Cover panel for electrical receptacles

• US 5,837,932 A
• Filed: 11/24/1997
• Issued: 11/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Plug-Eze, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Plug--Eze
• Inventors: Carswell, Kent P., Leitch, Chris E.
• Primary Examiner(s): REICHARD, DEAN ALAN
• Application Number:
  US08/977,471
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• Field of Search: 174/66, 220/241, 220/3.8, 439/374, D 8/353, D13/156
• US Class Current: 174/66
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/631 for engagement only
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/76 with sockets, clips or analogous contacts and secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. to a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/14 Fastening of cover or lid to box
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/18 providing line outlets

Abstract

A guide panel for use with wall mounted electrical outlets of the type used to receive two connector plugs and having a cover plate of a type to form two apertures for receiving the plug receiving portion of the electric outlet or a single aperture for receiving the double plug receiving portion of a electrical outlet. The guide panel can be used to cover the electric outlet alone or the electrical outlet and its associated cover plate. The guide panel is provided with guide surfaces associated with each of the plug receiving portions of the electric outlet to form funnel like guide surfaces for guiding the prongs of an electrical connector into alignment with the electrical outlet.

Claims

1. A guide panel for attachment to a wall mounted, dual plug receiving electrical outlet, comprising:

a rectilinear body member having a wall face and a room face spaced from each other,

an outer peripheral wall around said body member and having opposed sides and ends, said peripheral wall forming a lip for engagement with a building wall,

an inner peripheral wall merging with said outer peripheral wall to form a border ridge portion and having a wall surface extending from said border ridge portion to engage said electrical outlet, a partition wall between said opposed ends, said partition wall having a ridge portion coextensive with and merging with said border ridge portion associated with said sides and forming diverging wall surfaces extending into engagement with the electrical outlet, and

a pair of plug receiving cavities defined by said inner peripheral wall and diverging wall surfaces and extending from said ridge portion and from said border ridge portion to said electrical outlet for receiving and guiding a plug into mating relationship with said electrical outlet.

2. The guide panel of claim 1 wherein said rectilinear body member defines a cavity at said wall face to receive a wall plate when said guide panel is in position relative to said electrical outlet.

3. The guide panel of claim 1 wherein said pair of plug receiving cavities are larger adjacent to said ridge portion and said border ridge portion than adjacent to said electrical outlet.

4. The guide panel of claim 1 and further comprising connector means for attaching said guide panel to said electrical outlet.

5. The guide panel of claim 4 wherein said connector means are associated with each end of said guide panel for attaching said guide panel to said electrical outlet.

6. The guide panel of claim 4 wherein said connector means for attaching said guide panel to said electrical outlet are associated with said partition wall.

7. The guide panel of claim 1 wherein said plug receiving cavities are generally rectilinear and decreasing in cross-section from adjacent said ridge portion and said border ridge portion to adjacent said outlet.

8. A guide panel for attachment to a dual plug receiving, wall mounted electrical outlet having a rectangular cover plate, comprising:

an outer peripheral wall extending from a perimeter of said guide panel at sides and ends thereof and projecting outwardly from a building wall to form a peripheral ridge portion,

a partition wall extending intermediate said ends of said guide panel and extending from said plug receiving outlet to an intermediate ridge portion coextensive with said peripheral ridge portion, and

inner peripheral walls extending from said peripheral ridge portion to said plug receiving outlet and acting with said partition wall to form a pair of plug receiving cavities adjacent to said electrical outlet for guiding a plug into mating relation with said electrical outlet.

9. The guide panel of claim 8 and further comprising a recess formed by said peripheral wall adjacent to said building wall mounting said outlet to receive said rectangular cover plate.

10. The guide panel of claim 8 wherein said plug receiving cavities are larger adjacent to said ridge portions than adjacent to said electrical outlet.

11. The guide panel of claim 8 wherein said guide panel is attached to said dual plug receiving receptacle.

12. The guide panel of claim 8 wherein said guide panel is attached to said receptacle with a single fastener.

13. The guide panel of claim 8 wherein said guide panel is attached to said receptacle with a pair of fasteners.

14. A guide panel for attachment to a wall mounted, duplex electrical outlet having two plug receiving receptacles, comprising:

a pair of side and a pair of end peripheral walls defining a rectilinear area around said outlet and extending outwardly from a building wall to form a peripheral ridge portion uniformly spaced from said building wall,

a partition wall extending between said side peripheral walls and from said outlet to an intermediate ridge portion coextensive with said peripheral ridge portion, and

inner peripheral walls extending from said peripheral ridge portion to said outlet and acting with said partition wall to form a pair of plug receiving cavities adjacent to said outlet for receiving and guiding a plug into mating relation with said outlet.

15. The guide panel of claim 14 wherein a rear surface of said guide panel forms a shallow cavity to receive a cover plate.

16. The guide panel of claim 14 wherein said plug receiving cavities are smaller adjacent to said outlet than adjacent to said ridge portions.

17. The guide panel of claim 14 wherein a cross-sectional area of each of said plug receiving cavities adjacent to said outlet is smaller than a cross-sectional area of each of said plug receiving receptacles.