Electricity: conductors and insulators – Boxes and housings
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-26
2004-04-20
Patel, Dhiru R (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Boxes and housings
C174S063000, C174S064000, C248S205100, C220S003700, C220S003800, C439S535000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06723918
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Commonly, an electrical box having a plaster ring defines a generally rectangular cavity, which is bounded by an upper wall, a lower wall, and two lateral walls, each said wall having a distal edge, and by a back wall. The plaster ring, which may be also called a mud ring or a faceplate, defines a generally rectangular frame, which is bounded by an upper member, a lower member, and two lateral members. The plaster ring is fastenable to the electrical box, via fasteners passing through slots in the plaster ring into ears on the electrical box, so that the upper member of the plaster ring is aligned with the distal edge of the upper wall of the electrical box, so that the lower member of the plaster ring is aligned with the diatal edge of the lower wall of the electrical box, and so that each of the lateral members of the plaster ring is aligned with the diatal edge of one of the lateral walls of the electrical box.
For mounting an electrical box having a plaster ring, as described above, it has been known to use a floor stand (such as the EZ Floor Stand Box Support, which is available commercially from S-P Products, Inc. of Elk Grove Village, Ill.) to which the electrical box is fastened by fasteners passing through holes in the back wall of the electrical box, into holes selected from series of holes spaced vertically and incrementally along the floor stand, or to which the plaster ring is fastened by fasteners passing through slots or holes in the plaster ring, into holes selected therefrom. The floor stand permits the electrical box having the plaster ring not only to be horizontally positionable, because the floor stand does not fasten to a stud, but also to be vertically positionable at incrementally spaced positions above a floor.
For mounting an electrical box having a plaster ring, as described above, between two studs, it is known to use a mounting bracket defining elongate frame having an upper member and member and mounting the electrical box having the plaster ring, via fasteners passing between the upper and lower members. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,330,137 and 5,931,425, both to John H. Oliva.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Broadly, this invention provides improvements in the floor stand disclosed in the aforenoted application, of which this application is a continuation-in-part. As improved by this invention, the floor stand not only mounts an electrical box, which may have a plaster ring, but also supports a conduit extending downwardly to the electrical box. As improved by this invention, the floor stand is intended to meet electrical codes calling for a conduit to be supported within a prescribed distance (e.g., one foot) from an electrical box, without a need for a conduit-supporting structure separate from the floor stand.
As improved by this invention, the floor stand has a conduit-supporting flange projecting backwardly from an upper portion of the floor stand. The floor stand is adapted to mount an electrical box so as to bear against the back face of the floor stand, beneath the conduit-supporting flange, and the conduit-supporting flange has an aperture adapted to pas a conduit extending downwardly through the aperture, as from a ceiling junction, to an electrical box so mounted.
Preferably, the conduit-supporting flange is made from a bendable material (e.g., sheet steel, which has been galvanized) and has a slot communicating with the aperture, from an edge of the conduit-supporting flange, and a tab adjacent to the slot. The tab is adapted to permit a conduit to enter the aperture from the edge of the conduit-supporting flange, via the slot, if the tab is bent sufficiently, and to block the conduit from exiting the aperture, via the slot, if the tab is unbent.
The aperture may be one of a plural number of like apertures, the slot may be one of an equal number of like slots, and the tab may be one of an equal number of like tabs, each aperture functioning similarly, each slot functioning similarly, and each tab functioning similarly. Preferably, three such apertures, three such slots, and three such tabs are provided.
In one contemplated embodiment, the conduit-supporting flange has a collar surrounding the aperture. The collar is adapted to receive a fastener for fastening the conduit to the collar. The aperture may be one of a plural number of similar apertures, e.g., three similar apertures, and the collar may be one of an equal number of similar collars, each surrounding one of the apertures.
In an alternative embodiment, the conduit-supporting flange has a tab, which has a distal end adapted to engage a conduit passing through the aperture. The aperture may be one of a plural number of similar apertures, e.g., three similar apertures, and the tab may be one of an equal number of similar tabs, each being associated with one of the apertures.
Preferably, the upright member is made from the same material, which is bendable, and the upright member has an equal number of like wall-attachable flanges. Each wall-attachable flange is bendable from a non-in-use position, in which said wall-attachable flange projects vertically, into an in-use position, in which said wall-attachable flange projects backwardly and is attachable to a wall behind the floor stand. Preferably, before being from its not-in-use position, each wall-attachable flange projects downwardly.
If a plural number of the wall-attachable flanges are provided, this invention enables an installer to select and to utilize, for bending into its in-use position and for attaching to a wall behind the floor stand, a wall-attachable flange that does not interfere with a conduit extending downwardly to the electrical box, so long as fewer conduits extend downwardly to the electrical box, as compared to the plural number of the wall-attachable flanges.
Advantageously, a floor stand embodying this invention can embody features of the floor stand disclosed in the aforenoted application, of which this application is a continuation-in-part.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4603789 (1986-08-01), Medlin, Sr.
patent: 5448011 (1995-09-01), Laughlin
patent: 6423897 (2002-07-01), Roesch et al.
patent: 6429371 (2002-08-01), Schiedegger et al.
patent: 6573449 (2003-06-01), Vrame
patent: 6590155 (2003-07-01), Vrame et al.
Patel Dhiru R
Vrame Paul A.
Wood Phillips Katz Clark & Mortimer
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