Access panel with spring-loaded plastic support arms

A removable cover for covering an access opening in a structure, said removable cover comprising:

• a plate member having two opposite side edges and front and rear sides;
• at least one positioning device extending rearwards from said rear side of the plate member and spaced inwardly from side edges of the plate member;
• an elongate clamping member having two opposite end sections each forming an elongate clamping element and each extending towards a respective one of said side edges from a central region of the plate member, said clamping member being formed from a flexible material and being attached at a central portion thereof to the rear side of the plate member, said two opposite end sections being substantially rigid and a central section of the clamping member having a flexible, transversely extending portion which is thinner than the relatively rigid end sections, and
• a separate torsion spring mounted on a rear side of the clamping member and having two elongate spring arms projecting substantially in opposite directions from a coiled central section of the torsion spring, each of the spring arms engaging a rear surface of a respective one of the clamping elements so as to bias the clamping element into engagement with the rear side of the plate member.

A removable cover for covering an access opening in a structure, said removable cover comprising:

• a cover member having two opposite side edges and front and rear sides;
• two elongate, pivotal clamping elements which are substantially aligned in their longitudinal direction, each clamping element extending from a central section of the cover member towards a respective one of said side edges, being pivotally attached at an inner end thereof to the rear side of the cover member, and having a major outer longitudinal section which is substantially rigid;
• and
• a torsion spring arrangement mounted adjacent the clamping elements and having two elongate spring arms projecting outwardly from a central section of the spring arrangement, each of said spring arms engaging a respective one of the clamping elements and biasing its clamping element into engagement with the rear side of the cover member,
• wherein, for installation of the cover, each of said clamping elements can be pivoted away from the cover member for insertion into the access opening and subsequent engagement with a portion of the structure.