Composite cover plate and electrical and / or electronic device comprising such a cover plate

Abstract

The invention relates to a composite cover plate (100) comprising a face plate (110) defined between an outer peripheral edge (111) and an inner edge (112) that delimits a through-opening (A) having an axis (X), and a compensation frame (120) mounted on the rear face (114) of the face plate and from which resilient tabs (122), attached to the compensation frame, extend and press against the rear face of the face plate so as to enable the compensation frame to occupy different positions along the axis of the through-opening with respect to the rear face of the face plate. According to the invention, the cover plate comprises snap-fitting means positioned directly between the resilient tabs and the face plate and comprising elongate openings (123) and snap-fit studs (118) inserted through the elongate openings in order to latch onto an edge of the oblong openings.

Description

Composite finishing plate and electrical and / or electronic equipment comprising such a finishing plate

[0001] The present invention relates, in general, to finishing plates for recessed electrical and / or electronic equipment.

[0002] The flush-mounted electrical and / or electronic devices comprise one or more device mechanisms whose base(s) are mounted in the central opening of a device support adapted to be fixed to a flush-mounted box recessed in an opening made in a flush-mounted wall. The device support closes the front opening of the flush-mounted box and rests on the front face of the flush-mounted wall. These electrical and / or electronic devices comprise a finishing plate attached to the front face of the device support around the functional front part(s) of the device mechanism(s) which emerge on this front face, covering the device support to perfect the electrical safety and aesthetics of the assembly.

[0003] The invention relates to a finishing plate equipped with a compensation system which makes it possible to absorb misalignments of the appliance support relative to the recessed wall.

[0004] It relates more particularly to a composite flush-mounting plate which comprises a front plate defined between an external peripheral edge and an internal edge which delimits a through opening having an axis, and a compensation frame attached to the rear face of the front plate, from which extend elastic tabs attached to the compensation frame and bearing on said rear face of the front plate to allow said compensation frame to take different positions along said axis of the through opening relative to said rear face of the front plate.

[0005] It also relates to electrical and / or electronic equipment comprising at least one equipment mechanism mounted in the central opening of an equipment support and such a finishing plate attached to the equipment support around a functional part of said equipment mechanism.

[0006] Finishing plate compensation systems exist but they use too many parts which complicates manufacturing and increases the manufacturing cost of the finishing plates.

[0007] In particular, document WO2019145815 already discloses a finishing plate as mentioned above in which the front plate and the compensation frame are simply placed on top of each other. They are not secured to each other, the compensation frame being held in place against the front plate by being sandwiched between said front plate and the equipment support on which said front plate is mounted.

[0008] Such a finishing plate requires the use of the equipment support to operate, the equipment support then being an integral part of said finishing plate.

[0009] The aim of the present invention is to provide a finishing plate with a compensation system in which the number of parts is reduced, manufacturing is facilitated and the manufacturing cost is reduced.

[0010] More particularly, according to the invention, there is provided a finishing plate as defined in the introduction, which comprises snap-fastening means which intervene directly between said elastic tabs and said front plate and which comprise elongated openings and snap-fastening studs engaged through said elongated openings to hook onto an edge of said elongated openings.

[0011] Thanks to the snap-in mechanism, the front panel and the compensation frame are easily assembled and form a functional unit independent of any other parts. This functional unit can be easily handled, stored and transported.

[0012] Other characteristics of the finishing plate according to the invention are as follows:

[0013] - the elongated openings belong to said elastic tabs and said snap-on studs belong to said front plate;

[0014] - the elongated openings pass through parts adjoining the free ends of said elastic tabs, they extend in a mean plane parallel to the rear face of the front plate and the snap-on studs comprise a body which extends from the rear face of the front plate in a direction perpendicular thereto;

[0015] - the elongated openings belong to said front plate and said snap-on studs belong to said elastic tabs;

[0016] - the elongated openings extend in a mean plane parallel to the rear face of the front plate and the snap-in studs comprise a body which extends from from one side of the elastic tabs facing the rear side of the front plate, perpendicular to it;

[0017] - elongated openings have an oblong or rectangular outline;

[0018] - each snap-on stud has a T-shaped profile with a body surmounted by a head which projects on either side of the body to form two cantilevered surfaces of the body adapted to surmount two parallel parts of the edge of one of said elongated openings;

[0019] - the two overhanging surfaces of each snap-on stud extend perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body so that they form non-removable snap-on means of the snap-on stud on the edge of the corresponding elongated opening;

[0020] - the head of each snap-on stud has, opposite said cantilevered surfaces, a front face with inclined sides which form ramps for engaging said head through said corresponding elongated opening;

[0021] - four elastic tabs are provided which extend from the four inner corners of the compensation frame, and which are arranged two by two along two parallel sides of the compensation frame, each elastic tab having, between a root attached to the compensation frame and a free end, several curvatures giving said elastic tab the required elasticity and which bring a part of said elastic tab adjoining the free end into a plane parallel and slightly offset forwards relative to the plane defined by the front edge of the compensation frame;

[0022] - the external peripheral edge of the front plate is a rim projecting from the rear face of said front plate and which delimits with this rear face a housing, and the external dimensions of the compensation frame being less than or equal to the dimensions of said housing of the front plate, within the clearance, so that said compensation frame is housed in said housing of the front plate along said external peripheral edge of said front plate; and

[0023] - the front plate and the compensation frame are single-piece parts.

[0024] The invention also provides a built-in electrical and / or electronic device comprising at least one device mechanism mounted in the central opening of a equipment support and a finishing plate according to the invention, attached to the equipment support around a functional part of said equipment mechanism.

[0025] The description which follows with reference to the appended drawings, given as non-limiting examples, will make it clear what the invention consists of and how it can be implemented.

[0026] On the attached drawings:

[0027] -figure 1 is a schematic front view of an electrical apparatus according to the invention,

[0028] - figure 2 is an exploded schematic perspective view of the electrical apparatus of figure 1,

[0029] - figure 3 is a schematic rear view of the finishing plate of the electrical apparatus of figure 1,

[0030] - figure 4 is a magnifying glass view of detail D of figure 3, and

[0031] - Figure 5 is a rear schematic view of the electrical apparatus of Figure 1.

[0032] Figures 1 to 5 show an electrical apparatus 10 according to the invention.

[0033] Here, it is a switch, more precisely a two-way switch, but according to other variants not shown, one could provide any kind of electrical and / or electronic equipment such as a simple switch, a power outlet, a telephone outlet, an internet outlet, a dimmer, etc.

[0034] As best shown in Figure 2, the electrical apparatus 10 comprises an apparatus support 300, an apparatus mechanism 200 to be mounted in the apparatus support 300, and a finishing plate 100 to be attached to the apparatus support 300 around an operative portion of the apparatus mechanism 200.

[0035] The apparatus support 300 is of a known type and will not be described in detail here.

[0036] Essentially, the apparatus support 300 is in the form of a flat frame defined between an outer edge 301 and an inner edge 302. The inner edge 302 delimits a central opening B. The outer and inner edges 301, 302 here follow square contours centered on the center of the central opening B.

[0037] Of course, the external contour of said apparatus support can be rectangular or circular, just like the contour of the central opening which can be rectangular or circular.

[0038] The equipment support 300 is of reduced thickness taken between a front face 300A and a rear face 300B (see figure 5) of the equipment support 300.

[0039] The device support 300 has in the middle of two parallel sides two oblong openings 305 for the passage of fixing screws (not shown) to be screwed into screw wells of a flush-mounted box (not shown).

[0040] Furthermore, the apparatus support 300 comprises four circular openings 304 arranged near the four corners of the central opening B. These circular openings 304 house edges 304A for the attachment of snap-fastening means of the finishing plate 100.

[0041] Along two parallel sides of the inner edge 302 of the apparatus support 300, two flanges 303 are provided which extend towards the rear of the apparatus support 300 for hooking the base of the apparatus mechanism 200. As better shown in FIG. 5, each flange 303 has a free rear edge with notches 303A.

[0042] The apparatus support 300 may be made entirely of metal or it may comprise a metal core covered with a plastic overmolded skin. It may also be made of rigid plastic.

[0043] The 200 device mechanism is also completely conventional. It will therefore be described briefly.

[0044] It essentially comprises a base 210 which forms a housing housing the electrical elements of the switchgear mechanism 200. The base 210 is made of rigid insulating material such as a rigid plastic material.

[0045] Here, the base 210 forms two compartments, each compartment containing a switch mechanism (not visible in the figures) with two electrical terminals for connecting the electrical conductors coming from the supply network.

[0046] As shown more particularly in Figure 5, at the rear, the base 210 includes inlets for connecting the conductive cores of the electrical conductors to the electrical terminals.

[0047] As shown in Figure 2, at the front, the base 210 is closed by a bezel 220 with a square outer contour on which two control keys 230 are pivotally mounted. The two control keys 230 are used to actuate the switch mechanisms contained in the compartments of the base 210. The control keys 230 are positioned side by side, at the front of the hubcap 220, without protruding beyond the external contour of the hubcap 220.

[0048] The trim 220 projects beyond the base 210 so that it forms at the front of the base 210 a peripheral rim around the side wall of the base 210.

[0049] The surface of the trim 220 corresponds to the clearance near the surface of the central opening B of the equipment support 300 so that when the equipment mechanism 200 is mounted in the central opening B of the equipment support 300, the trim 220 fills the entire central opening B, the external contour of said trim 220 running along the internal edge 302 of the equipment support 300 delimiting said central opening B.

[0050] The base 210 of the fitting mechanism 200 comprises on two opposite faces of its side wall, below said peripheral rim formed by the trim 220, two pairs of snap-on teeth 211.

[0051] The equipment mechanism 200 is mounted from the front in the central opening B of the equipment support 300 so that the base 210 extends to the rear of the equipment support 300, the latching teeth 211 of the base 210 hook into the notches 303A on the free rear edge of the two flanges 303 bordering the central opening B and the peripheral flange formed by the trim 220 bears on the front of the two flanges 303. The two flanges 303 of the equipment support 300 are thus sandwiched between the trim 220 and the latching teeth 211 of the base 210 of the equipment mechanism 200 so that said equipment mechanism 200 and the equipment support 300 are assembled with each other (see figure 5).When the equipment mechanism 200 is assembled to the equipment support 300, the functional part of the equipment mechanism 200, consisting of the trim 220 and the two control keys 230, emerges projecting from the front face 300A of the equipment support 300.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 1, the finishing plate 100 is attached to the front face 300A of the equipment support 300 around the trim 220 and the control keys 230 of the equipment mechanism 200.

[0053] As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the finishing plate 100 is advantageously a composite plate which comprises a front plate 110 and a compensation frame 120.

[0054] The front plate 110 is defined between an external peripheral edge 111 and an internal edge 112 which delimits in its center a through opening A having an axis X.

[0055] The outer peripheral edge 111 and the inner edge 112 here follow square contours centered on the X axis of the through opening A of the front plate 110.

[0056] The front plate 110 has a front face 113 forming the front face of the electrical apparatus 10 and a rear face 114.

[0057] The size of the through opening A is such that when the finishing plate 100 is attached to the front face 300A of the equipment support 300 supporting the equipment mechanism 200, the control keys 230 of the equipment mechanism 200 emerge through said through opening A of the front plate 110 onto the front face 113 of the front plate 110, the internal edge 112 of this front plate 110 surrounding as closely as possible the trim 220 and the control keys 230 (see figure 1).

[0058] The front face 113 of the front plate 110 may have a printed or glued decoration. The front plate 110 may be colored in the mass or be made of different aesthetic materials.

[0059] The external peripheral edge 111 and the internal edge 112 of the front plate 110 are projecting edges of the rear face 114 of said front plate 110 which delimit with this rear face 114 a hollow housing (see figure 3).

[0060] The rear face 114 of the front plate 110 carries cross-shaped stiffening ribs N which connect to the face 112A of the internal edge 112 facing the external peripheral edge 111 (see figures 3 and 4).

[0061] The rear face 114 of the front plate 110 also carries four studs 115, 116 of cylindrical shape, intended to engage in the four circular openings 304 of the equipment support 300 for the snap-fastening of the finishing plate 100 onto the equipment support 300. Each stud 115, 116 is formed by two cylindrical wall portions 115, 116 whose concave faces are placed face to face. Each cylindrical wall portion 115, 116 comprises, near its free end 115B, 116B, a groove 115A, 116A intended to accommodate the edge 304A provided inside a circular opening 304 of the equipment support 300 for hooking the stud 115, 116 in said circular opening 304 (see figures 3 and 4).

[0062] The square-shaped compensation frame 120 is attached to the rear face 114 of the front plate 110. Four elastic tabs 122 attached to the compensation frame 120 extend from the four inner corners C of the compensation frame 120. compensation 120. They are arranged two by two along two parallel sides of the compensation frame 120. Each elastic tab 122 has between a root 122A attached to the compensation frame 120 and a free end 122B, several bends 122C, forming a kind of hinge, giving said elastic tab 122 the required elasticity. These bends 122C bring a part of said elastic tab 122 adjoining the free end 122B into a plane PI parallel and slightly offset forwards relative to the plane P defined by the front edge 121 (i.e. the edge facing the rear face 114 of the front plate 110) of the compensation frame 120 (see figure 2).

[0063] Thus, said elastic tabs 122 of the compensation frame 120 bear on said rear face 114 of the front plate 110 and deform elastically at said curvatures 122C to allow said compensation frame 120 to take different positions along said axis X of the through opening A relative to said rear face 114 of the front plate 110.

[0064] As shown more particularly in Figure 3, the external dimensions of the compensation frame 120 are less than or equal to the dimensions of said rear housing of the front plate 110, so that said compensation frame 120 is housed in said rear housing of the front plate 110 along the internal face 111A of the external peripheral edge 111 of said front plate 110.

[0065] The flexible support of said elastic tabs 122 against the internal face 114 of the front plate 110 causes the compensation frame 120 to protrude (overhang) towards the rear of the rear edge 111B of the external peripheral edge 111 of the front plate 110 (see figures 3 and 4).

[0066] As shown more particularly in Figure 5, the front plate 110 and the compensation frame 120 have dimensions larger than those of the equipment support 300. Thus, when the front plate 110 is snapped onto the equipment support 300, it completely covers the front face 300A thereof and the compensation frame 120 housed in the hollow housing located at the rear of the front plate 110, surrounds the external edge 301 of the equipment support 300. The compensation frame 120 and the external peripheral edge 111 of the front plate 110 are then adapted to bear against the front face of the embedding wall when the equipment support 300, carrying the equipment mechanism 200, is fixed to the embedding box. A slight displacement of the compensation frame 120 relative to the front plate 110 induced by the elastic deformation of the elastic tabs 122 makes it possible to correct the misalignment of the equipment support 300 relative to the embedding wall so that the finishing plate 100 is perfectly supported on the embedding wall and ensures electrical safety and the aesthetic finish of the assembly.

[0067] According to a remarkable characteristic of the finishing plate 100, it comprises snap-fastening means which intervene directly between said elastic tabs 122 and said front plate 110. These snap-fastening means comprise elongated openings 123 and snap-fastening studs 118 engaged through said elongated openings 123 to hook onto an edge 123A of said oblong openings 123 (see figures 3 and 4).

[0068] According to the example shown in the figures, the elongated openings 123 belong to said elastic tabs 122 and said snap-on studs 118 belong to said front plate 110. The elongated openings 123 pass through said parts adjoining the free ends 122B of said elastic tabs 122, they extend in a mean plane parallel to the rear face 114 of the front plate 110 and the snap-on studs 118 comprise a body 118A which extends from the rear face 114 of the front plate 110 in a direction perpendicular thereto.

[0069] Here, the elongated openings 123 have an oblong outline but alternatively they could have a rectangular outline.

[0070] More particularly, each snap-on stud 118 has a T-shaped profile with a body 118A surmounted by a head 118B which projects on either side of the body 118A to form two surfaces 118C overhanging the body 118A adapted to surmount two parallel parts of the edge 123A of one of said elongated openings 123.

[0071] Preferably, the two overhanging surfaces 118C of each latching stud 118 extend perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body 118A so that they form non-removable latching means of the latching stud 118 on the edge 123A of the corresponding elongated opening 123.

[0072] Advantageously, the head 118B of each snap-on stud 118 has, opposite said cantilevered surfaces 118C, a front face 118D with inclined sides which form ramps for engaging said head 118B through said corresponding elongated opening 123.

[0073] To secure the compensation frame 120 to the front plate 110, it is sufficient to press the end of each flexible tab 122 against the head 118B of one of the snap-on studs 118 of the front plate 110 so that the front face 118D of the head 118B causes the parallel portions of the edge 123A of the elongated opening 123 of said elastic tab 122 to be elastically separated until the head 118B passes completely through said elongated opening 123 and the overhanging surfaces 118C of the snap-on stud 118 are positioned above the parallel portions of the edge 123A of the elongated opening 123 to hook the head 118B of the snap-on stud 118 onto the edge 123A of the elongated opening 122 of said elastic tab 122.

[0074] Thanks to the snap-fastening, here non-removable, of the compensation frame 120 on the rear face 114 of the front plate 110, the finishing plate 100 forms a functional and structural whole that is easy to handle, store and transport. No other part is necessary to elastically press the compensation frame 120 against the front plate 110 while allowing a slight relative movement of the compensation frame and the front plate.

[0075] The front plate 110 and the compensation frame 120 of the finishing plate 100 are advantageously single-piece parts. They are produced by molding a plastic material.

[0076] The invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown and any variant in accordance with its spirit could be provided.

[0077] In particular, in a variant not shown, the snap-fastening means acting between the front plate and the elastic tabs of the compensation frame could be reversed. According to this variant, the elongated openings belong to said front plate and said snap-fastening studs belong to said elastic tabs. Thus, according to this variant, the elongated openings extend in a mean plane parallel to the rear face of the front plate and the snap-fastening studs comprise a body which extends from one face of the elastic tabs facing the rear face of the front plate, perpendicular to the latter.

Claims

Claims 1. Composite finishing plate (100) which comprises a front plate (110) defined between an external peripheral edge (111) and an internal edge (112) which delimits a through opening (A) having an axis (X), and a compensation frame (120) attached to the rear face (114) of the front plate (110), from which extend elastic tabs (122) attached to the compensation frame (120) and bearing on said rear face (114) of the front plate (110) to allow said compensation frame (120) to take different positions along said axis (X) of the through opening (A) relative to said rear face (114) of the front plate (110),characterized in that it comprises snap-fastening means which intervene directly between said elastic tabs (122) and said front plate (110) and which comprise elongated openings (123) and snap-fastening studs (118) engaged through said elongated openings (123) to hook onto an edge (123A) of said elongated openings (123)., 2. Finishing plate (100) according to claim 1, wherein the elongated openings (123) belong to said elastic tabs (122) and said snap-in studs (118) belong to said front plate (110).

3. Finishing plate (100) according to claim 2, in which the elongated openings (123) pass through parts adjoining the free ends (122B) of said elastic tabs (122), they extend in a mean plane parallel to the rear face (114) of the front plate (110) and the snap-in studs (118) comprise a body (118A) which extends from the rear face (114) of the front plate (110) in a direction perpendicular thereto.

4. Finishing plate according to claim 1, in which the elongated openings belong to said front plate and said snap-on studs belong to said elastic tabs.

5. Finishing plate according to claim 4, in which the elongated openings extend in a mean plane parallel to the rear face of the front plate and the snap-on studs comprise a body which extends from a face of the elastic tabs facing the rear face of the front plate, perpendicular to it.

6. A finishing plate (100) according to any preceding claim, wherein the elongated openings (123) have an oblong or rectangular outline.

7. Finishing plate (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which each snap-in stud (118) has a T-shaped profile with a body (118A) surmounted by a head (118B) which projects on either side of the body (118A) to form two surfaces (118C) in overhangs of the body (118A) adapted to overcome two parallel portions of the edge (123A) of one of said elongated openings (123).

8. Finishing plate (100) according to the preceding claim, in which the two overhanging surfaces (118C) of each snap-on stud (118) extend perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body (118A) so that they form non-removable snap-on means of the snap-on stud (118) on the edge (123A) of the corresponding elongated opening (123).

9. Finishing plate (100) according to one of claims 7 and 8, in which the head (118B) of each snap-on stud (118) has, opposite said overhanging surfaces (118C), a front face (118D) with inclined sides which form ramps for engaging said head (118B) through said corresponding elongated opening (123).

10. Finishing plate (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein there are provided four elastic tabs (122) which extend from the four inner corners (C) of the compensation frame (120), and which are arranged two by two along two parallel sides of the compensation frame (120), each elastic tab (122) having, between a root (122A) attached to the compensation frame (120) and a free end (122B), several curvatures (122C) giving said elastic tab (122) the required elasticity and which bring a part of said elastic tab adjoining the free end (122B) into a plane (PI) parallel and slightly offset forwards relative to the plane (P) defined by the front edge (121) of the compensation frame (120).

11. Finishing plate (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the external peripheral edge (111) of the front plate (110) is a rim projecting from the rear face (114) of said front plate (110) and which delimits with this rear face a housing, and in which the external dimensions of the compensation frame (120) are less than or equal to the dimensions of said housing of the front plate (110) within the clearance so that said compensation frame (120) is housed in said housing of the front plate (110) along said external peripheral edge (111) of said front plate (110).

12. Finishing plate (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the front plate (110) and the compensation frame (120) are single-piece parts.

13. Electrical and / or electronic equipment (10) for flush mounting comprising at least one equipment mechanism (200) mounted in the central opening (B) of an equipment support (300) and a finishing plate (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, attached to the equipment support (300) around a functional part (230) of said equipment mechanism (200).

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