Patent ID: 7347712

Claim:
A socket comprising a face plate provided with a plug receiving socket and at least one hinged cover panel, said at least one cover panel being movable about at least one hinge between a closed position concealing the plug receiving socket and an open position providing access to the plug receiving socket, said at least one cover panel defining an enclosure sized to accommodate a plug inserted in the plug receiving socket such that the plug is concealed behind said at least one cover panel in the closed position, said enclosure having at least one aperture through which a cord associated with said plug exits said enclosure in the closed position, said hinge being disposed on a first side of said enclosure, a latch means disposed on a second side of said enclosure, said latch means holding said at least one cover panel in the closed position in which said at least one aperture is not in said first side or said second side of said enclosure, the latch means being self-latching on movement of said at least one cover panel towards the closed position to secure automatically said at least one cover panel in the closed position, an actuator means for releasing said at least one cover panel, and a spring means biasing said at least one cover panel away from the closed position to move automatically said at least one cover panel to the open position when the latch means is released, and wherein the face plate and the at least one cover panel form an integral unit for connecting to a mounting box with said at least one cover plate attached to the face plate by said at least one hinge.