US2428167A - Illuminated escutcheon for electrical outlets - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 30, 1.947. w. c. LlN'roN ILLUMINATED ESCUTCHEON FOR ELECTRGAL OUTLETS'.

Filed April so, 19216 Patented Sept. 30, 1947 2,428,167 A iLLiJivnNa'rEn Escufrcnson Foa "ELECTRIICAL on'rLE'rs WilliarniC. Linton, Washington, D. C., assigner to Fuse Indicator Corporation, Rockville, MdL.;

a corporation ofADelaware Appiicatanapni so, 1946, serial No. cesen.;

illuminated switch `plate in which the lamp thereof is entirely or adequately sealed off from the electrical connections of a switch to which lt is applied.

A further object of the invention is to provide a detachable lens for housing .the lamp ofyilluminated plastic switch plateswhereby the lens may be ofthes'am'e color o'rofdifferent colors than the plate and a len'swhich isattachable to a; switch plate without the aidof separable fastening elements thereby making it possible to more quickly assemble the switch plate and yet greatly reduce the cost of manufacture.

Other objects oi the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In order that the invention and its mode of operation may be readily understood I have in the accompanying drawings set out an embodiment of the same.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the complete switch plate.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same with the lens thereof in side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 is a detail front elevation of the plate with the lens removed.

Fig. 5 is a detail vertical sectional view with the lamp removed taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4 in the direction of the arrow points.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrow points.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged sectional view showing the connection between the lens and plate.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the lens.

Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the lens and Fig. l0 is a cross sectional View of a slightly modied form of lens.

The switch plate I is molded from plastic materials having a suitable design upon the outer face and reinforcing ribs upon the rear face thereof which are molded therewith. This plate has the usual openings therein one of which 2 1 clama (c1. atea-2) V receives the knob ofthe switch and theothers' 3 are for receiving the"screws .for attaching the plate to a conventional cut-out box.

Arranged upon theV outer iaceoi a shell or lens 4 which houses a miniature neonglow lamp 5. VThis lamp has one terminal thereof connected to a leak resistor't and theother.

terminal thereofconnected vto a lead: wire l. A lead wire 8 is connected to the opposite terminal oi theleak resistor and bothlead wires .l and 8 extend throughopenings S Vformed `within the plate i. The freeextensionsl of the wires i and; 8. are. each provided-with a spade type Connector it forproviding a connectionjtherebetween and the electrical terminala@ :tha-switch, arranged with av cut-out box to which the plate .is to be attached.Y i l u 4 The plate I has formed therein' a rectang'ularly shaped recess H in which'sn'ugly fitsthe base section I2 of the lens whereby when the lens is seated therein the lateral movement of the lens upon the plate will be limited. However, t0 attach the lens to the plate a pair of legs I3 are formed with and extend from the opposite sides of the base portion I2 and the free ends of these legs I3 are insertable through elongated slots li and the outer extremity of each leg has formed therewith a knob extension l5 which rest upon the rear face ofthe plate I so as to prevent the lens from being removed from the plate. These molded plastic leg portions have sufficient resiliency as to permit the legs and their lateral extensions I5 to be forced through the slots I4 and after the extensions l5 have passed through the slots they will be forced by the spring action of the legs to be seated in the position as best shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, whereat the lens will be prevented from being withdrawn from the plate until such time as it is desired to remove the lens and thereby forcing the legs toward one another until the extensions I5 are permitted to again pass through the slots I4. This snap-on connection obviously does not require separable fastening elements such as screws and the like attaching the lens upon the plate.

The plate is preferably molded from suitable thermosetting materials and being opaque it will not only form a shield for the electrical connections housed within a cut-out box, but will also cover the same from View exteriorly of the plate. The shell 4 is also molded from plastic materials either of the same material as that of the plate or of thermoplastic material which has better light emitting qualities and yet not having as high the plate is of the drawings, the dome shaped wall i8 of the j lens is the same thickness as the remaining walls to render the same opaque and has a section ,1.9, thereof reduced in thickness so that the rays of light from the lamp may pass therethrough in the direction of the arrows as shown, whereby v,the

light rays will be directed down upon the outer face of the plate and concentrated on the switch knob as it projects through the opening 2 of the plate.

The lamp, resistor and lead .Wire thereof, are seated upon the outer face of the plate and that section 20 of the plate seals the same off from any electrical contacts with the cut-box when the plate is attached to the latter. The wires 'l ands including those parts which extend through the openings 9 are covered-with suitable insulating materials for protecting the same from contact with any electrical parts within the cut-.out box.

The lens by being attachable to the outer face of the plate may thereupon be molded from almost any suitable translucent or transparent materials'without forming an opening therein for permitting the light rays to pass therethrough. The lens may be of the same color as that of the plate or of a diierent color or a cover plate `of dilerent combinations of colors may be had to suit ones color schemes.

I claim:

A combined switch plate and lamp housing assembly therefor molded entirely from plastic insulating materials comprising a plate having a switch knob opening extending therethrough, said plate having a shallow recess formed in the outer wall thereof and arranged at one side of said switch knob opening therein, a bottom wall for said recess lying substantially flush and parallel with the rear wall of said plate, said bottom wall having a pair of rectangularly shaped openings extending therethrough arranged at the opposite sides of said recess, a lamp housing molded fromrtranslucent plastic material, a base formed with said lamp housing and snugly seatable within said recess so as to prevent rectilinear sliding or turning movement of said lamp housing with respect to said plate, said lamp housing projecting from the outer wall of said plate whereby the light rays emitted from a lamp housed therein may project downwardly upon a switch knob projecting through the opening therefor in said platea pair of parallel yieldable arms each having one end formed with and projecting from said vlamp housing, said arms extending through the rectangularly shaped openings formed within said bottom wall of the recess and a laterally projecting knob formed with the outer extremity of each arm for cooperative snap-on engagement with the rear wall of said plate.

WILLIAM C. LINTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,106,144 -Floraday Jan. 18, 1938 VV2,179,199 Reed Nov, 7, 1939 2,248,117 Petry 1 July 8, 1941 2,260,894 Field Oct. 28, 1941

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