Retractable Wall Mounted Electrical Plug for Charging Communication Devices

Abstract

A retractable electrical plug for mounting in a hollow wall structure of a building and for charging the batteries of portable communication devices, including a face plate for mounting to hollow wall structures defining on its exterior surface a plug recess, a plug shaped to nest in the plug recess, a cord opening in the face plate extending from the plug recess to the interior surface of the face plate, and an electrical conductor cord that extends from the plug and through the cord opening into the hollow wall.

Claims

1. A retractable wall mounted electrical plug assembly for charging a communication device, comprising: a support box for mounting in a hollow wall structure of a building in alignment with a wall opening in the wall structure, the support box including a box opening for registering with the wall opening, a face plate having an interior surface facing the support box and mounted to the support box about the box opening, and an exterior surface facing away from the support box, the exterior surface of the face plate defining a plug recess, an electrical plug sized and shaped to telescopically fit in the plug recess, a cord opening extending from the plug recess to the interior of the support box, an insulated electrical conductor cord including an outer end connected to the plug, an intermediate portion extending between the plug and through the cord opening and into the support box, and an inner end in the support box for connection to an electrical current source.

2. The retractable wall mounted electrical plug assembly of claim 1 and further including a magnet positioned in the support box in alignment with the plug recess for releasably holding the plug in the plug recess.

3. The retractable wall mounted electrical plug assembly of claim 1 and further including spring means supported by the support box for retracting the cord through the cord opening into the support box.

4. The retractable wall mounted electrical plug assembly of claim 1, wherein the electrical plug includes an electrical contact that fits into the plug recess and an enlarged finger grip that faces away from the electrical contact and is sized to extend away from the plug recess for gripping by human fingers.

5. A retractable electrical plug for charging a battery-charged communication device, comprising: a support box for mounting in a hollow wall structure of a building in alignment with a wall opening in the wall structure, a face plate having an interior surface for facing the support box and for mounting to the support box, and an exterior surface for facing away from the support box, a retractable plug having an electrical contact that is sized and shaped to fit a plug receptacle of an electrical hand held communication device, the plug including a finger grip extending away from the electrical contact sized for grasping by human fingers as the plug is being connected to the portable battery charged communication device, a plug recess formed in the face plate sized and shaped to receive the electrical contact of the retractable plug, a cord opening in the face plate extending from the plug recess to the interior of the support box, and an insulated electrical conductor cord extending through the cord opening and including an outer end connected to the retractable plug, an intermediate portion extending between the retractable plug and through the cord opening and into the support box, and an inner end in the support box for connection to an electrical current source.

6. The retractable electrical plug of claim 5 and further including a magnet positioned in the support box in alignment with the plug recess for releasably holding the plug in the plug recess.

7. The retractable electrical plug of claim 5 and further including spring means supported by the support box for retracting the cord through the cord opening into the support box.

8. The retractable electrical plug of claim 5, wherein the retractable plug includes a plug body, the electrical contact extends from the plug body and together the plug body and the electrical contact telescopically fit within the plug recess, and an enlarged finger grip that faces away from the electrical contact, and when the electrical plug is inserted in the plug recess, the enlarged finger grip is sized to extend away from the plug recess for gripping by human fingers.

9. The retractable electrical plug of claim 5 wherein the plug finger grip extends from the plug body at a right angle with respect to the electrical contact.

10. A retractable electrical plug for mounting in a hollow wall structure for charging a battery-charged portable communication device comprising: a face plate having an interior surface for facing internally of a hollow wall structure and an exterior surface for facing externally of the hollow wall structure, a plug recess formed in the exterior surface of the face plate, a cord opening in the face plate extending from the plug recess to the interior of the face plate, a retractable electrical plug sized and shaped to fit into the plug recess, an electrical plug including a plug body and electrical contact extending from the plug body sized and shaped to fit into the plug recess, a cord for extending through the cord opening, and an electrical conductor cord extending from the retractable electrical plug and through the cord opening.

11. The retractable electrical plug of claim 10 and further including a magnet supported at the interior surface of the face plate for releasably holding the electrical plug to the interior surface of the face plate.

12. The retractable electrical plug of claim 10, wherein the retractable electrical plug includes a plug body, an electrical contact extending from the plug body, and the plug body and the electrical contact together are sized and shaped to telescopically fit within the plug recess, and a finger grip that faces away from the plug body and that is sized to extend away from the exterior surface of the face plate for gripping by human fingers when the electrical plug is inserted in the plug recess.

13. The retractable electrical plug of claim 10, and further including a magnet positioned in the support box in alignment with the plug recess for releasably holding the plug in the plug recess.

14. The retractable electrical plug of claim 10 and further including spring means in the support box for retracting the cord through the cord opening into the support box.

15. The retractable electrical plug of claim 10, wherein the retractable plug includes a plug body, the electrical contact extends from the plug body and together the plug body and the electrical contact telescopically fit within the plug recess, and an enlarged finger grip that faces away from the electrical contact, and when the electrical plug is inserted in the plug recess, the enlarged finger grip extends away from the plug recess for gripping by human fingers.

16. The retractable electrical plug of claim 10 wherein the plug finger grip extends from the plug body at an angle with respect to the electrical contact.

17. An electrical plug including a body, an electrical contact extending in a first direction away from the body, a finger grip extending in a direction normal to the first direction, and an insulated electrical cord extending from the body in a direction opposed to the finger grip.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the external components of the retractable wall mounted electrical plug, showing the plug partially extended from its face plate, and with its insulated electrical cord extending from the plug back through its shaped plug recess and through the opening in the face plate.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1, but shows how the plug may be withdrawn from the plug recess of the wall plate and plugged into the port of a communication device.

[0022] FIGS. 3 and 4 are expanded views of the internal components of the retractable wall mounted electrical plug.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Referring now in more detail to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a conventional wall support box 12 that fits into a hollow wall structure, a plug support box 14 that may be telescopically supported by the wall support box, and a face plate 15 that is mounted to the plug support box. If desired, conventional plug receptacle openings 16 may be formed through the face plate exterior surface 18 for alignment with a conventional jack, not shown.

[0024] As best shown in FIG. 2, plug recess 20 is formed in the face plate 15 and an electrical cord opening 27 extends from recess 20 on through the face plate to the interior of the plug support box 14. Electrical plug 22 is sized and shaped to fit in the recess 20. The electrical plug 22 includes a plug body 24, and its electrical contact 28 that extends from the plug body. The plug body 24 and electrical contact 28 are sized and shaped to telescopically fit within the plug recess 20 of face plate 15.

[0025] An enlarged finger grip 30 extends from the plug body at an angle, preferably at a right angle, from the electrical contact 28. This allows the enlarged finger grip 30 to protrude from the surface of the face plate 15 when the plug body 24 and electrical contact 28 are inserted in the recess 20, for easy gripping by a person's fingers, such as the fingers 32 and 33 of FIG. 2.

[0026] The enlarged finger grip 30 protrudes laterally about the stem 23 so that the stem is positioned between the enlarged finger grip 30 and the plug body 24, and allows for easy pulling of the electrical plug 22 from the plug recess 20.

[0027] When the plug 22 has been used to charge an electrical communication device, such as the product illustrated at 35 of FIG. 2, the plug can be pulled out and removed from the port 51 of the device 35 and then returned to its plug recess 20 in the face plate, where it is protected inside the plug recess with the enlarged finger grip protruding out from the plane of the flat surface of the face plate. When the plug is returned to its plug recess, the electrical cord 26 and its opening 27 are substantially covered by the plug 24, and the insulated electrical conductor cord 26 substantially fills the opening 27 so as to retard, or block communication of moisture through the face plate 15.

[0028] As shown in dash lines of FIG. 2, a magnet 37 is mounted to the internal surface of the face plate 15. When the electrical plug 24 is inserted into its plug recess 20, the magnet applies a magnetic force that tends to attract the metal of the plug body 24 into its “nested” position within the plug recess 20, thereby assuring that inadvertent removal of the plug body 24 from its plug recess likely will be avoided.

[0029] A spring (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) is mounted in the plug support box 14 that applies a force to the insulated electrical conductor cord 26 to urge the electrical plug 24 toward its plug recess 20.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the plug support box 14 includes a support stem 46 that supports a reel 40 that is biased by the spring and which retrieves the insulated electrical conductor cord 26. A circular electrical conductor strip 41 is mounted to the reel 40 and contact is made with the conductor strip to impart electrical current to it. The electrical conductor cord 26 is also connected to the conductor strip 41, thereby transmitting electrical current through the cord 26 to the plug 22.

[0031] A gear 43, ratcheting arm 44, and disk 45 are mounted to the reel 40 on one side of the reel, with the conductor strip 41 on the opposite side thereof, in the conventional manner. These items are rotatably mounted on the stem 46. Support web 48 of FIG. 4 is configured for supporting the elements of FIG. 3 from the conventional hanger loops 50 that connect to the wall structure of the dwelling on which the electrical plug assembly is mounted.

[0032] Other prior art spring and reel configurations may be used as desired.

[0033] When the retractable wall mounted electrical plug is attached to a conventional hollow wall structure, the insulated electrical conductor cord 26 will be charged with electricity and ready for recharging a battery of a communication device, such as device 35 of FIG. 2. Electrical plug 22 will be retained in its plug recess 20 of the face plate 15 until it is to be used to recharge the battery of the device 35.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2. the operator will use his/her fingers 32 and 33 to grasp the enlarged finger grip 30 of the plug body 24 to pull the plug body away from and out of the plug recess 20 on the face plate 15. This progressively pulls the insulated conductor cord 26 from its reel 40 and through the opening 27 and the plug recess 20 so that the plug 22 can reach the communication device 35. The operator inserts the electrical contact 28 of the plug body 24 into the port 51 of the communication device to make contact with the battery of the communication device to recharge the battery.

[0035] When the battery has been recharged, the electrical plug 22 can be removed by applying the fingers of the person to the protruding portion of the plug body 24, to withdraw the electrical contact 28 of the plug from the communication device and then allow the spring of the reel to urge the conductor cord toward the plug recess, through the electrical cord opening 27 of the face plate and into the plug support box 14 until the plug 22 is nested in the plug recess or port 20 and the cord 26 is retracted into the plug support box.

[0036] Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in detail herein, variations and modifications of the disclosed embodiment can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.