Electrical safety plug

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11588267-B2
Application number	US-202117145693-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2021
Priority date	Jan 17, 2020
Publication date	Feb 21, 2023
Grant date	Feb 21, 2023

Abstract

Examples provide an electrical safety plug including a nonconductive plug body. A set of pins conform to a set of pin connector slots in an electrical outlet. A tether is threaded through a tether connection aperture in an anchor couple. A first inter-locking device on the anchor couple removably attaches to a second inter-locking device on a return couple having an attachment member. The first interlocking device disengages from the second interlocking device to separate the anchor couple from the return couple during use. The anchor couple attaches to a part of a case during use create tension in the tether. The tension pulls an electrical harness in a direction of an attachment point of the tether. The nonconductive plug body covers the set of pin connection slots and the tether pulls the electrical harness away from a base member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A safety plug for an electrical outlet, the safety plug comprising:
an electrically nonconductive plug body comprising a set of pins associated with a first end of the electrically nonconductive plug body, the set of pins configured to conform to a set of pin connector slots associated with an electrical harness including the electrical outlet, wherein the safety plug is a dummy plug configured to keep the electrical outlet covered to protect from electrical discharge during a cleaning operation around the electrical outlet; and
a tether connected to a second end of the electrically nonconductive plug body at one or more attachment points;
a tether connection aperture associated with an anchor couple, wherein the tether is at least partially threaded through the tether connection aperture;
the anchor couple comprising a first interlocking device removably attached to a second inter-locking device associated with a return couple; and
an attachment member connected to the return couple via an attachment connector aperture associated with at least a portion of the return couple.

2. The safety plug of claim 1 , wherein the first interlocking device comprises a first magnet and the second interlocking device comprises a second magnet.

3. The safety plug of claim 1 , wherein the first interlocking device comprises two or more magnets.

4. The safety plug of claim 1 , wherein the set of pins comprises a single pin, and wherein the set of pin connector slots comprises a single pin connector slot.

5. The safety plug of claim 1 , wherein the set of pins comprises two pins, and wherein the set of pin connector slots comprises two pin connector slots.

6. The safety plug of claim 1 , wherein the set of pins comprises three pins, and wherein the set of pin connector slots comprises three pin connector slots.

7. The safety plug of claim 1 , wherein the tether is a first tether, and wherein the attachment member comprises a second tether.

8. The safety plug of claim 1 , wherein the attachment member comprises a suction device.

9. The safety plug of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more diagnostic sensors comprising at least one sensor for detecting whether the electrical outlet is a live outlet having a live power source connected to it or a dead outlet.

10. The safety plug of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more diagnostic sensor comprising at least one sensor for detecting an amount of voltage running through the electrical harness.

11. The safety plug of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a voltmeter, an ammeter, or an ohm meter.

12. The safety plug of claim 1 , wherein the tether connects to the second end of the electrically nonconductive plug body at a single attachment point.

13. The safety plug of claim 1 , wherein a first end of the tether connects to the second end of the electrically nonconductive plug body at a first attachment point, and wherein the second end of the tether connects to the second end of the electrically nonconductive plug body at a second attachment point.

14. The safety plug of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more light emitting diode (LED) lights.

15. A method for performing maintenance using a safety plug, the method comprising:
disengaging a first interlocking device from a second interlocking device to separate an anchor couple from a return couple;
inserting a set of pins associated with a first end of an electrically nonconductive plug body attached to the anchor couple via a tether into a set of pin connection slots associated with an electric outlet, at least one end of the tether connected to a second end of the electrically nonconductive plug body; and
attaching the anchor couple to a side member of a case via the first interlocking device creating tension in the tether, the tension pulling an electrical harness associated with the electrically nonconductive plug body in a direction of an attachment point of the tether, wherein the electrically nonconductive plug body covers the set of pin connection slots associated with the electric outlet and the tether pulls the electrical harness away from a base member, wherein the safety plug is a dummy plug configured to keep the electrical outlet covered to protect from electrical discharge during a cleaning operation around the electrical outlet.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the anchor couple supports the safety plug and the electrical harness in an elevated or displaced configuration moving the electrical harness away from a work area.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the anchor couple is detached from the side member responsive to completion of a task.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
reattaching the second interlocking device to the first interlocking device after removal of the safety plug from the electrical outlet.

19. A safety plug comprising:
an electrically nonconductive plug body;
one or more pins conforming to one or more pin connector slots in an electrical outlet, the one or more pins associated with a first end of the electrically nonconductive plug body, wherein the safety plug is a dummy plug configured to keep the electrical outlet covered to protect from electrical discharge during a cleaning operation around the electrical outlet;
a tether connected to a second end of the electrically nonconductive plug body at one or more attachment points;
a tether connection aperture associated with an anchor couple, wherein the tether is at least partially threaded through the tether connection aperture; and
the anchor couple comprising an interlock device anchoring the anchor couple to at least a portion of a member of a display case.

20. The safety plug of claim 19 , further comprising:
a second interlocking device associated with a return couple; and
an attachment member connected to the return couple via an attachment connector aperture associated with at least a portion of the return couple.

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Willson Adrian

Classifications

• H01R13/60

  Means for supporting coupling part when not engaged · CPC title

• H01R13/443 Primary

  Dummy plugs · CPC title

• H01R13/7175

  Light emitting diodes (LEDs) · CPC title

• H01R13/73

  Means for mounting coupling parts to apparatus or structures, e.g. to a wall · CPC title

• H01R13/6683

  with built-in sensor · CPC title