An electrical fitting

Abstract

An electrical fitting 1 comprises a backplate 2 to which a switch and / or socket is attachable for connection to a power supply, the backplate 2 being mountable to a pattress box located within a cavit

Description

The present invention relates to an electrical fitting such as a power outlet socket or a light switch. 5 Electrical fittings such as power outlets and light switches are well known. Mains electricity is a general-purpose alternating current electric power supply that is supplied to homes and businesses. Access to mains electricity to power lights and various other electrical appliances is obtained via electrical fittings such as wall 10 mounted sockets and light switches. Various different types of electrical fittings exist. Conventional electrical fittings have a backplate to which the switch and or socket components are attached. The switch and socket components include electrical terminals for connection to the mains power supply which is routed to the switch or 15 socket via electrical wiring. The backplate is usually received in a pattress box or wall socket which may be mounted on the surface of, or mounted flush within, the wall. The backplate is covered by a decorative finishing panel or faceplate which is the part that a user sees in normal use. In conventional designs, the faceplate is a pressed or stamped plate which sits proud of the wall and maybe screwed to the backplate and / or pattress 20 box vi a a plurality of screws. According to an embodiment of the invention, there is provided an electrical fitting comprising: a backplate to which a switch and / or socket is attachable for connection to a power supply, the backplate being mountable to a pattress box located within a cavity 25 in an outer surface of a wall and comprising at least one tongue configured to abut the outer surface of the wrall when the backplate is mounted to the pattress box such that the backplate, to which a switch and / or socket is attached, is retained in a fixed position relative to the outer surface of the wall; and a faceplate that attaches to and extends across the backplate, where!n the faceplate comprises a planar surface facing the 30 backplate, the faceplate being configured so that said planar surface lies in contact with the outer surface of the wall when the faceplate is attached to the backplate. The faceplate may comprise recesses in said planar surface, each recess maybe positioned so as to correspond with the position of a corresponding tongue of the 35 backplate. Each recess may be sized and shaped to receive a corresponding tongue of the backplate. Each recess may be shaped relative to a corresponding tongue so that the faceplate is 5 positioned in a desired position as a resuit of the tongues being received in their corresponding recesses. The electrical fitting may comprise clips extending from the planar surface of the faceplate that engage in holes in the backplate to couple the faceplate to the backplate 10 with the tongues received in their recesses. The faceplate may be a flat sheet, the planar surface may be a rear surface of the flat sheet facing the backplate. 15 Embodiments of the invention wi 11 now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front isometric exploded view of an electrical fitting according to an embodiment of the invention; and 20 Figure 2 is a rear isometric exploded view of an electrical fitting according to an embodiment of the invention. Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a front and rear isometric exploded view respectively of an electrical fitting according to an embodiment of the invention. The electrical fitting is a 25 wall-mounted dual gang switched power outlet. Although the invention is being described with reference to a wall-mounted dual gang switched power outlet, it will be appreciated that embodiments of the invention are also applicable to, for example, a single gang switched power outlet and, to a wall-mounted light switch as well as other types of electrical sockets and swatches incorporating a faceplate. 30 The electrical fitting 1 comprises a backplate 2 which is mountable to a pattress box (not shown) located within a cavity in an outer surface of a wall. As shown in Figure 2, a switch and / or socket 3 (commonly referred to as a “grid”) is mounted to a rear surface of the backplate 2 and includes live and neutral terminals 4,5 for connection to a mains 35 power supply. The construction and operation of the switch and / or socket 3 is conventional and so it will not be described in any further detail here. The backplate 2 has openings 6 so that the sockets and / or switches, are accessible therethrough from a front surface 7 of the backplate 2. Additionally, the backplate 2 has holes 8 to allow screws 9 to be inserted therethrough and threadingly engaged with a 5 pattress or wall box which conceals the switch and / or socket 2 within the pattress or wall box. The backplate 2 comprises at least one tongue 10. The at least one tongue 10 is configured to abut the outer surface of the wall, when the backplate 2 is mounted to the pattress box, and to retain the backplate 2 in a fixed positon relative to the outer surface of the wall. As seen in Figures 1 and 2, the backplate 2 comprises a plurality of tongues 10 10 around its perimeter. A portion of a rear surface 11 of each tongue 10 lies in contact with the outer surface of the wall to secure the backplate 2 in a fixed position. The tongues 10 are substantially quadrilateral in shape and extend beyond an outer edge 12 of the backplate 2. It is to be appreciated that the tongues 10 can be any shape whilst still performing the same function such as triangular, circular or diamond shaped. 15 To provide a decorative or attractive appearance, a faceplate 13 is attached to the backplate 2, said faceplate 13 extends across the backplate 2 to cover and conceal it. The faceplate 13 includes openings 14 to enable access to the sockets and / or switches 3 to be obtained. Additionally, the faceplate 13 comprises a planar surface 15 facing the 20 backplate 2 when the faceplate 13 is mounted to the backplate 2. As seen in Figures 1 and 2, the faceplate 13 is a flat sheet, the planar surface 15, visible in Figure 2, being a rear surface of the flat sheet facing the backplate 2. The faceplate 13 is configured so that the planar surface 15 lies in contact with the outer surface of the wall when the faceplate 13 is attached to the backplate 2. This provides the electrical fitting 1 with an 25 aesthetically pleasing structure since when fully assembled, the faceplate 13, or at least the rear planar surface 15 of the faceplate 13, is substantially flat against the outer surface of the wall around the periphery of the cavity in which the backplate 2 and switch / socket is received. 30 As seen in Figure 2, the faceplate 2 comprises recesses 16 in the planar surface 15. Each recess 16 is positioned so as to correspond with the position of a corresponding tongue 10 of the backplate 2. The depth of each recess 16 is at least the same as, or deeper than, the thickness of the tongues 10. .As the tongues 10 are received in the recesses, the faceplate 13 will lie flat against the outer surface of the wall. Each recess 16 can be sized 35 and shaped to receive a corresponding tongue 10 of the backplate 2. Each tongue 10 can be a loose fit in its corresponding recess 16. Alternatively, each tongue can be an interference fit in its corresponding recess 16 to assist in holding the faceplate 13 in position. The corresponding shape of the recesses 16 and tongues 10 allows the faceplate 13 to be easily positioned in a desired position as a result of the. tongues 10 being received in their corresponding recess 16. In conventional designs, faceplates are 5 often machined such that they comprises one large recess in a rear surface of the faceplate or they have a pressed structure. In the present invention, only a few relatively small recesses 16 are machi ned into the. planar surface 15 of the faceplate 13. The reduction of the amount, of machining processes being performed on the faceplate reduces the internal stresses present in the faceplate and therefore reduces the chance 10 of the faceplate bowing in response to application of pressure by a user. In other words, only machining relatively small recesses 16 in the faceplate 13 as opposed to machining one. large recess increases the rigidity of the faceplate 13. Additionally, as seen in Figure 2, the electrical fitting 1 further comprises resiliently 15 deformable clips 17 extending from the planar surface 15 of the faceplate 13. The clips 17 are configured to engage in, or snap into, holes 18 in the backplate 2 to couple the faceplate 13 to the backplate 2 when with the tongues 10 are received in their corresponding recesses 16. 20 In order to address various issues and advance the art, the entirety of this disclosure shows byway of illustration embodiments in which the claimed invention(s) maybe practiced and provides an improved electrical fitting. The embodiments are described by way of example only, and are not exhaustive and / or exclusive, and other embodiments may be utilised and modifications maybe made without departing from 25 the scope of the attached claims. 19 05 23 5

Claims

1. An electrical fitting comprising:a backplate to which a switch and / or socket is attachable for connection to a5 power supply, the backplate being mountable to a pattress box located w ithin acavity in an outer surface of a wall and comprising tongues configured to abut the outer surface of the wall when the backplate is mounted to the pattress box such that the backplate, to which a switch and / or socket is attached, is retained in a fixed position relative to the outer surface of the wall; andio a faceplate comprising a planar sheet having a individual recesses in arear surface thereof, each recess being positioned and sized to correspond to the position and size of a corresponding tongue of the backplate and having a depth at least equal to the thickness of corresponding tongue so that, when the faceplate is placed over the backplate, each tongue is received in its15 corresponding recess and said rear surface of the planar sheet facing thebackplate lies flat against said outer surface of the wall.

2. An electrical fitting according to claim 1, wherein each recess is shaped relative to its corresponding tongue so that the faceplate is positioned in a desired position as a 20 result of the tongues being received in their corresponding recesses.

3. An electrical fitting according to claim 1 or claim 2, comprising resiliently deformable clips extending from the rear surface of the faceplate that engage in holes in the backplate to couple the faceplate to the backplate with the tongues received in their25 recesses and said rear surface of the planar sheet lying flat against said outer surface of the wall.

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