ATTACHABLE SUPPORTING SPACER FOR ELECTRICAL BOXES

• US 20110024153A1
• Filed: 07/22/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas & Betts International LLC (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Thomas & Betts International Incorporated (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Dinh, Cong Thanh
• Granted Patent: US 8,309,849 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/58
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/045 provided with perforations or slots permitting introduction or exit of wires
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An integrally formed spacer may include an upper body having a flat surface. The upper body may include a fastening tongue perpendicular to the flat surface and dimensioned to fit into a first fastening hole in a wall of an electrical box. In addition, the integrally formed spacer may include a lower body with at least one leg having a notch to receive the wall of the electrical box via a second fastening hole in the wall. Further, the integrally formed spacer may include a neck portion having two ends in a lengthwise direction of the integrally formed spacer, one end of the neck portion connected to the upper body and another end connected to the lower body. When the at least one leg is in the second fastening hole and the lower body is held flat against an outside surface of the wall of the electrical box, the fastening tongue is in the first fastening hole and bending the integrally formed spacer to set the upper body perpendicular to the lower body fastens the integrally formed spacer to the wall of the electrical box.

Claims

1. An integrally formed spacer, comprising:

an upper body having a flat surface, including;

a fastening tongue perpendicular to the flat surface and dimensioned to fit into a first fastening hole in a wall of an electrical box;

a lower body, including;

at least one leg having a notch to receive the wall of the electrical box via a second fastening hole in the wall; and

a neck portion having two ends in a lengthwise direction of the integrally formed spacer, one end of the neck portion connected to the upper body and another end connected to the lower body,

wherein when the at least one leg is in the second fastening hole and the lower body is held flat against an outside surface of the wall of the electrical box, the fastening tongue is in the first fastening hole and bending the integrally formed spacer to set the upper body perpendicular to the lower body fastens the integrally formed spacer to the wall of the electrical box.

2. The integrally formed spacer of claim 1, wherein the upper body further includes:

a fin formed along an edge of the upper body, the edge running in the lengthwise direction.

3. The integrally formed spacer of claim 1, wherein the lower body further includes:

a molding to strengthen the lower body.

4. The integrally formed spacer of claim 1, wherein the at least one leg includes:

a thigh connected perpendicularly to a bottom surface of the lower body, the bottom surface being in a same plane as the flat surface of the upper body; and

a lower leg connected substantially perpendicular to the thigh, the lower leg being substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the lower body and extending away from the neck portion.

5. The integrally formed spacer of claim 4, wherein a length of the thigh is approximately equal to a thickness of the wall of the electrical box.

6. The integrally formed spacer of claim 5, wherein an angle at which the lower leg connects to the thigh is such that a distal end of the lower leg is closer to the bottom surface of the lower body than another end of the lower leg.

7. The integrally formed spacer of claim 1, wherein the lower body includes another leg having a notch to receive the wall of the electrical box via a third fastening hole in the wall.

8. The integrally formed spacer of claim 1, further comprising:

a hole that covers part of the neck portion and the lower body, the hole being U-shaped around the fastening tongue, and

a cut that extends from a side edge of the integrally formed spacer to the neck portion,

wherein dimensions of the hole and the cut partly determine strength of the neck portion relative to other part of the integrally formed spacer.

9. The integrally formed spacer of claim 8, wherein the dimensions of the hole and the cut are set to enable the integrally formed spacer to bend at the neck portion when a sufficient force is applied to the upper body while the lower body is held flat against the outside surface of the wall of the electrical box, causing the upper body to be perpendicular to the lower body.

10. The integrally formed spacer of claim 9, wherein the upper body further includes:

a tongue connecting portion that rigidly interconnects the fastening tongue to the upper body and moves the fastening tongue to hug an inside surface of the wall of the electrical box when the upper body is perpendicular to the lower body due to the sufficient force.

11. The integrally formed spacer of claim 1, wherein the integrally formed spacer comprises at least one of:

steel, galvanized steel, or aluminum.

12. The integrally formed spacer of claim 1, wherein the electrical box includes an electrical outlet box.

13. The integrally formed spacer of claim 1, wherein the upper body includes smooth corners at a distal edge away from the neck portion.

14. A method comprising:

inserting two legs of a supporting spacer into two corresponding holes on a wall of an electrical box;

while the two legs of the supporting spacer are inserted into the corresponding holes, inserting a fastening tongue of an upper body of the supporting spacer into another hole in the wall;

placing the supporting spacer flat against an outside surface of the wall; and

bending the supporting spacer to cause the fastening tongue to hug the wall and affix the supporting spacer to the wall.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the bending the supporting spacer includes:

holding a lower body of the supporting spacer against the outside surface of the wall;

applying a force on the upper body to bend the supporting spacer; and

bending the supporting spacer until the upper body is perpendicular to the lower body and the fastening tongue holds the wall.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

installing the electrical box to a wall stud.

17. A device comprising:

an upper body including a fastening tongue;

a lower body having two legs at an edge away from the upper body, the lower body being connected to the upper body; and

a connection between the upper body and the lower body,

wherein when the two legs and the fastening tongue are in holes in a wall of a box, the lower body is placed flat against an outside surface of the wall of the box and raising the upper body to be perpendicular to the lower body attaches the device to the wall.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the connection provides for the device to bend in an L-shape when a force is applied to the upper body while the lower body is held flat against the outside surface of the wall of the box.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the upper body further includes a tongue connecting portion to which the fastening tongue is attached, the tongue connecting portion moving the fastening tongue to hold the wall of the box when the device is bending to form the L-shape.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the box includes an electrical outlet box.