Abstract:
A faceplate is configured for covering a wall opening providing access to electrical signal cables. The faceplate itself has an opening leading into the wall opening, and a pair of mounting holes above and below the opening. A cover housing is formed to secure an electrical device within a cavity thereof. The faceplate and cover housing are adapted to provide for the latter being removably secured to the front of the faceplate, after the electrical device is connected to at least one of the signal cables. The cover housing is configured to permit a user to connect a signal cable to the electrical device, and signal cables from the wall opening thereto.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to wall plates configured to provide an aesthetic appearing cover for wall openings and provide access to electrical wires such as coaxial cables for feeding electrical signals including internet signals, radio signals, video signals, and so forth, to a room for connection thereto by a user, whereby one or more coaxial cables, for example, may be accessible via the wall opening. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Typically, Ethernet cables, and coaxial cables are wired into a building for feeding internet signals, television signals, radio signals, and so forth, to various rooms within the building. Coaxially cables typically are accessed in each room via holes in the wall, whereby the cables may have connectors connected to their free ends, for connection to mating connectors of various devices such as splitters, amplifiers, digital video recorders, and so forth. In the prior art various wall plates have been developed to provide an aesthetic appearance and cover over the hole in the wall, while permitting the coaxial cable or Ethernet cables, for example, to be electrically connected to connectors installed on the wall plate, whereby a user can readily couple a connector from the end of a coaxial cable to the appropriate wall plate connector, for connection at the other end of the cable to a device such as a computer, television system, and other such devices, for example. In one example of a typical installation for feeding coaxial cable carried signals into a room, a device known as a splitter is employed, whereby an input port of the splitter is connected to a feed cable provided at the hole in the wall for feeding cable television/internet signals into the splitter device. The splitter is designed to typically split off one portion of the signals being provided and feed them to a first output port to permit a user to connect their coaxial cable input line thereto for accessing the tapped off signals. The splitter also taps off the remaining and major portion of the signals and feeds them to a second output port for connection to another coaxial cable provided in the wall opening to permit signals from the second output port to be fed to other rooms in the building. In many prior installations a splitter device may be installed within the wall opening, whereby the input port is connected to the coaxial cable feeding an incoming signal, such as an RF signal, and a first output port of the splitter is connected to the end of another coaxial cable in the wall, as previously mentioned, for transferring tapped off outgoing signals into the second cable for feeding these signals to other rooms in the building. The second output port of the splitter is configured for protruding through a hole in a wall plate for permitting user access thereto for connecting to tapped off signals from the feed cable as previously described. It is known in the prior art to configure a splitter in a manner permitting the splitter to be mounted to the back of the wall plate for connection to the ends of the coaxial cables within the wall opening, whereafter the wall plate is secured to the wall to cover the opening, with the user output port protruding therefrom. A problem with this type of prior wall plate/splitter installation is that in order to obtain access to the splitter device itself, or to replace the splitter should it become defective, an installer must remove the wall plate in order to do so. Accordingly, there is a need in the art to both provide an aesthetic wall plate system while facilitating easy removal and connection of a splitter device, for example, to the signal feed and signal return cables within the wall opening. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one embodiment of the invention, a two piece wall plate system is provided that includes a faceplate for securement to the wall over the opening in the wall. The faceplate includes a large enough opening for permitting easy access to the cables within the wall opening. A cover housing is provided with attachment means for interacting with mating attachment means on the faceplate for permitting the cover housing to be easily secured to or removed from the front of the faceplate. The cover housing is configured for permitting in one embodiment a two-way splitter to be secured within a cavity accessible from the back of the cover housing, whereby the splitter is configured to provide one output port protruding therefrom for installation through a hole in the cover housing to permit a user to connect thereto for receiving various signals as previously described. The splitter is further configured to have the return signal output port and input port thereof readily accessible at the back of the cover housing for connection to the coaxial cables within the wall opening, as previously described. In another embodiment of the invention, the cover housing can be otherwise configured for providing an Ethernet cable connector and/or coaxial cable F-81 connector protruding therefrom for access by a user. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the drawings, in which like elements are indicated by the same reference designation, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows a pictorial view for one embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows an exploded partial assembly view of the embodiment of the invention of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  shows an exploded assembly view for an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  shows pictorial views looking toward the back portions of a faceplate for an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 5  shows a detailed view of the back portion of a mounting dip of the wall plate for an embodiment of the invention relative to  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  shows a detailed view of an attachment slot located on an inside sidewall of the cover housing relative to  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 7  shows a pictorial view of the back of the cover housing with a splitter installed therein for an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 8  shows a pictorial view of the back of the faceplate with a cover housing containing a splitter secured to the front of the faceplate; 
         FIG. 9  is a back elevational view of the faceplate with the back of a splitter positioned therein via a cover housing secured to the front of the faceplate; 
         FIG. 10  is a back elevational view of a cover housing for an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a left-side elevational view of a faceplate for an embodiment of the invention, the right side being a mirror image thereof; 
         FIG. 12  is a left-side devotional view of a faceplate with a cover housing containing a splitter secured thereto; 
         FIG. 13  shows a cross-sectional view taken along  13 - 13  of  FIG. 1 , with the splitter removed, with the cover housing positioned for being slid downward upon the faceplate for locking the two together; 
         FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view taken along  14 - 14  of  FIG. 1 , with the splitter removed, for further showing the cover housing having been slid downward upon the front of the faceplate for locking the two together; 
         FIG. 15  is a pictorial view of an F-81 connector for another embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 16  is an exploded assembly view looking toward the back of cover housing for installing an F-81 connector thereon for another embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 17  is a pictorial view of the completed assembly of an F-81 connector in the cover housing; 
         FIG. 18  is a cross-sectional view taken along  13 - 13  of  FIG. 1 , but further including the splitter and an added hexagonal boss  42 , for another embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 19  is a pictorial view of cover housing with a CAT-5 Ethernet cable connector secured to a side portion of the cover housing, for another embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 20  is a pictorial view looking toward a bottom side portion of the cover housing showing the installation of an Ethernet cable connector, and an F-81 type female coaxial cable connector secured thereto, for another embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 21  shows an exploded assembly view for another embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 22  is a cross-sectional view taken along  14 - 14  of  FIG. 1 , with the splitter removed for showing another embodiment of the invention without a stop stud on the faceplate; and 
         FIG. 23  is an exploded assembly view for another embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2  through  20 , one embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail. As shown in  FIG. 1 , and in the exploded assembly views of  FIGS. 2 and 3 , faceplate  4  is typically secured over a coaxial cable access hole  7  in a wall  5  via screws (not shown) inserted through holes  22  in the faceplate  4  and screwed into the wall  5  surrounding the wall hole  7 . In this example, a two-way splitter  6  is secured within cover housing  2  by pushing splitter  6  into the cavity of the cover housing  2  and positioning a user output port  16  from splitter  6  to protrude from a port hole  10  of cover housing  2 . Output port  16  is secured to cover housing  2  through use of typically a washer  17  and nut  19 , as shown. In this example, a signal feed-in coaxial cable  9  is connected via its associated male F-type connector  13  to a female F-type input port  12 . A tapped-off feedback signal provided at output port  14  is connected to a feedback cable  11  located in wall hole  7  via an associated F-type male coaxial cable connector  15  that mounts onto output port  14 . Note that typically with faceplate  4  mounted over hole  7 , a feed-in cable  9  with associated connector  13 , and feedback cable  11  with associated connector  15 , are each accessed through the cable access hole  18  in faceplate  4  for connection to the 2-way splitter  6  as previously indicated. After this connection is made, the cover housing  2  is positioned as shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 ,  12 ,  13 , and  14 , on the front surface of faceplate  4 , and slid downward to cause the attachment slots  8  of cover housing  2  to engage in mounting cups  20 . The cover housing  2  downward positioning is limited by a protruding stop tab  21  as shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14  (also see  FIGS. 3 ,  11 , and  18 ). Note that  FIG. 13  shows a cover housing  2  first positioned on faceplate  4  for installation thereon, and  FIG. 14  shows positioning for the cover plate  2  on faceplate  4  after the cover plate  2  ahs been slid downward to secure it to faceplate  4 , as previously indicated. Reference is made to the pictorial views of  FIGS. 1 ,  8 ,  9 , and  12  showing various views, respectively, of the cover housing  2  with splitter  6  mounted therein, as installed on the front of faceplate  4 . Note, also that  FIG. 1  is a pictorial view of the cover housing  2  containing splitter  6 , as assembled upon a faceplate  4 , looking toward the front thereof. Further note, as shown in  FIG. 21 , that the stop tab  21  is optional, for the reason that a stop function is also provided by the interaction between the attachment slots  8  of cover housing  2  and mounting clips  20 , as described below. 
       FIG. 3  shows an exploded assembly view of faceplate  4 , cover housing  2 , and splitter  6 , respectively. The faceplate  4  (see  FIG. 4 ) includes in this example strengthening ribs  23 , and the back portions of the mounting clips  20 . As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 10 , the cover housing  2  includes strengthening ribs  32  and  34 , and interior spaced apart triangular standoffs or spacers  30 .  FIG. 5  shows a detailed pictorial view of the back portion of a mounting dip  20 , which is shown also to include tabs  36 . Also,  FIG. 6  shows a detailed view of the construction of the attachment slot  8 . More specifically, attachment slot  8  includes a slotway  28  formed between first protruding member  26 , and a second protruding member  24 , as shown.  FIG. 10  shows a back elevational view of the cover housing  2 .  FIG. 11  shows a left-side elevational view of faceplate  4 .  FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view for showing the installation of cover housing  2  upon faceplate  4  before locking it in place.  FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view showing the completion of the installation of cover housing  2  on faceplate  4 , whereby the cover housing  2  has been slid downward upon the outside face of faceplate  4  for causing the opposing attachment slots  8  of cover housing  2  to engage the opposing mounting clips  20 , respectively, of faceplate  4 , thereby securing the two together.  FIG. 7  shows a back pictorial view of covering house  2  with a two-way splitter  6  installed therein.  FIGS. 1 and 8  show a cover housing  2  containing a splitter  6 , with its cover housing  2  secured to a faceplate  4 , viewed from the front and back of faceplate  4 , respectively. With reference to  FIGS. 6 and 22 , cover housing  2  has its downward movement on faceplate  4  limited or stopped by first protruding member  26  of attachment slot  8  striking or contacting the bottom  60  of the channel  61  of mounting clip  20 . 
     In another embodiment of the invention, as shown in  FIG. 19 , the cover housing  2 , rather than have a two-way splitter installed therein, is configured to have an Ethernet connector  52  installed into a bottom side portion, as shown, for connection to a “CAT-5 Ethernet” cable (not shown) accessed in the hole  7  of wall  5 .  FIG. 14  is a pictorial view showing a third embodiment of the invention, whereby the cover housing  2 , rather than having a two-way splitter  6  installed therein, is configured to include the Ethernet connector  52 , in a spaced apart relation from an F-81 type female coaxial cable connector  40 , as shown protruding from a bottom edge portion of cover housing  2 , in this example. 
     In a fourth embodiment of the invention, as shown in  FIG. 16 , a modified cover housing  43  includes on the interior surface of a bottom sidewall  39  protruding boss  42  having a hexagonal shaped opening  44  in association with porthole  46 , as shown. Also as shown in the exploded assembly view of  FIG. 16 , the hexagonal shaped portion  44  of boss  42  is for receiving the hexagonal shaped portion  41  of an F-81 connector to permit it to be secured to the cover housing  2  via a washer  48  and nut  50 , as shown. The boss  42  with the hexagonal shaped portion  44  ensures that the F-81 connector  41  will not turn or spin around when being secured to cover housing  2  via nut  50 . Note that this boss  42  can be included for securing a user output port  16  of a splitter  6  of cover housing  2 , as previously described for other embodiments of the invention.  FIG. 18  shows a splitter  6  secured within a cover housing  43  that includes a boss  42 . Note that the modified cover housing  43  shown  FIG. 16  is otherwise substantially the same as cover housing  2  as previously described. 
     In another embodiment of the invention as shown in  FIG. 23 , the cover housing  2  is modified to include two port holes  70  and  72  as shown for receiving output ports  66  and  68 , respectively, of a splitter  62 , which are each secured thereto via a washer  17  and nut  19 , as shown in this example. Splitter  62  includes an input port  64  for connection to feed-in coaxial cable  9  via connector  13 . 
     Although various embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, they are not meant to be limiting. For example, the cover housing  2  can be configured to secure therein other electrical connectors than those mentioned above, and other electrical or electronic devices than a two-way splitter  6 , for use in different applications. Those of skill in the art may recognize various modifications to these embodiments, which modifications are meant to be covered by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.