Patent Publication Number: US-2023164930-A1

Title: Colorization of an electrical outlet

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. Pat. Application No. 16/900,323, filed Jun. 12, 2020; which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Pat. Application No. 62/860,535, filed Jun. 12, 2019, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     A typical electrical outlet may be wall-mounted in an electrical wall box and may be electrically connected to a power source, such as an alternative-current (AC) power source. Electrical outlets may include a bezel having one or more receptacles into which plugs of respective electrical loads (e.g., appliances) may be inserted to electrically couple the electrical loads to the power source. The bezel of the electrical outlet may be received in an opening of a faceplate that may be mounted to the electrical wall box. The bezel and/or the faceplate may be provided in a number of colors in order to match the appearance of the electrical outlet to the walls and/or furniture in the vicinity of the electrical wall box. 
     SUMMARY 
     As described herein, an electrical outlet may be stored (e.g., stocked at a manufacturer and/or a warehouse) in a bulk form and may be constructed to have a desired color, finish, and/or material prior to shipment to a customer. The outlet may comprise a housing portion having at least one terminal configured to be electrically coupled to a power source, a rear bezel portion having a front surface defining at least two openings configured to receive blades of a plug of an electrical device for electrically connecting the electrical device to the power source, and a front bezel portion configured to be mounted over the rear bezel portion and having at least two openings aligned with the respective openings and configured to receive the blades of the plug of the electrical device. For example, the front bezel portion may comprise a plate portion through which the openings of the front bezel portion extend and two or more snaps extending from a rear surface of the plate portion via respective arms. The snaps may be configured to be received in openings of the front surface of the rear bezel portion for attaching the front bezel portion to the rear bezel portion. In addition, the front bezel portion may comprise a plate portion through which the openings of the front bezel portion extend and sidewalls extending from a rear surface of the plate portion. The front surface of the rear bezel portion may be configured to be received in a recess formed by the plate portion and the sidewalls of the front bezel portion for attaching the front bezel portion to the rear bezel portion. 
     A method of manufacturing an electrical outlet using front and rear bezel portions is disclosed herein. The method may comprise: (1) storing the electrical outlet with a rear bezel portion installed; (2) installing a front bezel portion on the electrical outlet; and (3) shipping the electrical outlet with the front bezel portion installed. For example, the front bezel portion may be installed on the electrical outlet by receiving snaps of the front bezel portion in respective opening in a front surface of the rear bezel portion. In addition, the front bezel portion may be installed on the electrical outlet by receiving a front surface of the rear bezel portion in a recess formed by a plate portion and sidewalls of the front bezel portion. 
     In addition, another method of manufacturing an electrical outlet using temporary and permanent bezels is disclosed here. The method may comprise: (1) installing a temporary bezel on the electrical outlet; (2) storing the electrical outlet with the bezel installed; (3) removing the temporary bezel from the electrical outlet; (4) installing a permanent bezel on the electrical outlet; and (5) shipping the electrical outlet with the permanent bezel installed. For example, the temporary bezel may be secured to the electrical outlet using snaps, and the snaps may be cut prior to removing the temporary bezel from the electrical outlet. In addition, the temporary bezel may be secured to the electrical outlet by inserting attachment tabs of the temporary bezel into openings of attachment structures of a housing of the electrical outlet. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of an example electrical outlet. 
         FIG.  2    is a front view of the electrical outlet of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  3    is an exploded view of the electrical outlet of  FIG.  1    showing a front bezel portion detached from a rear bezel portion. 
         FIG.  4    is a bottom cross-sectional view of the electrical outlet of  FIG.  1    taken through the line shown in  FIG.  2   . 
         FIG.  5    is a perspective view of another example electrical outlet. 
         FIG.  6    is a front view of the electrical outlet of  FIG.  5   . 
         FIG.  7    is an exploded view of the electrical outlet of  FIG.  5    showing a front bezel portion detached from a rear bezel portion. 
         FIGS.  8 A and  8 B  are bottom cross-sectional views of the electrical outlet of  FIG.  5    taken through the line shown in  FIG.  6   . 
         FIG.  9    is a perspective view of another example electrical outlet. 
         FIG.  10    is a perspective view of a temporary bezel of the electrical outlet of  FIG.  9   . 
         FIG.  11    is a perspective view of the electrical outlet of  FIG.  9    before a permanent bezel is installed on the electrical outlet. 
         FIG.  12    is a perspective view of the electrical outlet of  FIG.  9    with the permanent bezel installed on the electrical outlet. 
         FIG.  13    is perspective view of another example electrical outlet. 
         FIG.  14    is a perspective view of the electrical outlet of  FIG.  13    with a temporary bezel detached. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG.  1    is a perspective view and  FIG.  2    is a front view of an example electrical outlet  100  (e.g., a controllable electrical outlet). The electrical outlet  100  may comprise a yoke  110  configured to mount the electrical outlet to a standard electrical wall box (not shown) via mounting screws  112 . The electrical outlet  100  may include electrical circuitry that may be housed in a housing  120  (e.g., an enclosure) of the controllable electrical outlet  100 . The electrical outlet  100  may comprise a hot screw terminal  122  adapted to be electrically connected to the hot side of an alternating-current (AC) power source and a neutral terminal  124  ( FIG.  4   ) adapted to be coupled to the neutral side of the AC power source. The electrical outlet  100  may also comprise a ground terminal  126  that may be connected to the yoke  110  and may be adapted to be electrically connected to earth ground. 
     The electrical outlet  100  may comprise two receptacles  130  (e.g., an upper receptacle and a lower receptacle) for receiving the plugs of plug-in electrical loads. The electrical outlet  100  may comprise a bezel having and front bezel portion  140  and a rear bezel portion  150 . The front bezel portion  140  may define a plate portion  141  having a front surface  142  adapted to be received through an opening of a faceplate (not shown). Each of the receptacles  130  may comprise a number of openings  144   a - 144   c  formed in the front surface  142  of the front bezel portion  140  and extending through the plate portion  141  of the front bezel portion  140 . For example, each receptacle  130  may comprise a respective hot opening  144   a  for receiving a hot blade of a plug, a respective neutral opening  144   b  for receiving a neutral blade of the plug, and a respective ground opening  144   c  for receiving a ground blade of the plug. The rear bezel portion  150  may be connected to the housing  120 . For example, the rear bezel portion  150  may comprise snaps  160  extending from the rear bezel portion  150  via arms  162 . The snaps  160  may be configured to engage with respective attachment structures  164  in the housing  120  to connect the rear bezel portion  150  to the housing  120 . The arms  162  may be configured to extend through openings  166  of the respective attachment structures  164 , such that the snaps  160  are able to engage rear surfaces  168  of the respective attachment structures  164 . 
     The electrical outlet  100  may comprise an actuator  132  that may be provided through an opening  146  in the plate portion  141  of the front bezel portion  140 . The actuator  132  may be actuated to associate the electrical outlet  100  with one or more wireless transmitters of a load control system. The actuator  132  may also be actuated to turn on and off the plug-in electrical loads that are plugged into the receptacles  130 . The electrical outlet  100  may also comprise a visual indicator  134 , which may be provided through an opening  148  in the plate portion  141  of the front bezel portion  140 . The visual indicator  134  may be illuminated to provide feedback to a user during configuration and/or normal operation of the electrical outlet  100 . For example, the visual indicator  134  may be illuminated by a light source, such as a light-emitting diode (LED) located within the electrical outlet  100  (e.g., inside of the rear bezel portion  150  and/or the housing  120 ). Examples of controllable receptacles are described in greater detail in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. Application Publication No. 2015/0249337, published Sep. 3, 2015, entitled CONTROLLABLE ELECTRICAL OUTLET WITH A CONTROLLED WIRED OUTPUT, and U.S. Pat. Application Publication No. 2017/0310109, published Oct. 26, 2017, entitled CONTROLLABLE ELECTRICAL OUTLET HAVING A RESONANT LOOP ANTENNA, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
       FIG.  3    is an exploded view of the electrical outlet  100  showing the front bezel portion  140  detached from the rear bezel portion  150 . The rear bezel portion  150  may define a front surface  152  that may contact a rear surface  149  of the plate portion  141  of the front bezel portion  140  when the front bezel portion  140  is connected to the rear bezel portion  150 . Each of the receptacles  130  of the electrical outlet may comprise a number of openings  154   a - 154   c  formed in the front surface  152  of the rear bezel portion  150 . For example, the rear bezel portion  150  may have a respective hot opening  154   a  for receiving a hot blade of a plug, a respective neutral opening  154   b  for receiving a neutral blade of the plug, and a respective ground opening  154   c  for receiving a ground blade of the plug. The actuator  132  and the visual indicator  134  may extend from the front surface  152  of the rear bezel portion  150 . For example, the visual indicator  134  may comprise a light pipe for conducting light from the light source inside of the electrical outlet  100  to the front surface  142  of the front bezel portion  140 . 
     The front bezel portion  140  may comprise a plurality of snaps  170  extending from the rear surface  149  of the plate portion  141  of the front bezel portion  140  via arms  172 .  FIG.  4    is a bottom cross-sectional view of the electrical outlet  100  taken through the hot and neutral openings  144   a ,  144   b  of one of the receptacles  130  (e.g., through the line shown in  FIG.  2   ). The snaps  170  may define engagement surfaces  174 . The snaps  170  may be received in respective openings  176  in the front surface  152  of the rear bezel portion  150 . The snaps  170  may engage with respective attachment tabs  178  in the housing  120  to connect the front bezel portion  140  to the rear bezel portion  150  (e.g., as shown in  FIG.  4   ). The attachment tabs  178  may extend from sidewalls  155  of the rear bezel portion  150  and may define respective engagement surfaces  179 . The arms  172  may be configured to extend through the respective openings  176  in the front surface  152  of the rear bezel portion  150  when the front bezel portion  140  is attached to the rear bezel portion  150 . The openings  176  may be large enough to receive the snaps  170  and the arms  172 , but not large enough such that a tool or other object may be received in the openings  176  (e.g., and contact the electrical circuitry of the electrical outlet  100 ). The engagement surfaces  174  of the respective snaps  170  may be configured to contact the engagement surfaces  179  of the respective attachment tabs  178  to hold the front bezel portion  140  against the rear bezel portion  150 . When the front bezel portion  140  is connected to the rear bezel portion  150 , the rear surface  149  of the front bezel portion  140  may be held against the front surface  152  of the rear bezel portion  150 . When the front bezel portion  140  is connected to the rear bezel portion  150 , the openings  144   a - 144   c  of each receptacle  130  formed in the front surface  142  of the front bezel portion  140  may be aligned with the respective openings  154   a - 154   b  of each receptacle  130  formed in the front surface  152  of the rear bezel portion  150 . 
     The electrical outlet  100  may be stored (e.g., stocked at a manufacturer and/or a warehouse) without the front bezel portion  140  connected to the rear bezel portion  150  (e.g., in a bulk form). The front bezel portion  140  may be provided in a number of different colors, finishes, and/or materials. The rear bezel portion  150  may be provided in multiple colors (e.g., two colors, such as white and black). Prior to being shipped to a customer, the front bezel portion  140  (e.g., having the desired color, finish, and/or material) may be attached to the rear bezel portion  150  and the electrical outlet  100  with the front bezel portion  140  installed may be shipped to the customer. Since the rear bezel portion  140  may be seen through an opening between the front bezel portion  140  and the faceplate installed on the electrical outlet  100 , the color of the rear bezel portion  150  may be chosen based upon the color of the front bezel portion  140 . For example, when the front bezel portion  140  is a lighter color, the rear bezel portion  150  may be white, and when the front bezel portion  140  is a darker color, the rear bezel portion  150  may be black. In addition, the front bezel portion  140  may be attached to the electrical outlet  100  in the field prior to installation (e.g., the electrical outlet  100  may be shipped to the customer without the front bezel portion  140  installed). The snaps  170  and respective attachment tabs  176  may be configured to attach (e.g., permanently attach) the front bezel portion  140  to the rear bezel portion  150  after the front bezel portion  140  is connected to the rear bezel portion  150 . 
       FIG.  5    is a perspective view and  FIG.  6    is a front view of another example electrical outlet  200  (e.g., a controllable electrical outlet). The electrical outlet  200  may comprise a yoke  210  configured to mount the electrical outlet to a standard electrical wall box (not shown) via mounting screws  212 . The electrical outlet  200  may include electrical circuitry that may be housed in a housing  220  (e.g., an enclosure) of the controllable electrical outlet  200 . The electrical outlet  200  may comprise a hot screw terminal  222  ( FIG.  8 A ) adapted to be electrically connected to the hot side of an AC power source and a neutral terminal  224  ( FIG.  8 A ) adapted to be coupled to the neutral side of the AC power source. The electrical outlet  200  may also comprise a ground terminal  226  that may be connected to the yoke  210  and may be adapted to be electrically connected to earth ground. 
     The electrical outlet  200  may comprise two receptacles  230  (e.g., an upper receptacle and a lower receptacle) for receiving the plugs of plug-in electrical loads. The electrical outlet  200  may comprise a bezel having and front bezel portion  240  and a rear bezel portion  250 . The front bezel portion  240  may define a plate portion  241  having a front surface  242  adapted to be received through an opening of a faceplate (not shown). Each of the receptacles  230  may comprise a number of openings  244   a - 244   c  formed in the front surface  242  of the front bezel portion  240  and extending through the plate portion  241  of the front bezel portion  240 . For example, each receptacle  230  may comprise a respective hot opening  244   a  for receiving a hot blade of a plug, a respective neutral opening  244   b  for receiving a neutral blade of the plug, and a respective ground opening  244   c  for receiving a ground blade of the plug. The rear bezel portion  250  may be connected to the housing  220 . For example, the rear bezel portion  250  may comprise snaps  260  extending from the rear bezel portion  250  via arms  262 . The snaps  260  may be configured to engage with respective attachment structures  264  in the housing  220  to connect the rear bezel portion  250  to the housing  220 . The arms  262  may be configured to extend through openings  266  of the respective attachment structures  264 , such that the snaps  260  are able to engage rear surfaces  268  of the respective attachment structures  264 . 
     The electrical outlet  200  may comprise an actuator  232  that may be provided through an opening  246  in the plate portion  241  of the front bezel portion  240 . The actuator  232  may be actuated to associate the electrical outlet  200  with one or more wireless transmitters of a load control system. The actuator  232  may also be actuated to turn on and off the plug-in electrical loads that are plugged into the receptacles  230 . The electrical outlet  200  may also comprise a visual indicator  234 , which may be provided through an opening  246  in the front bezel portion  240 . The visual indicator  234  may be illuminated to provide feedback to a user during configuration and/or normal operation of the electrical outlet  200 . For example, the visual indicator  234  may be illuminated by a light source, such as a light-emitting diode (LED) located within the electrical outlet  200  (e.g., inside of the rear bezel portion  250  and/or the housing  220 ). 
       FIG.  7    is an exploded view of the electrical outlet  200  showing the front bezel portion  240  detached from the rear bezel portion  250 . The rear bezel portion  250  may define a front surface  252  that may contact an internal rear surface  249  ( FIG.  8 A ) of the plate portion  241  of the front bezel portion  240  when the front bezel portion  240  is connected to the rear bezel portion  250 . Each of the receptacles  230  of the electrical outlet may comprise a number of openings  254   a - 254   c  formed in the front surface  252  of the rear bezel portion  250 . For example, the rear bezel portion  250  may have a respective hot opening  254   a  for receiving a hot blade of a plug, a respective neutral opening  254   b  for receiving a neutral blade of the plug, and a respective ground opening  254   c  for receiving a ground blade of the plug. The actuator  232  and the visual indicator  234  may extend from the front surface  252  of the rear bezel portion  250 . For example, the visual indicator  234  may comprise a light pipe for conducting light from the light source inside of the electrical outlet  200  to the front surface  242  of the front bezel portion  240 . 
       FIGS.  8 A and  8 B  are bottom cross-sectional views of the electrical outlet  200  taken through the hot and neutral openings  244   a ,  244   b  of one of the receptacles  230  (e.g., through the line shown in  FIG.  6   ). The front bezel portion  240  is attached to the electrical outlet  200  in  FIG.  8 A  and detached from the electrical outlet  200  in  FIG.  8 B . The front bezel portion  240  may comprise sidewalls  245  that extend from the plate portion  241  around all sides of the front bezel portion  250 . The front surface  242  and the sidewalls  245  of the front bezel portion  240  may define a recess  243  in the rear side of the front bezel portion  240 . The front surface  252  of the rear bezel portion  250  may be received in the recess  243  of the front bezel portion  240 , such that the sidewalls  245  of the front bezel surface  242  surround sidewalls  255  of the rear bezel portion  250  (e.g., the area of the front surface  252  of the rear bezel portion  250  of the electrical outlet  200  shown in  FIG.  7    may be smaller than the area of the front surface  152  of the rear bezel portion  150  of the electrical outlet  100  shown in  FIG.  3   ). When the front bezel portion  240  is installed on the rear bezel portion  250 , sidewall edges  247  may contact a ridge  257  of the rear bezel portion  250  that surrounds the sidewalls  255  of the rear bezel portion  250 . The sidewalls  245  of the front bezel portion  242  may extend parallel to the sidewall  255  of the rear bezel portion  250 . For example, a combined thickness of each sidewall  245  of the front bezel portion  240  and the adjacent sidewall  255  of the rear bezel portion  250  may be approximately the same of the thickness of the corresponding sidewall  155  of the rear bezel portion  150  of the electrical outlet  100  shown in  FIG.  4   . When the front bezel portion  240  is connected to the rear bezel portion  250 , the rear surface  249  of the front bezel portion  240  may be held against the front surface  252  of the rear bezel portion  250 . The openings  244   a - 244   c  of each receptacle  230  formed in the front surface  242  of the front bezel portion  240  may be aligned with the respective openings  254   a - 254   c  of each receptacle  230  formed in the front surface  252  of the rear bezel portion  250  when the front bezel portion  240  is connected to the rear bezel portion  250 . 
     The sidewalls  245  of the front bezel portion  242  may allow for connection of the front bezel portion  240  to the rear bezel portion  250  (e.g., the front bezel portion  240  may not comprise snaps, such as the snaps  170  of the front bezel portion  140  shown in  FIG.  3   ). For example, the sidewalls  245  of the front bezel portion  242  may contact the sidewalls  255  of the rear bezel portion  250  to attach the front bezel portion  242  to the rear bezel portion  250  (e.g., via a press fit or a friction fit). In addition, the sidewalls  245  of the front bezel portion  242  may be adhered to (e.g., permanently affixed to) the sidewalls  255  of the rear bezel portion  250  (e.g., via an ultrasonic welding process or use of an adhesive). Further, the sidewalls  245  of the front bezel portion  242  may comprise snaps (not shown) configured to be received in respective openings (not shown) in the sidewalls  255  of the rear bezel portion  250 . 
     The electrical outlet  200  may be stored (e.g., stocked at a manufacturer and/or a warehouse) without the front bezel portion  240  connected to the rear bezel portion  250  (e.g., in a bulk form). The front bezel portion  240  may be provided in a number of different colors, finishes, and/or materials. Prior to being shipped to a customer, the front bezel portion  240  (e.g., having the desired color, finish, and/or material) may be attached to the rear bezel portion  250  and the electrical outlet  200  with the front bezel portion  240  installed may be shipped to the customer. In addition, the front bezel portion  240  may be attached to the electrical outlet  200  in the field prior to installation (e.g., the electrical outlet  200  may be shipped to the customer without the front bezel portion  240  installed). 
       FIG.  9    is a perspective view of another example electrical outlet  300  (e.g., a controllable electrical outlet). The electrical outlet  300  may comprise a yoke  310  configured to mount the electrical outlet to a standard electrical wall box (not shown) via mounting screws  312 . The electrical outlet  300  may include electrical circuitry that may be housed in a housing  320  (e.g., an enclosure) of the controllable electrical outlet  300 . The electrical outlet  300  may comprise a hot screw terminal  322  adapted to be electrically connected to the hot side of an AC power source and a neutral terminal  324  (not shown) adapted to be coupled to the neutral side of the AC power source. The electrical outlet  300  may also comprise a ground terminal  326  that may be connected to the yoke  310  and may be adapted to be electrically connected to earth ground. 
     The electrical outlet  300  may comprise two receptacles  330  (e.g., an upper receptacle and a lower receptacle) for receiving the plugs of plug-in electrical loads. The electrical outlet  300  may comprise an actuator  332  that may be actuated to associate the electrical outlet  300  with one or more wireless transmitters of a load control system. The actuator  332  may also be actuated to turn on and off the plug-in electrical loads that are plugged into the receptacles  330 . The electrical outlet  300  may also comprise a visual indicator  334 , which may be illuminated to provide feedback to a user during configuration and/or normal operation of the electrical outlet  300 . For example, the visual indicator  334  may be illuminated by a light source, such as an LED located inside of the electrical outlet  300 . 
     The electrical outlet  300  may comprise a temporary bezel  340  that may be connected (e.g., temporarily connected) to the housing  320 .  FIG.  10    is a perspective view of the temporary bezel  340 . The temporary bezel  340  may comprise, for example, snaps  360  (e.g., thin snaps) extending from the temporary bezel  340  via arms  362 . The snaps  360  may be configured to engage with respective attachment structures  364  in the housing  320  to connect the temporary bezel  340  to the housing  320 . The snaps  360  may comprise respective engagement surfaces  365 . The arms  362  may be configured to extend through openings  366  of the respective attachment structures  364 , such that the engagement surfaces  365  of the snaps  360  are able to engage engagement surfaces  368  of the respective attachment structures  364 . The snaps  360  may be thin (e.g., smaller than the snaps  160 ,  260  of the electrical outlets  100 ,  200 , respectively), such that the snaps  360  may be easily cut to allow the temporary bezel  340  to be detached from the housing  320 . 
     After the temporary bezel  340  is detached from the housing  320 , a permanent bezel  350  may be installed on (e.g., permanently connected to) the electrical outlet  300 .  FIG.  11    is a perspective view of the electrical outlet  300  before the permanent bezel  350  is installed on the electrical outlet  300 .  FIG.  12    is a perspective view of the electrical outlet  300  with the permanent bezel  350  installed on the electrical outlet  300 . The permanent bezel  350  may comprise snaps  370  extending from the permanent bezel  350  via arms  372 . The snaps  360  may comprise respective engagement surfaces  375 . The snaps  370  and arm  372  may be inserted into the openings  366  of the respective attachment structures  364  until the engagement surfaces  375  of the snaps  370  engage with the engagement surfaces  368  of the respective attachment structures  364  to connect the permanent bezel  350  to the housing  320 . As shown in  FIG.  12   , each of the receptacles  330  may comprise a number of openings  354   a - 354   c  formed in a front surface  352  of the permanent bezel  350 . For example, each receptacle  330  may comprise a respective hot opening  3   54   a  for receiving a hot blade of a plug, a respective neutral opening  354   b  for receiving a neutral blade of the plug, and a respective ground opening  354   c  for receiving a ground blade of the plug. The actuator  332  and the visual indicator  334  may be provided through respective openings  356 ,  358  in the permanent bezel  350 . 
       FIG.  13    is a perspective view of another example electrical outlet  400  (e.g., a controllable electrical outlet). The electrical outlet  400  may comprise a yoke  410  configured to mount the electrical outlet to a standard electrical wall box (not shown) via mounting screws  412 . The electrical outlet  400  may include electrical circuitry that may be housed in a housing  420  (e.g., an enclosure) of the controllable electrical outlet  400 . The electrical outlet  400  may comprise a hot screw terminal  422  adapted to be electrically connected to the hot side of an AC power source and a neutral terminal  424  (not shown) adapted to be coupled to the neutral side of the AC power source. The electrical outlet  400  may also comprise a ground terminal  426  that may be connected to the yoke  410  and may be adapted to be electrically connected to earth ground. 
     The electrical outlet  400  may comprise two receptacles  430  (e.g., an upper receptacle and a lower receptacle) for receiving the plugs of plug-in electrical loads. The electrical outlet  400  may comprise an actuator  432  that may be actuated to associate the electrical outlet  400  with one or more wireless transmitters of a load control system. The actuator  432  may also be actuated to turn on and off the plug-in electrical loads that are plugged into the receptacles  430 . The electrical outlet  400  may also comprise a visual indicator  434 , which may be illuminated to provide feedback to a user during configuration and/or normal operation of the electrical outlet  400 . For example, the visual indicator  434  may be illuminated by a light source, such as an LED located inside of the electrical outlet  400 . 
     The electrical outlet  400  may comprise a temporary bezel  440  that may be connected (e.g., temporarily connected) to the housing  420 . The temporary bezel  440  may comprise, for example, attachment tabs  460  extending from the temporary bezel  440 . The attachment tabs  460  may be configured to be received in openings  466  of respective attachment structures  464  in the housing  420  to connect the temporary bezel  440  to the housing  420 . The temporary bezel  440  may be held in place when the attachment tabs  460  are received in the openings  466  of the respective attachment structures  464  (e.g., via a press fit or a friction fit) to temporarily connect the temporary bezel  440  to the housing  420 . In addition, the attachment tabs  460  of the temporary bezel  440  may comprise snaps (not shown) that are located on an interior surface of the attachment tabs  460  and may be configured to be received in respective openings (not shown) in the housing  420  to temporarily connect the temporary bezel  440  to the housing  420  (e.g., the housing  420  may not require the attachment structures  464 ). The temporary bezel  440  may be detached from the housing  420  by simply pulling the temporary bezel  440  away from the housing  420  (e.g., by removing the attachment tabs  460  from the openings  466  of the respective attachment structures  464 ).  FIG.  14    is a perspective view of the electrical outlet  400  showing the temporary bezel  440  detached form the housing  420 . After the temporary bezel  440  is detached from the housing  420 , a permanent bezel (e.g., the permanent bezel  350 ) may be attached to (e.g., permanently connected to) the housing  420  of the electrical outlet  400  (e.g., in a similar manner as the permanent bezel  350  is connected to the housing  320  of the electrical outlet  300  as shown in  FIGS.  11  and  12   ). 
     The electrical outlets  300 ,  400  may be stored (e.g., stocked at a manufacturer and/or a warehouse) with the temporary bezels  340 ,  440  connected to the respective housings  320 ,  420  (e.g., in a bulk form). The permanent bezel  350  may be provided in a number of different colors, finishes, and/or materials. Prior to either of the electrical outlets  300 ,  400  being shipped to a customer, the respective temporary bezel  340  may be detached from the respective housing  320 ,  420  (e.g., as described above), and the permanent bezel  350  (e.g., having the desired color, finish, and/or material) may be attached to the housing. 
     In addition, an electrical outlet may be provided in different colors in other ways. For example, an electrical outlet may be stored (e.g., stocked at a manufacturer and/or a warehouse) with a permanent bezel (e.g., the permanent bezel  350 ) installed on the electrical outlet (e.g., as shown in  FIG.  12   ). For example, the permanent bezel may be white when stored and may be painted a desired color prior to shipment of the electrical outlet to a customer (e.g., via an ink jet or 3D printed process). In addition, the permanent bezel may be tinted the desired color via a vinyl wrapping process. For example, a vinyl sheet of the desired color may be die cut to have openings that correspond to the openings of the front surface of a bezel of the electrical outlet (e.g., the openings  354   a - 358  of the front surface  352  of the permanent bezel  350  of the electrical outlet  300  shown in  FIG.  12   ). The vinyl sheet may be located on the front surface of the bezel of the electrical outlet with the openings of the plastic sheet aligned with the openings of in the bezel of the electrical outlet. The vinyl sheet may then be adhered to the front surface and/or sidewalls of the bezel by smoothing the vinyl sheet out across the surfaces (e.g., using a squeegee). 
     While the controllable electrical outlets  100 ,  200 ,  300 ,  400  shown in  FIGS.  1 - 14    have U.S. style receptacles, the controllable electrical outlets may alternatively or additionally have receptacles of styles used in other countries. In addition, the controllable electrical outlets  100 ,  200 ,  300 ,  400  could comprise other types of receptacles, for example, one or more Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectors, and an internal power supply for charging an electrical device, such as the battery of a smart phone.