ELECTRICAL BOX WITH MULTI-MOUNT FEATURES

• US 20080142242A1
• Filed: 12/15/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Madison Electric Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Greg Herth
• Inventors: Herth, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 7,378,590 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/58
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/12 for flush mounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/906 Electrical outlet box support

Abstract

A multi-use electrical box has first and second side walls, lower and upper walls, which, together, form a front opening into the electrical box, and a rear wall. The first side wall includes a plurality of removable alignment tabs extending therefrom. The lower and upper walls each have external grooves which accommodate external attachment nails for the electrical box. One or more exit holes are provided in the first side wall for fastener screws. A slidable wall is removably mounted in the electrical box to receive one or more fastener screws at desired locations within the box.

Claims

1. A multi-use electrical box comprising:

first and second side walls, lower and upper walls forming a front opening into said electrical box, and a rear wall;

said first side wall having a pair of removable alignment tabs extending therefrom;

said lower and upper walls having external grooves for accommodating external attachment nails;

a plurality of exit holes in said first side wall for at least one fastener screw;

means removably mounted in said electrical box for receiving said at least one fastener screw, said removably mounted means comprises a single fastener mounting block for a single fastener or a two fastener mounting block for a dual set of fasteners, a single angled screw guide for said at least one fastener screw in registry with one of said plurality of exit holes;

or,

a plurality of angled screw guides for a plurality of said fastener screws in registry with said plurality of exit holes;

an interior surface of said first side wall has at least one rail for receiving either said single fastener mounting block or said two fastener mounting block for said dual set of fasteners said mounting block comprising said removably mounted means;

each of said mounting blocks having at least one partially extending closed ended mounting slot or engaging said at least one rail located inside of said first side wall, wherein said plurality of exit holes in said first side wall are in positional register with said plurality of screw guides in said mounting block when said at least one slot pushed in said box to the full extent onto said at least one rail, and,

said at least one slot is the same size as said at least one rail.

3. The electrical box of claim 1 wherein said at least one fastener screw is a plurality of fastener screws.

7. The electrical box of claim 1 in which said rails each have a T-shaped cross section.

8. The electrical box of claim 1 in which said rails each have a dove tail-shaped cross section.

9. The electrical box of claim 1 in which each of said external grooves has mounting straps forming a transverse rail to accept an external attachment nail.

10. The electrical box of claim 9 in which each said external groove has an opening facing the front opening of said of said electrical box.

12. The electrical box of claim 1 in which said side walls, lower and upper walls, rear wall, tabs, rails and said mounting straps are of single piece molded construction.

20. The electrical box of claim 1 in which said rails have a geometric crossectional configuration mating with a corresponding inverse geometric crossectional configuration of said mounting slots.

2. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

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6. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

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15-19. -19. (canceled)

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27. A multi-use electrical box comprising:

first and second side walls, lower and upper walls forming a front opening into said electrical box, and a rear wall;

said first side wall having a pair of removable alignment tabs extending therefrom;

said lower and upper walls having external grooves for accommodating external attachment nails;

a plurality of exit holes in said first side wall for at least one fastener screw;

means removably mounted in said electrical box for receiving said at least one fastener screw, said removably mounted means comprises a single fastener mounting block for a single fastener or a two fastener mounting block for a dual set of fasteners, a single angled screw guide for said at least one fastener screw in registry with one of said plurality of exit holes;

or,

a plurality of angled screw guides for a plurality of said fastener screws in registry with said plurality of exit holes;

an interior surface of said first side wall has a plurality of rails for receiving either said single fastener mounting block or said two fastener mounting block for said dual set of fasteners said mounting block comprising said removably mounted means;

each of said mounting blocks having a plurality of partially extending, closed ended mounting slots for engaging said plurality of rails located inside of said first side wall, wherein said plurality of exit holes in said first side wall are in positional register with said plurality of screw guides in said mounting block when each slot of said plurality of slots are pushed in said box to the full extent onto each rail of said plurality of rails, and,

each of said plurality of slots is the same size as each said rail of said plurality of rails.