Interchangeable electrical device

Claim 1

In an AC electrical wiring system, a wiring device mounting frame for simultaneously electrically connecting and mounting any one of a plurality of electrical wiring devices thereto, said frame comprising: a block of electrically non-conductive material having top and bottom surfaces and first and second pairs of respective opposite side surfaces; a plurality of mounting positions on said block for mounting said wiring devices; at least two elongated electrical conductors disposed in said block and extending continuously through each of said mounting positions; first terminal means associated with one of said elongated conductors in said block for enabling connection of said elongated conductor to one of said AC electrical wires; second terminal means associated with the other of said elongated conductors in said block for enabling connection of said other elongated conductor to another of said AC electrical wires; a series of additional electrical conductors disposed in said block, at least one of said additional conductors disposed at each of said mounting positions; said additional electrical conductors extending from one of said side surfaces towards the other of said first pair and transversely in said block with respect to the two elongated conductors; respective third terminal means associated with each of said series of additional electrical conductors for enabling respective electrical wiring connections thereto; said third terminal means comprising a respective terminal in said one side surface associated with each of said conductors; and simultaneous mounting and electrical connection means, at each of said mounting positions for releasably mounting said wiring devices to said block, including means for electrically connecting said wiring devices to respective ones of said electrical conductors at said mounting positions when said wiring devices are releasably mounted to said block.