Enclosure for electrical circuitry having a housing with a reversible backplate

Claim 1

An enclosure for electrical circuitry comprising: a housing having a front face and a rear portion, said rear portion being substantially planar and open; a removable and reversible backplate removably closing the rear portion of the housing, the backplate having first and second oppositely disposed sides; and means for electrically connecting an electrical circuit mounted within the housing to the backplate, comprising: a plurality of male connectors mounted within the housing and projecting therefrom into the plane of the rear portion of the housing; a plurality of female electrical connectors mounted to the backplate, said female connectors being accessible from both sides of the backplate, the backplate being securable to the housing in a first position in which the first side of the backplate faces into the open rear portion of the housing and a second position in which the second side of the backplate faces into the open rear portion of the housing, said female electrical connectors of the backplate mating with respective ones of said male electrical connectors of the housing when the backplate is in each of the said positions; and each of said female electrical connectors being electrically connected to a respective terminal disposed on the first side of the backplate, said terminals constituting input and output terminals for the electrical circuit; whereby when said backplate is secured to the housing in its first position, said terminals are disposed inside the housing and the enclosure is suitable for mounting directly onto a substantially planar surface and when said backplate is secured to the housing in its second position said terminals are disposed outside the housing and the enclosure is suitable for mounting within an opening of a substantially planar surface.