Patent Publication Number: US-2021183591-A1

Title: Childproof Light Switch Cover Apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to light switch cover plates and more particularly pertains to a new light switch cover plate for preventing a child from accessing a light switch. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to light switch cover plates. Many existing cover plates designed to childproof a light switch are limited for use with a low profile rocker switch. Others employ a large, bulky cover that covers most or all of the cover plate. Of the few existing covers that employ a threaded cap, the childproofing mechanism is a simple push-and-turn or squeeze-and-turn cap that is easily overcome by some children. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a cover plate configured to engage a standard light switch box. The cover plate has a switch aperture extending therethrough that is dimensioned to receive a switch of the standard light switch box. A tubular extension is coupled to the cover plate around the switch aperture. A locking tab is coupled to a sidewall of the extension adjacent an outer threaded portion of the extension. A cap has a main portion and a flanged bottom portion. The cap is threadingly engageable with the outer threaded portion of the extension and the flanged bottom portion is selectively engageable with the locking tab to prevent the cap from rotating to disengage from the extension. The locking tab is substantially flexible to be depressed and to allow the cap to rotate freely. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a childproof light switch cover apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a rear elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, a new light switch cover plate embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the childproof light switch cover apparatus  10  generally comprises a cover plate  12  configured to engage a standard light switch box. The cover plate  12  may have a pair of countersunk mounting apertures  14  extending therethrough to achieve this engagement. The cover plate  12  has a switch aperture  16  extending therethrough. The switch aperture  16  is dimensioned to receive a switch  18  of the standard light switch box and may be rectangular to accommodate the switch  18  without exposing any more of the standard light switch box. 
     A tubular extension  20  is coupled to the cover plate  12  around the switch aperture  16 . The extension  20  leaves sufficient room for the switch  18  to toggle between the on position and the off position. A locking tab  22  is coupled to the extension  20 . The locking tab  22  is coupled to a sidewall  24  of the extension adjacent an outer threaded portion  26  of the extension. The locking tab  22  may comprise a left main arm  28 , a right main arm  30 , a central crosspiece  32  extending therebetween, and a tongue  34  extending from the left main arm  28  towards the right main arm  30 . The tongue  34  may have a tapered distal end  36  to aid in engagement. A pair of angled support arms  38  may be coupled to the left main arm  28  and the right main arm  30  for reinforcement. A stopper rim  40  is coupled to the extension  20  and extends from adjacent each side of the locking tab  22 . An outer perimeter  42  of the stopper rim  40  aligns with an upper facet  44  of each of the support arms  38 . 
     A cap  46  has a main portion  48  and a flanged bottom portion  50 . The cap  46  is threadingly engageable with the outer threaded portion  26  of the extension and the flanged bottom portion  50  is selectively engageable with the locking tab  22  to prevent the cap  46  from rotating to disengage from the extension  20 . The bottom portion  50  may encompass the stopper rim  40  to correctly align the cap  46  with the tongue  34 . The locking tab  22  is substantially flexible to be depressed and disengage from the cap  46  to allow the cap to rotate freely and be removed. The cap  46  may have a male threaded portion  52  coupled to the main portion  48 . The male threaded portion  52  is selectively engageable with an internal threading  54  of the extension to engage the cap  46  with the extension  20  without engaging the locking tab  22 . The apparatus  10  may thus be used with or without a childproof process to uncover the switch  18 . A diameter of the male threaded portion  52  may be less than a diameter of the main portion  48  to all the main threaded portion  50  to be more comfortably gripped. 
     A tether  56  is rotatably coupled to the cap  46  and has a loop portion  58  to selectively engageable the extension  20 . The loop portion  58  may sit between the cover plate  12  and the stopper rim  40 . The tether  56  prevents the cap from falling when disengaged from the extension  20 . 
     In use, the cover plate  12  is coupled to the light switch box with the switch  18  extending through the switch aperture  16 . The cap  46  may then be engaged either with the outer threaded portion  26  or the internal threading  54  of the extension. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.