, the prior art inventions do not disclose the same or similar elements as the present electrical wall expander, nor do they present the material components in a manner contemplated or anticipated in the prior art.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,435 to Jammet, a multiple socket attachment is shown being installed within a common electrical outlet, the attachment providing a plurality of additional electrical outlets, the attachment providing for a low profile placement. An extension cord lock and in line tap is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,862,385 to Lee, providing a means to secure a cord of an extension plugged into the tap. Likewise, a power adapter discloses a cable holder unit and another means for gathering an retaining a cord in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014/0367138 to Godfrey. In Design Patent No. D981,961 to Liu, a multiple outlet plug base is shown with a plurality of electrical outlets as well as what appears to be low voltage charging ports.
None of the prior art provide an electrical outlet plate attached to a common electrical wall outlet providing multiple electrical outlets in a vertical orientation which provide a connection of multiple electrical cords with respective cord securing means to eliminate accidental disengagement of the electrical cord and also provide the outlet place with a low profile to reduce the distance from the wall for placement behind furniture without distortion of the electrical cord and plug.
The primary objective of the invention is to provide an electrical expander to provide two or more household electrical outlets having a low profile from the wall with a means of securing two or more electrical cords upon the electrical expander. First, this provides the electrical expander with a secure connection to a household electrical outlet by replacing the cover plate with this electrical expander, with at least one rear three pronged electrical plug inserting within the household electrical outlet and/or with a center screw which was used to attached the cover plate being replaced attaching the electrical expander. Second, the electrical expander provides its two or more electrical outlets within an electrical outlet manifold on the front surface with the electrical outlets facing downward, requiring placement and installation of electrical cords upwards into the respective two or more electrical outlets, which are in communication by electrical wiring or ribbon between the electrical outlets within the electrical outlet manifold and the rear three pronged plug. This electrical outlet manifold provides the electrical expander with a slim profile from the wall—no greater than the width of the manifold, which provides the electrical expander ideally suited for placement behind furniture and appliances. Additionally, to resolve plugs coming loose from the electrical outlets in the electrical outlet manifold, a plurality of cord securing means are installed on the front surface of the electrical expander within which a respective electrical cord attached to an electrical plug is inserted to prevent incidental or gravitational removal of the respective electrical plug installed into the electrical outlet plug within the electrical outlet manifold.
The following drawings are submitted with this utility patent application.
A household electrical outlet expander 10 for installation into a household electrical outlet C,
The rear surface 24 provides two or more three pronged electrical wall outlet plugs 40 adapted to be installed within two or more electrical outlets C. In addition, a central bore 42 is provide through the wall plate 20 to secure the electrical outlet expander 10 into the household electrical outlet C, using the same threaded screw 44 as would have held an electrical outlet cover,
The front surface 22 defines an upper multiple plug module 30 in electrical communication with the two or more three pronged electrical outlet plugs 40 extending from the rear portion 24, the communication supplied by conductive wire or ribbon 45 to each of multiple electrical outlets 36 within the upper multiple plug module,
A multiple cord retainer 50, serving as the illustrated example of a preferred means of securing each electrical cord A and electrical cord plug B being plugged into one of the multiple electrical outlets 36 in the upper multiple plug module 30, also extends from the front surface 22, below the upper multiple plug module 30, securing the electrical cord A within one of several resilient cord clips 52 defined within the multiple cord retainer 50,
The vertical orientation of the electrical cords A plugged into the multiple plug module 30 and the multiple cord retainer 50 presents the electrical outlet expander 10 with its low profile character, making the electrical outlet expander 10 suited for placement behind furniture, electronic equipment, televisions, especially those that are wall mounted, stereos, lamps and desktop components. The multiple cord retainers 50 are recommended for delicate electronic equipment that might result in catastrophic consequences if accidentally unplugged during use.
It is also contemplated that a commercial grade electrical outlet expander 10 may be presented using greater than household electrical current. In addition certain additional features may be included in the disclosed electrical outlet expander 10, including a power indication display 60, an on/off switch (not shown) and a current breaker or GFI (not shown).
While the electrical outlet expander 10 has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
