Not applicable.
Not applicable.
This application relates to a lockout device for locking out a wall switch.
Lockout devices are conventionally used as a mechanism to limit operation of a control or energy isolation point. Such lockout devices can be used on switches, plugs, valves, and so forth in order to prevent operation of that control or energy isolation point under certain circumstances or by certain users. In many instances, for example, when maintenance is being performed on equipment by a worker, a control may be turned off to de-energize the equipment (for example, to temporarily cut power from the equipment) and a lockout device may be placed over the control by the worker in order to prevent others from operating the control to re-energize the equipment until the worker has completed the maintenance and removed the lockout device.
However, the example above is exemplary only and there are many use cases and many types of controls that might receive a lockout device for a variety of reasons, some of which having nothing to do with maintenance at all. For example, certain controls may be restricted using lockout devices under normal conditions and are then only available upon unlocking the lockout device by an authorized user. An example of such a lockout device may be a wall switch lockout, in which a cover is lockable over a wall switch in order to prevent non-authorized people from operating the switch. Such wall switch lockouts may be useful for controlling the operation of lighting, for controlling the supply of power to certain appliances or equipment, or for various other switch-type applications.
As there are a wide range of possible controls and energy isolation points and associated structures, one challenge has been to provide lockout devices that are capable of being used in a wide variety of circumstances and configurations. Put differently, even a lockout device for a control type may need to be offered in a variety of sizes and configurations to accommodate different variations of that control type that may exist. This often leads to similar, but not identical, products having various different stock keeping units or SKUs in which some products are suitable for some use cases, but not all use cases.
For example, in the context of a wall switch lockout, there may be various different mounting arrangements for the lockout device based on the wall switch construction and the placement of the plate screws. This can mean even through an installer has a wall switch lockout on hand, that the particular wall switch lockout might not be appropriate for the particular wall switch construction to be locked out. This can result in end user frustration if the product in hand is not suitable for the task at hand, has the potential to lead to improper or incomplete installation of a lockout device not designed for the particular application, and present inventory management concerns if multiple types of lockouts need to be kept on hand or in stock to accommodate different switch designs.
Disclosed herein is an improved wall switch lockout device. This wall switch lockout device is able to accommodate various mounting arrangements and, in particular, accommodates different hole-to-hole distances for mounting screws as may be exhibited in different switch types (for example, rocker or paddle switches versus toggle switches) where the mounting screw spacing for the front facie or cover may vary based on the mechanical switch type and size. The disclosed construction avoids the need to stock multiple types of wall switch lockout devices for various wall switch types and can offer a more universal-type lockout device.
According to one aspect, a wall switch lockout device is provided for selectively limiting access to a wall switch relative to which the wall switch lockout device is mounted. The wall switch lockout device includes a mountable base having a front face and a rear face and further having a switch opening extending through the base from the front face to the rear face for receiving the wall switch through the opening when the lockout devices is installed over the wall switch. The wall switch lockout device further includes a cover positionable and securable over the front face of the mountable base for selectively covering and limiting access to the switch opening (and, when mounted, the wall switch itself). The device further includes a pair of mounting openings for mounting the mountable base and one or more inserts received in the mountable base and slidable relative to the mountable base. At least one of the pair of mounting openings is on an insert such that, when the insert is slid relative to the mountable base, a hole-to-hole distance between the pair of mounting openings is variably adjusted.
In some forms, there may be a pair of inserts with each of the respective inserts have a corresponding one of the pair of mounting openings on each respective insert. While it is contemplated that the variably adjusting of the hole-to-hole distance might be achieved with one of the mounting openings being fixed relative to the mountable base (i.e., not on a slidable insert) and the other being movable by placing the mounting on a slidable insert, having a pair of inserts instead of a single insert may well be preferable. With a pair of inserts, there may be better symmetry about the opening, improving aesthetics when mounted. Moreover, having a pair of opposing inserts means that each insert could be made to travel half the distance that a single insert would be required to travel to get the same level of hole-to-hole adjustability.
In the instance in which there are a pair of inserts, the pair of inserts may both be slidable towards or away from one another along paths of linear translation that lie along a single line (i.e., the paths lie along a single line, although are spaced along the line). Still further, the pair of inserts and corresponding pair of mounting openings can be positioned on opposing top and bottom sides of the switch opening.
In some forms, the mountable base may include a securement projection extending from the front face thereof with a lock opening in the securement projection and the cover may include a slit through which the securement projection is receivable when the cover is in a closed position such that the lock opening is accessible to receive a lock therethrough to prevent the cover from being moved from the closed position to the opened position.
In some forms, the cover may be hinged to the mountable base. This hinging may be, for example, at a top end of the mountable base.
In some forms, the insert(s) may be slidable relative to the mountable base using a guide and rail connection that slidably connect the insert(s) to the mountable base.
In some forms more specifically, the mountable base may include a base rail and a base guide (corresponding to each insert) and each respective insert may include an insert rail and an insert guide. The insert guide of the respective insert is attachable to the base rail of the mountable base and, likewise, the insert rail is attachable to the insert guide. In such assembly, the insert(s) can be slidable relative to the mountable base along attachments between the insert guide and the base rail and between the base guide and the insert rail. In the case of multiple inserts, the mountable base can have separate rails and guides for each of the inserts. One or both of the insert guide and the base guide may include retaining projections such that the insert guide and the base guide is snappable onto the respective base rail or insert rail to help couple the rail(s) and guide(s) together.
In some forms, the device can further include a pair of detents for maintaining a pair of respective positions of the at least one insert relative to the mountable base. The pair of detents may be projections extending rearwardly from a rear face of the mountable base and can be positioned over a translational path of the at least one insert relative to the mountable base.
In the case where there are a pair of inserts, the pair of respective positions of the inserts establishable using the pair of detents may include (1) a rocker position for mounting the wall switch lockout device to a wall switch having a rocker-type switch with an associated rocker switch hole-to-hole distance and (2) a toggle position for mounting the wall switch lockout device to a wall switch having a toggle-type switch with an associated toggle switch hole-to-hole distance. The rocker switch hole-to-hole distance can be larger than the toggle switch hole-to-hole distance as the mounting spacing of the rocker is larger than that of a toggle switch.
According to another aspect, a method of installing a wall switch lockout device as described above and anywhere herein may include positioning the insert(s) relative to the mountable base to establish the hole-to-hole distance between the pair of mounting openings and then mounting the mountable base using the pair of mounting openings.
These and still other advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description and drawings. What follows is merely a description of some preferred embodiments of the present invention. To assess the full scope of the invention the claims should be looked to as these preferred embodiments are not intended to be the only embodiments within the scope of the claims.
Looking first at
With respect to the mountable base 12, the mountable base 12 is perhaps best seen in
The cover 16 as illustrated is large enough to cover the front face 18 of the mountable base 12 and, moreover in the form shown, has sidewalls that extend around the lateral and lower sides of the periphery of the mountable base 12. This cover 16 also includes a slight bump or protrusion in the in the middle so as to provide some space to accommodate a depth dimension of the switch in the closed position of the cover (that is, space to accommodate, for example, a toggle switch or other forward-facing control which may project forwardly into the space of the cover).
For the purposes of providing lockout functionality, on the front face 18 of the mountable base 12 and as best seen in
In the opened position of the cover 16 relative to the mountable base 12 as illustrated in
In the closed position of the cover 16 relative to the front face 18 of the mountable base 12 as depicted in
While various hinge designs might be implemented with similar results, with the pin and snap on guide arrangement illustrated in the exemplary embodiment, and more particularly in
It will be appreciated that while a hinged arrangement between the cover and the mountable base are shown, that the cover need not necessarily be hinged. For example, the cover could be slidable relative to the base providing enough clearance for any switch control. Still further, while a securement projection 28 and slot 36 are shown, other cover locking arrangements could be workable including alignable holes and so forth which may be at least in part based on the range of motion of the cover. So while the exemplary lockout device 10 is illustrative, it should not be considered limiting.
Turning now to the pair of inserts 14a and 14b, the pair of inserts 14a and 14b are received in the mountable base 12 and are slidable relative to the mountable base 12. Each of the inserts 14a and 14b have a respective one of the mounting openings 26a and 26b centrally located thereon, and so these openings 26a and 26b travel with the respective inserts 14a and 14b. Further and as illustrated, there is one insert 14a positioned at the top end of the switch opening 22 and another insert 14b positioned at the opposing bottom end of the switch opening. In the form show, the insert 14a is proximate the top switch opening extension 24a while the insert 14b is proximate the bottom switch opening extension 24b.
The mounting and sliding structure for the inserts 14a and 14b in the mountable base 12 can be best seen in
Turning now to
As illustrated in
With this structure, the inserts 14a and 14b are able to slide and translated top to bottom along the travel line established between various respective guides and rails of the mountable base 12 and the inserts 14a and 14b. As shown in
As illustrated, the inserts 14a and 14b each can travel over a path of linear translation on opposing sides of the switch opening 22 to accommodate for various mounting arrangements and hole-to-hole distances. These respective pair of paths of linear translation can lie along a single line with the center of the mounting openings 26a and 26b traveling along this single line as the inserts 14a and 14b move. As illustrated, in all positions of the inserts 14a and 14b relative to the mountable base 12, the mounting openings 26a and 26b are positioned somewhere along the switch opening extensions 24a and 24b or moved into the more central part of the switch opening 22 such that the mounting openings 26a and 26b could receive a mounting screw therethrough for mounting at the faceplate screws openings associated with the switch.
While it is contemplated that the inserts 14a and 14b might be positioned anywhere along their path of travel, it is also contemplated that detents 54 can be used to establish discrete positions of the inserts 14a and 14b relative to the mountable base 12. In the embodiment illustrated, these detents 54 can be best seen in
Finally, it should be appreciated that while a wall switch lockout device has been illustrated having a pair of inserts that are both slidable and positionable relative to a mountable base, it is contemplated that similar functionality might be achievable with only a single insert having a movable mounting opening on one side of the switch opening and one or two fixed mounting openings formed in the mountable base on the other side of the switch opening. However, as can be seen from
In use, once the wall switch lockout device 10 is assembled (and it is certainly contemplated that the device 10 could be sold as a pre-assembled product), the inserts 14a and 14b may be slid relative to the mountable base 12 to the desired position to provide the target hole-to-hole spacing for the particular switch installation. The mountable base 12 can then be secured to the underlying switch using the openings on the switch that are used to secure the faceplate to the front of the switch—and the faceplate also can be captured between the lockout device 10 and the switch—such that the switch control extends through the switch opening 22 in the mountable base 12. Once the mounting screws are secured in place, then the cover 16 can be moved between the opened and closed positions to provide access to or to restrict access to the switch. In the closed position, and as described above, to lock out the switch and make it inoperable, a padlock or other securement device can be used to lock the cover 16 in the closed position as illustrated in
As noted above, it should be appreciated that various other modifications and variations to the preferred embodiments can be made within the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention should not be limited to the described embodiments. To ascertain the full scope of the invention, the following claims should be referenced.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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5543593 | Turek | Aug 1996 | A |
5558209 | Mohsen | Sep 1996 | A |
5738206 | Souza | Apr 1998 | A |
20060278504 | Brojanac | Dec 2006 | A1 |
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