CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from U.S. Design patent application No. 29/765,912, filed Jan. 12, 2021, pending.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to electrical connector devices. More particularly, the invention relates to indoor electrical outlets and indoor electrical outlet covers.

2. Description of Relevant Art

Electrical service in buildings, particularly in homes, offices, and schools, is typically provided at least in part through electrical wall outlets. Devices needing electrical current for operation or use have electrical cords ending in electrical plugs for connection to an electrical wall outlet. Once the plug is inserted into the wall outlet, electrical current can flow (or does flow if the wall outlet has electrical current flowing into it) to the cord for activating the device needing current.

Most typically, when a plug with a cord is connected to an electrical wall outlet, the plug and cord extend several inches from the wall outlet before the cord curves to a parallel posture with respect to the wall. As a consequence, furniture or other items positioned adjacent to the wall must be positioned sufficiently away from the wall outlet to accommodate the plug and cord connection to the wall outlet and also to accommodate someone's hand and often times arm in reaching behind the furniture to insert the plug into the wall outlet. Such positioning wastes space in the room and is generally unattractive.

Moreover, typically and commonly used electrical wall outlets are themselves generally unattractive and are known to pose a potential safety hazard for infants and children. Blank cover plates and individual non-conductive plugs are commonly used to prevent children from inserting objects into wall outlet receptacles and getting shocked and injured thereby, but such plates and plugs then prevent use of the outlets.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,509,080, issued Nov. 29, 2016, to Insalaco, teaches an electrically functional indoor wall outlet cover that solves a number of these problems. It is thin enough to allow furniture placement adjacent a wall in front of the outlet and it is able to hide the outlet altogether while allowing the electrical functionality of the outlet to be moved by an electrical cord. However, that functional electrical wall outlet cover is designed to effectively access electrical current from only one receptacle, particularly the top receptacle, and thus the second receptacle, particularly the bottom receptacle, in a duplex or one-gang electrical wall outlet is not accessed. Thus there continues to be a need in the art for electrical wall outlets and electrical wall outlet covers that overcome the shortcomings presented above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an indoor electrical wall outlet cover that solves the problems associated with indoor outlet covers and allows full access of electrical current from, and use of, both the top receptacle and the bottom receptacle of a duplex or one-gang electrical wall outlet. The back of the wall outlet cover of the apparatus of the present invention has extending outwardly from the back of it a first electrical plug which connects directly to said top receptacle and a second electrical plug which connects directly connected to said bottom receptacle. A first electrical cord extends from the first electrical plug and a second electrical cord extends from the second electrical plug. The first electrical cord and the second electrical cord each exit from a side of the cover and separately end a desired distance away with the distal end of each first electrical cord and second electrical cord having at least one receptacle or one of said cords having a distal end prepared for connection to a small appliance or electronic device. These distal ends of said electrical cords can be positioned in opposite directions or at perpendicular angles to each other or in opposite ends of the same room and afford enhanced versatility to the apparatus of the invention.

The present invention further provides an indoor electrical wall outlet cover that is thin enough to avoid adding bulk to the outlet and thus enables furniture to effectively be positioned against the wall or at least as close as the baseboard on the wall, that also effectively covers the outlet so as to act as a safety device for a child that may seek to touch or access the outlet receptacles, and that still allows ready access to the dual electrical connections that the two plug outlet affords.

Moreover, the outlet cover is aesthetically pleasing—it is unobtrusive and calls less attention to itself than does the outlet without the cover of the invention. This is because the outlet cover, at least in one embodiment, is essentially or substantially blank, hides the receptacles of the outlet completely, and results in the two electrical cords extending from the outlet and that extension is in a manner where the cords lie against the wall or along the wall or less than about an inch from the wall, at least when proximate the outlet.

