Abstract:
A trim plate is disclosed that includes a base plate, a folding hook arm pivotally attached to the base plate, and a weight-bearing truss that supports the folding hook arm. A first end of the weight bearing truss is pivotally connected to the hook arm at about the middle of the hook arm and the second end of the truss is positioned in a primary slot in the base plate. Two secondary slots in the base plate are positioned on either side of the primary slot, and pins extend perpendicularly from the base plate end of the truss and fit in the secondary slots for sliding therein whenever the hook arm is open or closed.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The invention relates to wall fixtures in facilities such as hospital rooms. In most cases, wire, cable or tubing attached to a wall or ceiling receptacle is longer than the immediate need. Typically, any excess is allowed to simply drape onto the floor or along the wall. This is particularly undesirable when the receptacle is in plain sight or (as often happens in medical settings) is located above and over the patient 
     In medical facilities, there is an additional situation involving a standard “set up” of tubing and cannulae that is prepared prior to a patient arriving in a room. This tubing must be connected to the outlet or therapy equipment (flowmeter or suction regulator) at one end but otherwise somehow stored until needed. Typically, this is accomplished by coiling the tubing, loosely placing it back in its original bag and hanging it on the flowmeter or stuffing it behind the suction regulator. 
     These methods present disadvantages because the tubing (which should remain at least clean and in many cases sterile) is not secure, can easily fall away and drag on the floor or the bed, or detach from the equipment, or (worst) fall on the patient The coiled and bagged tubing also blocks visual inspection of the flowmeter and regulator, making it difficult to confirm that the flow is off when the outlet is not in use, or to adjust the flowmeter when the tubing is in use. 
     As an additional factor, in the medical context, most physical spaces are crowded for the sake of efficiency, or in some cases necessity. Because of that, the value of new items that occupy physical space must be justified by a significant functional advantage. 
     Therefore a need exists for a convenient fixture that would help store tubing and similar items in a manner that helps keep the items clean, or even sterile, that does not otherwise interfere with the necessary medical functions of the room itself, and that potentially enhances those medical functions. 
     SUMMARY 
     The invention is an improved trim plate that can replace conventional trim plates at most standard electrical receptacles (“boxes”), network connection receptacles, antennae connections, light switches, medical gas terminal units or any other application that uses a trim plate for aesthetic or functional purposes. 
     In one aspect, the trim plate includes a folding hook arm and a truss that supports the folding hook arm. In particular, in addition to the folding hook arm, the new plate has an additional weight-bearing truss that is flush or almost flush with the plate when closed, opens when the hook arm opens, and retracts when the hook arm retracts. As used herein the term “hook ” is used to describe a function rather than a particular (e.g., curled) shape. 
     One end of the weight bearing truss is pivotally connected to the retracting hook arm at about the middle of the hook arm. The other end of the truss is positioned in a primary slot in the faceplate and below the hook arm. Two secondary slots are positioned on either side of the primary slot. Pins extend perpendicularly from the plate end of the truss and fit in and slide in these secondary slots whenever the hook arm is open or closed. 
     The resulting structure provides a retractable hook arm and a retractable weight-bearing truss for the main hook arm. 
     The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention and the manner in which the same are accomplished will become clearer based on the followed detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a trim plate according to the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a second perspective view of the trim plate of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a front elevation overview of the trim plate of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevation view of the trim plate of  FIGS. 1-3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the trim plate of  FIGS. 1-4  taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a trim plate according to the invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a side elevation overview of a third embodiment of a trim plate according to the invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a front elevation of you of a fourth embodiment of a trim plate according to the invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a side elevation of view of the trim plate of  FIG. 8 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a trim plate broadly designated at  10  according to the present invention. The trim plate includes a rectangular base plate  11  which defines a rectangular opening  12 , substantially centered in the base plate and that provides access to the items in a wall or panel (not shown) behind the trim plate  10 . The rectangular shape tends to match many, or even most, styles of small receptacles, but is not functionally required. Other perimeter shapes may be entirely appropriate in other circumstances. Similarly, the rectangular shape of the opening  12  is exemplary rather than limiting. 
     A folding (or retracting) hook arm  13  is mounted to pivot relative to the base plate  11  (e.g.  FIGS. 2-5 ). The pivoting structure and elements are best illustrated in  FIG. 5  hereafter. The arm  13  optionally includes a projection or lug  14  that helps prevent certain items (such as wires and tubing) from sliding off the distal end of the hook arm arm  13 . The hook arm  13  can fold or retract into a hook arm seat  15  in the base plate  11  that has a shape corresponding to the hook arm  13 . The hook arm seat  15  further includes a lug seat  16  into which the lug  14  can fit when the hook arm  13  is retracted. 
     The drawings illustrate the folding arm  13  positioned on one side of the base plate  11 , but it will be understood that the folding arm  13  could be positioned on either side, or that two arms could be included, and at two positions. 
     The hook arm  13  is connected to the base plate  11  at an arm pin  17  (that remains stationary; e.g.,  FIG. 5 ) and to a truss  20  by an arm truss pin  21 . In the illustrated embodiment the truss  20  is in the form of a 90° arc, and the other end of the truss  20  is fixed in a pin slot  22  by a truss pin  23  that can move linearly in parallel pin slots  22  (only one is visible in  FIG. 1 ) when the hook arm  13  pivots on the arm truss pin  21  and retracts into the arm seat  15 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment a gasket  24  is positioned around the opening  12  and helps receive an additional cover plate (not shown) supported by the trim plate  10 . The opening  12  is further defined by a pad  25  that supports several counter-bored or counter-sunk holes  26  along with a plurality of rearward extending legs  27  that terminate in perpendicular tabs  30 . The trim plate  10  can be fixed in place using fasteners (e.g., machine screws, not shown) in the holes  26 . 
     The gasket  24  is optional depending upon the end use. If present, it can be formed of rubber or other appropriate materials provided they are physically and chemically consistent with the end-use. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the same plate as  FIG. 1 , but with the hook arm arm  13  folded or retracted into the arm seat  15 . In this position, and based on the relationship between and among the elements, the truss  20  rests closely adjacent the base plate  11 . As  FIGS. 2, 4 and 5  illustrate, as the arm  13  pivots into the retracted position, the truss pin  23  slides upwardly in the truss slot  22  while the other end of the truss  20  pivots relative to the folding hook arm  13 . 
       FIG. 2  also provides a clearer view of the primary truss slot  28  within which the truss  20  can move. As both  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  illustrate, the pin slots  23  are formed in the side walls of the primary truss slot  28 . 
     The other elements in  FIG. 2  are the same as in  FIG. 1  and are numbered in the same manner. 
       FIG. 3  is a front elevational view of the trim plate  10  and with the folding hook arm  13  in the same retracted position as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . Again, the remaining elements illustrated in  FIG. 3  are the same as those in  FIGS. 1 and 2  and are accordingly numbered in the same fashion. 
       FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the trim plate  10  and illustrates the relative movement of the folding hook arm  13  as it moves from the open position (solid lines) through an arc of movement indicated by the arrow  31  and the dotted lines. 
       FIG. 5  is a cross - sectional view that helps illustrate the moving parts of the arm and truss. In particular,  FIG. 5  is a more detailed view of the three pivot items: the arm pin  17 , the arm truss pin  21 , and the plate truss pin  23 .  FIG. 5  helps illustrate the manner in which the truss pin  23  and the base plate  11  permit the truss to pivot relative to the base plate, and permit the truss to slide in the truss slot  22  relative to the baseplate  11 . 
       FIG. 5  correspondingly illustrates that the folding hook arm arm  13  pivots on the arm pin  17  relative to the baseplate  11 , and pivots on the truss pin arm  21  during the retracting (or opening) motion. 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the trim plate and broadly designated at  34 . Items common to the previous embodiment are numbered similarly, but items that are rearranged or different have new reference numerals. Accordingly, the trim plate  34  again includes a base plate  11  which has other features common with the first embodiment, but which for the sake of clarity are not repeated (or illustrated) here. 
     The hook arm  13  is again pivotally fixed to the base plate  11  by the truss pin  23 , but in this embodiment, the truss  35  is positioned in upper portions of the base plate  11  rather than the lower portions. The truss  35  is again connected to the base plate by a truss pin  23 , and because of its position, the truss pin  23  moves within a differently positioned truss slot  36 . In particular, the truss slot  36  is positioned in upper portions of the base plate  11  rather than in lower portions (as in the first embodiment). 
     The other end of the truss  35  is fixed to the hook arm  13  by a truss pin  21 , but in this embodiment the truss pin  21  moves in a slot  37  in the arm  13 . The embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 6  has the advantage that the hook arm  13  and its lug  14  again fold entirely into the baseplate  11 , but in this embodiment the truss  35  likewise retracts entirely into the base plate  11 . 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a third embodiment of the trim plate broadly designated at  40 . In this embodiment, the hook arm  13  is positioned near the top of the base plate  11  rather than pivoting from near the bottom. The truss  20  is again connected to the arm  13  by a truss pin  21  in the arm and a truss pin  23  (not visible in  FIG. 7 ) in the base plate  11 . 
     This embodiment also includes a pivoting lug  41  which moves on its lug pin  42  and can retract into a lug seat  43 . 
     The embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 7  provides a similar function to the embodiment exemplified in  FIGS. 1-5 , but by supporting wires and hoses (or any other items) at a position that is adjacent upper portions of the base plate  11  rather than middle or lower portions. 
     In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 7 , because the hook arm  13  pivots upwardly, the plate and the truss  20  includes a lock  48  or locking mechanism to keep the truss  20  and the arm  13  in place. Well-understood mechanical locks such as ball and detent arrangements and locking pins will work, as will the various spring-type pins. These items are well understood in this and many other arts, are available in numerous designs and versions, and can be selected and incorporated by the skilled person without undue experimentation. 
     It will also be understood that the slot  37  illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 7  is optional, and that the arm truss pin  21  could provide a fixed rotation point rather than a sliding one. In such cases, the truss pin  23  at the plate  11  serves as a sliding rotation point; i.e., as  FIG. 6  already illustrates. 
       FIG. 8  is a front elevational view of a fourth embodiment of the trim plate broadly designated at  45 . Many of the elements are the same as in  FIG. 1 , and are numbered accordingly. In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , however, the hook arm  13  pivots on a hinge in a horizontal plane rather than in a vertical plane as in the previous embodiments. The hook arm  13  is thus positioned on a pivot pin  46  which is different from the previous embodiments. This provides the opportunity to move the hook arm  13  in a different plane, which may be preferred depending upon the working environment, the geometry of a particular room or facility, or other circumstances. 
     Appropriate hinges and hinge designs are well known and widely available in this and other arts, with gate-type hinges and door-type hinges being exemplary. 
       FIG. 9  is a side elevational view of the fourth embodiment of the trim plate  45  and again illustrates the hook arm  13 , the lug  14 , the pivot pin  46 , and the bearing  47 . 
     The embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 9  could also optionally include a lock  48  that helps prevent the arm  13  from pivoting in an undesired fashion from either the open or closed position or both. As in the other embodiments, the lock  48  can include a ball and detent lock, uses and examples of which are numerous in many mechanical devices, or a spring pin as described earlier. 
     The invention moderately increases the size of a trim plate as would be used for any standard electrical receptacle, network connection receptacle, antennae connection, light switch, medical gas terminal unit or other application that uses a trim plate for aesthetic dress or functional closure of a wall opening 
     In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms have been employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.