Electricity: conductors and insulators – Boxes and housings – With electrical device
Reexamination Certificate
2003-06-18
2004-05-11
Patel, Dhiru R (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Boxes and housings
With electrical device
C174S050000, C174S053000, C220S004020, C248S906000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06734356
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to devices and methods for mounting ceiling fans and other large and heavy electrical fixtures to ceilings. More particularly, the present invention describes a prepackaged mounting assembly for providing easy attachment of an electrical fixture to a rafter or similar building structure. The prepackaged mounting assembly comprises an electrical junction box and a bracket. Fasteners are held in temporary storage locations in the junction box. The junction box and bracket are secured to a suitable structural surface. The fasteners are removed from the temporary storage locations and moved to their permanent locations to secure an electrical fixture to the bracket. The junction box includes an integral electrical junction box for storage of wiring connections.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the hardware and construction industry, it has become desirable to include fasteners with each separate electrical device that is sold. Electrical mounting devices such as outlet boxes for example, are supplied by the manufacturer with fasteners attached to each separate device. This allows a hardware store to display and market a total package to the consumer and absolves the consumer of the task of locating and purchasing the required fasteners. It also eliminates the time and effort required for the consumer to locate the correct bin and obtain the correct fastener. By supplying the correct fasteners with each device, both the homeowner and professional installers are freed of the task of locating fasteners at the time of installation. Prepackaged fasteners therefore are very convenient and desirable in modem construction or remodeling projects.
One application that would benefit from prepackaged fasteners is the mounting device for supporting ceiling-mounted electrical fixtures. It is common to hang electrical fixtures such as lights and fans from ceilings. Although many mounting devices have been proposed for this task, they typically do not include prepackaged fasteners as part of the mounting device. This forces the installer to obtain the fasteners separately and have them ready at the time of installation. In addition, if the fasteners are not conveniently located with the mounting device, it becomes quite tedious for an installer to hold the mounting device overhead while inserting a fastener, thread the fastener into a support structure, and tighten the fastener therein enough to secure the device to the structure.
Several manufacturers have sought to include fasteners with the mounting device by packaging the device in a container, such as a box, and including the fasteners in a separate container within the box, such as a plastic bag. This solves the problem of obtaining the fasteners separately, but is undesirable as the packaging adds to the cost of the device and the fasteners are not held in a location convenient to the job. The installer must typically remember to remove the bag of fasteners and carry it with the device to the installation site. Furthermore, if the fasteners are lost, there is a risk that the installer will use the wrong fasteners, thereby creating an unsafe and dangerous installation.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,191,362 (hereinafter the '362 patent) and 6,355,883 (hereinafter the '883 patent) to Gretz, both incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, therefore proposed a mounting assembly that included extended recesses and apertures the purpose and utility of which was to provide a location for the placement of mounting bolts or screws during shipment and prior to installation. As stated in this disclosure, the inclusion of mounting bolts or screws, frictionally engaged in apertures assures the immediate availability of such fasteners at the appropriate time to the installation process. The mounting assemblies included a channel with teeth for engaging a rafter for attaching an electrical fixture thereto.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/017,571, filed Oct. 22, 2001 and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, proposed a mounting assembly with a channel for attachment to an overhead rafter. The mounting assembly included a junction box and at least one holster included with the box. The holster comprised an integral tubular projection from the box with the tubular projection open to and communicating with the interior volume at a first end joining the box and either open or closed at a second end away from the box. This disclosure therefore proposed an electrical device mounting assembly that provided prepackaged fasteners. The prepackaged fasteners are provided in temporary storage receptacles during storage and shipment of the box. At the assembly site, the fasteners are typically moved to the appropriate location for anchoring the box.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/012,584, filed Nov. 7, 2001, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/287,088, filed Nov. 4, 2002, both incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, provided an L-shaped mounting assembly for flush mounting on a horizontal rafter. The mounting assemblies included integral holsters as temporary storage locations for fasteners during storage and shipment. The holsters provide a temporary storage location for the fasteners, protect their ends while storing them therein, and hold the fasteners securely until they are purposely removed by the user.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/361,292, filed Feb. 10, 2003 and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, provided a mounting assembly for securing an electrical fixture to a sloped ceiling. The mounting assembly included two embodiments, one for use with a cathedral ceiling and one for use with a vaulted ceiling. The mounting assembly included an electrical enclosure and a seat for flush fitting against an appropriate brace. An initial fastening screw was included partially secured in a boss below the seat. The box was secured to a brace using the initial fastening screw, the brace secured to an overhead rafter on a sloped ceiling, and an electrical fixture installed to the mounting assembly by removing the threaded fasteners from their respective holsters and securing them through the bracket of the electrical fixture and into the brace.
Although the above referenced inventions and disclosures provide various useful mounting assemblies, they do not provide an adequate prepackaged mounting assembly for mounting against the side of a rafter in those situations in which it is desired that no portions of the mounting assembly extend beyond the bottom of the rafter, such as in the mounting assemblies including channels and L-shaped boxes. Attachment of a mounting assembly having a channel such as that described in the '362 and '883 patents also has the disadvantage of requiring that the rafter be of a size to match the size of the channel. Accordingly, it is desirable at times to have a prepackaged mounting assembly for electrical fixtures that may be mounted to the side of a rafter or other overhead structure.
The mounting assembly of the present invention will therefore provide a mounting assembly having all the required hardware for securing an electrical fixture to the side of an overhead rafter.
An advantage of the present invention is that all required mounting fasteners are included with the mounting assembly.
A further advantage is that the mounting assembly provides a means of holding the fasteners very securely until needed at the job site, so that there will be no loss or displacement of fasteners during storage or shipment.
An additional advantage is that the fasteners are held in the mounting assembly in a manner that the ends of the fasteners are protected during storage and shipment.
The present invention therefore provides a mounting assembly that does not require separate packaging enclosing it or enclosing fasteners provided separately with the assembly.
The present invention will furthermore provide a mounting assembly including an integral junction box for wiring connections.
These, and other advantages will be apparent to a person
Arlington Industries Inc.
Patel Dhiru R
LandOfFree
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