GB1580037A

GB1580037A - Guard intended to be mounted around and to protect an electrical wall fitting

Info

Publication number: GB1580037A
Application number: GB2247076A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Byrne G F; Latham M J
Current assignee: Byrne G F; Latham M J
Priority date: 1977-05-18
Filing date: 1977-05-18
Publication date: 1980-11-26

Description

(54) A GUARD INTENDED TO BE MOUNTED AROUND, AND TO PROTECT, AN ELECTRICAL WALL FITTING (71) We, MICHAEL JOHN LATHAM of 18 Chestnut Drive, Claverham, Avon; and GEOFFREY FREDERICK BYRNE of 24 Chestnut Drive, Claverham, Avon, both of British nationality, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a guard intended to be mounted around, and to protect, an electrical wall fitting, for example for protecting the electrical wall fitting from tampering by a young child.

According to the present invention, there is provided a guard intended to be mounted around, and to protect, an electrical wall fitting, which guard comprises: a body member having one or more side wall provided at the rear edge thereof with at least one inwardly directed flange which defines a recess slightly less wide than an intended wall fitting and which is intended to be trapped between (i) the wall fitting and (ii) the wall and/or an attachment to the wall when the guard is mounted around the wall fitting; and a cover member connected to the body member and being movable between (a) an "open" position in which, when the guard is mounted around the wall fitting, the wall fitting is exposed, and (b) a "closed" position in which, when the guard is mounted around the wall fitting, the wall fitting is covered and thus protected, the guard also being provided with means for latching or locking the cover member when in the closed position, with respect to the body member.

The electrical wall fitting may be an electrical socket connected to the mains supply or an electrical switch, for example a light switch.

In the case of the electrical wall fitting being an electrical socket, the guard should be such that the cover member is capable of being closed when an electrical plug is inserted in the socket. In particular the guard should be provided with an aperture out of which an electrical lead connected to the plug may pass when the cover member is closed The means for latching or locking the cover member when in the closed position are advantageously such that it is difficult for them to be unlatched or unlocked by a young child. For example the means may be such that they require a person, who is capable of spanning a certain distance with the thumb and fore-finger of one hand, or who is capable of co-ordinating movements of both hands, to unlatch them.

Conveniently, but not necessarily, the cover member is pivotally mounted with respect of the body member.

Conveniently the latching means comprises two projections on one of the body and cover members and two apertures in the other of those members, the projections engaging in the apertures when the cover member is in the closed position.

Preferably the body member has three substantially planar side walls, two of these side walls being parallel to one another and the third side wall being perpendicular to the other two side walls and interconnecting these two side walls, at least the two parallel side walls each being provided with an inwardly extending flange along an edge of the wall perpendicular to the third side wall.

If desired the third side wall is also provided with an inwardly extending flange which lies in the same plane as the other two flanges.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, a constructional example of a guard according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view from below of the guard fitted to a mains wall socket with a plug inserted in the socket, the guard being in an open state; and Figure 2 shows a perspective view from above of the guard of Figure 1 in the closed state.

Referring to Figure 1, the outer cover plate 1 of the mains wall socket is shown in broken lines, a plug 2 connected to a lead 3 (these parts also being shown in broken lines) being inserted in the socket. The guard comprises a body member 4 having two vertical side walls 4A and an upper side wall 4B, and a cover member 5. Each of the walls 4A, 4B is provided with a flange 6 by means of which the guard is fitted to the socket, the flanges 6 defining a recess slightly less wide than the cover plate 1. To fit the guard to the socket, it is necessary simply to unscrew the screws securing the cover plate 1 by a small amount so that a small clearance appears between the cover plate 1 and the wall. The flanges 6 of the guard are then slid into place behind the cover plate 1 from above and the screws of the cover plate 1 retightened with the result that the flanges 6 are trapped between the cover plate 1 and the wall and/or flush box of the socket to hold the guard firmly in position.

The cover member 5 comprises two vertical side walls 5A, a lower side wall 5B and a front wall 5C. The cover member 5 is hinged to the body member 4 by means of a projection on the internal surface of each side wall 5A which engages in a corresponding recess in the external surface of each side wall 4A of the body member 4. The cover member 5 is shown in Figure 1 in the fully open position with the upper edge of the frong wall 5C abutting the upper wall 4B of the body member 4. The lower wall 5B is formed with a recess 7 into which the lead 3 fits when the guard is in the closed state. The body member 4 is provided with two projections 8, each of which is integral with a respective side wall 4A and projects outwardly from the plane of that side wall 4A. Each projection 8 is so disposed as to fit into a corresponding aperture 9 in a side wall 5A of the cover member 5 when the guard is in the closed state (see Figure 2). Each projection 8 is formed with a ramp surface 8A. The body member 4 and the cover member 5 are constituted by a suitably resiliently deformable material, for example heavy duty polypropylene, so that, when the cover member 5 is being closed and the ramp surfaces 8A bear against the side walls 5A of the cover member, both the cover member 5 and the body member 4 are deformed so that the projections 8 slide into the apertures 9.

As may be seen more particularly from Figure 2, once the cover member 5 is closed, it is prevented from opening again by the edge 9A of each aperture 9 which abuts a concave stop surface 8B on the corresponding projection 8 when an attempt is made to lift the cover member 5. With the guard in the closed state, the socket and the plug 2 are completely closed from view and it is not possible to remove the plug from the socket or to otherwise tamper with the socket without first opening the cover member 5. To open the cover member, it is necessary to depress both projections 8 and simultaneously to lift the cover member 5. This action requires either the simultaneous use of the thumb and forefinger of one hand and therefore a hand having a reasonable span, or the use of both hands in co-ordination. Such co-ordinated movements of both hands are difficult for a yound child to achieve.

The guard described above, when fitted to a mains socket and in the closed state, therefore constitutes an effective means for preventing a young child from tampering with the socket with the consequent risk of the child obtaining an electric shock, for example by pushing a long metal object through the apertures in the cover plate or by partially pulling out a plug inserted in the socket and introducing a metal object between the plug and the cover plate.

The dimensions of the above described guard may be varied to render it suitable for fitting to a mains wall socket provided with a switch facility or to a double mains wall socket. A guard of a similar construction (but excluding the recess 7) may also be used for fitting to an electrical wall switch, for example a light switch.

Many variations in the construction of the guard are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. By way of example, the body member may be provided with four walls or the flanges may be formed with apertures through which the screws attaching the cover plate to the flush box may pass when the guard is fitted to the socket. Also, instead of having a pivotally mounted cover member, that cover member could be slidable with respect to the body member. The means for latching or locking the cover member in the closed position is also capable of a wide number of variations.

The invention need not be restricted to electrical wall fittings which are substantially flush with the wall. Thus the wall fitting may be proud of the wall, in which case the flanges on the body member may be trapped between the fitting and an attachment to the wall.

Although, in the case of the guard illustrated, the cover member 5 is hinged to the body member 4 by means of projections on the cover member which engage in corresponding recesses in the body member, it is equally possible for the cover member to be hinged to the body member by means of projections on the body member which engage in corresponding apertures or recesses in the cover member. The projections may be carried by portions of the side walls 4A which extend beyond the upper wall 4B.

The thickness of the side walls. 4A and 5A is preferably not greater than 1.5 mm and the thickness of the flanges 6 is preferably not greater than 1.0 mm.

Although, in the case of the guard illustrated, the latching means is constituted by two projections on the body member and two apertures in the cover member, it will be appreciated that such means could alternatively be constituted by projections on the cover member and apertures in the body member.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A guard intended to be mounted around, and to protect, an electrical wall fitting, which guard comprises: a body member having one or more side wall provided at the rear edge thereof with at least one inwardly directed flange which defines a recess slightly less wide than an intended wall fitting and which is intended to be trapped between (i) the wall fitting and (ii) the wall and/or an attachment to the wall when the guard is mounted around the wall fitting; and a cover member connected to the body member and being movable between (a) an "open" position in which, when the guard is mounted around the wall fitting, the wall fitting is exposed, and (b) a "closed" position in which, when the guard is mounted around the wall fitting, the wall fitting is covered and thus protected, the guard also being provided with means for latching or locking the cover member when in the closed position, with respect to the body member.

2. A guard according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is pivotally mounted with respect to the body member.

3. A guard according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the latching means comprises two projections on one of the body and cover members and two apertures in the other of those members, the projections engaging in the apertures when the cover member is in the closed position.

4. A guard according to any preceding claim, wherein the body member has three substantially planar side walls, two of these side walls being parallel to one another and the third wall being perpendicular to the other two side walls and interconnecting these two side walls, at least the two parallel side walls each being provided with an inwardly extending flange along an edge of the wall penpendicular to the third side wall.

5. A guard according to Claim 4, wherein said third side wall is also provided with an inwardly extending flange which lies in the same plane as the other two flanges.

6. A guard according to any preceding claim, intended to be mounted around an electrical socket, wherein the cover member is capable of being closed when the guard is mounted around the socket and one or more electrical plugs is/are inserted in the socket, one or more apertures being provided in the guard through which one or more electrical leads connected to the plugs may pass.

7. A guard intended to be mounted around, and to protect, an electrical socket, the guard being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawing.

8. An electrical wall fitting around which is mounted a guard according to any preced

Claims

ing claim.