GB2588622A

GB2588622A - Cover for an electrical wall socket

Info

Publication number: GB2588622A
Application number: GB1915666.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: O'carroll Paul
Original assignee: Cardea Solutions Ltd
Current assignee: Cardea Solutions Ltd
Priority date: 2019-10-29
Filing date: 2019-10-29
Publication date: 2021-05-05
Also published as: GB201915666D0

Abstract

A cover 10 suitable for a wall socket that can be used to prevent tampering. The cover 10 comprises a plastics base portion 12 to be held captive between the socket and a wall mounted box, a plastics cover portion 16 connected to the base portion 12 by a hinge 14, and inter-engaging formations on the base 12 and cover portions 16 constituting a latch 18 for retaining the cover portion 16 in a closed position. The cover 16 overlies the base portion 12 and any plug inserted into the wall socket. A key 22 releases the latch 18 in order to allow the cover portion 16 to be moved to an open position. The key 22 is formed integrally with the base portion 12 and is removably connected thereto by a frangible runner 20. There may be cable cut-outs 40 provided in the cover portion 16. The cut-outs 40 may be covered by blanking plates 24 that may be provided on frangible runners (figure 1, 20).

Description

COVER FOR AN ELECTRICAL WALL SOCKET

Field of the invention

The invention relates to a cover for an electrical wall socket.

Background

Electrical wall socket covers are currently commercially available and can serve to prevent unauthorised use of a socket. Covers can also be used to prevent tampering with a socket when an appliance is plugged into it. For example, if a freezer is plugged into the socket, the cover can avoid the freezer being switched off unintentionally. The cover needs therefore to be able to fit over the wall socket, both when it is in use and when it is not in use.

If intended for security, wall socket covers may include a lock operated by a separate key and some sockets are designed with holes to receive a padlock.

Object of the invention The present invention seeks to provide a cover for an electrical wall socket that requires a minimum number of components and can thus be manufactured inexpensively and installed simply.

Summary of the invention

According to the present invention, there is provided a cover for a wall socket that comprises a plastics base portion to be held captive between the socket and a wall mounted box, a plastics cover portion connected to the base portion by a hinge, inter-engaging formations on the base and cover portions constituting a latch for retaining the cover portion in a closed position in which the cover overlies the base portion and any plug inserted into the wall socket, and a key for releasing the latch in order to permit the cover portion to be pivoted relative to the base portion to an open position, wherein the key is formed integrally with the base portion and is separably connected thereto by a frangible runner. -2 -

As is well known, sockets that are mounted to a wall are secured, usually by two screws, to wall boxes. The wall boxes, which may be made either of sheet metal or plastics material, may be recessed into the wall, such as plaster depth boxes, or they may protrude from the wall. The cover of the invention has a base portion intended to be held in place by being sandwiched between the socket and the wall box. The base portion can be installed by slackening the screws securing the socket to the wall box, slotting the base portion into place and then retightening the retaining screws.

The base portion may suitably include an open-ended slot to fit around the socket retaining screws, thereby avoiding the need to interfere with the wiring of the socket during installation of the cover.

Once the base portion has been secured between the socket and its wall box, the installation of the cover is complete. To enclose the electrical socket, the cover has to be pivoted to overlie the base portion and to be pushed against it to cause the latch to engage.

The formations constituting the latch may include a projecting tongue on one of the portions terminating in a laterally projecting tip with a ramped axial end surface. The formation in the other portion may be an integrally formed resiliently pliable catch, or spring, that is deflected laterally by the ramped axial end surface of the tongue and that returns to its natural state when the cover portion reaches its closed position. The spring would then bias the laterally projecting tip towards a cut-out in the base portion and thereby latch the cover portion securely in its closed position.

The key required to release the latch would in such an embodiment comprise a projection to push the tip of the tongue against the spring to enable the cover to be opened If the wall socket is in use, there will be a cable leading to any plug that is inserted in the socket and an opening is required in a side of the cover portion to accommodate the cable. Depending on the direction in which the base portion is inserted between the electrical socket and its wall box, the cable opening may need to be formed in either one of two sides of the cover portion To avoid the resulting need for the cover to be handed, in an embodiment of the invention cable openings are provided in two sides of the cover portion and a blanking plate is provided to close off one of the two openings.

In such an embodiment, one of more blanking plates may also be formed integrally with the base portion and releasably secured thereto by a frangible runner.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view of a first embodiment of a socket cover in an open position, the view being a perspective view taken from the underside of the base portion of the cover and the top surface of the cover portion.

Figure 2 is a second view of the embodiment of Figure 1, showing the inside of the cover portion and the top side of the base portion.

Figure 3 is a perspective view, similar to that of Figure 2, of a second embodiment of a socket cover, and Figure 4 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Figure 3 in its closed position.

Detailed description of the drawings

Figures 1 and 2 show a socket cover 10 moulded as one piece from a plastics material. The socket cover 10 includes a base portion 12 for holding the cover 10 captive between a socket and a wall box. A cover portion 16 is attached to the base portion 12 via a hinge 14 and pivotable relative to the base portion 12 to allow the socket cover 10 to adopt open and closed positions. The cover portion is held in a closed position by a latch 18 on the cover portion 16 engaging the base portion 12. Connected to the base portion 12 via frangible runners 20 are keys 22 and blanking plates 24.

The base portion 12 is U-shaped, being essentially a square with three sides, 26a, 26b and 26c and one open side. As the base portion 12 has an open side, it can be slid between the electrical socket and its wall box once the screws retaining the socket to the box have been slackened, without the need to disturb the socket wiring. The side 26c includes an open-ended slot 28 dimensioned for accepting the threaded portion of one of the screws. The cover can be slid onto the socket from either side and, depending on the positioning of the open side of the base portion, the slot 28 will receive either the left hand side, or the right hand side, screw of the two screws securing the socket to its wall box.

In cross section, each side of the base portion is shaped, including a back section 12a which sits in a plane parallel to a wall on which the wall box is mounted, and a -4 -projecting section 12b lying perpendicular to the back section 12a and projecting from the wall The top and bottom sides 26a, 26b include an open-ended square slot 30 in their projecting portion 12b for receiving a tip 32 of a tongue 38 of the latch 18. The back section 12a of the base 12 includes a spring 34 for biasing the tongue 38 into the slot 30. The spring 34, when viewed from the underside as in Figure 1, is a finger with a channel cut around three sides, the channel merging with the slot 30. From the opposite side, as is best seen in Figure 2, the spring 34 has the shape of a right-angled triangle. The hypotenuse of the triangle faces the slot 30 so that, as the cover 16 is closed, the tip 32 of the latch 18 is guided into said slot 30.

The cover portion 16 is connected to the base portion 12 via two live hinges 14, although it will be appreciated that any size or number of hinges may be used. The hinges 14 are tabs connecting the base 12 and cover 16 portions with a designed weak point allowing sufficient flexibility for the socket cover to adopt a closed position, and an open position The cover can pivot about the hinge by 180°. The hinges of the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2 are integrally moulded with the base and cover portions but this need not always be the case as the base and cover portions may be moulded separately and subsequently bonded to flexible ribbons, that may also be made of plastics material.

The cover portion 16 is generally square shaped and is of sufficient depth to accommodate a plug when the socket cover is in its closed position. In such a position, the cover portion 16 abuts a front edge of the projecting section 12b of the base 12. To help guide the cover portion 16 into correct alignment with the base portion, guides 36 are provided on the base portion 12 As the base portion only has three sides 26a, 26b, 26c, the part of the cover 16 which covers the open side of the base 12 extends further to prevent access to the socket The latch 18 is part of the moulded cover portion 16 and the tip 32 of the tongue 38 may be chamfered for smoother engagement with the spring 34, allowing the cover to be easily opened and closed The cover portion 16 further includes a cut-out 40 in both its top and bottom faces to permit a cable to pass through when an appliance is plugged into the socket. A cut-out is in both faces to enable one article to open either left or right, and so avoiding the need to produce handed items. -5 -

As only the cut-out 40 on the side of the cover portion 16 facing the ground will be required at any one time, there are provided two blanking plates 24 for covering any cutout 40 when not in use. The blanking plates 24 are of a similar shape to the cut-out 40 but are slightly larger. The blanking plates 24 include a slot 48 to engage and guide them along the edge of the cut-out 40. They further include a ramped portion 42 and a notch 46 for engaging with projections 44 on the cover 16 either side of the cut-out 40. The ramped portion 42 of the blanking plate 24 aids easy installation and then the notch 46 engagement with the projection 44 on the cover 16 ensures a secure fit.

As the blanking plates 24 and keys 22 are injection moulded along with the rest of the socket cover 10 in one piece, they are attached to the base 12 via runners that can easily be broken prior to installation of the socket cover 10.

Each key 22 comprises two projections 50 for disengaging the latch 18 from the base portion 12. One of the projections 50 may be slightly longer than the other due to the fact that the latch 18 will deflect more at the unsupported tip end. The longer projection 50 may also have a chamfered edge to compliment the angled surface of the spring 34. The keys 22 may further include a hole 52 dimensioned to fit a finger to aid grip, and also a smaller hole 54 for attaching to a keyring or similar. Two keys 22 are provided as there are two latches 18 which need to be operated simultaneously. Like the blanking plates 24, the keys 22 are injection moulded integrally with the base portion 12 and are connected to it by frangible runners 20.

Figures 3 and 4 show a second embodiment of the invention. To avoid unnecessary repetition, features of the second embodiment corresponding to features already described with reference to the first embodiment have been allocated like reference numerals but in the 100 series. The cover 110 is the same as in the first embodiment, save for the fact that a hinge back up system is implemented that comprises two latches 56 on the base portion 112 which engage in holes 58 of the cover portion 116.

The latches 56 may have tongues similar to those found on the cover portion 116 or they may be larger as they are not required to flex during engagement and disengagement. The holes 58 in the cover 116 are substantially square in shape to complement the shape of the tip 60 of the latches 56. The holes 58 are positioned such that in the event of hinge failure, the cover 116 cannot simply be pulled away from the base 112 because of the action of the engagement of the tips of the tongues in the holes 58, as shown in Figure 4.

Claims

-6 -CLAIMS 1. A cover for an electrical wall socket comprising a plastics base portion to be held captive between the socket and a wall mounted box, a plastics cover portion connected to the base portion by a hinge, inter-engaging formations on the base and cover portions constituting a latch for retaining the cover portion in a closed position in which the cover overlies the base portion and any plug inserted into the wall socket, and a key for releasing the latch in order to permit the cover portion to be pivoted relative to the base portion to an open position, wherein the key is formed integrally with the base portion and is separably connected thereto by a frangible runner.
2. A cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the latch comprises a bendable tongue projecting from the cover portion and terminating in a laterally projecting tip receivable within a slot in the base portion.
3. A cover as claimed in claim 2, wherein the base portion is formed with a spring acting in the closed position on the tongue to prevent the tip of the tongue from being withdrawn from the slot, the tip having a ramped surface to interact with a ramped surface of the spring to deflect the spring laterally during closing of the latch.
4. A cover as claimed in claim 3, wherein the key is formed with two projections for releasing the latch, wherein one of the projections serves to displace the spring and the other the tongue to permit the tip of the tongue to be withdrawn from the slot.
A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cover portion includes two cable cut-outs, each capable of accommodating a cable leading to an appliance plug, when an appliance is connected to the electrical socket.
6. A cover as claimed in claim 5, wherein a plate is provided for blanking one of the cable cut-outs.
7. A cover as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least one blanking plate is formed integrally with the base and attached thereto by a frangible runner.
8. A cover as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein each blanking plate is a snap-fit in the cut-out of the cover portion.
9, A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a hinge back-up latching system preventing separation of the cover portion from the base portion in the event of rupture of the hinge when in a closed position
10. A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the base portion, hinge and the cover portion are all formed integrally with one another of a plastics material.