Electric service center for mobile homes and the like

Claim 2

An electric service center for supplying power to mobile units comprising: a. a housing having a portion thereof adapted to be installed in the ground, the housing having a hollow interior and an opening in the front wall therEof, the opening being disposed to be above the ground a predetermined distance when the housing is installed in the ground; b. first and second conductors mounted within the housing and insulated therefrom; c. a mounting plate removably secured to the housing over the opening in the front wall; d. an overload circuit breaking protective device, a plug receptacle and a neutral phase connection each secured to the mounting plate, the circuit breaker and the plug receptacle having the same ampere rating; e. means for electrically connecting the plug receptacle to the circuit breaker and the neutral phase connection; and f. the circuit breaker and neutral phase connection each including means for respectively electrically engaging the first and second conductors, each of such means being operable to establish its electrical engagement with its associated conductor exclusively by the mounting of the mounting plate to the housing and of breaking its electrical engagement with its associated conductor exclusively by the removal of the mounting plate from the housing thereby allowing similarly constructed mounting plates of different ampere ratings to be similarly removably secured to the housing without the need for altering any electrical circuits.

Claim 3

The electric service center claimed in claim 1 wherein the mounting plate has sidewalls overlying complementary sidewalls of the housing, the sidewalls of the mounting plate being sufficiently deep to provide mechanical protection for the circuit breaker, the plug receptacle and the neutral phase connection.

Claim 4

The electric service center claimed in claim 2 wherein the circuit breaker mounting plate has a rain guard, the rain guard including an upstanding wall around the top and sides of the plug receptacle and the circuit breaker.

Claim 5

The electric service center claimed in claim 3 wherein the rain guard includes a cover connected through a hinge to the circuit breaker mounting plate, the cover having a front wall for overlying the circuit breaker and the plug receptacle in the cover''s closed position.

Claim 6

The electric service center claimed in claim 4 wherein the front wall of the cover is bounded by a wall which overlies the upstanding wall when the cover is closed, the rain guard being open at its bottom for access to the plug receptacle.

Claim 7

The electric service center claimed in claim 3 wherein the upstanding wall has an outwardly flaring lip to divert rain water away from the plug receptacle and circuit breaker to the bottom of the sides of the upstanding wall.

Claim 8

The electrical service center claimed in claim 1 wherein the first conductor includes at least one bus bar below the opening in the housing, the bus bar being enclosed by a rigid cylindrical tube.

Claim 9

The electrical service center claimed in claim 1 wherein the first conductor includes bus bars with upstanding flanges for receiving mating clips of the circuit breaker, and including an insulator plate overlying these bus bars and having a cutout for receipt of the clips on the upstanding flanges.

Claim 10

The electrical service center claimed in claim 8 including a second circuit breaker permanently installed on the bus bars and extending through the cutout.

Claim 11

An electric service center for supplying power to mobile units comprising: a. a housing having a hollow interior and an opening in its front wall; b. a mounting plate removably secured to the housing over the opening in the front wall; c. an overload circuit breaking protective device, a plug receptacle and a neutral phase connection each secured to the mounting plate, the circuit breaker and the plug receptacle having the same ampere rating; d. means for electrically connecting the plug receptacle to the circuit breaker and the neutral phase connection; e. mating male and female conductor means for the circuit breaker and the housing to electrically couple the circuit breaker to a source of power when the mounting plate is secuRed to the housing and to electrically uncouple the circuit breaker from the source of power when the mounting plate is removed from the housing; and f. mating male and female conductor means for the neutral phase connection and the housing to electrically couple the neutral phase connection to the neutral of the source of power when the mounting plate is secured to the housing and to electrically uncouple the neutral phase connection from the neutral of the source of power when the mounting plate is removed from the housing. e. first physically engaged and electrically connected male and female conductor means for the circuit breaker and the housing for electrically connecting the circuit breaker to a source of power through the first housing conductor means, the first male and female conductor means being disposed and being operable to establish their physical engagement and electrical connection exclusively by the securing of the mounting plate to the housing and of nondestructively breaking their engagement and electrical connection exclusively by the removal of the mounting plate from the housing; and f. second physically engaged and electrically connected male and female conductor means for the neutral phase connection and the housing for electrically connecting the neutral phase connection to the neutral of the source of power through the second housing conductor means, the second male and female conductor means being disposed and being operable to establish their physical engagement and electrical connection exclusively by the securing of the mounting plate to the housing and of nondestructively breaking their engagement and electrical connection exclusively by the removal of the mounting plate from the housing thereby allowing similarly constructed mounting plates of different ampere ratings to be similarly removably secured to the housing without the need for altering any electrical circuits.

Claim 12

An electric service center for supplying power to mobile units comprising: a. a housing having a hollow interior and an opening in its front wall; b. a mounting plate removably secured to the housing over the opening in the front wall; c. an overload circuit breaking protective device, a plug receptacle and a neutral phase connection each secured to the mounting plate, the circuit breaker and the plug receptacle having the same ampere rating; d. means for electrically connecting the plug receptacle to the circuit breaker and the neutral phase connection; e. mating male and female conductor means for the circuit breaker and the housing to electrically couple the circuit breaker to a source of power when the mounting plate is secuRed to the housing and to electrically uncouple the circuit breaker from the source of power when the mounting plate is removed from the housing; and f. mating male and female conductor means for the neutral phase connection and the housing to electrically couple the neutral phase connection to the neutral of the source of power when the mounting plate is secured to the housing and to electrically uncouple the neutral phase connection from the neutral of the source of power when the mounting plate is removed from the housing. e. first physically engaged and electrically connected male and female conductor means for the circuit breaker and the housing for electrically connecting the circuit breaker to a source of power through the first housing conductor means, the first male and female conductor means being disposed and being operable to establish their physical engagement and electrical connection exclusively by the securing of the mounting plate to the housing and of nondestructively breaking their engagement and electrical connection exclusively by the removal of the mounting plate from the housing; and f. second physically engaged and electrically connected male and female conductor means for the neutral phase connection and the housing for electrically connecting the neutral phase connection to the neutral of the source of power through the second housing conductor means, the second male and female conductor means being disposed and being operable to establish their physical engagement and electrical connection exclusively by the securing of the mounting plate to the housing and of nondestructively breaking their engagement and electrical connection exclusively by the removal of the mounting plate from the housing thereby allowing similarly constructed mounting plates of different ampere ratings to be similarly removably secured to the housing without the need for altering any electrical circuits.

Claim 13

The electric service center claimed in claim 10 including: a. a rain guard cover; b. means for connecting the rain guard cover to the service center above the circuit breaker and plug receptacle for rotational movement from a closed position overlying the circuit breaker and the plug receptacle to an open position substantially normal to the plane of the circuit breaker mounting plate for access to the circuit breaker and plug receptacle; and c. the rain guard defining an opening in its bottom when in its closed position for access to the plug receptacle.

Claim 14

The electric service center claimed in claim 10 wherein the male and female conductor means for the circuit breaker and the housing include a bus bar mounted within the housing having an upstanding substantially straight flange and a U-shaped clip on the circuit breaker in electric circuit with the internal circuit of the circuit breaker, the U-shaped clip receiving and electrically engaging the flange.

Claim 15

The electric service center claimed in claim 12 wherein the male and female conductor means for the neutral phase connection comprises a male member mounted to the circuit breaker mounting plate and a female member mounted within the housing and receiving the male member of the neutral phase connection.

Claim 16

The electric service center claimed in claim 10 including: a. a second overload circuit breaking protective device secured to the mounting plate having the same ampere rating as the plug receptacle; b. means for electrically connecting the plug receptacle to the second circuit breaker and c. third physically engaged and electrically connected male and female conductor means for the second circuit breaker and the housing for electrically connecting the second circuit breaker to the source of power through the third housing conductor means, the third male and female conductor means being disposed and operable to establish their physical engagement and electrical connection exclusively by the securing of the mounting plate to the housing and of nonDestructively breaking their engagement and electrical connection exclusively by the removal of the mounting plate from the housing.

Claim 17

The electric service center claimed in claim 10 including: a. a second overload circuit breaking protective device secured to the mounting plate; b. a second plug receptacle secured to the mounting plate having the same ampere rating as the second circuit breaker; c. means for electrically connecting the second plug receptacle to the second circuit breaker and the neutral phase connection; and d. third physically engaged and electrically connected male and female conductor means for the second circuit breaker and the housing for electrically connecting the second circuit breaker to the source of power through the third housing conductor means, the third male and female conductor means being disposed and being operable to establish their physical engagement and electrical connection exclusively by the securing of the mounting plate to the housing and of nondestructively breaking their engagement and electrical connection exclusively by the removal of the mounting plate from the housing.