Molded plastic stud box support and box

• US 4,903,851 A
• Filed: 07/07/1988
• Issued: 02/27/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donovan L. Slough
• Original Assignee: Donovan L. Slough
• Inventors: Slough, Donovan L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Talbott, David L.
• Application Number:
  US07/215,988
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 248/27.1, 248/345.1, 248/DIG. 6, 248/73, 248/221.4, 248/682, 52/221, 52/514, 52/99, 24/662, 24/681, 24/618, 24/627, 411/482, 411/508, 411/509, 411/510, 411/544, 411/535, 411/536, 220/3.4, 220/3.5, 220/3.6, 220/3.3, 220/3.9
• US Class Current: 220/3.9
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/121 in plain walls
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/123 in thin walls
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/906 Electrical outlet box support
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45545 forming total external surface of projection

Abstract

A support and stabilizing apparatus for an electrical outlet box, such as a conventional electrical outlet box having a plurality of side walls and a back wall defining a chamber with an open front and having an access bore formed through at least one of the walls. The support and stabilizing apparatus comprises a stud apparatus having a shaft with forward and rearward opposed ends and generally cylindrical forward and rearward abutment plates secured to the shaft in predetermined spaced apart relationship. The rearward plate is disposed at the rearward end of the shaft, and the forward plate is disposed near and spaced inwardly from the forward end of the shaft so as to create a mounting segment between the forward plate and the forward end of the shaft. A flexible retainer is provided for supporting the mounting segment, to grippingly engage that portion of the mounting segment which projects into the outlet box chamber. The rearwardly projecting portion of the support and stabilizing apparatus provides a backup support pad for the electrical outlet box when resting against the inner surface of the wall panel opposite that panel upon which the electrical outlet box is mounted.

Claims

1. An electrical outlet box and an apparatus for supporting said electrical outlet box with respect to parallel and spaced apart first and second structural wall panels, said apparatus comprising:

an outlet box having a plurality of side walls and a back wall defining a chamber with an open front, a flange means aligned with said open front and parallel with said back wall, and an access bore formed through said back wall,

a unitary support member including an elongate shaft, a first abutment member formed at a rearward end of said shaft, disposed transversely of the shaft and having a substantially planar and transverse first abutment surface, and a second abutment member formed proximate a forward end of the shaft, said second abutment member having a substantially planar and transverse second abutment surface;

a mounting segment disposed forwardly of said second abutment member and substantially coaxially with said shaft, said mounting segment including two parallel and spaced apart flexible legs extending forwardly of the second abutment member, each leg converging to a tip region, and two flared extensions, one flared extension projected rearwardly and transversely outwardly of the tip region of each of said legs, each flared extension including a rearward end portion spaced apart from its associated leg, said flared extensions together defining a forwardly converging cone having a forward tip and said rearward portions together defining a shoulder of the cone; and

a flexible retaining member and means forming a retainer opening through the retaining member larger in diameter than said forward tip and smaller in diameter than said shoulder, said legs being flexible to permit their transversely inward displacement a sufficient amount to permit passage of said cone through said access bore of said outlet box and said retainer opening;

whereby said retaining member is positionable about said shaft between said shoulder and said back wall of said outlet box, with said mounting portion extended through said access bore of said outlet box and into the chamber of said outlet box, with said flexible retaining member being elastically compressed to urge said shaft forward and thereby retain said second abutment member against said back wall of said outlet box with said second abutment surface contiguous with said back wall of said outlet box; and

wherein a first distance between said first and second abutment surfaces is predetermined in accordance with the separation between said first and second structural wall panels, whereby said first abutment surface of said first abutment member is contiguous with one of said panels, and said flange means of said outlet box is contiguous with the other of said wall panels, with said shaft normal to said panels.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including:

a third abutment member disposed between said first and second abutment members and spaced apart from said second abutment member a predetermined second distance, said shaft being adapted for serving along a rearward transverse surface of said third abutment member.