Electro-luminescent (EL) illuminated wall plate device with push-tighten frame means
A wall plate has switch or receptacles or other electric device underneath which are illuminated by electro-luminescent element(s) (hereafter as EL) arranged within panels with a build-in push-tighten frame means to allow people to replace the non-illuminated wall plate to illuminated wall plate by simple installation with safety features to make big improvement. The said wall plate may be selected from group combination from the switch, receptacles, phone jacket, socket, antenna, dimmer switch, ring bell, internet socket, automatically electric appliance switch, or conventional market place available type which may use for home, house, hospital, commercial building, restaurant, restroom, office, hotel, Church with the desire EL elements with indicia, logo, drawing, printing, stencil on top to show some meaning for commercial, religion, enterprise identification, evacuation sign and help people with extra function more than an illuminated wall plate.
The current invention make a big improvement from the Prior US patents included U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,613 Rice, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,641 Rice, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,025 Bohlool, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,547,411 Dornbusch, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,776 Rothbaum, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,682 Marischen for the illuminated wall plate for electricity box. Further make big improvement for U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,459 Appelberg and U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,356 Nguyen, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,973 Gorman, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,642,452 Masson, US to use the Electro-luminescent element instead of the out of date light means including the Bulb, LED or other type of light means with bulky space needed and heat problem, installation problem etc.
From the U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,613 Rice disclosure the illuminated wall plate by a bulb light means (22) with bulky lamp cover (15) with tentacle electrical conductor strips (17) to make the electric contact. The bulky bulb and all the complicated installation for the lamp and wires cause a big problem and the tentacle electrical conductor without any arrangement to make sure it will be well build the electric signal delivery because lack of tighten device so this will cause a big defected units. Rice also failure to disclosure the push-tighten force and do not discuss this for making a 100% electric connection by Rice's tentacle conductor strips (17).
From the U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,776 Rothbaum disclosure the illuminated wall plate by Electro-Luminescent lamp which applied the EL (14) on single piece of the support back plate (38) or the front face plate (28). This arrangement will not meet the safety standard. Especially, the
From the U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,682 Marischen, The Marischen disclosure a wall plate with flat night light (30) installed on the existing electric faceplate (10) which with conductive wires (100) to make the electric signal delivery from power source to EL. The two wires (100) have to hook with the electric box's inner screws which is very dangerously work for non professional electrical people. The current invention make the different construction with the safety quickly installation without having the risk for electric shock. Some of prior arts have the clip means or spring means but it did not have the push-tighten features.
The all prior art even have the clip means or spring means which will be fixed angle while installation. However, the inner devices' terminal is far inner side than the device edge so if the fixed angle for clip means or spring means with predetermined angle will cause very difficult installation. If not make such angle, it will not make the proper electric connection.
Hence, The current invention find a push-tighten force which made from the plastic material properties, spring arrangement, or mechanical construction to allow the push-tighten frame device easily to install as the angle and the said frame means will be have a push-tighten force push the frame means forward while the said wall plate assembly tighten the screw on the wall after assembly procedure. This is the current invention's scope.
From the co-inventor prior art for good design for the EL elements on the wall plate cover as U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,101 disclosure the low cost EL elements design and electric connection for the EL and electric wires, but lack of the quickly installation method for wall plate replacement. The current invention emphasize on the push-tighten frame means construction and the way to make it.
Hence, the current invention to make the improvement for the simple and quickly electric connection method for wall plate. The current invention use dielectric material such as PP, PC, PE, ABS, Nylon, PVC or equivalent dielectric material to make push-tighten frame means and fix on a base. The base with install means to install on the one of the said panel security by add-on method so can allow people to insert into the tiny space with pre-fixed angle without touching any wires and take any worries from electric shock to finish the replace the traditional wall plate to illuminated wall plate further more the illuminated wall plates with some meanings on top of it as current invention's features.
The push-tighten frame means has following features:
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- 1. A push-tighten frame means offer the feature of the flexible tongue to make two arms to allow push forward to make very good electric connection of electrodes to conductive means to contact members to inner device's terminals while the wall plate cover tighten by screw on the wall.
- 2. The said push-tighten frame means will be pressed by the wall plate and inner device to make the said stand-means change orientation forward to make sure the electric contact is 100% perfectly. The said stand
- 3. The said push-tighten frame means is made by dielectric material with fix-means to arrange the conductive means to carry the electric signal from EL electrodes to the conductive means to contact members to inner device's terminal with very security installation.
- 4. The said push-tighten frame means may optional selected incorporated with the metal-means to allow the contact members' area is sufficient size to make perfectly electric contact.
The current invention also incorporated the Government law for the wall plate material and safety standard so the dielectric plastic material is apply for build the electric delivery from device to the EL.
DRAWING
The current invention is design for a wall plate which for indoor or outdoor application to cover the electricity box to prevent from people touch, water, moisture, animal for any potential hazard for electric shortage or electric shock. The wall plate same as wall cover which to cover the electric device may selected from the group combination selection from the switch, receptacle, dimmer switch, plurality of switch and receptacles, sensors, electric device, internet equipment, charger, antenna wire, cable wires, remote controller, blue tooth device, electric emitter/receiver device, key pad device, push bottom device, or the device within a electric box which offer some electric function(s).
The current invention is not limited for the wall plate, wall cover for above listed applications. It can briefly said for cover a electric box which have electric device inside the said box.
From
The EL element (04) are sandwich within the front panel (01) and back panel (01′) so the resilient rubber will be very secure within the base (020) and EL element (04) and make good electric connection to deliver the electric delivery. The base (020) has a sufficient big area to allow attach on the back surface of back panel (01′) by conventional method. The two elongate arms (021) (021′) have a common base which in a form of the tongue (029) with thin thickness to allow this portion been sandwich within the inner device edge and cover edge to make the two elongate arms been pushed to forward to the angle side so will be very tightly to contact with the inner device's terminal. The two elongate arms common tongue (029) can be also design as two separated piece as long as the tongue (029) been sandwiched by cover and inner device, it will make the two arms forwarder will be same as a single piece of the tongue. The orientation and location for the two arms (023) (023′) install on the base (020) as market required to make it simple and easily alignment will be fine. The alternative method to cause the push-tighten frame means (020) with the push forward features can be reach as the
The EL element(s) are protected by a transparent panel (01) which in a form of film or sheet (01) which have very think thickness, preferred from 0.125 to 1 mm with larger dimension with adhesive means (not shown) to well fix EL elements on position without any risk for movement.
The very thin film or sheet to make isolated function to prevent people to touch the EL (04) surface directly to get electric shock or damage the EL element (04) while scratch the EL surface directly even the EL elements is sealed during the production of EL element. The front panel (01) still is necessary basing on the safety standard or meet durable quality for product design view.
From
This is the alternative embodiment which disclosure the equivalent method to create the push-tighten frame means by spring. It appreciated that all such mechanical or physically construction to make such function is within the current invention's scope. The preferred two constructions for push-tighten frame means is not the limitation for current invention's spirit.
It may located on aside, right, left, upper, lower orientation of the said inner device. From
From the
The star (04E) can be lighted area or non-illuminated area. The star (04E) also can add some printing, color, stencil, phosphor arrangement, or overlay some sticker to make this Star meaning show up to public. This star indicia maybe a national emblem, states logo or enterprise identification, or the other meanings which depend on market requirement.
From the
This is one of the embodiment for multiple functions wall plate can have any kind of the EL elements with designs may created by the process of printing, phosphor arrangement, stencil, overlay, cut-out, or the convention market available skill.
From
Hence, the EL illuminated areas should not limited on the front and back in a straight line but also should cover all the orientation and dimension for the current invention arrangement with built-in the quickly push-tighten frame means as current invention's features and scope for the invention.
From the
The Wall electric box with a hole (06) to allow put an inner device (05) inside the hole. The inner device has two terminals (051) (051′) to connect with the hot wire to allow the current delivery. The wall plate panel means (01′) have a preferred installation means to install the base (020) on the one of the panel (01′). The base has the two posts (02Z) (02Z′) to allow make the fix arrangement for two elongate arms (0222) (0222′) to hold tightly on the two post (02Z) (02Z′). The base have a channel (0214) to allow the EL's conductive means (0223) (0223′) to well arranged and come out from base's two opening (02AA) (02AA′) and the conductive means at the location (026) (026′) are soldered with the metal contact member (02S) (02S′) and tighten by the screws (028) (028′) though the elongate plastic hole (02T) (02T′) to build the electric signal delivery from EL elements' electrodes end to the contact members.
The two elongate arms (0222) and (0222′) have a common tongue (02X) to hold the two arms on a certain distance. The tongue (02X) have certain thickness and dimension to allow to push the tongue from position (02X) to (02Y) will cause the two arms change position from (X) to (Y) to make the push-tighten frame means forward to make a very tightly connection with inner device terminals (051) (051′). This change position from (X) to (Y) is caused by the tongue (02X) are be sandwiched by the panel (01′) and inner device (05) while the wall plate assembled on the wall with tighten screwed. The tongue (02X) have the special design angle and thickness and selected material so will make the two frames to be change position while the tongue been pushed or sandwiched while wall plate assembly to the wall.
The Alternative method to make the push-tighten frame device may get equivalent functions may be selected from any combination from spring arrangement as FIG. (2) (2-A) (20B) or plastic material properties, thickness, angle as FIG. (4), or as mechanical construction (not shown here), or other equivalent functions physically or mechanically design. The mentioned embodiments is not limited the current invention's scope.
From the
Although the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in details, It would be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not to be limited to the described embodiments, but rather that the invention is to be interpreted in accordance with the appended claims.
Claims
1. An illuminated wall plate for covering the inner device(s) to prevent from people touch the inner device to cause electric shock or device damage which consist of:
- A geometric shape of Electro-luminescent (EL) element has electrodes to connect with the electric signal by conductive means to make an illumination to be seen by people.
- At least two of the panel means located proximate the said EL elements and the EL elements within the said panels.
- At least one of the push-tighten frame means which have a proper base to install on one of the said panel means to offer a desire height and precisely position against the said inner device's terminals, and the said base has a fix means to fix two plastic elongate means with proper angle to allow the attached-on metal contact members to connect with the said inner device's terminals to get the electricity delivery.
- A said attached-on metal contact member connect with the said conductive means by conventional technical to allow the device's power source to supply the electricity to make the said EL elements for illumination.
- Further More;
- The push-tighten frame means with a proper push-force which created by the spring device or plastic material's properties or mechanical construction to push the said metal contact members on the said two elongate means to tighten contact with the inner device's terminal while assembly the said wall plate on the wall under certain procedures.
2. An illuminated wall plate as claim 1, the said wall plate with desired functions may be selected from group combination from the switch, receptacles, phone jacket socket set, antenna set, dimmer switch, ring bell, automatically electric appliance switch, or conventional market place available type which may use for home, house, hospital, commercial building, restaurant, restroom, office, hotel, Church with the desire EL elements with indicia, logo, drawing, printing, stencil on top to show some meaning for commercial, religion, enterprise identification, evacuation sign and help people with extra function more than an illuminated wall plate.
3. An illuminated wall plate as claim 1, the said attached-on contact members which may in the form of metal clipper, metal rivet, metal plate, metal piece, electric wires which allow the electric signal be delivered.
4. An illuminated wall plate as claim 1, the said conductive means may in a form of conductive wires, metal piece, metal rivet, metal panel or equivalent material to allow the electric signal be delivered.
5. An illuminated wall plate consist of:
- At least one of existing wall plate which meet standard has extra front panel which in a form of sheet, film, cover to allow the EL elements within the said wall plate and the said front panel.
- A proper conductive means to connect with EL element's electrode on one end and the other end connect with the contact member's end to get electric signals to make the EL element turn on and emit the light to be seen.
- At least one of the push-tighten frame means which have a proper base to install on one of the said existing wall panel means by screw, rivet, glue, solvent, sonic sealing, hot sealing or the conventional available install means to install solid. The said push-tighten means to offer a desire height and precisely position against the said inner device's terminals, and the said base has a fix means to fix two plastic elongate means with proper angle to allow the attached-on metal contact members to connect with the said inner device's terminals to get the electricity delivery.
- A said attached-on metal contact member connect with the said conductive means by conventional technical to allow the device's power source to supply the electricity to make the said EL elements for illumination.
- Further More;
- The push-tighten frame means with a proper push-force which created by the spring device or plastic material's properties or mechanical construction to push the said metal contact members on the said two elongate means to tighten contact with the inner device's terminal while assembly the said wall plate on the wall under certain procedures.
6. An illuminated wall plate as consist of:
- At least two of the panels which have the substantially profile to each other. One of the panels is translucent in front of EL elements.
- A proper conductive means to connect with EL element's electrode on one end and the other end connect with the contact member's end to get electric signals to make the EL element turn on and emit the light to be seen.
- At least one of the push-tighten frame means which have a proper base to install on one of the said panel means to offer a desire height and precisely position against the said inner device's terminals, and the said base has a fix means to fix two plastic elongate means with proper angle to allow the attached-on metal contact members to connect with the said inner device's terminals to get the electricity delivery.
- A said attached-on metal contact member connect with the said conductive means by conventional technical to allow the device's power source to supply the electricity to make the said EL elements for illumination.
- Further More;
- The push-tighten frame means with a proper push-force which created by the spring arrangement or plastic material's properties or mechanical construction to push the said metal contact members on the said two elongate means to tighten contact with the inner device's terminal while assembly the said wall plate on the wall under certain procedures.
7. An illuminated wall plate as consist of:
- At least one of existing wall plate which meet all the standard of wall plate has extra panel area which has opening, window, cut out configuration where allow a EL elements located proximate to fit the said configuration. The said EL elements are covered by a front panel which in a form of sheet, film, or cover to protection.
- The said EL elements may in geographic shape with indicia, stencil, printing on the elements to supply a meaning to public to see not only the illuminated but also have other meaning to public.
- The said EL elements having designed electrodes to allow connect with the conductive means and contact member for illumination.
- A proper conductive means to connect with EL element's electrode on one end and other end connected with the contact member's end to get electric signals to make the EL element turn on and emit the light to be seen.
- At least one of the push-tighten frame means which have a proper base to install on one of the said panel means to offer a desire height and precisely position against the said inner device's terminals, and the said base has a fix means to fix two plastic elongate means with proper angle to allow the attached-on metal contact members to connect with the said inner device's terminals to get the electricity delivery.
- A said attached-on metal contact member connect with the said conductive means by conventional technical to allow the device's power source to supply the electricity to make the said EL elements for illumination.
- Further More;
- The push-tighten frame means with a proper push-force which created by the spring arrangement or plastic material's properties or mechanical construction to push the said metal contact members on the said two elongate means to tighten contact with the inner device's terminal while assembly the said wall plate on the wall under certain procedures.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 1, 2004
Publication Date: Apr 6, 2006
Inventor: Tseng Chien (Taipei Hseng)
Application Number: 10/954,189
International Classification: F21V 9/16 (20060101);