Patent ID: 7098403

Claim:
A cover for a socket of an electrical outlet, the cover comprising: a substantially planar frame having an opening generally aligned with the socket of the electrical outlet; a door shiftable between a blocking position generally blocking access to the opening and an open position generally permitting access to the opening; a locking mechanism operable connected to the door, the locking mechanism movable between a locking position substantially preventing shifting of the door from the blocking position to the open position and an unlocking position permitting shifting of the door from the blocking position to the open position; an actuator element of the locking mechanism movable in a shifting direction for movement of the locking mechanism from the locking position to the unlocking position, the shifting direction being generally perpendicular to the plane of the frame, the actuator element of the locking mechanism having a locking element engagable with a locking feature of the frame, whereby when the locking element engages the locking feature of the frame shifting of the door from the locking position to the unlocking position is substantially prevented, the locking element being biased into engagement with the locking feature by a biasing element, the biasing element having an arm with an end attached to the door and another end having the locking element attached thereto; and a translation element of the locking mechanism movable in a translation direction for shifting of the door from the blocking position to the unblocking position, the translation direction being generally parallel to the plane of the frame.