Electricity: conductors and insulators – Covers or face plates – With closure for face plate opening
Reexamination Certificate
2003-08-25
2004-10-19
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Covers or face plates
With closure for face plate opening
C174S0450TD, C174S057000, C220S003300, C220S003700, C220S242000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06806426
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to cover assembly for outdoor electrical junction boxes and specifically to a two-way opening electrical box cover that can be used to provide a weatherproof cover for an electrical junction box mounted in either a vertical or horizontal orientation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electrical junction boxes are commonly mounted on the exterior vertical walls of buildings to provide electrical devices such as duplex receptacles or outlets to service various outdoor appliances. Some of the appliances are of the type, such as pumps and mosquito traps, that are commonly left plugged into the outlet for extended periods of time and through all types of weather conditions. It is therefore desirable in this situation to keep the electrical cord for the appliance plugged into the outlet while providing protection to the receptacle against rain, water spray, and other inclement conditions that may be encountered in a typical outdoor setting.
Various attempts have therefore been made to provide weatherproof covers for exterior junction boxes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,407 (hereinafter the '407 patent), for example, provided an electrical outlet safety cover having a top dimensioned to fit over an electrical outlet and define a closed space of sufficient size to include a plug inserted therein. The top included an opening through which an electrical cord could pass.
Although the safety cover of the '407 patent provided protection for an outlet mounted in a vertically mounted electrical junction box, it was limited to protecting a vertically mounted box. If the safety cover of the '407 patent were installed on a horizontally-mounted electrical junction box, the plug openings in the cover would be oriented to the side, therefore allowing rain or water spray to enter the cover. The safety cover of the '407 patent was therefore inadequate for protecting a horizontally oriented electrical junction box.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,135 (hereinafter the '135 patent) attempted to solve this problem by providing an outdoor weatherproof protecting electrical outlet cover adapted to be attached in weatherproof connection to an electrical outlet. It included a gasket, a base plate, an insert, and a protective housing with gaps for accommodating electrical cords. The insert was sized and adapted to fit within an aperture in the base plate in one of two orientations, depending on the orientation of the electrical junction box it was used in conjunction with. The insert was capable of being rotated 90° to accommodate either a vertically or horizontally oriented box while the protective housing remained oriented vertically to allow the gaps to be positioned downward. Although the '135 patent provided a protective cover capable of accommodating both vertical and horizontal electrical junction boxes, the design was mechanically complex, relying upon a gasket, a base plate, an insert, and a protective housing to provide the desired protection.
Another attempt to provide protection to exterior electrical junction boxes was that proposed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,831 (hereinafter the '831 patent). This patent provided a method and apparatus for converting a universal cover plate for an electrical outlet to any desired specific cover plate. The apparatus included a base having a long and short side and removable tabs and hinges on both the long and short sides. Depending on the orientation of the electrical junction box, tabs were removed on the appropriate side to accommodate the box. A cover was provided with removable hinges that allowed the cover to open along more than one axis. To accommodate a horizontally oriented electrical junction box, the tabs on the short side of the base and the hinges on the short side of the cover are removed by prying, sawing, or cutting. Alternatively, to accommodate a vertically oriented electrical junction box, the tabs on the long side of the base and the hinges on the long side of the cover are removed. Although the '831 patent provided a protective cover for an electrical junction box in either a horizontal or vertical orientation, it was quite complex to install, requiring the installer to pry, saw, or cut two tabs on the base and two hinges on the cover in order to create a base and cover assembly that would cooperate to enclose an electrical junction box of a given orientation.
The complexity of the aforementioned prior art indicates a need for a simpler device for protecting electrical devices installed in exterior electrical junction boxes orientated either horizontally or vertically.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is a two-way cover for protecting electrical devices in exterior electrical junction boxes oriented either horizontally or vertically. The two-way cover includes an assembly comprised of a base member, middle member, and outer member. An arrangement is included for securing the base member to an electrical box. The outer member is rotatably attached to the assembly to form a first rotational cover unit. The middle member is also rotatably attached to the assembly such that the outer member and the middle member form a second rotational cover unit. The first rotational cover unit is capable of rotation in a first direction with respect to the assembly and the second rotational cover unit is capable of rotation in a second direction with respect to the assembly. When the assembly is secured to a vertically oriented junction box, the first rotational cover unit may be opened and closed to provide access to the box. When the assembly is secured to a horizontally oriented junction box, the second rotational cover unit may be opened and closed to provide access to the box. The two-way cover therefore provides a simple and convenient assembly for covering an outdoor electrical box oriented either vertically or horizontally without the need for separate inserts or removable tabs and hinges to accommodate the separate orientations.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES
The two-way electrical box cover assembly of the present invention provides a cover for protecting an electrical junction box mounted in an exterior vertical wall in either a vertical or horizontal orientation.
One advantage of the two-way cover assembly is that it provides a simple device that is easily installed on either a vertically or horizontally oriented electrical junction box. All that is required is a simple rotation of the cover assembly to match the orientation of the junction box whereupon fasteners are applied to secure the cover assembly to the junction box.
The two-way cover therefore provides an advantage over prior art electrical box covers by eliminating the need for separate inserts or removable tabs and hinges, as are required on several prior art covers, to accommodate the separate possible orientations of the electrical junction box.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reading the following description along with reference to the drawings.
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Arlington Industries Inc.
Estrada Angel R.
Reichard Dean A.
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