Receptacles – Outlet or junction box type – Wall – floor – or panel mounted
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-26
2001-12-11
Garbe, Stephen P. (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Outlet or junction box type
Wall, floor, or panel mounted
C174S0450TD, C220S003600, C220S003940, C248S027300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328177
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally concerned with boxes used to accommodate a device of any kind, for example an electrical device of any kind, for example an infrared receiving cell, and designed to be built into a wall of any kind by fitting into an opening provided in the wall for this purpose.
The wall to be equipped can be a suspended ceiling, for example.
It can also be a hollow partition wall, of the type usually called a dry wall, for example.
It can also be part of trunking of any kind.
Finally, and more generally, it can be formed by any kind of support, for example a simple metal plate, for example a closure to be attached to any of the kinds of wall previously referred to.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention is more particularly directed to the situation in which the box to be built into a wall of the above kind has a transverse flange adapted to bear against the wall in the manner of a guard and, beyond the flange, at least one elastically deformable lug projecting laterally to cooperate with the wall concerned to retain the box.
In practice two elastically deformable lugs are usually provided, at diametrally opposite positions.
At present, the elastically deformable lugs usually extend in the opposite direction to the flange, in particular to facilitate removal of the box.
They then interengage with the edge surface of the opening through which they pass with a simple friction effect.
Although this is satisfactory for relatively thick walls, i.e. walls such as suspended ceilings that have a thickness in the order of 20 mm to 30 mm, it is unsatisfactory for thinner walls, i.e. walls like those of trunking of any kind, for example, or of a metal plate of any kind, having a thickness less than 3 mm.
A general aim of the present invention is a device that is satisfactory in either case.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To be more precise, the present invention consists in a box, in particular for electrical devices, adapted to be built into a wall of any kind by fitting into an opening therein, the box being of the kind including a transverse flange adapted to bear in the manner of a guard against the wall and, beyond the flange, at least one elastically deformable lug projecting laterally to cooperate with the wall, wherein the elastically deformable lug has two branches with a common root and extending in respective different directions, namely, referred to the insertion direction, a first or front branch extending globally away from the flange and a second or rear branch extending globally towards the flange.
Accordingly, if the wall is relatively thick, it is the front branch of an elastically deformable lug of the above kind that is operative by friction, as previously, bearing against the edge surface of the wall.
However, if the wall is relatively thin its rear branch is operative.
In accordance with the invention the rear branch is then braced against the inside edge of the opening in the wall.
Arrangements described in detail hereinafter make it possible to remove the box in this case, however.
The features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description given by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3168613 (1965-02-01), Palmer
patent: 3213189 (1965-10-01), Mitchell et al.
patent: 3611861 (1971-10-01), Schulze
patent: 3749873 (1973-07-01), Harper et al.
patent: 3848764 (1974-11-01), Salag
patent: 4406936 (1983-09-01), Ohashi
patent: 4620641 (1986-11-01), Beer
patent: 4687164 (1987-08-01), Bakhaus et al.
patent: 4801040 (1989-01-01), Kraus
patent: 4913385 (1990-04-01), Law et al.
patent: 4927287 (1990-05-01), Ohkawa et al.
patent: 5044985 (1991-09-01), Sheen
patent: 5129768 (1992-07-01), Hoyle et al.
patent: 5288189 (1994-02-01), Hepworth
patent: 5499737 (1996-03-01), Kraus
patent: 4020676 (1992-01-01), None
patent: 4342512 (1995-06-01), None
patent: 1187189 (1959-09-01), None
patent: WO 91/10071 (1991-07-01), None
patent: 9516295 (1995-06-01), None
Garbe Stephen P.
Legrand
Merek Joseph C.
Young & Thompson
LandOfFree
Wall recessible box for electrical apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Wall recessible box for electrical apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Wall recessible box for electrical apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2583948