US3032740A - Attachment plug with cord guide - Google Patents

Description

y 1962 F. G. VON HOORN 3,032,740

ATTACHMENT PLUG WITH CORD GUIDE Filed April 5, 1961 mu L 1 V 4y mum 464M704 fl/s Altar/m0 United States Patent Uflice 3,032,740 Patented May 1, 1962 3,032,740 ATTACHMENT PLUG WITH CORD GUIDE Fred G. von l-loorn, Warwick, R. L, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 5, 1961, Ser. No. 101,008 4 Claims. (til. 339-195) This invention relates to an attachment plug. More particularly, the invention relates to an attachment plug having incorporated therein structure for guiding a cord either perpendicularly or parallel to the surface of the face plate of the outlet to which the plug is connected.

The cords of cord sets plugged into wall outlets normally point directly into the room from the wall where they are as conspicuous as they are unsightly. In many locations, they serve as trip cords for the unwary. An object of the present invention is to provide an attachment plug having a cord guide which will enable the cord to be directed either along the wall or out into the room.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment plug having a cord guide with more than one cord directing means whereby a cord can be directed from an attachment plug in more than one direction.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification considered in conjunction with the attached drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an attachment plug in: corporating this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the plug illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the plug illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an alternative embodiment of an attachment plug incorporating this invention;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the plug of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an additional embodiment of an attachment plug incorporating this invention.

Briefly stated, in accordance with one of its embodiments, this invention is directed to an attachment plug comprising a molded plug housing, contact prongs extending from a side of the housing, an open cord-positioning channel transversely positioned with respect to said prongs on an opposite side of the housing, and lips on the channel for maintaining a cord therein, the lips being notched at a center position whereby the notches in the channel serve as alternative positioning means for a cord connected to the plug.

Referring to the drawing, the plug consists of a plug housing 10 of molded rubber or plastic material having a side from which contact prongs 11 extend and an opposite side from which an electrical cord 12 extends. The conductors of the cord 12 are connected to the contacts 11 on the interior of the housing 10 by any conventional means.

In FIGS. 1-3, the portion of the housing 10 from which the cord 12 extends is formed into a channel 13 positioned transversely with respect to the contacts 11. The channel 13 has lips 14 at its open side which serve to maintain the cord 12 in the channel once it has been placed there. The central portion of the lips 14 have notches 15 immediately over the aperture from which the cord 12 extends and these notches 15 serve as an additional positioning means for the cord 12. Thus, it may be seen that the cord 12 may be positioned in the channel 13 so that it extends in a direction parallel with the face plate (not shown) of a wall outlet to which the plug is connected or in the notches 15 in which case the cord 12 extends perpendicularly from the face plate in the manner of conventional attachment plugs. Since the channel 13 extends across the plug, the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3 and 6 enables the cord 12 to be extended in any of three directions.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate an alternative embodiment in which the housing 10 is made cylindrical and flanged at one end. A cap 16 molded of rubber or plastic material placed over the flange of the housing 10 is free to rotate around the cylindrical housing 10. With this construction, the channel 13 may be aimed in any direction, as best illustrated in FIG. 5.

In addition to providing an attachment plug with a cord guide, the structure of this invention provides a strain relief for the cord. Tolerances of the channel 13 and notches 15 are made quite close so that the cord is firmly gripped and thus the notches 15 or channel 13 take up the strain in case the cord is jerked violently.

While the invention has been described with reference to certain specific embodiments, it is obvious that there may be variations which fall within the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the invention should be limited in scope only as may be necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An attachment plug comprising a molded plug housing, contact prongs extending from a side of said housing, an open cord-positioning channel transversely positioned with respect to said prongs on an opposite side of said housing, and lips on said channel for maintaining a cord therein, said lips being notched at a center position whereby the channel and the notches selectively serve to position a cord connected to said plug.

2. An attachment plug and cord comprising a molded plug housing, contact prongs extending from one side of said housing, and a cord attached to said contact prongs on the interior of said housing, said cord emerging from said housing from a side opposite the side from which the contact prongs extend in a direction parallel to the planes of the prongs, said housing defining a cord-positioning open channel on the side opposite the prong side, said channel being substantially perpendicular to the prong planes and having lips which maintain the said cord in said channel, said lips being notched at the point Where said cord emerges from said housing whereby said cord is selectively positioned in the notches to extend directly outward from a wall outlet to which said plug is connected or in the channel to pass from the plug in a direction parallel with the face-plate of a wall outlet to which said plug is connected.

3. An attachment plug and cord comprising a molded plug housing having a prong side and oppositely positioned cord side, prongs extending from said prong side, a cord extending from said cord side, said cord being connected to said prongs on the interior of said plug housing, said housing defining an open transverse cordpositioning channel on the cord side from the center of which said cord extends, and lips on said channel for maintaining a cord in position therein; said lips being notched at the center of said channel whereby said cord can be selectively directed through said notches or through said channel.

4. An attachment plug and cord comprising a molded plug housing of generally cylindrical configuration flanged at one end, a plurality of contact prongs extending from the unflanged end of the housing, an electric cord extending from the flanged end of the housing through an axial aperture, the conductors of said cord being connected to said contact prongs in the interior of said housing, and a rotatable molded cap mounted around said flange, said cap having an open transverse cordpositioning channel through which said cord extends, said channel having lips for maintaining said cord therein, said lips being notched at the center of said channel whereby said cord can be selectively positioned by said notches or said channel.

No references cited.

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