Electricity: conductors and insulators – Covers or face plates – With closure for face plate opening
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-06
2002-11-12
Dinkins, Anthony (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Covers or face plates
With closure for face plate opening
C174S066000, C174S058000, C220S241000, C220S242000, C033S528000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06479749
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to a protective cover for an electrical box having an open front, mounting an electrical device, such as an electrical switch or an electrical outlet, and having a plaster ring having a generally rectangular aperture. This invention provides a recess or recesses to accommodate a tool to facilitate removal of the protective cover.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,012,043 and 6,166,329, it has been known heretofore to employ a protective cover, which is made of steel, for an electrical box having an open front, mounting an electrical device, such as an electrical switch or an electrical outlet, and having a plaster ring, which fastens to the electrical box, around the open front of the electrical box, and which has a projecting portion defining a generally rectangular aperture providing access to the electrical device, through the open front of the electrical box, after the electrical box, the electrical device, and the plaster ring have been installed behind a wall panel, such as a drywall panel.
As known heretofore, the protective cover is mountable removably to the plaster ring so as substantially to cover the generally rectangular aperture of the plaster ring, whereby to protect the electrical device against foreign matter, such as dust and debris, and against damage, such as damage from a router bit or from a saw blade, while an aperture accommodating the projecting portion of the plaster ring is cut into the wall panel, or against foreign matter, such as paint, wallpaper adhesive, or drywall-finishing material, i.e., so-called “mud”, while the wall panel is being decorated near the aperture accommodating the projecting portion of the plaster ring. If the protective cover were not utilized and if the router or the saw blade were to slip, the electrical device could be badly damaged.
At least as early as 1997, a protective cover was available commercially from Ideal Products, Inc. of Wichita, Kans., which cover had lateral formations adapted to coact with lateral edges of the generally rectangular aperture of the projecting portion of a plaster ring, whereby to mount the cover removably to the plaster ring so as substantially to cover the generally rectangular aperture of the plaster ring.
Although the protective covers known heretofore may function well to protect an electrical device against foreign matter, damage, or both, as discussed above, the protective covers can be somewhat difficult to remove, when mounted to the plaster rings, as no provision has is made to accommodate tools to facilitate removal of the protective covers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention improves a protective cover having a front panel,,a top flange, a bottom flange, and two lateral flanges, for use with an electrical box having a plaster ring, as explained above. This invention provides a recess or recesses to accommodate a tool to facilitate removal of the protective cover.
The protective cover has a front panel, a top flange, a bottom flange, and two lateral flanges. Each lateral flange is spaced from the upper flange by a slit at an upper edge of said lateral flange. Each lateral flange is spaced from the bottom flange by a slit at a lower edge of said lateral flange. The slits permit the lateral flanges to flex.
Preferably, the front panel meets each of the lateral flanges at a curved edge, which meets each of the lateral portions of the top and bottom flanges at a rounded comer. Preferably, the curved edges and the lateral portions of the top and bottom flanges are curved similarly. Preferably, each of the curved edges and each of the lateral portions of the top and bottom flanges are curved so as to have an exterior radius of approximately 0.25 inch.
Each lateral flange has an elongate tab, which fits behind an adjacent edge of the generally rectangular aperture of the projecting portion of the plaster ring when the protective cover is mounted to the plaster ring, in a manner known from the protective cover that was available commercially from Ideal Products, Inc. of Wichita, Kans., as discussed above.
As the protective cover is improved by this invention, at least one of the lateral flanges has an outer surface that is planar except for a recess, which is adapted to receive a tool inserted between the same one of the lateral flanges and an adjacent edge of the generally rectangular aperture of the projecting portion of the plaster ring, when the protective cover is mounted to the plaster ring, so as to enable the tool to be then twisted so as to flex the same one of the lateral flanges inwardly.
Preferably, each lateral flange has an outer surface that is planar except for a recess, which is adapted to receive a tool inserted between said lateral flange and an adjacent edge of the generally rectangular aperture of the projecting portion of the plaster ring, when the protective cover is mounted to the plaster ring, so as to enable the tool to be then twisted so as to flex said lateral flange inwardly.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4250349 (1981-02-01), Bennett
patent: 4302624 (1981-11-01), Newman
patent: 5243135 (1993-09-01), Shotey
patent: 5455388 (1995-10-01), Pratt
patent: 6166329 (2000-12-01), Oliver et al.
patent: 6198046 (2001-03-01), Moodie
3244 Corporation
Dinkins Anthony
Patel Dhiru R
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