Electrical box extension

• US 7,276,661 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2004
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• 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): Stashick; Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCKINLEY, CHRISTOPHER BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US10/971,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20050051354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 220/3.7, 220 32- 33, 220/3.9, 174/58, 174/57
• US Class Current: 174/58
• 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 mud ring member adapted to either receive an electrical device or receive an extending member adapted to both receive an electrical device and be elevated relative to the mud ring via one or more elevating fasteners. Either the mud ring member or the extending member, or both, have protrusions that maintain mechanical and electrical contact between the two members. The electrical box mud ring member preferably has frangible electrical device mounting plates.

Claims

1. An electrical box mounting assembly comprising:

a mud ring comprising;

an adapting plate member comprising;

an outward side;

an inward side;

and an edge;

a mud ring aperture oriented substantially about a principal axis of extension of the adapting plate member; and

at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate for receiving a fastener wherein the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate extends from the edge of adapting plate member in the direction of the mud ring aperture; and

a flange bordering the mud ring aperture of the adapting plate member and substantially perpendicular to, and extending in the direction of the outward side of, the adapting plate member and oriented substantially about the principal axis of extension of the adapting plate member;

the flange comprising;

an inward side;

an outward side;

and a frangible electrical device mounting plate extending into the mud ring aperture from the inward side of the flange.

2. The electrical box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate has a laterally open aperture adapted for lateral insertion of a fastener.

3. The electrical box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one protrusion extends from the inward side of the flange and the at least one protrusion is oriented substantially parallel with the principal axis of extension.

15. The electrical box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein a first portion of the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate extends from the edge of adapting plate member in the direction perpendicular to the inner surface of the adapting plate member and a second portion of the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate extends in a direction of the mud ring aperture substantially parallel to the inner surface of the adapting plate member.

4. An electrical box mounting assembly comprising:

a mud ring comprising;

an adapting plate member plate comprising;

an outward side;

an inward side;

and an edge;

a mud ring aperture oriented substantially about a principal axis of extension of the adapting plate member; and

at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate for receiving a fastener wherein the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate extends from the edge of adapting plate member in the direction of the mud ring aperture; and

a flange bordering the mud ring aperture of the adapting plate member and substantially perpendicular to, and extending in the direction of the outward side of, the adapting plate member and oriented substantially about the principal axis of extension of the adapting plate member the flange comprising;

an inward side;

an outward side;

and a frangible electrical device mounting plate extending into the mud ring aperture from the inward side of the flange; and

an extending member wherein the extending member is oriented about the principal axis of extension of the adapting plate member and in close proximity to the inward side of the flange;

wherein the outer surface of the extending member has at least one protrusion, the at least one protrusion oriented substantially parallel with the principal axis of extension in contact with the inward side of the flange, and at least one extender fastener mounting plate adapted to receive a fastener attached to the extending member wherein each of the at least one extension fastener mounting plates has an associated adaptor fastener mounting plate adapted to receive a fastener; and

wherein each extender fastener mounting plate is substantially aligned with the associated adaptor fastener mounting plate; and

at least one fastener adapted to detachably attach the mud ring to the extending member via each of the at least one aligned extender fastener mounting plate and the at least one aligned adaptor fastener mounting plate.

5. The electrical box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein at least one extender fastener mounting plate has a laterally open aperture adapted for a lateral insertion of the at least one fastener.

6. The electrical box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein the extending member comprises a polyhedron-shaped surface with substantially rectangular-shaped facets about the principal axis of extension.

7. The electrical box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein the extending member comprises a substantially tubular surface substantially circular in shape about and in a plane perpendicular to the principal axis of extension.

8. The electrical box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein the extending member comprises a substantially tubular surface substantially oval in shape about and in a plane perpendicular to a principal axis of extension.

9. An electrical box mounting assembly comprising:

an adapting member comprising;

an adapting plate member comprising;

an outward side;

an inward side;

a flange comprising an inward side;

an adapting plate member aperture oriented substantially about a principal axis of extension of the adapting plate member; and

at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate comprising an end section with an aperture, the least one adaptor fastener mounting plate extending from the edge of adapting plate member in a direction toward the inward side of said flange and with the end section substantially parallel with the inward side of the adapting member and beneath said flange and adapted to receive a fastener;

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

wherein said flange is coextensive with the adapting plate member aperture and substantially perpendicular to, and extending in the direction of the outward side of, the adapting plate member and oriented substantially about the principal axis of extension of the adapting plate member;

wherein

at least one protrusion extends from the inward side of the flange and the at least one protrusion is oriented substantially parallel with the principal axis of extension;

and

an extending member oriented about the principal axis of extension of said adapting member and in close proximity to the inward side of said flange, the extending member comprising;

an outer surface; and

at least one extender fastener mounting plate, 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; and

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.

10. The electrical box extender as claimed in claim 9 wherein the extending member has a polyhedron-shaped surface with substantially rectangular-shaped facets about the principal axis of extension.

11. The electrical box extender as claimed in claim 9 wherein the extending member has a tubular-shaped surface with substantially circular about the principal axis of extension.

12. The electrical box extender as claimed in claim 9 wherein the extending member has a tubular-shaped surface with substantially oval about the principal axis of extension.

16. The electrical box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein a first portion of the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate extends from the edge of adapting plate member in the direction perpendicular to the inner surface of the adapting plate member and a second portion of the at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate extends in a direction of the mud ring aperture substantially parallel to the inner surface of the adapting plate member.

17. The electrical box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein the extending member extends relative to the adapting member in the direction of the principal axis of extension via a rotation of the at least one fastener.

13. An electrical box mounting assembly comprising:

an adapting member comprising;

an adapting plate member comprising;

an outward side;

an inward side;

a flange comprising an inward side;

an adapting plate member aperture oriented substantially about a principal axis of extension of the adapting plate member; and

at least one adaptor fastener mounting plate comprising an end section with an aperture, the least one adaptor fastener mounting plate extending from the edge of adapting plate member in a direction toward the inward side of said flange and with the end section substantially parallel with the inward side of the adapting member and beneath said flange and adapted to receive a fastener;

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

wherein said flange is coextensive with the adapting plate member aperture and substantially perpendicular to, and extending in the direction of the outward side of, the adapting plate member and oriented substantially about the principal axis of extension of the adapting plate member wherein at least one protrusion extends from the inward side of the flange and the at least one protrusion is oriented substantially parallel with the principal axis of extension;

and

an extending member oriented about the principal axis of extension of said adapting member and in close proximity to the inward side of said flange, the extending member comprising;

an outer surface; and

at least one extender fastener mounting plate, 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; and

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;

wherein the outer surface of the extending member has at least one protrusion, the at least one protrusion oriented substantially parallel with the principal axis of extension in contact with the inward side of the flange.

14. An electrical box extending member having a principal axis of extension, the electrical box extending member comprising:

a tubular section comprising;

an inner surface facing an inward direction;

an outer surface, wherein the outer wall of the extending member has at least one protrusion, the at least one protrusion oriented substantially parallel with the principal axis of extension; and

a top rim; and

at least one extender fastener mounting plate, each extender fastener mounting plate fixedly attached to the extending member and adapted to receive a fastener; and

an electrical device mounting plate extending from the top rim in an inward direction.