Protective face plate for an electrical outlet

Claim 2

A face plate for an electrical outlet, said face plate comprising a base member having an outer shell adapted to be positioned over the electrical outlet, a recessed compartment provided within said outer shell and including a bottom wall having a pair of socket openings for alignment with a duplex socket receptacle disposed within the electrical outlet, a removable insert member received in said recessed compartment over said socket openings and providing in cooperation with said outer shell a substantially flush surface, said insert member having a pair of covers, each of said covers being selectively openable to uncover a respective one of said socket openings disposed therebeneath, cooperating securing means on said base member and said insert member for securely retaining said insert member in said recessed compartment, said base and insert members each being symmetrically structured so as to be reversibly positionable with respect to each other, said insert member including central connecting bar means through upright sections lying in a common plane with said connecting bar means, said upright sections opposedly extending perpendicularly from ends of said connecting bar means, integral hinges forwardly extending from said upright sections, each cover being coupled to a respective one of said integral hinges, whereby said covers can swing outwardly from said connecting bar means in opposing directions from each other.

Claim 3

A face plate as in claim 1, wherein said bottom wall includes a hole centrally located between said pair of socket openings, said connecting bar means having a hole therein aligned with said bottom wall hole, whereby said aligned holes are available for securely retaining said insert member in said base member and said base member to said electrical outlet.

Claim 4

A face plate as in claim 1, wherein said covers lie in a plane forward of said plane of said connecting bar means, said covers being symmetrical with each other and each having one edge centrally crossing said connecting bar means along its length in a closed position of said covers with said edges being in abutting relationship to each other, whereby a front face of said insert member is provided by said covers.

Claim 5

A face plate as in claim 3, wherein said integral hinges extend forward from said upright supports a distance which proximates recessed distance of said recessed compartment beneath said flush surface of said outer shell.

Claim 6

A face plate as in claim 1, wherein said outer shell includes a forward wall of substantially rectangular shape, a rearwardly directed peripheral flange provided around said forward wall, and said recessed compartment including rearwardly extending side walls interconnecting said bottom wall with said forward wall.

Claim 7

A face plate as in claim 5, and further including support means extending forward of said bottom wall and lying in a plane intermediate between said bottom wall and said forward wall for supporting said covers to lie in a common plane with said forward wall to provide said flush surface.

Claim 8

A face plate as in claim 5, and including projections outwardly extending from a periphery of said insert member, and apertures provided in said side walls for matingly engaging said projections, whereby said insert member can snap into said recessed compartment with said projections locking into said apertures.

Claim 9

A face plate as in claim 7, wherein one of said projections is disposed on each of said covers for retaining said covers in a closed position.

Claim 10

A face plate as in claim 7, wherein one of said projections is disposed on each of integral hinges connected to said covers respectively for securing said insert member to said base member.

Claim 11

A face plate as in claim 7, wherein one of said projections is disposed at opposite ends of said connecting bar means for securing said insert member to said base member.

Claim 12

A face plate as in claim 5, and further comprising first sloped surfaces provided on said forward wall adjacent its interconnection with said side walls, and opposing second sloped surfaces at an edge of said covers, said first and second sloped tapered surfaces providing finger access means for opening said covers.

Claim 13

A face plate for an electrical outlet, said face plate comprising a base member having an outer shell adapted to be positioned over the electrical outlet, a recessed compartment provided within said outer shell and including a bottom wall having a pair of socket openings for alignment with a duplex socket receptacle disposed within the electrical outlet, a removable insert member received in said recessed compartment over said socket openings and providing in cooperation with said outer shell a substantially flush surface, said insert member having a pair of covers, each of said covers being selectively openable to uncover a respective one of said socket openings disposed therebeneath, cooperating securing means on said base member and said insert member for securely retaining said insert member in said recessed compartment, said base and insert members each being symmetrically structured so as to be reversibly positionable with respect to each other, said outer shell including a forward wall of substantially rectangular shape, a rearwardly directed peripheral flange provided around said forward wall, and said recessed compartment including rearwardly extending side walls interconnecting said bottom wall and said forward wall, said cooperating securing means including bars spaced from said side walls and extending outwardly from a front surface of said bottom wall to define channels with said side walls, said insert member including transverse connecting bar means having forwardly extending integral hinges respectively interconnecting said covers and said connecting bar means, and said integral hinges having a thickness dimensioned to be tightly received in said channels.

Claim 14

A face plate for an electrical outlet, said face plate comprising a base member having an outer shell adapted to be positioned over the electrical outlet, a recessed compartment provided within said outer shell and including a bottom wall having a pair of socket openings for alignment with a duplex socket receptacle disposed within the electrical outlet, a removable insert member received in said recessed compartment over said socket openings and providing in cooperation with said outer shell a substantially flush surface, said insert member having a pair of covers, each of said covers being selectively openable to uncover a respective one of said socket openings disposed therebeneath, cooperating securing means on said base member and said insert member for securely retaining said insert member in said recessed compartment, said base and insert members each being symmetrically structured so as to be reversibly positionable with respect to each other, said outer shell including a forward wall of substantially rectangular shape, a rearwardly directed peripheral flange provided around said forward wall, and said recessed compartment including rearwardly extending side walls interconnecting said bottom wall and said forward wall, said cooperating securing means including bars spaced from said side walls and extending outwardly from a front surface of said bottom wall to define channels with said side walls, said insert member including transverse connecting bar means having forwardly extending integral hinges respectively interconnecting said covers and said connecting bar means, and said integral hinges having a thickness dimensioned to be tightly received in said channels.

Claim 15

A face plate as in claim 12, wherein said integral hinges have projections extending outwardly therefrom, and said side walls having openings therein at ends of said channels for receiving said projections therein to further secure said insert member to said base member.

Claim 16

A face plate as in claim 12, wherein said bottom wall includes a hole centrally located between said pair of socket openings, said connecting bar means having a hole therein aligned with said bottom wall hole, whereby said aligned holes are available for securely retaining said insert member in said base member and said base member to said electrical outlet.

Claim 17

A face plate for an electrical outlet, said face plate comprising a base member having an outer shell adapted to be positioned over the electrical outlet, a recessed compartment provided within said outer shell and including a bottom wall having a pair of socket openings for alignment with a duplex socket receptacle disposed within the electrical outlet, a removable insert member received in said recessed compartment over said socket openings and providing in cooperation with said outer shell a substantially flush surface, said insert member having a pair of covers, each of said covers being selectively openable to uncover a respective one of said socket openings disposed therebeneath, cooperating securing means on said base member and said insert member for securely retaining said insert member in said recessed compartment, said base and insert members each being symmetrically structured so as to be reversibly positionable with respect to each other, said outer shell including a forward wall of substantially rectangular shape, a rearwardly directed peripheral flange provided around said forward wall, and said recessed compartment including rearwardly extending side walls interconnecting said bottom wall with said forward wall, projections outwardly extending from a periphery of said insert member, and apertures provided in said side walls for matingly engaging said projections, whereby said insert member can snap into said recessed compartment with said projections locking into said apertures, said apertures extending upwardly from said bottom wall through said side walls and tapering inwardly in an upward direction and terminating in spaced relationship with said forward wall.

Claim 18

A face plate for an electrical outlet, said face plate comprising a base member having an outer shell adapted to be positioned over the electrical outlet, a recessed compartment provided within said outer shell and including a bottom wall having a pair of socket openings for alignment with a duplex socket receptacle disposed within the electrical outlet, a removable insert member received in said recessed compartment over said socket openings and providing in cooperation with said outer shell a substantially flush surface, said insert member having a pair of covers, each of said covers being selectively openable to uncover a respective one of said socket openings disposed therebeneath, cooperating securing means on said base member and said insert member for securely retaining said insert member in said recessed compartment, said base and insert members each being symmetrically structured so as to be reversibly positionable with respect to each other, said outer shell including a forward wall of substantially rectangular shape, a rearwardly directed peripheral flange provided around said forward wall, and said recessed compartment including rearwardly extending side walls interconnecting said bottom wall with said forward wall, projections outwardly extending from a periphery of said insert member, and apertures provided in said side walls for matingly engaging said projections, whereby said insert member can snap into said recessed compartment with said projections locking into said apertures, said apertures extending upwardly from said bottom wall through said side walls and tapering inwardly in an upward direction and terminating in spaced relationship with said forward wall.