Horizontal and vertical mountable electrical device cover

• US 7,598,453 B1
• Filed: 07/16/2008
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taymac Corporation (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baca, Andre, Shotey, Marcus J., Baldwin, Jeffrey P., Booth, Kenneth C.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, DHIRUBHAI R
• Application Number:
  US12/174,415
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 174/66, 174/67, 174/53, 174/56, 220/241, 220/242, D83/53, D13/177, 335/28, 439/135, 439/136, 439/147
• US Class Current: 174/66
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/14 Fastening of cover or lid to box

Abstract

A plurality of approaches for forming a horizontal and vertical electrical device cover including 1) providing hinge members on opposing sides of the cover that allow the cover to pivot along adjacent-sided axes for horizontal and vertical mounting; 2) providing a removable or selectively movable pin and corresponding cover and base hinge members wherein the pin may be placed along either the horizontal or vertical axis for selective horizontal or vertical mounting; 3) providing a pivoting hinge arm that is pivotable between adjacent sides of the unit for selective horizontal or vertical mounting; 4) providing selectively attachable hinge members that may be attached by the installer at the time of installation to choose between horizontal or vertical mounting configurations.

Claims

1. A flat electrical outlet cover assembly selectively configurable for horizontal and vertical mounting orientations, the flat cover assembly comprising:

a flat cover lid comprising at least a long lid side comprising a first lid hinge member aperture and a short lid side comprising a second lid hinge member aperture;

a base comprising at least a long base side comprising a first base hinge member aperture and a short base side comprising a second base hinge member aperture; and

at least one removable pin, wherein coupling of the at least one removable pin with the first lid hinge member aperture and the first base hinge member aperture configures the lid to pivot on the base about a first axis and coupling the removable pin with the second lid hinge member aperture and the second base hinge member aperture configures the lid to pivot about a second axis substantially orthogonal to the first axis; and

wherein when the flat cover lid is coupled to the base through the at least one removable pin, the flat cover lid is biased to a closed position with respect to the base.

2. The cover assembly of claim 1, wherein the first lid hinge member aperture and the second lid hinge member aperture are disposed within respective lid hinge members.

3. The cover assembly of claim 1, wherein the cover lid and base are latched together via one or more pin nubs fit into one or more hinge member apertures.

4. The cover assembly of claim 1, wherein the cover lid is biased to the closed position with respect to the base via one or more bias elements.

5. An electrical outlet cover assembly selectively configurable for horizontal and vertical mounting orientations, the cover assembly comprising:

a cover lid comprising at least a long lid side comprising a first lid hinge member aperture and a short lid side comprising a second lid hinge member aperture;

a base comprising at least a long base side comprising a first base hinge member aperture and a short base side comprising a second base hinge member aperture; and

at least a first and a second slideably movable pin coupled to the cover lid respectively slidably coupled in each of the first and second lid hinge member apertures and each moveable between an engaged and an unengaged position with respect to the respective first and second base hinge member apertures, wherein engagement of the first slidably movable pin with respect to the first base hinge member aperture configures the lid to pivot on the base about a first axis and engagement of the second slidably movable pin with respect to the second base hinge member aperture configures the lid to pivot on the base about a second axis substantially orthogonal to the first axis.

6. The cover assembly of claim 5, wherein the cover lid is flat.

7. The cover assembly of claim 5, wherein the first base hinge member aperture and the second base hinge member aperture are disposed within respective base hinge members.

8. The cover assembly of claim 5, wherein the cover lid and base are latched together via one or more pin nubs fit into one or more hinge member apertures.

9. The cover assembly of claim 5, wherein the cover lid closes via gravity to a closed position with respect to the base.

10. The cover assembly of claim 5, wherein the cover lid is biased to a closed position with respect to the base via one or more bias elements.