DESC:FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to cover plates and more particularly, relates to a cover plate assembly adapted to facilitate easy maintenance of devices and associated electrical connections underneath.

BACKGROUND

In any civil construction, for example, houses and similar premises, cover plates are provided for accommodating switches, sockets, and other electrical accessories to operate different appliances as well as hiding associated electrical connections. For example, the switches may be used to operate appliances, such as fans and lights. Similarly, the sockets may be used to enable temporary connections, for example, for operating iron and chimney. Further, other electrical accessories may include a motor starter.

The cover plates restrict access of wiring and connections of installed electrical products, such as switches, sockets, and accessories, to people in the premises and thereby ensuring their safety, particularly, of children. Also, such cover plates affect an overall appeal of the interiors of the premises as well.

Generally, a cover plate assembly includes a main plate and a cover plate adapted to cover the main plate. The main plate is fixed at a wall, for example, by screws so as to accommodate the switches and hide the associated wirings behind the wall. The cover plate usually covers the entire surface of the main plate, for example, in order to conceal joining elements, such as the screws fixing the main plate to the wall. When an electrician has to repair devices, such as switches and power outlets, the electrician may have to first remove the cover plate. For example, a user may remove the cover plate by applying vigorous force to bend the cover plate so that it comes off.

After removal of the cover plate, the user gets access to the main plate or the base plate having the screws which may be in contact with current carrying portion of wires. Therefore, this poses safety concern for the user. These screws can also be accessible to the user in case the cover plate is not appropriately fitted with the main plate. Such circumstances may occur, for example, due to improper design of snap locks or due to improper locking owing to presence of color deposits on the snap lock if walls are painted after installing the main plate.

Considering that a cover plate is manufactured to cover the entire surface of the main plate, cost of the conventional cover plate assembly is significantly high, mainly, due to the quantity of material to be used for manufacturing. Moreover, in case any of the screws comes in contact with a naked wire from behind the main plate or the cover plate, the user may get an electric shock if the user happens to touch the screw. Therefore, safety of the existing cover plate assemblies also poses a concern.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts, in a simplified format, that are further described in the detailed description of the invention. This summary is neither intended to identify key or essential inventive concepts of the invention and nor is it intended for determining the scope of the invention.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a cover plate assembly is disclosed. The cover plate assembly includes a main plate adapted to be disposed on an installation surface. The main plate includes a slot for accommodating a wiring device. The wiring device includes at least one of a switch and a socket. The main plate further includes at least one screw insertion hole adapted to receive at least one screw for fixing the main plate to the installation surface. The cover plate assembly further includes a sub-plate adapted to be disposed adjacent to the slot. The sub-plate includes at least one covering portion. The sub-plate is disposed such that the at least one covering portion covers a screw head of the at least one screw.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a cover plate assembly is disclosed. The cover plate assembly includes a main plate adapted to be disposed on an installation surface. The main plate includes a slot for accommodating a wiring device. The wiring device includes at least one of a switch and a socket. The main plate also includes at least one screw insertion hole adapted to receive at least one screw for fixing the main plate to the installation surface. The cover plate assembly further includes a sub-plate adapted to be disposed on the main plate. The sub-plate is disposed adjacent to the slot. The cover plate assembly also includes at least one covering cap adapted to be disposed on the main plate such that the at least one covering cap covers a screw head of the at least one screw.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a sub-plate of a cover plate assembly is disclosed. The sub-plate is adapted to be disposed on a main plate of the cover plate assembly. The sub-plate includes at least one covering portion and adapted to be disposed on the main plate such that the at least one covering portion covers a screw head of at least one screw accommodated in at least one screw insertion hole of the main plate for attaching the main plate to an installation surface.

To further clarify the advantages and features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which is illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a cover plate assembly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 2 illustrates a front view of the cover plate assembly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 3 illustrates an exploded view of the cover plate assembly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 4 (A-E) illustrate front views of cover plate assemblies, according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 5 (A-E) illustrate front views of cover plate assemblies, according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 6 (A-F) illustrate front views of cover plate assemblies, according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure; and
Figure 7 (A-I) illustrate front views of cover plate assemblies, according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure.

Further, skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the drawings are illustrated for simplicity and may not have been necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the flow charts illustrate the method in terms of the most prominent steps involved to help to improve understanding of aspects of the present invention. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the drawings with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having benefit of the description herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skilled in the art to which this invention belongs. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.

The term “some” as used herein is defined as “none, or one, or more than one, or all.” Accordingly, the terms “none,” “one,” “more than one,” “more than one, but not all” or “all” would all fall under the definition of “some.” The term “some embodiments” may refer to no embodiments or to one embodiment or to several embodiments or to all embodiments. Accordingly, the term “some embodiments” is defined as meaning “no embodiment, or one embodiment, or more than one embodiment, or all embodiments.”

The terminology and structure employed herein is for describing, teaching and illuminating some embodiments and their specific features and elements and does not limit, restrict or reduce the spirit and scope of the claims or their equivalents.

More specifically, any terms used herein such as but not limited to “includes,” “comprises,” “has,” “consists,” and grammatical variants thereof do NOT specify an exact limitation or restriction and certainly do NOT exclude the possible addition of one or more features or elements, unless otherwise stated, and furthermore must NOT be taken to exclude the possible removal of one or more of the listed features and elements, unless otherwise stated with the limiting language “MUST comprise” or “NEEDS TO include.”

Whether or not a certain feature or element was limited to being used only once, either way, it may still be referred to as “one or more features” or “one or more elements” or “at least one feature” or “at least one element.” Furthermore, the use of the terms “one or more” or “at least one” feature or element do NOT preclude there being none of that feature or element, unless otherwise specified by limiting language such as “there NEEDS to be one or more...” or “one or more element is REQUIRED.”

Unless otherwise defined, all terms, and especially any technical and/or scientific terms, used herein may be taken to have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skills in the art.

Reference is made herein to some “embodiments.” It should be understood that an embodiment is an example of a possible implementation of any features and/or elements presented in the attached claims. Some embodiments have been described for the purpose of illuminating one or more of the potential ways in which the specific features and/or elements of the attached claims fulfil the requirements of uniqueness, utility and non-obviousness.

Use of the phrases and/or terms such as but not limited to “a first embodiment,” “a further embodiment,” “an alternate embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “multiple embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “other embodiments,” “further embodiment”, “furthermore embodiment”, “additional embodiment” or variants thereof do NOT necessarily refer to the same embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, one or more particular features and/or elements described in connection with one or more embodiments may be found in one embodiment, or may be found in more than one embodiment, or may be found in all embodiments, or may be found in no embodiments. Although one or more features and/or elements may be described herein in the context of only a single embodiment, or alternatively in the context of more than one embodiment, or further alternatively in the context of all embodiments, the features and/or elements may instead be provided separately or in any appropriate combination or not at all. Conversely, any features and/or elements described in the context of separate embodiments may alternatively be realized as existing together in the context of a single embodiment.

Any particular and all details set forth herein are used in the context of some embodiments and therefore should NOT be necessarily taken as limiting factors to the attached claims. The attached claims and their legal equivalents can be realized in the context of embodiments other than the ones used as illustrative examples in the description below.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The present disclosure relates to a cover plate assembly, which includes, but is not limited to, a main plate and a sub-plate adapted to be mounted on the main plate. The main plate is adapted to be fixed to an installation surface, such as construction surface including, but not limited to, a wall and a ceiling. The main plate may be fixed to the installation surface, for example, through at least one screw. For accommodating the at least one screw, the main plate may include at least one screw insertion hole. Further, the main plate may include a slot adapted to accommodate a device having electrical wirings within the construction surface. A peripheral portion of the slot may accommodate installation of the sub-plate on the main plate. Therefore, the sub-plate may cover a peripheral portion of the slot.

Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a cover plate assembly 100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 illustrates a front view of the cover plate assembly 100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 illustrates an exploded view of the cover plate assembly 100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the cover plate assembly 100 may be utilized for installation of domestic electrical switches, sockets, and other accessories.

Referring to Figure 1, Figure 2, and Figure 3, the cover plate assembly 100 may include, but is not limited to, a main plate 102 and a sub-plate 104 adapted to be mounted on the main plate 102. The main plate 102 may be adapted to be fixed on an installation surface. In an embodiment, the installation surface may include, but is not limited to, a wall and a ceiling. In an embodiment, the main plate 102 may be fixed to the installation surface through any joining mechanism known in the art. For example, the main plate 102 may be fixed to the installation surface by at least one screw (not shown).

The main plate 102 may include, but is not limited to, at least one screw insertion hole adapted to accommodate the at least one screw. Therefore, the at least one screw insertion hole may be adapted to receive the at least one screw for fixing the main plate 102 to the installation surface. Referring to Figure 3, in the illustrated embodiment, the main plate 102 includes two screw insertion holes, namely, an insertion hole 302-1 and an insertion hole 302-2. The insertion hole 302-1 and the insertion hole 302-2 are collectively referred to as the screw insertion holes 302.

Referring to Figure 1, Figure 2, and Figure 3, the main plate 102 may further include a slot 106 adapted to accommodate a device (not shown) having electrical wirings within a construction surface. In an embodiment, the slot 106 may accommodate wiring devices, such as switches, sockets, and their corresponding electrical connections.

In an embodiment, the slot 106 may also accommodate installation of the sub-plate 104 on the main plate 102 at a periphery. In an embodiment, the sub-plate 104 may be disposed on the main plate 102 through a snap-fit locking mechanism. The sub-plate 104 may be understood as a frame-like structure adapted to be disposed on the main plate 102. In an embodiment, the sub-plate 104 may be adapted to be disposed adjacent to the slot 106. In an embodiment, the sub-plate 104 may be disposed on a peripheral portion of the slot 106. In an embodiment, the at least one screw insertion hole 302 may also be provided at a peripheral edge portion of the slot 106.

The sub-plate 104 may include at least one covering portion adapted to cover the at least one screw inserted in the at least one screw insertion hole 302. Therefore, the sub-plate 104 is disposed on the main plate 102 such that the at least one covering portion covers a screw head of the at least one screw. A number of covering portions in the sub-plate 104 may correspond to a number of screws used to fix the main plate 102 to the construction surface. In the illustrated embodiment, the sub-plate 104 may include a pair of covering portions, namely, a covering portion 108-1 and a covering portion 108-2. The covering portion 108-1 and the covering portion 108-2 may collectively be referred to as the covering portions 108. The covering portion 108-1 and the covering portion 108-2 may be adapted to cover the screws installed in the insertion hole 302-1 and the insertion hole 302-2, respectively, to fix the main plate 102 to the installation surface.

From the assembly point of view, in an embodiment, once the main plate 102 is fixed to the installation surface, the devices may be accommodated in the main plate 102. Further, the sub-plate104 may be attached from a surface side of the main plate 102. By fitting the sub-plate 104 on the main plate 102, the screw insertion holes 302 are covered by the covering portions 108 of the sub-plate 104. In an embodiment, colours and materials of the main plate 102 and the sub-plate 104 may be different from each other, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Figure 4 (A-E) illustrate front views of cover plate assemblies, according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. For the sake of brevity, constructional and operational features of the present disclosure that are already explained in the description of Figure 1, Figure 2, and Figure 3 are not explained in the description of Figure 4. In particular, Figure 4 illustrates cover plate assemblies without the covering portions, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As would be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, owing to the emission of the covering portions, the dimensions of the main plate and the sub-plate of the present embodiment may be different than the main plate 102 and the sub-plate of the previous embodiments. However, for the sake of simplicity and ease of explanation, the main plate and the sub-plate of the present embodiment are also referred to as the main plate 102 and the sub-plate 104.

Rather, in the present embodiment of the cover plate assemblies, the cover plate assembly 402 may include at least one covering cap 400 adapted to be disposed on the main plate 102 such that the at least one covering cap 400 covers a screw head of the at least one screw. In an embodiment, the covering cap 400 is adapted to be disposed on the main plate 102 through a transition-fit locking mechanism. In an embodiment, the covering cap 400 may be formed of plastic.

Further, in an embodiment, the sub-plate 104 may be provided with protrusion or a separate part for covering screw fixing holes of the main plate 102. The protrusion may be provided for aesthetic purpose, only in some variations. The sub-plate 104 may or may not match a profile of the main plate 102. In case the main plate 102 is flat, the sub-plate 104 may or may not be co-planar with main plate 102.

Figure 4A illustrates a cover plate assembly 402 adapted to accommodate a pair of devices, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The devices may include, but are not limited to, the switches and the sockets. Figure 4B illustrates a cover plate assembly 404 adapted to accommodate three devices, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4C illustrates a cover plate assembly 406 adapted to accommodate four devices, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4D illustrates a cover plate assembly 408 adapted to accommodate six devices, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4E illustrates a cover plate assembly 410 adapted to accommodate eight devices, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the screws are covered by the covering caps 400 in the cover plate assemblies 402, 404, 406, 408, and 410.

In an embodiment, the cover plate assembly 402, 404, 406, 408, and 410 may include aesthetically appealing covering caps 400 for enhancing an overall aesthetic appeal of the product. Further, the cover plate assemblies 402, 404, 406, 408, and 410 of the present embodiment may have the least material weight and least complexity of moulds. Also, the cover plate assemblies 402, 404, 406, 408, and 410 may be front loading assemblies and therefore, allow the devices to be installed from the front. Therefore, the main plates may not even be removed for maintenance of the wirings. Moreover, the cover plate assemblies 402, 404, 406, 408, and 410 of the present embodiment allow for chrome finishing possibilities, in-mould colour inclusion possibilities, and paint part possibilities.

Figure 5 (A-E) illustrate front views of cover plate assemblies, according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. For the sake of brevity, constructional and operational features of the present disclosure that are already explained in the description of Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, and Figure 4 are not explained in the description of Figure 5. In particular, Figure 5 illustrates cover plate assemblies including the covering portions adapted to cover the screws, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figure 5A illustrates a cover plate assembly 502 having a pair of covering portions 504 and adapted to accommodate at least a pair of devices, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the cover plate assembly 502 may accommodate 3 devices of 1-module size. In another embodiment, the cover plate assembly 502 may accommodate a 2-module device and a 1-module device, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Figure 5B illustrates a cover plate assembly 506 having a pair of covering portions 508 and adapted to accommodate at least five devices, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5C illustrates a cover plate assembly 510 having four covering portions 512 and adapted to accommodate at least four devices, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5D illustrates a cover plate assembly 514 having four covering portions 516 and adapted to accommodate at least ten devices, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5E illustrates a cover plate assembly 518 having eight covering portions 520 adapted to accommodate at least eight devices, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The cover plate assemblies 502, 506, 510, 514, and 518 of the present embodiment also allow for chrome finishing possibilities, in-mould colour inclusion possibilities, and paint part possibilities.

Figure 6 (A-F) illustrate front views of cover plate assemblies, according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. For the sake of brevity, constructional and operational features of the present disclosure that are already explained in the description of Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4, and Figure 5 are not explained in the description of Figure 6. In particular, Figure 6 illustrates cover plate assemblies having white moulding or coloured moulding, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figure 6A illustrates cover plate assemblies 602, 604, 606, and 608 having white moulding components, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the dimensional characteristics of the cover plate assemblies 602, 604, 606, and 608 are different from each other, based on operational requirements and user preferences. Figure 6B illustrates cover plate assemblies 610, 612, and 614 having coloured moulding components, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the dimensional characteristics of the cover plate assemblies 610, 612, and 614 are different from each other. The cover plate assemblies 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, and 614 of the present embodiment also allow for chrome finishing possibilities and paint part possibilities. Figure 6C illustrates a sub-plate 616 of the cover plate assembly 602, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the sub-plate 616 depicts a horizontal patch whereas the cover plate assembly 610 depicts a vertical patch. Therefore, the sub-plate 616 may be understood as a variation of the cover plate assembly 610. Similarly, Figure 6D illustrates a sub-plate 618 of the cover plate assembly 604, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The sub-plate 618 may belong to the cover plate assembly 614.

Figure 6E illustrates cover plate assemblies 620 and 622 having different dimensional characteristics, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6F illustrates cover plate assemblies 624 and 626 having different dimensional characteristics, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. In the present embodiment, the sub-plate can be kept separate from the covering portions for covering the screws.

Figure 7(A-I) illustrate front views of cover plate assemblies, according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. For the sake of brevity, constructional and operational features of the present disclosure that are already explained in the description of Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4, Figure 5, and Figure 6 are not explained in the description of Figure 7.

Figure 7A illustrates a cover plate assembly 702 having a pair of covering portions 704 and adapted to accommodate at least a pair of devices, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the cover plate assembly 702 may accommodate 3 devices of 1-module size. In another embodiment, the cover plate assembly 702 may accommodate a 2-module device and a 1-module device, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Figure 7B illustrates a cover plate assembly 706 having a pair of covering portions 708 and adapted to accommodate at least three devices, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7C illustrates a cover plate assembly 710 having four covering portions 712 and adapted to accommodate at least six devices, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7D illustrates a cover plate assembly 714 having four covering portions 716 and adapted to accommodate at least four devices, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7E illustrates a cover plate assembly 718 adapted to accommodate at least four devices, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the present embodiment, the sub-plate can be kept separate from the covering portions for covering the screws. Figure 7F illustrates a cover plate assembly 722 having two covering portions 724 and adapted to accommodate at least four devices, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figure 7G illustrates a cover plate assembly 726 having six covering portions 728 and adapted to accommodate at least eight devices, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7H illustrates a cover plate assembly 730 adapted to accommodate at least eight devices, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7I illustrates a cover plate assembly 732 having three covering portions 734 and adapted to accommodate at least eight devices, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The cover plate assemblies 702, 706, 710, 714, 718, 722, 726, 730, and 732 of the present embodiment also allow for chrome finishing possibilities and paint part possibilities.

Although, in the illustrated embodiments, the sub-plate 104 and the main plate 102 are shown to be having a square or a rectangular shape, it should be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the shape is not limited to the square or the rectangle. The cover plate assembly 100 and the corresponding sub-components can be formed of any other shape, based on a requirement of a user, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

In an embodiment, the cover plate assembly 100 is formed by selecting a main plate 102 from among a plurality of main plates 102 as explained above. Further, a sub-plate 104 is selected from among a plurality of sub-plates 104 as explained above. The selected sub-plate 104 is then attached to the main plate 102 to form the cover plate assembly 100. Therefore, the cover plate assembly 100 of the present disclosure allows for selection of different combination of the main plate and sub-plate depending on the application and allowing for the aesthetic flexibility.

As would be gathered, the cover plate assembly 100 of the present disclosure offers a comprehensive approach to accommodate the devices and covering the wirings while ensuring low cost to the user. In an embodiment, the sub-plate 104 is disposed on the main plate 102 to cover the at least one screw. In another embodiment, the covering cap 400 is adapted to cover the at least one screw. Since the at least one screw is concealed, a neat and clean appearance of the cover plate assembly 100 is achieved. Consequently, an overall aesthetic appeal of the cover plate assembly 100 is enhanced.

Further, considering the frame-like short structure of the sub-plate 104, a quantity of material used for manufacturing the sub-plate 104 is less leading to a significant reduction in an overall cost of the sub-plate 104. Moreover, the sub-plate 104 may be adapted to be snap-locked with the main plate 102. Therefore, the sub-plate 104 can be easily installed and removed from the main plate 102 with the help of a tool, such as the screw driver available with the electrician or an electrical tester. The easy removal of the sub-plate 104 allows for gaining easy access to the wiring underneath for any sort of maintenance. Furthermore, the convenient maintenance of the wirings and the associated devices is offered while effectively preventing electric shocks. In order to eliminate the risk of electric shock to the user, the sub-plate 104 can be dismounted only with a tool. The tool may include, but is not limited to, a general-purpose minus driver, for example, a special driver for electricians. Therefore, an electrician can repair the devices and the associated wiring from a front face of the main plate 102 by removing the sub-plate 104. As a result, an overall workability for the user has been enhanced.

In addition, as explained above, the sub-plate 104 and the main plate 102 can be formed in a number of different colours, designs, shapes, and materials. Therefore, an overall aesthetic appeal of the cover plate assembly 100 can be varied based on different moods and preferences of a user. For example, manufactures may provide various frame variations, such as a chrome-plated sub-plate 104 and a wood-grain main plate 102. Therefore, the user may use different colours for the main plate 102 as the sub-plate 104, whereby it is possible to improve the aesthetic appearance of the cover plate assembly 100 by unity and colour. In fact, the user may redefine the interiors of a room or premises by attaching the sub-plate 104 of different colours to the same main plate 102. Therefore, just by merely fitting a new sub-plate 104, an overall appearance of the cover plate assembly 100 can be varied. It provides the user with a number of options to experience various looks and feels of the cover plate assembly 100.

Also, the cover plate assembly 100 allows for front loading installation of the switches allowing for easy assembling and disassembling of the switches. Therefore, the cover plate assembly 100 of the present disclosure is safe, risk-free, flexible in implementation, cost-effective, convenient, and has a wide range of applications.

While specific language has been used to describe the present subject matter, any limitations arising on account thereto, are not intended. As would be apparent to a person in the art, various working modifications may be made to the method in order to implement the inventive concept as taught herein. The drawings and the foregoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment.
,CLAIMS:1. A cover plate assembly (100) comprising:
a main plate (102) adapted to be disposed on an installation surface, and comprising:
a slot (106) for accommodating a wiring device, wherein the wiring device comprising at least one of a switch and a socket; and
at least one screw insertion hole (302) adapted to receive at least one screw for fixing the main plate (102) to the installation surface; and
a sub-plate (104) adapted to be disposed adjacent to the slot (106) and comprising at least one covering portion (108), wherein the sub-plate (104) is disposed such that the at least one covering portion (108) covers a screw head of the at least one screw.

2. The cover plate assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sub-plate (104) is disposed on a peripheral portion of the slot (106).

3. The cover plate assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sub-plate (104) is disposed on the main plate (102) through a snap-fit locking mechanism.

4. The cover plate assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a color and a material of the main plate (102) and the sub-plate (104) are different from each other.

5. The cover plate assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover plate assembly (100) is formed by:
selecting the main plate (102), from among a plurality of main plates (102);
selecting the sub-plate (104), from among a plurality of sub-plates (104); and
attaching the sub-plate (104) to the main plate (102).

6. A cover plate assembly (402, 404, 406, 408, 410) comprising:
a main plate (102) adapted to be disposed on an installation surface, and comprising:
a slot (106) for accommodating a wiring device, wherein the wiring device comprising at least one of a switch and a socket; and
at least one screw insertion hole (302) adapted to receive at least one screw for fixing the main plate (102) to the installation surface;
a sub-plate (104) adapted to be disposed on the main plate (102), wherein the sub-plate (104) is disposed adjacent to the slot (106); and
at least one covering cap (400) adapted to be disposed on the main plate (102) such that the at least one covering cap (400) covers a screw head of the at least one screw.

7. The cover plate assembly (402, 404, 406, 408, 410) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one covering cap (400) is disposed on the main plate (102) through a transition-fit locking mechanism.

8. The cover plate assembly (402, 404, 406, 408, 410) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one covering cap (400) is formed of plastic.

9. The cover plate assembly (402, 404, 406, 408, 410) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the sub-plate (104) is disposed on a peripheral portion of the slot (106).

10. A sub-plate (104) of a cover plate assembly (100) adapted to be disposed on a main plate (102) of the cover plate assembly (100), the sub-plate (104) comprising at least one covering portion (108) and adapted to be disposed on the main plate (102) such that the at least one covering portion (108) covers a screw head of at least one screw accommodated in at least one screw insertion hole (302) of the main plate (102) for attaching the main plate (102) to an installation surface.