Electrical outlet box

• US 6,147,304 A
• Filed: 03/05/1999
• Issued: 11/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James W. Doherty
• Original Assignee: James W. Doherty
• Inventors: Doherty, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, DHIRUBHAI R
• Application Number:
  US09/263,004
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 174/48, 174/50, 174/58, 174/17 R, 174/52.4, 174/66, 174/60, 220/3.2, 220/3.8, 220/4.02, 220/241, 220/3.6
• US Class Current: 174/481
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/086 Assembled boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/126 with supporting means for mounting on a single wall stud

Abstract

An electrical outlet box for selectively receiving both high voltage and low voltage conductors and electrical components such as an a.c. 120 V power outlet, a telephone jack and a cable television (CATV) adapter. The electrical outlet box has a housing with a first section juxtaposed in spaced relationship with respect to a second section. Means for fastening the electrical components to the housing includes a tab with a hole to receive a screw. First and second receiving means disposed on the housing for receiving the high and low voltage conductors may include knock outs in a first section and a plurality of holes in the second section. An open back in the second section of the housing may also be provided. The first and second sections of the housing being joined by a bridge portion. The bridge portion being sized to permit the use of standard cover plates which results in an aesthetically pleasing installation such that a portion of a wallboard, fitting between the first and second sections of the housing, is visible when installation is complete. The electrical outlet box being attachable to a stud with an attaching means which comprises a boss having an opening therein to receive a fastener such as a nail or a threaded member such as a screw.

Claims

1. An electrical outlet box for receiving both a high voltage electrical conductor and a low voltage electrical conductor and a low voltage electrical component and a high voltage electrical component comprising:

a housing having a first section and a second section;

said first section of said housing having a top wall, a bottom wall, a right side wall, a left side wall and a back wall;

each said side wall of said first section being parallel to each other and attached to said top wall, to said bottom wall and to said back wall to define a first enclosure with an open front wall;

said second section of said housing having a top wall, a bottom wall, a right side wall and a left side wall, each said side wall of said second section being parallel to each other and attached to said top wall and to said bottom wall to define a second enclosure with a back wall and an open front wall;

said first section of said housing juxtaposed in spaced relationship with respect to said second section;

a bridge portion;

said bridge portion being disposed between said first section of said housing and said second section of said housing to define a space therebetween;

said bridge portion to linearly align said first section with said second section, to separate, to safely shield and to isolate the high voltage electrical conductor and the low voltage electrical conductor and the low voltage electrical component and the high voltage electrical component and to receive a wall board;

a portion of the wall board fitting between said bridge portion, in the space defined by, said first section and said second section of said housing;

a weak wall portion;

said weak wall portion disposed in at least one said wall of said first section of said housing with a knock out disposed within said weak wall portion thereof for receiving the high voltage electrical conductor;

said second section of said housing having a hole therein sized to receive the low voltage electrical conductor;

a tab having an opening therein to receive a screw for fastening the high voltage electrical component and the low voltage electrical component to said housing;

said tab disposed on said housing; and

means for attaching said electrical outlet box to a stud.

2. The electrical outlet box of claim 1 wherein said bridge portion, said first section and said second section being integral with each other whereby said electrical outlet box being constructed as a single piece thereby eliminating the need to utilize a special mounting plate and a cover for use in joining two separately attachable electrical boxes.

3. The electrical outlet box of claim 2 wherein said first section and said second section of said housing, both being rectangular in shape and the width of said bridge portion is sized to define the space therebetween said first section of said housing and said second section of said housing so that a first standard cover plate may be removably attachable received on said first section and a second standard cover plate may be removably attachably received on said second section, without interference, and with sufficient clearance, so that the portion of the wall board fitting between said bridge portion, in the space defined by, said first section and said second section of said housing, is visible when installation of said electrical outlet box on the stud is complete.

4. The electrical outlet box of claim 3 wherein said back wall of said second section of said housing being open to receive the low voltage electrical conductor for the low voltage electrical component which is a telephone electrical component or a cable television electrical component.

5. The electrical outlet box of claim 4 wherein said bottom wall and said top wall of said second section, each said bottom wall and said top wall of said second section, having a plurality of holes disposed therein for receiving the low voltage electrical conductor which is the low voltage telephone electrical component or the cable television electrical component.

6. The electrical outlet box of claim 5 wherein said means for attaching said electrical outlet box to the stud, comprises a boss disposed on said top wall and on said bottom wall of said first section of said housing;

said boss having an opening therein for receiving a fastener for attaching said electrical outlet box to a side wall of the stud in a cantilever fashion prior to installation of the wall board and thereby allowing said electrical outlet box to be selectively oriented for mounting on the side wall of the stud, where an availability of wall space is limited which is in a corner between adjacent rooms.

7. An electrical outlet box for receiving both a high voltage electrical conductor and a low voltage electrical conductor and a low voltage electrical component and a high voltage electrical component comprising:

a housing having a first section and a second section;

said first section of said housing having a top wall, a bottom wall, a right side wall, a left side wall and a back wall;

each said side wall of said first section being parallel to each other and attached to said top wall, to said bottom wall and to said back wall to define a first enclosure with an open front wall;

said second section of said housing having a top wall, a bottom wall, a right side wall and a left side wall;

each said side wall of said second section being parallel to each other and attached to said top wall and to said bottom wall to define a second enclosure with an open back wall and an open front wall;

said first section of said housing juxtaposed in spaced relationship with respect to said second section;

a bridge portion;

said bridge portion being disposed between said first section of said housing and said second section of said housing to define a space therebetween;

said bridge portion to linearly align said first section with said second section, to separate, to safely shield and to isolate the high voltage electrical conductor and the low voltage electrical conductor and the low voltage electrical component and the high voltage electrical component and to receive a wall board;

a portion of the wall board fitting between said bridge portion, in the space defined by, said first section and said second section of said housing;

said bridge portion, said first section and said second section being integral with each other;

a weak wall portion;

said weak wall portion disposed in at least one said wall of said first section of said housing with a knock out disposed within said weak wall portion thereof for receiving the high voltage electrical conductor;

a tab having an opening therein to receive a screw for fastening the high voltage electrical component and the low voltage electrical component to said housing;

said tab disposed on said housing; and

means for attaching said electrical cutlet box to a stud.

8. The electrical outlet box of claim 7 wherein said second of said housing, both, being rectangular in shape and each being equal in width and in height.

9. The electrical outlet box of claim 8 wherein said attaching means comprises a boss disposed on said wall top wall and on said bottom wall of said first section of said housing;

said boss having an opening therein for receiving a fastener for attaching said electrical outlet box to the stud prior to installation of the wall board.

10. The electrical outlet box of claim 9 wherein the low voltage electrical conductor and the low voltage electrical component may be readily accessed and facilitated from the open back wall of said second enclosure of said electrical outlet box when said electrical outlet box is installed on the stud during new construction.

11. The electrical outlet box of claim 10 wherein said bridge portion being lesser in depth than the depth of either said first section of said housing or than the depth of said second section of said housing.

12. The electrical outlet box of claim 11 wherein the width of said bridge portion is sized to define the space therebetween said first section of said housing and said second section of said housing so that a first standard cover plate may be removably attachably received on said tab on said first section of said housing and secured thereto with the screw, and a second standard cover plate may be removably attachably received on said tab on said second section of said housing, without interference, and secured thereto with the screw, and with sufficient clearance, so that the portion of the wall board fitting between in close proximity to said bridge portion, in the space defined by, said first section and said second section of said housing, is visible when installation of said electrical outlet box on the stud is complete.

13. The electrical outlet box of claim 12 further includes at least one said wall of said second section having a hole disposed therein and the hole being sized to receive the low voltage electrical conductor for both a telephone electrical component and for a cable television electrical component.

14. The electrical outlet box of claim 13 wherein said second enclosure of said second section of said housing being lesser, in depth, than the depth of said first enclosure of said first section of said housing.

15. The electrical outlet box of claim 14 wherein the low voltage electrical conductor and the low voltage electrical component may be selectively accessed from the open back wall of said second enclosure and from the hole disposed in at least one said wall of said second section when said electrical outlet box is installed on the stud during new construction.

16. An electrical outlet box for receiving both a high voltage electrical conductor, and a low voltage electrical conductor, and for receiving a high voltage duplex power receptacle and a low voltage electrical component, and a low voltage telephone electrical component and a cable television electrical component comprising:

a housing having a first section and a second section;

said first section of said housing having a top wall, a bottom wall, a right side wall, a left side wall and a back wall;

each said side wall of said first section being parallel to each other and attached to said top wall, to said bottom wall and to said back wall to define a first enclosure with an open front wall;

said second section of said housing having a top wall, a bottom wall, a right side wall and a left side wall;

each said side wall of said second section being parallel to each other and attached to said top wall and to said bottom wall to define a second enclosure with an open back wall and an open front wall;

said first section and said second section of said housing, both, being rectangular in shape and each being equal in width and in height;

said first section of said housing juxtaposed in spaced relationship second section;

a tab having an opening therein to receive a screw for fastening the high voltage duplex power receptacle and the low voltage telephone electrical component and the cable television electrical component, to said housing;

said tab being disposed on said top wall and on said bottom wall of both said first section and said second section of said housing;

a bridge portion;

said bridge portion being disposed between said first section of said housing and said second and section of said housing to define a space therebetween;

said bridge portion to linearly align said first section with said second section, to separate, to safely shield and to isolate the high voltage electrical conductor and the low voltage electrical conductor and the low voltage electrical component and the high voltage electrical component and to receive a wall board;

a portion of the wall board fitting between said bridge portion, in the space defined by, said first section and said second section of said housing;

said bridge portion being sufficient in width to define the space therebetween said first section of said housing and said second section of said housing so that a first standard cover plate, for the high voltage electrical duplex power receptacle, may be removably attachably received on said tab on said first section of said housing and secured thereto with the screw, and a second standard cover plate, for the low voltage telephone electrical component and for the cable television electrical component, may be removably attachably received on said tab on said second section of said housing, without interference, and secured thereto with the screw, and with sufficient clearance, so that the portion of the wall board fitting between, in the space defined by, said first section and said second section of said housing, in close proximity to said bridge portion, is visible when installation of said electrical outlet box on the stud is complete thereby providing an aesthetically pleasing and functional installation;

said bridge portion, said first section and said second section being integral with each other;

a weak wall portion;

said weak wall portion disposed in said top wall and in said bottom wall of said first section of said housing, each said wall of said first section, having a plurality of knock outs disposed within said weak wall portion thereof for receiving the high voltage electrical conductor;

said bottom wall and said top wall of said second section, each said wall of said second section, having a plurality of holes disposed therein for receiving the low voltage electrical conductor, and the low voltage telephone electrical component and the cable television electrical component; and

a boss disposed on said top wall and on said bottom wall of said first section of said housing;

said boss having an opening therein for receiving a fastener for attaching said electrical outlet box to the stud prior to installation of the wall board.

17. The electrical outlet box of claim 16 wherein the plurality of holes, disposed in each said wall of said bottom wall and of said top wall of said second section, for receiving the low voltage electrical conductor, being of two different hole distribution patterns with two different hole diameters;

the plurality of holes in each said wall of said bottom wall and of said top wall of said second section, penetrating said second enclosure of said second section of said housing;

a smaller diameter hole for receiving the low voltage conductor for the telephone electrical component and a larger diameter hole for receiving the low voltage conductor for the cable television electrical component.

18. The electrical outlet box of claim 17 wherein said second enclosure of said second of said housing being lesser, in depth, than the depth of said first enclosure of said first section of said housing.

19. The electrical outlet box of claim 18 wherein the low voltage electrical conductor and the low voltage electrical component may be selectively accessed from the open back wall of said second enclosure and from the plurality of holes when said electrical outlet box is installed on the stud during new construction.

20. The electrical outlet box of claim 19 wherein said bridge portion being rectangular in shape and being lesser in depth than the depth of either said first section of said housing or than the depth of said second section of said housing and said bridge portion having a hollow section therein.