Abstract:
The present invention may include a switchplate provided with an opening surrounded by a front surface provided with a first portion of a decorative design, and a decorative design member provided with a second portion of the decorative design and for being applied to the front surface of an electric switch received within the opening to provide a complete, or at least substantially complete, decorative design; and processes of making the same and a decorative design switchplate kit comprising the same.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a process providing a decorative switchplate, a process for manufacturing a decorative switchplate and a decorative switchplate kit. 
     Numerous decorative switchplates are known to the prior art. Typically, the prior art decorative switchplate comprises a switchplate having an opening for receiving and electric switch for turning a light on and off and which switchplate is provided with a decorative design on its front surface surrounding the opening for receiving the electrical switch. Upon such prior art decorative switchplate being mounted over an electrical switch, which typically does not include any design, the result is an incomplete decorative design due to the absence of a decorative design on the electric switch. This is particularly significant with decorative switchplates for use with the electric switch typically referred to in the art as a rocker electric switch. The typical prior art rocker electric switch is generally much larger than the prior art toggle switch and includes a rather large exposed front surface without any decorative design. Thus, upon the typical prior art decorative switchplate being mounted over the typical prior art rocker electric switch there results in an incomplete decorative design due to the absence of a decorative design on the front surface of the rocker electric switch. 
     Accordingly, there is a need in the decorative switchplate art for a decorative switchplate, particularly for use with a rocker electric switch, which provides a complete decorative design. There is a further need in the art for a process for providing a decorative switchplate, a process for manufacturing a decorative switchplate and a decorative switchplate kit. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the object of present invention to satisfy the foregoing needs in the decorative switchplate art. 
     The present invention may include a switchplate provided with an opening surrounded by a front surface provided with a first portion of a decorative design, and a decorative design member provided with a second portion of the decorative design and for being applied to the front surface of an electric switch received within the opening to provide a complete, or at least substantially complete, decorative design; and processes of making the same and a decorative design switchplate kit comprising the same. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of a typical prior art switchplate for being mounted over a rocker electric switch; 
     FIG. 2 is a diagrammatical view of a typical prior art rocker electric switch; 
     FIG. 3 is a front view of a decorative design prepared for application to the switchplate of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a switchplate of FIG. 1 provided with a complete decorative design which covers both the switchplate and the opening provided in the switchplate for receiving an electric switch; 
     FIG. 5 is the decorative switchplate of FIG. 3 with the portion of the decorative design covering the opening shown in FIG. 1 removed; 
     FIGS. 6 is the portion of the decorative design removed from FIG.  5  and providing a decorative portion or member; and 
     FIG. 7 is a decorative switchplate design kit of the present invention including the switchplate of FIG.  5  and the removed decorative design portion or member of FIG. 6 packaged together in a package. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a commercially available prior art switchplate is shown and identified by general numerical designation  10 . The switchplate  10  is provided with an opening  11  for receiving the front portion of an electric switch, such as for example the rocker electric switch indicated by general numerical designation  12  in FIG. 2; the switchplate  10 , FIG. 1, includes a front surface  13  surrounding the opening  11 . The switchplate  10  of FIG. 1 also may be provided with a pair of small openings  14  and  15  as known to the art for receiving a pair of screws, not shown, for mounting the switchplate  10  over the rocker electric switch  12  of FIG. 2 with the front surface  16  (FIG. 2) of the rocker switch  12  being exposed through the opening  11  provided in the switchplate  10 . The switchplate  10  may be, for example, made of metal or plastic. 
     Referring further to FIG. 2, the rocker switch  12 , as is known to the art, is rocked upwardly and downwardly as indicated by the double-headed curved arrow  17  in FIG. 2 to turn a light on and off. 
     The processes of the present invention will be described with regard to FIGS. 3-6. Referring to FIG. 3, the front surface of a suitable layer of material  18 , such as for example and not by way of limitation, 28 pound paper, is provided with a complete decorative design  21  by anyone of several decorative design transfer processes known to the art, such by way of example, a photographic transfer process. The decorative design  21 , for example, and not by way of limitation, may include a cat  19  sitting in front of some flowers indicated by general numerical designation  20 . The rear surface of the layer of material  18  may be provided with a suitable coating of adhesive, of the type known to the art, for adhering the rear surface of the material  18  to the front surface  16  of the switchplate  10  shown in FIG.  1 . The layer of material  18  provided with the complete decorative design  21  covers the entire front surface  13  of the switchplate  10 , FIG. 1, and also covers the switchplate opening  11  shown in FIG.  1 . These process steps provide the switchplate indicated by general numerical designation  10 A in FIG.  4 . 
     Thereafter, the portion of the material  18  and decorative design overlying the switchplate opening  11  (FIG. 1) is suitably removed, for example, and not by way of limitation, manually such as by utilizing a suitable sharp edged cutting implement; alternatively, the portion of the materials  18  and a decorative design overlying the switchplate opening  11  of FIG. 1 may be suitably removed by die cutting and by die cutting apparatus known to the art. The portion of the material  18  and decorative design removed is retained as a decorative design portion or a decorative design member and is shown in FIG.  6  and identified by general numerical designation  22 . The removal of the decorative design portion or member  22  provides a decorative switchplate  10 B shown in FIG. 5 whose front surface is now provided. with only a portion  30  of the complete decorative design  21  shown in FIG. 3 or with an incomplete decorative design  30  due to the removal of the portion or member  22  shown in FIG.  6 . 
     Thereafter, the switchplate  10 B of FIG. 4 having the incomplete decorative design may be mounted over the rocker electric switch  12  shown in FIG. 2, which rocker electric switch  12  will have been previously suitably mounted in an opening provided in a wall in a manner known to the art. Specifically, the switchplate  10 B having the incomplete decorative design may be mounted over the rocker electric switch  12  by the above-mentioned screws, not shown, being inserted through the openings  14  and  15  shown in FIG.  4  and screwed into the typical receptacle holding the rocker electric switch  12  in a manner known to the art. 
     The front surface of the decorative design portion or member  22 , of FIG. 5, will be provided with a portion  32  of a complete decorative design  21  shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and the rear surface of the decorative design portion or member  22  may have its rear surface covered with a suitable adhesive of the type known to the art for adhering or securing the decorative portion or member  22  to the exposed surface  16  of electric switch  12 , FIG.  2 . Upon the decorative design portion or member  22  being adhered to the exposed front surface  16  of the rocker electric switch  12 , the portion  32  of the decorative design provided on the front surface of the decorative design portion or member  22  and the portion  30  of the decorative design provided on the front surface of the switchplate  10 B (FIG. 5) will co-operatively substantially provide the complete decorative design  21  shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Viewed differently, upon the decorative design member or portion  22  being applied to the front surface  16  of the rocker switch  12 , FIG. 2, the decorative design of FIGS. 3 and 4 will again be substantially complete and the switchplate  10 A and decorative design portion or member  22  will co-operatively provide a complete, or re-completed, decorative design. 
     A switchplate kit of the present invention is shown in FIG.  7  and identified by general numerical designation  26 . The decorative switchplate kit  26  includes the switchplate  10 B of FIG. 5 whose front surface is provided with the incomplete decorative design portion as described above and the decorative design portion or member  22  shown in FIG. 5 whose front surface is provided with the incomplete decorative design portion as described above. As noted above, the rear surface of the decorative design portion or member  22  may have been provided with the above-noted adhesive for applying the decorative design portion  22  to the front surface  16  of electric switch  12  of FIG.  2  and such adhesive may be suitably and temporarily, for packaging and transport, covered with a layer of release material (not shown) of the type known to the art for packaging of the member  22  in the kit  26  prior to being mounted to rocker electric switch  12  as described above. The switchplate  10 B and the decorative design portion or member  22  may be packaged in a suitable transparent plastic container  29 , of the type known to the art with the upper portion  31  of the package  29  being suitably sealed, such as for example, by heat sealing. 
     Further, switchplates are known to the prior art having two or more openings for mounting the switchplate over two or more switches such as two or more rocker switches of the type shown in FIG.  2 . Accordingly, it will be further understood that the teachings of the present invention may be utilized to provide a switchplate provided with two or more openings and two or more electric switches, such as two or more electric rocker switches, with a complete, or at least substantially complete, decorative design. 
     It will be understood many variations and modifications may be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.