Quick-connect fastener for electrical fixtures

• US 6,679,647 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2002
• Issued: 01/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palmer Hargrave Lighting, LLC
• Original Assignee: Palmer Hargrave, Inc.
• Inventors: Hixon, Troy
• Primary Examiner(s): Browne, Lynne H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Flandro, Ryan M.
• Application Number:
  US10/055,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20030138291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 403/348, 403/349, 403/DIG.4, 411/551, 411/552, 411/553, 362/370, 362/226, 362/364, 362/365, 362/372, 362/145, 362/147, 439/700, 439/314, 439/334-336, 439/537, 174/65.R
• US Class Current: 403/349
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0616 Joints for connecting tubing to casing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 403/04 Quick release
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7005 Lugged member, rotary engagement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7007 Bayonet joint

Abstract

An electrical fixture is mounted adjacent a stable surface via a standard J-box using a quick-connect fastener which allows the electrical fixture to be electrically coupled to wires extending through the J-box prior to physically coupling the electrical fixture to the J-box, while also minimizing twisting of the wires in the J-box during attachment of the electrical fixture to the J-box.

Claims

1. A connector for releasably coupling an electrical fixture to a J-box, said connector comprising:

a female member having an inner surface which defines an internal bore, said female member including at least one connection slot extending into the inner surface, said slot comprising a generally circumferentially extending portion and a generally axially extending terminal recess, said generally circumferentially extending portion extending in a direction which is skewed from perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the internal bore;

a male member presenting an outer surface which defines a protrusion, said male member including at least one coupling element extending outwardly from the outer surface, said coupling element being shiftable relative to the protrusion, said male member defining an internal bore and a biasing mechanism disposed in said internal bore; and

said male and female members being shiftable between a decoupled position wherein the male and female members are separated from one another and a coupled position wherein the protrusion is at least partly received in the internal bore and the coupling element is at least partly received in the terminal recess, thereby inhibiting rotation of the male and female members relative to one another.

2. The connector according to claim 1, said biasing mechanism configure holding the coupling element in the terminal recess when the male and female members are in the coupled position.

3. The connector according to claim 2,

said protrusion defining a generally axially extending coupling element slot within which the coupling element is received,

said coupling element being axially shiftable relative to the protrusion in the coupling element slot between a retracted position and an extended position,

said coupling element being in the extended position when the male and female members are in the coupled position,

said biasing mechanism being operable to bias the coupling element towards the extended position.

4. The connector according to claim 3,

said male member including a radially extending flange proximate one end of the protrusion,

said coupling element being closer to the flange when the coupling element is in the extended position than when the coupling element is in the retracted position.

5. The connector according to claim 4,

said male member including an end wall proximate another end of the protrusion which is generally opposite said one end of the protrusion,

said biasing mechanism being positioned generally between the end wall and the coupling element.

6. The connector according to claim 5,

said biasing mechanism being a spring.

7. The connector according to claim 6,

said biasing mechanism comprising a neoprene material.

8. The connector according to claim 2,

said female member comprising a generally annular cylindrical side wall which defines the inner surface,

said connection slot extending completely through the side wall.

9. The connector according to claim 8,

said female member including an open end and a closed end,

said internal bore extending axially inward from the open end,

said connection slot being open at the open end.

10. The connector according to claim 9,

said connection slot further comprising a generally axially extending portion,

said generally circumferentially extending portion extending between the terminal recess and the generally axially extending portion,

said generally axially extending portion of the connection slot being positioned adjacent the open end.

11. The connector according to claim 10,

said female member including two of the connection slots circumferentially spaced around the internal bore,

said male member including two of the coupling elements circumferentially spaced around the protrusion,

each of said coupling elements being received in a respective one of the connection slots when the male and female members are in the coupled position.

12. The connector according to claim 11,

said coupling element being formed of a common rod which extends radially through the male member.

13. The connector according to claim 12,

said male and female members each including an axially extending threaded opening adapted to threadably receive a respective male threaded nipple.

14. An electrical fixture mountable adjacent a generally flat surface via a standard J-box, said fixture comprising:

an arm assembly adapted to extend outwardly from the surface when the fixture is mounted adjacent the surface; and

a quick-connect fastener adapted to releasably couple the arm assembly to the J-box, said fastener comprising;

a female member having an inner surface which defines an internal bore, said female member including a connection slot extending into the inner surface, said connection slot including a generally circumferentially extending portion and a generally axially extending terminal recess, said generally circumferentially extending portion extending in a direction which is skewed from perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the internal bore,

a male member presenting an outer surface which defines a protrusion, said male member including a coupling element extending outwardly from the outer surface, said coupling element being shiftable relative to the protrusion, said male member defining an internal bore, and

a biasing mechanism disposed in said internal bore,

one of said members being coupled to the arm assembly,

the other of said members being adapted to be coupled to the J-box,

said quick-connect fastener being shiftable between a decoupled position wherein the male and female members are separated and a coupled position wherein the protrusion is at least partly received in the internal bore and the coupling element is held in the terminal recess by the biasing mechanism, thereby inhibiting rotation of the male and female members relative to one another.

15. The electrical fixture according to claim 14, said biasing mechanism being a spring.

16. The electrical fixture according to claim 15,

said biasing mechanism comprising a neoprene material.

17. The electrical fixture according to claim 14,

said connection slot further including a generally axially extending portion,

said circumferentially extending portion extending between the axially extending portion and the terminal recess.

18. The electrical fixture according to claim 17,

said female member comprising a generally annular cylindrical side wall which defines the inner surface,

said connection slot extending completely through the side wall.

19. The electrical fixture according to claim 18,

said female member including an axially extending threaded opening adapted to threadably receive a male threaded nipple.

20. A sconce mountable on a wall via a conventional J-box, said sconce comprising:

a light bulb socket adapted to receive a light bulb;

an elongated arm having a distal end coupled to the socket and a proximal end, said arm defining an internal channel extending between the proximal and distal ends;

an electrically conductive wire electrically coupled to the light bulb socket, extending through the internal channel, and projecting out of the proximal end of the arm;

a back strap adapted to be coupled to the J-box; and

a quick-connect fastener comprising;

a female member coupled to the back strap and having an inner surface which defines an internal bore, said female member including a connection slot extending into the inner surface, said slot comprising a generally axially extending portion, a generally circumferentially extending portion, and a generally axially extending terminal recess, said generally circumferentially extending portion extending in a direction which is skewed from perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the internal bore,

a male member coupled to the proximal end of the arm and presenting an outer surface which defines a protrusion, said male member including a coupling element extending outwardly from the outer surface, said coupling element being shiftable relative to the protrusion, and

a biasing mechanism,

said quick-connect fastener being shiftable between a decoupled position wherein the male and female members are separated and a coupled position wherein the protrusion is at least partly received in the internal bore and the coupling element is held in the terminal recess by the biasing mechanism, thereby inhibiting rotation of the male and female members relative to one another.

21. The sconce according to claim 20,

said female member comprising a generally annular cylindrical side wall which defines the inner surface,

said connection slot extending completely through the side wall.

22. The sconce according to claim 21,

said female member including two of the connection slots circumferentially spaced around the internal bore,

said male member including two of the coupling elements circumferentially spaced around the protrusion,

each of said coupling elements being received in a respective one of the connection slots when the fastener is in the coupled position.

23. The sconce according to claim 20,

said female member including an open end and a closed end,

said internal bore extending axially inward from the open end,

said connection slot being open at the open end.

24. The sconce according to claim 23,

said generally axially extending portion of the connection slot being positioned adjacent the open end,

said generally circumferentially extending portion of the connection slot being spaced from both the open and closed ends.

25. The sconce according to claim 24,

said circumferentially extending portion of the connection slot extending between the terminal recess and the axially extending portion.

26. The sconce according to claim 25,

said protrusion defining a generally axially extending coupling element slot within which the coupling element is received,

said coupling element being axially shiftable relative to the protrusion in the coupling element slot between a retracted position and an extended position,

said coupling element being in the extended position when the male and female members are in the coupled position,

said biasing mechanism being operable to bias the coupling element towards the extended position.

27. A method of mounting an electrical fixture adjacent a surface via a standard J-box, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) coupling one of either a male member or a female member to a back strap;

(b) coupling the other of the male or female members to the fixture;

(c) inserting a protrusion of the male member into an internal bore of the female member; and

(d) rotating the fixture relative to the J-box through an angle of less than 360°

, thereby securely coupling the fixture to the J-box,

said rotating being performed without substantial axial shifting of the protrusion relative to the female member,

said rotating causing a protruding coupling element of the male member to shift relative to the protrusion.

28. The method according to claim 27;

and

(e) prior to step (c), coupling the back strap to the J-box.

29. The method according to claim 28;

and

(f) prior to step (c), electrically coupling electrical supply wires of the fixture to electrical source wires extending from the J-box.

30. A method according to claim 27,

said male member including a pair of said protruding coupling elements,

said internal bore including a pair of connection slots,

said coupling elements being received in said connection slots during step (d).

31. The method according to claim 30,

each of said connection slots including a generally axially extending terminal recess.

32. The method according to claim 31,

step (d) including the step of inserting the coupling element into the terminal recess, thereby inhibiting rotation of the male member relative to the female member.

33. The method according to claim 30,

each of said connection slots including a generally circumferentially extending portion extending in a direction skewed from perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the internal bore.

34. The method according to claim 33,

said generally circumferentially extending portion causing the protruding coupling element to shift relative to the protrusion during said rotating of step (d).

35. The method according to claim 27;

and

step (c) including positioning the electrical fixture into contact with the surface,

said electrical fixture being maintained in contact with the surface throughout said rotating of step (d).

36. The method according to claim 35,

said electrical fixture being a wall sconce,

said surface being a vertical wall,

step (c) including causing a backplate of the sconce to engage the wall.