US 7,071,415 B1 · Horizontal and vertical in-use electrical device cover

Abstract

A plurality of approaches for forming a horizontal and vertical electrical device cover including 1) providing hinge members on opposing sides of the cover that allow the cover to pivot along adjacent-sided axes for horizontal and vertical mounting; 2) providing a removable pin and corresponding cover and base hinge members wherein the removable pin may be placed along either the horizontal or vertical axis for selective horizontal or vertical mounting; 3) providing a pivoting hinge arm that is pivotable between adjacent sides of the unit for selective horizontal or vertical mounting; and 4) providing selectively attachable hinge members that may be attached by the installer at the time of installation to choose between horizontal or vertical mounting configurations.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An electrical outlet cover assembly selectively configurable for horizontal and vertical mounting orientations, the cover assembly comprising:

a base having four sides, the base including at least a first and second base hinge member on a first side of the base and at least a third base hinge member on a second side of the base not adjacent to the first side of the base;
and
a lid having four sides, the lid including at least a first and a second lid hinge member on a first side of the lid respectively configured to mate with the respective first and second base hinge members, and at least a third lid hinge member on a second side of the lid not adjacent to the first side of the lid, the third lid hinge member configured to mate with the third base hinge member;
wherein when the first base hinge member is mated with the first lid hinge member, the lid is configured to pivot about a first axis and when the second and third base hinge members are mated with the second and third lid hinge members respectively, the lid is configured to pivot about a second axis different from and generally perpendicular to the first axis.

1 more element

An electrical outlet cover assembly selectively configurable for horizontal and vertical mounting orientations, the cover assembly comprising:

a base having first and second base sides substantially parallel to each other and not adjacent to each other, and a third base side substantially orthogonal to both the first and second base sides, the base comprising hinge members only on non-adjacent base sides;
a lid having first and second lid sides substantially parallel to each other and not adjacent to each other, and a third base side substantially orthogonal to both the first and second lid sides, the lid comprising hinge members only on non-adjacent lid sides;
wherein the respective base and lid hinge members form at least two attachable hinge sets comprising a first set including a first hinge member coupled to the lid and a second hinge member coupled to the base and configured to mate with the first hinge member, and a second set including a third hinge member coupled to the lid and a fourth hinge member coupled to the base and configured to mate with the third hinge member;
wherein when the first hinge set is attached, the lid pivots about a first axis substantially parallel with the first base side, and when the second hinge set is attached, the lid pivots about a second axis substantially parallel with the third base side.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Horizontal and vertical in-use electrical device cover

Life of this patent

Horizontal and vertical in-use electrical device cover

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20