阅读说明：本技术 用于安装插头端部的插头保持器 (Plug holder for mounting plug end ) 是由 本杰明·C·谢弗 杰拉尔德·J·德米尔希安 布莱恩·R·德阿梅利奥 于 2021-06-25 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种用于将船用电池充电器的阳性插头端部安装在海运船舶上的插头保持器,包括外壳体、可移除套筒和后止挡件。外壳体具有限定插头开口的前端部和限定后开口的后端部,其中外壳体可附接到船体并被构造成将船用电池充电器的阳性插头端部保持在外壳体内,使得其可通过插头开口接近。可移除套筒装配在外壳体内,并被定形状为将阳性插头端部固定在外壳体内,使得当与阳性插头端部连接或断开时阳性插头端部不会移动。后止挡件可移除地连接到外壳体的后端部以覆盖后开口。后止挡件被构造成将可移除套筒和阳性插头端部保持在外壳体内。(A plug holder for mounting a male plug end of a marine battery charger on a marine vessel includes an outer housing, a removable sleeve, and a rear stop. The outer housing has a front end defining a plug opening and a rear end defining a rear opening, wherein the outer housing is attachable to the hull and configured to retain a male plug end of the marine battery charger within the outer housing such that it is accessible through the plug opening. A removable sleeve fits within the outer housing and is shaped to secure the male plug end within the outer housing such that the male plug end does not move when connected or disconnected from the male plug end. The rear stopper is removably connected to the rear end of the outer housing to cover the rear opening. The backstop is configured to retain the removable sleeve and the male plug end within the outer housing.)

1. A plug holder for mounting a male plug end of a marine battery charger on a marine vessel, the plug holder comprising:

an outer housing having a front end defining a plug opening and a rear end defining a rear opening, wherein the outer housing is attachable to a ship hull and configured to retain a male plug end of a marine battery charger within the outer housing such that the male plug end is accessible through the plug opening;

a removable sleeve fitted within the outer housing and shaped to secure the male plug end within the outer housing such that the male plug end does not move when connected or disconnected from the male plug end; and

a rear stop removably connectable to a rear end of the outer housing to cover the rear opening, wherein the rear stop is configured to retain the removable sleeve and male plug end within the outer housing.

2. The plug holder of claim 1, further comprising a flange on a forward end of the outer housing, wherein the flange is configured to connect to a surface of the hull.

3. The plug holder of claim 2, wherein a back face of said flange is configured to oppose a surface of said hull, and said outer housing is cylindrical and configured to extend through a circular hole in said surface such that said male plug end is mounted to the surface of said hull.

4. The plug holder of claim 1, wherein the removable sleeve is configured to receive the male plug end in an upright orientation only.

5. The plug holder of claim 4, wherein the removable sleeve is configured to grip a side of the male plug end so as to prevent movement of the male plug end when connected or disconnected from the male plug end.

6. The plug holder of claim 5, wherein the removable sleeve is c-shaped and wraps around the male plug end with an opening on a top side, wherein the outer housing has a tapered inner wall such that the outer housing compresses the c-shaped removable sleeve causing the c-shaped removable sleeve to compress against the side of the plug.

7. The plug holder of claim 6, wherein the opening on the top side of the removable sleeve is sized to allow the removable sleeve to slide onto the cable.

8. The plug holder of claim 1, further comprising at least one key element on the removable sleeve configured to mate with a corresponding key element on an inner wall of the outer housing, wherein the key element and corresponding key element are configured to require that the removable sleeve can only be inserted into the outer housing in a predetermined orientation that maintains the male plug end in an upright orientation.

9. The plug holder of claim 8, wherein the key elements on the removable sleeve are ridges on the exterior of the removable sleeve and the corresponding key elements are grooves on the inner wall of the outer housing.

10. The plug holder of claim 1, wherein said outer housing and said rear stop are configured such that said male plug end can be loosely maintained within said outer housing without said removable sleeve.

11. The plug holder of claim 1, further comprising a cover element having a cover removably attachable to the front end of the outer housing to cover the plug opening and a tether configured to attach to the outer housing to connect the cover to the outer housing.

12. The plug holder of claim 11, further comprising at least one key element on the tether configured to mate with a corresponding key element on the outer housing to connect the cover element to the outer housing in a predetermined orientation.

13. The plug holder of claim 12, wherein the corresponding key element on the outer housing is a t-piece extending from the outer housing and the key element on the tether is a hole through the t-piece, the hole configured to fit over the t-piece.

14. The plug holder of claim 13, wherein the tee is on a back side of a flange of an outer housing surrounding the plug opening, and the tether is configured to be positioned between the back side of the flange and a surface of the hull to provide a waterproof seal therebetween.

15. The plug holder of claim 14, further comprising at least two tees on a back side of the flange of the outer housing and a corresponding hole through the tether for each tee.

16. A plug holder for mounting a male plug end of a battery charger on a vehicle, the plug holder comprising:

an outer housing having a front end defining a plug opening and a rear end defining a rear opening, wherein the outer housing is attachable to a ship hull and configured to retain a male plug end of a battery charger within the outer housing such that the male plug end is accessible through the plug opening;

a removable sleeve fitted within the outer housing and shaped to secure the male plug end within the outer housing such that the male plug end does not move when connected or disconnected from the male plug end, wherein the removable sleeve is configured to receive the male plug end in an upright orientation only;

at least one key element on the removable sleeve configured to mate with a corresponding key element on an inner wall of the outer housing, wherein the key element and the corresponding key element are configured to require that the removable sleeve can only be inserted into the outer housing in a predetermined orientation that maintains the male plug end in an upright orientation;

a rear stop removably connectable to a rear end of the outer housing to cover the rear opening, wherein the rear stop is configured to retain the removable sleeve and male plug end within the outer housing;

wherein the outer housing and rear stop are further configured such that the male plug end can be loosely maintained within the outer housing without the removable sleeve.

17. The plug holder of claim 16, wherein the key elements on the removable sleeve are ridges on the exterior of the removable sleeve and the corresponding key elements are grooves on the inner wall of the outer housing.

18. The plug holder of claim 17, wherein the corresponding key element on the outer housing is a t-piece extending from the outer housing and the key element on the tether is a hole through the t-piece, the hole configured to fit over the t-piece.

19. The plug holder of claim 16, wherein the removable sleeve is c-shaped and wraps around the male plug end with an opening on a top side, wherein the outer housing has a tapered inner wall such that the outer housing compresses the c-shaped removable sleeve causing the c-shaped removable sleeve to press against a side of the male plug end and the opening on the top side of the removable sleeve is sized to allow the removable sleeve to slide onto the cable.

20. The plug holder of claim 16, further comprising a cover element having a front end removably attachable to the outer housing to cover the plug opening, and a tether configured to attach to the outer housing to tether the cover to the outer housing.

Technical Field

The present application relates generally to systems and devices for mounting plug ends on systems and vehicles, such as marine vessels, and more particularly to plug holders for mounting plug ends of marine battery chargers to a surface of a system or vehicle, such as a hull.

Background

Marine vessels have an electrical system powered by one or more batteries on board the vessel that store electrical power. Batteries require recharging and on-board marine battery charging systems are installed on many marine vessels. The on-board marine battery charger is configured to be connected to shore power, thereby facilitating charging of the battery. The marine battery charger has a cable with a male plug end configured to plug into an onshore power outlet or into an extension cable connected to an onshore power source. Similarly, many types of systems and vehicles include batteries that require connection to an electrical power outlet and onboard charging systems, the battery charger having a cable with a male plug end configured to plug into the electrical power outlet or into an extension cord connected to a power source.

Disclosure of Invention

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

One embodiment of a plug holder for mounting a male plug end of a marine battery charger on a marine vessel includes an outer housing, a removable sleeve, and a rear stop. The outer housing has a front end defining a plug opening and a rear end defining a rear opening, wherein the outer housing is attachable to the hull and configured to retain a male plug end of the marine battery charger within the outer housing such that it is accessible through the plug opening. A removable sleeve fits within the outer housing and is shaped to secure the male plug end within the outer housing such that the male plug end does not move when connected or disconnected from the male plug end. The rear stopper is removably connected to the rear end of the outer housing to cover the rear opening. The backstop is configured to retain the removable sleeve and the male plug end within the outer housing.

In another embodiment, a plug holder for mounting a male plug end of a battery charger on a vehicle includes an outer housing having a front end defining a plug opening and a rear end defining a rear opening. The outer housing is attachable to the hull and is configured to retain a male plug end of the battery charger within the outer housing such that it is accessible through the plug opening. A removable sleeve fits within the outer housing and is shaped to secure the male plug end within the outer housing so that it does not move when connected or disconnected from the male plug end. The removable sleeve is configured to receive the male plug end only in the upright orientation. At least one key element is provided on the removable sleeve, the key element being configured to cooperate with a corresponding key element on the inner wall of the outer housing. The key elements and corresponding key elements are configured to require that the removable sleeve can only be inserted into the outer housing in a predetermined orientation that maintains the male plug end in an upright orientation. The rear stopper is removably connected to the rear end of the outer housing to cover the rear opening. The backstop is configured to retain the removable sleeve and the male plug end within the outer housing.

Various other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

The present disclosure is described with reference to the following drawings.

Fig. 1 depicts one embodiment of a plug retainer mounted to a surface of a hull according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figure 2 is an exploded view of one embodiment of a plug retainer.

Figures 3A-3B depict cross-sectional views of one embodiment of a plug retainer.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of one embodiment of a plug holder according to the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a plug holder according to the present disclosure.

Fig. 6A-6B depict another view of one embodiment of a plug holder according to the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

The present inventors have recognized that existing devices and systems for mounting the plug end of a battery charger on marine vehicles and other vehicle types are deficient and problematic. For example, available plug holders cannot fixedly hold plug ends, such as the male plug end of a marine battery charger, and thus the plug ends can move around and/or away from the plug holder when a user connects and disconnects the plug ends. For example, many existing plug holder designs do not have a mechanism to hold the plug end in the holder when a user disconnects from the plug end (such as disconnecting a female extension cable end from a male plug end), and thus the male plug end is pulled out of the plug holder during disconnection. This requires the user to perform a multi-step operation in which the user pulls the extension cord and pulls the male plug end of the cord out of the retainer, and must disconnect the male and female plug ends with both hands. The user must then push the male plug end back into the plug holder. Other solutions provide a plate or other element in front of the male plug end to hold it in the holder, which has the undesirable effect of shortening the pin length by placing a non-conductive portion between the male and female plug ends. Although the examples described herein are with respect to installation on a marine vessel, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the systems and apparatus described herein may be installed on any type of vehicle or vessel, and that these embodiments are within the scope of the present disclosure.

The inventors have recognized additional problems with existing plug holders, including the inability of current plug holders to accommodate many different types of plug geometries. Accordingly, the inventors have endeavored to develop a universal AC plug holder for mounting the plug end of a marine battery charger on a marine vessel that can be used with any of a number of different plug geometries and that securely retains the plug end within the holder so that the plug end remains stable during connection and disconnection with the plug end.

Fig. 1-6 depict embodiments of plug holders according to the present disclosure. Fig. 1 shows a plug holder 10 mounted on a surface 8 on a marine vessel. The plug holder 10 holds and mounts the male plug end 2 of the marine battery charger onto the marine vessel so that the user can easily connect and disconnect the male plug end 2 and the male plug end 2 will be held in place within the plug holder 10. The male plug end 2 is accessible through the plug opening 23. The plug holder 10 has an outer housing 20 which is fixedly connected to the flat surface 8 on the vessel by a plurality of screws 12. The screws 12 pass through a flange 26 of the outer housing 20. The flange 26 is configured with screw recesses 28 on a front face 27 of the flange 26, each screw recess accommodating a screw 12. In the embodiment shown, three screws 12 are used to fix the plug holder 10 to the surface 8. In other embodiments, a fewer or greater number of screws may be used.

Referring also to fig. 2, the plug holder 10 has an elongated cylindrical body consisting of an outer housing 20 and a rear stop 80. A flange 26 is connected to and extends from the forward end 21 of the outer shell 20 and is configured to be connected to the surface 8 of the marine vessel. In the depicted embodiment, the back face 30 (fig. 3A and 4) of the flange 26 is opposite the surface 8, and the cylindrical outer housing 20 extends through a circular hole in the surface such that the plug retainer 10 mounts the male plug end 2 to the surface 8 of the hull, making the plug end easily accessible and protected from the harsh marine environment. The plug holder 10 comprises a covering element 60 with a cover 62 closing off and covering the plug opening 23. Specifically, the cover 62 has a connecting edge 63 configured to connect with the front end 21 of the outer housing 20, thereby closing the plug opening 23 to protect the plug end 2. In the depicted embodiment, the connecting edge 63 of the cover 62 includes a ridge 64, such as constructed of a flexible plastic or rubber material, configured to provide a friction fit with the first inner circumference 31 of the front end 21 of the outer housing 20. For example, cover 62 may be tightly fitted to outer housing 20 to provide a water-tight or watertight seal with front end 21 of outer housing 20.

The cover element 60 includes a tab 66 configured to allow a user to grasp the cover 62 in order to open and close the cover 62 over the plug opening 23. The cover element 60 further comprises a tether 68 connecting the cover 62 to the rest of the plug holder 10. Tether 68 includes a flexible extension 70 that flexes to allow cover 62 to be connected with front end 21. The tether may be made of a rubber material of a particular hardness such that the tether forms a gasket between the face 30 and the mounting surface 8. The tether 68 also includes a ring 69 configured to be attached around the outer housing 20, wherein an extension 70 extends from the ring 69 and may form a sealing gasket necessary to prevent water from entering the interior of the mounting surface 8. The ring 69 has an inner diameter configured to slide over the length of the rear end 22 and the outer housing 20. The tether 68 has a front face 71 (see fig. 4 and 5) that abuts the rear face 30 of the flange 26. Thus, the cover element 60 is fixedly mounted between the flange 26 and the surface 8 on the marine vessel.

The plug holder 10 generally includes an outer housing 20, a removable sleeve 40 configured to fit within the outer housing 20, and a rear stop 80 removably connected to the rear end 22 of the outer housing 20 and configured to retain the removable sleeve 40 within the outer housing 20. Certain embodiments of the plug holder 10 may also include a cover element 60 as shown and described herein. The removable sleeve 40 is shaped to secure the plug end 2 within the outer housing 20. The plug end 2 may be a male plug end having live and neutral pins 3 and a ground post 4, as may be provided in any of various standard plug configurations. The plug end 2 has a molded plastic head with a substantially flat top side and two substantially flat sides 5 extending perpendicularly from the top side. While the plug head may take on a variety of shapes, the shape depicted in fig. 2 depicts a typical male plug head configuration. The plug head has a rounded bottom 6 which holds and receives the ground stud 4.

In the standard case, the plug head is maintained in an upright orientation, i.e. the orientation shown in fig. 1 and 2. The inventors have realized that users prefer an upright orientation very much. Furthermore, the inventors have realized that existing plug holders allow the plug head to be mounted in different positions, such as sideways or upside down, which is undesirable for the user. Accordingly, the inventors have developed a plug holder disclosed herein that has features that prevent the plug end from being installed in an incorrect orientation in which the plug end is not in a standard upright orientation. The plug holder 10 is configured to require the plug end 2 to be in an upright orientation and to hold it in an upright orientation in which the prongs 3 are positioned horizontally relative to each other and above the ground post 4, which is oriented in the 6 o' clock position. Ensuring the correct upward orientation of the cover provides the additional benefit of protecting the mounting surface. Wherein the cover opens upwards against gravity so that it falls down when released, partially covering the plug connection or hole 23, to prevent or reduce the ingress of downward rain water through the plug opening 23 into the mounting surface 8.

The removable sleeve 40 is an elongated c-shaped member having an opening 44 at its top side. The opening 44 is sized to allow the removable sleeve 40 to slide onto and over the cable 1 so that the removable sleeve can then slide over the male plug end 2. In one embodiment, opening 44 has a width between 23.5mm and 24.5 mm. The removable sleeve 40 is shaped to fit tightly around the plug end 2 so as to hold it in place within the outer housing 20. A removable sleeve 40 is wrapped around the male plug end 2. The c-shaped removable sleeve 40 has a front end 41 and a rear end 42 and a cavity 43 shaped to receive the plug end 2. The removable sleeve 40 is configured to slide into the outer housing 20 with the front end 41 sliding through the rear opening 24 at the rear end 22 of the outer housing 20 and towards the front end 21 of the outer housing 20. Before sliding the removable sleeve 40 to the outer housing 20, the removable sleeve 40 is slid onto the plug end 2 and the assembled counterpart is inserted into the outer housing 20. The cavity 43 has a bottom edge 46 configured to receive the bottom 6 of the plug end 2.

The c-shaped removable sleeve 40 is compressible so as to grip the sides of the male plug end and provide a strong frictional engagement with the plug end 2 and maintain the plug end in place when connected or disconnected from the plug end. As best shown in fig. 3A, the outer housing 20 has a tapered inner wall 35 configured to compress the c-shaped removable sleeve 40 when the removable sleeve 40 is slid toward the front end 21 of the outer housing 20. The compression on the removable sleeve 40 causes the removable sleeve to grip the plug end 2 and in particular to press the side edges 45a and 45b against the sides 5a and 5b, respectively, of the plug end 2. This frictional engagement prevents the plug end 2 from being pulled outwardly out of the removable sleeve 40 and/or the outer housing 20 when the box end is disconnected from the male plug end 2.

Referring also to fig. 4, the removable sleeve 40 has a collar 49 at the rear end 42 that is configured to engage the rear lip 7 of the plug end 2 and prevent the plug end 2 from moving rearwardly within the removable sleeve 40 and/or the outer housing 20 when connecting the female plug end to the plug end. Specifically, the rear lip 50 of the collar 49 engages the rear lip 7 of the plug end 2 to resist rearward forces exerted on the plug end 2 (such as during connection) and generally tightly maintain the plug end 2 within the plug holder 10.

The plug holder 10 includes a rear stop 80 removably connected to the rear end 22 of the outer housing 20 to cover the rear opening 24 thereof. The rear stop 80 has a front end 81 and a rear end 82, wherein the front end 81 slides into the rear end 22 of the outer housing 20. The rear end 82 of the rear stop 80 has a rear face 86 forming the outer back side of the plug holder 10 and a front face 85 engaging the rear end 42 of the sleeve 40. Thus, the rear stop 80 is configured to hold the removable sleeve 40 tightly within the outer housing 20. Any rearward force on the removable sleeve 40 may be transferred to the rear stop 80 secured to the rear end 22 of the outer housing 20. In the example shown, backstop 80 is secured to outer housing 20 via a threaded engagement between threads 89 on backstop and threads 39 on outer housing 20. Thus, attachment of the rear stop 80 includes threading the rear stop onto the rear end 22 of the outer housing 20.

As mentioned above, the removable sleeve 40 is configured to receive the plug end 2 only in the upright orientation, and the plug holder 10 is generally configured to be able to mount the plug end only in the upright orientation. To this end, the removable sleeve 40 has key elements configured to mate with corresponding key elements on the inner wall of the outer housing 20. The key elements and corresponding key elements are configured to require that the removable sleeve can only be inserted into the outer housing in a predetermined orientation that maintains the male plug end in an upright orientation. Various key elements may be used for this purpose, which are configured to matingly connect and have complementary shapes, and otherwise prevent the removable sleeve 40 from being installed in an incorrect orientation into the outer housing 20. As best shown in fig. 4, the key elements on the removable sleeve 40 may be ridges 48, such as the ridges 48 toward the rear end 52 of the removable sleeve 40 but before the narrowed collar portion 49. The corresponding key element on the outer housing 20 is a groove 38 on its inner wall. As also shown in FIG. 5, the groove 38 is sized to receive the ridge 48, such as having a length and width complementary to and receiving the ridge 48. In the illustrated embodiment, the removable sleeve 40 has two key elements that include two ridges 48, each of which is received at a corresponding groove 38 on the tapered inner wall 35. In other embodiments, various key element configurations may be utilized.

The rear stop 80 has an opening 83 that allows the cable 1 to extend out of the back side of the plug holder 10, but prevents the plug end 2 from coming off, e.g. due to a rearward force on the plug end. In one embodiment, the plug holder 10 is configured such that the removable sleeve 40 can be removed such that the outer housing 20 and the rear stop 80 can individually maintain the plug end 2 therein, which can be loosely maintained depending on the configuration of the plug end. Fig. 5 depicts an embodiment in which the large plug end 2' is inserted into the outer housing 20.

Fig. 5 depicts a cross-sectional view of the plug end 2' and the plug holder 10. The special plug end 2 'is a proprietary plug end 2' which is the Guest Connect of Power Products of Menomonee Falls of Wisconsin with Guest Connect Battery Charger (Guest Connect Battery Charger)^TM. The Guest Connect (Guest Connect) plug end 2' is oversized compared to most standard plug ends and, in one embodiment, the outer housing 20 may be specifically configured to receive the plug end upon removal of the removable sleeve 40. In particular, the third inner circumference 33 is configured to accommodate the diameter P of the plug end 2 'and the inner length B (see fig. 3B) is configured to accommodate the length of the Guest connection (Guest Connect) plug end 2'. Plug holder 10 is constructedSuch that the backstop 80 fits against the rear edge 94 of the plug end 2 'and the opening 83 in the backstop is configured to accommodate the diameter Q of the plug end 2'. Specifically, when the rear stopper 80 is screwed into the outer housing 20, the front end portion 81 of the rear stopper 80 is opposed to the rear edge 94 of the plug end portion 2'. Thus, the plug end 2' is tightly maintained within the plug holder 10. To provide just one exemplary embodiment, the length B may be in the range of about 44.86mm to about 45.06mm, and the diameter G may be in the range of about 36.97mm to about 37.17 mm.

In certain embodiments, the plug end 2 ' and the outer housing 20 may include a keying element configured to require the plug end 2 ' to be inserted in an upright orientation and maintain the plug end 2 ' in that upright orientation. In the example shown, the plug end 2 has a projection 97 extending outwardly therefrom. Outer housing 20 has a groove 98 that receives tab 97. Thus, the plug end 2' can only be inserted in an orientation in which the projection 97 slides into the groove 98, which is an upright orientation.

The outer housing 20 is sized to receive the entire plug end, including the pin 3 and the ground post 4, within the outer housing cavity. Fig. 3B depicts an exemplary embodiment, and provides exemplary dimensions to further illustrate certain embodiments. However, in view of this disclosure, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various sizes may be provided to accommodate different plug ends 2. In this example, the outer housing 20 has a graduated circumference 31-33 towards the front end, which accommodates various aspects. The first inner circumference 31 receives and defines a plug opening 23 having a diameter J, which in one embodiment is in the range of 38.75mm to 38.95 mm. On the opposite side of the second inner circumference 32, a stop for the removable sleeve 40 is provided. In one embodiment, second inner circumference 32 has a diameter E in the range of 35.45mm to 35.65 mm. The third inner circumference 33 is sized to receive the front end 41 of the removable sleeve 40. In one embodiment, third inner circumference 33 has a diameter G in the range of 36.97mm to 37.17 mm.

As described above, the outer housing 20 has a tapered inner wall 35 configured to receive and compress the removable sleeve 40. The tapered inner wall 35 narrows from an initial diameter I in the range of 38.21mm to 38.41mm to the narrower diameter G described above. At the rear end, the conical inner wall 35 of the outer housing has a thickness H in the range of 2.96mm to 3.16mm and at the front end a thickness F in the range of 3.58mm to 3.78 mm. The inner diameter C of the collar 49 is in the range 16.53mm to 16.73 mm. The inner diameter D of the opening 83 in the rear stop 80 is in the range 18.19mm to 18.39 mm.

In certain embodiments, a key element may be provided on the cover element 60, such as on the tether 68, to secure the cover element 60 to the outer housing 20. In the embodiment of fig. 6A-6B, the loop 69 of the tether 68 has key elements configured to mate with corresponding key elements on the back side 30 of the flange 26. In the illustrated embodiment, a tee 100, shown in detail in FIG. 6B, extends from the back face 30 of the flange 26. A corresponding hole 72 is provided in the looped portion 69 of the tether 68 that is configured to fit over the tee 100. the tee 100 includes a post 101 and a top 102. The aperture 72 is configured to press against the top 102 such that the tether is held between the back side 30 of the flange and the front side 103 of the top element 102. In some embodiments, the tee 100 may include one or more flanges 104 that extend longer than the diameter of the corresponding hole 72 to press against the tether 68 to hold it in place. The tether also provides a waterproof seal between the plug retainer face 26 and the mounting surface 8 via its resilient properties. The tether also includes screw holes 74 which align with the screw holes in the flange 26 and allow the screws 12 to easily pass through the tether 68 and secure the entire system to the surface 8 of the vessel.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. Certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be inferred therefrom other than as required by the prior art, because such terms are used for descriptive purposes only and are intended to be broadly construed. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have features or structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent features or structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.