High-Contrast Face Plate for Reliable Receptacle Visibility

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for enhancing visual contrast on face plates in assisted living facilities, such as using electrical tape, require significant time and maintenance, and can lead to increased risk of falls if the contrast is not consistently maintained.

Innovation Solution

A face plate with integral visually contrasting zones, where the plate body includes a plurality of zones with a first zone having a visual contrast with a second zone, providing stable and continuous visual contrast without the need for maintenance or replacement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If electrical tape is used to create visual contrast on face plates, then visual contrast is improved, but maintenance time and replacement frequency increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisual contrastVSAvoidmaintenance time

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the face plate and contrast elements into a single integrated unit. The high-contrast zones are built into the face plate structure itself, eliminating the need for separate tape applications. This merging of components resolves the contradiction by providing visual contrast that requires no maintenance or replacement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent moves from using disposable electrical tape that requires frequent replacement to a permanent, integrated contrast solution. The face plate with built-in high-contrast zones provides long-lasting visual contrast without the need for periodic replacement, eliminating the maintenance time associated with short-living contrast materials.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Illumination intensity

If electrical tape is applied to face plates, then visual contrast is improved, but reliability decreases due to peeling and residue

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisual contrastVSAvoidcontrast consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

By integrating the contrast zones directly into the face plate structure, the patent eliminates the adhesion problems inherent in using separate tape materials. The unified construction ensures that the contrast elements cannot peel or detach, maintaining consistent visual contrast and improving reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of applying a separate material (tape) to create contrast, the patent inverts the approach by making the face plate itself the contrast-bearing element. This inversion eliminates the interface between face plate and contrast material that causes peeling and residue issues, thereby improving reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Illumination intensity

If manual outlining with electrical tape is performed, then visual contrast is improved, but productivity decreases due to time-consuming application

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisual contrastVSAvoidinstallation speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple steps (selecting tape, cutting to size, applying to face plate) into a single pre-manufactured component. The face plate arrives with integrated high-contrast zones already in place, allowing for rapid installation without manual application steps, thereby improving productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The contrast zones are created during face plate manufacturing rather than during installation. This preliminary action of creating the contrast pattern before the face plate reaches the installation site eliminates the time-consuming manual outlining process, significantly improving installation speed and productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Illumination intensity

If electrical tape is used for contrast, then visual contrast is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple materials and steps

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisual contrastVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the face plate and contrast-indicating elements into a single integrated component. Instead of requiring separate face plates and contrast materials, the high-contrast zones are built into the face plate structure, reducing system complexity to a single element that provides both structural and visual contrast functions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The face plate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the structural mounting surface and incorporates the visual contrast zones. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate contrast materials and reduces the overall complexity of the system by consolidating functions into a single universal component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12215833B2Enhanced contrast face plate system, kit, and method

Publication Date: 2025.02.04 WALLACE NATALIE

AI summary

The present disclosure provides a face plate for securing onto an electrical receptacle box, an electrical device recognition safety system, and a method of making a wall mounted electrical device safer and more easily identified. The face plate can include a plate body having an opening and a plurality of zones. The plurality of zone can surround the opening. The plurality of zones can include a first zone and the second zone. The first zone can have a visual contrast with the second zone.