Electricity: conductors and insulators – Boxes and housings – With electrical device
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-15
2003-07-22
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Boxes and housings
With electrical device
C174S053000, C174S050000, C220S003200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06596938
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to external mounting frames positioned around an exterior oriented electrical junction box, and more particularly to a moisture-resistant flashing panel mount which is adapted for a residential and/or commercial electrical junction box so as to prohibit passage of water around the box and into the wall of a residential and/or commercial building.
In view of potentially untoward consequences that can develop upon the entry of water into the interior of a residential and/or commercial building structure, it is extremely important that vulnerable areas such as those surrounding exterior electrical junction boxes disposed within external building walls be weatherproofed to prohibit undesirable moisture entry into the building structure. As is recognized, such water entry, whether from rain, snow, mis-directed lawn sprinklers, or vandalism, can literally ruin floors, walls, ceilings, etc., within a building as the water travels within the hidden inner portions of the structure.
In order to alleviate such problem, lath paper has been applied in layers over the entire vertical surface exterior walls of a residential and/or commercial building with the lath affixed to the wall frame members, such as wood studs for example. The lath paper is either cut out or torn out around the exterior electrical junction box. Caulking is then typically applied at interface sites of the electrical junction box and lath paper in an effort to weather-proof the exterior junction box. Then, conventional exterior wall finish materials such as stucco, wood, brick, etc., are used to cover or finish the outside of the residential and/or commercial building structure.
If the installer of the lath paper does not properly apply the caulk to the electrical box/lath interface to form a weather-proof seal, the installation is immediately flawed and water entry can occur shortly after completion. Where the paper and caulk applications are acceptable, the treatment may be effective at first, but through application of stucco and/or wood siding or through the passage of time and the accompanying environmental influences, the caulk compound oftentimes cracks and eventually breaks away. Thereafter, environmental moisture can easily enter the building from the cracks and voids formed around the electrical junction box and eventually causes severe water damage as described above within the building structure.
In view of the costly damage that can occur because of water intrusion, it is apparent that a need is present for effective and long-lasting moisture protection that can be quickly and properly installed during the building process and remain viable for the life of the structure. Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a moisture-proof flashing panel mount for use on a residential electrical junction box that can be readily installed in a free-floating manner, and also in an additional embodiment for use on a commercial electrical junction box which can be easily installed via fasteners. These panel mounts can be installed without installation error and be fully integrateable with conventional exterior finish materials.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a flashing panel mount wherein an otherwise flat rigid waterproof panel has therethrough a protruding flange or frame for housing the front-most portion of the electrical junction box to thereby create an external moisture impervious barrier over which lath paper and an exterior finish material can be applied while insuring a moisture barrier around the electrical box.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent throughout the description thereof which now follows.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a moisture-resistant flashing panel mount for use on an exterior electrical junction box to be disposed within a residential and/or commercial building structure wall. The mount preferably comprises a one-piece generally flat and generally rigid or semi-rigid moisture-impermeable panel having an exteriorly projecting flanged opening. Although this opening is defined about the central area of the panel, it should be recognized that the opening may be positioned at any given location thereof.
With respect to the flashing panel mount adapted for residential electrical junction box, the exteriorly projecting flanged opening defines a frame or flange having an interior frame surface. This interior frame surface is formed to be complimentary in shape to the shaped outside perimeter or border of the electrical junction box and is sized to allow the shaped border to reside by friction fit within the frame. More specifically, by utilizing such complimentary interior frame surface, the flashing panel mount may simply slide on and frictionally engage the outer perimeter of the electrical junction box and be maintained thereon in a free-floating manner. By free-floating, it is meant that the flashing panel mount can easily self-engage and be self-mounted to the electrical junction box without the need for any auxiliary attaching means such as nails, screws, and the like.
In an additional embodiment of the moisture-proof flashing panel mounts specifically designed for commercial electrical junction boxes, the mount includes a frame which forms a variety of differently sized and shaped exteriorly projecting flanged openings each sized to cooperate industry-standard single-ganged, double-ganged, 3/0 and/or 4/0 commercial junction boxes. Preferably, the panel mount is attached to the commercial junction box by aligning its two diagonally opposed fastener holes with the corresponding fastening holes of the commercial junction box in which fasteners such as screws are threaded therethrough.
For both residentially and commercially applied panel mounts, the remainder of the panel is disposed lateral to the frame and is effectively covered with wall finishing material such as lath paper and stucco and/or siding which is applied to also surround the outer wall of the exteriorly projecting lip that forms the frame. It is to be noted that building codes generally require that such wall finishing material, as well as perhaps any other structure which would include the present inventive flanged frame, cannot overlap the electrical junction box opening border because of possible contact with the electric utility contained within the electrical box. As will become more apparent below, the installation above-described prohibits moisture entry around and into the building-structure wall adjacent the electrical junction box, with such moisture entry prohibition continuing for the life of the building structure.
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Estrada Angel R.
Reichard Dean A.
Stetina Brunda Garred & Brucker
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