Electricity: conductors and insulators – Boxes and housings – With electrical device
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-23
2001-11-27
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Boxes and housings
With electrical device
C220S003500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06323424
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to electrical power distribution apparatus and particularly to systems employed in supporting electrical connecting boxes for use in dwellings or other similar structures.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The electrical power distribution systems utilized in most modern dwellings and other structures such as commercial structures or the like typically utilized a plurality of electrical boxes secured conveniently about the various dwelling structure areas together with a plurality of power connecting wires utilized to communicate electrical power to each of the electrical boxes from the power utility source which typically provides a plurality of protective circuit breakers and fuses. Each of the electrical boxes supports one or more coupling and/or control devices such as coupling plug receptacles and/or electrical switches which are secured to the connecting box and which are coupled to the connecting wires. In most structures, some type of wall covering such as dry-wall or wall board, paneling, or other modular wall panels is provided upon the wall interiors. Apertures are formed in such wall covering materials to expose the plug receptacles and/or switches for access by the user. In most electric power distribution systems each box is fitted with a ring joined to the electrical box which provides an opening or large aperture and a surrounding or encircling riser portion. The size of the riser portion is determined by the wall thickness or wall covering thickness to be utilized.
In a typical electric box installation of the type to which the present invention pertains, a metal bracket is secured to the wall frame prior to the application of wall covering material. Typically, the wall frame utilizes a plurality of supporting studs to which the support bracket may be secured. The bracket defines an aperture shaped and sized to correspond roughly to the frontal opening of an electrical box which is secured to the back side of the bracket and is thus supported within the interior wall space of the wall between supporting studs. The ring is secured to the front face of the bracket utilizing a plurality of screw fasteners which pass through apertures in the bracket and which commonly join the electrical box and ring to the rear and front sides of the bracket in a combined attachment. The wall covering having suitable apertures cut therein is then applied to cover the supporting frame leaving the frontal opening of the electric box ring exposed. Coupling and control elements such as plug receptacles and/or switches may then be connected to the box wiring and secured to the electric box ring to complete the installation. In most instances a decorative cover plate is further attached to provide a safe and aesthetically pleasing overlay for the switches and plug receptacles. In some installations, the coupling and control devices are secured to the electric box ring prior to the installation of wall covering material.
While the above described prior art system of providing electrical box mounting has proven itself to be generally practical and satisfactory, a problem often arises in connection with the common fastener attachment of the electrical box and electrical box ring to the supporting bracket. In essence this common attachment imposes a restriction upon the system in which the ring may not easily be removed or changed subsequent to electric box installation upon the support bracket. The absence of the ability to remove or change the ring requires that practitioners know the thickness of wall covering material and types of receptacles or switches to be utilized at the time of installation of the electrical box and ring to the supporting bracket. This condition provides great inconvenience in the accommodation of changes or in the event of erroneous information which is later imposed or discovered following the installation of wall covering material and the completion of electric box and ring assembly to the supporting bracket. As a result, practitioners encountering the need to change ring size or ring type are presented with a difficult and time consuming process at best.
Another limitation of present systems for mounting electrical boxes and rings is found in their lack of flexible and versatile support of multiple boxes and rings. In many electric power distribution systems, a need arises to support a plurality of electrical boxes and rings within a single wall space found between a pair of wall supporting studs.
There arises therefore, a need in the art an improved electrical box mounting system in which changes of the ring may be implemented without disturbing the attachment of the electrical box to the supporting bracket.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved electric box mounting system. It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide an improved electric box mounting system which utilizes and facilitates a removable ring. It is a still more particular object of the present invention to provide an improved electrical box mounting system which facilitates assembly of the electrical box to the mounting bracket without the assembly of the electrical box ring.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided an electrical box assembly comprising: a generally planar bracket having a plurality of generally rectangular apertures, a front face, a rear face, a plurality of fastener aperture pairs each diagonally positioned with respect one of the generally rectangular apertures, a plurality of countersunk recess pairs each diagonally positioned with respect to one of the generally rectangular apertures each of which defines a second pair of fastener apertures therein; a plurality of electrical boxes each having an open face, a frontal edge and a pair of diagonally positioned inwardly extending tabs each having a tab aperture formed therein; pairs of flushmount fasteners each having a threaded portion and a fastener head, the pairs of flushmount fasteners being received in the countersunk recesses such that the fastener heads are received in the recesses and the threaded portions pass through the second pair of fastener apertures and engage the tab apertures to secure the edge of each of the electrical boxes against the rear surface; a plurality of electrical box rings each having a flange defining a pair of slots and a riser portion; and pairs of threaded fasteners threadably engaging the first pairs of fastener apertures, the electrical box rings being secured to the front face of the bracket by pairs of threaded fasteners in the first pair of fastener apertures such that the flanges are placed against the front face overlying the fastener heads of the pairs of flushmount fasteners.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4747506 (1988-05-01), Stuchlik
patent: 5263676 (1993-11-01), Medlin, Jr. et al.
patent: 5740936 (1998-04-01), Nash
patent: 6188022 (2001-02-01), He
Ekstrand Roy A.
Patel Dhiru R
Reichard Dean A.
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