The present invention relates to an electrical port having two outlets.

Electrical ports are the means by which an electrical device is connected to the ring circuit or radial circuit of a building. Ring circuits are usually used for sockets while radial circuits are typically used for a single supply point. This could be a socket but is more usually a high current device. Typically, the electrical port will have at least one port into which a plug can be inserted.

In the United Kingdom, electric cooker connection points draw their electricity from an electrical (radial) circuit, into which they are connected. This circuit is separate to the ring main of a building so that it can accommodate a higher current.

Standard cooker connection points can typically only accommodate an electric cooker. In new build houses, the type of cooker to be used is usually decided by the occupant, after the building is completed.

Electric cookers are usually supplied by a dedicated radial via a 45A cooker control point with switch above the work surface, terminating in a 45 A cooker connection point, at low level behind the cooker.

Gas cookers also usually require an electricity supply for various separate functions of the cooker including auto ignition, clock and a cooking programme selector. This is typically provided by means of a 13 A socket that the gas cooker can be plugged into, the socket normally being remotely switched and wired from the local ring circuit. A remotely switched fused spur can also be used.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved two outlet electrical port that is able to satisfy the requirements of both an electric cooker and a gas cooker. According to the invention there is provided an electrical port adapted to be installed in a conventional back box, the electrical port comprising;

• a faceplate,

• a chassis with the main live neutral and earth input terminals mounted upon it, the terminals designed to receive both the live, neutral and earth supply wires and the live, neutral and earth electric cooker supply wires,

• an aperture in the faceplate for receiving a cooker supply cable,

• a second set of live, neutral and earth terminals mounted on the

chassis for a second electrical supply, these second set of terminals being connected to the respective main live, neutral and earth input terminals, and

• conductive links connecting the first main terminals and second set of

terminals mounted on the chassis.

Whilst it is envisaged that the second set of outlet points can conceivably be any kind of electrical socket, the second set of outlet points will usually be 13A contacts to accept a conventional 13A plug. Alternatively, they can be fused spur terminals.

The main input terminals can be adapted to receive wiring of up to 10mm ² . The fused spur terminals can be adapted to receive wiring of up to 6mm ² .

The conductive links connecting the first and second set of terminals can conceivably be of any conductive material, preferably however they are of copper.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the chassis will be of steel. However, it is envisaged that it could feasibly be of any suitable conductive material.

In a first embodiment of the invention adapted for the fused spur, it is possible that the faceplate and a cooker connection plate will be an integral piece. However, the cooker connection plate and the faceplate are usually of two separate pieces, with the cooker connection plate protruding and being removable from the faceplate. Furthermore, the cooker connection plate typically has an aperture in its underside to allow for the entrance of the cooker supply cable, though this could realistically be in any position on the faceplate.

For a second embodiment of the invention adapted for the socket, the faceplate could be split with a separate removable section to provide access to the main input and cooker supply terminals. This removable section would have a hole or cut out through which the cooker supply cable would pass. Whilst it is envisaged that this could be a separate piece of a split faceplate, it is thought to be preferable that the faceplate is one piece.

To help understanding of the invention, various embodiments thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of a fused spur electrical port of a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a front view of a steel chassis and terminals of Figure 1 without the faceplate;

Figure 3 is a front view of a second embodiment of the invention with a standard 3 -pin socket;

Figure 4 is a front view of the steel chassis and terminals of Figure 3 without the faceplate;

Figure 5 is a front view of a third embodiment of the invention with a 3-pin socket, having a separate fuse;

Figure 6 is a front view of the steel chassis and terminals of Figure 5 without the faceplate;

Figure 7 is an underside view of the back box and faceplate for the second and third embodiments of the invention;

Figure 8 is a top view of the back box and faceplate for all embodiments of the invention;

Figure 9 is a side view of the back box and faceplate used for all embodiments of the invention;

Figure 10 is an underside view of the back box and faceplate used for the first embodiments of the invention; Figure 1 1 is a diagram demonstrating the position of the cooker control point, cooker connection unit, and remotely switched socket and associated switch within a standard kitchen; and

Figure 12 is a diagram demonstrating the position of the cooker control point using the second embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown an electrical port to which a household cooker can be connected to. The electrical port 1 has a moulded protective faceplate 2 with an aperture 3 for receiving the cooker supply cable. The aperture is on the underside of a cooker connection plate 4 that protrudes from the faceplate. The cooker connection plate is moulded into the faceplate.

The faceplate is connected to a steel chassis 9 by two screws 6, one on either side of the faceplate. The screws extend through holes 7 in the faceplate and are received by threaded holes 60 in the chassis to hold the faceplate in position during use.

Inside the faceplate 2, there are two sets of three terminals for the respective attachment of the live, neutral and earth wires. Two copper-links 16, 17 are used to connect the first mains terminals from the cooker supply cable with the terminals for the fused spur or socket respectively while the earth is connected via the chassis.

An insulating block 8 mounted on the chassis is used to hold all the internal components in place and through which the supply wires will pass. The chassis 9 is used to locate the internal components on the block, with threaded holes 10 for attaching a cable grip(s) (not shown)

The arrangement of the first embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 1 and 2, wherein the electrical port 1 has a fused spur to provide a supply of current. The front of the faceplate 2 has a fuse carrier 18 which can be levered out using the crevice 25 in the faceplate. This facilitates the replacement of the fuse. The fused spur’s live and neutral terminals 12, 13 shall be connected to the respective live and neutral terminals 14, 15 of the cooker supply cable by first and second copper links 16, 17. The live terminals being connected together via a fuse carrier 18. The links having sufficient cross sectional area to accommodate maximum current that the port can be exposed to. The fused spur’s earth wire terminal 19 shall be connected to the earth terminal 20 of the cooker supply cable via the chassis 9.

In the second embodiment of the invention, shown in Figures 3 and 4 there is an electrical port 30 which has a socket located on an island 21 in a faceplate 32 for receiving a standard three pin plug. Each pin of the plug represents the live, neutral and earth wires that come into connection with their respective contacts at the terminals.

A first copper link 36 connects the main intake neutral terminal of the cooker supply cable 37 to the neutral terminal of the socket 22. The second copper link 38 connects the main intake live terminal of the cooker supply cable 39 to the live contact of the socket 23.

The wiring of the plug takes its standard form, such that the housing of the plug contains its own individual fuse.

As in standard wiring arrangements, the cable that supplies the electricity to the port, the“supply” cable, contains all three wires; live, earth and neutral.

In the third embodiment of the invention, shown in Figures 5 and 6, there is an electrical port 40 with a fused socket 42 for a 3 -pin plug and a cooker connection plate 4.

A first copper link 43 connects the neutral terminals of the cooker supply cable and the socket, 44 and 45 respectively. A second copper link 46 connects the live terminals of the cooper supply cable and the socket, 47, 48 via a fuse (not shown) that is situated on a fuse carrier 49. Figures 7 to 10 show the top, underside and side views of the back box 5 with the faceplate attached. Holes 24 in the back box are located for the entrance and exit of the wires. The plurality of holes in the back box serve a secondary function in that they allow the electrician who is fitting the device to choose which hole to pass the wires through, depending on the individual aspects of each situation. This provides an element of flexibility to the fitting process.

The underside of the electrical port in the first embodiment is shown in Figure 10. On the underside of the faceplate there is a small hole 51 through which a flexible cable from the fused spur can pass.

The cooker supply cable passes through the aperture 3 in the underside of the cooker connection plate 4 which can be seen in Figure 7. The diameter of the hole is just sufficient to allow the cable to pass through.

In use, the radial circuit is wired from the distribution board or consumer unit to the cooker control unit 50 above the work surface as shown in Figure 12, and from the cooker control unit 50 to the connection unit 30 at low level behind the cooker The maximum current being controlled by the fuse for the radial circuit at the distribution board or consumer unit (not shown). All components must be suitable for the maximum current that the fuse will allow (e.g.45 Amps).

The invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above described embodiment. For instance, the invention need not be restricted to a double gang electrical port, it could be adapted for use with multi-gang ports.

Furthermore, the arrangement can be altered to accommodate the wiring layout and socket needs of other countries.