Patent Publication Number: US-2011073347-A1

Title: Electrical cover

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to covers in general and in particular to covers for electrical outlets and switches. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Electrical outlets and wall switches are typically installed within a hole in a wall or more commonly within a receptacle or switch electrical box. The electrical box may be secured to a wall member such as a stud or directly to the drywall in which the hole is provided. Such outlets and switches typically have a cover provided to cover the remainder of the hole in the wall corresponding to the electrical box. 
     It is well known that people often desire to change the look of their electrical outlets and switches from time to time. Such desire can arise from a wish to replace an outlet that is worn or dirty or to change the appearance of the decorating within the room. In such cases, one method has been to replace the cover only. Such covers however typically only replace the existing cover whereas the old switch or receptacle will remain. In such cases where the old switch or receptacle has an undesirable appearance, the options available to the owner are to accept the appearance of the old switch or to replace the entire switch or receptacle. This is undesirable and difficult for many home owners to accomplish by themselves without hiring an electrician to perform for them. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to a first embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed a cover for a rocker type switch located within a hole in a wall comprising a cover plate sized to cover the hole in the wall. The cover plate has an aperture therethrough sized to surround the rocker type switch. The cover further comprises a rocker plate sized to overlay the rocker type switch pivotally located within the aperture wherein the rocker plate bears against the rocker type switch so as to transmit motion of the rocker plate to the rocker type switch. 
     The aperture may have a rectangular shape corresponding to a rectangular outline of the rocker type switch. The rocker plate may have first and second planar segments angularly oriented relative to each other. The second planar segment may be oriented out of a plane of the first planar segment by an angle corresponding to the rocker type switch. 
     The cover may further comprise a pivot between the cover plate and the rocker plate. The pivot may comprise a pair of opposed pins extending from the rocker plate wherein the aperture of the cover plate has a pair of bores sized to receive the pins therein. The bores may be located in plates extending perpendicularly from the aperture. The bores may be located adjacent to opposed sides of the angle. The cover plate may have first and second mounting bores sized and located to receive screws therethrough to secure the cover to the wall. 
     According to a further embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed a cover for an electrical receptacle having a plurality of connector openings located within a hole in a wall. The cover comprises a cover plate having front and rear surfaces and a hollowed region in the rear surface sized to receive the electrical receptacle therein. The cover further comprises a plurality of apertures located through the cover plate sized and located to correspond to the connector openings. The apertures may have edges offset from the connector openings by less than 1/32 of an inch. 
     Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention wherein similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in each view, 
         FIG. 1  is an perspective view of a light switch cover according to a first embodiment of the present invention being applied to a rocker type switch. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the light switch cover of  FIG. 1  as taken along the line  2 - 2 . 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the light switch cover of  FIG. 1   
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the light switch cover of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is an perspective view of an electrical receptacle cover according to a further embodiment of the present invention being applied to an electrical receptacle. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the electrical receptacle cover of  FIG. 5  as taken along the line  6 - 6  applied to an electrical receptacle. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a rocker type switch  10  may be located within a hole  8  in a wall  6 . The rocker type switch  10  comprises a switch body  12  locatable within the hole  8  in the wall  6  by a plate  14  or other suitable means. The rocker type switch  10  includes a rocking member  16  having first and second switch portions,  18  and  20 , respectively. The first and second switch portions  18  and  20  are angularly oriented relative to each other along a division line  22  by an angle, generally indicated at  24 . Such angles  24  are conventional on rocker type switch and have ranges commonly know in the art. As illustrated, the rocker type switch may be a decorator (decora) style  15 A as are commonly known in the art or any other suitable rocker type switch. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 through 3 , a cover according to a first embodiment of the invention is shown generally at  30 . The cover comprises a cover plate  32  and a rocker plate  50 . The cover plate  32  comprises a planar body having front and rear surfaces,  34  and  36 , respectively and an aperture  38  extending therethrough. The aperture  38  is sized to correspond to the shape of the rocking member  16  of the rocker type switch  10  when the cover  30  is secured thereto. As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the rear surface includes a hollow region  40  adapted to receive a rocker type switch  10  therein. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the cover may include bores  42  sized and located to receive screws or other suitable fasteners  44  therethrough so as to fasten the cover  30  to the wall  6  above the rocker type switch  10 . The cover plate will be sized to cover the hole  8  in the wall so as to prevent access thereto. It will be appreciated, that although the cover plate  32  is illustrated as substantially rectangular, other outline shapes may also be utilized such as circular, oval, triangular, heart shaped, maple leaf shaped or any other shape as desired by the user based upon their intended appearance. 
     The cover  30  includes a rocker plate  50  pivotally located within the aperture  38 . The rocker plate  50  is sized so as to have an outline corresponding to the aperture and therefore to correspond to the rocking member  16  of the rocker type switch  10  as well. The rocker plate  50  comprises a substantially planar member having first and second sections  52  and  54 , respectively. As illustrated the first and second sections  52  and  54  are substantially similar to each other in size. As illustrated, the rocker plate  50  has a front surface  60  and a rear surface  62 . The rocker plate  50  may have a substantially constant thickness such that the front and rear surfaces  60  and  62  have substantially similar profiles. The rear surface  62  may have a profile adapted to closely follow the surface of the rocking member  16  of the rocker type switch  10 . 
     The first and second sections  52  and  54  may be angularly oriented relative to each other about a bisecting line  56 . The second section  54  may be angularly oriented relative to the first section  52  such that the rear surface  62   b  of the second section  54  and the rear surface  62   a  of the first section for an angle therebetween generally indicated at  58 . It will be appreciated that angle  58  will correspond to the angle in the rocking member  16  of the rocker type switch  10 . In other embodiments, the rocker plate  50  may have varying thicknesses such that the front surface  60  does not form an angle corresponding to the angle on the rocking member  16  of the rocker type switch  10 . It will be appreciated that the rocker plate  50  may be thicker near the bisecting line  56  such that the front surface has a substantially flat or convex profile or any other profile as desired by the user. It will also be appreciated that the rocker plate  50  may be thinner near the bisecting line  56  such that the front surface has a substantially more concave profile. 
     The rocker plate  50  is supported within the aperture  38  by a pivot  70 . As illustrated, the pivot  70  comprises a pair of upstanding supports  72  extending perpendicularly from the cover plate  32  adjacent to the aperture  38 . The supports  72  include support bores  74  therein. It will be appreciated that the supports  72  will be spaced apart by a distance sufficient to permit the rocking member  16  to be located therebetween. The pivot  70  also include a pair of opposed pins  76  extending perpendicularly from the rocker plate  50  adjacent to the bisecting line  56 . As illustrated the pins  76  may extend from the rear surface  62  of the rocker plate  50 . It will be appreciated, however that the pins  76  may extend from the sides of the rocker plate or adjacent to the front surface  60  of the rocker plate. The pins  76  are pivotally receivable within he support bores  74  so as to permit the rocker plate  50  to freely rotate within the aperture  38  about the pins  76 . The pins  76  may be locatable within the apertures by permitting the supports  72  to be elastically deformed apart by a distance sufficient to permit the pins  76  to be located within the support bores  74  or by any other known method. It will also be appreciated that other methods of pivotally supporting the rocker plate  50  within the aperture  38  may also be utilized as are commonly known in the art. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 5 , an electrical receptacle  100  may be located within a hole  8  in a wall  6 . The electrical receptacle  100  comprises a outlet receptacle body  102  locatable within hole  8  in the wall  6  by a receptacle plate  104 . The electrical receptacle  100  includes a plurality off first and second connector openings,  106  and  108 , respectively. As illustrated, the electrical receptacle may be a decorator (decora) style  15 A as are commonly known in the art or any other suitable receptacle. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a cover according to a further embodiment of the invention is shown generally at  110  comprising a planar body having front and rear surfaces,  112  and  114 , respectively and a plurality of apertures  116  and  118  extending therethrough. As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the rear surface  114  of the cover  110  includes a hollow region  120  adapted to receive the electrical receptacle  100  therein such that the cover  110  substantially covers the electrical receptacle  100  when the cover is secured to the wall  6 . The cover may include bores  42  sized and located to receive screws or other suitable fasteners  44  therethrough so as to fasten the cover  30  to the wall  6 . The cover plate will be sized to cover the hole  8  in the wall so as to prevent access thereto. It will be appreciated, that although the cover  110  is illustrated as substantially rectangular, other outline shapes may also be utilized such as circular, oval, triangular, heart shaped, maple leaf shaped or any other shape as desired by the user based upon their intended appearance. 
     The first connector openings  106  may be slot type openings for receiving the blades of a conventional electrical plug. As illustrated, the apertures  116  are sized and located in the cover  110  so as to correspond to the first connector openings  106 . The second connector openings  108  may be grounding type openings for receiving and grounding the grounding pin of a conventional electrical plug. Similarly, the second apertures  118  are sized and located in the cover  110  so as to correspond to the second connector openings  108 . It will be appreciated that the first and second apertures  116  and  118  may be sized so as to be slightly larger than the respective first and second connector openings  106  and  108  such that the edge of the first and second apertures are offset from the connector openings by a distance generally indicated at  122 . This will facilitate the ease of installation of a plug though the cover. It has been found that sizing the offset at less than 1/32 of an inch has been useful although it will be appreciated that other distances may be useful as well. 
     The materials utilized to form the a cover according to the present disclosure may be of any suitable rigid material such as, by way of non-limiting example, stainless steel, anodized aluminum, plastic, ceramics, glass or mirrors. It will also be appreciated that the material should be selected so as to be electrically non-conductive. Although the above materials are provided for example purposes only, it will be appreciated that many other materials may also be suitable. The materials utilized to form the cover may also be of any color or be readily paintable 
     While specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only and not as limiting the invention as construed in accordance with the accompanying claims.