Electrical cover plate

• US 7,683,257 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2006
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taymac Corporation (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jolley, Lincoln, Shotey, Marcus J., Baldwin, Jeffrey P., Maltby, Edgar W., Cleghorn, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Estrada; Angel R
• Application Number:
  US11/466,756
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 174/480, 174/481, 174/50, 174/53, 174/57, 174/58, 174/66, 174/67, 220 32- 38, 220/241, 220/242, 439/535, 439/536, 439/537, D83/53, D13/177
• US Class Current: 174/66
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/14 Fastening of cover or lid to box

Abstract

Implementations of an electrical cover plate assemblies feature a frame with a finished surface and at least one adapter plate recess in the finished surface. The adapter plate recess includes an electrical device aperture. An adapter plate couples with the frame at the adapter plate recess and is sized to fill the adapter plate recess substantially from its extents at least approximately to an edge of the electrical device aperture.

Claims

1. An electrical cover plate assembly comprising:

a frame having a finished surface and at least one adapter plate recess in the finished surface, the adapter plate recess comprising an electrical device aperture and at least one adapter coupling aperture through the frame on each of at least two opposing sides of the adapter plate recess;

wherein the electrical device aperture is recessed with respect to the finished surface; and

at least one adapter plate configured to couple directly to the frame, the at least one adapter plate comprising at least one projection extending from a surface of the adapter plate on each of at least two opposing sides of the adapter plate and arranged to align with and extend into the adapter coupling apertures in the adapter plate recess;

wherein the adapter plate is sized and shaped to fill the adapter plate recess substantially from its extents at least approximately to an edge of the electrical device aperture;

wherein the adapter plate recess comprises a mounting structure configured to couple the frame to the electrical box and the mounting structure comprises a box mounting screw aperture positioned to receive a box mounting screw of an electrical device when the electrical cover plate assembly is mounted on an electrical box; and

wherein the box mounting screw aperture is recessed with respect to the finished surface and the at least one adapter plate is configured to conceal the box mounting screw aperture when coupled to the frame.

2. The electrical cover plate assembly of claim 1, wherein the box mounting screw aperture is a keyhole mounting screw aperture.

3. The electrical cover plate assembly of claim 1, wherein the adapter plate comprises a removable tab;

and wherein removal of the removable tab converts the adapter plate to an adapter plate having an opening therethrough configured for an electrical device.

4. The electrical cover plate assembly of claim 1, wherein the assembly further comprises an electrical device having a face and an edge of the face, wherein the electrical device is selected from the group consisting of a decora-style electrical device, a ground fault circuit interrupter outlet and a rocker switch;

and wherein the adapter plate is configured to fill the adapter plate recess substantially from its extents approximately up to the edge of the electrical device face.

5. The electrical cover plate assembly of claim 1, wherein the assembly further comprises an electrical device having a face and an edge of the face, wherein the electrical device is selected from the group consisting of a duplex outlet, a ground fault circuit interrupter, a toggle switch, a rocker switch, a rotary dimmer switch and a sliding dimmer switch;

and wherein the adapter plate is configured to fill the adapter plate recess substantially from its extents approximately up to the edge of the electrical device face.

6. The electrical cover plate assembly of claim 1, wherein the adapter plate comprises a non-electrically powered device selected from the group consisting of:

a keychain holding hook, a coat hanger, a key storage device, a paper towel holder, a mail holder, and a pet leash holder.

7. The electrical cover plate assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one adapter plate recess in the finished surface comprises at least two similarly configured adapter plate recesses.

8. An electrical cover plate assembly comprising:

a frame having a finished surface and at least one adapter plate recess in the finished surface, the adapter plate recess comprising an electrical device aperture and at least one adapter coupling aperture through the frame on each of at least two opposing sides of the adapter plate recess;

wherein the electrical device aperture is recessed with respect to the finished surface; and

at least one adapter plate configured to couple directly to the frame, the at least one adapter plate comprising at least one projection extending from a surface of the adapter plate on each of at least two opposing sides of the adapter plate and arranged to align with and extend into the adapter coupling apertures in the adapter plate recess;

wherein the adapter plate is sized and shaped to fill the adapter plate recess substantially from its extents at least approximately to an edge of the electrical device aperture;

wherein the at least one projection extending from a surface of the adapter plate comprises a catch mechanism having a catch and a spring element on at least one side of the adapter plate, the adapter plate being coupled to the frame through the catch mechanism.

9. An electrical device cover plate assembly comprising:

a frame having a finished surface and at least one adapter plate recess in the finished surface, the adapter plate recess comprising an electrical device aperture and at least one adapter coupling aperture through the frame on each of at least two opposing sides of the adapter plate recess;

wherein the electrical device aperture is recessed with respect to the finished surface; and

at least one adapter plate configured to couple directly to the frame, the at least one adapter plate comprising at least one projection extending from a surface of the adapter plate on each of at least two opposing sides of the adapter plate and arranged to align with and extend into the adapter coupling apertures in the adapter plate recess;

wherein the adapter plate is sized and shaped to fill the adapter plate recess substantially from its extents at least approximately to an edge of the electrical device aperture;

wherein the adapter plate comprises a spacer plate coupled between an adapter shell and the frame.

10. An electrical cover plate assembly comprising:

a frame having a finished surface and at least one adapter plate recess in the finished surface;

the adapter plate recess comprising an adapter plate attachment aperture through the frame on each of at least two opposing sides of the adapter plate recess, a box mounting screw aperture, and an electrical device aperture; and

at least one adapter plate configured to couple directly to the frame at the adapter plate recess through a catch mechanism extending from a surface of the at least one adapter plate, the catch mechanism comprising a catch and a spring element on a first side of the adapter plate, the catch mechanism arranged to align with and extend into the adapter coupling apertures;

wherein the adapter plate is configured to conceal the box mounting screw aperture when coupled to the frame and to fill the adapter plate recess substantially from its extents at least approximately to an edge of the electrical device aperture.

11. The electrical cover plate assembly of claim 10, wherein the box mounting screw aperture is a keyhole slot aperture.

12. The electrical cover plate assembly of claim 10, wherein the adapter plate comprises a removable tab;

and wherein removal of the removable tab converts the adapter plate to an adapter plate having an opening therethrough configured for an electrical device.

13. The electrical cover plate assembly of claim 10, wherein the assembly further comprises an electrical device having a face and an edge of the face, wherein the electrical device is selected from the group consisting of a decora-style electrical device, a ground fault circuit interrupter outlet and a rocker switch;

and wherein the adapter plate is configured to fill the adapter plate recess substantially from its extents approximately up to the edge of the electrical device face.

14. The electrical cover plate assembly of claim 10, wherein the assembly further comprises an electrical device having a face and an edge of the face, wherein the electrical device is selected from the group consisting of a duplex outlet, a ground fault circuit interrupter, a toggle switch, a rocker switch, a rotary dimmer switch and a sliding dimmer switch;

and wherein the adapter plate is configured to fill the adapter plate recess substantially from its extents approximately up to the edge of the electrical device face.

15. The electrical cover plate assembly of claim 10, wherein the assembly further comprises an electrical device coupled to the adapter plate and selected from the group consisting of:

a nightlight, an emergency light, a fan, an air freshener, a carbon monoxide sensor, a natural gas sensor, an electrical device charging cradle, a hair dryer charging cradle, a cable modem holder, a wireless router holder, a smoke detector, and a rechargeable battery charger.

16. The electrical cover plate assembly of claim 10, wherein the assembly further comprises a battery powered electrical device coupled to the adapter plate and selected from the group consisting of:

a smoke detector, a remote ceiling fan controller, a security sensor, an intercom, a fan, a nightlight, an emergency light and a light switch controller.

17. The electrical cover plate assembly of claim 10, wherein the adapter plate comprises a non-electrically powered device selected from the group consisting of:

a keychain holding hook, a coat hanger, a key storage device, a paper towel holder, a mail holder, and a pet leash holder.

18. The electrical cover plate assembly of claim 10, wherein the at least one adapter plate recess in the finished surface comprises at least two similarly configured adapter plate recesses.

19. The electrical cover plate assembly of claim 18, wherein the at least two adapter plate recesses comprise a first adapter plate recess and a second adapter plate recess, the first and second adapter plate recesses having an alignment separator between them, the alignment separator forming at least a portion of an edge of the electrical device aperture associated with each adapter plate recess;

wherein the electrical device aperture associated with each adapter plate recess is substantially parallel to the adapter plate recess adjacent it and is sized to contact at least a portion of each electrical device to be mounted therein such that mounting of the frame on at least two adjacent electrical devices automatically aligns the electrical devices with each other and the frame.

20. The electrical device cover plate assembly of claim 10, wherein the adapter plate comprises a spacer plate coupled between an adapter shell and the frame.

21. A method of installing an electrical cover plate assembly, the method comprising:

providing an electrical box and at least one electrical device mounted to the electrical box with box mounting screws;

coupling a frame to the electrical box with the electrical box mounting screw, the frame having a finished surface and an adapter plate recess in the finished surface, the adapter plate recess comprising at least one box mounting screw aperture and an electrical device aperture each recessed with respect to the finished surface; and

concealing the box mounting screw aperture by coupling an adapter plate directly to the frame to the adapter plate recess through at least one projection extending directly from a surface of the adapter plate on each of at least two opposing sides of the adapter plate, the adapter plate sized and shaped to fill the adapter plate recess substantially from its extents at least approximately to an edge of the electrical device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one electrical device comprises at least two electrical devices and the frame comprises at least two electrical device apertures, the method further comprising automatically aligning the electrical devices when the frame is mounted to the electrical box with the mounting screws by contacting at least one edge of each of the electrical devices with an edge of a corresponding electrical device aperture.