The History of Electrical Power Strips

Falconer Electronics
3 min readMar 14, 2023

COMMERCIAL POWER STRIPS

The History of Electrical Power Strips

The best inventions — and often the simplest — become, so seamlessly, a major part of our lives. Even without us ever stopping to take notice. Think of the hundreds of items you use daily — an alarm clock, a toothbrush, a toaster, backpacks. You probably do not stop very often to ponder how doorknobs were invented. However they play an important role in the world all the same. In the electrical world, the focus is largely upon the big things — how electricity was discovered, for example — rather than the incredibly practical inventions that help power our world today.

For the curious-minded, let’s narrow the focus and think about the history of electrical power strips. Again, electrical power strips are not items we often ruminate over. However, as our world becomes increasingly reliant upon electronics, such as phones, laptops, TVs, and tablets, that often also require accessories, such as keyboards, secondary monitors, and video game consoles, it becomes abundantly clear the importance of electrical power strips in helping us efficiently enjoy our daily lives.

When were electrical power strips first invented?

The benefits of electrical power strips are obvious. They can extend not only the number of outlets in a room but also the location of those outlets. All while protecting any devices from dangerous electrical surges. Especially if surge protectors are built-in, which is common in modern versions. But who invented these useful electrical power strips?

Like many inventions, it is difficult to pin down exactly when electrical power strips were first invented. Early iterations of the device, which extend power outlets in a sequence, were seen as far back as 1929 when Carl Petersen filed his patent for a device called a Table Tap. Decades later, companies such as Kambrook, in 1972, designed and released devices that essentially functioned as common power strips, though Kambrook never filed a patent. And then there are inventors like Harold P. Kopp, who claimed to have invented the first surge protector that led to the modern version of the electric power strip.

As is the case with many items we use today, pinpointing the history of electrical power strips is a challenge. Due to their widespread use and innovation over time in conjunction with the advancement of societal electrical capabilities.

For more information on the history of electrical power strips and to find other interesting information about the electrical industry, visit our blog.

Wrapping It Up

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Falconer Electronics

Making Great Products in the U.S. to Electrify Our Customers: Wire Harnesses, Ground Straps & Commercial Power Strips