초록 ▼

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 cov

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.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. 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 l

The invention claimed is: 1. 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. 2. The electrical outlet cover of claim 1, wherein the first and second base sides are substantially parallel to one another and the first and second lid sides are substantially parallel to one another. 3. The electrical outlet cover of claim 1, wherein the at least a first base hinge member comprises at least two base hinge members and the at least a first lid hinge member comprises at least two lid hinge members. 4. The electrical outlet cover of claim 1, wherein the second axis is generally parallel to a third side of the four sides of the base. 5. The electrical outlet cover of claim 1, wherein the first axis is generally parallel to the first side of the base. 6. The electrical outlet cover of claim 1, wherein the first and second sides of the base and lid respectively are short sides of a single gang outlet cover and a third side of the four sides of the base and lid respectively that extends between the first and second sides of the base and lid respectively is a long side of the single gang outlet cover. 7. The electrical outlet cover of claim 1, wherein the first and second sides of the base and lid respectively are long sides of a single gang outlet cover and a third side of the four sides of the base and lid respectively that extends between the first and second sides of the base and lid respectively is a short side of the single gang outlet cover. 8. 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. 9. The electrical outlet cover of claim 8, wherein the first hinge member of the first hinge set comprises at least two hinge members and the second hinge member of the first hinge set comprises at least two hinge members. 10. The electrical outlet cover of claim 8, wherein the third hinge member of the second hinge set comprises at least two hinge members and the fourth hinge member of the second hinge set comprises at least two hinge members. 11. The electrical outlet cover of claim 8, wherein the first and second base sides are short sides of a single gang outlet base and the third base side is a long side of the single gang outlet base. 12. The electrical outlet cover of claim 8, wherein the first and second base sides are long sides of a single gang outlet cover and the third base side is a short side of the single gang outlet base. 13. A method of converting an electrical outlet cover assembly between horizontal and vertical orientation mounting configurations, the method comprising: pivoting a lid about a first axis substantially parallel to a first side of a base to which the lid is attached through a first mating set of hinges; detaching the first mating set of hinges and attaching the lid to the base through a second mating set of hinges different from the first set, wherein the second hinge set comprises first and second hinge pairs, each pair including a lid hinge member and a base hinge member, and wherein the lid and base hinge members of the first hinge pair are on non-adjacent sides of the respective lid and base from the respective lid and base members of the second hinge pair; pivoting the lid about a second axis substantially orthogonal to the first axis when the lid is attached to the base through the second hinge set. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second hinge sets are on substantially parallel sides of the respective lid and base. 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first hinge set is on the first side of the respective lid and base. 16. The method of claim 13, wherein the second hinge set is on the first side of the respective lid and base. 17. The method of claim 13, wherein the first hinge set includes components on each of the first and a second side substantially parallel to the first side of the respective lid and base. 18. The method of claim 13, wherein the second hinge set includes components on each of the first and a second side substantially parallel to the first side of the respective lid and base. 19. The method of claim 13, wherein the outlet cover is a single gang outlet cover having long and short sides, and wherein the first side is the short side of the base. 20. The electrical outlet cover of claim 13, wherein the outlet cover is a single gang outlet cover having long and short sides, and wherein the first side is the long side of the base.