Electricity: conductors and insulators – Boxes and housings
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-28
2003-04-08
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Boxes and housings
C174S050000, C174S054000, C174S057000, C220S003200, C220S003700, C248S906000, C248S406100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06545216
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application relates to application Ser. No. 09/994,618 to Weeks, filed herewith, and which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to mounting assemblies. More specifically, this invention relates to junction boxes which are suited for supporting different types and sizes of fixtures having different sizes and types of fixture fasteners. Even more particularly, the invention relates to junction boxes suited for alternately supporting different types of fixture fasteners and different fixture fastener offset widths for electrical fixtures, such as lightweight fixtures, ceiling fans, chandeliers, and heavy duty light fixtures, chandeliers, and ceiling fans, which may have different widths between adjacent ones of fixture fasteners, for example.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Mounting assemblies including junction boxes are known.
Examples of known load supporting electrical boxes include the following patents to Reiker: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,854,443; 5,883,331; 5,907,124; 5,981,874; 5,677,512; U.S. Pat. No. Re. 33,147; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 288,289; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,684,092; 4,463,923; 5,965,845; 5,661,264; 5,942,726; 6,096,974; 5,909,006; 5,873,556; 5,938,157; 6,207,897; 6,204,450; 6,207,894; 6,207,898; 6,242,696; 6,281,439; and 6,291,768.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a two-in-one junction box; i.e., a box which can be used to support at least two types of fixtures, such as light fixtures, ceiling fans, and chandeliers.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a junction box which can be readily converted from a light fixture junction box to a ceiling fan/chandelier supporting junction box and vice-versa.
It is another object of the invention to provide a junction box which is stronger than conventional junction boxes.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a junction box which is stronger than conventional junction boxes with the addition of a few additional components.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a junction box convertible from a fixture support sized for a first size of fixture fastener to a fixture support sized for a second size of fixture fastener, the second size of fixture fastener differing from the first size of fixture fastener.
It is another object of the invention to provide a junction box which is convertible from one type of fixture fastener to a different type of fixture fastener.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a junction box convertible from a fixture support sized for a first size of fixture fastener to a fixture support sized for a second size of fixture fastener that differs from the first size of fixture fastener, while maintaining or varying a predetermined fixture fastener offset.
It is another object of the invention to provide a junction box which is convertible from one type of fixture fastener to a different type of fixture fastener, while maintaining or varying a predetermined fixture fastener offset.
Another object of the invention is to provide a junction box which is more cost-effective to produce.
A further object of the invention is to provide a junction box which is easier to assemble than known junction boxes.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a two-in-one type junction box having a fixture support suited for supporting two different types of fixtures requiring two different sizes of fixture fasteners, or two different offsets between adjacent fixture fasteners, and that has only one outwardly facing size of fixture support at a time; e.g., so that the user always knows with certainty which fixture support is to be used for which fixture fastener or for which fixture fastener width offset.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a junction box which can accommodate substantially any length or offset width of fixture fastener.
In summary, the invention is directed to a mounting assembly including a junction box having a top wall and a downwardly extending side wall defining a cavity therein. A fixture support is provided on the junction box that has a first use position and a second use position, and the fixture support is usable in the first use position or the second use position to establish a different fixture fastener offset width.
The invention is likewise directed to a mounting assembly including a junction box having a top wall and a downwardly extending side wall defining a cavity therein. A fixture support is attached to the junction box, and a first fixture fastener is provided on a fixture support. The first fixture fastener is sized for securing a first type of fixture fastener having a first offset width. A second fixture fastener sized for securing a second size and/or offset width of fixture fastener may be provided on the fixture support. The fixture support is moveable between a use position for the first fixture fastener and a non-use position for the first fixture fastener.
Relative terms such as up, down, left, and right are for convenience only and are not intended to be limiting.
The term “non-use position” does not mean that the position has no use; rather, it means in the case of the fixture support described below, for example, that it is free to be used for a different purpose, and it is not being used for supporting an outwardly extending fixture fastener, for example; in other words, there may be a different use for the fixture fastener in its non-use position, such different use being a use other than being used as one of the main supports for a fixture. If may be used to provide supplemental support to a fixture or to indicate which fixture support is not being used; hence, which of two fixture supports is being used, by process of elimination.
The term “offset width”, or “use width”, means the distance between, for example, two(2) fixture fasteners of a fixture to be supported, that the corresponding two(2) fixture fasteners on the two(2) fixture supports of the junction box must match. For example, if a light fixture to be supported by a junction box according to the invention has two(2) attachment points located 3½ inch (8.9 cm) apart from each other (i.e., a 3½ inch offset width) and at which 8-32 screws are attached, then the inventive junction box would be provided with two(2) 8-32 female fasteners offset 3½ inch (8.9 cm) apart to receive the 8-32 male fasteners (such as screws) used to attach the light fixture to the junction box of the mounting assembly.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5728973 (1998-03-01), Jorgensen
patent: 5824952 (1998-10-01), Bordwell et al.
patent: 5857581 (1999-01-01), Jorgensen
patent: 5883331 (1999-03-01), Reiker
patent: 5950853 (1999-09-01), Jorgensen
patent: 6036337 (2000-03-01), Belfer
patent: 6170685 (2001-01-01), Currier
Bell Rebekah E.
Weeks Richard H.
Harris Anton
Reichard Dean A.
Reiker Enterprises of Northwest Florida Inc.
Shlesinger & Arkwright & Garvey LLP
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