Electrical box mounting bracket

• US 5,595,362 A
• Filed: 12/17/1992
• Issued: 01/21/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: B-Line Systems, Inc. (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Rinderer, Eric R., Witherbee, Martin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, BLAIR M
• Application Number:
  US07/991,731
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 248/27.1, 411/533, 411/539, 411/541, 220/3.9, 403/315, 403/316, 403/11
• US Class Current: 248/27.1
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/46 Boxes; Parts thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/126 with supporting means for mounting on a single wall stud

Abstract

A bracket for mounting an electrical box on a wall stud including a sheet metal plate having front and rear faces and a large central opening therein. A pair of screw opening formations is provided in the plate generally adjacent diagonally opposite corners of the central opening in the plate. Each formation includes a relatively narrow screw shank clearance slot which receives the shank of a respective box mounting screw. The plate is so configured that an electrical box may be moved to a first position in which the front of the box is closely adjacent the rear face of the plate, and then to a second position in which the shanks of the mounting screws are received in the screw shank clearance slots of respective screw opening formations and in which the front opening of the box is generally in register with the central opening in the plate. A locking device on the bracket prevents movement of the box from its second position back to its the first position for locking the box in its the second position and holding the box captive on the mounting bracket without the need to tighten the box mounting screws.

Claims

1. A bracket for mounting large and small electrical boxes on a wall stud, each electrical box being of the type having side walls, a rear wall, a front opening, and a pair of box mounting screws projecting forward from the box generally adjacent diagonally opposite corners of the front opening of the box, each screw having a screw head and a threaded shank, said bracket comprising:

a sheet metal plate having front and rear faces and a large central opening therein having first and second pairs of diagonally opposite corners,

a fastening flap extending from one side of the plate for securement to a wall stud to mount the bracket on the stud in a position wherein the plate extends laterally from the stud at one side of the stud and lies in a generally vertical plane,

a first pair of screw opening formations in the plate generally adjacent said first pair of diagonally opposite corners of the central opening in the plate,

a second pair of screw opening formations in the plate generally adjacent said second pair of diagonally opposite corners of the central opening in the plate,

each formation of said first and second pairs of screw opening formations including first and second relatively narrow screw shank clearance slots each having a width sufficient to receive the shank of a respective box mounting screw but insufficient to permit passage therethrough of said screw head, at least one screw opening formation of each of said first and second pairs of screw opening formations further having a respective screw head clearance opening communicating with open ends of said first and second screw shank clearance slots of the screw opening formation, said first and second screw shank clearance slots extending from the screw head clearance opening generally at right angles relative to one another,

the plate being so configured that a small electrical box is adapted to be moved to a first position in which the front of the box is closely adjacent the rear face of the plate and in which the heads of the box mounting screws on the box pass through respective screw head clearance openings and are disposed forward of the front face of the plate, the small box then being movable in a direction generally parallel to the plate from said first position to a second position in which the shanks of the screws are received in said first screw shank clearance slots of respective screw opening formations and in which the front opening of the box is generally in register with the central opening in the plate,

the plate being further configured so that a large electrical box is adapted to be moved to a first position in which the front of the box is closely adjacent the rear face of the plate and in which the heads of the box mounting screws on the box pass through respective screw head clearance openings and are disposed forward of the front face of the plate, the large box then being movable in a direction generally parallel to the plate from said first position to a second position in which the shanks of the screws are received in said second screw shank clearance slots of respective screw opening formations and in which the front opening of the box is generally in register with the central opening in the plate, and

at least one locking device formed as an integral part of the bracket located adjacent one of said at least one screw head clearance openings and movable relative to the bracket from a first position in which the locking device is positioned on the bracket for enabling said small or large box to be moved from its said first position to its said second position, to a second position in which the locking device is positioned on the bracket for preventing movement of the small or large box from its said second position back to its said first position thereby to lock the box in its said second position and to hold the box captive on the mounting bracket without the need to tighten the box mounting screws to bring the heads of the screws into clamping engagement with the front wall of the bracket.

2. A bracket as set forth in claim 1 wherein said locking device is adapted to engage a side wall of the electrical box to prevent the box from being moved from its said second position back to its said first position.

3. A bracket as set forth in claim 2 wherein said locking device comprises sheet metal finger means integrally formed with said plate at a location generally adjacent said central opening, said finger means being bendable to a locking position extending rearwardly from the plate for engagement by a side wall of the electrical box to prevent the box from being moved from its said second position back to its first position.

4. A bracket as set forth in claim 3 wherein said finger means comprises a pair of spaced apart fingers at a side of the central opening adjacent the fastening flap.

5. A bracket for mounting an electrical box on a wall stud, the electrical box being of the type having side walls, a rear wall, a front opening, and a pair of box mounting screws projecting forward from the box generally adjacent diagonally opposite corners of the front opening of the box, each screw having a screw head and a threaded shank, said bracket comprising:

a sheet metal plate having front and rear faces and a large central opening therein having diagonally opposite corners,

a fastening flap extending from one side of the plate for securement to a wall stud to mount the bracket on the stud in a position wherein the plate extends laterally from the stud at one side of the stud and lies in a generally vertical plane,

a pair of screw opening formations in the plate generally adjacent said diagonally opposite corners of the central opening in the plate, each formation including a relatively narrow screw shank clearance slot having a width sufficient to receive the shank of a respective box mounting screw but insufficient to permit passage therethrough of said screw head,

the plate being so configured that an electrical box is adapted to be moved to a first position in which the front of the box is closely adjacent the rear face of the plate and in which the heads of said box mounting screws are disposed forward of the front face of the plate, the box then being movable in a direction generally parallel to the plate from said first position to a second position in which the shanks of the screws are received in said screw shank clearance slots of respective screw opening formations and in which the front opening of the box is generally in register with the central opening in the plate, and

at least one locking device formed as an integral part of the bracket movable relative to the bracket from a first position in which it is positioned on the bracket for enabling said box to be moved from its said first position to its said second position, to a second position in which it is positioned on the bracket for preventing movement of the box from its said second position back to its said first position thereby to lock the box in its said second position and to hold the box captive on the mounting bracket without the need to tighten the box mounting screws to bring the heads of the screws into clamping engagement with the front wall of the bracket,

said locking device being engageable with the shank of one of said box mounting screws when the locking device is in its said second position and the box is in its said second position for preventing movement of the box back to its said first position.

6. A bracket as set forth in claim 5 wherein said locking device comprises at least one sheet metal tab integrally formed with said sheet metal plate at a location generally adjacent one of said screw opening formations, said tab being bendable to a locking position in which it is adapted to engage the shank of a screw in the screw shank clearance slot of said one screw opening formation to prevent the box from being moved from its said second position back to its first position.

7. A bracket as set forth in claim 6 wherein said one screw opening formation also has a screw head clearance opening communicating with an open end of said screw shank clearance slot, the head of a respective screw being adapted to pass forwardly through said screw head clearance opening as the electrical box is moved into its said first position, and the shank of said screw being adapted to move into the screw shank clearance slot through said open end thereof as the box is moved to its said second position, said tab, when bent to its said locking position, closing the open end of the screw shank clearance slot of said one screw opening formation.

8. A bracket as set forth in claim 7 wherein said tab is formed, at least in part, by the metal removed from said plate to provide said screw head clearance opening of said one screw opening formation, said tab being generally coplanar with said plate when in its said locking position.

9. A bracket as set forth in claim 6 wherein said box mounting screws are adapted to be threaded through screw tabs projecting from side walls of the box into the front opening of the box, and wherein said bendable tab on the bracket extends into the central opening of the plate and is bendable rearwardly to said locking position in which it generally faces the rear face of the plate and is positioned for engaging the shank of a respective mounting screw for preventing the box from being moved from its second position to its first position.

10. A bracket as set forth in claim 9 wherein said bendable tab has a slot therein arranged and configured so that when the tab is bent to its locking position, said slot is adapted to receive an end of the shank of said box mounting screw projecting rearwardly from said screw mounting tab.

11. A bracket as set forth in claim 5 wherein said pair of screw opening formations constitutes a first pair of screw opening formations, and wherein said bracket further comprises a second pair of screw opening formations, at least one screw opening formation of each pair further comprising a screw head clearance opening communicating with an open end of said screw shank clearance slot, the head of a respective screw being adapted to pass forwardly through said screw head clearance opening as the electrical box is moved into its said first position, and the shank of said screw being adapted to move into the screw shank clearance slot through said open end thereof as the box is moved to its said second position.

12. A bracket as set forth in claim 11 wherein at least one screw opening formation of each pair comprises a screw head clearance opening and two screw shank clearance slots extending from the screw head clearance opening generally at right angles relative to one another, one of said screw shank clearance slots being adapted to receive a mounting screw on an electrical box of relatively small size, and the other of said screw shank clearance slots being adapted to receive a mounting screw on an electrical box of larger size.

13. A bracket as set forth in claim 5 wherein said bracket further comprises a stabilizing leg integrally formed with the plate and extending rearwardly therefrom for engagement with a wall spaced to the rear of said plate.

14. A bracket for mounting an electrical box on a wall stud, the electrical box being of the type having side walls, a rear wall, a front opening, and a box mounting screw projecting forward from the box generally adjacent one of the four corners of the front opening of the box, the screw having a screw head and a threaded shank, said bracket comprising:

a sheet metal plate portion having front and rear faces,

a fastening flap extending from one side of the plate portion for securement to a wall stud to mount the bracket on the stud in a position wherein the plate portion extends laterally from the stud at one side of the stud and lies in a generally vertical plane,

a screw opening formation in the plate portion, the formation including a relatively narrow screw shank clearance slot having a width sufficient to receive the shank of a respective box mounting screw but insufficient to permit passage therethrough of said screw head,

the plate portion being so configured that an electrical box is adapted to be moved to a first position in which at least a portion of the front of the box is closely adjacent the rear face of the plate portion and in which the head of said box mounting screw is disposed forward of the front face of the plate portion, the box then being movable in a direction generally parallel to the plate portion from said first position to a second position in which the shank of the screw is received in said screw shank clearance slot of the screw opening formation, and

a locking device formed as an integral part of the bracket movable relative to the bracket from a first position in which it is positioned on the bracket for enabling said box to be moved from its said first position to its said second position, to a second position in which it is positioned on the bracket for preventing movement of the box from its said second position back to its said first position thereby to lock the box in its said second position and to hold the box captive on the mounting bracket without the need to tighten the box mounting screw to bring the head of the screw into clamping engagement with the front wall of the bracket,

said locking device being engageable with the shank of said box mounting screw when the locking device is in its said second position and the box is in its said second position for preventing movement of the box back to its said first position.

15. A bracket as set forth in claim 14 wherein said locking device comprises at least one sheet metal tab integrally formed with said sheet metal plate portion at a location generally adjacent said screw opening formation, said tab being bendable to a locking position in which it is adapted to engage the shank of a screw in the screw shank clearance slot of said screw opening formation to prevent the box from being moved from its said second position back to its first position.

16. A bracket as set forth in claim 15 wherein said screw opening formation also has a screw head clearance opening communicating with an open end of said screw shank clearance slot, the head of a respective screw being adapted to pass forwardly through said screw head clearance opening as the electrical box is moved into its said first position, and the shank of said screw being adapted to move into the screw shank clearance slot through said open end thereof as the box is moved to its said second position, said tab, when bent to its said locking position, closing the open end of the screw shank clearance slot of said screw opening formation.

17. A bracket as set forth in claim 16 wherein said tab is formed, at least in part, by the metal removed from said plate portion to provide said screw head clearance opening of said screw opening formation, said tab being generally coplanar with said plate portion when in its said locking position.

18. A bracket as set forth in claim 15 wherein said box mounting screw is adapted to be threaded through a screw tab projecting from a side wall of the box into the front opening of the box, and wherein said bendable tab on the bracket extends from the plate portion and is bendable rearwardly to said locking position in which it generally faces the rear face of the plate portion and is positioned for engaging the shank of the mounting screw for preventing the box from being moved from its second position to its first position.

19. A bracket as set forth in claim 18 wherein said bendable tab has a slot therein arranged and configured so that when the tab is bent to its locking position, said slot is adapted to receive an end of the shank of said box mounting screw projecting rearwardly from said screw mounting tab.