Electricity: conductors and insulators – Boxes and housings – With electrical device
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-30
2003-06-10
Dinkins, Anthony (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Boxes and housings
With electrical device
C174S060000, C174S066000, C220S241000, C220S003500, C033S528000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06576837
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a cover for an electrical outlet box. More specifically, the present invention relates to the outlet box cover having a plurality of bendable mounting clips oriented perpendicularly to the outlet box cover and extending outwardly through an opening in a wall surface with the outer ends of the mounting clips then being bent outwardly into overlying engagement with the wall surface in opposed relation to the outlet box cover to thereby mount the outlet box and cover on a wall structure in alignment with the opening in the wall surface. The outlet box cover is mounted on the outlet box in a conventional manner and the mounting clips on the outlet box cover extend from the periphery of an opening in the cover for mounting electrical sockets, switches or the like in the outlet box in a conventional manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
My prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,424,332 and 3,424,333, issued Jan. 28, 1969, disclose outlet box covers having mounting clips attached thereto which are associated with an opening in a wall structure to secure the outlet box and cover to the wall structure. The mounting clips in my above patents are separate components from an outlet box cover which enables them to be assembled with various types of outlet box covers. The necessity of assembling the mounting clips on the cover as disclosed in my above patents requires manual dexterity, consumes time and introduces the risk of dropping loose components into inaccessible areas in a wall structure. The prior art does not disclose a unitarily constructed outlet box cover and mounting clips to support the outlet box and cover from an opening in a wall surface so as to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art structures which have a plurality of components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The outlet box cover with mounting clips of the present invention are of unitary construction with the mounting clips positioned along the interior periphery of an opening in the outlet box cover. The mounting clips are long enough to enable them to extend through an opening in a wall structure and then bent outwardly to engage an exterior surface of the wall structure to retain the cover and the outlet box attached to the cover in mounted position against the inner surface of the wall structure. The length of the mounting clips may vary for securing the outlet box cover and outlet box to wall structures having different thicknesses and the outlet box cover may have openings of different configurations such as cylindrical, rectangular or square depending upon the installation requirements.
An object of the present invention is to provide an outlet box cover for an electrical outlet box including a plurality of mounting clips which is of unitary construction thereby requiring the manipulation of only a single component rather than assembling a plurality of components which requires considerable manual dexterity end carries the risk of dropping small pieces, fasteners and the like, thus reducing the time required to install an outlet box and an outlet box cover in a wall structure.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an outlet box cover with the mounting clips integral with the peripheral edge of the opening in the outlet box cover in various embodiments; the mounting clips are spaced along the side edges of a rectangular plaster ring or collar in one embodiment, spaced along the side edges of a rectangular opening without a plaster ring or collar in another embodiment, thus enabling the cover and mounting clips to be installed in a thin wall panel such as a metal wall or thin panel of laminated material, and spaced circumferentially around a circular opening with cylindrical plaster ring or collar in a third embodiment.
Yet another object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide an outlet box cover with integral mounting clips in accordance with the preceding objects and which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.
These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.
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Dinkins Anthony
Jacobson & Holman PLLC
Patel Dhiru R.
Peters Belinda F.
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