Junction boxes with wrap-around compartments

• US 10,644,489 B1
• Filed: 01/27/2020
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elemental LED, Inc. (Elemental Led LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elemental LED, Inc. (Elemental Led LLC)
• Inventors: Lopez-Martinez, Gilberto, South, Daniel, Lassen, Andrew, Greenspan, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Sherman
• Application Number:
  US16/773,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20200161846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 99 Days
• Field of Search: 174520
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/008 the casing being outside the housing of the lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/023 Power supplies in a casing F21V23/003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 15/10 protected by boxes, e.g. by distribution, connection or junction boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/085 including knock-out or tear-out sections
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/088 Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof casings or inlets
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/14 Fastening of cover or lid to box

Abstract

Junction boxes and partitions for junction boxes are disclosed. The junction boxes have a central area for installation of a driver or another such component and at least one wrap-around compartment in which wire connections can be made. In many cases, the junction box may have two wrap-around compartments, often mirror images of one another, that provide separate spaces for high- and low-voltage wire connections. The interior walls or partitions that create the compartments may be carried by and arise from the base of a junction box, or they may be carried by a separate piece that inserts over the driver, fully encloses or caps it, and also carries partition portions to create fully-divided compartments when used in combination with a junction box base that has no partitions of its own.

Claims

1. A junction box, comprising:

a base having a bottom and a sidewall or sidewalls arising from the bottom;

a driver cap, the driver cap having a top, sidewalls depending from the top, and a partition portion extending outwardly from one of the sidewalls of the driver cap, the partition portion being arranged so as to extend to the sidewall or sidewalls of the base and thereby divide the base into at least two compartments that wrap around the driver cap, wherein the driver cap comprises opposed pairs of long and short sidewalls, wherein the partition portion extends parallel to long axes of the long sidewalls of the driver cap; and

a cover sized and adapted to engage the base and to form a closed enclosure with the base.

2. The junction box of claim 1, wherein the base is rectangular and the sidewall comprises opposed pairs of sidewalls.

3. The junction box of claim 1, wherein the driver cap further comprises at least one locating or engaging feature, and the base further comprises a complementary locating or engaging feature.

4. The junction box of claim 3, wherein the locating or engaging feature comprises sets of depending tabs and the complementary locating or engaging feature of the base comprises complementary sets of slots adapted for the sets of depending tabs.

5. The junction box of claim 1, wherein the driver cap is installed in the base such that it is closer to one of the sidewalls of the base than to the other sidewalls of the base.

6. The junction box of claim 1, wherein the driver cap abuts or nearly abuts the one of the sidewalls of the base.

7. The junction box of claim 1, wherein the one of the sidewalls of the driver cap from which the partition extends is notched along a bottom thereof.

8. The junction box of claim 1, wherein the partition is notched along a bottom thereof.

9. A partition for a junction box, comprising:

a driver cap including a top;

sidewalls depending from the top, wherein the sidewalls comprise two long and two short sidewalls arranged such that the driver cap has a generally rectangular perimeter; and

a partition portion extending outwardly from a sidewall;

wherein the partition portion is oriented generally vertically and extends outwardly in generally the same direction as the long sidewalls.

10. The partition of claim 9, further comprising at least one notch or penetration allowing wires from a driver to leave the driver cap.