Modularized electrical box systems

• US 6,057,509 A
• Filed: 05/04/1998
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael L. Simmons
• Original Assignee: Michael L. Simmons
• Inventors: Simmons, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, DHIRUBHAI R
• Application Number:
  US09/071,881
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 174/50, 174/53, 174/58, 174/17 R, 220/3.92, 220/3.94, 220/4.02, 361/641
• US Class Current: 174/53
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/086 Assembled boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/121 in plain walls

Abstract

A modularized electric box system provides a minimum of modular elements, typically two or three from which a basic anchor box may be formed with protruding members for support by a building body, and from which gangable extensions thereto may be fashioned. The modules may constitute a basic open front electrical box frame having at least one open side with interlocking structure for receiving and supporting either a sidewall panel or a gangable U-shaped extension box module. An anchoring box may be formed with anchoring structure integrally protruding from end panels thereof adapted for attachment to a building body. Thus minimally a basic U-shaped box frame module without sidewalls interlockable with a similar module and a removable sidewall module interlockable upon a U-shaped box frame at the open sidewalls will form a gangable box system. Interlocking channelwork permits unimpeded insertion and removal of modules by sliding movement perpendicular to the open box fronts. Thus, low cost retrofit installations may be made from a minimal inventory of parts to add one or more expansion boxes for creating a ganged system with little damage to the original wall site.

Claims

1. A gangable modular electrical box configuration, comprising in combination,

at least two interfitting modules for assembling into a substantially quadrilateral four-sided open-front, closed-back electrical box assembly of a predetermined interior volume, a first one of said at least two interfitting modules comprising an electrical box frame having at least one open side and a closed back, and a second one of said at least two interfitting modules comprising a removable electrical box member having sidewall structure mateable on said open side of said first one of said at least two interfitting modules to form said unitary stably mated structure, and

mating interlocking structure overlapping at least said first and second of said at least two interfitting modules for interfitting said first and second modules for forming therefrom said unitary stably mated structure, said mated structure comprising channelwork having respective tongue and groove members integrally supported by respective ones of said first and second modules about said open side of the second interfitting module, and additional mating interlocking structure comprising support means overlapping said first and second ones of said at least two interfitting modules to form a mechanically supporting joint at the closed back of at least said first one of said at least two interfitting modules, with said tongue and groove members being slidably engaged and disengaged by movement of one of said first and second of said at least two interfitting modules in a direction perpendicular to the closed back of the first said interfitting module to comprise said electrical box frame thereby to comprise with said additional mating interlocking structure a mechanically supported joint at least in part frictionally holding the two mated modules engaged unitarily.

2. The gangable electric box configuration of claim 1 wherein said second one of said at least two interfitting modules comprises a removable sidewall module for closing said open side of said first one of said at least two interfitting modules by forming therewith said mechanically supported joint holding the two mated modules engaged unitarily.

3. The gangable electric box configuration of claim 1 wherein said second one of said at least two interfitting modules comprises an extension box frame having two open sidewalls with said mating interlocking structure thereby extending about both the two open sidewalls of said second one of said at least two interfitting modules.

4. The gangable electric box configuration of claim 1 wherein said electrical box frame comprises an anchor box having disposed on two opposed closed sidewall ends protruding mounting structure for securing said anchor box to a building support body.

5. The gangable electric box configuration of claim 1 wherein said support means overlapping two mated modules to form mechanically supporting joint means comprises flexible plastic members forming a snap-fit detent joint.

6. The gangable electric box configuration of claim 1 wherein said first and second ones of the interfitting modules are metallic with said additional mating interlocking structure support means overlapping said first and second ones of the interfitting modules to form said mechanically supporting joint at said closed back of at least said first one of said at least two interfitting modules comprises a metallic flange registering on the closed back of said electrical box frame adapted for receiving a bond screw to electrically join the electrical box frame of the first one of said at least two interfitting modules and the second of said at least two interfitting modules.

7. The gangable electric box configuration of claim 1 wherein said at least two interfitting modules are molded plastic members.

8. The gangable electric box configuration of claim 1 wherein said first and second interfitting modules are metallic members formed of sheet metal.

9. The gangable electric box configuration of claim 1 wherein said tongue and groove members are substantially cylindrically shaped.

10. The gangable electric box configuration of claim 1 wherein said tongue and groove members extend from the closed back of said first one of said at least two interfitting modules comprising said electrical box frame toward the open front of said quadrilateral electrical box assembly to form an interlocking joint located at four corners of said quadrilateral box assembly, and wherein the tongue and groove members comprise overlapping flange structure forming substantially closed box sidewall structure with said second one of said at least two interfitting modules.

11. The gangable electric box configuration of claim 1 wherein two modular end plates are affixed to said first one of said at least two interfitting modules, wherein the box frame comprises a U-shaped box frame, said tongue and groove members comprising two tongue members on one side of the U-shaped box frame and two receptacle groove members in mating position on the other side of the U-shaped box frame thereby comprising the mechanically supporting joint locking means to hold the end plates and box frame engaged as a stably supported unitary electrical box.

12. The gangable electric box configuration of claim 1 wherein said at least one open side of said first one of said at least two interfitting modules comprising said electrical box frame presents two open box sides with said second one of said at least two interfitting modules comprising said removable electrical box member mateable on said open side of said first one of said at least two interfitting modules to form said mechanically supported joint having said tongue and groove members of said channelwork configured with mating male channelwork tongue members and female channelwork groove members arranged in a configuration permitting a single sidewall module to interfit on both said two open box sides of said electrical box frame.

13. The gangable electric box configuration of claim 12 wherein said second one of said two interfitting modules comprises a closure side panel member.

14. The gangable electric box configuration of claim 12 wherein said second one of said two interfitting modules comprises a substantially quadrilateral expansion box module with two open sides forming a substantially U-shaped member.

15. The gangable electric box configuration of claim 1 wherein said channelwork further comprises said tongue and groove members disposed in four corners of said quadrilateral electrical box assembly.

16. The gangable electric box configuration of claim 1 wherein said first one of at least two interfitting modules forms said electrical box frame in said quadrilateral configuration, and said second one of at least two interfitting modules comprises said removable box module having one open sidewall forming said mating interlocking structure with said quadrilateral open-front electrical box assembly wherein said channelwork is configured to require mating and unmating movement solely in said direction perpendicular to the closed back of the first said interfitting module without lateral movement and requiring no securing members to be entered from outside the open-front quadrilateral configuration, whereby the at least two interfitting modules are structured to permit retrofitting of said removable box module on said at least one open side of said first one of said at least two interfitting modules when said electric box frame having at least one open side is anchored in a building site thereby permitting removal of a said end plate by removal toward said open box front to produce a replacement site for stably mating said removable expansion box module upon said electrical box frame.

17. The gangable electric box configuration of claim 1 wherein said first one and second one of said at least two interfitting modules, comprises at least one electrical box frame module with two open sidewalls forming a U-shaped member, and an interfitting end module, wherein the channelwork disposed upon said at least two interfitting modules is configured to permit said end module to be mounted on both said two open sidewalls.

18. An electric box system forming from a predetermined number of interlocked standard modular parts a unitary electrical box configuration which is particularly adapted for simplified expansion of internal box volume of anchored electrical boxes affixed to a building structural element by formation of a ganged box array with at least one added extension box module interlocked with and supported primarily by the anchored box, comprising in combination:

a set of no more than three basic interfitting modules for producing self standing substantially rectangular open front electrical boxes, said set consisting of an open front U-shaped extension box frame module with two open sides and integrally attached interlocking structure for receiving and supporting on the two open sides end panel modules for forming a substantially rectangular electrical box with closed sides, and a pair of removable end panel modules with integrally attached mating interlocking structure for assembly upon and support by the extension box frame module interlocking structure in a mounting movement perpendicular to said open front and parallel to the side walls without accompanying lateral movement, said interlocking structure on the extension box frame module and the mating interlocking structure on the end panel modules comprising respective tongue and groove shaped female and male members axially aligned to mate the extension box frame with two side closure modular members,

the mating interlocking structure being disposed as substantially said tongue and groove members being movably disposed to mate into and out of contiguous side-by-side mated positions in an electrical box array without obstruction of axial movement of the interlocking structure being mated in said mounting movement in the mating process, and

intermodular fastening means overlapping contiguous modules for retaining the side closure members in engagement with the frame in a shared support joint.

19. The electric box system of claim 18 further comprising an added expansion box module for forming a substantially rectangular electric box and having anchoring structure carried by at least one expansion box module wall for attachment thereto of an anchoring wire serving as a guy wire when attached to a building element for supplemental support of said electric box system.

20. The electric box system of claim 18 wherein the unitary electrical box configuration further comprises four sidewalls surrounding an open front with an intervening sidewall.

21. The electric box system of claim 18 wherein said set of three basic interfitting modules further consists of two basic modular parts, namely the U-shaped frame module and a single end panel module adapted to interlock with either open side of the frame module.

22. The electric box system of claim 18 wherein the interlocking structure on said frame comprises four rectangularly arranged interlocking members, two being located on each side comprising respectively male and female interlocking members wherein a pair of members disposed toward opposite ends of the box respectively comprise male and female interlocking members, thus arranging two male members and two female members kitti-cornered on the frame module.

23. A multiple ganged modular electric box array, comprising in combination, a plurality of ganged modules including one module of said plurality of ganged modules located at one end of the ganged array comprising an anchor box firmly affixed to a building element, and at least one fanged module of said plurality of ganged modules being ganged to the anchor box by interlocking structure thereby to comprise primary support structure firmly fixing the ganged array to the anchor box, and further comprising secondary support structure integrally carried by an outside wall of said ganged module for anchoring a guy wire extending from said secondary support structure to a predetermined anchoring site.