Electrical unit for mating with an electrical box

• US 6,544,049 B1
• Filed: 10/24/2000
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WorldCom, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Pierson, Forrest L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prasad, Chandrika
• Application Number:
  US09/695,097
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 439/107, 439/188, 439/106, 439/650, 439/680
• US Class Current: 439/107
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/00 Coupling parts adapted for simultaneous co-operation with two or more identical counterparts, e.g. for distributing energy to two or more circuits supported only by co-operation with a counterpart H01R31/00; with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/88
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 29/00 Coupling parts for selective co-operation with a counterpart in different ways to establish different circuits, e.g. for voltage selection, for series-parallel selection, programmable connectors

Abstract

An electrical unit including a body having a device surface and a mating surface. An electrical device configured to provide an electrical function to a user is arranged on the device surface, and neutral and hot contacts configured to receive respective neutral and hot conductive members of an electrical box are mounted on the mating surface. The electrical device may be any one of an outlet, a switch, circuit breaker, or any combination of these devices. In addition to the neutral and hot contacts, ground and alternative contacts may be provided on the mating surface and each contact may be a rigid electrical socket oriented in a keyed configuration so as to electrically connect to the respective conductive members without the use of connecting wires when the electrical unit is mated with the electrical box. The electrical unit may include a mating screw which, when tightened in a screw hole of the electrical box, causes the electrical unit to mate with the electrical box, and a non-conductive member mounted on the mating surface which prevents the electrical unit from mating with a non-compatible electrical box.

Claims

1. An electrical unit adapted to be disposed within an electrical box, comprising:

a body containing electrical circuitry of said electrical unit and having a device surface and a mating surface;

an electrical device arranged on said device surface and providing an electrical function to users of said electrical unit;

a neutral contact mounted on said mating surface and receiving a neutral conductive member of said electrical box; and

a hot contact mounted on said mating surface and receiving a hot conductive member of said electrical box,

wherein said neutral and hot contacts become electrically connected to said respective conductive members without the use of connecting wires when said electrical unit is disposed within said electrical box,

said electrical box receives power from an external source over said neutral and hot conductive members, and

said electrical box supplies power to said neutral and hot contacts of said electrical unit over said neutral and hot conductive members when said electrical unit is disposed within said electrical box.

2. The electrical unit of claim 1, wherein each of said neutral and hot electrical contacts comprises a rigid electrical socket that protrudes substantially perpendicularly from said mating surface.

3. The electrical unit of claim 2, wherein

said electrical socket corresponding to said neutral contact is oriented in a first direction,

said electrical socket corresponding to said hot contact is oriented in a second direction, and

said electrical socket corresponding to said neutral contract mates with a neutral conductive member of said electrical box oriented in said first direction and said electrical socket corresponding to said hot contact mates with a hot conductive member of said electrical box oriented in said second direction.

4. The electrical unit of claim 1, further comprising a non-conductive member mounted on said mating surface and which prevents said electrical unit from mating with a non-compatible electrical box.

5. The electrical unit of claim 1, further comprising a mating screw mounted on said body and which mates with a screw hole on said electrical box, wherein tightening said mating screw in said screw hole causes said electrical unit to mate with said electrical box.

6. The electrical box of claim 5, further comprising a stop surface abutting a surface of said electrical box when said electrical unit is fully mated with said electrical box.

7. The electrical unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a ground contact mounted on said mating surface receiving a ground conductive member of said electrical box; and

an alternative hot contact mounted on said mating surface receiving an alternative hot conductive member of said electrical box,

wherein said ground and alternative hot contacts become electrically connected to said respective conductive members without the use of connecting wires when said electrical unit is mated with said electrical box.

8. The electrical unit of claim 1, wherein said electrical device comprises an electrical outlet providing electrical power to appliances plugged therein.

9. The electrical unit of claim 8, wherein said electrical outlet comprises a high power electrical outlet and said electrical device further comprises a circuit interrupt switch interrupting power provided to said high power electrical outlet.

10. The electrical unit of claim 1, wherein said electrical device comprises an electrical switch.

11. The electrical unit of claim 10, wherein said electrical switch comprises one of a push button switch and a toggle switch.

12. The electrical unit of claim 1, wherein said electrical device comprises a transfer switch.

13. The electrical unit of claim 1, wherein said electrical device comprises a circuit breaker.

14. An electrical unit adapted to be disposed within an electrical box, comprising:

a means for containing electrical circuitry of said electrical unit, said means for containing having a mating surface and a device surface;

a means, provided on said device surface, for providing an electrical function to users of said electrical unit;

a means, mounted on said mating surface, for receiving a neutral conductive member of said electrical box; and

a means, mounted on said mating surface, for receiving a hot conductive member of said electrical box,

wherein said means for receiving a neutral conductive member, and said means for receiving a hot conductive member become electrically connected to said respective conductive members without the use of connecting wires when said electrical unit is disposed within said electrical box,

said electrical box receives power from an external means over said neutral and hot conductive members, and

said electrical box supplies power to said electrical unit over said neutral and hot conductive members when said electrical unit is disposed within said electrical box.

15. The electrical unit of claim 14, further comprising means for keying said means for receiving a neutral conductive member and said means for receiving a hot conductive member to receive only a respective conductive member on said electrical box.

16. The electrical unit of claim 14, further comprising means for preventing a non-compatible electrical box from mating with said electrical unit.

17. The electrical unit of claim 14, further comprising means for fastening said electrical unit to said electrical box.

18. The electrical unit of claim 14, wherein said means for providing an electrical function comprises means for providing electrical power to an appliance.

19. The electrical unit of claim 18, wherein said means for providing an electrical function further comprises means for interrupting said electrical power to said appliance.

20. The electrical unit of claim 14, wherein said means for providing an electrical function comprises means for switching electrical power.

21. The electrical unit of claim 14, wherein said means for providing an electrical function comprises means for interrupting electrical power to a circuit.

22. The electrical unit of claim 14, further comprising:

means, mounted on said mating surface, for receiving a ground conductive member of said electrical box; and

a means, mounted on said mating surface, for receiving an alternative hot conductive member of said electrical box,

wherein said means for receiving a ground conductive member, and said means for receiving an alternative hot conductive member become electrically connected to said respective conductive members without the use of connecting wires when said electrical unit is mated with said electrical box.

23. An electrical unit adapted to be disposed within an electrical junction box, comprising:

a body having a device surface and a mating surface;

an electrical device arranged on said device surface and providing an electrical function to users of said electrical unit; and

contacts mounted on said mating surface and receiving respective conductive members of said electrical junction box; and

wherein said contacts become electrically and removably connected to said conductive members when said electrical unit is disposed within said electrical junction box, said electrical junction box receives power from an external source over said conductive members, and said electrical junction box supplies power to said contacts of said electrical unit over said conductive members when said electrical unit is removably disposed within said electrical junction box.

24. The electrical unit of claim 23, wherein said contacts comprise rigid electrical sockets corresponding to neutral and hot conductors of said electrical unit and adapted to be mated with said conductive members comprising rigid electrical prongs corresponding to neutral and hot conductors of said electrical junction box, and

said neutral and hot conductors of said electrical unit are oriented in directions perpendicular to each other and adapted to be mated with said neutral and hot conductors of said electrical junction box oriented in directions perpendicular to each other and so as to mate with said neutral and hot conductors of said electrical unit.

25. An electrical unit adapted to be disposed within a box mounted on a frame of a building, comprising:

a body having a device surface and a mating surface;

an electrical device arranged on said device surface and providing an electrical function to users of said electrical unit; and

contacts mounted on said mating surface and receiving respective conductive members of said box; and

wherein said contacts become electrically and removably connected to said conductive members when said electrical unit is disposed within said box, said box receives power from an external source over said conductive members, and said box supplies power to said contacts of said electrical unit over said conductive members when said electrical unit is removably disposed within said box.

26. The electrical unit of claim 25, wherein said contacts comprise rigid electrical sockets corresponding to neutral and hot conductors of said electrical unit and adapted to be mated with said conductive members comprising rigid electrical prongs corresponding to neutral and hot conductors of said box, and

said neutral and hot conductors of said electrical unit are oriented in directions perpendicular to each other and adapted to be mated with said neutral and hot conductors of said electrical box oriented in directions perpendicular to each other and so as to mate with said neutral and hot conductors of said electrical unit.