Gangable electrical box

• US 6,903,272 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2003
• Issued: 06/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas & Betts International LLC (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Thomas & Betts International Incorporated (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Dinh, Cong Thanh
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, DHIRUBHAI R
• Application Number:
  US10/702,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20050092509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 174/58, 174/50, 174/54, 174/61, 174/63, 248/906, 248/343, 220/3.2, 220/3.8, 220/3.9, 220/4.02, 439/535
• US Class Current: 174/58
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/086 Assembled boxes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/906 Electrical outlet box support

Abstract

An electrical box is provided that is easily adaptable for ganging to an adjacent electrical box. The electrical box includes a body member having a pair of opposed side walls, a rear wall contiguously formed between the pair of opposed side walls, a pair of opposed guides bounding the body member and integrally formed therewith, and a pair of opposed tabs disposed between the pair of opposed side walls and integrally formed on the pair of opposed guides. A pair of opposed retention members disposed on the side wall that each have adjacent longitudinal slots for slidingly receiving one of the pair of opposed guides within one of the adjacent longitudinal slots when the side wall is inserted into the body member, a pair of opposed flanges integrally formed with the pair of opposed retention members and having an aperture disposed therein, a pair of opposed stop members integrally formed with the pair of opposed retention members for adding rigidity to the side wall when inserted into the body member and for abutting one of the pair of opposed guides of the body member.

Claims

1. An electrical box for securing to a wall stud and adaptable for ganging to an adjacent electrical box, the electrical box comprising:

a body member including;

a pair of opposed side walls;

a rear wall contiguously formed between the pair of opposed side walls; and

a first side wall releasably secured to the body member and including;

a first bounding edge;

a first detachably coupled portion attached to the first bounding edge; and

a second side wall releasably secured to the body member and including;

a second bounding edge;

a second detachably coupled portion attached to the second bounding edge; and

wherein the first and second detachably coupled portions are longitudinally disposed from the rear wall of the body member such that when the first and second detachably coupled portions are removed from the electrical box the first and second bounding edges of the first and second detachably coupled portions, respectively, remain secured to the body member thereby providing rigidity to the body member.

2. The electrical box of claim 1 wherein the first and second side walls are hermaphroditic.

3. The electrical box of claim 1 wherein the first and second side walls are identical for ease of installation into the body member.

4. The electrical box of claim 1 wherein the body member further comprises a pair of opposed guides bounding the body member and orthogonal to the pair of opposed side walls such that rigidity is added to the electrical box.

5. The electrical boxed of claim 4 wherein the body member further comprises a pair of opposed tabs disposed between the pair of opposed side walls and integrally formed on the pair of opposed guides.

6. The electrical box of claim 5 wherein the first and second walls further comprise a first and second coupling aperture, respectively, for each receiving one of the pair of opposed tabs therein for releasably securing the first and second side walls to the body member.

7. The electrical box of claim 4 further comprising an abutment edge on at least one of the pair of opposed guides that is located adjacent to the rear wall.

8. The electrical box of claim 7 further comprising a pair of laterally-spaced brackets disposed on the first and second side walls for contacting the abutment edge on at least one of the pair of opposed guides.

9. The electrical box of claim 4 further comprising an opposed stop member disposed on each of the first and second side walls for abutting the pair of opposed guides bounding the body member and for preventing longitudinal movement of the first and second side walls toward the rear wall of the body member when the first and second walls are inserted into the body member, and for resisting twisting of the first and second side walls when the first and second detachably coupled portions are removed from the first and second side walls, respectively.

10. An electrical box for securing to a wall stud having a front face and a side face, the electrical box adaptable for ganging to an adjacent electrical box, the electrical box comprising:

a body member including;

a pair of opposed side walls, a rear wall contiguously formed between the pair of opposed side walls, a pair of opposed nail guides affixed to the pair of opposed side walls; and

a first side wall releasably secured to the body member and including;

a first pair of opposed flanges extending away from the first side wall and beyond the plane of the first side wall; and

a second side wall releasably secured to the body member; and

such that the electrical box is secured to the front face of the wall stud via at least one of the first pair of opposed flanges when the first side walls abuts the side face of the wall stud and wherein the electrical box is secured to the side face of the wall stud via at least one of the pair of opposed nail guides when the second side wall abuts the side face of the wall stud.

11. The electrical box of claim 10 wherein the first and second side walls are hermaphroditic.

12. The electrical box of claim 10 wherein the first and second side walls are identical for ease of installation into the body member.

13. The electrical box of claim 10 wherein the body member further comprises a pair of opposed guides bounding the body member and orthogonal to the pair of opposed side walls such that rigidity is added to the electrical box.

14. The electrical box of claim 13 wherein the body member further comprises a pair of opposed tabs disposed between the pair of opposed side walls and integrally formed on the pair of opposed guides.

15. The electrical box of claim 14 wherein the first and second walls further comprise a first and second coupling aperture, respectively, for each receiving one of the pair of opposed tabs therein for releasably securing the first and second side walls to the body member.

16. An electrical box for securing to a wall stud and adaptable for ganging to an adjacent electrical box having an adjacent body member, the electrical box comprising:

a body member including;

a pair of opposed side walls;

a rear wall contiguously formed between the pair of opposed side walls; and

a first side wall releasably secured to the body member and including;

a first bounding edge;

a first pair of opposed retention members disposed on the first side wall and having an inner longitudinal slot and an outer longitudinal slot adjacent to the inner longitudinal slot, the inner longitudinal slot adaptable for slidingly receiving part of the body member of the electrical box therein when the first side wall is inserted into the body member of the electrical box and the outer longitudinal slot adaptable for slidingly receiving part of the adjacent body member of the adjacent electrical box therein when the adjacent body member of the adjacent electrical box is inserted into the first side wall; and

a second side wall releasably secured to the body member and including;

a second bounding edge,

a second pair of opposed retention members disposed on the second side wall and having an inner longitudinal slot and an outer longitudinal slot adjacent to the inner longitudinal slot, the inner longitudinal slot adaptable for slidingly receiving part of the body member of the electrical box therein when the second side wall is inserted into the body member of the electrical box and the outer longitudinal slot adaptable for slidingly receiving part of the adjacent body member of the adjacent electrical box therein when the adjacent body member of the adjacent electrical box is inserted into the second side wall.

17. The electrical box of claim 16 wherein the first side wall further comprises a first detachably coupled portion releasably attached to the first bounding edge.

18. The electrical box of claim 17 wherein the second side wall further comprises a second detachably coupled portion releasably attached to the second bounding edge.

19. The electrical box of claim 18 wherein the first and second detachably coupled portions are longitudinally disposed from the rear wall of the body member such that when the first and second detachably coupled portions are removed from the electrical box the first and second bounding edges of the first and second detachably coupled portions, respectively, remain secured to the body member thereby providing rigidity to the body member.

20. The electrical box of claim 18 further comprising an opposed stop member disposed on each of the first and second side walls for abutting the pair of opposed guides bounding the body member and for preventing longitudinal movement of the first and second side walls toward the rear wall of the body member when the first and second walls are inserted into the body member, and for resisting twisting of the first and second side walls when the first and second detachably coupled portions are removed from the first and second side walls, respectively.