Abstract:
An apparatus for covering an unused wall telephone jack assembly is disclosed, the apparatus additionally hosting one or more items such as a notepad, writing instrument, whiteboard, keys or picture frame. The apparatus has a frame that fits over the wall telephone jack assembly and conceals it. The apparatus is attached to the wall jack using either wall telephone jack screws or wall phone mounting screws located on the wall telephone jack assembly. Several embodiments and variations are presented; the one embodiment has a front plate and a back plate comprising the frame; another embodiment having the frame as a single unit. In the embodiments, an elastic ribbon mounted on the front of the frame that releasably supports a notepad, and a shelf mounted on the frame supports a writing instrument are included. The inventive concept applies to other unused wall-mounted electrical devices.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of the U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/348,543 filed May 26, 2010 by the present inventor. This provisional patent application is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    This invention relates cover plates for wall-mounted electrical devices, more particularly to landline phone jack assemblies. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0003]    The standard landline telephone is connected to a landline telephone network via a telephone jack. This jack is typically mounted on a baseboard or on a wall. However, in the last several years, mobile devices such as cell phones and smartphone devices have come into increasing use. These mobile devices connect to a mobile telephone network via cell phone towers and Wi-Fi networks. While some users use their cell phones to complement their landline phone, an increasing number of cell phone users use their cell phone as their only telephone, and disconnect their landline service altogether. The landline wall jacks therefore remain unused, and unsightly. Therefore, there is a need for an inexpensive way of converting the unused jack into a useful item. 
         [0004]    There are many patent publications, patents, and commercial products that add functionality to either a landline telephone or a wall-mounted electrical connection such as a telephone jack, 120v electrical line, or a light switch plate. However, in all of these devices, the electrical device is kept operational. Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus to convert an unused wall telephone wall jack or other wall-mounted unused electrical device into a useful device. 
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0005]    The landline wall phone jack cover apparatus presented herein converts an unused wall phone jack assembly into a device that hosts items such as a notepad, pencil, whiteboard, or a picture frame. The apparatus is mounted over the phone jack, covers it completely, and is attached to the wall plate receptacle using either the same two screws that the wall phone jack assembly uses to attach to the wall, or screws on the wall phone jack assembly used to attach a wall phone to it. In three embodiments presented herein, the apparatus has a frame that is larger than the wall jack and is sized and configured to hold both a notepad of standard size e.g. 5½ inches by 8½ inches. Also included is a writing instrument holder. Optional additional capabilities or variations on the design may also be included such as having a hook to hold keys or replacing the notepad by a white board or having a picture frame; and modifying the apparatus to be used with other wall-mounted unused electrical devices. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  illustrates a generic wall telephone jack (not part of the invention) presented herein. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of the inventive concept presented herein. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention comprising a front plate and a back plate. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  illustrates a sectional view of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  illustrates a second embodiment, a variation of the first embodiment. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  illustrates an exploded perspective view of a third embodiment of the present invention comprising a single plate. 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  illustrates a sectional view of  FIG. 6 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates a generic example of a wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100  that accepts a telephone plug. The wall mounted telephone jack assembly  100  is not part of the inventive concept.  FIG. 2  illustrates the inventive concept presented herein; a generic example of a telephone jack cover  200  designed to fit over and hide the wall mounted telephone jack assembly  100 . Wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100 , installed on a wall, has a telephone jack cover plate  102 , a telephone jack  104 , typically an RH11 jack, two telephone jack wall-mounting screws  106 , and optionally has two telephone-mounting screws  112 . Telephone jack cover  200  has a shelf  204  that serves as a writing instrument holder that holds a writing instrument  203  such as a pen or pencil. Telephone jack cover  200  is designed to be attached to and hide the wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100 , and host devices such as a notepad  202  and writing instrument  203 . 
         [0014]    Wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100 , illustrated in  FIG. 1 , is one example of a class of telephone jack assemblies. Many variations of such telephone jack assemblies are currently commercially available. Variations include having two telephone jacks  104  instead of one, not having telephone-mounting screws  112 , and having the telephone jack wall-mounting screws  106  hidden. The wall phone jack cover invention presented herein covers all these prior art telephone jack assemblies. 
         [0015]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 4  illustrates a sectional view of  FIG. 3  displayed in an expanded scale. Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , first embodiment is comprised of a back plate assembly  206 , a front plate assembly  208 , an elastic ribbon  222 , and a frame screw  210 . Back plate assembly  206  has a raised component  212  that contains two slotted holes  314  with slots  215  and a cavity  216 . Raised component  212  is sized and configured so it fits over and completely encloses the wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100 . A first pair of slotted holes  214  are sized and configured so back plate assembly  206  may be secured to wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100  using telephone-mounting screws  112  of wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100 . Cavity  216  is sized and configured so that it allows telephone jack  104  to be enclosed by it. Back plate assembly  206  has a hooked tab  228  that is used to help secure front plate assembly  208  to back plate assembly  206 . Back plate assembly  206  also has a threaded hole  219 . A second pair of slotted holes  217  are sized and configured so back plate assembly  206  may alternately be secured to wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100  using the two telephone jack wall-mounting screws  106 . 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , front plate assembly  208  is comprised of a front plate frame  220 , and a frame screw  210 . Front plate frame  220  has a frame border  223 , and a frame front recess component  224  that is sized and configured to hold a notepad  202 . Front plate frame  220  also has a rectangular recess  225 , (see  FIG. 4 ), positioned in rear of front plate frame  220  that encloses and conceals the back plate assembly  206 . 
         [0017]    Again referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , elastic ribbon  222  is secured to front plate frame  220  by passing through two vertical slots  226  located on frame front recess component  224 . Front plate frame  220  has a lip  218  (see  FIG. 4 ) located at top of front plate frame  220  that is operationally matched to hooked tab  228  positioned on back plate assembly  206  so it can be hooked over lip  218  to help secure the top of front plate frame  220  to back plate assembly  206 . Frame front recess component  224  on front plate frame  220  has a countersunk hole  229  that is positioned to be aligned with threaded hole  219  positioned on back plate assembly  206  and receives frame screw  210 . Front plate frame  220  additionally has a shelf  204  attached near bottom of frame border  223 . Frame screw  210  fits through countersunk hole  229  and has male threads that mate with female threads in threaded hole  219 . Elastic ribbon  222  is mounted on frame front recess component  224  using two vertical slots  226  located near the top and sides of frame front recess component  224 . Although not shown in the figures, a key holder such as a hook may also be included. 
         [0018]    Again referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , back plate assembly  206  is installed on wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100  using two telephone-mounting screws  112 , using the following steps. The two telephone-mounting screws  112  are loosened, the first pair of slotted holes  214  of back plate assembly  206  are positioned over the two telephone-mounting screws  112  of wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100  so back plate assembly  206  completely encloses the wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100 . Back plate assembly  206  is then forced down so slots  215  of slotted holes  214  are gripped by the two telephone-mounting screws  112 . Telephone-mounting screws  112  are then tightened, thereby securing the back plate assembly  206  to wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100 . 
         [0019]    If the two telephone-mounting screws  112  are not present in the wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100 , then the two telephone jack wall-mounting screws  106  of wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100  may be used to secure the back plate assembly  206  to the wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100 . To install back plate assembly  206  on wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100  using the two telephone jack wall-mounting screws  106 , the following steps are implemented. The two telephone jack wall-mounting screws  106  are loosened, the second par of slotted holes  217  of back plate assembly  206  are fit over telephone jack wall-mounting screws  106  of wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100  so back plate assembly  206  completely encloses the wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100 . Back plate assembly  206  is then forced down so slots  215  of the second pair of slotted holes  217  are gripped by the two telephone jack wall-mounting screws  106 . Telephone jack wall-mounting screws  106  are then tightened, thereby securing the back plate assembly  206  to wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100 . 
         [0020]    After back plate assembly  206  is installed on wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100 , front plate assembly  208  is attached to back plate assembly  206  as follows. First, hooked tab  228  on back plate assembly  206  is hooked onto lip  218  of front plate assembly  208 , and then front plate frame  220  is positioned over back plate assembly  206  so it completely encloses it. Then frame screw  210  is used to secure front plate assembly  208  to threaded hole  219  on back plate assembly  206 . This completes the installation. 
         [0021]      FIG. 5  illustrates a second embodiment, a variation of the first embodiment. Only the differences between the first embodiment and the second embodiment are discussed. The front plate assembly  208  of the first embodiment is replaced by a second front plate assembly  232  of the second embodiment that has two front plate holes  236  added. The back plate assembly  206  of the first embodiment is replaced by a second back plate assembly  234  which has first pair of slotted holes  214  replaced by two back plate holes  238 . The two front plate holes  236  are sized and configured so that the heads of the two telephone-mounting screws  112  will fit though the two front plate holes  236 . The two back plate holes  238  are sized and configured so that the threads of the two telephone-mounting screws  112  pass through, but the heads of the telephone-mounting screws  112  do not pass through. The two front plate holes  236  and two back plate holes  238  are positioned on the second front plate assembly  232  and the second back plate assembly  234  so that the third embodiment may be secured to the wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100  using two telephone-mounting screws  112 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 6  illustrates an exploded perspective view of a third embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 7  illustrates a sectional view of third embodiment in an expanded scale, the section taken vertically bisecting the third embodiment as indicated in  FIG. 6 . Third embodiment is designed to handle a wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100  that does not have wall phone mounting screws. Third embodiment has a frame  306  made using a frame assembly  304  that replaces front plate assembly  208  and back plate assembly  206  of first embodiment. Also shown in  FIG. 6  is wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100  and notepad  202 . 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , frame assembly  304  has a frame  306  with a frame border  307  and a front rectangular recess  308  that holds a notepad  202 . Frame  306  has a rear recess  310 , shown in  FIG. 7  that encloses the wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100  when frame assembly  304  is placed over it. Frame assembly  304  has two slotted holes  314  located in front rectangular recess  308 . Two slotted holes  314  are positioned so that when frame assembly  304  is placed over wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100 , two slotted holes  314  will align with the telephone jack wall-mounting screws  106  so that telephone jack wall-mounting screws  106  may be used to secure frame assembly  304  to wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100 . Two slotted holes  314  are countersunk on the front so that telephone jack wall-mounting screws  106  will fit flush with front rectangular recess  308 . Elastic ribbon  222  is secured to front rectangular recess  308  by passing through ribbon slots  324  located on front rectangular recess  308  and securing the two ends of elastic ribbon  222  on the rear of front rectangular recess  308 . 
         [0024]    Third embodiment is designed for mounting on wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100  using telephone jack wall-mounting screws  106 . Alternately, third embodiment may be modified to be mounted on wall-mounted telephone jack assembly  100  using two telephone-mounting screws  112  as illustrated in the first embodiment. 
         [0025]    The disclosure presented herein gives several embodiments of the present invention. These embodiments are to be considered as only illustrative of the invention and not a limitation of the scope of the present invention. Various permutations, combinations, variations, and extensions of these embodiments are considered to fall within the scope of this invention. For example, one or more hooks may be added to the frame so that keys may be hung from it. The instrument holder may be redesigned; for example, it may be on the side of the frame, and have a hollow tube to insert a pencil or pen. The notepad may be replaced by a whiteboard, blackboard, or other erasable device, and the writing instruments may include one or more wet erase or dry erase markers, chalk or other erasable marking devices. The embodiments may be made out of wood, plastic or metal. Various versions of each embodiment may be made that are dimensioned to fit notepads of different sizes, accommodate phone wall jack assemblies with different number of phone jacks, with or without wall phone mounting screws, visible phone jack mounting screws, and actual construction of the wall phone jack cover. The notepad may be attached to the wall phone jack cover by having a horizontal slot on the recess on wall phone jack cover that allows a notepad backing cardboard to fit through it; alternately a clip may secure the notepad to the wall phone jack cover. The apparatus may be modified to cover an unused electrical wall-mounted device other than a phone jack assembly.