Active Cover Plates

• US 20150075836A1
• Filed: 11/20/2014
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaprays, LLC
• Original Assignee: Snappower
• Inventors: Dietz, Phil, Oyler, Beau, Smith, Jeremy Cornell, Watkins, Sean Daniel, Bagirov, Yulian, Tung, Jeffery, Bates, Charles Lyman
• Granted Patent: US 9,362,728 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/66
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/081 Bases, casings or covers
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/14 Fastening of cover or lid to box

Abstract

In one example, an active cover plate includes a faceplate, a load and a spring clip adjustable in at least one of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction with respect to the faceplate to electrically interface with a receptacle body and extract electrical power from the receptacle body to energize the load. A method for installing an active cover plate on an electrical receptacle is also provided.

Claims

1. An active cover plate comprising:

a faceplate;

a load; and

a spring clip adjustable in at least one of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction with respect to the faceplate to electrically interface with a receptacle body and extract electrical power from the receptacle body to energize the load.

2. The active cover plate of claim 1, wherein the spring clip comprises a conductive portion connected to the faceplate and non-conductive portion joined to the conductive portion.

3. The active cover plate of claim 1, wherein the spring clip comprises a flexible conductive portion connected to the faceplate by a first end and a non-conductive portion connected to an opposite end of the flexible conductive portion.

4. The active cover plate of claim 3, wherein the non-conductive portion comprises:

a main ramp portion extending from the flexible conductive portion, wherein the main ramp portion is to guide the active cover plate over the receptacle body as the active cover plate is pushed toward the receptacle body; and

ramps extending laterally away from the main ramp portion and the flexible conductive portion, wherein the ramps are angled to guide the spring clips over screw terminals on the receptacle body when the active cover plate is moved vertically relative to the receptacle body.

5. The active cover plate of claim 3, further comprising a fastener joining the non-conductive portion and the flexible conductive portion, wherein the fastener is configured to make electrical contact with screw terminals on the receptacle body.

6. The active cover plate of claim 3, wherein the flexible conductive portion comprises at least one reverse curve between a midpoint of the flexible conductive portion and a base portion.

7. The active cover plate of claim 1, wherein the spring clip is configured to be mounted in at least two different vertical positions on the faceplate.

8. The active cover plate of claim 7, wherein the spring clip comprises apertures configured to receive a protrusion and the faceplate comprises a number of protrusions such that by selecting a protrusion on the faceplate and placing the protrusion into the apertures, the spring clip can be located in a desired vertical position on the faceplate.

9. The active cover plate of claim 8, in which the number of protrusions comprise a linear array of posts extending from the faceplate, in which the spring clip comprises at least two apertures configured to receive at least two of the posts such that by selecting at least two post in the linear array of posts the spring clip can be located in one of at least two predetermined vertical positions on the faceplate.

10. The active cover plate of claim 1, in which the spring clip is adjustable after complete assembly of the active cover plate.

11. The active cover plate of claim 1, wherein the spring clip is configured to adjust vertically with respect to the faceplate into a plurality of predetermined positions.

12. The active cover plate of claim 11, wherein the spring clip is secured in one of the plurality of predetermined positions by a detent engaging with a notch at each of the predetermined positions.

13. The active cover plate of claim 11, in which the spring clip is secured in one of the plurality of predetermined positions by a spring tab engaging with a groove in each of the predetermined positions.

14. The active cover plate of claim 11, in which the spring clip is secured in one of the plurality of predetermined positions by a protrusion engaging in a slot in the spring clip at each of the predetermined positions.

15. The active cover plate of claim 1, in which the spring clip further comprises:

a base connected to the faceplate;

a head; and

a pivot interposed between the base and the head and configured to swing the head to contact a screw terminal above or below the base.

16. The active cover plate of claim 1, wherein the spring clip is adjustable in the horizontal direction to reach screw terminals at varying depths.

17. The active cover plate of claim 16, wherein the spring clip comprises multiple contacts at different horizontal locations along the spring clip.

18. The active cover plate of claim 17, wherein the spring clip comprises a sliding insulator moving to cover one of the multiple contacts that is not in use.

19. The active cover plate of claim 1, wherein the spring clip conducts electrical energy to the load only at predetermined positions of the spring clip with respect to the face plate.

20. The active cover plate of claim 1, wherein the active cover plate further comprises an intermediate device interfacing with both the receptacle body and the faceplate, wherein the intermediate device extracts power out of the receptacle body and conducts the power to the faceplate.

21. The active cover plate of claim 1, wherein the active cover plate comprises at least three spring clips with at least one spring clip not extracting power from the receptacle body.

22. The active cover plate of claim 1, wherein the spring clip further comprises a mechanism to rotate the spring clip into a position that is parallel to the faceplate.

23. The active cover plate of claim 1, wherein the spring clip is adjustable both horizontally and vertically with respect to the face plate.

24. An active cover plate comprising:

a faceplate comprising a linear array of posts;

an electrical load; and

a spring clip adjustable in at least one of a horizontal direction or a vertical direction with respect to the faceplate to electrically interface with a receptacle body and extract electrical power from the receptacle body to energize the load, wherein the spring clip comprises;

a flexible conductive portion connected to the faceplate by a base portion with apertures;

a non-conductive portion connected to an opposite end of the flexible conductive portion, wherein the non-conductive portion comprises;

a main ramp portion extending from the flexible conductive portion, wherein the main ramp portion is to guide the active cover plate over the receptacle body as the active cover plate is pushed toward the receptacle body;

ramps extending laterally away from a main ramp portion and flexible conductive portion, wherein the wings are angled to guide the spring clip over screw terminals on the receptacle body when the active cover plate is moved vertically relative to a receptacle body; and

a fastener connecting the non-conductive portion and flexible conductive portion, wherein the fastener is configured to make electrical contact with screw terminals on the receptacle body;

wherein each spring clip is configured to be mounted in at least two different vertical positions along the face plate by placing the base with apertures over posts in the linear array of posts.

25. A method comprising:

adjusting a vertical or horizontal position of an electrical contact on an active cover plate to contact an electrified portion of a receptacle body;

moving the active cover plate over the receptacle body such that the electrical contact contacts an electrified portion of the receptacle body; and

securing the active cover plate over the receptacle body such that human interface elements of the receptacle body are exposed.