Wiring device and cover plate snap-on assembly

• US 8,299,359 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2011
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Alderson, David, Williams, Michael D., Martin, Clifford G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Estrada, Angel R
• Application Number:
  US13/101,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20110203828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 174/66, 174/67, 174/50, 174/53, 174/57, 174/58, 174/480, 174/481, 220 32- 39, 220/241, 220/242, 439/535, 439/536, D13/177, D13/156
• US Class Current: 174/66
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/14 Fastening of cover or lid to box
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49895 Associating parts by use of aligning means [e.g., use of a drift pin or a "fixture"]

Abstract

An installation of a wiring device configured to receive a cover plate which snaps on to a wiring device such as a switch or receptacle. With this invention, openings for threaded fasteners in the face of the cover plate are eliminated. In an embodiment, the cover plate has an opening sized to accommodate a wiring device and supports, on opposing side walls of the opening, at least one protrusion. The protrusions on the cover plate are located to detachably engage corresponding protrusions on the wiring device as the cover plate is pressed onto the wiring device.

Claims

1. A wiring device comprising:

a housing having a top surface, a top wall, a bottom wall and two side walls, the top surface being accessible to a user, and

a first protrusion located on an outside surface of one of the walls and formed integral with the housing and adapted to be detachably engaged by a cover plate, and a second protrusion located on an outside surface of said wall, adjacent to said first protrusion but at a different depth relative to said first protrusion.

2. The wiring device of claim 1, further comprising:

a third protrusion located on the wall opposite to the wall that the first protrusion is located on, the first, second and third protrusions being adapted to be detachably engaged by the cover plate.

3. The wiring device of claim 2, wherein the top surface is rectangular and the first protrusion is located on a first side wall and said second protrusion is located on a second side wall which is opposite the first side wall.

4. The wiring device of claim 3, wherein the protrusion on each side wall has a cross section which is a trapezium.

5. The wiring device as in claim 1, wherein said first protrusion and said second protrusion are configured to allow the cover plate to connect to the wiring device at either a first depth on the wiring device, or a second depth on the wiring device.

6. A method of assembling a cover plate having an aperture to a wiring device comprising the steps of:

aligning the aperture in the cover plate with the wiring device;

pushing the cover plate having protrusions disposed on at least two different inside faces, on to the wiring device such that the cover plate snaps onto the wiring device thereby allowing said protrusions of the cover plate to snap over protrusions formed integral with an outside face of the housing of the wiring device to lock the cover plate to the wiring device.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of positioning a strap around an exterior portion of a frame on the wiring device.

8. The method as in claim 6, further comprising the step of:

pushing the cover plate to a second position on said wiring device such that said wiring device has a first set of protrusions and a second set of protrusions, wherein the cover plate is positioned behind said second set of protrusions positioned at a depth position deeper than said first set of protrusions.

9. A wiring device comprising:

a housing having a top surface, a top wall, a bottom wall and two side walls, the top surface being accessible to a user, and

a first protrusion located on an outside surface of one of the walls and formed integral with the housing, and a second protrusion located on an outside surface of said wall, adjacent to said first protrusion but at a different depth relative to said first protrusion; and

a wall plate configured to be coupled to at least two of said walls of said housing.

10. The wiring device as in claim 9, wherein said first protrusion is located on a first wall and said second protrusion is located on a second wall of said housing.

11. The wiring device as in claim 10, wherein said first protrusion is located on a first wall of said two side walls and said second protrusion is located on an opposite wall of said two side walls.

12. The wiring device as in claim 9, wherein said first protrusion is located along at a first length position on said first wall, and said second protrusion is located offset at a second length position on said first wall.

13. A method of assembling a cover plate having an aperture to a wiring device comprising the steps of:

aligning the aperture in the cover plate with the wiring device, said cover plate comprising a wall plate;

pushing the cover plate on to the wiring device, said cover plate having a first set of protrusions disposed on at least two different inside faces, such that the cover plate is coupled to the wiring device thereby allowing said protrusions of the cover plate to move past said first set of protrusions formed integral with an outside face of the housing of the wiring device to lock the wall plate to the wiring device.

14. The method as in claim 13, further comprising the step of:

pushing the cover plate to a second position on said wiring device such that the cover plate is positioned behind at least one second set of protrusions positioned at a depth position deeper than said first set of protrusions.