Snap-on wallplate system

A cover plate device for covering at least two wall mounted wiring devices each mounted in and to one of an equal number of ganged boxes, one for each of said wiring devices mounted adjacent an aperture in a wall, said ganged boxes each having a width dimension and a height dimension, said cover plate device having no visible fasteners when installed comprising:

• a. a unitary attachment member having a first end and a second end and a width dimension substantially less than a total width dimension of said equal number of ganged boxes with which said cover plate device is employed, said attachment member having at least four mounting holes, at least two of said mounting holes adjacent said first end and at least two of said mounting holes adjacent said second end;
• said mounting holes permitting said attachment member to be attached to said at least two wiring devices mounted in and to said equal number of ganged boxes;
• b. at least two latch members adjacent each of said first end and said second end of said attachment member, each of said at least four latch members having a free end with a knife-edge thereat;
• c. a cover plate member having a front surface and a rear surface and a ridge, said ridge having an inner surface and an outer surface, extending along an entire periphery of said rear surface to space said rear surface from any wall surface over which said cover plate member is applied;
• said cover plate member having a width dimension greater than a total width dimension of said equal number of ganged boxes and a height dimension greater than said ganged box height dimension and having a first end and a second end and positioned to overlie said attachment member and said equal number of ganged boxes in and to which said wiring devices are mounted;
• and
• d. at least two recesses in said inner surface of said ridge adjacent each of said first and second ends of said cover plate member, said recesses each being formed by a plurality of saw-tooth shaped teeth having an inclined front surface and a rear surface perpendicular to the inner surface of said ridge to receive a knife edge of an associated one of said at least two latch members on each of said first and second ends of said attachment member, said at least four latch members' knife-edges each coming to rest on said rear surface of one of said saw-tooth shaped teeth, each of said at least four latch members operating independently and engaging one of said at least four recesses based upon the wall adjacent said aperture to thereby assemble said cover plate member to said attachment member covering said attachment member, said equal number of ganged boxes and said aperture in said wall.

A cover plate device for covering a wall mounted wiring device mounted in and to a ganged box mounted adjacent an aperture in a wall, said ganged box having a width dimension and a height dimension, said cover plate device having no visible fasteners when installed comprising:

• a. a unitary attachment member having a first end and a second end and a width dimension substantially less than the width dimension of said ganged box width dimension, said attachment member having at least two mounting holes, at least one of said mounting holes adjacent said first end and at least one of said mounting holes adjacent said second end;
• said mounting holes permitting said attachment member to be attached to said wiring device mounted in and to said ganged box;
• b. at least two latch members adjacent each of said first end and said second end of said attachment member, each of said at least four latch members having a free end with a knife-edge thereat;
• c. a cover plate member having a front surface and a rear surface and a ridge, said ridge having an inner surface and an outer surface, extending along an entire periphery of said rear surface to space said rear surface from any wall surface over which said cover plate member is applied;
• said cover plate member having a width dimension greater than said ganged box width dimension and a height dimension greater than said ganged box height dimension and having a first end and a second end and positioned to overlie said attachment member and the ganged box in and to which said wiring device is mounted;
• d. at least two recesses in the inner surface of said ridge adjacent each of said first and second ends of said cover plate member, said recesses each being formed by a plurality of saw-tooth shaped teeth having an inclined front surface and a rear surface perpendicular to the inner surface of said ridge to receive a knife edge of an associated one of said at least two latch members on each of said first and second ends of said attachment member, said at least four latch members' knife-edges, each coming to rest on said rear surface of one of said saw-tooth shaped teeth, each of said four latch members operating independently and engaging one of said at least four recesses based upon a position of the wall adjacent said aperture, to thereby assemble said cover plate member to said attachment member covering said attachment member, said ganged box and said aperture in said wall;
• said cover plate device further comprising:
• e. a tab adjacent each of said first and second ends of said attachment member;
• said tab permitting, when engaged by a suitable tool, removal of said cover plate member from said attachment member;
• and
• f. a slot in said second end of said cover plate member to permit a suitable tool to enter such slot and contact said tab for removal of said cover plate member from said attachment member.

A cover plate device for covering two wall mounted wiring devices each mounted in and to one of two ganged boxes, one for each of said wiring devices mounted adjacent an aperture in a wall, said ganged boxes each having a width dimension and a height dimension, said cover plate device having no visible fasteners when installed comprising:

• a. a unitary attachment member having a first end and a second end and a width dimension substantially less than a total width dimension of said two ganged boxes with which said cover plate device is employed, said attachment member having four mounting holes, two of said mounting holes adjacent said first end and two of said mounting holes adjacent said second end;
• said mounting holes permitting said attachment member to be attached to said two wiring devices mounted in and to said two ganged boxes;
• b. a cover plate member having a front surface and a rear surface and a ridge, said ridge having an inner surface and an outer surface, extending along an entire periphery of said rear surface to space said rear surface from any wall surface over which said cover plate member is applied;
• said cover plate member having a width dimension greater than a combined width dimension of said two ganged boxes and a height dimension greater than said ganged box height dimension and having a first end and a second end and positioned to overlie said attachment member and said two ganged boxes in and to which said wiring devices are mounted;
• c. six latch members, three adjacent said first end of said attachment member and three adjacent said second end of said attachment member, each of said six latch members having a free end with a knife-edge thereat;
• d. six sets of recesses in said inner surface of said ridge, three sets of recesses adjacent said first end of said cover plate member and three sets of recesses adjacent said second end of said cover plate member, said sets each being formed by a plurality of saw-tooth shaped teeth having an inclined front surface and a rear surface perpendicular to the inner surface of said ridge to receive a knife edge of an associated one of said six latch members on said first and second ends of said attachment member, said six latch members' knife-edges each coming to rest on said rear surface of one of said saw-tooth shaped teeth, each set of recesses positioned in said ridge to independently receive an associated one of said latch members permitting said cover plate member to be mounted to said attachment member even if the wall into which said two ganged boxes are placed is not plane;
• said cover plate device further comprising:
• e. four tabs, two tabs adjacent said first end and two tabs adjacent said second end of said attachment member, said tabs permitting, when engaged by a suitable tool, removal of said cover plate member from said attachment member;
• and
• f. two slots in said second end of said cover plate member, at locations corresponding to the two tabs adjacent said second end of said attachment member to permit a suitable tool to enter one of said slots and contact an associated one of said tabs for removal of said cover plate member from said attachment member.

A cover plate device for covering two wall mounted wiring devices each mounted in and to one of two ganged boxes, one for each of said wiring devices mounted adjacent an aperture in a wall, said ganged boxes each having a width dimension and a height dimension, said cover plate device having no visible fasteners when installed comprising:

• a. a unitary attachment member having a first end and a second end and a width dimension substantially less than a total width dimension of said two ganged boxes with which said cover plate device is employed, said attachment member having four mounting holes, two of said mounting holes adjacent said first end and two of said mounting holes adjacent said second end;
• said mounting holes permitting said attachment member to be attached to two wiring devices mounted in and to said two ganged boxes;
• b. a cover plate member having a front surface and a rear surface and a ridge, said ridge having an inner surface and an outer surface, extending along an entire periphery of said rear surface to space said rear surface from any wall surface over which said cover plate member is applied;
• said cover plate member having a width dimension greater than a combined width dimension of said two ganged boxes and a height dimension greater than said ganged box height dimension and having a first end and a second end and positioned to overlie said attachment member and said two ganged boxes in and to which said wiring devices are mounted;
• c. at least two apertures in said attachment member to permit at least a portion of each of the wiring devices over which said attachment member is attached to project through said attachment member;
• d. at least two apertures in said cover plate member, at least partially aligned with and partially communicating with each said aperture in said attachment member to permit at least a portion of each wiring device over which said attachment member is attached to project through said attachment member and said cover plate member;
• e. said attachment member has an even number of apertures;
• said cover plate member has an even number of apertures equivalent to the number of apertures in said attachment member;
• said attachment member has an odd number of latch members adjacent each of said first and second ends of said attachment member, each of said odd number of latch members having a free end with a knife-edge thereat, the odd number of latch members adjacent said second end being equivalent to the odd number of latch members adjacent said first end;
• and an odd number of sets of recesses in said inner surface of said ridge equivalent to the number of latch members on said attachment member and arranged along said first end and said second end of said cover plate member on a one to one basis with said latch members, said sets each being formed by a plurality of saw-tooth shaped teeth having an inclined front surface and a rear surface perpendicular to the inner surface of said ridge to receive a knife edge of an associated one of said odd number of latch members on each of said first and second ends of said attachment member, said latch members' knife-edges each coming to rest on said rear surface of one of said saw-tooth shaped teeth, said latch members each independently taking a position in one of said recesses of an associated one of said sets of recesses permitting said cover plate member to be mounted on said attachment member even if the wall into which said ganged boxes are placed is not plane;
• said cover plate device further comprising:
• f. an even number of tabs adjacent said first end of said attachment member, the number of said tabs being equal to the number of apertures and an even number of tabs adjacent said second end of said attachment member, said number of tabs adjacent said second end of said attachment member being equal to the number of tabs adjacent said first end of said attachment member;
• and
• g. an even number of slots in said second end of said cover plate member, the number of slots being equal to the number of apertures, said slots being positioned at locations corresponding to the tabs on said attachment member to permit a suitable tool to enter one of said slots and contact an associated one of said tabs for removal of said cover plate member from said attachment member.

A cover plate device for covering two wall mounted wiring devices each mounted in and to one of an equal number of ganged boxes, one for each of said wiring devices mounted adjacent an aperture in a wall, said ganged boxes each having a width dimension and a height dimension, said cover plate device having no visible fasteners when installed comprising:

• a. a unitary attachment member having a first end and a second end and a width dimension substantially less than a total width dimension of said equal number of ganged boxes with which said cover plate device is employed, said attachment member having four mounting holes, two of said mounting holes adjacent said first end and two of said mounting holes adjacent said second end;
• said mounting holes permitting said attachment member to be attached to said two wiring devices mounted in and to said equal number of ganged boxes;
• b. three latch members adjacent each of said first end and said second end of said attachment member, each of said six latch members having a free end with a knife-edge thereat;
• c. a cover plate member having a front surface and a rear surface and a ridge, said ridge having an inner surface and an outer surface, extending along an entire periphery of said rear surface to space said rear surface from any wall surface over which said cover plate member is applied;
• said cover plate member having a width dimension greater than a combined width dimension of said equal number of ganged boxes and a height dimension greater than said ganged box height dimension and having a first end and a second end and positioned to overlie said attachment member and said equal number of ganged boxes in and to which said wiring devices are mounted;
• d. three recesses in said inner surface of said ridge adjacent each of said first and second ends of said cover plate member, said recesses each being formed by a plurality of saw-tooth shaped teeth having an inclined front surface and a rear surface perpendicular to the inner surface of said ridge to receive a knife edge of an associated one of said six latch members on said first and second ends of said attachment member, said six latch members' knife-edges each coming to rest on said rear surface of one of said saw-tooth shaped teeth, each of said six latch members operating independently and engaging one of said six recesses based upon a position of the wall adjacent said aperture to thereby assemble said cover plate member to said attachment member covering said attachment member, said equal number of ganged boxes and said aperture in said wall;
• e. two apertures in said attachment member to permit at least a portion of each of the wiring devices over which said attachment member is attached to project through said attachment member;
• f. two apertures in said cover plate member, at least partially aligned with and partially communicating with said two apertures in said attachment member to permit at least a portion of each of the wiring devices over which said attachment member is attached to project through said attachment member and said cover plate member;
• said cover plate device further comprising:
• g. an even number of tabs adjacent said first end of said attachment member, the number of said tabs being equal to the number of apertures and an even number of tabs adjacent said second end of said attachment member, said number of tabs adjacent said second end of said attachment member being equal to the number of tabs adjacent said first end of said attachment member;
• and
• h. an even number of slots in said second end of said cover plate member, the number of slots being equal to the number of apertures, said slots being positioned at locations corresponding to the tabs on said attachment member to permit a suitable tool to enter one of said slots and contact an associated one of said tabs for removal of said cover plate member from said attachment member.