Interchangeable sectional wallplates

• US 6,005,189 A
• Filed: 12/08/1997
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Anker, Herbert
• Primary Examiner(s): REICHARD, DEAN ALAN
• Application Number:
  US08/986,904
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 174/66, 220/241, 220/3.8, 220/3.92, 220/3.94, 220/4.02, 439/557, 439/533, 439/535, 439/536
• US Class Current: 174/66
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/14 Fastening of cover or lid to box

Abstract

An interchangeable wallplate assembly made up of two or more interchangeable panels which can be locked together to cover electrical devices mounted in two or more ganged gem boxes. The panels can be blank or have apertures to permit portions of the electrical devices to extend therethrough for front access. If an electrical device is changed or another is added or removed the assembly can be altered to match the new electrical device configuration. End panels each have a pawl and a loop spaced along one wall while central panels have pawls and loops spaced along both walls. Thus, end panels can be joined to themselves or to a central panel which can also be mounted to similar central panels to allow the assembly to be increased to cover any ganged gem box.

Claims

1. A wallplate assembly having at least a first and a second interchangeable sections, each section comprising:

a) a panel having at least one mounting aperture therethrough from a front face to a rear face to permit said panel to be mounted to an electrical device;

b) said panel having a top portion, a bottom portion and a first side wall, said top portion, said bottom potion and said first side wall each meeting said panel front fact at a rounded edge;

c) said panel having a second side wall having a free end and extending at a right angle to said front face of said panel;

d) at least one electrical device aperture in each of said panels, to permit access to an operating member of an electrical device over which said panel is placed;

e) locking clasp means on said second side wall; and

f) locking hook means on said second side wall spaced from said locking clasp means, said locking hook means on said first interchangeable section to hold said first and second sections together, said locking hook means being formed by two slots and having a rounded surface thereon terminating in a locking ridge.

3. A wallplate assembly, as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one electrical device aperture is made to match with an electrical device selected from the group of a rocker switch, a toggle switch, a single circular receptacle and a duplex receptacle.

4. A wallplate assembly, as defined in claim 1, wherein said clasp means and said hook means are so positioned and dimensioned that two adjacent panels when joined have their front faces extending in a common plane.

5. A wallplate assembly, as defined in claim 1, wherein said clasp means and said hook means are so positioned and dimensioned that two adjacent panels when joined closely abut each other.

6. A wallplate assembly, as defined in claim 5, wherein said clasp means and said hook means are so positioned and dimensioned that two adjacent panels when joined have their front faces extending in a common plane.

2. A wall plate assembly, as defined in clam 1, wherein said at least one electrical device aperture is so positioned and dimensioned to permit a portion of an associated wiring device over which one of said panels is placed to extend through said one of said panels and beyond the front face of said one of said panels.