Electricity: conductors and insulators – Boxes and housings
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-17
2001-05-08
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Boxes and housings
C174S058000, C220S004020, C248S906000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06229087
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to electrical boxes for installing switches, plugs and accessories flush with a wall surface, and more particularly to a means for laterally ganging such electrical boxes using the same part.
BACKGROUND
It is common to make electrical boxes in various sizes to accommodate varying numbers and sizes of electrical components, such as electrical outlets, switches, etc. This multiplicity of sizes creates manufacturing and inventory problems for the fabricator, distributors, retailers and buildings.
There are two manners of construction concerned with electrical wall boxes. One is the “existing work” version in which a new electrical box is installed in existing construction, and the other manner is the “new work” construction in which a suitably sized electrical box is added to a structure in the process of being built. When an existing electrical box in existing construction must be expanded to hold, for example, two electrical switches, typically one must remove a large portion of the wall surrounding the existing electrical box. This greatly disfigures the area around the electrical box. After removing the existing electrical box, a differently-shaped, larger sized box is installed and wired after which the wall is refinished and repainted. This is a very labor-intensive and time-consuming task.
In “new work” construction where an electrical box is installed in a structure being built, an electrical box is typically connected to a support stud of the structure by means of a nail or screw attachment that is incorporated in the electrical box design. Drywall having holes cut for access to the electrical box is then installed to the support studs. Typically, in new construction, contractors must have on hand a multitude of differently sized electrical boxes to be able to select the required size as needed. Likewise, fabricators, distributors and retailers must be able to supply all of the sizes which may be required in any particular construction project.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have a single electrical box configuration that is easily gangable with an identical electrical box, hermaphroditic, and efficiently expandable in both existing and new work construction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention eliminates the above difficulties and disadvantages by providing an electrical box for receiving a first set of wires therein and adaptable for securing to an adjacent electrical box for receiving a second set of wires therein.
The electrical box includes a bounding side wall having at least one removable portion for permitting lateral access to the interior of the electrical box from the adjacent electrical box and a frangible notch formed in the at least one removable portion of the bounding side wall. A rear panel is coupled to the side wall of the electrical box and defines an interior of the electrical box therewith.
The electrical box further includes at least one male coupling member integrally formed on the side wall and that is substantially dovetail in shape. In addition, the electrical box includes at least one female coupling member integrally formed on the side wall opposite the at least one male coupling member and in the interior of the electrical box, the female coupling member being substantially dovetail in shape.
The female and male coupling members are slidingly engagable to the adjacent male coupling member and the adjacent female coupling member, respectively, of the adjacent electrical box, the electrical box is constructed of a hermaphroditic configuration for permitting lateral coupling of two or more electrical boxes.
When the electrical box is secured to the adjacent electrical box, the removable portion left intact serves to physically and electrically separate the first set of wires of the electrical box from the second set of wires of the adjacent electrical box. A device aperture is coupled to the side wall and disposed in the interior of the electrical box for securing a device such as a switch or electrical outlet to the electrical box.
REFERENCES:
patent: 926246 (1909-06-01), Dorff
patent: 933661 (1909-09-01), Paiste
patent: 948438 (1910-02-01), Ziegler et al.
patent: 1066215 (1913-07-01), Murray
patent: 1104930 (1914-07-01), Raquette
patent: 1112426 (1914-09-01), Stoddard
patent: 1133949 (1915-03-01), Evans
patent: 1167879 (1916-01-01), Bayleiss et al.
patent: 1201003 (1916-10-01), Van Duzer
patent: 1205589 (1916-11-01), Young
patent: 1208393 (1916-12-01), Smart
patent: 1230218 (1917-06-01), Raquette
patent: 1249313 (1917-12-01), Boyton et al.
patent: 1456385 (1923-05-01), Kvarnstrom
patent: 1483453 (1924-05-01), Knoderer
patent: 1531309 (1925-03-01), Ryden
patent: 1534723 (1925-04-01), Lewis
patent: 1817307 (1931-08-01), Haase et al.
patent: 1857787 (1932-05-01), Meeks et al.
patent: 2552400 (1951-05-01), Brunia
patent: 2959633 (1960-11-01), Palmer et al.
patent: 3564112 (1971-02-01), Algotsson
patent: 3622029 (1971-11-01), Ware
patent: 4057164 (1977-11-01), Maier
patent: 4111328 (1978-09-01), Eggert et al.
patent: 4263472 (1981-04-01), Mahen
patent: 4428492 (1984-01-01), Jorgensen
patent: 5159155 (1992-10-01), Nishihara
patent: 5239129 (1993-08-01), Ehrenfels
patent: 5378854 (1995-01-01), Hoover
patent: 5574255 (1996-11-01), Simmons
patent: 5594207 (1997-01-01), Fabian et al.
patent: 6066802 (2000-05-01), Reinke et al.
patent: 6066803 (2000-05-01), Hagerty
patent: 6107567 (2000-08-01), Blalock
patent: 2033990 (1972-01-01), None
patent: 1086373 (1967-11-01), None
patent: 1444842 (1976-08-01), None
Barger G. Andrew
Patel Dhiru R
Reichard Dean A.
Thomas & Betts International Inc.
LandOfFree
Gangable electrical box does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Gangable electrical box, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Gangable electrical box will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2544648