Regulation 3.2 Revised 2/98 AUSTRALIA Patents Act, 1990 COMPLETE INNOVATION SPECIFICATION NAME OF APPLICANT CAMPBELL, John George ACTUAL INVENTOR CAMPBELL, John George ADDRESS FOR SERVICE Peter Maxwell and Associates Level 6 60 Pitt Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 INVENTION TITLE: PORTABLE MAGNETIC POWER SOCKETBOARD DETAILS OF ASSOCIATED APPLICATION NO: Nil The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me: m:\docs\20101007\184410.doc 2 FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to power socket boards and, more particularly, to a portable magnetic power socket board. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5 Prior art power socket boards generally comprise a main body on which there is at least one power outlet, the body being connected via a cable and plug to a wall mounted power point or power socket for transfer of power. Various electrical devices may be connected to the power outlet of the power socket board via power cables. 10 A problem with prior art power socket boards is that their main body is only adapted to rest on the floor, in positions which may be awkward for a user to access in some circumstances. For instance, many refrigerators are positioned in alcoves of kitchens where the power point is inaccessible behind the body of the refrigerator. One can only access the power point or power 15 socket board by withdrawing the refrigerator from the alcove. However, this may present a problem because not only are refrigerators large and cumbersome, but generally a refrigerator should not be moved until at least half an hour after the electricity has been disconnected from the refrigerator. Hence, there exists a need for a power socket board which is adapted to be 20 affixed in a position which may be readily accessed by a user. There are many other situations where the power point or power socket board may not be readily accessed by a user using a prior art power socket board. For instance, power points or power socket boards connected thereto may not be readily accessed behind large office items such as computer 25 network cabinets, filing cabinets, photocopiers, or behind large household items such as washing machines, clothes dryers or dishwashers. 02/09/10 3 There may also be other instances where the use of a power socket board may be advantageous outdoors, but for one reason or another, the body of the power socket board cannot be safely placed on the ground, for instance, because of the potential of the cable to act as a tripping hazard, or due to the 5 presence of water on the ground. In such a case, it would be useful if the body of the power socket board was readily adapted to be attached to a surface above the ground. In other situations, it may be useful to removably attach the body of the power socket board to a location above the ground and out of reach of children. 10 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a power socket board which is portable and has a body which is adapted to be magnetically attached to ferromagnetic materials. According to the present invention, there is provided a power socket 15 board, the board comprising (a) a cable having a plug adapted to be connected to a power point, (b) a body connected to the cable, wherein the body has at least one power outlet, and (c) at least one magnet located within the body, 20 the arrangement being such that the body of the power socket board is adapted to be magnetically attached to ferromagnetic materials. Preferably, the or each magnet is a permanent magnet. It is also preferred that the body is made of plastic. In a preferred embodiment, the body further comprises a backing plate 25 which encloses the or each magnet within the body. More preferably, the backing plate is made of aluminium. n') IVV')I n 4 Even more preferably, the backing plate is attached to the body using adhesive glue. It is also preferred that the or each power outlet has a switch adapted to turn the power to the outlet on or off. 5 SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective front view of a main body and part of a cable of a 10 portable magnetic power socket board according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective rear view of the portable magnetic power socket board of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a rear view of a switch circuitry module within a fascia of the portable 15 magnetic power socket board of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a rear view of the main housing connected to the fascia of the portable magnetic power socket board of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a rear view of the magnets within the main housing of the portable magnetic power socket board of Fig. 1, and 20 Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the portable magnetic power socket board of Fig. 1, in use, on a refrigerator within a kitchen alcove. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of a portable magnetic power socket board 10 25 according to the present invention in part is shown in Fig. 1. The board 10 includes a body 12 having two power outlets 14 and 16, a first power switch 18 which is in the 'off position and a second power switch 20 which is in the 'on' A'l)MIA)I 5 position, and a cable 22 which is adapted to be connected to a power point (not shown) via a plug (not shown). Other embodiments of the invention may not have switches, or may comprise only one power outlet, or may comprise more than two power outlets, 5 for instance, four power socket outlets. In yet other embodiments, the board may comprise a power socket input so that a power cable may be connected to the board, in order to supply the board with power. These and other embodiments are within the scope and ambit of the present invention. The body 12 further comprises a fascia 24, within which a switch 10 circuitry module 26 is attached, as shown in Fig. 3. The switch circuitry module 26 controls the flow of power to the power socket outlets 14 and 16 via the switches 18 and 20 (see Fig. 1). The fascia 24 is connected to the main housing 28 (see Figs. 1 and 3) via screws (not shown) which are inserted into apertures 30 and 32. 15 Three circuitry wires 34, 36 and 38 emanate from the switch circuitry module 26 and are bundled together within a plastic sheath which forms the cable 22. The cable 22 emerges from the main housing 28 via aperture 40 (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 4). Two magnets 42 and 44 are inserted within the main housing 28 (see 20 Fig. 5) and are then covered with a backing plate 46 (see Fig. 2). The two magnets 42 and 44 are preferably permanent magnets (such as neodymium iron-boron magnets) that strongly attract ferromagnetic materials such as steel, iron, nickel, cobalt and their alloys, which are common in man-made environments. 25 Preferably, the backing plate 46 is made of aluminium, but may also be made of plastic, for instance. The backing plate 46 may be attached to the main housing 28 with the use of adhesive glues, but may also be attached to n')In') 11 n 6 the main housing 28 using screws, nails or welding, for instance. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the fascia 24 and the main housing 28 are made of plastic. Other embodiments of the invention may comprise an electromagnet, 5 such that the magnets 42 and 44 will only become magnetised when an electric current passes through them. The invention is in no way limited to the arrangement, distribution, type, number or shape of the magnets 42 and 44 shown in the embodiment of the invention in Fig. 5. All forms of magnets are within the scope and ambit of the present invention. 10 The portable magnetic power socket board 10 is shown in use on a refrigerator 48 within a kitchen alcove 50 in Fig. 6. The board 10 is magnetically attached to the side 52 of the refrigerator 48, with the cable 22 running down the side 52 of the refrigerator 48 to a power point (not shown) behind the refrigerator 48. 15 The kitchen alcove 50 prevents a user from readily accessing the power point behind the refrigerator 48, without first withdrawing the refrigerator 48 from the alcove 50. The board 10, in the position shown in Fig. 6, allows the user to readily switch the power to the refrigerator 48 on and off, or connect other electrical devices to the board 10 without having to withdraw the 20 refrigerator 48 from the alcove 50 to access the power point. In this way, the present invention allows the user to more effectively utilise a power point. The portable magnetic power socket board 10 may also be useful in other home, office or industrial environments. For instance, in home environments the board 10 may be used to keep power outlets and cords out 25 of the reach of small children. The board 10 may also be useful for making power points which are located behind large household devices, such as washing machines, clothes dryers or dishwashers, more accessible.
7 The board 10 may be useful in office environments when attached to a side of a computer network cabinet. Such cabinets are often made of a ferromagnetic material. Generally, computer network cabinets contain a plurality of electrical devices which have power cables. These cables may 5 otherwise be inaccessible behind the large and heavy network cabinet. The board 10 may also be useful underneath access floors (which are often used in computer network rooms) so that a user does not have to lean through a hole in the access floor to access a power socket board resting on the ground, which may be a foot beneath the access floor, but instead may 10 access the portable magnetic power socket board 10 which is magnetically attached towards the top of an access floor pedestal or a stringer (made of ferromagnetic material) running between two pedestals supporting the access floor, for example. The board 10 may also be useful for utilising and positioning power 15 points in office computer workstations, or for utilising power points behind filing cabinets or photocopiers, both of which are heavy and difficult to move. The board 10 may also have a variety of uses in an industrial environment, such as a factory. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that various modifications 20 may be made in details of design and construction of the portable magnetic power socket board described above without departing from the scope or ambit of the present invention. n') in') 14 n