Cable support bracket

• US 6,996,943 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2002
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Denier Electric Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Denier Electric Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Denier, Dennis J., Bull, Charles H., Kallmeyer, Joseph P.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOOD, KIMBERLY T
• Application Number:
  US10/108,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20030182881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• Field of Search: 522/207, 522/42, 527/15, 527/12, 52/98, 527/450.9, 248/906, 248/205.1, 248/27.1, 248/909, 248/248, 174/50, 174/53, 174/54, 174/58, 174/60, 174/63, 174/64, 220/3.2, 211/89.11, 403/315, 403/316, 403/317, 403/318, 403/319, 403/282, 403/280, 285/24, 285/27, 285/61, 285/64
• US Class Current: 52/220.7
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/7457 with wallboards attached to the outer faces of the posts, parallel to the partition E04B2/7459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7488 Details of wiring
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/00 Methods or apparatus specially adapted for installing, maintaining, repairing or dismantling electric cables or lines
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/126 with supporting means for mounting on a single wall stud
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/906 Electrical outlet box support

Abstract

A bracket for supporting an electrical junction box within a wall frame. The bracket has a junction box support portion adapted to be connectable to the electrical junction box and a cable support portion extending from the junction box support portion. The cable support portion has a cable securing portion that receives and automatically secures the electrical cables in the cable support portion, thereby fixing the electrical cables a desired distance from the junction box.

Claims

1. A bracket for supporting an electrical junction box within a wall frame, the junction box receiving ends of electrical cables, the bracket comprising:

a junction box support comprising

an upper end, and

a mounting surface disposed below the upper end of the junction box support and comprising at least one hole adapted to receive a fastener connectable to the electrical junction box; and

a cable support comprising

an upper end,

a lower end connected to the upper end of the junction box support, the cable support extending the junction box support and the junction box, and

a cable securing apparatus located at the upper end of the cable support, the cable securing apparatus adapted to receive and secure the electrical cables in the cable support simultaneously with the ends of respective electrical cables being disposed in the electrical junction box.

2. The bracket of claim 1 wherein the junction box support and the cable support are integrally formed from a single piece of material.

3. A bracket for supporting an electrical junction box within a wall frame, the junction box receiving ends of electrical cables, the bracket comprising:

a junction box support comprising a mounting surface comprising at least one hole adapted to receive a fastener connectable to the electrical junction box;

an attachment member connected to the junction box support, the attachment member adapted to be connectable to the wall frame; and

a cable support connected to the junction box support and extending from the junction box support, the cable support comprising

a plurality of openings, each of the plurality of openings adapted to receive a different one of the electrical cables simultaneously with the ends of respective electrical cables being disposed in the electrical junction box, and

a plurality of deformable tabs, each deformable tab automatically securing an electrical cable in a different one of the plurality of openings.

4. The bracket of claim 3 wherein the junction box support, the attachment member and the cable support are integrally formed from a single piece of material.

5. The bracket of claim 3 wherein each of the plurality of openings further comprises:

a hole; and

two opposed sides intersecting the hole and diverging outward from the hole to form a receiving space, the receiving space permitting the deformable tabs to deform toward the hole.

6. The bracket of claim 5 wherein an intersection of the hole and the two opposed sides defines a chord across the hole having a length smaller than a maximum diameter of the electric cable.

7. The bracket of claim 6 wherein each of the two opposed sides is linear.

8. The bracket of claim 5 wherein the hole has a substantially circular portion.

9. The bracket of claim 3 wherein the plurality of deformable tabs further comprises a pair of opposed deformable tabs for each of the plurality of openings.

10. The bracket of claim 9 wherein the plurality of openings are located in a plane and the plurality of deformable tabs are substantially perpendicular to the plane of the openings.

11. The bracket of claim 10 wherein the plurality of deformable tabs are deformable in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the openings.

12. The bracket of claim 11 wherein the junction box support comprises a planar mounting surface and the plane of the openings is substantially perpendicular to the mounting surface.

13. The bracket of claim 12 wherein the cable support extends at an angle with respect to the junction box support.

14. The bracket of claim 13 wherein the cable support further comprises:

an extender extending from the junction box support at an angle of about 45°

; and

the cable support extends from the extender at an angle of about 45°

.

15. The bracket of claim 14 wherein the plurality of openings receive respective electric cables such that centerlines of the cables define a plane that is substantially parallel to, but offset from, the mounting surface.

16. The bracket of claim 3 wherein the attachment member is substantially perpendicular to the junction box support.

17. The bracket of claim 3 wherein the junction box support, the attachment member and the cable support are made from a single piece of sheet metal.

18. The bracket of claim 3 wherein opposed walls are attached to opposite sides of the wall frame and the bracket further comprises a spacer extending from the junction box support, the spacer adapted to contact one wall and locate the junction box support with respect to an opposite wall.

19. A bracket for supporting an electrical junction box from a bottom track of a wall frame, the junction box receiving ends of electrical cables, the bracket comprising:

a plate having opposed ends;

a junction box support formed at one end of the plate and having a mounting surface adapted to receive the electrical junction box;

a foot extending from an opposite end of the plate, the foot adapted to be connectable to the bottom track of the wall frame; and

a cable support extending from the junction box support, the cable support comprising

an extender extending from the one end of the plate, and

the cable securing apparatus extending from the extender, the cable securing apparatus adapted to receive and automatically secure the electrical cables in the cable securing apparatus simultaneously with the ends of respective electrical cables being disposed in the electrical junction box.

20. The bracket of claim 19 wherein the plate, the junction box support, the foot and the cable support are integrally formed from a single piece of material.

21. The bracket of claim 19 wherein the cable securing apparatus comprises:

a plurality of openings adapted to receive the electrical cables, and

a plurality of deformable tabs, each deformable tab automatically securing an electrical cable in a different one of the plurality of openings.

22. The bracket of claim 21 wherein the plurality of openings are adapted to receive respective cables such that centerlines of the cables define a plane that is substantially parallel to, but offset from, the mounting surface.

23. The bracket of claim 21 wherein each of the plurality of openings further comprises:

a hole; and

two opposed linear sides intersecting the hole and diverging outward from the hole to form a receiving space, the receiving space permitting the deformable tabs to deform toward the hole.

24. The bracket of claim 22 wherein an intersection of the hole and the two opposed sides defines a chord across the hole having a length smaller than a maximum diameter of the electric cable.

25. The bracket of claim 22 wherein the hole has a substantially circular portion.

26. A bracket for supporting an electrical junction box within a wail frame, the junction box receiving ends of electrical cables, the bracket comprising:

a junction box support having a mounting surface with at least one hole adapted to receive a fastener connectable to the electrical junction box;

an attachment member connected to the junction box support, the attachment member adapted to be connectable to the wall frame; and

a cable support connected to the junction box support, the cable support comprising

a plurality of openings adapted to receive the electrical cables, each of the plurality of openings comprising

a hole, and a plurality of deformable tabs, each deformable tab automatically securing an electrical cable in a different one of the plurality of openings;

two opposed sides intersecting the hole and diverging outward from the hole to form a receiving space, the receiving space permitting the deformable tabs to deform toward the hole.