Many electrical cord securing devises have been invented that help to secure an electrical plug in an electrical outlet. Most of these inventions require the user to twist or turn the locking device to release the plug-securing device. Other inventions require the user to screw cord-securing devices into the electrical outlet. Still other inventions require that the cord-retaining device must be wrapped around the cord or outlet cover.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,196,859, 5,989,052, D475,352, 4,457,571 disclose a power cord retaining mechanism that consists of an electrical outlet cover, and a secondary power cord retaining component that is placed over the power cord. After the secondary power cord-retaining component is placed over the power cord the secondary power cord retaining component is located near the electrical outlet cover, and rotated to lock the power cord and the secondary power cord-retaining component into the wall. To release the power cord the user must rotate the secondary power cord-retaining component. While these inventions perform the basic task of retaining the power cord, they make it difficult to remove the power cord, and are not a simple as depressing the sides of the secondary power cord-retaining component to remove the power cord.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,927,023, 5,575,677 disclose a telescoping cord retainer where the plug retention device is locked inside a secondary housing. A replacement outlet cover is first installed onto the receptacle. The power cord plug is placed within a secondary power cord-retaining component. The plug is plugged into the outlet, and then the secondary power cord-retaining component is slid or telescoped into the replacement outlet cover. To remove the power cord the user needs to slide a screwdriver or similar tool into the secondary power cord-retaining component to release the secondary power cord retaining component from the replacement outlet cover. There are two problems with this invention. First, the replacement outlet cover extends beyond the surface of a standard outlet cover, and secondly the power cord is not simple to remove.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,353 discloses a cord retainer that screws into a replacement electrical cover. Power cords are placed into semi-circular members that screw down around the power cord and retain the power cord in place. To remove the power cord the user must rotate the semi-circular member until the power cord can be removed. The problem with this type of design is that the semi-circular member may be accidentally rotated. In addition, the replacement electrical cover extends beyond the surface of a standard outlet cover.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,375,728 and Des 360,878 disclose a covering device for an electrical outlet where the cover includes tabs that engage into the electrical outlet. These patents protect a child from placing an object into the electrical outlet. A potential problem with this configuration of electrical outlet cover is that the tabs that engage into the electrical outlet could break off and prevent future usage of the outlet. While these patents protect a child form placing an object into an electrical outlet, the retention mechanism engages into the electrical outlet, and may spread or damage the contacts located in the outlet. These patents do not allow the cover to be retained by something other than the outlet itself.
What is needed is a simplified plug-securing device that requires the user to push the power cord and power cord-retaining device into the outlet in a single motion and remove the power cord by simply squeezing the plug-securing device. In addition, the ideal design would not extend from the wall beyond the point a standard outlet cover would extend.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds