Electrical box extension

• US 6,820,760 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2003
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Paul Brett Wegner, Wesley Gene Wegner
• Original Assignee: Paul Brett Wegner, Wesley Gene Wegner
• Inventors: Wegner, Paul Brett, Wegner, Wesley Gene
• Primary Examiner(s): Merek, Joseph C
• Application Number:
  US10/349,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20040155036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 220/3.94, 220/4.03, 220/3.7, 220/3.2, 220/3.3, 220/3.9, 174/57
• US Class Current: 220/3.94
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/086 Assembled boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/12 for flush mounting
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/121 in plain walls

Abstract

Disclosed is an electrical box extension that includes an extending member for switch and/or plug mounting having one or more fastening brackets, one or more base fastening brackets and one or more fasteners that together with optional contact points provide for mechanical and electrical connectivity between the extending member and its associated electrical box and provide sufficient mechanical resistance to support the adjustable elevation of the elevating member thereby supporting a flush surface for surface mounted sockets, switches and their associated plates.

Claims

1. An electrical box extender comprising:

an adapting member having an outward side and an inward side and having a flange substantially perpendicular to the adapting member and extending in the direction of the outward side of the adapting member;

said flange having an inward side and an outward side;

said flange bordering an aperture of said adapting member and oriented substantially about a principal axis of extension of said adapting member;

an extending member, having an inner surface and an outer surface the extending member oriented about the principal axis of extension of said adapting member and in close proximity to the inward side of said flange wherein the extending member has at least one protrusion extending from the outer wall contacting the inward side of the flange, the at least one protrusion oriented parallel with the principal axis of extesion;

at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate having an aperture for receiving a fastener with an aperture, the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate extending from an edge of the adapting member ending in a direction toward the inward side of said flange and beneath said flange;

each of the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plates having an associated extender fastener mounting plate for receiving a fastener, each extender fastener mounting plate fixedly attached to the extending member and having an aperture;

each extender fastener mounting plate aperture substantially aligned with the associated adaptor fastener mounting plate aperture;

at least one fastener for detachably attaching said adapting member to said extending member by way of the aligned adaptor fastener mounting plate aperture and the extending fastening mounting plate aperture;

whereby travel of the extending member maintains mechanical and electrical connectivity between the extending member and the adapting member while modifying the height of the extending member reletive to the adapting member in an adjustable and substantially reversible fashion.

2. The electrical box extender as claimed in claim 1 wherein the extending member comprises a polyhedron-shaped surface with substantially rectangular-shaped facets about a principal axis of extension.

3. The electrical box extender as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate is an adaptor screw mounting plate, the at least one extender fastener mounting plate is an extender screw mounting plate, and the at least one fastener is at least one screw, each screw having a grommet attached to a portion of the screw between the at least one extender screw mounting plate and the at least one adaptor screw mounting plate, whereby the turning of the screw maintains mechanical connectivity between the adapting member and the extending member while modifying the height of the extending member relative to the adapting member in an adjustable and substantially reversible fashion.

4. The electrical box extender as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate is an adaptor screw mounting plate having an aperture for receiving a threaded fastener, the at least one extender fastener mounting plate is an extender screw mounting plate having a smooth aperture, and the at least one fastener is a screw having a grommet attached to a portion of the screw between the at least one extender screw mounting plate and the at least one adaptor screw mounting plate, whereby the turning of the screw maintains mechanical connectivity between the adapting member and the extending member while modifying the height of the extending member relative to the adapting member in an adjustable and substantially reversible fashion.

5. The electrical box extender as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a spring about each of the at least one fastener, each fastener having a head, wherein each spring is between the extender mounting plate and the screw head.

6. An electrical box extender comprising:

an adapting member having an outward side and an inward side and having a flange substantially perpendicular to the adapting member and extending in the direction of the outward side of the adapting member;

said flange having an inward side and an outward side;

said flange bordering an aperture of said adapting member and oriented substantially about a principal axis of extension of said adapting member;

said adapting member further comprising at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate extending from an edge of the adapting member, each of the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plates having an end section with an aperture for receiving a fastener, each end section of the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate extending substantially in the direction of the inward side of the flange and beneath said flange;

each of the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate having an associated extender fastener mounting plate having an aperture for receiving a fastener;

each extender fastener mounting plate aperture substantially aligned with the associated adaptor fastener mounting plate aperture;

an extending member comprising a polyhedron-shaped surface with substantially rectangular-shaped facets about a principal axis of extension;

the extending member having an inward surface and an outward surface, the extending member oriented about the principal axis extension of said adapting member with the outward surface of the extending member in close proximity to the inward side of said flange, wherein the outer surface of the extending member has at least one protrusion the at least one protrusion oriented parallel with the principle axis of extension in mechanical and electrical contact with the inward side of said flange and each extender fastener mounting plate is fixedly attached to the extending member; and

at least one fastener for detachably attaching said adapting member to said extending member by way of the aligned adapting member fastener mounting plate aperture and the aligned extending member fastener mounting plate;

whereby travel of the extending member maintains mechanical and electrical connectivity between the extending member and the adapting member while modifying the height of the extending member relative to the adapting member in an adjustable and substantially reversible fashion.

7. The electrical box extender as claimed in claim 6 wherein the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate is an adaptor screw mounting plate, the at least one extender fastener mounting plate is an extender screw mounting plate, and the at least one fastener is at least one screw, each screw having a grommet attached to a portion of the screw between the at least one extender screw mounting plate and the at least one adaptor screw mounting plate, whereby the turning of the screw maintains mechanical connectivity between the adapting member and the extending member while modifying the height of the extending member relative to the adapting member in an adjustable substantially reversible fashion.

8. The electrical box extender as claimed in claim 7 further comprising a spring about each of the at least one screws, each fastener having a head, and wherein each spring is compression between the adaptor screw mounting plate and the head of each fastener.

9. The electrical box extender as claimed in claim 6 wherein the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate is an adaptor screw mounting plate having an aperture for receiving a threaded fastener, the at least one extender fastener mounting plate is an extender screw mounting plate having a smooth aperture, and the at least one fastener is a screw having a grommet attached to a portion of the screw between the at least one extender screw mounting plate and the at least one adaptor screw mounting plate, whereby the turning of the screw maintains mechanical connectivity between the adapting member and the extending member while modifying the height of the extending member relative to the adapting member in an adjustable and substantially reversible fashion.

10. The electrical box extender as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a spring about each of the at least one screw, each screw having a head, wherein each spring is between the extender screw mounting plate and the screw head.

11. The electrical box extender as claimed in claim 6 wherein the at least one extender fastener mounting plate is an extender screw mounting plate having an aperture for receiving a threaded fastener, the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate is an adaptor screw mounting plate having a smooth aperture, and the at least one fastener is a screw having a grommet attached to a portion of the screw between the at least one extender screw mounting plate and the at least one adaptor screw mounting plate, whereby the turning of the screw maintains mechanical connectivity between the adapting member and the extending member while modifying the height of the extending member relative to the adapting member in an adjustable and substantially reversible fashion.

12. The electrical box extender as claimed in claim 11 wherein each of the at least one screw has a head at a first end and an indentation at a second end.

13. The electrical box extender as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a spring about each of the at least one screw, each screw having a head, wherein each spring is between the adaptor screw mounting plate and the screw head.

14. An electrical box extender comprising:

an adapting member having an outward side and an inward side and having a flange substantially perpendicular to the adapting member and extending in the direction of the outward side of the adapting member;

said flange having an inward side and an outward side;

said flange bordering an aperture of said adapting member and oriented substantially about a principal axis of extension of said adapting member;

the inward side of the flange of the adapting member having at least one protrusion projecting into the adapting member aperture the at least one protrusion oriented parallel with the principal axis of extension;

the adapting member further comprising at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate extending from an edge of the adapting member, each of the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate having an end section with an aperture for receiving a fastener, each end section of the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate extending substantially in the direction of inward side of the flange and beneath said flange;

each of the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate having an associated extender fastener mounting plate having an aperture for receiving a fastener;

each extender fastener mounting plate aperture substantially aligned with the associated adaptor fastener mounting plate aperture;

an extending member comprising a polyhedron-shaped surface with substantially rectangular-shaped facets about a principal axis of extension;

the extending member having an inward surface and an outward surface, the extending member oriented about the principal axis extension of said adapting member with the outward surface of the extending member in close proximity to the inward side of said flange and wherein the at least one protrusion of the adapting member is in mechanical and electrical contact with the outward surface of the extending member and each extender fastener mounting plate is fixedly attached to the extending member; and

at least one fastener for detachably attaching said adapting member to said extending member by way of the aligned adapting member fastener mounting plate aperture and the aligned extending member fastener mounting plate;

whereby travel of the extending member maintains mechanical and electrical connectivity between the extending member and the adapting member while modifying the height of the extending member relative to the adapting member in an adjustable and substantially reversible fashion.

15. The electrical box extender as claimed in claim 14 wherein the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate is an adaptor screw mounting plate, the at least one extender fastener mounting plate is an extender screw mounting plate, and the at least one fastener is at least one screw, each screw having a grommet attached to a portion of the screw between the at least one extender screw mounting plate and the at least one adaptor screw mounting plate, whereby the turning of the screw maintains mechanical connectivity between the adapting member and the extending member while modifying the height of the extending member relative to the adapting member in an adjustable and substantially reversible fashion.

16. The electrical box extender as claimed in claim 14 further comprising a spring about each of the at least one fastener wherein each spring is between the fastener mounting plate and adaptor fastener mounting associated with each fastener.

17. The electrical box extender as claimed in claim 14 wherein the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate is an adaptor screw mounting plate having an aperture for receiving a threaded fastener, the at least one extender fastener mounting plate is an extender screw mounting plate having a smooth aperture, and the at least one fastener is a screw having a grommet attached to a portion of the screw between the at least one extender screw mounting plate and the at least one adaptor screw mounting plate, whereby the turning of the screw maintains mechanical connectivity between the adapting member and the extending member while modifying the height of the extending member relative to the adapting member in an adjustable and substantially reversible fashion.

18. The electrical box extender as claimed in claim 15 further comprising a spring about each of the at least one screw, each screw having a head, wherein each spring is between the extender screw mounting plate and the screw head.

19. The electrical box extender as claimed in claim 14 wherein the at least one extender fastener mounting plate is an extender screw mounting plate having an aperture for receiving a threaded fastener, the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate is an adaptor screw mounting plate having a smooth aperture, and the at least one fastener is a screw having a grommet attached to a portion of the screw between the at least one extender screw mounting plate and the at least one adaptor screw mounting plate, whereby the turning of the screw maintains mechanical connectivity between the adapting member and the extending member while modifying the height of the extending member relative to the adapting member in an adjustable and substantially reversible fashion.

20. The electrical box extender as claimed in claim 19 wherein each of the at least one screw has a head at a first end and an indentation at a second end.

21. The electrical box extender an claimed in claim 15 further comprising a spring about each of the at least one screw, each screw having a head, wherein each spring is between the adaptor screw mounting plate and the screw head.