Upon entering a darkened room a person unfamiliar with the layout of the room must typically locate a wall switch to turn on the lights. Searching for a wall switch in a darkened room often requires navigating around objects such as tables and chairs. Such searching is hazardous and unsafe for those involved. Thus, there is a need for an electrical wiring device that provides a visual indication as to its location in a darkened room. One approach to solving this problem includes providing a wall mounted illumination device. Typically, a wall mounted illumination device for use in residential or commercial applications includes a conventional electrical wiring device that incorporates dedicated illumination circuitry and a permanently mounted light source.
One draw back to these devices is that once installed they are not reconfigurable from a non-illuminated device to an illuminated device. For example, if a wall mounted, non-illuminated electrical wiring device is installed and it is later determined that an illuminated electrical wiring device is required, the non-illuminated electrical wiring device must be removed and an illuminated electrical wiring device installed thereby increasing the cost of the electrical installation. Thus, there is a need for an electrical wiring device that is reconfigurable, after installation, from a non-illuminated electrical wiring device to an illuminated electrical wiring device, and from an illuminated electrical wiring device to a non-illuminated electrical wiring device.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds