Apparatus and method for mounting and stabilizing electrical junction boxes between wall studs

• US 5,931,425 A
• Filed: 07/01/1997
• Issued: 08/03/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John H. Oliva
• Original Assignee: John H. Oliva
• Inventors: Oliva, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ramon O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAXTER, GWENDOLYN WRENN
• Application Number:
  US08/886,202
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 174/53, 174/54, 174/58, 174/63, 174/50, 248/200.1, 248/205.1, 248/909, 248/906, 248/546, 248/343, 248/27.1, 248/57, 220/3.9, 220/3.5
• US Class Current: 248/200.1
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/125 with supporting bar extending between two separate studs of a wall frame
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/906 Electrical outlet box support

Abstract

A mounting bracket including a flat elongated frame having front and rear faces and opposing ends for attaching to adjacent wall studs. The bracket has a central cut-out portion which defines top and bottom members. The open front end of an electrical box is placed flush against the rear face of the bracket and contacts the top and bottom members of the bracket. The front face of the box is substantially flush with the plane formed by the wall studs regardless of the depth of the box. Boxes are stabilized against disorientation relative to the cut-out portion by upper and lower spaced-apart tabs that protrude from the rear face at a selected angle to engage the upper and lower surfaces of the box. An accompanying faceplate is placed on the front face of the bracket opposite and aligned with the box and in contact with the top and bottom members. The faceplate is fastened to the box with the bracket disposed between box and faceplate, and with upper and lower forward edges of the box in contact with the protruding tabs on the rear face of the bracket. Measurement rules may be marked on the front faces of the upper and lower members to facilitate convenient location of one or more electrical boxes within the cut-out portion of the bracket.

Claims

1. A mounting assembly for attachment between two wall studs comprising:

an elongated frame having a front face, a rear face, first and second opposing ends attachable to said wall studs, and a central cut-out portion defining a top portion, a bottom portion and side portions thereof;

a plurality of upper tabs spaced-apart in the frame top portion and a plurality of lower tabs spaced-apart in the frame bottom portion for selectively protruding from a rear face at selected spaced-apart locations substantially along the length of the top and bottom portions between the side portions of the cut-out portion;

an electrical box having an upper surface and a lower surface terminating at respective upper and lower forward edges to define an open front end thereof, the front end of said box is further configured to be placed flush with the rear face of said frame with a portion of said box contacting the frame top portion and another portion of said box contacting the frame bottom portion, the upper tabs of said frame being oriented and of sufficient length to protrude from the rear face of the frame top portion to supportively engage the upper surface of the electric box, and the lower tabs of the frame being oriented and of sufficient length to protrude from the rear face of the frame bottom portion to supportively engage the lower surface of the electric box;

a faceplate positioned on the front face of said frame opposite and in alignment with said electrical box, with a portion of said faceplate contacting said top portion and another portion contacting said bottom surface of said frame; and

a fastener inserted through said faceplate and cut-out portion for fastening said faceplate to said electrical box with the top portion and the bottom portion of the frame disposed between the forward edges of said box and said face plate.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein an upper region of said frame top portion is folded at a selected angle with respect to said rear face to form an upper shoulder protruding therefrom to provide enhanced structural rigidity.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein a bottom region of said frame bottom portion is folded at a selected angle with respect to said rear face to form a lower shoulder protruding therefrom to provide enhanced structural rigidity.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the upper tabs extend downwardly from the upper shoulder of the top portion, the lower tabs extend downwardly from the lower shoulder of the bottom portion.

5. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the front face includes measurement marks along at least one of the top portion and bottom portion over substantially the length of the central cut-out portion.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein a plurality of selected tabs of the plurality of upper and lower tabs protrude from the rear face substantially perpendicular thereto to engage upper and lower surfaces of the electrical box.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein a plurality of selected tabs of the plurality of upper and lower tabs protrude from the rear face at an acute angle relative thereto to engage upper and lower surfaces of the electrical box.

8. A method for mounting between two wall studs an electrical box an upper surface and a lower surface terminating at respective upper and lower forward edges about an open face, the method comprising the steps of:

attaching to the wall studs an elongated frame having a front face, a rear face and a central cut-out portion defining a top portion and a bottom portion, each portion having a plurality of spaced-apart tabs protruding from the rear face along a portion of the length thereof near an upper edge of the top portion and near a lower edge of the bottom portion;

orienting a plurality of selected tabs of the plurality of spaced-apart tabs into supportive engagement with the respective upper and lower surfaces for aligning an open front of the electrical box with the central cut-out portion of the elongated frame;

placing a faceplate against the front face in engagement with the top and bottom portions opposite and in alignment with the electrical box; and

positioning a fastener through the central cut-out portion between faceplate and electrical box for fastening the faceplate and electrical box together with the frame disposed therebetween for stabilizing the electrical box between the selected protruding tabs at a selected location along the lengths thereof and against disorientation of the open face of the electrical box relative to the central cut-out portion.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein,

said orienting step includes the step of bending the plurality of selected tabs to protrude from the rear face substantially perpendicular thereto to engage the respective upper and lower surfaces of the electrical box.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein,

said orienting step includes the step of bending the a plurality of selected tabs to protrude from the rear face at an acute angle relative thereto to engage the respective upper and lower surfaces of the electrical box.

11. The method according to claim 8 further including the step of folding an upper region of the frame top portion at a first selected angle with respect to said rear face to form an upper shoulder protruding therefrom to provide enhanced structural rigidity, and folding a bottom region of the frame bottom portion at a second selected angle with respect to said rear face to form a lower shoulder protruding therefrom to provide enhanced structural rigidity.

12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the upper tabs extend downwardly from the upper shoulder of the top portion, the lower tabs extend downwardly from the lower shoulder of the bottom portion.