U.S. patent application number 11/537254 was filed with the patent office on 2007-02-01 for electrical wiring device.
Invention is credited to Stephen R. Kurek, Emma Levin, Anthony Tufano.
Application Number | 20070026701 11/537254 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35206779 |
Filed Date | 2007-02-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070026701 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kurek; Stephen R. ; et
al. |
February 1, 2007 |
ELECTRICAL WIRING DEVICE
Abstract
A wiring device common in household circuits includes a flexible
brush that is a separate piece from a screw plate that receives
electrical power. A terminal screw can thread into the screw plate.
The brush may be positioned between the screw plate and the head of
the terminal screw and can have a clearance hole through which the
threads if the terminal screw can pass. Good electrical and thermal
conductivity is assured between the screw plate and the brush by
tightening the screw. A ground strap can be employed to hold a
cover to a base of the electrical device. The strap can include
openings which engage snap tabs on the cover to lock all components
into a complete assembly. The strap also can have hooks which
engage the cover to prevent the cover from being pulled out of the
strap. The wiring device can be an electrical switch, a receptacle,
or any similar type of device.
Inventors: |
Kurek; Stephen R.; (Rego
Park, NY) ; Tufano; Anthony; (North Massapequa,
NY) ; Levin; Emma; (Brooklyn, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PAUL J. SUTTON, ESQ., BARRY G. MAGIDOFF, ESQ.;GREENBERG TRAURIG, LLP
200 PARK AVENUE
NEW YORK
NY
10166
US
|
Family ID: |
35206779 |
Appl. No.: |
11/537254 |
Filed: |
September 29, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11088755 |
Mar 25, 2005 |
|
|
|
11537254 |
Sep 29, 2006 |
|
|
|
60559925 |
Apr 5, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
439/107 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R 4/64 20130101; H01R
9/18 20130101; H01R 4/34 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
439/107 |
International
Class: |
H01R 13/648 20060101
H01R013/648 |
Claims
1. A wiring device comprising: a switch for connecting and
disconnecting a current to a load; a receptacle adapted to receive
at least one type of appliance plug; a housing for mounting said
switch and said receptacle therein; and a cover for substantially
concealing said switch and said receptacle wherein when said switch
and said receptacle are assembled in combination with said housing
and said cover, said switch and said receptacle form a combined
device contained within a single housing
2. The device according to claim 1 wherein said housing comprises a
single gang housing.
3. The wiring device of claim 1 wherein said switch is a rocker
switch.
4. The wiring device of claim 3 wherein said rocker switch is a
vertical axis rocker.
5. The wiring device of claim 3 wherein said rocker switch is a
horizontal axis rocker.
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No.
11/088,755 filed on Mar. 25, 2005, which claims priority from U.S.
Provisional Patent Application having Application No. 60/559,925
filed on Apr. 5, 2004.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention generally relates to wiring
devices.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Wiring devices such as receptacles and switches used in
household wiring may require reliable operation at low cost. To
succeed in the marketplace, successful devices are more economical
to produce, are reliable in operation and, when assembled, form a
unitary assembly that strongly resists disassembly than competing
products.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] A wiring device such as a switch includes a flexible brush
that is a movable contact and is a separate piece from a screw
plate. A terminal screw can thread into the screw plate. The brush
may be positioned between the screw plate and the head of the
terminal screw. In an implementation, the brush can have a
clearance hole through which the threads of the terminal screw can
pass. Good electrical and thermal conductivity is assured between
the screw plate and the brush by tightening a terminal screw into
the screw plate.
[0007] A ground strap can be employed to hold a cover to a base of
the electrical device. The strap can include openings which engage
snap tabs on the cover to lock all components into a complete
assembly. The strap also can have hooks which engage the cover to
prevent the cover from being pulled out of the strap. The wiring
device can be an electrical switch, a receptacle, or any similar
type of device.
[0008] Some implementations of the disclosure have the advantage
that there is no need for the brush of an electrical switch device
to be permanently attached to the screw plate that can be coupled
to the AC power line.
[0009] The foregoing has outlined, rather broadly, the preferred
feature of the present invention so that those skilled in the art
may better understand the detailed description of the invention
that follows. Additional features of the invention will be
described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the
invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can
readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a
basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out
the same purposes of the present invention and that such other
structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention
in its broadest terms.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Other aspects, features and advantages of the present
invention will become more apparent from the following detailed
description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings in
which similar elements are given similar reference numerals.
[0011] FIG. 1 is an isometric of an assembled wiring device;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a partial cut away isometric of a wiring device
showing a flexible brush and a screw plate and their relationship;
and
[0013] FIG. 3A-3B illustrate the cover of an electrical device
coupled to a strap.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] FIG. 1 is an isometric side view of an assembled electrical
device 10 including a rocker switch 14 and a receptacle outlet 12.
The electrical device can have a cover 22 and a base 24. A
grounding strap 20 can be formed around the base 24 and include
mounting brackets 18. The brackets 18 can be used to mount the
device to a standard electrical junction box (not shown). The strap
20 can be formed of a conductive material and used to hold together
the base 24 and the cover 22 by hooks 30 and snap tabs 32. A
grounding screw 16 which is electrically connected to strap 20 can
be used to receive a grounding wire of an alternating current (AC)
power line. In an implementation, the electrical device includes a
toggle switch 14 and a receptacle outlet 12 accessible through the
cover 22. A toggle switch or a combination of other functions also
may be made accessible through the cover 22. AC power line wires
(not shown) may be connected to the device by one or more screw
plates 26. The wires can be held in electrical contact with the
screw plates 28 by terminal screws 26.
[0015] Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a base 48 of an
electrical device in accordance with the present disclosure. One or
more flexible brushes 46 can each be trapped between a respective
screw plate 42 and a head of a terminal screw 40. The brushes 46
can be movable contacts that may be moved by operation of the
switch 14 and can be of copper alloy having high strength and
conductivity. The brush 46 is not permanently attached to the screw
plate 42. The screw plate 42 can be of a heavy gauge conductive
material for strength and have good electrical conductivity. Each
terminal screw 40 can thread into a respective screw plate 42. The
terminal screw 40 is adapted to receive and trap a conductive wire
of the AC power line (not shown) under its head. Good electrical
connection is made between the brush 46, respective screw plate 42
and the conductive wire of the AC power line under the head of the
terminal screw 40 by tightening the terminal screw 40 into the
screw plate 42. A prior art one piece integral brush/terminal screw
part is not required and the flexible brush is not permanently
connected to the screw plate.
[0016] Referring to FIGS. 3A-3B, there is shown a perspective side
view (FIG. 3A) and a side view (FIG. 3B) of the electrical device
10 of FIG. 1. The grounding strap 20 can have hooks 30, which can
engage the cover 22 of the wiring device 10. The grounding strap 20
also can include openings 60 which can engage snap tabs 32 on the
cover 22. The snap tabs 32 can be attached to the cover 22 so that
the snap tabs can bend out of the way of the grounding strap 20
during assembly. As the grounding strap 20 is assembled to the
cover 22, the strap can cause the snap tabs 32 to flexed inwards of
the strap until the snap tabs reach the openings 60. The snap tabs
20 can snap into the openings 60. This arrangement can help prevent
the cover 22 of the wiring device from being pulled out of the
grounding strap 20 and locks all of the components of the assembled
wiring device together. A screw or rivet also may be added to
secure the strap 20 to the wiring device cover 22 to provide
additional security.
[0017] While there have been shown and described and pointed out
the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the
preferred embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions
and substitutions and changes of the form and details of the
apparatus illustrated and in the operation may be done by those
skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the
invention.
* * * * *