Safety electrical outlet and switch system

• US 8,105,107 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2008
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alexandra Block, ANDREW KALANI NIHEU & JAY DEEP CHITNIS, Andrew M. Jenkins, Anne M. Mahoney, Baker Ken, Baum Family Trust, Binkley Family Trust, Bonnie Austin, Brandon Dinoto, Brandon Moore Utma, BRIAN DRISCOLL AND/OR DRISCOLL INVESTMENTS INC., Bruce Johnson, BRUCE & LORENE BOWERS, BRUCE & SANDY BRANDENBURG, CARL A LARSON, TRUSTEE LARSON 1995 REVOCABLE TRUST DTD 11/17/1995, CARL KOBAYASHI & MISHELLE NISHIDA, Chea Chung, CHRISTOPHER MOORE INDIVIDUALLY & AS TRUSTEE MOORE FAMILY TRUST DTD 10/3/2006, Christy L. Hendrickson Trust, CLAUDE KORDUS TRUSTEE KORDUS FAMILY TRUST, CLIFF & MAKOTO MCQUEEN, Court Wilson, Craig Hillegas, Daniel Allen, Daniel C. Serpe, DANIEL & KIMBERLY DOTSON, Daniel White, Dan Way, DAVID & BONNIC AUSTIN INDIVIDUALLY AND AS TRUSTEES AUSTIN FAMILY TRUST DTD 10/1/1999, David Caldwell, David L. Lyon, Dominique Pandolfi, DONALD D. LEARNED, TRUSTEE DONALD LEARNED TRUST C/O SCOTT LEARNED, DONALD & MARY SPENCER, Don Farris Inc Retirement Trust, Doug Cox, Elizabeth Willis, Eric Rawa, Estate Of Gary W. Dixon, GARY & BARBARA A. GENTZKOW AND/OR BARBARA GENTZKOW'S IRA, GARY & LINDSEY BLOCK, George Block, Glenn Frieder, Gloria Marie Gammill, GREG A. JIRAK & LORI HUBBART, GREG BLOCK, TRUSTEE, BLOCK FAMILY TRUST DTD 6/22/1990, Greg MacDonald, Gregory A. Block, Gregory Bernett, HARDEY, JULIE E. AKA JULIE HELLUM FBO BREE DIXON, Hardie David, Howard Brian Malloy, Ian Nausner, IVAN & LORI MENDELSON, James Clifford, James Gammill, JAMES GEVARGES & DOMINIQUE BEITKANOUN, JAMES & KIM WEINBERGER, JAMES & ROBYN CARBAUGH, JANELL SKOMER AKA JANELL SOHMER-BLOCK C/O GREGORY BLOCK, Jeffrey Lubin, Jeffrey Teza, Jeff Schott, Jerry E. Jageman, John Chu, John F. Zolezzi, JOHN & LAUARIE DEWITT AND/OR THIEIR IRAS, JOHN & LYNN BOWEN, TRUSTEES BOWN FAMILY TRUST DTD 11/21/1985, Jon Hillegas, JULIUS & MARRIETTA ZOLEZZI, KASHAN PIRACHA (KPN, LLC), Katherine Williams, KENNETH & JANET SHANER, Ken Rubin, Kevin Thomas Dinoto, Kristopher Dinoto, Laura Lewis, Laurence Balter, LINDA MOORE INDIVIDUALLY & AS TRUSTEE LINDA B. MOORE PERSONAL TRUST, Lisa Odenweller, Lori Shook, MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS LIMITED C/O SMC MULTI-MEDIA, Man-Ling Lai, Marc Cahal, Marc Odenweller, MARION J. BAUER ROSIDUARY TRUST C/O BLOCK, GAUNCE & ASSOCIATES, MARK & DIANA KENNEY, TRUSTEES KENNEY FAMILY TRUST DTD 11/29/1996, Mark McDonald, Marview Holdings, Inc., Maui Preparatory Academy, Megan Molloy, Melody Kitchens, MICHAEL & ANASTASIA FARRELL AND/OR STERLING TRUST CO. FBO MICHAEL FARRELL, Michael Bosworth, Michael Dewitt, MICHAEL MCLOUGHLIN, TRUSTEE MCLOUGHLIN FAMILY TRUST DTD 3/22/1994, Milton F. Damerow, NGUYEN, PETER (KPN, LLC), Nicholas Block, Nicole Cox, Norman M. Estin Trust, Parvis Nabavi, Paul Block, Persis Hataria, PHILIP BURKHARDT, TRUSTEE BURKHARDT 2005 FAMILY TRUST AND/OR THEIR IRAS, Phillip Moore, PHYLLIS ORNDORFF, TRUSTEE PHYLLIS ORNDORFF TRUST DTD 12-30-2010, RANDY & LONA KENT, R/Com Retail Services, LLC, Richard Babcock, RICHARD & DEBRA MYTKO, RICHARD & JACQUELINE SMITH, Robert C. Albrow, Robert M. Skomer, Robert W. Dudley Trust, Ronald S. Chapman, RYAN & SUSAN BOWERS, Ryota Komaru, Samantha Carroll, Scot Hall, Sean Mundy, Shaochong Yan, SMC Multi-Media Products Company Limited (SMC Multi-Media Limited), S Steven Podstreleny, Steve Benshoof, Steve Marlette, Steven Purves, Steven Sreb, STUART & KAREN SHAFER, Sydney Block, TERRENCE E. LEE, TRUSTEE TERRENCE E. LEE TRUST, Terrill Stewart, Terry Davis, THOMAS DINOTO, TRUSTEE DINOTO FAMILY TRUST DTD 1/11/1993, Thomas Goergen, Thomas H. Zolezzi, Timothy Karis Sirak LLC, TIM WALKER, TRUSTEE WALKER FAMILY TRUST DTD 7/21//2009, Valeo Partners LLC, Vincent Guzzetta Vascular Associates Co., WALTER & REBECCA HICKEL C/O CALWEST PROPERTIES, WARREN & ROBIN COHEN, Wendy Frieder, William Orndorff
• Original Assignee: Protectconnect Incorporated
• Inventors: Gorman, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilman, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US12/115,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20080235943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• Field of Search: 439/535, 439/502, 174/60, 174/57, 174/58, 220/3.8, 220/3.4, 206/216
• US Class Current: 439/535
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/652 with earth pin, blade or socket
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/70 with built-in switch
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/78 with additional earth or shield contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/006 the coupling part being secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. duplex wall receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/64 Connections between or with conductive parts having primarily a non-electric function, e.g. frame, casing, rail
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors of trolley lines B60M1/28
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/126 with supporting means for mounting on a single wall stud
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/14 Fastening of cover or lid to box
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49126 Assembling bases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49128 Assembling formed circuit to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49169 Assembling electrical component directly to terminal or elongated conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49174 Assembling terminal to elongated conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49194 Assembling elongated conductors, e.g., splicing, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49208 by assembling plural parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49222 forming array of contacts or terminals

Abstract

An electrical box is mounted on a wall stud, and a wiring panel is installed within the electrical box so as to partition the interior of the electrical box into a user inaccessible wiring compartment and a user accessible module compartment. A protective cover is attached to the wiring panel so as to protect the wiring panel during a makeup phase of wall panel installation and painting. After the makeup phase, the protective cover is removed from the wiring panel and a module having a user operable electrical function is mounted to the wiring panel within the user accessible module compartment.

Claims

1. An electrical wiring module comprising:

a wiring panel sized to fit within an electrical box, the wiring panel comprising;

a first plurality of electrical contacts on a first side that are configured to electrically couple to an installable module having an electrical function; and

a plurality of wires attached to a second side;

a plurality of internal connectors that electrically couple the first plurality of electrical contacts on the first side with a second plurality of electrical contacts that interface with the plurality of wires attached to the second side;

a protective cover, wherein the protective cover is removably secured to at least a portion of the wiring panel before the wiring panel is installed in the electrical box, wherein the protective cover comprises at least one sleeve that is placed around a second portion of the wiring panel such that the portion of the wiring panel fits within the sleeve to encompass one or more of the first plurality of electrical contacts on the wiring panel, and wherein the protective cover prevents fouling of the electrical contacts on the wiring panel before the wiring panel is installed in the electrical box, and wherein the protective cover is not directly fastened to the electrical box, and wherein the protective cover is configured to be removed before electrically coupling the first plurality of electrical contacts on the wiring panel with the installable module having an electrical function.

2. The electrical wiring module of claim 1, wherein the one or more module connectors are configured to removably couple with the electrical outlet module without the use of tools.

3. The electrical wiring module of claim 2, wherein the one or more module connectors comprise plug-in connectors.

4. The electrical wiring module of claim 3, wherein the one or more module connectors are configured to provide positive tactile feedback when a mechanical and electrical connection is made between the one or more module connectors and the electrical outlet module.

5. The electrical wiring module of claim 1, wherein the one or more module connectors are configured to couple with the electrical outlet module without requiring a user to access exposed portions of wires.

6. The electrical wiring module of claim 1, wherein the one or more module connectors have a keyed shape to prevent improper installation of the installable module.

7. The electrical wiring module of claim 1, wherein the protective cover at least partially encompasses the second portion of the wiring panel.

8. The electrical wiring module of claim 7, wherein the protective cover is configured to be attached directly to the wiring panel.

9. The electrical wiring module of claim 1, wherein the protective cover is secured to the electrical box.

10. The electrical wiring module of claim 9, wherein the protective cover prevents installation of the installable module without prior removal of the protective cover.

11. The electrical wiring module of claim 10, wherein the protective cover is attached to the wiring panel by affixing the protective cover to the wiring panel.

12. The electrical wiring module of claim 11, wherein the protective cover is generally planar and rigid.

13. An electrical distribution method comprising:

placing a wiring module within an electrical box configured to route an electrical power cable inside a building, wherein the wiring module comprises a first plurality of electrical contacts on a first side that are configured to electrically couple to an installable module having an electrical function, and wherein the wiring module further comprises a second plurality of electrical contacts on a second side that electrically connect to a plurality of wires that provide power to the wiring module, and a plurality of internal connectors that electrically couple the first plurality of electrical contacts on the first side with the second plurality of electrical contacts on the second side;

removably securing a protective cover to at least a portion of the wiring module before the wiring module is installed into the electrical box, wherein the protective cover comprises at least one sleeve that is placed around at least a second portion of the wiring module such that the portion of the wiring module fits within the sleeve to encompass at least one of the first plurality of electrical contacts so that the protective cover must be removed from the wiring module before the installable module can be installed, wherein the protective cover is not directly fastened to the electrical box, and wherein the protective cover is configured to be removed before electrically coupling the first plurality of electrical contacts on the wiring module with the installable module.

14. The electrical distribution method of claim 13, wherein the installable module comprises an electrical outlet module or an electrical switch module.

15. The electrical distribution method of claim 13, wherein connecting the installable module to the wiring module does not require a user to access exposed portions of the plurality of wires and does not require the use of tools.

16. The electrical distribution method of claim 15, wherein connecting the installable module to the wiring module comprises plugging the installable module into the wiring module.

17. The electrical distribution method of claim 16, wherein plugging the installable module into the wiring module comprises snapping the installable module into the wiring module.

18. The electrical distribution method of claim 13, further comprising mounting the installable module to the electrical box.

19. The electrical distribution method of claim 13, wherein the protective cover at least partially encompasses at least the second portion of the wiring module.

20. The electrical distribution method of claim 13, wherein attaching to the wiring panel comprising affixing the protective cover to the wiring panel.