An electronic equipment typically has an electrical plug. FIG. 1A illustrates a three-prong electrical (Type B) plug 100, while FIG. 1B illustrates a two-prong electrical (Type A) plug 100′. An electrical plug 100, 100′ is a male electrical connector having supply leads 105, 105′, including both a hot supply lead and a neutral supply lead and sometimes a ground supply lead. The supply leads 105, 105′ connect mechanically and electrically to a female electrical connector, such as an electrical outlet.
FIG. 1C illustrates a faceplate 110 having three-prong electrical outlets. Each electrical outlet 115 has two vertical slots 120, 125 and a round hole 130 centered below the slots 120, 125. The left slot 120 is a neutral slot. The right slot 125 is a hot slot. The round hole 130 is a ground slot. Behind the faceplate 110, for each electrical outlet 115, are three separate wires (not illustrated) that are connected to the slots. A hot wire (usually a black or blue wire) is connected to the hot slot and brings power to the electrical outlet. The neutral wire (usually a white wire) is connected to the neutral slot and to an electrical panel of the house or building. The neutral wire returns power back to the electrical panel from the electrical outlet. The ground hole is connected to a wire (usually a green wire) that is buried into the ground beneath the house or building. FIG. 1D illustrates a faceplate 110′ having two-prong electrical outlets 115′, which is similarly configured as the faceplate 100 except that the two-prong electrical outlets 115′ lack ground slots. These two-prong electrical outlets are the norm in older homes.
An electrical outlet 115, 115′ is dormant until the plug 100, 100′ of an electrical device is slotted into place, because the hot wire and neutral wire are not connected with each another to form a complete circuit. To bring power to the electronic equipment, the circuit must be completed. As such, the plug 100, 100′ must be slotted into place to pass electricity into the hot socket 120, into the hot side of the device's plug, into the electronic equipment, then out through the neutral side of the device's plug, and back into the neutral socket 125 and to the electrical panel.
To slot the electrical plug into the electrical outlet, the electrical plug must be precisely oriented. However, in hard to reach areas, limited access areas or in low lighting settings, slotting the electrical plug in place can be difficult, given the characteristics (e.g., size and location of each slot/hole) of the electrical outlet. In such scenarios, one normally must first feel where the slots of the electrical outlet are located with one hand and, with the other hand, orient the electrical plug properly, and then slowly move the hand over the slots away as the other hand moves in toward the electrical outlet with the electrical plug. However, even in a proper setting, to a person of limited dexterity and/or vision, slotting the plug in place can be a great challenge.
Fitt's law is a model that determines that the efficiency of moving toward a target area is relative to the distance and size of the target. Simplistically put, the bigger the size of the target is, the more efficient one is in hitting the target. Analogously, a user can be more efficient in plugging an electrical plug into an electrical outlet if the size of the electrical outlet (i.e., the target) is bigger.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds