Electrical distribution wiring module

• US 7,265,291 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2006
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alexandra Block, ANDREW KALANI NIHEU & JAY DEEP CHITNIS, Andrew M. Jenkins, Anne M. Mahoney, Baker Ken, Baum Family Trust, Binkley Family Trust, Bonnie Austin, Brandon Dinoto, Brandon Moore Utma, BRIAN DRISCOLL AND/OR DRISCOLL INVESTMENTS INC., Bruce Johnson, BRUCE & LORENE BOWERS, BRUCE & SANDY BRANDENBURG, CARL A LARSON, TRUSTEE LARSON 1995 REVOCABLE TRUST DTD 11/17/1995, CARL KOBAYASHI & MISHELLE NISHIDA, Chea Chung, CHRISTOPHER MOORE INDIVIDUALLY & AS TRUSTEE MOORE FAMILY TRUST DTD 10/3/2006, Christy L. Hendrickson Trust, CLAUDE KORDUS TRUSTEE KORDUS FAMILY TRUST, CLIFF & MAKOTO MCQUEEN, Court Wilson, Craig Hillegas, Daniel Allen, Daniel C. Serpe, DANIEL & KIMBERLY DOTSON, Daniel White, Dan Way, DAVID & BONNIC AUSTIN INDIVIDUALLY AND AS TRUSTEES AUSTIN FAMILY TRUST DTD 10/1/1999, David Caldwell, David L. Lyon, Dominique Pandolfi, DONALD D. LEARNED, TRUSTEE DONALD LEARNED TRUST C/O SCOTT LEARNED, DONALD & MARY SPENCER, Don Farris Inc Retirement Trust, Doug Cox, Elizabeth Willis, Eric Rawa, Estate Of Gary W. Dixon, GARY & BARBARA A. GENTZKOW AND/OR BARBARA GENTZKOW'S IRA, GARY & LINDSEY BLOCK, George Block, Glenn Frieder, Gloria Marie Gammill, GREG A. JIRAK & LORI HUBBART, GREG BLOCK, TRUSTEE, BLOCK FAMILY TRUST DTD 6/22/1990, Greg MacDonald, Gregory A. Block, Gregory Bernett, HARDEY, JULIE E. AKA JULIE HELLUM FBO BREE DIXON, Hardie David, Howard Brian Malloy, Ian Nausner, IVAN & LORI MENDELSON, James Clifford, James Gammill, JAMES GEVARGES & DOMINIQUE BEITKANOUN, JAMES & KIM WEINBERGER, JAMES & ROBYN CARBAUGH, JANELL SKOMER AKA JANELL SOHMER-BLOCK C/O GREGORY BLOCK, Jeffrey Lubin, Jeffrey Teza, Jeff Schott, Jerry E. Jageman, John Chu, John F. Zolezzi, JOHN & LAUARIE DEWITT AND/OR THIEIR IRAS, JOHN & LYNN BOWEN, TRUSTEES BOWN FAMILY TRUST DTD 11/21/1985, Jon Hillegas, JULIUS & MARRIETTA ZOLEZZI, KASHAN PIRACHA (KPN, LLC), Katherine Williams, KENNETH & JANET SHANER, Ken Rubin, Kevin Thomas Dinoto, Kristopher Dinoto, Laura Lewis, Laurence Balter, LINDA MOORE INDIVIDUALLY & AS TRUSTEE LINDA B. MOORE PERSONAL TRUST, Lisa Odenweller, Lori Shook, MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS LIMITED C/O SMC MULTI-MEDIA, Man-Ling Lai, Marc Cahal, Marc Odenweller, MARION J. BAUER ROSIDUARY TRUST C/O BLOCK, GAUNCE & ASSOCIATES, MARK & DIANA KENNEY, TRUSTEES KENNEY FAMILY TRUST DTD 11/29/1996, Mark McDonald, Marview Holdings, Inc., Maui Preparatory Academy, Megan Molloy, Melody Kitchens, MICHAEL & ANASTASIA FARRELL AND/OR STERLING TRUST CO. FBO MICHAEL FARRELL, Michael Bosworth, Michael Dewitt, MICHAEL MCLOUGHLIN, TRUSTEE MCLOUGHLIN FAMILY TRUST DTD 3/22/1994, Milton F. Damerow, NGUYEN, PETER (KPN, LLC), Nicholas Block, Nicole Cox, Norman M. Estin Trust, Parvis Nabavi, Paul Block, Persis Hataria, PHILIP BURKHARDT, TRUSTEE BURKHARDT 2005 FAMILY TRUST AND/OR THEIR IRAS, Phillip Moore, PHYLLIS ORNDORFF, TRUSTEE PHYLLIS ORNDORFF TRUST DTD 12-30-2010, RANDY & LONA KENT, R/Com Retail Services, LLC, Richard Babcock, RICHARD & DEBRA MYTKO, RICHARD & JACQUELINE SMITH, Robert C. Albrow, Robert M. Skomer, Robert W. Dudley Trust, Ronald S. Chapman, RYAN & SUSAN BOWERS, Ryota Komaru, Samantha Carroll, Scot Hall, Sean Mundy, Shaochong Yan, SMC Multi-Media Products Company Limited (SMC Multi-Media Limited), S Steven Podstreleny, Steve Benshoof, Steve Marlette, Steven Purves, Steven Sreb, STUART & KAREN SHAFER, Sydney Block, TERRENCE E. LEE, TRUSTEE TERRENCE E. LEE TRUST, Terrill Stewart, Terry Davis, THOMAS DINOTO, TRUSTEE DINOTO FAMILY TRUST DTD 1/11/1993, Thomas Goergen, Thomas H. Zolezzi, Timothy Karis Sirak LLC, TIM WALKER, TRUSTEE WALKER FAMILY TRUST DTD 7/21//2009, Valeo Partners LLC, Vincent Guzzetta Vascular Associates Co., WALTER & REBECCA HICKEL C/O CALWEST PROPERTIES, WARREN & ROBIN COHEN, Wendy Frieder, William Orndorff
• Original Assignee: Protectconnect Incorporated
• Inventors: Gorman, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen; Gary F.
• Application Number:
  US11/418,325
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 439/536, 439/537, 439/892, 174/66, 174/67
• US Class Current: 174/66
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/086 Assembled boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/14 Fastening of cover or lid to box

Abstract

A wiring module is installed within an electrical box, wherein the wiring module is configured to connect to a power cable routed to the electrical box. The wiring module distributes electrical power according to a functional module that is pluggable into the wiring module. A cover is removably mounted to the wiring module so that the cover extends generally flush over an open face of the electrical box. The cover prevents plaster and other material from fouling the wiring module during wall panel installation and is removed after wall panel installation so as to plug the functional module into the wiring module.

Claims

1. An electrical distribution apparatus comprising:

a wiring module having a functional side, an opposite wiring side and a mounting bracket; and

a cover removably mounted to the wiring module;

wherein the wiring module is configured to mount within an electrical box so as to connect the wiring side to a power cable routed to the electrical box,

wherein the mounting bracket has box mounts configured to secure the mounting bracket to the electrical box,

wherein the cover is disposed generally flush with an open face of the electrical box when the wiring module is mounted within the electrical box so that the cover prevents plaster and other material from fouling the wiring module during wall panel installation, and

wherein the cover is removed to expose the wiring module functional side after wall panel installation so as to allow a functional module to plug into sockets disposed on the wiring module functional side.

2. The electrical distribution apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the cover comprises:

a generally planar cover plate having an area extending substantially across the electrical box open face;

a plurality of cover mounts generally centered proximate a top edge and proximate a bottom edge of the cover plate; and

apertures defined on the cover mounts for securing the cover plate to the wiring module box mounts.

3. An electrical distribution method comprising the steps of:

providing an electrical box for routing an electrical power cable;

installing a wiring module within the electrical box, wherein the wiring module is configured to connect to the power cable and distribute electrical power according to a functional module that is pluggable into the wiring module;

removably mounting a cover to the wiring module so that the cover extends generally flush over an open face of the electrical box;

removing the cover after wall panel installation so as to plug the functional module into the wiring module.

4. The electrical distribution method according to claim 3 comprising the further steps of:

extending a mounting bracket from the wiring module;

disposing a plurality of box mounts on opposite portions of the mounting bracket;

attaching the box mounts to the electrical box proximate the electrical box open face so as to secure the wiring module within the electrical box;

disposing a plurality of cover mounts generally centered proximate opposite edges of the cover; and

attaching the cover mounts to the box mounts so as to secure the cover over the electrical box open face.

5. An electrical distribution apparatus comprising:

an electrical box having an open face and configured to route a power cable in communications with electrical power;

a wiring module installed within the electrical box and configured to connect to the power cable, mount a functional module, and distribute electrical power according to the functional module;

a mounting bracket extending from the wiring module and configured to mount the wiring module within the electrical box;

a plurality of box mounts disposed on the mounting bracket for securing the wiring module to the electrical box; and

a cover plate removably mounted to the wiring module mounting bracket and disposed generally flush to the electrical box open face so as to prevent foreign material from entering the electrical box during wall construction.

6. The electrical distribution apparatus according to claim 5 further comprising:

a plurality of cover mounts generally centered proximate a top edge and proximate a bottom edge of the cover plate; and

apertures defined on the cover mounts for securing the cover plate to the wiring module box mounts.

7. The electrical distribution apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the electrical box is a multi-gang electrical box, the apparatus further comprising:

a second cover plate removably mounted to a second wiring module and disposed generally flush to the open face of the multi-gang electrical box,

wherein portions of the cover plate and second cover plate overlap so as to prevent foreign material from entering the multi-gang box between the cover plates.