SYSTEM FOR ADJUSTABLY MOUNTING AN ELECTRICAL DEVICE

• US 20110067896A1
• Filed: 09/24/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Inventors: Cleghorn, Richard L., Miserendino, Thomas A., Shotey, Marcus J., Baldwin, Jeffrey P., Falendysz, Nathaniel A., Dieterle, Iven
• Granted Patent: US 8,650,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/58
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/123 in thin walls
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/532 Conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53248 Switch or fuse
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53257 Means comprising hand-manipulatable implement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53283 Means comprising hand-manipulatable implement

Abstract

An adjustably mountable electrical device with one or more yokes coupled to the electrical device, at least one electrically conductive strap, and an electrical device face, wherein a distance between the electrical device face and at least one of the yoke, the strap and an electrical box mounting screw aperture is adjustable after the electrical device is mounted to the electrical box. The system may comprise mounting flanges that may have threaded hubs or the system may further comprise an electric device having front and back shells moveable on a track in response to depression of a button allowing for movement of the back shell so that the electric device may be mounted having its face coplanar with a front wall surface.

Claims

1. An adjustably mountable electrical device comprising:

an electrical device comprising an electrical device housing, an electrical device face on a front side thereof, and a yoke adjustably mounted at each of two opposing sides of the electrical device housing, the yokes each having a front side and a back side and an electrical box mounting screw aperture positioned to align with electrical box mounting screw bosses of an electrical box extending through the yoke, a horizontal distance between the electrical device face and the electrical box mounting screw aperture of each yoke defining an electrical device mounting depth for that yoke;

wherein the yokes are adjustably mounted such that the electrical device mounting depths for the yokes are adjustable to increase or decrease the horizontal distance between the electrical device face and the electrical box mounting screw aperture of the yokes.

2. The adjustably mountable electrical device of claim 1, wherein the electrical device is one of an electrical receptacle, a switch, a dimmer and a ground fault circuit interrupt (GFCI) receptacle.

3. The adjustably mountable electrical device of claim 1, wherein at least one electrical device mounting depth is adjustable by moving at least one of the yokes closer to or farther away from the electrical device face.

4. The adjustably mountable electrical device of claim 3, wherein the at least one electrical device mounting depth is adjustable by adjusting a screw threadedly coupled to at least two first brackets, one each coupled to one of each of the two yokes, the at least two first brackets each slidably coupled to one of at least two second brackets coupled to a strap of the electrical device, the strap extending from a first of the two opposing sides to a second of the two opposing sides.

5. The adjustably mountable electrical device of claim 1, further comprising a strap extending through the electrical device housing and being electrically coupled to a ground terminal of the electrical device, the strap being adjustably coupled to the yokes and fixed in its spatial relationship to the electrical device face.

6. The adjustably mountable electrical device of claim 5, wherein the at least one electrical device mounting depth is adjustable by adjusting a position of at least one yoke in relation to the strap.

7. The adjustably mountable electrical device of claim 6, wherein at least one yoke is slidably mounted to the electrical device housing through a channel and wherein the at least one electrical device mounting depth is adjustable by adjusting the yoke in the channel closer to or farther away from the electrical device face.

8. The adjustably mountable electrical device of claim 1, further comprising a strap extending through the electrical device housing and being electrically coupled to a ground terminal of the electrical device, the strap being fixedly coupled to or integral with the yokes and adjustably coupled to the electrical device housing such that at least a portion of the strap is moveable in relation to the device face to adjust the electrical device mounting depth.

9. The adjustably mountable electrical device of claim 1, wherein the yokes are fixedly coupled to the electrical device housing and the electrical device face is adjustably coupled to the electrical device housing such that at least a portion of the electrical device face is adjustable closer to or farther away from the yokes to adjust the electrical device mounting depth.

10. The adjustably mountable electrical device of claim 9, further comprising a strap extending through the electrical device housing and being electrically coupled to a ground terminal of the electrical device, the strap being fixedly coupled to or integral with the yokes.

11. The adjustably mountable electrical device of claim 10, further comprising at least one release button on a side of the electrical device housing, electrical device face slidably coupled with the electrical device housing, the release button operatively associated with the electrical device face and electrical device housing to engage the electrical device face with the electrical device housing to permit and stop sliding movement of the electrical device face in relation to the electrical device housing.

12. The adjustably mountable electrical device of claim 1, wherein the yokes are adjustably mounted such that the electrical device mounting depths for the yokes are adjustable to increase or decrease the horizontal distance between the electrical device face and a portion of the electrical box mounting screw apertures of the yokes on the back side of the yokes.

13. An adjustably mountable electrical device comprising:

an electrical device comprising an electrical device housing, an electrical device face on a front side thereof, and a yoke mounted at each of two opposing sides of the electrical device housing, the yokes each being electrically coupled to an adjustable, electrically conductive strap of the electrical device;

wherein the adjustable, electrically conductive strap is adjustably mounted such that a horizontal distance between the electrical device face and the electrically conductive strap is adjustable to increase or decrease the horizontal distance between the electrical device face and the electrically conductive strap.

14. The adjustably mountable electrical device of claim 13, wherein the adjustable, electrically conductive strap is in a fixed spatial relation with the yokes.

15. The adjustably mountable electrical device of claim 13, wherein the adjustable, electrically conductive strap extends through the electrical device housing and is electrically coupled to a ground terminal of the electrical device.

16. The adjustably mountable electrical device of claim 13, wherein the adjustable, electrically conductive strap extends around a back surface of the electrical device housing.

17. The adjustably mountable electrical device of claim 13, further comprising at least one screw threadedly coupled with the strap and rotationally coupled in a fixed linear position with the electrical device such that rotation of the at least one screw causes the strap to move horizontally forward or backward in relation to the front face.

18. The adjustably mountable electrical device of claim 17, wherein the at least one screw comprises at least two screws.

19. The adjustably mountable electrical device of claim 13, wherein the front face is slidably coupled with the electrical device housing, wherein the adjustable, electrically conductive strap is adjustable by sliding the front face horizontally forward or backward in relation to the electrically conductive strap.

20. A method of adjusting a mounting depth of an electrical device, the method comprising:

mounting an electrical device comprising a face and at least one yoke in an electrical box by coupling the electrical device to the electrical box using electrical box mounting screws extending through at least one aperture in the at least one yoke, a horizontal distance between the face and at least a portion of the at least one yoke defining an electrical device mounting depth for the at least one yoke; and

increasing or decreasing the electrical device mounting depth for the at least one yoke.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein increasing or decreasing the electrical device mounting depth for the at least one yoke comprises increasing or decreasing the electrical device mounting depth for the at least one yoke after the electrical device is coupled to the electrical box.