Patent Abstract:
An indoor electrical wall outlet cover permitting functional use of an electrical wall outlet while fully concealing the plug contact openings of the outlet. The cover has a functional electrical plug that inserts into the wall outlet and is connected to an extended electrical cord having at its distal end one or more functional electrical receptacles for indirect use of the wall outlet. In one embodiment, the cover is essentially featureless in outward appearance, and when positioned over the wall outlet, the cover fully hides the wall outlet from view, including the perimeter dimension of the wall outlet. The functional electrical plug has electrical connection pins that are bent at a angle enabling the cover to function without extending any significant degree outward of the wall outlet, so that furniture may be positioned effectively flush against the wall in front of the covered wall outlet.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to electrical connector devices. More particularly, the invention relates to indoor electrical outlets and indoor electrical outlet covers. 
     2. Description of Relevant Art 
     Electrical service in buildings, particularly in homes, offices, and schools, is typically provided at least in part through electrical wall outlets. Devices needing electrical current for operation or use have electrical cords ending in electrical plugs for connection to an electrical wall outlet. Once the plug is inserted into the wall outlet, electrical current can flow (or does flow if the wall outlet has electrical current flowing into it) to the cord for activating the device needing current. 
     Most typically, when a plug with a cord is connected to an electrical wall outlet, the plug and cord extend several inches from the wall outlet before the cord curves to a parallel posture with respect to the wall. As a consequence, furniture or other items positioned adjacent to the wall must be positioned sufficiently away from the wall outlet to accommodate the plug and cord connection to the wall outlet and also to accommodate someone&#39;s hand and often times arm in reaching behind the furniture to insert the plug into the wall outlet. Such positioning wastes space in the room and is generally unattractive. 
     Moreover, typically and commonly used electrical wall outlets are themselves generally unattractive and are known to pose a potential safety hazard for infants and children. Blank cover plates and individual non-conductive plugs are commonly used to prevent children from inserting objects into wall outlet receptacles and getting shocked and injured thereby, but such plates and plugs then prevent use of the outlets. 
     There is presently a need in the art for electrical wall outlets and electrical wall outlet covers that overcome the shortcomings presented above. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an indoor electrical wall outlet cover that solves the problems associated with indoor outlet covers. The present invention provides an indoor electrical wall outlet cover that is thin enough to avoid adding bulk to the outlet and thus enables furniture to effectively be positioned against the wall or at least as close as the baseboard on the wall, that also effectively covers the outlet so as to act as a safety device for a child that may seek to touch or access the outlet receptacles, and that still allows ready access to the electrical connection that the outlet affords. Moreover, the outlet cover is aesthetically pleasing—it is unobtrusive and calls less attention to itself than does the outlet without the cover of the invention. This is because the outlet cover, at least in one embodiment, is essentially or substantially blank, hides the receptacles of the outlet completely, and results in only one cord extending from the outlet and that extension is in a manner where the cord lies against the wall or along the wall or less than about an inch from the wall, at least when proximate the outlet. 
     The present invention effects these advantages by providing a thin cover, preferably smooth on the outside, that just extends fully over the surface of an electrical outlet having at least two receptacles, without protruding significantly therefrom and that has an electrical connection component on the backside that plugs into a receptacle of the outlet for making electrical contact and an non-electrical connection component also on the backside that plugs into another receptacle of the outlet and together with the electrical connection component of the invention, hold the cover in place over the outlet. The electrical connection component of the cover of the invention has an electrical cord attached thereto that extends downward from the electrical connection component out of the cover and falls generally flush with the wall to the floor, where the cord lies against the wall or along the wall or less than about an inch from the wall, at least when proximate the outlet, and then lies along the floor or other desired surface, ending in one or more electrical receptacles. The electrical connection component in one embodiment has electrical pins bent at approximately ninety degree angle so that the connection of that component in the receptacle does not add bulk or cause the cover to extend significantly beyond the outer surface of the electrical wall outlet. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be better understood by referring to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and the drawings referenced therein, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view (for illustration and not drawn to scale) of one embodiment of the apparatus of the invention, as shown in place on an electrical outlet as it might typically be used. 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged front side perspective view of the embodiment of the apparatus of the invention of  FIG. 1 , just before it is placed over a typical electrical outlet on a wall (for illustration and not drawn to scale). 
         FIG. 3  is a back perspective view of the embodiment of the apparatus of the invention of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the embodiment of the apparatus of the invention of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a view of the inside of the back plate of the embodiment of the apparatus of the invention of  FIG. 1  showing the electrical connection component having electrical pins bent at a ninety degree angle with respect to each of the two legs of each electrical pin. 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of the back plate of the embodiment of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  showing the electrical pins and the ground pin as they extend out of the back plate. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention provides for the indoor use of electricity through an indoor, thin, blank electrical wall outlet cover in a manner that fully conceals the underlying electrical wall outlet and one or more electrical plugs directly connected to that outlet and an electrical cord extending from said electrical plug(s), past, through, or out of the cover, preferably at the base of the cover, and ending a desired distance away with at least one receptacle at the electrical cord&#39;s distal end. This apparatus of the invention is particularly advantageous as a safety device that permits functional use of a standard or typical indoor electrical wall outlet while fully concealing the wall outlet and particularly concealing and shielding the openings or receptacles in the outlet from access by children. The apparatus of the invention obtains such safety advantage while being so thin as to avoid adding any significant bulk to the wall outlet, thereby enabling a user to position furniture in front of or adjacent to the outlet and essentially flush with, i.e., less than about an inch away from, the wall on which the outlet is located, or at least as close to the wall as any baseboard on the wall permits, and thereby providing another advantage of the invention. 
     The present invention eliminates the traditional manner of connecting a visible electrical plug to a visible indoor electrical wall outlet in order to consume electricity through such electrical wall outlet. Interior electrical wall outlets are points in an interior space of a building such as a home where electrical current can be run to power electrical devices such as appliances and electronics. The most common such outlets are 15-amp (and sometimes 20-amp) duplex receptacles, which are designed to accept standard plugs for most small appliances, electronics such as televisions and home theater systems as well as cellular phones and portable computing devices such as laptops and tablet computers, and lamps. The invention has utility with any such interior electrical wall outlets and the term “typical (or standard) indoor electrical wall outlet” herein is understood to refer to such outlets as well as similar outlets that have more receptacles. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , one embodiment of the apparatus  10  of the invention is shown in place over a typical indoor electrical wall outlet  11  (not shown in  FIG. 1  but shown in  FIG. 2 ) on an interior wall  23 .  FIG. 2 , showing the cover  15  of apparatus  10  just before placement over the electrical wall outlet  11 , and  FIG. 4 , showing the side of cover  15 , indicate the thin, low profile of cover  15 , particularly comprising frontplate component  12  mounted on backplate component  14 .  FIGS. 1 and 2  are drawn to illustrate features of the invention and are not drawn to scale. That is, cover  15  is drawn larger with respect to the remainder of the apparatus  10  and with respect to the wall outlet  11  than is actually contemplated to in fact occur with the embodiments of the invention as will be more fully explained below. As used herein, the term “frontplate” with respect to the apparatus of the invention and particularly cover  15  means the faceplate or faceplate component of cover  15 , and not the common faceplate of the wall outlet. The apparatus of the invention is used to hide the wall outlet  11  but no change or adjustment in the wall outlet  11  needs to be made. That is, the common faceplate of the wall outlet  11  does not need to be removed. To avoid any confusion between the common faceplate of a wall outlet and the faceplate of the cover of the apparatus of the invention, the faceplate component of the cover  15  of the apparatus  10  of the invention will be called herein the “frontplate.” The frontplate and backplate components of the invention are made of material that satisfies NEMA Standards or standards for UL safety certification. Such materials are characterized by resistance to chemicals, heat and impact, and typical applications include use in appliance housings and electronic and electrical assemblies. These materials include various plastics, including acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or ABS and polyvinyl chloride or PVC. 
     The maximum distance between the backplate component  14  and the frontplate component  12  is approximately the height or thickness of the electrical cord  16  connected to or attached to the backplate component  14 , and this distance is only in the main body or central portion of the cover  15 , as the outer or perimeter edges of the components  12  and  14  are proximate one another and touch or essentially touch, with the perimeter edge of backplate component  14  fitting inside the outer edge of frontplate component  12 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . The frontplate component  12  is sized to align and position over and preferably curve slightly around or up to the perimeter edge of the backplate component  14  for a tight fit—preferably tight enough to require no adhesive or screws to hold the components  12  and  14  together. 
     An integral aspect of this embodiment of the apparatus  10  of the invention is the electrical pins  18  and  28  and ground wire  19 , which are bent at approximately a ninety degree angle with respect to the backplate component  14  and fastened to the backplate component  14 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . In this aspect, the height of the horizontal portion of each electrical pin  18  and  28  and the ground wire  19  is approximately less or the same height (or thickness) as the electrical cord  16 , which is attached to the electrical pins  18  and  28  and to ground wire  19 . Electrical cord  16  is also optionally attached to the backplate component  14 . A benefit of the electrical pins  18  and  28  and the ground wire  19  being bent at a ninety degree angle is that the depth of the cover  15 , measured by the distance between the wall  23  when the cover  15  is inserted in the underlying electrical wall outlet  11  and the front face of the cover or the outer or exterior surface of the frontplate component  12 , resting on top of the backplate  14  which in turn is resting on top of the underlying electrical wall outlet  11 , is less than the depth of a typical electrical plug connected in a traditional manner to the electrical wall outlet  11 , which is a typical electrical wall outlet, and cover  15  may have less depth than the depth of baseboard molding  21  at the base of the wall  23 . For example, a typical electrical plug is at least about an inch wide and when on an electrical cord and inserted into an electrical wall outlet, such as electrical wall outlet  11 , such plug and adjacent cord typically protrude or extend outwardly from the outlet a distance of more than an inch and often protrude as much as about two inches to even four inches. In contrast, the cover  15  of the apparatus  10  of the invention when placed over the electrical wall outlet  11  extends outward from the outlet no more than the thickness of the cover  15 . Cover  15  is as thin as the thickness of the combination of the frontplate component  12  mounted on the backplate component  14  and the electrical pins  18  and  28 , the ground wire  19 , and electrical cord  16  in between the components  12  and  14 . This combined thickness, or thinness, is less than about an inch and also is less than the thickness of a typical baseboard at the base of a wall in preferred embodiments. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , electrical pin  18  is associated with plug prong  20  (neutral), electrical pin  28  (hot) is associated with plug prong  30 , and ground wire  19  is associated with ground plug prong  22  (ground). These plug prongs  20 ,  30  and  22  are like typical electrical plug prongs used in typical wall outlets. 
     The conductive electrical pins  18  and  28  and ground wire  19  and corresponding plug prongs  20 ,  30  and  22  comprise a configuration of one of about fifteen electrical plug types currently in use, as categorized by the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration. An integral aspect of this embodiment is connection of the electrical pins  18  and  28 , through respective plug prongs  20  and  30 , to the respective contacts  31  and  33  in a receptacle of wall outlet  11  as shown in  FIG. 2  of the underlying interior electrical wall outlet  11  without any visible electrical pins  18  or  28  or visible ground wire  19 , which are all fully concealed under the backplate component  14  and the frontplate component  12  mounted to the backplate component  14 . Electrical pins  18  and  28  and ground wire  19  comprise the proximal end of electrical cord  16  of the apparatus  10  of the invention. The opposite or distal end of the electrical cord  16  has or comprises one or more electrical receptacles or sockets  26  for receiving one or more third-party electrical plugs (not shown) for utility, namely electricity consumption. Such third-party electrical plugs are not part of the invention, but rather are associated with various household and personal devices that require electricity for operation or for battery charging for operation. 
     The distal end of electrical cord  16  can be any shape and have any receptacle or socket configuration that is useful for containing or providing electrical receptacles, such as for nonlimiting example a power strip  29  as shown in  FIG. 1  or a power cube (not shown), but in most embodiments will be configured to have more than one receptacle  26 . In one embodiment, such receptacles or sockets in the distal end of electrical cord  16  are all standard receptacles. In another embodiment, such receptacles or sockets in the distal end of electrical cord  16  comprise at least one interchangeable plug for use in the North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. In still another embodiment, such receptacles in the distal end of electrical cord  16  also include or comprise one or more USB ports. In another alternative embodiment, electrical cord  16  simply ends in a single receptacle plug. In still another alternative embodiment, power strip  29  comprises a retracting mechanism (not shown) so that cord  16  can be pulled to the exact length needed or desired between the wall outlet  11  and the receptacle(s)  26  at the distal end of electrical cord  16  for utility. Such retracting mechanism would include a catch and release mechanism to hold the cord at the desired length, and to hold the cord tightly at that length so the cord appears neat and unobtrusive along the wall and floor or any other surface it is directed to extend or lay. The exact desired length of electrical cord  16  will vary depending on the intended us of the invention. Generally, the length is sufficient for electrical cord  16  to extend from backplate  14  or cover  15  and be manually guided around any adjacent or nearby furniture and positioned so that the distal end of the electrical cord  16  of apparatus  10  of the invention is conveniently and safely located for use of the receptacle(s)  26  or socket(s) in said distal end of cord  16 . In one embodiment, for example, the distance the cord will extend is selected from a range of about three feet to about thirty feet, although many different variations would work, and longer cords could be used. The length of the cord is generally limited by practical reasons—one does not want a cord so long that excess cord gets in the way of furniture and becomes unsightly or a tripping hazard. As stated above, the present invention advantageously enables furniture to be positioned flush against the wall and in front of a wall outlet covered by the cover  15  of the apparatus of the invention. 
     As indicated above, through use of electrical cord  16 , the apparatus of the present invention advantageously eliminates the need to attach an electrical plug of an electrical device directly to the contact openings or receptacles of an electrical wall outlet for use of the outlet. Further, in this aspect, the present invention has an aesthetic benefit with embodiments whereby multiple functional receptacles or sockets are at the distal end of the electrical cord over conventional attachment of multiple cords directly to the outlet. That is a single cord of the apparatus of the invention in such embodiments has the same utility or functionality with respect to providing electricity to multiple third party devices as would be typical with multiple cords extending directly from the outlet in traditional or conventional use without the invention. 
     The apparatus of the invention also advantageously can be used with any standard, conventional, or typical indoor electrical wall outlet, without having to make any adjustments or physical changes in the wall outlet. Screws are not needed for attachment of the cover of the apparatus of the invention to the wall outlet for covering the wall outlet and the wall outlet does not need to be replaced with a frontplate particularly designed to fit with the cover of the apparatus of the invention. Rather, the apparatus of the invention and particularly the cover  15  of the apparatus  10  of the invention is held in place over the wall outlet  11  by insertion of prongs  20 ,  30 , and  22 , and at least two non-conductive plug prongs  32  of the apparatus  10  as shown in  FIG. 3 , in respective receptacles of the wall outlet  11 , as indicated in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , which otherwise would normally be available to receive or allow insertion of two electrical plugs. 
     Wall outlet  11 , as indicated in  FIG. 2 , is a standard, conventional, or typical indoor electrical wall outlet, which is believed to be commonly called a one-gang electrical wall outlet, and which has two receptacles or sockets, an upper and a lower receptacle or socket, in vertical alignment with each other. Thus, the apparatus of the invention  10  attaches to such a standard wall outlet  11  having two receptacles or sockets by insertion of the plug prongs  30 ,  20 , and  22  of the apparatus of the invention  10  into the upper wall outlet receptacle and by insertion of non-conductive plug prongs  32  of the invention  10  into the lower wall outlet receptacle. In one embodiment, the apparatus of the invention could be similarly used with a standard one-gang electrical wall outlet having two receptacles or sockets aligned in a horizontal position. In such case, electrical cord  16  would extend from one side of the cover  15 , rather than the base of the cover  15  as shown in  FIG. 1 , or could be adapted (i.e., moved) to extend from the base of the cover in the horizontal position. 
     The apparatus of the present invention can also be readily adapted for standard, conventional, or typical multi-gang outlets, such as for nonlimiting example, double or triple wall outlets. Such outlets tend to simply be double, triple, quadruple, or other multiple versions of a single gang outlet and thus respectively have four, six, eight, or other multiple receptacles or sockets typically aligned in pairs. Thus the apparatus of the invention would be expanded to accommodate four, six, eight, or other multiple pairs of electrical plugs and non-conductive plugs for insertion into the corresponding outlet receptacles or sockets. For another example, in one such alternative embodiment, the multi-gang electrical outlet is sized to support up to about sixteen receptacles or sockets, normally allowing attachment or insertion into the multi-gang electrical outlet as many as sixteen electrical plugs, or an apparatus of the invention with eight electrical plugs and eight non-conductive plugs. 
     In such alternative embodiments of the invention not shown for use in multi-gang outlets, the backplate component of the cover of the apparatus of the invention is sized to align and position over such standard indoor multi-gang electrical wall outlet. The frontplate component is sized to align and position over and curve slightly around the perimeter edge of the backplate component for a tight fit as described above that preferably requires no adhesive or screws to stay in place. To add to the aesthetics of the cover  15  of the invention, in one embodiment at least the front or exterior of the frontplate is painted or is covered in wallpaper. 
     In another embodiment of the apparatus of the invention, having an alternative electrical connection to that discussed above and illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the electrical pins are fastened to the backplate component and connected to an insulated conductive connector which in turn is connected to a wire forming a part of the electrical cord at the proximal end and one or more outlets at the distal or opposite end of the electrical cord to which one or more third-party electrical plugs are connected for electricity consumption. 
     The present invention has been illustrated with electrical plugs and receptacles having shapes that are commonly used in the United States of America. However, it is known that different shaped electrical plug prongs and receptacles are used in different countries and the present invention may readily be adapted for those different shapes. 
     While preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, it should be understood that other various changes, adaptations and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention(s) and the scope of the appended claims. The scope of the present disclosure should, therefore, be determined not with reference to the above description, but instead should be determined with reference to the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents. Furthermore, it should be understood that the appended claims do not necessarily comprise the broadest scope of the invention(s) which the applicant is entitled to claim, or the only manner(s) in which the invention(s) may be claimed, or that all recited features are necessary.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7