Expandable Electrical Box Cover with Adjustable Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing while-in-use electrical box covers are not versatile enough to accommodate various plug sizes and wire diameters, and they lack adjustability, making them unsuitable for a broad range of applications both indoors and outdoors.
Innovation Solution
An electrical box cover with a base, lid, and housing that allows adjustable depth, featuring a pivotable lid with a collar and a moveable housing that can extend or retract, accommodating different sizes of plugs and wires, and an adapter plate for securing various electrical devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed-size electrical box cover is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but it cannot accommodate various plug sizes and wire diameters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the housing expandable and collapsible. The housing can expand to accommodate larger plugs and wires when needed, and collapse to a compact size when not in use. This dynamic transformation allows a single cover to adapt to various application requirements without requiring multiple fixed-size covers, thereby resolving the contradiction between versatility and structural simplicity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a larger electrical box cover is used to accommodate large plugs, then it can house bigger devices, but it increases in size when not in use
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed to be dynamically transformable between expanded and collapsed states. When large plugs need to be accommodated, the housing expands to provide the necessary space. When not in use, the housing collapses to a compact depth, minimizing its footprint. This dynamic size adjustment resolves the contradiction between housing capacity and stored size.
3Volume of moving object
If the housing is always extended to accommodate large plugs, then it provides sufficient space, but it reduces convenience when full extension is not required
Solution Approach 1:
The housing can be dynamically adjusted between extended and retracted positions based on the specific needs of the application. When large plugs are present, the housing extends to provide adequate space. When smaller devices are used or no devices are present, the housing can be retracted to a more convenient, compact size. This dynamic adaptability resolves the contradiction between internal volume and ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical box cover including a base having a back wall perimetrically bounded by an upwardly extending side wall. The back wall having an opening for receiving an electrical device. A lid pivotally connected to the base. The lid having a lid plate with an opening that is defined by a collar. A housing having a front wall and a plurality of contiguous side walls extending therefrom to a distal edge to define a housing interior. The housing has a flange extending from the side walls and is slidably disposed in the lid opening and moveable between a retracted and extended position with respect to the collar. A plurality of lugs can extend inwardly from the collar and the flange engages the lugs when the housing is in the extended position.