Safety cover

• US 20040043649A1
• Filed: 07/07/2003
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dormina UK Limited
• Original Assignee: Dormina UK Limited
• Inventors: OʼConnell, Michelle Clare, OʼConnell, Ian, Ioannou, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,476,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/135
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6397 with means for preventing unauthorised use
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/652 with earth pin, blade or socket
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/78 with additional earth or shield contacts

Abstract

There are many reason why it might be desirable to provide a cover over an electric socket, or over a plug when in place in that socket One is that empty sockets seems to exert an irresistible fascination for small children, who will try to poke things into the plug pin apertures in the socket. A second is that much modern electrical equipment is designed to be plugged in and left on all the time, and sometimes it may be a minor disaster if the device is unplugged or turned off. The problem is how to achieve a cover that is both effective yet also relatively easy for an authorised person to remove in order to access the plug, or the socket and its switch. The present invention provides such a cover, the cover having: a frame (21) mountable to the wall (11) around, and extending behind, the socket plate (17), and thus between the plate (17) and the socket box (12); a plug- or socket-aperture-shrouding cover panel (22) hingedly secured like a door to the frame (21), and swingable between a closed position, where it completely covers and encloses the socket and any plug (19) therein, and an open position, where it is clear therefrom, allowing access thereto; latch means (25) for holding the cover panel (22) closed; and key-operated locking means enabling the cover panel (22) to be secured, against opening, when in the closed position.

Claims

1. A lockable cover, suitable for use with a switch or socket, and for any plug in the socket, of the type wherein an apertured terminal-carrying switch or socket plate is mounted on a switch- or socket-box, the cover having:

a frame mountable to the box, and extending behind the plate, and thus effectively between the plate and the box;

a plug-, switch- or socket-aperture-shrouding cover panel hingedly secured like a door to the frame, and swingable between a closed position, where it completely covers and encloses the switch or socket and any plug therein, and an open position, where it is clear therefrom, allowing access thereto;

latch means for holding the cover panel closed; and

key-operated locking means enabling the cover panel to be secured, against opening, when in the closed position.

2. A cover as claimed in claim 1, which cover has its frame matchingly sized to the socket to be covered, and having its cover panel extending to cover all the socket-pin-hole sets.

3. A cover as claimed in either of the preceding claims, wherein the frame extends around the socket plate, much as a picture frame extends around the picture, and matches the plate in shape and size, being just large enough to allow the plate to fit within it.

4. A cover as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein there is means by which the plug'"'"'s flex, lead or cord is enabled to extend out from the plug and away from the socket, this means being a suitable slot in that edge of the frame which will in use be on the side of the socket from which will project the lead of a plug in the socket.

5. A cover as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein, so that the cover'"'"'s frame can extend behind the socket plate, and thus between the plate and the socket box, there is an inwardly-directed lip on at least one of the rear inner edges of the frame, which lip can fit between the plate and the box/wall.

6. A cover as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the plug- or socket-aperture-shrouding cover panel hingedly secured like a door to the frame, and swingable between a closed position, where it completely covers and encloses the socket and any plug therein, and an open position, where it is clear therefrom, allowing access thereto, matches the socket it is to be used with.

7. A cover as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the plug- or socket-aperture-shrouding cover panel'"'"'s hinging is accomplished by way of pivot pins projecting out of the panel and into corresponding pivot holes in the frame.

8. A cover as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the plug- or socket-aperture-shrouding cover panel'"'"'s hinging is its top side.

9. A cover as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the plug- or socket-aperture-shrouding cover panel'"'"'s hinging is spring-loaded in the open sense.

10. A cover as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the plug- or socket-aperture-shrouding cover panel is shaped—

with an outward bulge—

to leave room for the plug.

11. A cover as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the plug- or socket-aperture-shrouding cover panel has an open slot through which there can project the lead of a plug in the socket on which the cover is being utilised, this slot allowing the panel to be opened and closed even when a plug is in place.

12. A cover as claimed in claim 11, wherein this slot is fitted with a sealing grommet to form a tight fit with the lead.

13. A cover as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the latch means is the combination of a detente and a matching notched, toothed or headed pin, the pin projecting from the inside surface of the cover panel, at its edge, into a hole in the frame behind which is the detent to prevent it coming back out until the detent is withdrawn and the pin released.

14. A cover as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the locking means is combined with the latch means, and the combination is a pin-and-detent latch where the only way to withdraw the detente and so release the pin (and thus permit the cover to open) is by a key operation.

15. A cover as claimed in claim 14, wherein the key/lock arrangement is one wherein an elongate rod-like driver one end of which presses against, and so withdraws, the detente has a seesaw-pivoted receptor beam at its other end such that to move the driver both ends of the seesaw beam must be engaged at the same time, this being done using a two-pronged key the prongs of which are simultaneously inserted through corresponding keyhole apertures aligned with the beam'"'"'s ends.

16. A cover as claimed in claim 14, wherein the key/lock arrangement is one wherein there is a double pin/detente arrangement, spaced to necessitate a corresponding double rod-like driver that can press against, and so push aside both seared pins at the same time, and wherein there is an internal spring-loaded shutter that blocks access to the pins until first pushed aside by a third rod-like driver.

17. A cover as claimed in either of claims 15 and 16, wherein such a lock is disposed for access from one side of the cover, its parts being mounted within the frame and the holes for the key'"'"'s prongs being in the side surface of the frame.

18. A lockable cover as claimed in any of the preceding claims and substantially as described hereinbefore.