Electricity: conductors and insulators – Boxes and housings – With electrical device
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-19
2002-07-09
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Boxes and housings
With electrical device
C411S427000, C411S295000, C174S054000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06417449
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a system for holding or suspending electrical conduit and junction boxes. Specifically, this invention relates to a modular holder, whereby one or a plurality of conduits or junction boxes. can be easily and efficiently held or suspended from a support surface by a single hanger wire or threaded rod.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
During the construction of structures such as buildings, houses, etc., it is necessary to install large quantities of pipe, conduit, and electrical junction boxes in such structures. Piping, including PVC and metal piping, is necessary for plumbing. Electrical conduit and junction boxes are necessary to provide the electrical wiring from one point of the structure to another.
Normally, the pipe or conduit is supported against or suspended from a beam, wall or ceiling of the structure. Typical forms of attachment of the conduit, junction boxes or piping to the structure include brackets, wire hangers in the case of suspension, and clamps. In instances when more than one pipe or conduit is required to be installed at the same location, it is often difficult to join an additional pipe, conduit, or junction box to that already installed.
In the construction of suspended ceilings, electrical services are typically required to be hidden from view above the suspended ceiling. The suspended ceiling includes a steel or aluminum grid or lattice framework which supports individual ceiling tiles and is hung by metal rods, wire hangers, or ceiling wires that are fixed to an overhead support structure such as the main ceiling, which is usually made of concrete or steelwork. Typically, the lighting fixtures are fitted into the grid or tiles so that the ceiling presents a pleasant appearance and all of the electrical boxes, junction boxes, wiring and conduit, ductwork, and piping, etc., is hidden from public view, but easily accessible to workmen to carry out maintenance and alternations.
There are a number of devices in existence for supporting light fixtures and electrical boxes such as junction boxes in a suspended ceiling. Typically these devices have one or two supports that run beyond length of the ceiling panel to straddle the frame or extend between two Tee bars or the like to which the junction box is secured.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general by a modular holder for suspending conduit and junction boxes from a support surface by a single hanger wire or threaded rod. The holder has an elongate body with a central threaded bore extending along a longitudinal axis and opposed flat ends, a first transverse threaded bore disposed intermediate the opposed ends extending through the body along an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and a second transverse bore disposed near one of the opposed ends extending through the body along an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The holder body may be suspended in a vertical position by a hanger wire looped through the second transverse bore or screwed onto the bottom end of a threaded rod whereby the lower end of the body is connected to a conduit hanger or a junction box. The hanger may also be suspended in a horizontal position by a hanger wire looped through the first transverse bore whereby its opposed ends may be connected to a pair of conduit hangers or junction boxes to support a pair of conduits or junction boxes in a laterally spaced position. One or more of the holders may also be threadedly engaged on the threaded rod in horizontal vertically spaced relation and their opposed ends connected with conduit hangers or junction boxes to support a plurality of conduits and/or junction boxes in a laterally and vertically spaced relation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a modular holder for conduit and junction boxes that allows one or a plurality of conduits or junction boxes to be suspended from a support surface by a single hanger wire or threaded rod.
It is another object of this invention to provide a modular holder for conduit and junction boxes that allows a combination of conduits and junction boxes to be suspended from a support surface by a single hanger wire or threaded rod.
Another object of this invention is to provide a modular holder for easily and quickly suspending conduit and junction boxes on a single hanger wire or threaded rod that does not require special tools.
A further object of this invention is to provide a modular holder for suspending conduit and junction boxes on a single hanger wire or threaded rod and allows the suspended conduit or junction boxes to be adjusted relative to a vertical and horizontal axis.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a modular holder for suspending conduit and junction boxes on a single hanger wire or threaded rod which is simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.
Other objects of the invention will become apparent from time to time throughout the specification and claims as hereinafter related.
The above noted objects and other objects of the invention are accomplished by a modular holder for suspending conduit and junction boxes from a support surface by a single hanger wire or threaded rod. The holder has an elongate body with a central threaded bore extending along a longitudinal axis and opposed flat ends, a first transverse threaded bore disposed intermediate the opposed ends extending through the body along an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and a second transverse bore disposed near one of the opposed ends extending through the body along an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The holder body may be suspended in a vertical position by a hanger wire looped through the second transverse bore or screwed onto the bottom end of a threaded rod whereby the lower end of the body is connected to a conduit hanger or a junction box. The hanger may also be suspended in a horizontal position by a hanger wire looped through the first transverse bore whereby its opposed ends may be connected to a pair of conduit hangers or junction boxes to support a pair of conduits or junction boxes in a laterally spaced position. One or more of the holders may also be threadedly engaged on the threaded rod in horizontal vertically spaced relation and their opposed ends connected with conduit hangers or junction boxes to support a plurality of conduits and/or junction boxes in a laterally and vertically spaced relation.
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Estrada Angel R.
Roddy Kenneth A.
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