Plastic box assembly for ceiling fixture support

• US 5,407,088 A
• Filed: 05/13/1993
• Issued: 04/18/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Inventors: Slater, William E., Jorgensen, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pollard, Steven M.
• Application Number:
  US08/059,965
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 220/3.2, 220/3.3, 220/3.9, 248/342, 248/343
• US Class Current: 220/3.9
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/20 Ceiling roses or other lighting sets

Abstract

A plastic ceiling box assembly adapted to support a ceiling fan thereon and adapted to be mounted on a structural member, such as a ceiling joist. The ceiling box comprises a body member having a lower wall and a pair of side walls defining a recess for snugly receiving the ceiling joist therein. Box mounting holes for receiving box mounting fasteners are located at opposite sides and ends of the lower wall for attaching the ceiling box to the joist. Openings for receiving fan supporting fasteners are formed in the body member adjacent the box mounting holes. Brackets at opposite ends of the body member aid in attaching the body member to the joist. This overall arrangement provides sufficient support and strength to resist dynamic loads of a ceiling fan weighing up to 35 pounds even though the ceiling box is formed of plastic. The plastic ceiling box assembly could be provided with a substantially U-shaped metal bracket for supporting ceiling fans weighing over 35 pounds. The U-shaped bracket is attached directly to the joist by a pair of screws extending through the lower wall of the ceiling box.

Claims

1. A ceiling box assembly adapted to support a ceiling fan thereon and adapted to be mounted on a structural member, the combination comprising:

a substantially planar lower wall;

first and second substantially planar opposed side walls coupled to and substantially perpendicular to said lower wall for defining a recess sized to snugly receive a structural member therein;

an outer wall structure coupled to said first and second side walls and said lower wall for defining a substantially U-shaped shaped inner cavity with a continuous bottom edge defining an open bottom;

a first bracket being coupled to said outer wall structure to form a first substantially planar surface with said first side wall for contacting one side of the structural member;

a second bracket being coupled to said outer wall structure to form a second substantially planar surface with said second side wall for contacting the other side of the structural member; and

fastening means, coupled to said outer wall structure at said bottom edge, for coupling the ceiling fan thereto,

said lower wall, said side walls, said outer wall and said brackets all being formed of substantially rigid plastic.

2. A ceiling box assembly according to claim 1, wherein

said lower wall, said side walls, said outer wall and said brackets of said ceiling box are formed as a one-piece, unitary, integrally molded member.

3. A ceiling box assembly according to claim 2, wherein

a pair of mounting holes extending through said lower wall for receiving a mounting fastener in each of said mounting holes.

4. A ceiling box assembly according to claim 3, wherein

said lower wall is substantially rectangular with one of said mounting holes located adjacent a first corner of said lower wall, and the other of said mounting holes located in a second corner of said lower wall opposite to said first corner.

5. A ceiling box assembly according to claim 4, wherein

said fastening means includes a pair of openings for threadedly receiving a pair of fan supporting fasteners therein.

6. A ceiling box assembly according to claim 5, wherein

one of said openings is located adjacent one of said mounting holes, and the other of said openings is located adjacent the other of said mounting holes.

7. A ceiling box assembly according to claim 5, wherein

said fastening means is directly coupled to said outer wall structure.

8. A ceiling box assembly according to claim 3, further comprising

a substantially U-shaped metal bracket coupled to the ceiling box and for supporting the fan, said bracket having a bight portion, a first leg portion extending from one end of said bight portion, and a second leg portion extending from the other end of said bight portion, and each of said first and second leg portions having a mounting hole for receiving one of said mounting fasteners therein.

9. A ceiling box assembly adapted to support a ceiling fixture thereon and adapted to be mounted on a structural member, the combination comprising:

a ceiling box with a body member having an outer wall structure forming a U-shaped inner cavity, said outer wall structure having a substantially planar lower wall with an interior surface, a first substantially planar side wall extending substantially perpendicular to said lower wall, and a second substantially planar side wall extending substantially perpendicular to said lower wall for defining an exterior recess for receiving the structural member therein, said body member being integrally formed of substantially rigid plastic;

a substantially U-shaped metal bracket coupled to said ceiling box and for supporting the fixture, said bracket having a bight portion, a first leg portion extending from one end of said bight portion, and a second leg portion extending from the other end of said bight portion, each of said first and second leg portions having mounting means for receiving first and second box mounting fasteners, respectively;

first means, formed in said lower wall, for receiving said first box mounting fastener to couple said first leg portion of said bracket to said interior surface of said lower wall and to couple said lower wall to the structural member received in said recess of said body member;

second means, formed in said lower wall, for receiving said second box mounting fastener to couple said second leg portion of said bracket to said interior surface of said lower wall and to further couple said lower wall to the structural member received in said recess of said body member, said first and second means being located at opposite ends of said lower wall;

third means, formed in said body member, for receiving a first fan supporting fastener to couple a ceiling fixture to said body member; and

fourth means, formed in said body member, for receiving a second fan supporting fastener to couple a ceiling fixture to said body member.

10. A ceiling box assembly according to claim 9, wherein

said third means includes a first opening located adjacent said first means to receive the first fan supporting fastener therein and said fourth means includes a second opening located adjacent said second means to receive the second fan supporting fastener therein.

11. The ceiling box assembly according to claim 9, wherein

said recess is sized to snugly receive the structural member and to allow intimate contact of said lower wall and said first and second side walls with the structural member to prevent rocking and rotation movements of said body member when a structural member is received in said recess.

12. A ceiling box assembly according to claim 9, wherein

said first and second means include first and second screw holes, respectively, in said lower wall for receiving said first and second box mounting fasteners therethrough into said recess.

13. A ceiling box assembly according to claim 9, wherein said body member further comprises:

a first bracket coupled to said body member adjacent said first means and said third means and to form a first substantially planar surface with said first side wall for contacting the structural member; and

a second bracket coupled to said body member adjacent said second means and said fourth means and to form a second substantially planar surface with said second side wall for contacting the structural member.

14. A ceiling box assembly according to claim 13, and further comprising

fifth means formed in said first bracket for receiving at least one first bracket fastener and sixth means formed in said second bracket for receiving at least one second bracket fastener.