Device for Preventing the Unauthorized Use of an Electrical Apparatus

The present invention relates generally to a device that prevents unauthorized use of an electrical appliance. More particularly, the present invention relates to a lockable box adapted to receive the plug end of a cord from an electrical appliance to prevent its insertion into an electrical outlet.

Parents may wish to prevent their children from using many electrical appliances contained in the modern household for various reasons such as safety, control, and discipline. For example, a parent may desire to restrict a child's use of the television, VCR or radio so that the child may use the device only at approved times. This control is important especially for those broadcasts or channels having violent, sexual or immoral themes, which parental discretion dictates must be unavailable for viewing by their children. Similarly there are other electrical apparatus in the average household which might be dangerous in the hands of inexperienced operators such as young children. These other devices include items ranging from shop equipment to curling irons. While parents may instruct their children not to use various electrical appliances, it is difficult to monitor the children's use of those appliances, especially when the parents are not at home. The need to prevent unauthorized use of electrical appliances and other electrical apparatus extends far beyond household applications into schools, businesses and many other environments, especially when potentially dangerous machines are involved. Consequently, there is a need for a simple, inexpensive device that can effectively prevent unauthorized use of electrical apparatus

To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, a mechanical lock box is provided that is adapted to receive a plug end of a cord from an electrical appliance to prevent use of that appliance. The lock box is similar in form to a single drawered cabinet and includes a substantially enclosed box shaped housing having a top wall and an open end. A catch stop protrudes downwardly from the top wall into the interior of the housing near the open end. A sliding drawer is provided that is adapted to slide into the housing through its open end. The drawer includes a front panel, a rear panel and a pair of side panels. The front panel of the drawer includes an elongated slot extending down from the top surface of the front panel that is sized large enough to allow the cord but not the plug to pass freely therethrough when the drawer is shut.

A key operated lock is provided on the front panel to allow the parent to lock the drawer with the plug inside, thereby insuring that the electrical appliance will not be used. Preferably, the lock possesses an interior arm which may be rotated within the lock box to engage the catch stop thereby preventing the drawer from being opened. A handle is also provided on the exterior surface of the drawer's front panel to accommodate opening and closing the sliding drawer. Preferably, the front and rear panels of the drawer extend slightly higher than its side walls, thereby forming raised lips on both the front and back ends of the drawer. These raised lips are adapted to engage the catch stop to limit the motion of the drawer within the housing, thereby preventing the drawer from falling out at inappropriate times.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a closed lock box according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the lock box shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lock box taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1.

As illustrated in the drawings, lock box includes two major components, a substantially box-shaped housing 10 and a conformingly shaped drawer 12. The housing 10 includes a rear wall 14, two opposing side walls 16, 18, a top wall 20, a bottom wall 22, and an open front end. A catch stop 24 protrudes downwardly from the top wall 20 of the housing 10 near the open front end thereof. The drawer 12 slides into the housing 10 through its open end in the same manner as a drawer in a filing cabinet. The drawer 12 is large enough to receive at least one plug end and preferably several plug ends of associated electrical cords. The drawer 12 includes rear panel 26, two opposing side panels 28, 30, a bottom panel 32, and a front panel 34. The front panel 34 includes an elongated slot 36 that is adapted to receive a cord from an electrical appliance. The elongated slot 36 preferably extends downwardly from the upper edge or surface of front panel 34 and is preferably in the range of one-quarter inch to one-half wide and three-quarters inch to one and one-half inches deep. The elongated slot 36 must be large enough to allow electrical cords from ordinary household electrical appliances to pass therethrough, but small enough to prevent the plug from so passing. A mechanical locking device 38 is also mounted on the front panel 34 to allow the parent to lock the drawer 12 to the housing 10 with the plug inside the drawer 12 and the cord extending through the elongated slot 36. Although any standard locking device could be used, as plastic barrel lock having an elongated rotatable locking arm 40 is preferred. With this arrangement, the locking arm 40 is adapted to selectively engage the catch stop 24 protruding downwardly from the top wall 20 of housing 10. Thus, when a corresponding key is inserted in the keyhole portion of the lock 38 and turned, the locking arm 40 rotates upwardly and engages behind the catch stop 24. A handle 42 is also provided on the front surface of front panel 34 to facilitate sliding the drawer 12 in and out of housing 10. It will be apparent that front panel 34 constitutes the front of the lock box when the drawer 12 is completely retained within the housing 10. Thus, the front panel 34 preferably is dimensioned substantially the same as the dimensions of the open front end of housing 10.

To prevent the drawer 12 from inadvertently falling out of housing 10 when the locking arm 40 is rotated out of the locking position shown in FIG. 3, the rear panel 26 of the drawer 12 is of sufficient height to engage catch stop 24 in normal operating conditions. Rear panel 26 is also low enough so that the drawer 12 may be completely withdrawn from the housing 10 simply by tilting the drawer 12 upwards and thereby allowing rear panel 26 to pass underneath catch stop 24. Side panels 28, 30 are sized and positioned such that catch stop 24 does not interfere with their translation under normal operating conditions.

The lock box may be of any size as long as the interior space within drawer 12 is large enough to receive at least one standard household electrical plug. An appropriate size for the housing 10 is two and one-half inches high by three and one-half inches wide by four and three-quarters inches long. The lock box may be fashioned from a high impact plastic, preferably a suitable thermoplastic material such as polystyrene. Such materials are available in a wide variety of colors and may be easily worked into a desired shape using conventional injection molding techniques.

To operate the device, the parent merely unplugs the electrical appliance and inserts the associated plug into open drawer 12 with the associated electrical cord protruding through the elongated slot 36. The drawer 12 is then pushed shut and the key is inserted and rotated in the lock 38 thereby rotating locking arm 40 to the position shown in Fig. 3 and thereby locking the plug within the lock box. By locking the plug within lock box, children will prevented from using the associated electrical appliance.

Although only one embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed herein, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in many other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Particularly, it should be noted that the exterior of lock box could be fashioned in the form of a decorated box that may have independent consumer appeal and blend with the decor of a particular house. For example, the decorated box could take the form of popular TV or movie characters or other characters from fairly tales, books and records. Similarly the size and shape of any of the components could be altered, so long as the basic requirements defined above are met. Moreover, a substantially enclosed housing including a hinge lid having a slot and a lock could be used. Also, the slot could extend through the housing from the front end thereof instead of extending through the front panel of the drawer. Therefore, the present examples and embodiments, are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.