Configurable Electrical Outlet Cover with Telescoping Enclosure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional outlet covers are large and cumbersome, failing to efficiently collapse or configure to save space, especially when attached to rarely used electrical outlets, which can lead to issues with water and dirt ingress.
Innovation Solution
A configurable electrical outlet cover design featuring a base with screw apertures, a hingedly coupled lid with a central aperture, a telescoping enclosure that slides between collapsed and extended positions, and a latch assembly for secure closure, along with a gasket and cord port management to prevent contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional outlet covers are made large and boxy to accommodate plugs, then plug accessibility is improved, but space efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet cover incorporates a telescoping enclosure that can dynamically change volume between extended and collapsed positions. The enclosure slides along guide rails within the housing, allowing the cover to adapt its size based on whether a plug is inserted, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining accessibility and reducing space occupation.
Solution Approach 2:
The outlet cover is divided into functional segments: a fixed housing, a telescoping enclosure, and a lid assembly. This segmentation allows the enclosure to independently adjust its volume while the housing maintains structural support, enabling space efficiency without compromising plug accessibility when needed.
2Volume of moving object
If outlet covers are made collapsible to save space, then space efficiency is improved, but structural stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The telescoping mechanism incorporates guide rails and movable walls that maintain structural integrity during extension and retraction. The guide rails constrain the enclosure's movement path, preventing lateral instability, while the movable walls slide within sealed bearings to maintain positional stability, thus achieving both collapsibility and structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescoping enclosure utilizes flexible yet rigid enough walls that can compress and extend while maintaining form. The enclosure front wall and side walls are designed with sufficient rigidity to protect the outlet when extended, yet can be compacted when retracted, balancing flexibility for collapse with stability for protection.
3Volume of moving object
If outlet covers are made collapsible to save space, then space efficiency is improved, but protection against water and dirt ingress deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A gasket is positioned between the telescoping enclosure and the housing to create a continuous seal. This flexible sealing element maintains contact as the enclosure moves between extended and collapsed positions, preventing water and dirt ingress while allowing the volume-changing motion required for space efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescoping mechanism is designed to maintain sealed engagement throughout its range of motion. The enclosure front wall and side walls remain engaged with the housing via the gasket seal during extension and retraction, ensuring continuous protection against contaminants even while the structure dynamically changes volume.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical outlet cover with a lid having a configurable protrusion or recess to accommodate different uses and weather resistance states. The electrical outlet cover includes a base coupled to an electrical outlet and a lid hingedly coupled to the base along a first side. The lid includes a frame with a central aperture and a telescoping enclosure with a flange at a front edge of a sleeve, the flange extending outward from the sleeve. The sleeve may include a ledge extending outward from the sleeve adjacent a back edge of the sleeve on at least two sides of the sleeve. The sleeve is slidably coupled within the central aperture and movable between an expanded position and a collapsed position. The flange may abut the frame in the collapsed position and the ledge may abut the frame in the expanded position.