MODULAR CHRONOMETER THAT HAS MULTIPLE MEMBERS OF EXTENSION TE MINADOSField of the Invention This invention pertains to modular, wall mounted timers. More particularly, to modular wall mounted chronometers that have multiple tension elements, easily mountable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The chronometers for appliances and light are known in the field. These chronometers have a multitude of uses, for example to turn the lights on and off while on vacation, to connect and disconnect various devices at certain times of day or night. Known chronometers include a rotary type having an analog clock-like face and a receptacle for a charge such as a lamp. The switches that are placed on or adjacent to the dial are collectable to select times when power or charge is supplied or eliminated. Typically, the rotary-type timer is chipped to a conventional electrical receptacle. There are several disadvantages of the rotational type chronometer. A major disadvantage is that the timer can be disconnected or inadvertently disconnected from the electrical receptacle making the timer inoperable. Another disadvantage of this type of stopwatch is that generally the switches allow the times to adjust only approximately. That is, the stopwatch and the on-off switches are set to connect and disconnect the device at rough times and to provide an exact energy control to the load. Therefore, closed control of the type that is supplied with energy or removed from the lights and / or appliances is at best difficult. Another known class of chronometers is mountable to a conventional electric wall switch socket. This class; The chronometer includes, in a form, a receptacle module mounted to a mounting plate that is mounted to the electrical connector box. A conventional wall switch cover plate is mounted to the mounting plate. The receptacle module is "hard wired" to an electrical system. An electronic plug module, effectively a timer, is configured to be plugged into the receptacle module and mounted on the wall switch cover plate. Other wall switch chronometer products incorporate a fixed surrounding medium and are not used with existing switch face plate. These chronometers are usually intended for use in simple switch boxes. In this way, there continues to be a need for a modular timer that is configured to be easily installed in a conventional wall-mounted electrical box, and that is flexibly configured for adaptive use with simple electrical boxes and multiple groups.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An electronic timer switch that is mountable in conventional single and multi-group electrical connector boxes includes an elongate housing having an electrical timing circuit and first and second receiver edges, not terminated. Each of the unfinished edges d finishes an elongated matching surface which is configured to coincide with one of a plurality of elongated end termination elements. The end termination elements are configured to match the size of the associated electrical connector boxes. That is, the finishing elements are configured for single, double and triple connector boxes as well as others, which may include electrical devices in addition to the electronic timer switch, such as connection-disconnect switches, electrical receptacle outputs and the like. In one embodiment of the invention, a reinforcing plate extends between and connects a pair of finishing elements. The reinforcing plate may include an opening therein configured to receive a timing member extending from the back of the timer switch. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of bundle and the accompanying drawings, and the attached clauses.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a detailed perspective view of a modular timer, shown with a single switch end termination element that modalizes the principles of the present invention, illustrated with a double-gang electrical connector box. associated with a conventional electric switch; Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of a modality of the modular chronometer of Figure 1, having a distance miter of backward extending, shown with a front perspective view of a single plate end termination element; Figure 3 is a partial sectional view of the modular chronometer of Figure 1, showing the single plate and the finished element mounted thereto; Figure 4 is a cross sectional view parci of the modular chronometer and finishing element of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a front plan view of the modular chronometer illustrated with an end termination element of the double switch plate;Figure 6 is a front plan view of the modular chronometer illustrated with an end termination element of the double output plate; Figure 7 is a front view of the modular chronometer illustrated with a pair of simple plate finish elements; Figure 8 is an alternative embodiment of an end termination element for use with an associated single electrical switch; Figure 9 is another end termination element the molarity of Figure 8 for use with an associated double output; and Figure 10 is an alternative embodiment of the modular chronometer similar to Figure 1, without an interference member extending from the rear of the chronometer housing.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Modes Even though the present invention is susceptible to being carried out in various forms, it is shown in the drawings and the presently preferred embodiments will be described below with the understanding that the present disclosure should be considered as an axis of communication. of the invention and is not intended to limit the invitation to the specific embodiments illustrated. Referring now to Figure 1, there is illustrated an electronic timer switch 10 having an elongate housing 12. The switch 10 is shown with reference to a box B of associated electrical connector, conventional, double-gang or double mounting, having an electrical switch S with vencional, exemplary, placed therein. The housing 12 has first and second edges 14, 1 terminated, spaced apart, along a dimension W of predetermined width and first and second mating surfaces not terminated, spaced or edges 18, 20 recetpres, along a dimension H of predetermined height "see Figure 2. The chronometer 10 illustrated includes an electric chronometer circuit 22 internal thereto, illustrated in shadow lines As shown, the chronometer 10 includes an articulated door 24 which allows access to various switches 36 , for example, to adjust the time of the day, and preset the desired time to connect and disconnect an electrical device or associated charger, such as a lamp.The timer 10 may also include a switch 28 to manually override the preset times for connecting and disconnecting the apparatus Other switches placed on the stopwatch may include a power switch 30 and or area switch 32 In addition, the timer 10 could also include an indicator 34 to indicate the time of day or the operation mode of the chronometer. Preferably, the door 24 includes an opening or indicator window 36 so that the indicator can be seen with the door 24 in the closed position. The height dimension H of the housing 12 is predefined to be substantially integral with the height dimension of a conventional wall switch or electrical receptacle cover plate. In a known design of a conventional wall switch plate, this dimension is approximately 11.43 centimeters. It should be understood that the height dimension of the housing 12 can be made to match any size of wall switch or receptacle cover plate.
The switch 10 further includes a plurality of edge termination elements or end termination elements 38 that are 1ably dockable with the unfinished receiver edges 18, 20. The bord termination elements 38, various types of which are more fully described herein, have mating surfaces 40 to facilitate secure, yet releasable engagement between the finishing element 38 and the receiving edges 18 and 20. In one embodiment, as illustrated in Figure 2, the receiving edge 18, 20 includes at least one outwardly extending clamping member 42, and the finishing element 38 includes a complementary clamping notch 44. This configuration, of course, can be reversed, with the fastening member 42 extending from the terminating element 38 and the holding notch 44 being formed at the receiving edge 18, 20. It should also be recognized that each of the receiving edges 18 and the termination elements 38 may include a plurality of the complementary clamping member members 42 and notches 44, with the understanding that the other of the receiving edges 18, 20 and the end elements 38 including a complementary set of fastening elements 42, 44. As best seen in Figures 5 to 7, the clamping members 4 and notches 44 are configured so that the ends of the terminating element 46 are aligned with a line L formed by the finished edges 14, 16 of the housing. when the terminating element 38 is mounted to the chronometer housing 12. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the edge termination elements 38 mount to the housing 12 engage the holding members 42 and notches 44 and rotate the forward 38th member about an axis A (see Figure 1) along the receiving edge 18, 20, until the terminating element is flush with the housing 12. conversely the terminating elements 38 are released from the receiving edges 18, 20 by rotating the terminating elements 38 backwards of the switch 10 of stopwatch, about the axis A and d coupling the fastening members 42 of the notches 44. This configuration allows simple assembly of the termination elements 3 to the stopwatch switch 10 by a simple hook and rotation procedure. Advantageously, said configuration also prevents inadvertent removal of the finishing elements 38 from the stopwatch switch 10 when the switch 10 is mounted to a wall. The finishing elements 38 which are flush with the wall, can not be rotated backwards to be removed from the housing 12. As illustrated in FIGS. 7, the termination elements 38 can be mounted to the chronometer housing 12. that the assembly has a width substantially equal to the width of a simple wall switch cover plateAlternatively, the assemblies 110, 112, such as anchors illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 can be configured to have a width equal to that of a multiple-play wall switch cover plate (e.g., one width). double triple). The multi-assembled wall switch cover plate 110, 112 can accommodate any number of devices such as the exemplary conventional light switch S shown in Figure 1, darker switches, "designer" switch, outputs of electric receptacle and the likeIn a preferred embodiment, the chronometer switch 10 defines a pair of openings 48, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, through which fasteners such as metal screws 50 can be inserted, to turn the switch 10 to a box B of conventional electrical connector, associated. The gauge 10 is connected, via wires 52, to the wires for the appropriate electrical circuit to be controlled (not shown) as the circuit wires extend into the box B. The timer 10 is then clamped. to box B, as described above. Many of the commonly used electrical connector boxes B have flanges or tabs F that include threaded openings therein, which openings P are adjusted to a conventional separation distance, approximately 8.26 centimeters. The openings 48 in the stopwatch switch 10 also distance to approximately this conventional dimension, 8.26 cemeterimeters. This allows mounting of the switch 10 directly to the electrical connector box B. In one embodiment of the terminating element 238 illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the terminating element 238 has a reinforcing plate 240 extending between and connecting a pair of matching surfaces 242 which are adjacent the terminated edges 244. Essentially, the switch housing 12 mounts to the reinforcing plate 240 and the surface 242 coincident to place the terminated edges 244 along the height H dimension of the housing 12. This embodiment may additionally include an interfering member 246 extending backward from a back surface 248 of the timer switch 10. The reinforcing plate 240 may have a corresponding opening 250 therein for receiving the interference member 246. This configuration prevents the use of the stopwatch switch 10 with a cover plate that is not intended for use with the switch 10, such as a conventional wall switch cover plate. As with the embodiment illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the termination elements 238 of this embodiment may include any combination of openings 252 for accommodating devices such as conventional light switches, curing switches, "designer" switches, power outputs. receptacu the electric and the like. The reinforcement plate 240 can include openings 254 formed therein that are in alignment with the openings 48 of the switch 10 to allow mounting to a conventional electrical connector box B. The termination elements 38, 238 of the present invention are symmetrical with respect to the chronometer housing 12. That is, the receiving edges 18, 20 of the housing 1 and the coupling surfaces 40 of the terpment elements 38 are configured to allow any of the termination elements 38 to be momentarily on either side of the housing 12. This it necessarily reduces the total number of parts in which the elements 38 are interchangeable as they mount to the housing 12. This further facilitates the installation of the chronometer 10 because no specifically oriented thermometer elements 38 are needed. Advantageously, this configuration also allows the chronometer housing 12 to be positioned at one end or between any two terminating elements 38. This may include an arrangement in which the housing 12 is mounted between, for example, two switch plates or receptacle elements 38 such as the elements 38 illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, as well as the single plate arrangement shown in FIG. Figure 7. It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that any number and combination of openings can be formed to the termination elements 38, 238, and the termination elements 38, 238 can be provided in sizes to accommodate any number of appliances for adjusting simple connectors as well as electrical boxes of multiple assemblies, whose combinations and sizes are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. From the foregoing it will be noted that numerous modifications and variations can be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present invention. It should be understood that it is not intended-no limitation with respect to the specific modalities illustrated, nor should it be inferred. The exhibition is intended to cover all the modifications that fall within the scope of the clauses through the attached clauses.