Cover plates have long been used to cover the openings in walls, ceiling, and/or floors which are necessary when installing electrical switches, electrical power outlets, registers/returns for air conditioners, vents, trim rings for can lights, etc. These covers may be made from a variety of materials, e.g. plastics, woods, glass, metals, etc., and may be finished in a variety of colors and designs. For example, a particular cover may be molded from a variety of different colored plastics to closely match or contrast with certain painted or wall-papered walls or the like. Likewise, special covers, e.g. wood grained or brass, gold, or silver colored, are available for other decors and applications.
In some instances, a plain cover, e.g. plain, white plastic, can be customized by covering the cover with the same wall paper or other wall covering as is used on the wall on which the cover is to be mounted so that the cover blends in with the wall. Likewise, a plain plastic cover may be painted, either before or after installation, with same paint as is used on the wall to again blend in with the finished wall. Painting the cover will provide the cover with the same color as the wall but since most walls are “textured” and then painted, the un-textured cover will still appear distinct from the wall when mounted thereon and gives an unpleasing appearance to some. Also, common interior paint does not adhere well to the slick cover and has a tendency to chip or peel off the cover during the operational life of the cover. This is also true if one attempts to merely texture the cover(s) with the same texturing compound as used on the wall before painting the cover since the bond between the slick cover and the texturing compound is iffy at best and will likely badly chip off the cover in short order.
Accordingly, it should be evident that it would be a beneficial to the decorating industry to have a variety of “pre-textured” covers available which are formed with the permanent textured surfaces molded therein which correspond to the different respective texture patterns commonly used by professional finishers. This is especially true where the “pre-textured” covers are also “pre-primed” so that the covers can readily be painted with the same paint as that used in finishing a room.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds